Kidman credits fertile water with pregnancy

Sydney, Australia – Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman said swimming in Australian Outback waterfalls may promote fertility and might have contributed to her unexpected pregnancy over the past year.

The 41-year-old Aussie, who gave birth to daughter Sunday Rose in July, said she and six other women who swam in the waters of a small Outback town during production of the epic romance “Australia” became pregnant.

“I never thought that I would get pregnant and give birth to a child, but it happened on this movie,” Kidman told The Australian Women’s Weekly in an exclusive interview for the magazine’s 75th anniversary edition, released Wednesday.

“Seven babies were conceived out of this film and only one was a boy. There is something up there in the Kununurra water because we all went swimming in the waterfalls, so we can call it the fertility waters now.”

“Australia,” directed by Baz Luhrmann, was filmed in Kununurra, a small town in far northern Western Australia state. The film, which follows the story of a noblewoman on a cattle drive in Australia during World War II, is due for release in November.

McCartney carrying peace message

Bethlehem, West Bank – Paul McCartney said Wednesday he’s carrying a message of peace for Israel and the Palestinians, rejecting criticism of his planned concert in Tel Aviv.

McCartney toured the West Bank town of Bethlehem, visiting the Church of the Nativity, built over the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

The 66-year-old former Beatle ducked into the fourth-century church through its low, narrow entrance, taking pictures with a small camera. He lit two long, tapered white candles in different parts of the church, saying each time that they were “for peace.”

After posing for pictures with fans outside the fortress-like church, McCartney was asked to respond to criticism from some Palestinians that his visit to Israel supports its occupation of the West Bank.

He said his visit Wednesday to the West Bank showed he was not playing favorites.

“I get criticized everywhere I go, but I don’t listen to them,” McCartney said. “I’m bringing a message of peace, and I think that’s what the region needs.”

Michael Douglas asked about Wall Street crisis

United Nations – Michael Douglas had to field questions Wednesday about the financial turmoil shaking world markets from reporters recalling his role in the 1987 film “Wall Street.”

The actor sought to focus on the subject of Wednesday’s news conference – urging the United States and eight other holdout nations to ratify a nuclear test ban treaty.

Douglas won an Academy Award for portraying the rapacious banker Gordon Gekko, who popularized the phrase “greed is good” in the movie.

After world leaders here condemned the “boundless greed” of world markets, Douglas was asked to compare nuclear Armageddon with the “financial Armageddon on Wall Street.”

But the likening to Gekko did not end there, with a reporter asking: “Are you saying, Gordon, that greed is not good?”

“I’m not saying that,” Douglas replied. “And my name is not Gordon. He’s a character I played 20 years ago.”

2nd celebrity booted from ‘Dancing’

Los Angeles – Ted McGinley from “Married with Children” has gotten a divorce from “Dancing with the Stars.”

The actor and his professional partner, Inna Brayer, were eliminated Wednesday from ABC’s dancing competition.

The pair received a score of 19 out of 30 from the show’s judges Tuesday following their mambo routine. McGinley was sent packing after his score – the third-lowest – was combined with viewer votes.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” McGinley said after his ouster. “You know, I know there’s a lot of guys sitting at home with a beer in their hand having a little chuckle at me. You know what? Thank you for that. I appreciate it. I’m one of the guys. I guess I’ll always be one of the guys. Some of us aren’t meant to dance, I guess.”

Comedian Jeffery Ross and partner Edyta Sliwinska were dismissed Tuesday.

Cowell not surprised at Aiken’s outing

New York – The revelation that Clay Aiken is gay hasn’t fazed Simon Cowell.

The “American Idol” judge reacted in typically sarcastic form, telling the entertainment news show “Extra”: “Wow. That’s a shock. It’s like being told Santa Claus isn’t real. Unbelievable.”

Getting serious, Cowell said: “Good for him. If he said it, it’s the right thing for him. … I don’t think anyone cares. Let’s face it. It’s 2008. You know. Who cares?”

The 29-year-old former “Idol” runner-up, multiplatinum recording artist and Broadway star acknowledges his sexuality in an interview with People magazine. He appears on the cover of the latest issue holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, conceived by in-vitro fertilization with friend and producer Jaymes Foster. The headline: “Yes, I’m Gay.”

Cowell might not bat an eyelash, but Aiken’s hardcore fans – known as Claymates – are taking the news very seriously. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were reportedly more than 2,000 entries on the message board for Aiken’s official Web site.