Saturday 29 November 2014

Plenty of real sounds give a month of joy for the ears

November has been good to the music nuts among us, with new releases from such varied artists as Foo Fighters


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Cheryl Fernandez-Versini: I gave Lauren Platt cold which nearly ruled her out





CHERYL Fernandez-Versini has admitted she gave X Factor hopeful Lauren Platt the cold which almost ruled her out of performing on the show tonight.


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Antigua's PM names De Niro special economic envoy

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP) " The prime minister of Antigua & Barbuda has appointed actor Robert De Niro as special economic envoy of the twin-island nation in the eastern Caribbean.The administration of Gaston Browne said in a statement...


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Pixie Lott dazzles judges with 'terrific' and 'beautiful' performance on Strictly





PIXIE Lott boosted her chances of reaching the Strictly Come Dancing quarter-finals with a "terrific" performance tonight.


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Cosby offers refunds for NY show ticket holders

TARRYTOWN, New York (AP) " Bill Cosby is still performing at a suburban New York venue next weekend but the embattled comic is offering refunds to ticket holders who don't want to go.The Journal News reports that Cosby's two Dec....


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Comedy review: Chelsea Handler, ASB Theatre

Trust Chelsea Handler to take it too far.Yes, the foul-mouthed comedian's first New Zealand show was always going to be a vulgar stand-up experience - that's what fans of her E! talk show Chelsea Lately know and love her for.And...


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David Beckham involved in car crash after picking son Brooklyn up from U-16 football match





DAVID Beckham was involved in a car crash after picking son Brooklyn up after football training with Premier League giants Arsenal, it was reported today.


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Man linked to heroin ring in '71 film nabbed again

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) " Alfred Catino's criminal record is a colorful history of drug dealing and prison sentences dating back to the 1960s, when federal authorities say he was part of the French Connection heroin smuggling ring that...


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EXCLUSIVE: Lord of the Jungle? Julian Fellowes talks I'm A Celeb rumours





HE MIGHT be Lord of Downton Abbey but don't expect Julian Fellowes to be entering the jungle any time soon.


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Bare-faced beauty! Susanna Reid steps out in skin-tight jeans without any make-up





SHE'S USUALLY the most glamorous woman on screen but Susanna Reid stepped out make-up free today.


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Frankie goes to Hollywood

Shortland Street is about to lose one of its most glamorous young stars.Frankie Adams will shoot her final scenes for the Kiwi soap on Friday - the eve of her big KFC Fight For Life bout with Millie Elder-Holmes.After four years...


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Jagger's secret jaunt

Rock superstar Mick Jagger stunned diners at a remote Bay of Islands pub when he strolled in unannounced for a few non-alcoholic drinks.The singer was spotted relaxing in picturesque Russell on Tuesday, three days after the Rolling...


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Tipping kids out of nest

Fed-up parents will invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to oust adult kids from under their roofs in new Kiwi reality show Our First Home .The mums and dads - aged in their 50s and 60s - will buy the do-up Auckland houses for...


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A theatre full of superstars

Kiwi fans of one of the world's most popular stage shows will get a chance to be cast members for one night only " and they won't even have to audition.The Auckland Theatre Company's Kensington Swan season of Jesus Christ Superstar...


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Kerre McIvor: A good line to draw in the sand

Years ago, when my child started secondary school, she wanted an Eminem CD. Twelve months earlier, we'd queued to see the premiere of the Spice Girls movie.In the space of a year she went from wanting to be a Spice Girl to listening...


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Antigua's PM names De Niro special economic envoy

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP) " The prime minister of Antigua & Barbuda has appointed actor Robert De Niro as special economic envoy of the twin-island nation in the eastern Caribbean.The administration of Gaston Browne said in a statement...


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'We all envied her' Sherrie Hewson pens letter to Lynda Bellingham's widow Michael





SHE WAS friends with Lynda Bellingham after starring on daytime TV show Loose Women alongside her, and the actress's death inspired Sherrie Hewson to pen a letter to Michael Pattemore.


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Eager Edwina! Former MP Currie dives into grimy I'm A Celeb Bushtucker Challenge





SHE'S ONLY been in the jungle for nine days but Edwina Currie has proven herself to be fearless - and tonight's task is no different.


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Festive reading all wrapped up- the best biographies and histories of 2014





OVER the next four weeks we will be bringing you Christmas present ideas with our round–ups of the best books of 2014.


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Miranda Richardson on new adaptation of Mapp And Lucia: 'These characters are timeless'





ANNA CHANCELLOR, Miranda Richardson and Steve Pemberton play a game of one-upmanship in a new adaptation of E.F. Benson’s Mapp And Lucia novels


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End of the road for the three-point turn?





THE three-point turn could be dropped from the driving test.


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Phone a friend? I'd rather have a cuppa





THE electric kettle has come top in a poll of people’s favourite gadgets.


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Sparkle this Christmas: Best glitzy party outfits





PUT on the glitz for the festive season


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Elegant and quirky: Claret and pink accessories we want this week





THERE'S something for every budget in this week's must-haves


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Face value: Seven of the best compacts for winter





TREAT yourself to one of this winter’s best compacts


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Quirky, playful and hi-tech: The best Christmas gifts for men





TREAT him to something really special this year. Choose from our colourful selection


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Whatever happened to Streets Of London singer Ralph McTell?





