NZers in Fiji told to follow instructions

15/03/2010 17:48

The Prime Minister is urging New Zealanders in Fiji to follow instructions from local authorities as Tropical Cyclone Tomas lashes the island nation.

John Key says there are about 450 New Zealanders registered with the High Commission in Suva but the actual number is likely to be higher as many people may not have registered. Mr Key says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is monitoring the cyclone and its impact.

"We will be assessing our response based on what develops and that assessment will be made in conjunction with our partners in the Pacific."

Mr Key says anyone planning on travelling to Fiji or to the Solomon Islands, which has also suffered damage from another cyclone, should keep a close eye on the safe travel website.

Fiji checking reports of cyclone deaths

15/03/2010 15:28

There are unconfirmed reports of deaths in Fiji, as Cyclone Tomas moves through the northern part of the island group.

At least 5,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres ahead of the main force of the cyclone, which is expected to pass close to the capital Suva tomorrow morning.

Disaster Management official Anthony Blake says trees are down, power is out in some areas and there are reports of damage to houses and a kindergarten on one of the islands in the far north of the country. Officials are trying to verify the reports of injuries and fatalities.

Weather analyst Philip Duncan from WeatherWatch.co.nz, says Tomas is an aggressive storm with its strongest winds gusting up to 250km/h. He says it will start to move across the two main Fijian islands starting in the east this afternoon and spread west during the night.

"Tomas is moving very slowly which significantly increases the potential for serious flooding and wind damage."

New Zealander Laura Noblejas is holidaying near Nadi and says tourists are on alert.

"We've been told to pack our suitcases and be prepared to evacuate from our waterfront hotel tonight, most likely between 6 and 9pm."

Ms Noblejas says many shops and banks have closed and smaller businesses have moved stock to higher shelves in case of flooding.

"Some buildings have cyclone shutters and wooden boards up over windows."

Another tropical cyclone which is also menacing the Pacific region is now heading into the open waters of the Coral Sea after causing less damage than expected to the Solomon Islands.

Tropical Cyclone Ului is currently a category four storm and Mr Duncan says while it is a smaller cyclone than Tomas, it will be far more intense.

"A bit like a figure skater pulling its arms in, Ului will spin faster and cover less area."

Cyclone Ului is predicted to become an intense category five cyclone by midnight tonight with winds gusting up to 350km/h. Computer models show it will brush the Queensland coast causing what Mr Duncan describes as phenomenal seas. Its current estimated time of arrival in Australia is this weekend. WeatherWatch.co.nz predicts that northern New Zealand will potentially be in the firing line around Wednesday next week but adds it is still too early to know what impact it could have.

Victims' families want to sue authorities

15/03/2010 13:48

The families of two people killed by parolees want more time to bring proceedings against Police and the Corrections Department.

Debbie Ashton died after her car was hit head-on by speeding driver Jonathon Barclay near Nelson in 2006, while Karl Kuchenbecker was murdered by Graeme Burton during a shooting spree near Wainuiomata.

The victims' families are lodging a statement of claim at the Wellington District Court under the Occupational Health and Safety Act today. They have asked a judge to grant an extension of time so they can argue that the act was breached, because all practical steps were not taken to ensure the actions of the agencies' employees did not cause serious harm to any other person.

The families say the parolees should have been kept behind bars.

Defence lawyers put their case forward next Monday.

Tour cancellation no surprise

15/03/2010 09:00

Cricket commentator Bryan Waddle is not surprised the Black Caps' tour of Zimbabwe scheduled for June has been called off, with the collapse of the country's health system being cited as a key factor.

New Zealand Cricket has pulled out of the one-day series, saying it is an unsuitable place to send the national team.

Mr Waddle says if any of the cricketers were injured or got sick on tour they would have to be moved across the border to South Africa for treatment. He says the players probably felt uncomfortable going to Zimbabwe for that reason.

Mr Waddle says unlike the situation in India, security concerns are not the prime concern, but information from various government sources and international agencies have suggested Zimbabwe is a place of concern. He believes there is an opportunity to play at a neutral venue as the top officials have been meeting to discuss the issue.

"Obviously the Zimbabwe regime wants to be able to play cricket in their own country but at the moment it doesn't seem feasible for sides to go there and have their safety guaranteed."

Mr Waddle believes the New Zealand Government would have been consulted on the decision and that various groups and agencies would also have had some input.

UN told to butt out

15/03/2010 07:00

The United Nations has been told to stay out of New Zealand's treaty relations.

New Zealand officials will appear before the UN Human Rights Commission this week, to be questioned on the country's adherence to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Paul Moon, professor of history at the Auckland University of Technology, says New Zealand is a sovereign state and does not have to answer to outsiders. He says unknown officials are unlikely to have as much knowledge of the nuances of the treaty as New Zealanders do.

