Received
- Details
- Written by Grant Broadcasters
- Category: Received
- Hits: 123
James Michael Tyler, the actor known widely for his recurring role as Gunther on the hit US sitcom Friends, has died aged 59.
Tyler died on Sunday at home in Los Angeles from prostate cancer, his manager Toni Benson says.
Tyler was first diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2018.
"The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh 'Friend'), from the hit series Friends, but Michael's loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband," Benson wrote in a tribute.
Tyler, who also appeared briefly in 1990s series such as Just Shoot Me! and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, was cast as a background character in the second episodes of Friends in 1994.
During the show's 10-year-run, he became the most frequently recurring guest star on the series playing Gunther, the Central Perk barista with an unrequited affection for Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).
Tyler was initially cast while working as a barista at the Bourgeois Pig coffee shop in Los Angeles.
He didn't have a line of dialogue on Friends until he had made 33 appearances on the show. During its 236 episodes, Tyler appeared in 150 of them.
Warner Bros Television, which produced the hit series, mourned the death of Tyler, "a beloved actor and integral part of our Friends family".
Once Friends concluded in 2004, Tyler made appearances on Scrubs, Modern Music and he played himself on an episode of Matt LeBlanc's Episodes in 2012.
After being diagnosed with cancer, Tyler starred in two short films while undergoing treatment and gave a spoken-word performance of the Stephan Kalinich poem If You Knew to help raise awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Tyler is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno.
© AP 2021
- Details
- Written by Grant Broadcasters
- Category: Received
- Hits: 127
Victoria has recorded 1461 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths as unvaccinated residents have been warned they could be locked out of venues until 2023.
The health department confirmed on Monday the state is managing just less than 25,000 active cases.
There are 802 people in hospital, keeping the seven-day average at 793. Of those, 152 are in intensive care and 92 on a ventilator.
The latest deaths take the toll from the current outbreak to 230.
There were 56,905 tests processed and 27,859 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered at state-run hubs on Sunday.
About 74 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over are now fully vaccinated.
The latest figures come after the Victorian government announced almost all COVID-19 restrictions will end next month once 90 per cent of the 12-plus population are fully vaccinated.
At that point, all venue caps and density quotients will be scrapped along with mandatory indoor mask rules except in high-risk or low-vaccinated settings such as hospitals and schools.
Limits on home and outdoor gatherings will be shelved, while double-dose vaccination entry requirements expand to patrons of non-essential retail stores.
Premier Daniel Andrews flagged the lockout of unvaccinated Victorians from basic services could last "for the entirety of 2022".
"If you're not vaccinated, you're not getting in," he told reporters on Sunday.
With Victoria set to hit its 80 per cent full vaccination target sometime next weekend, restrictions will ease further and align across the state from 6pm on Friday.
The ban on travel between Melbourne and regional Victoria will be scrapped, reconnecting the state for the first time since the city's 77-day lockdown lifted.
Masks will no longer need to be worn outdoors, entertainment venues, gyms and retail stores can reopen indoors for fully vaccinated patrons, and capacity limits will increase for restaurants, pubs and cafes.
Students from every year level across the state also return to classrooms full-time on November 1, four days ahead of schedule, before Tuesday's Melbourne Cup public holiday.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the easing of restrictions was too slow and not in line with national cabinet's plan.
"What the government says applies at 90 per cent should apply at 80 per cent," he said.
© AAP 2021
- Details
- Written by Grant Broadcasters
- Category: Received
- Hits: 122
Victoria is embarking on a final push to get Indigenous residents vaccinated against COVID-19 as Melbourne prepares to reunite with the regions.
Vaccination programs will be expanded in coming days and weeks to Seymour, Warrnambool, the Mornington Peninsula and Grampians regions with pop-up sites to boost rates that are behind the wider Victorian population.
Almost 80 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged over 12 in Victoria have had their first jab and 58 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Both of those levels are below the Victorian average, but higher than the national average.
Health Minister Martin Foley said the push was designed to ensure the state's Indigenous community was "not left behind" as the state reopened.
With Victoria set to hit its 80 per cent full vaccination target sometime next weekend, restrictions will ease further and align across the state from 6pm on Friday.
The ban on travel between Melbourne and regional Victoria will be scrapped, reconnecting the state for the first time since the city's 77-day lockdown lifted.
Masks will no longer need to be worn outdoors, entertainment venues, gyms and retail stores can reopen indoors for fully vaccinated patrons, and capacity limits will increase for restaurants, pubs and cafes.
Students from every year level across the state also return to classrooms full-time on November 1, four days ahead of schedule, before Tuesday's Melbourne Cup public holiday.
The Victorian government has also announced almost all COVID-19 restrictions will end next month once 90 per cent of the 12-plus population are fully vaccinated.
At that point, all venue caps and density levels will be scrapped along with mandatory indoor mask rules except in high-risk or low-vaccinated settings such as hospitals and schools.
Limits on home and outdoor gatherings will be shelved, while double-dose vaccination entry requirements expand to patrons of non-essential retail stores.
Premier Daniel Andrews flagged the lockout of unvaccinated Victorians from basic services could last "for the entirety of 2022".
Victoria recorded 1461 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and seven deaths on Monday, including a woman in her 20s.
Their deaths take the toll from the current outbreak to 230.
There are 802 people in hospital, keeping the seven-day average at 793. Of those, 152 are in intensive care and 92 on a ventilator.
Victoria has 74.4 per cent of residents aged 16 and over fully vaccinated.
© AAP 2021
- Details
- Written by Grant Broadcasters
- Category: Received
- Hits: 122
British pop star Ed Sheeran says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will do interviews and performances from his home while he self-isolates.
Sheeran, 30, broke the news on social media days before his new studio album is due out.
"Quick note to tell you that I've sadly tested positive for Covid, so I'm now self-isolating and following government guidelines," Sheeran wrote on Instagram.
"It means that I'm now unable to plough ahead with any in person commitments for now, so I'll be doing as many of my planned interviews/performances I can from my house. Apologies to anyone I've let down."
Representatives did not immediately say which performances he is canceling and which he will carry out from home.
Sheeran's official website lists no performances before April.
The four-time Grammy winner's new studio album is called "=" which is pronounced "Equals".
© AP 2021
Page 1304 of 1496