Australian feminist writer Germaine Greer, author of The Female Eunuch (1969), has defended motherhood, saying 1990s culture has desexed women and undermined 30 years of feminism.
In a speech to the Melbourne Writers' Festival, Greer said women had become enslaved by a "penetration culture" which venerated the penis and assaulted the prestige of motherhood.
The expatriate Australian's visit to her home country follows the recent publication of an unauthorised biography by Christine Wallace. Greer has publicly attacked Wallace, calling her a "brain-dead hack", and called the book a "piece of excrement".
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (60) took some time off for tango lessons while flying with Bill Clinton from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires. Clinton and his wife Hillary watched in wonder as Albright took twirls with Republican congressman David Dreier, her tango teacher, aboard Air Force One. Czech-born Albright seems attracted to Argentina and its culture. Weeks ago, during a Washington dinner for visiting Asian foreign ministers, she raised eyebrows by singing Don't Cry for me Argentina, from the musical Evita.
Ian Botham said yesterday he was "very, very concerned" at news that he was being sued for more than £100,000 by his own solicitors. They are demanding payment of legal bills relating to the ill-fated libel action against Imran Khan.
An obscure English author has become an instant millionaire at the Frankfurt Book Fair, with publishers clamouring for the rights to a manuscript he handed in only two weeks ago. The Lazarus Child, by Robert Mawson tells the tale of an English couple's desperate attempt to bring their daughter out of a coma.
"I haven't had time to tot them all up but he will make easily £2 million from book rights and advances alone," his literary agent said.
Musician Elton John has decided to write his memoirs. Advances of between £8 million and £10 million are rumoured to have been offered to him.