Financial markets brace for crunch Greek election

NOT only Greece but also Europe braced today for an election that polls indicate will decimate the two main parties and fail to produce a clear winner, sparking market fears about fresh eurozone turmoil.

In comments widely quoted by Greek newspapers on the eve of Sunday's vote, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that if Greece's new government deviated from its commitments the country would have to "bear the consequences."

"Membership of the European Union is voluntary," the minister from the eurozone's chief contributor to Greece's 240 billion euros ($314.0 billion) in bailouts and the main proponent of European belt-tightening was quoted as saying.

Greece has written off a third of its debts, is in its fifth year running of recession, one in five workers is unemployed, its banks are in a precarious position and pensions and salaries have been slashed by up to 40 per cent.

With Portugal and Ireland also getting aid and Italy and Spain on shaky ground as well, last year there were worries of some sort of break-up of the eurozone. These fears have subsided in recent months but have not completely disappeared.

For markets, it is Greece's vote rather than France's presidential decider, also on Sunday, that "weighs heavier" in investors' minds, said Valerie Plagnol, director of research at the Credit Suisse bank.

Holger Schmieding, economist at Germany's Berenberg Bank, said there was a 40-percent risk of Greece leaving the eurozone this year, with a "high" chance that no stable government willing to implement more reforms can be formed.

Europe's press shared these worries, with Germany's Spiegel saying Greek politicians were behaving like "alchemists", while Belgium's Le Soir said it was "vital" for the eurozone that a new government is formed soon.

Germany's centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily said that efforts throughout "southern Europe" to cut spending and implement reforms must continue, otherwise "the crisis could escalate badly."

Election campaigning has been marked by voter anger with Greece's two main parties over the cuts that the country has been forced to promise in return for its bailouts. In June new savings of 11.5 billion euros have to be found.

"People are spending half what they used to," Panos Ioannidis, 41, the owner of a flower shop in an up-market area of Athens, told AFP. "If in June wages go down another 30 percent, we are expecting the worst."

The two main parties, the socialist Pasok and the conservative New Democracy, want to be cut more slack on the terms of the bailout, and many of the smaller parties want to tear up the agreement entirely.

"We need to break from this corrupt political system of lackeys of foreign imperialism," Petros Alachmar, 31, an activist from far-left Syriza party, one of several expected to steal votes from Pasok, told AFP late Friday.

"We have had enough of austerity measures."

Voters are also fed up corruption and cronyism, while immigration has also been an issue. The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, completed with swastika-like emblem, may enter parliament for the first time in nearly 40 years, polls show.

The election is being fought over "a mixture of economy, immigration and national humiliation," said analyst George Sefertzis.

New Democracy is expected to win the most votes but not enough to govern alone, forcing leader Antonis Samaras into a coalition with smaller parties. If no coalition is formed, new elections could be called.

"Our place in Europe and the euro will be decided on Sunday," Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos, 55, told a rally in Athens' central Syntagma Square, the focal point of sometimes violent protests in recent years, late Friday.

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Financial markets brace for crunch Greek election

NOT only Greece but also Europe braced today for an election that polls indicate will decimate the two main parties and fail to produce a clear winner, sparking market fears about fresh eurozone turmoil.

In comments widely quoted by Greek newspapers on the eve of Sunday's vote, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that if Greece's new government deviated from its commitments the country would have to "bear the consequences."

"Membership of the European Union is voluntary," the minister from the eurozone's chief contributor to Greece's 240 billion euros ($314.0 billion) in bailouts and the main proponent of European belt-tightening was quoted as saying.

Greece has written off a third of its debts, is in its fifth year running of recession, one in five workers is unemployed, its banks are in a precarious position and pensions and salaries have been slashed by up to 40 per cent.

With Portugal and Ireland also getting aid and Italy and Spain on shaky ground as well, last year there were worries of some sort of break-up of the eurozone. These fears have subsided in recent months but have not completely disappeared.

For markets, it is Greece's vote rather than France's presidential decider, also on Sunday, that "weighs heavier" in investors' minds, said Valerie Plagnol, director of research at the Credit Suisse bank.

Holger Schmieding, economist at Germany's Berenberg Bank, said there was a 40-percent risk of Greece leaving the eurozone this year, with a "high" chance that no stable government willing to implement more reforms can be formed.

Europe's press shared these worries, with Germany's Spiegel saying Greek politicians were behaving like "alchemists", while Belgium's Le Soir said it was "vital" for the eurozone that a new government is formed soon.

Germany's centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily said that efforts throughout "southern Europe" to cut spending and implement reforms must continue, otherwise "the crisis could escalate badly."

Election campaigning has been marked by voter anger with Greece's two main parties over the cuts that the country has been forced to promise in return for its bailouts. In June new savings of 11.5 billion euros have to be found.

"People are spending half what they used to," Panos Ioannidis, 41, the owner of a flower shop in an up-market area of Athens, told AFP. "If in June wages go down another 30 percent, we are expecting the worst."

The two main parties, the socialist Pasok and the conservative New Democracy, want to be cut more slack on the terms of the bailout, and many of the smaller parties want to tear up the agreement entirely.

"We need to break from this corrupt political system of lackeys of foreign imperialism," Petros Alachmar, 31, an activist from far-left Syriza party, one of several expected to steal votes from Pasok, told AFP late Friday.

"We have had enough of austerity measures."

Voters are also fed up corruption and cronyism, while immigration has also been an issue. The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, completed with swastika-like emblem, may enter parliament for the first time in nearly 40 years, polls show.

The election is being fought over "a mixture of economy, immigration and national humiliation," said analyst George Sefertzis.

New Democracy is expected to win the most votes but not enough to govern alone, forcing leader Antonis Samaras into a coalition with smaller parties. If no coalition is formed, new elections could be called.

