Italy scores two in extra time against Germany
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) - With scandal tearing apart the national sport back home, Italy kept plowing through soccer's premier event Tuesday with a last-minute win just when it seemed a penalty shootout was inevitable.
Fabio Grosso twisted a left-footed shot into the far side of the net with one minute of extra time remaining, then Alessandro Del Piero clinched the 2-0 win in injury time with a counterattacking goal as Germany pressed desperately to equalize.
"We deserved it," Grosso said. "We have a great group. We've beaten some very good teams. Now we're going to celebrate reaching the final with all our well-wishers."
The swiftness of the goals was stunning - three-time champion Germany had pressured for the game's last hour and slowly stretched the tight Italian defence. But Italy, which has allowed only an own-goal in six games at this year's tournament, held off the hosts and attacked from the start of extra time.
Now the Italians head to Berlin for Sunday's final in search of a fourth trophy of their own. They'll play the winner of Wednesday's Portugal-France match in their sixth World Cup final.
"I can honestly say Italy deserved to win," Italy coach Marcelo Lippi said. "We controlled the play more than Germany did and, in the end, we got these two great goals, which allowed us to avoid the roulette of a penalty shootout."
In handing the Germans their first loss in 15 games at Dortmund, the Azzurri also remained undefeated in five World Cup meetings with Germany - this was their third win to go with two draws.
The deciding goal seemed to come out of nowhere.
Italy's reserves rushed onto the field after Grosso took a brilliant tap pass from Andrea Pirlo in the box and curled his shot beyond the leaping reach of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and just inside the post.
With the hosts pushing forward in desperation, the Italians struck again on a two-on-one break. Del Piero finished with a right-footed blast into the top of the net just before the whistle sounded.
The Italians, who last won the World Cup in 1982, mobbed each other and rolled around on the field as their fans in a sliver of the stadium jumped in delight, waving the green, white and red flags in ecstasy.
"We have beaten a very strong team," Del Piero said. "They could have scored first on a couple of occasions. But we've done it. It's a fantastic feeling."
What the Italians have faced off the field could easily have sapped them of their resolve. Their domestic league match-fixing scandal reached new heights Tuesday when a prosecutor urged the demotion of four Serie A teams for which many of Italy's players star. Every Italian team member plays at home - and 13 of the 23 play for the teams under investigation.
While the Italians celebrated, the Germans collapsed in dismay.
"It's bitter to lose like that," Germany defender Philipp Lahm said. "We had set ourselves the target of reaching the semifinals, but once you've reached that you want to go all the way."
The home crowd lingered to cheer their players, who were supposed to be too young and inexperienced to challenge for this trophy. Instead, coach Juergen Klinsmann's entertaining squad performed superbly, and the crowd sang to them and chanted their names and "Deutschland, Deutschland" after the match.
Captain Michael Ballack and several others cried as they left the field, defeated, but unashamed.
"It was an even game," Germany striker Miroslav Klose said. "Compliments to the Italians, they took advantage of their fast breaks. We can be proud of our young team."
Italy is unbeaten in 24 games as it heads to its first World Cup title game since losing to Brazil in 1994.
Germany will play in the third-place game Saturday in Stuttgart.
"The boys are sitting there and have a bitter pill to swallow," said Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup played in Italy. "It hurts terribly."
Klinsmann's contract with Germany runs out at the end of the tournament and he has been vague about his future. There have been reports that the U.S. Soccer Federation has approached him to become coach of the United States.
Klinsmann chose to continue living in California until shortly before the World Cup and he won't be resettling in Germany despite such calls from many German soccer officials.
"I really hope that Klinsmann will continue. He left a big influence on this team, the players trust him," said Franz Beckenbauer, the president of the organizing committee who won the title as player in 1974 at home and as coach in 1990. "They should mature until the European championship in two years."
DVD looks Pretty in Pink
Molly and the rest will return for the upcoming special edition of Pretty in Pink coming from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Young Andie is one of the not-so-popular girls in high school. She usually hangs out with her friends Iona or Duckie. Duckie has always had a crush on her, but now she has met a new guy from school, Blane. He's one of the rich and popular guys but can the two worlds meet?
Save up your allowance, Pretty in Pink is coming with a wealth of extras on August 29th.
(THIS STORY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Its another big boo boo for ‘Big Brother’.
Weeks ago, the secret list of potential ‘All-Star’ players was leaked when a poll was posted on the official CBS site and later removed.
Now, due to a glitch on the live feeds, all of the 14 HouseGuests currently living in the ‘Big Brother’ house have been unveiled as well as the next twist in the game.
The 24/7 feeds are not supposed to go live until after the series debut that reveals the 14 ‘All-Star’ HouseGuests airs Thursday night. However, they started broadcasting for approximately an hour Tuesday afternoon before being shut down.
At different times, ‘Chicken’ George Boswell, Marcellas Reynolds, Kaysar Ridha, Howie Gordon, Jase Wirey, James Rhine, ‘Dr. Evil’ Will Kirby, Mike Matlin, Janelle Pierzina, Alison Irwin, Danielle Reyes, Diane Henry, Nakomis (Jennifer) Dedmon and Erika Landin were heard on the feeds. It is unclear how 14 HouseGuests are participating in the series when CBS announced only 12 will start the game. It has been rumoured for some time that after the 12 were selected two more would have the chance to enter as well.
Every year, the ‘Big Brother’ HouseGuests move into the house located on the CBS Studio Lot in California days before the series premieres in order for the shows’ editors to have enough lead time to produce three episodes a week.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the first big twist of the series became public knowledge too. It seems the HouseGuests participated in a Head of Household Competition which crowned two HOHs for the week. Winners Jase and Janelle now must nominate two HouseGuests for eviction and if they cannot decide on whom to put up, they themselves will be nominated.
