Aussie restaurant charges customers for wearing thongs

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 31 (ANI): An Aussie cafe is charging customers 10 dollars for wearing thongs as they enjoy a meal.

The “thongage” charge has been mentioned in a sign on the door of Tramontana restaurant on McMinn St, Darwin.

“It”s a formal restaurant – tablecloths, napkins. I wear shoes and socks,” News.com.au quoted owner John Spellman, as saying.

He added: “There”s actually a button on the register. I just put it on the bill – you don”t have to argue about it. Two lamb chops, one thongage.

“Why not have somewhere in town where people can dress up and be decent … a lady comes in dressed to the nines, guy”s wearing T-shirt and shorts.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dress made entirely out of chocolate to be unveiled Down Under

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 31 (ANI): A new designer outfit made of chocolate is set to be unveiled at an Easter fashion show in southeast Queensland.

According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, haute couture designer Richard de Chazal made the gown in three using 44 pounds (20kg) of chocolate, reports the Courier Mail.

The costume was created through a detailed process of applying dabs of chocolate to the bodice. Thereafter, the chocolate was smoothed out with a spatula and heat gun.

The bodice was lined with swimming pool sealant and resin so that the chocolate did not seep through the fabric.

De Chazal said: “The weekend was spent with many blisters and burns with the help of a chef friend as we tried to concoct the perfect chocolate for a garment.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Russell Brand labelled the ultimate ‘bridezilla’ by fiance Katy Perry

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 31 (ANI): Comedian Russell Brand is all excited to get married to his pop star fiance Katy Perry and has earned a ‘bridezilla’ tag from her.

Perry, who got engaged to Brand in December, admits that she is at ease and wants to finish her album first, while Brand is obsessed with the wedding plans.

“He”s a total bridezilla. He”s like a freak,” Perry told MTV.

“I’m not that obsessed with plans. But if we stop for breakfast, he has to stop and get Bride magazine. It gets a little crazy,” News.com.au quoted her as saying.

The ‘Hot and Cold’ singer said that she is hoping her close friend Rihanna would help organize her bachelorette party before the big day – after bribing her with gifts.

“Is Rihanna organising it? I hope she does after all the crazy a * s presents I sent her,” Perry told Website Hollyscoop. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘There”s nothing like Australia’ tagline to promote tourism Down Under

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 31(ANI): The new tagline of Tourism Australia is “There”s nothing like Australia”.

The earlier caption by model Lara Bingle, “So where the bloody hell are you?”” got banned by the Brits and could not be translated to the Japanese, making the authorities choose a fairly simpler one this time.

Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy suggested the tourism campaign aims to showcase the country as a great tourist destination.

“Australians want to tell the world passionately and proudly about our great country,”” News.com.au quoted McEvoy as saying.

And he described the new tag line as “a line for the ages””, hoping it to last for next 10 years.

Meanwhile, Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson has asked Australians to participate in the campaign by submitting pictures and descriptions of their favourite local destinations on a new website www.nothinglikeaustralia.com starting April 15.

Apparently, the first stage of the campaign will cost just 4 million dollars, but Tourism Australia expects to invest at least 150m dollars over the next three years. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hong Kong man shoves cucumber up his a** in suicide attempt!

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 31(ANI): A Hong Kong man tried committing suicide by pushing a cucumber from behind.

However, Chin Wei, was rushed to hospital after his daughter found him lying in a pool of blood.

Doctors removed the vegetable from his bottom, reports News.com.au.

The 62-year-old man claimed that the method was a variation of the Japanese ritual suicide hara-kiri, in which a sword is plunged into one”s own stomach. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Broken-hearted Indonesian teenager chops off his penis

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 30 (ANI): An Indonesian teenager chopped off his penis and threw it into a well after his girlfriend decided to marry someone else.

The 19-year-old from a village in Central Java province arrived in hospital in critical condition from blood loss but medical personnel managed to save his life, health authorities said.

“He arrived at the hospital last Thursday in critical condition from blood loss. Cutting off a penis can be fatal,” News.com.au quoted Cilacap General Hospital Director Sugeng Budi Susanto as telling local media.

Doctors were unable to re-attach the dismembered member because villagers could not find it.

