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Also, I have a confession, which I realise may disturb some readers. I was recently contacted by a very pleasant reporter who offered me the opportunity to relate my experiences with a hitherto unexposed sexual predator who, apparently, serially forced himself on women a couple of decades ago. With a surprising degree of confidence, the friendly reporter suggested the alleged roll call of victims included me. It was with a sadness reminiscent of former Greens senator Larissa Waters’ upon discovering her Canadian-ness, that I was forced to report the man had never touched me. Or if he did, I’d missed...

Shaping up for success: Sophie Ellis-Bextor Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton and Sophie Ellis-Bextor all have it… the facial clue that reveals their hunger for power. Scientists have discovered that a hidden indicator of a woman’s motivation to dominate lies in the shape of her face – and that women with wider faces, such as the German Chancellor, US presidential candidate and chart-topping singer, are simply more power-hungry.

Bill Leak, the great Australian cartoonist and painter and a dear, loyal friend of spiked, died this morning. He was 61. That his death, unexpected, comes just two days after the mirthful Sydney launch of his brilliant new book Trigger Warning: Deplorable Cartoons by Bill Leak makes what would have always been a tragic passing even more so. Bill was justifiably proud and excited about his new book, which is a collection of his best consensus-slaying cartoons. It should stand as a tribute to him now. Bill was the daily editorial cartoonist for the Australian. He was a rare breed...

Weird new warship USS Zumwalt has broken down while on sea trials, three weeks ahead of her formal commissioning ceremony. The futuristic $4.4bn vessel, which features a so-called “tumblehome” hull, suffered a seawater leak into the auxiliary lube oil system for one of her main propeller shafts, according to USNI News.

The Government has announced the tenderers and build locations for three shipbuilding programs, namely OPVs (Sea 1180), the Pacific Patrol Boat replacements (Sea 3036) and the future frigates (Sea 5000). Twelve Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) will be built initially in Adelaide until first steel is cut for the future frigates, also pre-determined for that city. Up to 21 Pacific Patrol Boats will be built by Austal in Henderson, WA. ''''As part of the Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) three designers [for the OPV]have been shortlisted; Damen of the Netherlands, Fassmer of Germany, and Lürssen of Germany to refine their designs. This...

FulklTitle: Her wounded yacht Comanche showed true warrior spirit to win the toughest Sydney to Hobart in years... but were supporters of Kristy Hinze-Clarke 'racist' for celebrating her win wearing Indian headdress and shouting war cries? •Supporters of winning Sydney to Hobart yacht were slammed on Twitter •Team Comanche were also seen making 'offensive' war cries •Supporters gathered at Constitution Dock, Hobart, when the yacht sailed in •Model Kristy Hinze-Clark was the first female to win this race •Damage to the yacht's dagger board almost lost them the lead •But they triumphed in two days, nine hours and 58 minutes...

Full Title Not just a pretty face! Victoria's Secret model and wife of Texan billionaire makes sailing history as she becomes first female owner to win prestigious Australian race A former Victoria's Secret model who traded in her stilettos for boat shoes has become the first female boat owner to win the prestigious Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Kristy Hinze-Clark earned herself a place in the record books on Monday after her yacht Comanche crossed the finish line ahead of the rest of the more than 100 boats that began the prestigious event after a bruising two days crossing the...

Real life Big Buck Hunter "Hero" Rebecca Francis thought she had snagged yet another trophy animal when she shot and killed a giraffe in Africa in 2010. The 41-year-old mother of eight, who's hunted and killed everything from bears, moose and bighorn rams to zebras, lynx and antelopes, downed the beast with a bow and took a picture laying next to its carcass. That, it seemed, was that. But she never considered what Ricky would think. Five years later, the comedian Ricky Gervais found the picture and tweeted it to his followers, asking, "What must've happened to you in your...

A TAMPA, Florida, socialite and her husband claimed in a lawsuit that the government willfully leaked false and defamatory information about them in the scandal that led to the resignation of David Petraeus as CIA director. Jill Kelley and Scott Kelley filed the lawsuit in federal court against the FBI, Pentagon and unidentified officials in the government, claiming the couple's privacy was violated. It was Jill Kelley who became the focus of national media attention last year after it was revealed she received anonymous emails from Paula Broadwell, Mr Petraeus' biographer and mistress.