Dr Moon believes the United Nations switch its focus to countries which really do have race relations and human rights issues.

"Stop worrying about New Zealand which, as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned, has one of the more developed policies for dealing with indigenous claims. Start worrying about places such as Zimbabwe which is implementing an apartheid regime or other parts of the world that have serious problems."

Dr Moon says external officials examining New Zealand's internal affairs is a gross intrusion on a sovereign state.

Umaga returning to rugby

15/03/2010 17:48

Tana Umaga is returning to play rugby in New Zealand.

The former All Black captain has accepted an offer to be player-assistant coach of Counties Manukau in the upcoming ITM Cup.

Counties CEO Phil McConnell says the team is very lucky to have him and has no problem with the fact Umaga turns 36 later this year. He says Umaga has family in South Auckland and it seems to be a good fit for him to settle there.

Otago dismissed for 276

15/03/2010 17:28

Canterbury has wrapped up its Plunket Shield cricket match against Otago by 158 runs.

Otago was dismissed for 276, although both teams are out of contention for the title with two rounds remaining.

Clark back with teamates

15/03/2010 17:24

With Michael Clarke nestled safely back with his team, Cricket Australia is attempting to turn the focus back to on-field action.

Clarke has arrived back in New Zealand following the much publicised break-up of his relationship with model Lara Bingle. He was whisked through Wellington Airport without making a comment.

Cricket Australia boss Michael Brown says the storm around the vice-captain will have no impact on the team. He says the players are used to dealing with a whole range of issues.

The first test starts in Wellington on Friday.

Black Caps Zimbabwe disappointment

15/03/2010 13:48

The Black Caps are disappointed their tour of Zimbabwe has been cancelled.

New Zealand Cricket has pulled out of the one day series in June, saying the country is too unsuitable to send the national team. It is understood that the decision was prompted by the collapse of the country's health system, rather than security issues.

Coach Mark Greatbatch says no matter how much they want to take to the pitch, player welfare has to come first. He adds the players just have to move on despite the sadness of not competing.

It is unclear if the team will be fined.

McCullum and Taylor passed fit for tests

15/03/2010 13:40

Black Caps coach Mark Greatbatch has declared Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor fit for the first test against Australia, starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Friday.

Taylor was troubled with a hamstring injury throughout the one-day series, while McCullum did not keep wicket for the majority of the limited overs matches against Australia because of a back complaint.

Greatbatch says both players are fit and McCullum will be behind the stumps in the test series. He says McCullum has not kept in the one-day matches to make sure he is right for the tests.

The Black Caps' test squad assembles in Wellington today.

Top 12 revealed on American Idol

By Elaina DeBeikes - Clear Channel

Idol Update!

Believe it or not the final 12 were revealed on Thursday night before the show takes it to the big stage. But before they told us who the lucky 12 were the group of 16 sang "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble and it was not surprisingly, cheesy.

Ryan Seacrest revealed that next week the top 12 will be singing songs from The Rolling Stones.

Without too much ado, Ryan got right to the eliminations, starting with the ladies. Didi Benami was first on the stage (Ryan's favorite) and she made it into the top 12. Siobhan Magnus was up next and I'm happy to say that she is in the top 12. Paige Miles and Katelyn were the two left from their row and one of them was bound to go home; Paige was the one to stay and I think it was right one.

Casey James was the first safe one from the guys, yay! Tim Urban also made it in the top 12 after a great performance the night before. This left Todrick Hall and Lee Dewyze and not surprisingly Lee was the one to stay. Todrick has a great voice but maybe he should stick with the stage.

Before we found out who else is in our top 12 we saw a performance from last season's Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre singing a Billy Joel number. It was fun because they both were playing the piano and singing.

Crystal Bowersox was the first standing of the 8 left and she was of course added to the top 12, along with Michael Lynche who Ryan was afraid would break the small stools for the top 12 to sit on. Lacey Brown was next to hear the good news along with Aaron Kelly. Of the guys, Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia were the two left. Surprisingly, Andrew was the one to stay! Poor Alex looked like a girl just broke up with him or something; it was heartbreaking.

The final of the top 12 was to be revealed and it was between Katie Stevens and Lily Scott, it was hard to predict which one would stay. After last night's performance, Katie just did better and was the one to stay.

Photo Copyright Fox Flash

Jessica Simpson on John Mayer and her (lack of) personal hygiene

By Tracy Bratten - Clear Channel Radio Digital

Jessica Simpson came of age in the teeny-bopper time of pop starlets Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, when heartthrob boy bands ruled the airwaves and the millennium, as well as BSB's Millennium, loomed large. Simpson, the daughter of a Baptist Minister from Texas, was the wannabe Mousketeer who didn't make the cut, and a career singing Contemporary Christian music hit an obstacle - well, two obstacles - because she was famously too buxom for the gig.