Ralph McTell opens up about his rocky childhood, losing his dad and becoming a hit singer...


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Edible Christmas gifts: Spiced star biscuits and mini Christmas cakes





THESE sweet sensations make perfect presents for friends and family


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Exotic evergreens: Alan Titchmarsh on how to add instant drama to your garden





IF YOU want to add interest and structure to your garden this winter plant Fatsia japonica, says the TV gardener


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Friday 28 November 2014

Putting a smile on his dial

It's a warm day in Wellington, when the wind is off bothering somewhere else and summer seems more than just an abstract concept. But high above Courtney Place, in the Royal New Zealand Ballet's HQ, our conversation curves towards...


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Former 'Real World' cast member dies in Wisconsin

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) " Police say a former cast member of MTV's "The Real World: New Orleans" has died in Wisconsin.Twenty-eight-year-old Ryan Knight was found unconscious and not breathing at a friend's residence in Kenosha around...


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Michael Buerk gets Jimmy Bullard back for appalling singing in the I'm A Celebrity jungle





FORMER footballer Jimmy Bullard is making a name for himself as the joker of the I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here camp.


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Greg Dixon: Olive Kitteridge: Bleak but full of laughs

I do hope they rescreen Olive Kitteridge . The HBO drama, which finished its four-part run on Sky's SoHo this week, should be made compulsory viewing for anyone with a family, which means, of course, all of us.For me it was easily...


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Iconic Mexican comedian 'Chespirito' dies at 85

MEXICO CITY (AP) " The Televisa television network has announced the death of iconic Mexican comedian Roberto Gomez Bolanos.Better known as "Chespirito" (ches-PEE-ree-to), he wrote and played the boy television character "El Chavo...


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Bette Midler: The great entertainer

Bette Midler is tiny but what she lacks in height she makes up for in attitude. She's running late, then suddenly she's not, except, in the end, it turns out she is.There is a PR person to meet me in the foyer of Claridge's Hotel,...


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Doc rediscovers Bing Crosby's triumphs, tragedies

LOS ANGELES (AP) " An upcoming PBS documentary seeks to remind younger generations there was so much more to Bing Crosby than crooning "White Christmas" " from media master to philanthropist to difficult dad."It's an unprecedented...


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Mickey Rourke wins exhibition bout in Moscow

MOSCOW (AP) " Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke returned to the boxing ring Friday at the age of 62, defeating a fighter less than half his age in an exhibition bout.Rourke sent 29-year-old Pasadena native Elliot Seymour to the canvas...


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Susan Boyle takes Hollywood: Singer signs up for acting lessons to land movie career





SINGING star Susan Boyle has signed up for acting lessons in a bid to land roles in movies.


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Mel Sykes and Jake Quickenden put other stars in danger by PEEING in I'm A Celebrity camp





STARS on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here have found themselves caught out in an embarrassing situation.


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May the fakes be with you: Fan-made trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens dupe the internet

In case you missed the memo, today is Star Wars Trailer Day.Today 88 seconds of JJ Abrams' new Star Wars film landed on the internet and in selected US cinemas - watch the trailer above - but the wait for some was too much. a fact...


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Leonardo DiCaprio: The boy who would be king

Leonardo DiCaprio turned 40 a couple of weeks ago, although only in the biological sense. As a performer, he'll remain exactly as old, and as young, as he's been for ever.For almost as long as he's been acting, DiCaprio has been...


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VIDEO: Dwayne Johnson takes on an army in this brand new Hercules trailer





GLOBAL superstar Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson stars alongside Ian McShane and John Hurt in thrilling, action-packed new film Hercules


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Black Friday deals: ASDA weekend sale, Microsoft's 85 per cent Xbox savings, Argos laptops





ASDA are set to launch another day of savings, extending their Black Friday deals to Saturday on various products.


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Watch: Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer is finally here

"There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?"The teaser trailer for JJ Abram's Star Wars: The Force Awakens is finally here.And it appears the rumours about the return of the Millennium Falcon were true.The sand dunes, Stormtroopers...


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Venezuelan classical music system under fire

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) " It has been praised the world over as a model for uplifting disadvantaged youth by connecting them with classical music.But a new book about Venezuela's network of youth orchestras known as El Sistema, or...


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Super furry chic! Myleene Klass looks sophisticated in fluffy pink coat





TV PERSONALITY Myleene Klass added a bit of fun to her sophisticated black ensemble with a fluffy pink coat.


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Madonna's adopted kids meet Malawi's president

LILONGWE, Malawi (AP) " The president of Malawi has met Madonna's adopted daughter and son.President Peter Mutharika thanked the U.S. pop star on Friday for bringing her Malawi-born children Mercy and David back to their birth country.Friday's...


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'They're all in the works' Disney's Frozen WILL have a sequel, confirms Idina Menzel





THE ORIGINAL was one of the biggest selling movies of the year and Idina Menzel has confirmed there will be a Frozen 2.


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