Tony Abbott welcomes new citizens to the team at Canberra ceremony

January 27, 2014

Lisa Cox

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY REPORTER FOR THE CANBERRA TIMES.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Governor-General Quentin Bryce at the National Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony in Canberra on Sunday. Photo: Andrew Meares

“Welcome to the team”.

For the nearly 18,000 Australian residents making citizenship pledges on Australia Day, those were the words the Prime Minister Tony Abbott had reserved for them.

Conducting his first citizenship ceremony before a crowd of hundreds in Canberra, Mr Abbott heard the pledges of 24 of Australia’s newest citizens.

“To the men and women taking the citizenship pledge here today, and to the almost 18,000 taking the pledge around Australia, I say welcome to the team.”

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In Canberra, people from 12 countries, including Argentina, Canada, Denmark and Kenya, were welcomed with cheers, applause and – for one new citizen with a dual cele- bration – a round of happy birthday.

National Australia Day Council chairman Adam Gilchrist said: “I know for all of you it will be a day you never forget.”

“I look forward with the new citizens in sharing the qualities that you will bring to our nation to enrich our society: your talent, your skills, and … your commitment.

“Becoming an Australian citizen is a bit like, I guess, joining a family,” Gilchrist said.

“Like any family, we may not always get along. But in the end we must continue to support each other.”

Jenny Nutter, 27, from Fife in Scotland, said it was “a Canberra boy” who brought her to Australia five years ago.

“We met on exchange in the Netherlands,” she said.

“I went back to Scotland and he came back to Australia but we couldn’t bear to be apart.”

The couple will marry in May.

“I didn’t expect it to be so emotional,” Ms Nutter said of becoming an Australian citizen.

“One of the most wonderful things was walking through the crowd at the end and everyone saying congratulations.”

Becoming an Australian citizen on the same day that he and the Citizenship Act turned 65 was destiny for Niels-Jorgen Toxvaerd.

The Sydney man was awarded his citizenship certificate by Mr Abbott and cut a birthday cake with Governor-General Quentin Bryce at the Canberra ceremony.

He has lived in Australia for 20 years and says that over the past few years he realised he felt more Australian than Danish.

”When you are a first-generation immigrant you’re always a little bit lightfooted, where to actually belong,” he said.

”It was a very emotional thing for me just to take the last step and become a citizen, being able to vote and being able to fully participate in Australian society.

”I’ve realised that’s really where I belong now.”

Sunday marked the 65th anniversary of the Nationality and Citizenship Act (renamed in 2007), which created the status of Australian citizen.

Since 1949 more than 4.5 million people have become n citizens.

with AAP

The Canberra Times

Day of celebration turns into night of magic

January 27, 2014

Larissa Nicholson

Journalist at The Canberra Times.

Australia Day fireworks at Regatta Point. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Australia Day was a family affair for Ray Evans, of Narrabundah.

He was at Regatta Point with his wife Helen, children Lachlan and Heather waiting for the fireworks display on Sunday evening.

Joining them were Mr Evans’ niece Nicole Scandura, her husband Sebastian of Gungahlin, their daughter Emelia, 3, and family friend Bryan Etherington.

Ray Evans before the fireworks at Regatta Point. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Mr Evans said the family had enjoyed an early breakfast by the lake and watched Dora the Explorer, a favourite character of Emelia’s, before going home for a ”nanna nap” in the afternoon and returning to the lake in the evening.

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”It is just a good opportunity to spend the time out with thousands of other people who really celebrate Australia Day, and just enjoy the family atmosphere,” he said.

Nearby Matt and Kate Rizzuto were enjoying the evening’s entertainment with their children Sam, five, Olivia, seven, and friends.

THE CANBERRA TIMES

Números do TV TOTAL no dia 25/01/2014

 

Country	Views
Brazil	595
United States	54
Turkey	8
Portugal	7
Argentina	4
Australia	2
Germany	1
Italy	1
Switzerland	1
Israel	1
France	1
Hong Kong	1

“Cidade Alerta” prejudica audiências de novelas da Globo

Uma ala da Globo considera a boa audiência do “Cidade Alerta”, da Record, responsável pelas baixas audiências de “Joia Rara” e “Além do Horizonte”.