But Simpson persevered, and finally made a name for herself as a sweet singer with a powerful voice who was eventually signed by Tommy Mottola. Her first album, Sweet Kisses, went double platinum.

So began a bright career, and Jessica achieved even more fame following her marriage to 98 Degrees charmer Nick Lachey and their wildly popular MTV reality show, "Newlyweds." America fell in love with Jessica then, because she was funny, she made fun of herself, and though she shared a mansion in Los Angeles with her uberhot and successful husband and enjoyed musical success of her own, she was still just a normal girl from Texas who sometimes said stupid things (Chicken of the Sea, anyone?) and got in domestic disputes over her messiness.

By 2005 she had three albums under her belt and a starring role in the movie version of television's "The Dukes of Hazzard," in which she sizzled as the gorgeous Daisy Duke. She also achieved great success with her song for the film, a remake of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'."

But paradise didn't last long. Simpson and Lachey's marriage ended in divorce after four years, and her subsequent films, "Employee of the Month" and "Blonde Ambition" were mediocre at best.

She did have success with her 2006 release, A Public Affair, but even more talked-about was her very public on-again, off-again affair with John Mayer. In 2007 she got back to her roots, releasing the country album Do You Know and beginning a relationship with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. But both her country music career and her relationship proved to be only temporary; Jessica parted ways with Sony Nashville in April of 2009 and with Tony Romo three months later.

Throughout the past decade, Jessica has been the target of both praise and scrutiny from the media. Her career choices, her relationships, her famous family, and her weight have landed her on cover after magazine cover. And even ex-boyfriends have contributed to the media firestorm - John Mayer called Simpson "sexual napalm" in an interview for Playboy's March issue. But through the limelight and the criticism, Simpson seems not only to have found herself, but also to have landed on her feet.

PHOTOS: Jessica Simpson: Cover to Cover

For her latest project, a VH1 reality show called "The Price of Beauty," Jessica, 29, traveled around the world with her two best friends, Cacee Cobb and Ken Paves, to find out what lengths women in other cultures go to in order to achieve beauty. Jessica says, "The reason I'm going on a journey to find beauty in all these countries is because I wanna find it for myself." She traveled to Uganda, where she discovered that she'd have to gain considerable weight to even be considered marriage-worthy. She ate fried crickets and learned about neck-elongating rituals in Thailand, plastic surgery in Brazil, and was touched by an anorexic woman's tragic story in Paris.

Last week she appeared on Oprah, and Wednesday evening, after taping an episode of Letterman, Jessica Simpson sat down with New York radio station Z100's Danielle Monaro in TriBeCa to talk about her new show, her own beauty regimen (or lack thereof), and the aftermath of Mayer's bean-spilling. Wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd baseball tee, ripped jeans and sparkly stilettos - which she confessed weren't part of her collection but that she'd "knock 'em off" - she also delivered a sincere and stripped-down performance of the show's theme song, "Who We Are," which she co-wrote with Billy Corgan. She introduced the song by saying, "It's been an amazing journey to find something within myself. I've never been more confident than I am right now. I don't care what anybody has to say about me... You are who you are for a reason." Watch clips from the candid interview below!

Photo by Ben Ritter for iheartradio.com

Top 8 guys perform for a chance at becoming the next Idol

By Elaina DeBeikes - Clear Channel

The top 12 guys sang Wednesday night for their chance to get on the big stage on American Idol.

Lee Dewyze sang "Fireflies" by Owl city and it was the most terrible rendition, EVER. Ellen DeGeneres said it had a few problems but that she really liked it. Simon Cowell said there was no moment with that performance but that it was better than the original. I gotta say the judges were way off with this one, Lee completely ruined the song.

Alex Lambert chose to sing "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne. He seemed much older than he is, but overall it was a good performance. Randy Jackson wasn't into it and the crowd boo-ed him. Kara Dioguardi said that it was too stiff and he needs to be himself.

Tim Urban sang "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley and he did a pretty good job but I kept thinking of how much better Justin Timberlake's version was on the Hope for Haiti telecast. Ellen got up and gave Tim a hug because it was "fantastic!" Simon was playing with his chest hair and said it was his strongest performance.

Andrew Garcia took a risk and sang "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera. It was a bold choice but it may just be the thing to get him through to the next round. Randy liked Andrew's sweater but didn't like the song too much. Kara said he peaked too early and it's just not working for him.

Casey James sang "You'll Think of Me" by Keith Urban and it sounded very natural for him. And this is cliche with Casey, but it was a sexy performance! Ellen thought it was great and comfortable. Simon said it was Casey's second best performance and that it was sincere.

Aaron Kelly went with a big song "I'm Already There" by Lonestar and it seemed pretty sincere for someone so young given the song subject. Randy said he should work on it but it was good. Kara said he gave it his all but the song was not relevant for a sixteen-year-old. Simon confirmed my love for him as a judge and said it did have emotion and was a nice song.