Sugeng said that the teenager spent several days in intensive care but is now in recovery and had not spoken to anyone about the incident.

“He”s still too shocked and embarrassed to talk to or see anyone,” Sugeng said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Demi Moore blasts Kim Kardashian for using ”Big pimpin” on Twitter

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 30 (ANI): Demi Moore has blasted Kim Kardashian on Twitter for using the word “pimpin” while partying with Serena Williams and Kelly Rowland.

The actress, 47, took offence when Kardashian, 29, captioned a pic on her Twitter page using the words ”Big pimpin”.

According to the Daily Mail, Kardashian was attending a glamorous charity event in Miami and wanted to show her Twitter fans a snap of herself with her celebrity pals, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The snap, which appears to have been clicked by a cell phone camera, shows the reality TV star with singer Kelly Rowland, tennis star Serena Wiliams and DJ La La Vazquez.

Kardashian posted the pic on Twitter and added a message, which said: ”Big pimpin w @SerenajWilliams @LaLaVazquez @Kelly_Rowland Love u girls!”

However, Demi did not like Kardashian”s use of the word pimpin and asked her: ”Are you using the word “pimpin” as in pimping?”, to which Kardashian replied: ”Doesn”t everyone? LOL.”

Demi then shot back: ”No disrespect I love a girls night out but a pimp and pimping is nothing more than a slave owner!”

Demi added that people should stop ”glorifying the pimp culture”.

One follower tried to explain what Kardashian meant: ”She doesn”t mean it quite so literally”, to which Demi said: ”It”s not her! we have allowed it 2 B considered cool, but it still is what it is!”

Kardashian then decided to defend her own comment, saying: ”Nothing wrong with dancing to Big Pimpin” by Jay Z in the club! Having a girls night out, gotta love that song!”

The number was a single from the Jay Z”s 1999 record, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter.

All that Demi could say in the end was that she just wanted to ”provoke thought and conversation”. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Newborn twins given ”Danger” as middle name

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 29 (ANI): A pair of newborn twins has been given a dangerous middle name – literally, the two have been named Billie Danger Lampard and Ridley Danger Lampard.

Parents Amy and Glenn Lampard can now claim compete bragging rights to the popular expression: “Danger is my middle name.”

“I”ve always wanted to be able to say it myself,” the Herald Sun quoted Mr Lampard, as saying.

He added: “We”re actually enjoying calling them the ”Danger Twins” at the moment. It”s a bit of a novelty.”

Billie and her brother Ridley were born about six weeks early at Epworth Freemasons Hospital last week.

Mrs Lampard said her hubby had long been toying with the idea of using “Danger” as a moniker for their kids. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mums working part-time have healthiest kids

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 29 (ANI): A new Australian study has found that mums working part-time raise healthier children than their counterparts who stay at home or have a full-time job.

The study, “Do Working Mothers Raise Couch Potato Kids?” shows that kids of part-time mums have less junk food, watch less TV and are less likely to be overweight or obese.

The study group carried out face-to-face interviews with mothers and measured their child”s height and weight at ages four to five, and again two years later, at six to seven years of age.

“When mothers work part-time, there”s obviously something about the way the house is run, and the way parents are looking after their children that is protective,” the Daily Telegraph quoted co-author and associate professor Jan Nicholson, principal research fellow at Melbourne”s Murdoch Children”s Research Institute, as saying.

The study of over 4,500 Australian pre-schoolers found part-time mums let their children watch about an hour less telly each week than both stay-at-home mums and full-time working mothers.

Their kids consumed fewer snack foods, had more time to exercise and were exposed to less junk-food advertising.

The researchers said: “Although employment reduces the time parents spend at home, mothers go to considerable lengths to insulate time with their children.

“They reschedule activities, sleep less and allocate less time to personal care and leisure to ensure that time with children is protected.”

The research also showed that women engaged in full-time work are likely to have unhealthier children.

The reason why stay-at-home mums have less healthy kids in spite of having more time to implement healthy behaviour is not fully understood, and researchers believe closer examination of household dynamics is needed. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oz town hosts world”s first Husband Dragging competition

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 29 (ANI): Women in Australia were given a chance to seek mock revenge as they towed their better halves in the world”s first Husband Dragging competition.

