It’s George Michael the taverna star... or is it

IT caused the sort of fuss he was used to when he was one half of 1980s pop band Wham and also made it a special birthday for a lucky fan.
George Michael, who lives in Highgate, at Greek restaurant the Carod Tree was the star of a surprise gig. The eaterie, at the corner of Swains Lane and Highgate Road, was booked by a couple for an 80 strong birthday party and they had persuaded their well known friend to provide entertainment.
Neighbour Craig Braun said: “A crowd gathered outside and were taking pictures through the windows. He did the tune Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me and it sounded great.”
Carob Tree owner Louis Loizou said the couple who booked the restaurant had asked if they could have live music. He said: “They did not say who the entertainer would be. We were so busy serving people and cooking food, I didn’t pay much attention to the singer.”
Indeed, he would not confirm whether it was in fact the megastar. He said: “Whether it was really George or a very, very good impersonator, I wouldn’t want to say.”

George Michael has the inside running

THE LNP'S George Christensen is off to a flying start in the race to claim the Federal seat of Dawson, with betting agencies listing him as a hot favourite.
It's expected to be a tight race but Cr Christensen has bolted out of the gates with Sportingbet and Centrebet both putting him ahead of the pack, at $1.70 and $1.66 respectively.
Both agencies have ALP candidate Mike Brunker a length behind at $2.10, while the Green's Jonathan Dykyj is out at $26 and Independent Robert Jameson at $51.
Family First candidate Damian Herrington is rated a long shot, with Centrebet listing him at $61.
The seat by seat betting market was launched yesterday. Sportingbet Australia chief executive officer Michael Sullivan said anything could happen in Dawson following the retirement of sitting member James Bidgood.
“We've got the Liberal National's George Christensen favourite at $1.70 to win Dawson but we expect punters to flood in and tell us whether we have got it right,” he said.
While the race for Dawson is tight, both Cr Brunker and Cr Christensen are odds on to wind up their council duties today at least for the election period.
Both have requested leave, which is probably to be approved when put to the vote at Whitsunday and Mackay council meetings today.
Although punters betting on the election may be in line for a windfall, Crs Brunker and Christensen say they won't be lining their pockets during the election period.
Cr Brunker said he had requested a leave of absence without pay, while Cr Christensen vowed to donate his pay during the campaign to charity.
Cr Christensen said he was yet to select the charity, but Cr Brunker expected his opponent's donations would be tax deductible. “If he does want to do that he can get a tax deduction he is misleading the public,” Cr Brunker said.
However, Cr Christensen was perplexed about how Cr Brunker could have his mayoral allowance suspended.
He said, “The advice that I got... is that it can't be done without a change to the (Local Government) remuneration policy”.
But Cr Brunker said the Local Government Association had advised him otherwise.
“I think George is just making excuses,” he said. “At the end of the day, if you don't want to get paid you don't get paid.”
A query to Local Government Minister Desley Boyle yesterday resolved the debate. She said a mayor or councillor could notify their CEO to withhold payment for a specified period.
The number one focus for Crs Brunker and Christensen and their opponents is now to win over the 94,151 enrolled Dawson voters ahead of the August 21 poll.

George Michael held after car crashes into shop

Into a shop Singer George Michael was arrested after his car crashed.
The former Wham! star, 47, who was banned for driving for two years in June 2007, is thought to have crashed into a branch of Snappy Snaps footage store near his home in Hampstead, north London.
Mr Michael was held by police on suspicion of being unfit to drive after the alleged incident in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A police spokesperson said: "Police were called at about 3.35 a.m. on Sunday, July 4 to a report of a vehicle in collision with a building.
"Officers attended and a man aged in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive. He was taken to a north London police station and later bailed pending further inquiries to a date in mid August."
The Careless Whisper star's spokesman refused to comment.
A spokesman for Snappy Snaps confirmed damage to the shop but said they had not been told who was arrested.
In June 2007, Mr Michael was sentenced to 100 hours community service over the next 12 months, disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay £2,325 in costs.
He had admitted driving while unfit, saying he was guilty due to a combination of tiredness and taking prescription drugs.
The star was found slumped at the wheel of his stationary Mercedes car at a road junction in north London in the early hours of October 2006, after witnesses called police about his erratic driving.