Weekly News Roundup

Cate Blanchett has accused Harvey Weinstein of inappropriate behaviour

Blanchett has appeared in a number of films produced by Weinstein, including The Talented Mr Ripley, Carol and The Aviator.

In an interview with trade publication Variety, the Australian star was asked if Weinstein sexually harassed or behaved inappropriately towards her.

“With me, yes,” Blanchett replied. “I got a bad feeling from him.”

She continued: “I think he really primarily preyed, like most predators, on the vulnerable. I mean. He would often say to me, ‘We’re not friends’.”

When asked what he meant by that, Blanchett replied: “Well, I wouldn’t do what he was asking me to do,” but declined to specify further.

“I’m really interested in the people who have transgressed in ways that are beyond the bounds of offensive, what people like Harvey have done, and there are men across many industries [who have done that],” she added.

“He’s been held up as an exemplar because he’s unfortunately typical of certain men. I’m interested in those people being prosecuted. We have to set a legal precedent.

“Part of the mission of Time’s Up is to help those who do not have the capacity to raise the funds to defend themselves and to move toward workplace equality, fairness and safety.

“When legal precedent is set by people being actually convicted, then other people can benefit from that because those precedents have been set.

“But me fuelling the gossip and accounts? There’s enough out there.”

Kanye West Claims that slavery was a choice

Sitting down at an interview at TMZ headquarters West started talking about what he deems “free thinking”, launching into a strange tirade about how he believes slavery was once… a “choice” for African-Americans.

“When you hear about slavery for 400 years … for 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” West said.

“Like, you was there for 400 years and it’s all of y’all? It’s like we’re mentally in prison. I like the word ‘prison’ because slavery goes too direct to the idea of blacks. It’s like slavery, Holocaust. Holocaust, Jews. Slavery is blacks. So, prison is something that unites us as one race. Blacks and whites being one race. We’re the human race,” he said.

A reporter Van Lathan rebutted what West was saying,

“I think what you’re doing right now is actually the absence of thought and the reason why I feel like that is because, Kanye, you’re entitled to your opinion,” he said.

“You’re entitled to believe whatever you want, but there is fact and real world, real life consequence behind everything you just said. And while you are making music and being an artist and living the life that you’ve earned by being a genius, the rest of us in society have to deal with these threats to our lives. We have to deal with the marginalisation that has come from the 400 years of slavery that you said for our people was a choice. Frankly, I’m disappointed, I’m appalled and, brother, I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something, to me, that’s not real.”

The Crown’s Claire Foy has been finally paid fairly

According to a report in The Daily Mail, the 34-year-old Brit has been handed £200,000 (AU$365,000) in back-pay, after it was revealed she earned less for her leading role than co-star Matt Smith (Prince Phillip).

Foy played Queen Elizabeth II for the first two seasons of the Netflix drama, which focused on the early years of the monarch’s reign.

Given the pair shot 20 episodes, it seems the former Dr Who star was paid approximately £10,000 ($18,200) more per episode for his role.

Left Bank Pictures, the UK production company behind the lavish series, publicly apologised to Foy over the disparity.

“We are absolutely united with the fight for fair pay, free of gender bias and for a rebalancing of the industry’s treatment of women in front of the camera and behind the scenes,” the firm told The Daily Mail.

Ipswich Council to be sacked 

The entire Ipswich City Council will be sacked and administrators will be appointed.

The announcement came hours after Mayor Andrew Antoniolli said he was standing down, a day after he was charged with fraud by Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).

The ALP has also confirmed Cr Antoniolli quit the party after being issued a show-cause notice about his membership last night.

He is facing seven counts of fraud for allegedly using council money to purchase auction items from charitable organisations over the past six years.

State Labor and Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller, who represents the Ipswich based seat of Bundamba, said it was a great day for the “long suffering” people of Ipswich who had put up with far too much.

“The embarrassment ends and our community can build and grow on the many positive things that occur in Ipswich each and every day,” Ms Miller said.

Justin Langer named as Australian cricket team coach

The new Australian coach has been named as former cricketer Justin Langer. At a press conference he said that the Australian team must earn back respect. He has also left the door open for the three cricketers who were guilty of ball-tampering last month.

They’ve made mistakes. We have all made mistakes and we can all get better,” he said.

“David Warner made a mistake. I love the way he plays his cricket. I’m a cricket tragic, the way he fields and the way he bats, they are things, I guess to less trained eye, you might not respect that as much, but I love the way he plays his cricket.

“Has he got areas to get better at in? Yes. Has Steve Smith? Has Cameron Bancroft? Has every single person in Australian cricket? Yes.

“They have all got areas in we keep helping and mentoring them and if they meet the standards of the Australian cricket team, of course, they will be welcomed back.”