The contest made its debut in Singleton, New South Wales, “depicting a traditional Aussie weekend where the female drags her man out of the pub”.

The event first saw women running over a slippery plastic surface to a makeshift bar where their husbands were sitting. They then dragged their man along the ground before making him complete household duties, News.com.au reported.

Winners of the competition, Emma Mellows and Jacabe Wood, got 1000 dollars to take home as prize money.

The race, as part of the annual CountryFest, was held along side the Wife Carrying Championships, in which men were to carry their wives on their backs through a gruelling course. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston ‘no longer Friends’

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 29 (ANI): David Schwimmer is reportedly not talking to his former ‘Friends’ co-star Jennifer Aniston.

Schwimmer is apparently angry after the actress recently confessed on David Letterman chat show that she had ‘no idea’ whom the actor was marrying.

The 43-year-old, who played Ross Geller in the sitcom, recently announced his plans to tie the knot with his long-term girlfriend, photographer Zoe Buckman, 23.

Schwimmer has been with Buckman for couple of years now and is reportedly mad at Aniston after she couldn’t remember his fiance.

“David was not at all impressed when one of her supposed friends didn’t know who he was marrying,” the Daily Telegraph quoted a source as telling The Mail.

“He has been avoiding her calls since,” the source added. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jude Law ‘fumes over ex wife’s tell all book’

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 29 (ANI): Jude Law is reportedly fuming over his former wife Sadie Frost’s upcoming autobiography.

The Alfie actor, who was married to Frost from 1997 to 2003 and shares three children with her, is said to have taken advice from solicitors over her latest career move.

“Jude has told Sadie that he wants to know exactly what is written about him,” The Daily Telegraph quoted a source as telling The Mail newspaper in the UK.

“He is very worried that some of the revelations could be damaging to his career and upsetting for their children when they are old enough to read it,” the source added. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Nufarm slides to H1 loss, as flagged

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MELBOURNE, March 29 (Reuters) – Australian farm chemicals group Nufarm (NUF.AX) reported a first half loss, hit by a drop in sales of its key herbicide, in line with the group’s forecast last month, and reiterated its forecast for the full year.

Basic Materials

The company still expects to report a full-year profit between A$80 million ($72 million) and A$100 million, it said on Monday.

Nufarm reported a net loss of A$40 million for the the six months to January 31, matching its forecast last month.

“The second six months of the current financial year are expected to show that recovery is well underway across important areas of the business,” the company said.

Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical (4005.T) is set to buy up to 20 percent of the company at A$14 a share, a big premium to Nufarm’s last trade at A$8.68. ($1=1.106 Australian Dollar) (Reporting by Sonali Paul; editing by Balazs Koranyi)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Motor racing-Button wins Australian Grand Prix for McLaren

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MELBOURNE, March 28 (Reuters) – Britain’s Formula One world champion Jenson Button won the Australian Grand Prix for McLaren on Sunday.

Poland’s Robert Kubica finished second for Renault with Brazilian Felipe Massa third for Ferrari. (Editing by John O’Brien; To query on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Playboy Bunny Girl outfit up for grabs

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 27 (ANI): Women have been offered a chance to own their very own Playboy Bunny Girl outfit for the first time after owner Hugh Hefner agreed to produce a limited edition.

The Playboy mogul was said to have initially brushed aside the idea but nodded to it for the firm”s 50th anniversary, according to The Sun.

The costume, invented in the 1960s and worn by waitresses at The Playboy Clubs, consists of a rayon-satin corset, bunny ears, a collar, cuffs and a fluffy cottontail, News.com.au reported.

The outfit, a part of the Playboy Bunny”s mystique, will be up for grabs for 74 dollars in Ann Summers stores and online. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MJ’s home search reveals ‘skin-whitening cream”

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 27 (ANI): Officials combing Michael Jackson’s home after his death were said to have stumbled on skin-whitening creams.

Several skin-whitening tubes and medical items, including four bottles of anesthetic, were found in a cupboard in the star’s room, according to released search warrants.

The documents were unveiled following a legal motion, News.com.au reported.

