News: A minimalist Lady Gaga ... who knew?

Lady Gaga, at home

It’s the afternoon and the mind wanders to less serious things. Like what Lady Gaga gets up to at home. Colour me silly, but she fascinates. Her latest book (called Gaga, but a collaboration with photographer Terry Richardson) is a candid series of photographs of the singer like you’ve never seen her before. Like, for instance, in bed and not in a ridiculous costume instead. What a strange world when the noteworthy is that you’re the type of person who gets bed hair too…

Accusations continue to fly over speaker deal

The fall-out from the Labor Party’s ‘coup’ on the role of Speaker, drawing Liberal Peter Slipper into the role to give them a two vote parliamentary advantage, continues. The Opposition are understandably not happy and have focused with renewed vigour on Mr Slipper’s character. The new speaker is being investigated for allegedly rorting his travel expenses. There’s the matter of the unexplained $300+ Canberra cab fare, for starters. Labor has accused the Opposition of releasing a dirt file on the Speaker, despite Mr Abbott saying he had a ‘clean bill of health’ when he was still batting for their team. Abbott said the Liberals were trying to ‘manage’ Mr Slipper out of the Parliament.

Miley Cyrus calls herself a stoner

Former Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus has admitted to being a stoner and a pothead at her 19th birthday bash, after being presented with a Bob Marley cake. “You know you’re a stoner when friends make you a Bob Marley cake – you know you smoke way too much f*ckin’ weed.” Is anyone surprised? Kelly Osbourne, a friend of Miley who was at the party, said it was all just a joke.

ARIAs: the winners and all the rest

The ARIAs have been and gone and it was an interesting one. The Prime Minister was on hand to induct pop Queen Kylie Minogue into the ARIA Hall of Fame. The Wiggles got a nod there too. But the night was dominated by group Boy and Bear and Gotye. Gotye won Best Male Artist while Kimbra, who appeared in his video Somebody that I used to know, won Best Female Artist for her own body of work. Boy and Bear won Album of the Year and Best Group, among three other awards. Birds of Tokyo won Most Popular Australian Artist, P!nk won Most Popular International Artist and Kasey Chambers won best Country Album for Little Bird.

Missed all the fun? Check out the gallery here:

“No school will lose a dollar.”

Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett has announced the national review of schools funding will become law sometime in 2012, before the 2013 election. That announcement has some schools on edge, worried any changes to the current system would lose them funding. Garrett said this would not be the case but also added he did not want to see a ‘two-tiered school system’ in Australia. The review will look at the allocation of Federal dollars, not State. A Productivity Commission report found the Howard Government spent $1,051 per public school student compared to $4,515 per private school student. Little has changed since Labor came to power in 2007. For more info, check out the following little known facts.

Former PM’s daughter ‘knocked up’, Lily Allen a mum

It’s baby news all around! Jessica Rudd (daughter of Kevin) tweeted she was pregnant over the weekend. “Albert and I are thrilled to announce we’re expecting a baby in late May. #knockedup.” The news was welcomed by dad and mum, clearly overjoyed a little ‘Ruddlet’ was on the way. Meanwhile, singer Lily Allen has reportedly given birth to a baby girl. She wrote ‘totes amaze’ on her Facebook wall. Allen has previously miscarried in 2008 and had a stillborn baby a little over a year ago.

WikiLeaks wins Walkley, so does Sarah Ferguson for Indo slaughter story

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accepted the Outstanding Contribution to Journalism award via video, from Britain, where he is facing extradition to Sweden on sex charges. Judges said the organisation had shown a courageous and controversial commitment to the finest traditions of journalism: justice through transparency. But the big award of the night, the Gold Walkley, went to Sarah Ferguson and her producing team Michael Doyle and Anne Worthington for the expose on beef slaughter practices in Indonesia titled ‘A Bloody Business’. That expose aired in May and led the Federal Government to shutdown all live beef exports to Indonesia, a decision which left the industry here reeling.

Pippa Middleton to pen tell-all book … about party hosting

The Royal bridesmaid, sister to Duchess Catherine Middleton, has reportedly won a $400,000 contract with Penguin to publish a book about how to host the perfect party, or event. There was a bidding war, apparently, and Pippa received the OK from the Royal family before going ahead with the deal. The book would include recipes, advice and different styles of events. Pippa is a party planner in her day job.

And, because you might as well, here’s the Single of the Year according to the ARIA judges. We bet you’ve heard it plenty of times before but it hasn’t got old in the MM office just yet:

What’s been on your mind in the news?