SHE was one of Australia's most prolific actresses, appearing in countless roles over a career spanning more than 40 years. And Penne Hackforth-Jones will be remembered as such after confirmation yesterday she had died following a short battle with lung cancer. She was 63. Her death has shocked the local entertainment world, with the one-time A Country Practice star choosing to keep her illness private after being diagnosed last year. Her sisters Jos, Simary and Olivia last night said she responded to her disease with "great courage and grace". The Oxford Companion to Australian Film probably best describes her, saying...

JUSTIN Bieber’s pet monkey has been taken into German state custody after the Canadian singer failed to meet a deadline to retrieve the capuchin. Mally the Monkey was seized by German customs on March 28 when the pop star failed to produce required vaccination and import papers for the animal after landing in Munich. He had until midnight on Friday to produce those documents. Customs spokesman Thomas Meister said after offices opened following a holiday weekend that officials received no documents. ... Judith Brettmeister, spokesperson for the shelter, said: “The monkey belongs to Germany now.”

THE life of round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson is to be turned into a major movie that will be filmed in Sydney and the Gold Coast next year. Watson, who was 16 when she became the youngest woman to unofficially circumnavigate the globe solo and unassisted, will be immortalised on film in True Spirit, due for release late 2013. The movie will be made by the same production team behind Soul Surfer, the hit biopic of Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm in a shark attack and returned to be a champion. American producer David Brookwell said he had been looking...

You can probably imagine the kinds of nightmares a teenager on a solo voyage round the world might suffer from: pirate kidnappings, treacherous coral reefs or perhaps scary encounters with mysterious sea creatures. But not Laura Dekker. The 16-year-old schoolgirl's sleep is haunted by memories of the traumatic experiences she suffered at the hands of the Dutch authorities. And ever since she set her sights on sailing round the world she says Dutch social services have done their best to stop her from pursuing her dream. ~~~~ Earlier this month truancy officers issued her father with a summons claiming that...

[Identical story inWAshingto ExaminerWashington PostGrenwich TimeDaily JournalFOX11AZ.Greenfield Daily Reporter Stamford AdvocateThe Republic] The 18-year-old Watson....finished 37th on Friday of 88 starting yachts.....- nearly two days behind winning supermaxi Investec Loyal in the 628-nautical-mile race... (Summary: Blonde teenage girl and group of kids enter boat race, finish 37th. - This is a news worthy story? Real story below)

Dutch sailor Laura Dekker, 16, has successfully crossed the Indian Ocean and has made port in Durban, South Africa, her agent announced Monday. Dekker, whose is on a controversial quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world, had kept her Indian Ocean route a secret because of concerns about piracy. She has been sailing aboard a 38-foot sailboat named Guppy. ~~~~~~

It seems the public's interest in Sarah Palin has reached an all-time low. The latest film to put the potential presidential candidate in the spotlight has bombed at the box office. ...... With Palin, the darling of the Tea Party, still deciding if she will try for the Republican Party nomination the lack of interest from the viewing public could finally persuade her not to run.

Young culprits found with animal from Sibley Park zoo MANKATO — A couple of young rustlers attempted to use their imagination to escape the long arm of the law Saturday, but after about an hour of story telling they eventually learned they’d made a baaaaad decision. A Mankato resident called 911 at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday to report two very young girls, who turned out to be under the age of 10, were walking along Carney Avenue north of Riverfront Drive. They were in their pajamas and had a goat with them, the caller said. ~~~ They told the officer...

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WHEN the worst riots in British history descended across the streets of England, it was the family-run shops and small businesses that bore the brunt of the immense destruction. From grocery stores to optometrists, newsagents, sports stores, technology warehouses, hairdressers, pubs, fashion boutiques and even a funeral home - nothing was safe from the orgy of looting and damage. Windows were smashed, products looted, buildings torched and in one instance looters even stole the kettle from the staff room of a barbers in Tottenham, North London. The cost of the riots is still impossible to tally - The Association of...

Two Connecticut cops shot and injured two other officers during an arrest of a suspected child porn perv outside a late-night screening of the new Harry Potter movie. ~~~ State police said they were continuing to investigate the incident.