Jackson died aged 50 on June 25 last year at his home in Los Angeles. The coroner ruled the case as homicide mainly caused by an overdose of the anesthetic Propofol.

His personal doctor Conrad Murray admitted administering Propofol to help Jackson sleep hours before his death but said he gave him nothing to cause his death.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to the single charge of involuntary manslaughter over the singer’s death. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Two-wheel, pod-like vehicle that can drive itself unveiled

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 26 (ANI): Australian car maker Holden has unveiled a radical two-wheel, pod-like vehicle that can drive itself.

Xiao has been developed using carbon fiber and is charged by electric motors on each wheel. It can carry two passengers at a time with 40 kilometers on each charge.

This vehicle is said to be one of the three concepts developed by giant auto company General Motor, utilizing its different studios around the globe.

The cars were unveiled this week and will go on display at the World Expo in Shanghai from May to October.

Tony Stolfo of Holden said the company owes the car”s success to a number of the company”s young designers who have been working on the project for the past 15 months.

“This work has really broken the mould of the projects we undertake within the Holden design studio,”” News.com.au quoted Stolfo as saying.

“The fact that our young designers were able to run with this project and develop it to such a high level really speaks volumes for the advanced design capabilities within Australia.

“It has meant moving away from designing the traditional elements of a motor vehicle to develop new themes and technologies that might some day define the way we live our lives.

“Much of what we have learned during this project will help us in our ongoing efforts to meet the many transport challenges associated with a growing population,”” Stolfo added.

The Xiao features a unique state-of-the-art global technology combined with vehicle-to-vehicle communications and distance-sensing systems. This vehicle can be driven by the occupant or by an on-board computer system.

Xiao is also groomed to reduce traffic congestion through its automatic route-selection feature based on real-time traffic information. It also uses wireless technology where it drivers and its occupants can communicate with other commuters while on the road.

It also has a sensor and camera systems to assist in changes in driving conditions, improving pedestrian safety, and to respond quickly in any obstruction. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Early warning sign for Alzheimer”s discovered

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 26 (ANI): A team of Australian researchers has discovered an early warning sign for Alzheimer”s.

The new research, conducted in partnership between the CSIRO and the Queensland government, suggests that the sign is evident in the brain years before the disease causes any cognitive decline.

The researchers have mapped the presence of amyloid-beta “plaques” in the brain, which are known to accumulate alongside the development of the degenerative condition.

Until now, it was not known whether this plaque was toxic and contributed to Alzheimer”s disease or whether it was coincidental.

Dr Olivier Salvado and his research colleagues found when the plaque was located in a particular spot in the brain it could cause damage to the hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory functioning.

“We found when there is plaque in this inferior temporal cortex then the hippocampus gets atrophied,” News.com.au quoted Salvado as saying.

It is believed that the plaque disrupts connections with the hippocampus, causing its neurons to die.

The new discovery reveals one mechanism by which Alzheimer”s disease could unfold within the brain plus a possible way to spot it early.

The research has been published in the journal Neurology. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Christina Aguilera turns devil for new record

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 26 (ANI): Christina Aguilera is making a devilish comeback to the music world – the singer is set to star as a devil in her upcoming record Bionic.

Aguilera, 29, dons a black PVC corset, suspenders and chains on the artwork for her new single Not Myself Tonight, reports the Herald Sun.

A pair of horns and a tail have also been drawn to add to her look.

The song will be released on March 31.

Bionic – Aguilera’s first album in four years – will hit stores in April. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Lara Bingle house hunting after Michael Clarke ‘deadline’

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, March 26 (ANI): Lara Bingle, who recently parted ways with Michael Clarke, has been spotted shopping for a new home, amidst claims that the cricketer has given her a deadline to leave his 6-million-dollar Bondi mansion.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the model was seen with manager Max Markson and two real estate agents in Bellevue Hill in Sydney”s east, looking at a three-bedroom apartment worth an estimated 2 million dollars.

Real estate agent Raine and Horne refused to confirm reports Bingle was at the property, reports News.com.au.

The Bennelong Crescent apartment has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a double lock-up garage and an “entertainer”s kitchen”. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts