| Maria Sharapova shines at IMG players party
The traditional IMG players party at Crown was a glamorous affair with the likes of Maria Sharapova and James Blake leading the stars on show. But earlier Jelena Jankovic, who has climbed into the top five in the world, stole the limelight at a party held by Prince. Jankovic looked more like a model wearing 10cm heels and a small black mini-dress. Alighting from a yellow Lamborghini without showing her underwear was a struggle. "It's hard getting out of a car in a dress like this with photographers everywhere," Jankovic said. Joining her at the party, which was held at the Lamborghini outlet in South Yarra was controversial world No.4 Russian Nikolay Davydenko. He turned up looking smart and colour co-ordinated with a black car.
Blunt addresses the heart
James Blunt's concert at a sold-out Riviera Theatre on Friday might be the most thoroughly documented local event of 2008. Every time the lanky Brit walked near the lip of the stage, dozens of cameras were thrust into the air, fans snapping pictures as voraciously as paparazzi stalking Brad Pitt.
So it was somewhat ironic when Blunt, whose 2004 debut "Back to Bedlam" sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, lashed out at celebrity culture. He slammed photographers tracking stars such as Britney Spears, and briefly channeled grandiose U2 frontman Bono as he introduced the war-torn "No Bravery" as a "song about life and death ... and the motion of humanity."
The remainder of the 90-minute, 18-song performance dealt with matters of the heart. Blunt, backed by a four-piece band, delivered his lyrics like a raspy Casanova.
Harper's bazaar
Among the highlights are a child-tax benefit that would save most parents about $310 a year for every child under 18, improvement to the registered education savings plan and the "Working Income Tax Benefit" of up to $1,000 a year for families, or $500 for individuals, to strengthen incentives to work rather than receive welfare. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation called it "Big Government Conservatism," and some eyebrows were raised on the political right at a budget that looked a lot like a Liberal one, at least in terms of spending. Flaherty countered that he was keeping spending increases at 4 per cent, roughly under Canada's 5 per cent growth rate, and that two-thirds of the spending increase was accounted for in this one-time-only payment to provinces to settle the fiscal imbalance.
After 17 years, Bodine finally captures victory at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - It took Todd Bodine 17 years to get his first victory at Daytona International Speedway.
Bodine held off a late push from Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson to win the season-opening truck race at Daytona on Friday night.
Bodine needed 34 tries at NASCAR's most famous track to get to victory lane, winning the Chevy Silverado 250. .
Open-wheel deal is done, and gears shift with season opener coming ...
With America's two open-wheel series finally unified, the calendar poses the next roadblock: The season-opening race is just five weeks away. At this point, nobody knows how many teams and cars will move from the now-defunct Champ Car World Series to the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series in time for the March 29 opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive," IRL spokesman Fred Nation said Saturday. "There has been great interest from most of the Champ Car teams. They will be welcomed with open arms as we have teams from CART (the forerunner of Champ Car) over the years. Already there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie and relief that this long family squabble is over." The IRL is planning a meeting Monday in Indianapolis for most of the Champ Car teams.
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