NEWS: Nine stories to talk about today.

1. Independent MP Bob Katter was interviewed by Charlie Pickering on The Project last night in an interview that has got everyone talking. Katter failed to respond to claims that he thought homophobia was permissable in 2013. The interview came after two (now dis-endorsed) candidates for Katter’s new political party made outrageous statements comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and saying that gay teachers should not be allowed in kindergartens and preschools. Watch the interview below:

The Mix 101.1 team, Chrissie & Jane, interviewed Charlie Pickering this morning to ask him about the interview. Listen below:

2. 14-year-old Bindi Irwin is apparently ‘devastated’ after an essay she submitted for publication in US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s e-journal was drastically edited. The young wild life advocate and daughter of the late Steve Irwin, has said she won’t allow the article about overpopulation to be published in its shortened form.

3. Voting for Triple J’s ‘Hottest 100’ songs of 2012 is almost over with the winners to be announced on radio tomorrow. Early favourites include Of Monsters and Men ‘Little Talks’, The Rubens ‘My Gun’ and Mumford and Sons ‘I Will Wait’. Last year’s winner was Gotye with ‘Somebody that I used to Know’.

4. The Government is urging Australians currently in the Libyan city of Benghazi to evacuate as soon as possible. The British Government reportedly have intelligence that shows a ‘specific and imminent’ terrorist threat to westerners in the region. Two Australians are currently registered as being in the area and the Australian embassy in Cairo are trying to make contact with them.

5. The BBC are about to re-air one of their best loved TV series, Fawlty Towers. The television show features John Cleese as hotel owner Basil Fawlty and is consistently named as one of the most outstanding comedy shows the world has ever seen. However in an act of political-correctness-gone-bloody-bonkers the BBC plan to edit out the famous scene from ‘The Germans’ episode, where Basil gives an over-the-top imitation of Adolf Hitler. 

6. World number one women’s tennis player, Victoria Azarenka has fought her way through to the Australian Open final but will compete under claims that she used dodgy tactics to get there. Azarenka took an extremely long time out for medical reasons during yesterday’s semi-final, for what she claimed was a rib injury but – to television viewers – looked more like an anxiety attack.

7. Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott has announced he’ll embark on a week long ‘mini election campaign’ starting this Sunday. Mr Abbott will be touring the country and trying to push back on Labor’s recent improvements in the polls, ahead of Parliament returning in February.

8. A former editor of some of Australia’s best known women’s magazines, Nene King, has told a magistrates court today that her former friend stole from her while King was under the influence of drugs. King, now 69, admitted to being addicted to drugs, taking Prozac regularly and spending up to $600 on cannabis each month.

9. A Qantas passenger has been asked to change his clothing before boarding because he was wearing a t-shirt with the phrase ‘Hello, My Name Is Inigo Montoya … you killed my father… prepare to die’  written on it. Qantas staff were concerned that the t-shirt appeared threatening and could cause concern amongst other passengers. Fans of the 1980s cult movie The Princess Bride would know why most of the other passengers were giggling along with the incident rather than feeling the least bit bothered.