Todrick Hall was up next singing "Somebody to Love" by Queen and it just seemed kind of predictable for him. Don't get me wrong, he has an amazing voice; it was just boring. Ellen said that it was brave but that he made it work for him. Simon said only parts were good and that it was very Broadway, but that it was a good song choice.

"Big Mike" or Michael Lynche sang "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush. He showed us his amazing falsetto abilities and how big his voice really is. Randy gave it the "dawg's" seal of approval. Kara cried from his performance, wow!

Photo Copyright Fox Flash

Top 8 girls perform for a spot in the top 12

By Elaina DeBeikes - Clear Channel

Idol Update!

American Idol started off on a weird note with judge Ellen DeGeneres nuzzling judge Simon Cowell, but we all know it was just a joke! The top 8 girls were excited to perform to gain a spot in the coveted top 12.

Katie Stevens kicked off the show singing "Break Away" by the original Idol Kelly Clarkson. It was a very sound alike performance and she couldn't compare to Kelly. Randy Jackson pinned it on the head saying that the song was too big for Katie. Judge Kara Dioguardi said that she needed to find herself first.

Siobhan Magnus decided to sing "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals and honestly I think she's the only one who could've pulled this off. Unlike the last performance, you could really feel her soul in it. Ellen said that Siobhan was "spectacular" and is why she loves music. Unfortunately Simon didn't like it too much, he said that she didn't do anything different and he was "under-impressed."

Lacy Brown was up next singing "The Story" by Brandy Carlisle and she is another one of my favorites and she impressed immediately. Randy said the song was a little sleepy but he loved the performance. Kara thought it was her best performance to date.

Katelyn Epperly sang "I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King and I thought it was cheesy like something you'd see in a bar. Ellen said that probably wouldn't get her into the top 12. Simon said he likes Katelyn's hair and he almost said exactly what I thought; that it was like request night in a restaurant.

Didi Benami chose to sing "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac and her wide mouth notes scared me. Her performance was sleepy and I will not remember it in an hour. Randy said it was better than last week but there was no "wow" moment. Kara said it was one of her "favorite moments of the show this season."

Paige Miles sang "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin and I literally yawned during the performance. Ellen said it was "sad and heavy" and didn't show off her personality. Simon said it was a horrible choice of song and that it was a "peanut performance." Her responses to them even sounded sleepy and boring.

Crystal Bowersox was up next singing "Gimme One Good Reason" by Alan Parsons Project and she is one real talented gal. Randy loved it and he loves Crystal. Kara thought it was a good song choice and is excited for Crystal's record someday.

Lily Scott ended the show singing "I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline and I thought it was really bad. I love Lily but it felt like something from a super indie album that no one would ever hear about because it's such an old sound. Sorry Lily, I hated it and someone needs to throw her earrings away. Ellen actually liked it and Simon thought it was brave and it was cute but there was no "wow."

Photo Copyright Fox Flash

Beyonce appears in Lady Gaga video

Beyonce makes an appearance in "Telephone," the latest music video from fellow pop star Lady Gaga, Interscope Records said Tuesday. The clip is to debut Thursday exclusively on TV's "E! News" broadcast. Ryan Seacrest will then interview Lady Gaga regarding the inspiration behind the song and video.

The video for the hit single is to make its online debut on VEVO.com and LadyGaga.com after it premieres on E!.

"What I like about it is it's a real true pop event," Lady Gaga said about the "Telephone" video in a February interview with KIIS-FM, Los Angeles, and E! host Seacrest. "When I was younger I was always excited when there was a big giant event happening in pop music and that's what I wanted this to be."

"Gritty, erotic and wildly fierce, this nine-minute, visually stunning, cinematic masterpiece features the inimitable Beyonce and is helmed by famed music video director Jonas Akerlund. Rich with Gaga's unique dance stylings, iconic costume design and unworldly hair and make-up -- this is far from your typical music video," Interscope said in a news release.

Photo Copyright Getty Images

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Jessica Simpson thanks Corgan for studio time and kind words

Jessica Simpson has responded to rocker Billy Corgan's kind words about her in a recent Rolling Stone article by calling The Smashing Pumpkins star a "very, very dear friend".

A month after the pop star's ex-boyfriend, John Mayer, shocked and upset her by revealing details of their sex life in the magazine, Corgan, who is rumored to be Simpson's latest lover, opened up about his relationship with the singer.

He told the publication, "Sometimes people just like being around each other, and good things come out of that... If people knew her like I knew her, they would love her like I do."

And Simpson was thrilled by his kind comments, stating, "I can't find good enough words to speak about Billy."

But she insists their relationship is purely platonic and the odd couple came together to record music: "For him to give his time and talents and share them with me, it was a great experience and I hope we can do more music together."

Photo Copyright Getty Images

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