What's in the News

It DID make me laugh!!  Just the really matter-of-fact Oz way of putting it had me in hysterics!


But I liked your 'gross' pun as well. (You did mean it didn't you ...?)

I have to confess, it was unintentional 

If you are lucky enough to have (bootleg) cable, you probably get CNN international:

CNN reporter in sex, rope and drug scandal

Quest - who is known for his boisterous and quirky style...

Quite.  This is only really funny if you have seen him on TV - he kind of plays on his eccentric English gentleman abroad type character.  I always suspected he was a bit more mental than he let on.

I was quite shocked when I read that Australia was catching up with us and the Yanks in the obesity stakes.  I thought you lot were much more 'active'...

We were,until the Government started handing out more "sit down money", to coin an Aboriginal phrase.
There is however plenty of activity going on between the sheets since the "baby bonus" has gone up to about $Aus5000.

Knighthood for Wills 'leaves Howard in cold'

John Howard's chances of being knighted appear to have been scuttled by Prince William.

Rumours have circulated since the beginning of the year that the Queen had personally chosen Howard, a staunch monarchist during his four terms as Prime Minister, to become a Royal Knight of the Garter.

However, Prince William has instead been selected as the Garter's 1000th knight, following the honour his father Prince Charles received fifty years ago, according to news.com.au.

If Howard was disappointed in missing out, he wasn't showing it today - claiming he actually knew nothing about the rumours.

"It's news to me," the Sydney Morning Herald reported Howard as saying when asked about the possible knighthood.

The announcement will be officially made tomorrow Australian time — keeping in line with a St George's Day tradition.

Really hope he doesn't get Knighted. A staunch monarchist, bloody hell he was nowt but a brown noser.

Knight of the Garter...come on, would you really want to be one? What's next? Lord of the Frilly Dress? High Steward of the Pink Stiletto Heels? Grand Marshal of the Red Thong?


They made Cliff Richard a Knight...and Elton John...the latter just turned the whole knighthood into a mockery. I mean, does anyone really think "Elton John" when they hear the word 'knight'?

Howard's idol was Robert Menzies.....who became a knight...and Warden of the Cinque Ports, for what that's worth. Howard wants to emulate the greatest QE2 brown-noser of all time.
" I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till she kick the bucket".

Knights in white satin...

  Damn you! Coffee all over my desk!

The best i have seen the 'Queen' look

Damn shame, Little Johnny missed the mark again...

Former Australian prime minister John Howard appears to have missed out on joining a prestigious British order of knights.

Speculation mounted earlier this year that Howard might be appointed a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter - the oldest order of British chivalry - when Queen Elizabeth II announced any new additions.

Howard was a staunch monarchist during his term as Australia's second longest-serving prime minister.

The deaths of former British prime minister Sir Edward Heath and Mount Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary left two places open in the exclusive order.

But the Queen announced on Wednesday those vacancies would be filled by Lord Luce, who was Lord Chamberlain from 2000 to 2006, and Sir Thomas Dunne, Lord-Lieutenant of Hereford since 1977 and chairman of the Lord Lieutenants Association.

Their appointments take the number of Companion Knights to the maximum 24.

The Queen also announced her grandson, Prince William, would join other members of his family as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

Members of the Royal family are additional to the 24 Knights Companion.

New members of the order, established in 1348 by Edward III, are customarily announced on St George's Day, England's national day on April 23.

Its emblem is a blue ribbon or garter worn by men below the left knee and women on the left arm.

Each year in June a procession and service take place at Windsor Castle for the order.

That's a damn shame - he'd have looked so sweet wearing a bit of blue ribbon tied on his suit pants.  I bet he wouldn't have taken it off to go to bed!

What the hell is going on around this country? First 14 stupid lawyers sue CNN and Cafferty for 1400RMB in Beijing (cheap lawyers). Now their suing for $1.3 billion in New York.

I come from the most litigious state in America. This is ridiculous. I'm waiting for the counter-suits.

Also, if this is successful, can we start suing the Chinese for rude remarks toward us foreigners? I'd like to sue that jackass who called my wife a traitor for marrying a foreigner.

Would you mind telling me who is suing who for what?  No ranting without newsing first.

Would you mind telling me who is suing who for what?  No ranting without newsing first.

US TV-news station CNN has a "reporter" commentator surnamed Cafferty who said that China is being run by thugs.  No doubt, the lawsuit(s) stems from that remark.  I believe that a retraction/apology was demanded by the Chinese government, along with Cafferty's firing....which hasn't happened so far.