| Sheik al-Hilaly named 'Un-Australian of the Year'
Controversial Muslim cleric Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly has won an Australia Day award - for the country's Un-Australian of the Year. The religious leader was awarded the gong by men's magazine Zoo Weekly for his raft of controversial claims over the past year, including that women invited rape by the way they dressed and that Muslims had more right to live in Australia than those with convict ancestors. He headed up a list of the magazine's tongue-in-cheek top 10, released today ahead of Thursday's Australian of the Year Awards. Zoo Weekly features editor Gregor Stronach described the magazine's nominees as those who deserved "a tonk over the head" for not displaying "good old-fashioned Aussie values". He said it appeared Sheik al-Hilaly had been campaigning for the prize with his raft of comments.
Aniston's publicist quashes nose-job claims
London, Jan 25: A representative of actress Jennifer Aniston has quashed claims his client has had plastic surgery on her nose, after the star was spotted leaving the clinic of a top cosmetic surgeon.Stephen Huvane has told Wenn that various magazines that are set to run with speculation the former Friends star has had a new nose-job, are issuing "nonsense". He insists writers are making too much of Aniston's visit to the Beverly Hills office of plastic surgeon Dr Raj Kanodia on Saturday (20Jan07).Life & Style reports in its upcoming issue that Aniston spent several hours at the surgery, and covered her nose with her hands when she realised snappers were taking pics of her when she came out.According to a source telling the magazine, "I was told she had a full rhinoplasty."But an angry Huvane said, "For the most part, this story is complete rubbish.""Jennifer did have a septum corrected that was incorrectly done over 12 years ago.
Bulldogs get defensive, claim CBL's 4A title
The Columbia Basin League 4A division was Pasco's to lose Friday, and it was up to the Bulldogs to defend their right to the outright title. So they did. Boy, did they ever. They defended it with man-to-man defense that shut down Eisenhower in the second half and turned the game lopsided as Pasco ran away with a 70-47 home victory, the division title and an automatic bid to the 4A regional tournament. The Bulldogs will play host Friday to the lowest seed remaining from the district tourney 4A first-round action. "At halftime we knew we had to pick up our defense and the offense would come," said Shayne Kelly, whose points came in abundance, finishing with a game-high 25 points. "This was a pretty good crowd. We fed off of that." The Bulldogs (15-5, 9-3) closed the third quarter with four straight steals leading to baskets and outscored the Cadets 42-18 in the second half.
Jamaican estate where Fleming wrote Bond novels to get facelift
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Goldeneye, the scenic rural retreat in eastern Jamaica where British author Ian Fleming created James Bond, is getting a facelift. Work begins in June on 82 villas, cottages and suites at the 40-hectare property overlooking a harbour in St. Mary parish, Jason Henzell, president of luxury hotelier Island Outpost, said Monday. Henzell said Goldeneye’s current owner, media mogul Chris Blackwell — who is also the owner of Island Outpost — wants to use the property for tourism. "He wants to develop a new niche in Jamaica called residential tourism, where people buy land, visit and ultimately promote the island," he said Monday. He declined to comment on the project’s cost. Fleming bought Goldeneye in the mid-1940s when it spanned just 16 hectares and wrote several books there.
Ship Island amenities to be complete by '09
BILOXI, Miss. Ship Island and Gulf Islands National Seashore are getting a much-needed facelift. The superintendent of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jerry Eubanks, says the National Park Service will rebuild most visitor facilities at Ship Island and Gulf Islands National Seashore to pre-Katrina levels. Eubanks says Congress has already appropriated the money, though it hasn't found its way down to the local office yet. Eubanks said yesterday (Wednesday) --quoting here -- it's kind of a work in progress as we go-- unquote. He says plans call for rebuilding a snack bar, restrooms, showers and shaded picnic facilities --all by 2009. Visitors this summer, though, will be greeted by makeshift amenities _ a temporary shaded area, composting restrooms and possibly an outdoor shower, if the parks service can get its well operating.
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