O telejornal da Record, em seus melhores dias, alcança média de 10 pontos, com picos de 15 e, durante alguns minutos, ameaça a liderança da novela das sete.

O horário de verão e até o trânsito de São Paulo também são considerados fatores prejudiciais ao desempenho das novelas.

Em São Paulo, “Joia Rara” e “Além do Horizonte” acumulam uma média de 18 pontos cada. Ambas com os piores índices de seus respectivos horários.

Globo anuncia substituto do TV Xuxa

 

Sobe E Desce

44 pontos

Com 69% de share, “Amor à Vida” supera recorde de audiência

3 pontos

SBT relança “Por Ela Sou Eva”, que mantém uma péssima audiência

“Conexão Repórter” vai mudar de dia no SBT; entenda!

Com a estreia de “The Noite com Danilo Gentili”, a partir de março, o SBT fará ajustes em sua programação.

“Conexão Repórter”, do Roberto Cabrini, será exibido às quartas-feiras no SBT, na mesma faixa das 11 da noite. O “Casos de Família”, da Christina Rocha, diante disso, terá apenas uma edição semanal, aos sábados.

Globo anuncia oficialmente a extinção do TV XUXA

 

A Globo exibiu neste sábado (25) a última edição do “TV Xuxa”. Em sua despedida, a apresentadora agradeceu a equipe do programa e avisou os telespectadores: “Estou saindo, mas eu volto”.

Xuxa, que acaba de renovar seu contrato com a Globo, deve voltar à programação da emissora em breve. Confira o comunicado:

“O ‘TV Xuxa’ conclui a temporada de férias nesse sábado, dia 25. Gravado em Angra dos Reis, na costa verde do Rio de Janeiro, o programa traz os cantores Victor & Leo e os atores Luís Miranda, Susana Pires, Alexandra Richter e Simone Soares. Xuxa faz também um passeio de barco para visitar o vizinho Carlos Alberto Parreira e convida o técnico e sua família para se unirem aos seus visitantes, em casa. Juntos, eles participam de brincadeiras e se divertem em um luau. O sábado conta ainda com a presença de Tatá Werneck no ‘Papo X’. A atriz, que interpreta a Valdirene, em ‘Amor à Vida’, conversa com Xuxa sobre carreira e vida pessoal.

Em 2014, num ano de Copa do Mundo e eleições, a emissora revê sua grade de programação. A edição desse sábado encerra o ‘TV Xuxa’. A decisão foi tomada pela Globo, em conjunto com a apresentadora. Xuxa terá necessidade de repouso para tratamento de uma inflamação no pé, uma sesamoidite diagnosticada no ano passado.

A apresentadora acaba de renovar seu contrato e continua fazendo parte do elenco de grandes estrelas da Globo.

A partir do dia 01 de fevereiro, após o ‘Estrelas’, a Globo exibirá filmes.”

Audiência

De acordo com a prévia, o “TV Xuxa” registrou neste sábado uma média de 11 pontos, com picos de 13. Foi líder isolado de audiência. Um ponto representa 65 mil domicílios na Grande São Paulo.

Four of the best art walks around Auckland

2:29 PM Saturday Jan 25, 2014

Take a stroll around Auckland Domain. Photo / Thinkstock

1. Auckland Botanic Gardens

This summer’s Sculpture in the Gardens has 23 artists channelling Mother Nature for attention. Collect a free kids’ trail map from the visitor centre and learn as you explore the sculptures. Delightfully, plenty are made for climbing. Works are also available to purchase. Check out summer music events and artist talks, too. Sculpture in the Gardens runs until February 2 in Hill Rd, Manurewa.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz

2. Auckland Domain

Thanks to a generous body of donors, the Domain is home to artworks made by eight of New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists, including Greer Twiss, Charlotte Fisher, Fred Graham and Louise Purvis, who were commissioned to create site-specific works for these locations. More nature, more challenges, and you can stop off for tea at the Kiosk or the Auckland Museum.

