News: Clooney called as witness in PM sex case

Clooney called as witness in sex case

Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who stood down over a mounting debt crisis, is now facing trial for allegedly having sex with an underage prostitute during one of his infamous ‘bunga bunga’ parties. But among the more than 70 star witnesses, which include mostly Government ministers, are international football heart throb Christiano Ronaldo and arguably the world’s sexiest man, George Clooney. Clooney released a statement: “It seems odd since I’ve only met Berlusconi once and that was in an attempt to get aid into Darfur.”

Speaker Harry Jenkins resigns, changes balance of power

The Federal parliamentary speaker, Labor’s Harry Jenkins, resigned this morning saying he was ‘frustrated with the strictures’ of minority government. Returning to his side’s ranks means he will be able to vote again on day-to-day matters (as speaker he could only vote in event of a tie). But it also means he has to be replaced. That replacement will be Liberal Peter Slipper whose own party were moving to strip him of pre-selection. It’s all a done deal after Labor’s caucus meeting which has just sealed the proceedings. It means the Opposition will effectively lose two votes on the floor (losing one of their own, but Labor gaining back Jenkins). It puts the Government in a much stronger position … and what does it mean for Independent Andrew Wilkie and the poker machine reform he’s been using leverage to get done? Changes are afoot.

Doctors aborted the wrong twin

A Victorian mother made the heartbreaking decision to abort one of the twins she was carrying, and whom she had already named, because it was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that would require years of operations, if it survived. But doctors aborted the healthy, 32-week old twin instead. The Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne apologised for the ‘distressing clinical accident’. The twin with the congenital heart condition was later aborted after a three-hour operation. The woman is considering legal action.

Detention contractor fined $15m

The Federal Government has told a Senate inquiry it docked $14.8 million in payments to Serco, the contractors that run the Australian network of immigration detention centres. The money was withheld over a period of more than one year, taken from monthly payments. The money was taken due to ‘poor management’ of the detention centres which included a period of detainee suicides, riots, poor facilities, inadequate food and bundles with visitors. Serco was paid $375 million to run the detention centres last year.

Kyle Sandilands defends his ‘fat slag’ comments

The radio host who was at the centre of a controversy yesterday in which major advertising sponsors like Holden and the Good Guys began pulling out has refused to apologise. He said he was ‘anything but a woman hater’ and his co-host Jackie O backed him up saying: “”I know for a fact that you treat women with nothing but the most respect,” Jackie said. “Your biggest fault is you don’t like anyone criticising you because then you fight back.” Kyle went on to say: “I went over the top because I thought it was a personal attack on me. I never, ever, dish out first. I only ever retaliate to someone else’s crazy allegations. And the call that I only ever attack female journalists is not true. I’ll attack any journalist that attacks me.”

Angelina Jolie lucky she ‘didn’t die young’

The star has opened up to 60 Minutes (for a yet-to-be aired interview) about her ‘heavy, darker’ years and how she feels she is lucky she survived them. “I’m still a bad girl,” she said. “I still have that side of me. It’s just in its place now. It belongs to Brad. To our adventures.” She went on to speak out her wilder years: “I went through heavy, darker times and I survived them. I didn’t die young. So I am very lucky. There are other artists and people that didn’t survive certain things. You just think there were too many times where you came too close to too many dangerous things, too many chances taken too, too far.”

Teen parents will be made to finish high school

Parliament yesterday passed legislation that would allow a trial program of 4000 teenage parents to get started. The crux of it? They finish high school or risk having their welfare payments taken away. Minister Simon Crean said it was about making sure they made the most of opportunities given to them. Others criticised the move, saying it had the potential to overwork the ‘stick’ approach and demonise young parents when they were vulnerable. They will have to attend a general interview with Centrelink once their youngest turns six months. Six months after that, they will need to start discussions about how to get their Year 12 certificate or equivalent.

Senator to ask why Woolies ‘won’t support’ problem gamblers

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon, from Adelaide, will turn up to the Woolworths Annual General Meeting today to ask why it won’t support the Federal Government’s poker machine reforms, which are likely to include mandatory pre-commitment measures to force problem gamblers to nominate how much money they wish to lose in a single session. Xenophon said: “Woolworths owns more poker machines than any other Australian company. People lose their homes, their marriages and sometimes their lives because of this product. Being part of the pokies industry is inconsistent with Woolworths family friendly image.” Woolworths owns about 12,000 machines or about six per cent of all the machines in the country.

Lady Gaga opens a shop

And she does it in typical Gaga bizarre style. Gaga’s Workshop (that’s the name) was opened yesterday in the upmarket New York department store Barney’s and sells products from $50 sunnies through to $4000 booties. There’s also lollies, earrings and other accessories. Gaga said she wanted something for everybody, so no one was excluded. 25 per cent of the proceeds in store and online would go to her own anti-bullying charity Born This Way Foundation.