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Folk music icon and much-loved Australian entertainer Judith Durham has died aged 79.

Durham died in Melbourne on Friday night after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, her management said.

She made her first recording at 19 and later achieved worldwide fame as lead singer of The Seekers after joining the group in 1963.

The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and United States, eventually selling 50 million records.

Durham embarked on a solo career in 1968 but recorded with The Seekers again in the 1990s.

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(AAP Image/Alan Porritt)

In 2015, she was honoured as Victorian of the Year.

Durham passed away in palliative care on Friday night after a brief stay in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday.

Her death was a result of complications from a long-standing chronic lung disease, according to the statement.

The Seekers management team member Graham Simpson said: "This is a sad day for Judith's family, her fellow Seekers, the staff of Musicoast, the music industry and fans worldwide, and all of us who have been part of Judith's life for so long."

Durham's sister Beverley Sheehan spoke of the pair's shared love of music.

"Judith's joy for life, her constant optimism, creativity and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me," Ms Sheehan said.

Her bandmates in The Seekers -- Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy -- said their lives had been changed forever by losing "our treasured lifelong friend and shining star".

"Her struggle was intense and heroic, never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share," they said.

Tributes flowed for the beloved singer, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailing Durham as "a national treasure and an Australian icon".

"Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists," Mr Albanese said on Twitter.

"Her kindness will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten."

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton paid tribute to Durham as someone who "gave voice to more than one generation of Australians through words of universal appeal, carried by melodies that, once heard, became fixed in our memories".

"Durham demonstrated in song after song, concert after concert, how the human voice can reach, and move, every one of us," Mr Dutton said in a statement.

"Her language was uniquely Australian, and her voice a gift of universal beauty."

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews said the Essendon-born musician "went on to conquer the music world both here in Australia and overseas".

"With her unique voice and stage presence leading The Seekers, the band became one of Australia's biggest chart toppers," Mr Andrews said on Twitter.

Australia's entertainment industry also responded to the sad news, with singer Anthony Callea posting: "the skies above just gained a voice of an angel."

Actor Magda Szubanski sent her "deepest condolences to her loved ones".

"Her beautiful, crystalline voice was the naive but knowing siren song of my childhood," Ms Szubanski tweeted.

© AAP 2022

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Oodles of cavoodles are living across the country, with the dog breed named Australia's most popular pup.

Petbarn's new Pet Pulse report looked at the breeds of more than 750,000 puppies to determine which was most popular.

It found cavoodles, a cross between a poodle and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, was the top choice for Australians between 2016 and 2021.

Labradoodles and groodles also made the top 20, with another five poodle crossbreeds listed in the top 100.

Feature Pet Barn top 20 dogs

"All the data confirms it is a real thing because it's definitely the impression I've had as a practising vet," Michael Yazbeck of Greencross Vets told AAP.

"The obvious thing is they're really cute dogs. A lot of people are looking for something with that puppy look and a generally friendly demeanour."

With more people keeping their dogs inside during the pandemic, Dr Yazbeck said 'oodle' breeds proved to be a more allergy and family-friendly option.

People only started breeding oodles in the late 1980s but the Pet Pulse report found they now account for one in five dog births in Australia.

That's not expected to change any time soon, according to Dr Yazbeck.

"It's like a designer crossbreed. You've got a group of dogs but such variation in colour, size and look that really appeals to people," he said.

© AAP 2022

Main image: David Calvert/Shutterstock.com

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Adelaide-born singer-songwriter Paul Kelly has had a city lane in his home town named in his honour.

Pilgrim Lane, which runs between Flinders Street and Pirie Street in the Adelaide CBD, has become Paul Kelly Lane.

Kelly joins other prominent SA artists to be recognised in such a way, including Cold Chisel and Sia.

Since releasing his first album in 1981, Kelly has produced some of Australia's most iconic songs, including Dumb Things, How to Make Gravy and From Little Things Big Things Grow.

Kelly said he was particularly pleased his lane was so close to the Adelaide Town Hall, given his 50-year association with the venue, "from playing trumpet at school speech nights, attending concerts and, later on, doing my own shows".

Adelaide Mayor Sandy Verschoor said Kelly's inclusion in the city of music's Laneways project was worthy recognition for a favoured artist.

"Like most Australians I have fond memories of listening to Paul Kelly songs, so I love that we can have the laneway named in his honour," she said.

"We have an incredible musical history, with so many great artists having close connections to this city, its live music venues and wonderful festivals."

The Laneways project will next honour Adelaide rock band The Angels.

© AAP 2022

Photo: Paul Kelly (AAP Image/David Moir)

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A motion picture sequel to the Oscar-winning psychological thriller "Joker," based on one of the world's best known comic book villains, is set for release in cinemas in 2024, film distributor Warner Bros says.

Joker: Folie a Deux, will star Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as the title character, which earned him the Academy Award as best actor in the original 2019 film depicting an origin story for the arch enemy of DC Comics' superhero Batman, according to the studio spokesperson.

The 2019 film, which was Oscar-nominated in the best film category and won for best original score as well as for best lead actor, was directed and produced by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Scott Silver.

The story charted the psychological descent of the film's protagonist, a failed party clown and wannabe comedian Arthur Fleck, and the social forces that transformed him from a dejected loner into a cold-blooded killer who inspires a wave of violence in the fictional metropolis of Gotham City.

The movie will be released on October 4, 2024. No further details about the sequel were immediately made available by Warner Bros, but Variety has reported the new production will be a musical, with Lady Gaga expected to play Joker's co-conspirator, Harley Quinn.

Phoenix, 47, was widely acclaimed for the role. He was the second performer to earn an Academy Award for playing the Joker, following in the footsteps of Heath Ledger, who posthumously won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his 2008 rendition of the character in The Dark Knight.

© RAW 2022