The All-Stars entering the house will be announced during the premiere on Thursday, July 6 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS.
Following the premiere, the series will be broadcast each week on Tuesdays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), Thursdays (8:00-9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) and Sundays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). The Thursday broadcast, hosted by Julie Chen, will feature the live eviction of one of the houseguests.
In Canada, 'Big Brother: All-Stars' airs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays beginning July 6.
Halifax allocates $100,000 for mystery rock concert
Halifax municipal council voted Tuesday evening to spend $100,000 on a rock concert set for Sept. 23, but the performers still haven't been named, The Chronicle Herald newspaper reported.
So the Rolling Stones, rumoured headliners, may — or may not — make an appearance.
"I do not want to say anything to fuel the already wild speculation that is underway about which acts are expected," Mayor Peter Kelly said.
But he did confirm that the city's convention centre is talking to Donald K. Donald Promotions of Montreal. The promoter did not respond to calls from the paper.
The show "will be one of the largest events we've held," Kelly said.
The city money will pay for extra policing and the cleanup.
Council met in closed session, which angered two councillors who said the talks should have been open to the public because taxpayers are paying.
Paramount Going Back For "Grease 2" Again?
The remake craze seems to have no end in sight, with Paramount oiling up production for a re-take on Grease 2. Sky News reports the studio that started it all for Michelle Pfeiffer, is considering a re-do for the 1982 sequel that couldn't live up to its predecessor. With plans for new songs, a new cast and a script worthy to follow the classic 1978 movie, Paramount apparently thinks it could make 'grease lightning' strike twice.
Ashley Judd gets help, feels better
Ashley Judd first attended family counseling sessions for sister Wynonna before undergoing therapy herself.
Ashley Judd reveals that she did a 47-day stint in February at a Texas treatment center to overcome lifelong emotional problems.
"I needed help," Judd says in Glamour's August issue, which arrives on stands July 11. "I was in so much pain."
Therapy has been a life-altering experience, she says, adding that she was dealing with depression, isolation and co-dependent relationships.
With a "chaotic" and "dysfunctional" childhood, Judd, 38, says she compensated by becoming a "hyper-vigilant child" who was faultless in every way.
She attended 13 schools in 12 years and alternately lived with her mother, Grammy-winning country singer/songwriter Naomi Judd; her father, Michael Ciminella; and her grandparents.
"Supposedly, my sister (Wynonna, also a Grammy winner) was the 'messed-up' one, and I was the 'perfect' one."
During a family visit to Shades of Hope Treatment Center in Buffalo Gap, Texas, where Wynonna, 42, was being treated for food addiction, the De-Lovely and Come Early Morning actress was approached by counselors about treatment after emotional problems became apparent.
"They said, 'No one ever does an intervention on people like you. You look too good. You're too smart and together. But you (and Wynonna) come from the same family, so you come from the same wound.' No one had validated my pain before," Judd says.
Tabloid reports that the actress was being treated for eating disorders are not true, she says, "though I did take a look at my eating. Why wouldn't I? I looked at everything else in my life under a microscope."
Judd learned that she was using sleep to deal with uncomfortable feelings and that her habit of wiping down plastic surfaces on planes and hotels was all about control. "Now I try to remind myself that if I engage in perfectionism, I am abusing myself."
The effects of her treatment are profound, she says, and has improved her friendships and her 4˝-year marriage to racecar driver Dario Franchitti, 33.
"I was unhappy, and now I'm happy. Now, even when I'm having a rough day, it's better than my best day before treatment."
Keira Knightley says she is not anorexic
LONDON - Oscar-nominated actress Keira Knightley disclosed a family history of anorexia Tuesday but said that she doesn't suffer from an eating disorder.
The slender 21-year-old, in London to promote "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," rejected suggestions that she suffers from an eating disorder, which surfaced after she appeared at the film's premiere in a revealing gold Gucci gown.
"I've got a lot of experience with anorexia — my grandmother and great-grandmother suffered from it, and I had a lot of friends at school who suffered from it," Knightley said. "I know it's not something to be taken lightly and I don't."
She said she was surprised by any suggestion that she had an eating disorder.
"(The press) said to me yesterday `How does it feel to be called anorexic?' and I had no idea that I was," Knightley said. "I'm not saying there aren't people in the film industry that suffer from it, because I am sure that there are. But I'm quite sure I don't have it."
Knightley, who was nominated for best-actress for her role in "Pride and Prejudice", said she welcomed discussion about the illness.
"In a way it's good that it's out there and that people are talking about it," she said.
Keith Richards to be in 'Pirates' movie
LONDON - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is lined up to play the swashbuckling father of a pirate in the third installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, star Johnny Depp said Tuesday.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said Richards would have a cameo role as the father of the flamboyant Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Depp, in the third "Pirates" movie, which is due to resume filming next month in California.
Depp, 43, has said he adopted the body language and mannerisms of the veteran guitarist to create Captain Jack's character.
"We're all looking forward to the idea of Keith coming in and doing a cameo," Depp told a London news conference to promote "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which opens in Britain on Thursday.
"You never say it's definite until the guy steps on the set and the camera is rolling. But it's looking very, very good," he said.
Co-star Orlando Bloom said he was similarly enthusiastic about working with Richards — provided the rocker is in good health.
"I can't wait to see him — well, if he doesn't kill himself falling out of coconut trees," Bloom said. "Very rock and roll."
Richards, 62, suffered a head injury in late April, when he reportedly fell out of a palm tree while vacationing in Fiji.
Having made a full recovery, Richards will join the Stones for their rescheduled European tour, beginning Tuesday in Milan.