Maps from aucklandcouncil.govt.nz (search “public art”) or aucklandmuseum.com (search “domain sculpture”).

3. Learning Quarter

No, we didn’t know it either, but the Learning Quarter circuits Albert Park, the University of Auckland, AUT University and surrounding streets. Twelve small, temporary public art projects by 13 artists are surprising discoveries for walkers, billed as “small-scale interventions that run against the grain or interfere with everyday perceptions”. Checkaucklandcouncil.govt.nz (search “micro sites”).

4. Waterfront trail

Seven works of art, from the stainless steel Michael Parekowhai at Britomart, to the rock structure at Queen Elizabeth Squareand treats such as the Wind Tree andSounds of Sea interactive artworks that are based on ventilation funnels and speaking tubes used on ships. Scan QR codes on your smartphone to learn more about the art, architecture and history of the area. yourwaterfront.co.nz

 

The New Zealand Herald

Flight check: Virgin Airways

By Aisling O’Sullivan

3:00 PM Friday Jan 24, 2014

Aisling O’Sullivan flew Virgin Airways VA29 from Auckland to Dublin.

The plane had a great range of movies of all different genres. The only downside was that they weren’t changed for the return flight. Photo / Creative Commons image by Flickr user Aero Icarus

The plane: Boeing 777-300ER.

Class: Economy.

Price: $3270 for entire journey from Auckland to Dublin. Booked through eBookers. Etihad was the main provider but the long leg was operated by Virgin Airways.

On time: Not even close. A major engineering fault meant this flight was delayed 13 hours. The flight was due to leave at 4:05pm but did not take off until 7am the next day. Sydney airport has a curfew, meaning no plane can take off or land between 11pm and 6am. This also meant all connecting flights were missed. Thankfully, we were put up in swanky hotels in Sydney and Abu Dhabi, but we got to Dublin a day and a half late.

My seat: 29G. I was pleasantly surprised to find a seat configuration of 3-3-3. Not bad compared to other airlines such as Etihad, which squeeze an extra seat into a 3-4-3 set-up, despite both being Boeing 777 300ER planes.

When the passenger in front of my next-door neighbour reclined, he looked at me with disapointment and muttered, “I didn’t think they could go back that far.”

Fellow passengers: Mixture of people travelling far and wide for Christmas.

How full: Full house, without a spare seat in sight but, then again, it was less than a week before Christmas.

Entertainment: Great range of movies of all different genres. The only downside was that they weren’t changed for the return flight. Filling 14 hours each way with quality movies and TV shows isn’t easy. However, I overheard a passenger commenting that it’s great that you can start watching movies even when the plane is still on the tarmac. This means not having to wait until you’re in the air to enjoy a film, as with most other airlines.

The service: Staff were very helpful and understanding when we were first informed about the delay in Sydney. However, when we had to check-in the following day staff were unhelpful and even patronising about the 30-hour delays we faced overall, with one commenting: “At least you get to stay in some nice hotels.” As if we wanted to spend our Christmas holiday in airport hotels, no matter how swanky they were.

Food and drink: I quickly learned to order the vegetarian option as the meat choices looked less than appealing. The snack bars were a nice touch, allowing you to grab a fizzy drink or chips if hunger struck. Not bad for economy.

The toilets: Pretty standard. I discovered the one with baby-changing facilities was a lot bigger than the others.

Luggage: As the main provider was Etihad we had an allowance of 30kg.

The airport experience: I will always be haunted by thoughts of Sydney airport and gate 55 – where we were first informed of our mammoth delay. Once in Abu Dhabi, accept the chaos and go wild on super-cheap duty free.

Would I fly this again? I have mixed feelings. Although they stole nearly two days of my Christmas holiday, the actual on-board experience greatly surpassed my expectations and I was strangely relieved to find Virgin were the operators of the return flight.

The New Zealand Herald