Weekly News Roundup

FRIDAY November 8

Hollywood icon, James Dean, is due for a cinematic resurrection after it was announced that the actor has been “cast” in a Vietnam war drama about military dogs. 

According to the Hollywood Reporter, directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh have acquired the rights to use the image of the actor who died in 1955. 

The film is an adaptation of Gareth Crocker’s novel, Finding Jack, which follows a soldier who bonds with a Labrador called Jack during the conflict who is ordered to leave the dog behind, along with thousands of others when the US military pulls out. 

The film-makers will use pre-existing film and photographs to create a “full body” CGI version of Dean, with another actor providing his voice. 

Director Anton Ernst told the Hollywood Reporter, “we searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role…which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean.”

“We feel very honoured that his family supports us and will take every precaution to ensure that his legacy as one of the most epic film stars to date is kept firmly intact. The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down.” 

Dean died in 1955 at the age of 24 after crashing his Porsche Spyder in California, having completed three lead roles in major films such as East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. 

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US rapper TI is under fire after saying he forces his 18-year-old daughter to undergo an annual “virginity test” at the gynaecologist. 

The Grammy award winning musician told a podcast he escorted his daughter, Deyjah Harris, to the doctor’s office after each birthday to “check her hymen.”

“Usually like the day after the [birthday] party, she’s enjoying her gifts, I put a sticky note on the door: ‘Gyno. Tomorrow. 9:30,” TI, told presenters. 

The appointments began after Ms Harris’s sixteenth birthday, where she was required to sign a waiver allowing the doctor to share the “results” with him. 

The podcast episode was released on Tuesday, but was removed on Wednesday afternoon after it went viral on social media. 

Social media users were quick to condemn the rapper’s behaviour and expressed concern for his daughter. 

“It’s extremely abusive to police your daughter’s hymen and any doctor who would participate in such an act needs to lose their license,” tweeted author Ijeoma Oluo. 

Bestselling writer and gynaecologist, Jennifer Gunter, added that “hymen exams are medically not a thing,” and that the so-called tests “support a disgusting patriarchal trope.

The rapper’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Melbourne has rallied around a staffy who mauled another dog to death in a park, with thousands of people signing a petition calling for the dog not to be put down. 

The incident occurred in Melbourne’s south-east on Tuesday, that drew national attention after the owner of the dead dachshund posted images of the aftermath of the attack on social media. 

Kashila Chintamunnee’s dachshund Coco and her two other dogs escaped from her Pakenham yard before running to the park. 

Her Labrador and two dachshunds reportedly ran up to where Claudia Harrison was walking with her staffy, Hero, and young son. 

Ms Chintamunnee said the staffy attacked and mauled Coco unprovoked.

Ms Harrison disputed this and said the three dogs aggressively approached them. 

A Change.org petition set-up by Emma McLean is urging the local council not to euthanize Hero because of the attack. 

“My aim here is to urge the Cardinia Council to not put this poor dog to sleep,” Ms McLean said. 

“This is a tragic incident but Hero was not the instigator.” 

Ms Chintamunnee posted bloody photos of the aftermath and accused the staffy’s owner of leaving the scene without offering assistance. 

Paki Harrison read out a statement from his wife yesterday, describing her version of what happened. 

CCTV vision shows a woman walking with her son and a white staffy on a leash, when the Labrador and two Dachshunds approached them. 

The mother appears to let go of the lead as she climbs on top of a picnic table, lifting her young son out of harm’s way.

The dogs then proceed to get into a vicious fight.