"Our place in Europe and the euro will be decided on Sunday," Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos, 55, told a rally in Athens' central Syntagma Square, the focal point of sometimes violent protests in recent years, late Friday.

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True love gets burns victim Turia through hell

  MICHAEL Hoskin looks at his partner, Turia Pitt, and says: "She's beautiful."

Don't call her a survivor because she is doing more than "surviving", he says.

She is living every day, every moment at their home on the NSW south coast.

Trapped by a bushfire during an ultra-marathon in the Kimberley last year, Ms Pitt's burns were so bad she was told by doctors she might not make it.

The 24-year-old's fitness, age and incredible will to live got her through those early days and weeks.

It is her love for Michael Hoskin that continues to carry her through her recovery from shocking burns to 64 per cent of her body.

"She doesn't want people to feel sorry for her. She just wants to get on with her life," he said.

"She's beautiful, you know. She's amazing."

Last week, Turia was forced to relive her ordeal when she gave evidence to the West Australian parliamentary inquiry examining what went wrong in the Kimberley wilderness on September 2 last year - when the Race the Planet's 41 competitors were just hours into what was supposed to be a 100km race over seven days.

The inquiry has heard chilling claims that RTP's organisers in Hong Kong were hopelessly under-prepared for such an emergency.

There were communication blackspots because they did not have the proper satellite phones.

WA's Fire and Emergency Services Authority said it was not notified of the race until it was too late, contradicting RTP's claims that all relevant services were given the "necessary approvals".

The authority said that in the middle of a worse-than-normal bushfire season, it would have had the race moved, or even cancelled - had it known about it.

Competitors were briefed about the dangers of snake bite and crocodiles - but not bushfires. Yet organisers knew there were fires on or near the course.

Course director Carlos Garcia Prieto had been out replacing pink plastic tape marking some of the route after it was burnt.

"The risk of harm to competitors in these circumstances is submitted to be simply overwhelming," solicitor Greg Walsh, acting for Ms Pitt and four other runners, said in his submission.

Turia knew little of this when she got off the plane at the Emma Gorge landing strip at the El Questro station at 7.50am that morning with the other runners.

She had the world at her feet. Born in Tahiti, she grew up in Ulladulla, on the NSW south coast, where she met Michael at school. They hooked up three years ago.
Turia Pitt at the West Australian parliamentary inquiry.

TURIA paid her way at university to qualify as a mining engineer doing odd jobs including modelling.

Michael quit the police before they moved to WA last year, where both worked in the mining industry.

He said his super-fit girlfriend wanted to take part in the RTP ultra-marathon but couldn't afford the $1600 entry fee.

The day before the event, organisers contacted Turia and some others and let them enter free because there were not enough competitors and the race was to be filmed.

The inquiry heard from Mr Pietro that about 11am on race day, he was told there was a fire coming towards them and it would reach the second checkpoint within two hours.

Despite this, no runners were warned or held back at the checkpoint.

Competitors recall Turia being "chirpy, happy and talkative" as she left checkpoint two.

Soon after, about 1.30pm, when she and five others reached the top of Salerno Gorge, they heard what was described as the roar of a road train.
Turia Pitt's burns were so bad she was told by doctors she might not make it.

TO their horror, they realised it was a massive fire with the wind behind it. They couldn't outrun the flames or climb to safety.

A "really scared" Ms Pitt began to cry. She stopped and covered her head with her jacket because there was "nowhere else to go", she told the inquiry.

"It just got hotter and hotter and hotter, and I couldn't stand it any more so I jumped up and tried to run and that's when I got burnt," she said.

Fellow competitors heard her scream, including Kate Sanderson, who was already badly burnt. Ms Sanderson, 35, had huddled in a crevice but was burnt when she stood up to try to put out the flames on her jumper.

It took almost four hours for a helicopter to arrive and the other four runners - Michael Hull, 44, Shaun Van Der Merwe, 30, his father, Martin, 56, and Hal Benson, 37 - have been credited with saving the two lives.

They used their jackets and space blankets to shield them from the sun and pooled their water. But the only painkillers they had were paracetamol.

Turia was flown to a Sydney burns unit, lost her fingers and thumb on her right hand, spent five months in hospital and will need at least 10 more operations.

But Mr Hoskin, 27, who left work to care for her because she cannot dress, wash or feed herself, says she feels lucky because she still has the fingers on her left hand.

"She's got crazy energy," Mr Hoskin said.

"She loves the outdoors, she loves the ocean."

Solicitor Mr Walsh, who is preparing to sue RTP, says Turia Pitt is one of the bravest people he has met.

With huge medical bills, the only support Turia and Kate Sanderson received from RTP was a card, some emails and chocolates.

"The degree of negligence is simply overwhelming," Mr Walsh said.

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True love gets burns victim Turia through hell

  MICHAEL Hoskin looks at his partner, Turia Pitt, and says: "She's beautiful."

Don't call her a survivor because she is doing more than "surviving", he says.

She is living every day, every moment at their home on the NSW south coast.

Trapped by a bushfire during an ultra-marathon in the Kimberley last year, Ms Pitt's burns were so bad she was told by doctors she might not make it.

The 24-year-old's fitness, age and incredible will to live got her through those early days and weeks.

It is her love for Michael Hoskin that continues to carry her through her recovery from shocking burns to 64 per cent of her body.

"She doesn't want people to feel sorry for her. She just wants to get on with her life," he said.

"She's beautiful, you know. She's amazing."

Last week, Turia was forced to relive her ordeal when she gave evidence to the West Australian parliamentary inquiry examining what went wrong in the Kimberley wilderness on September 2 last year - when the Race the Planet's 41 competitors were just hours into what was supposed to be a 100km race over seven days.

The inquiry has heard chilling claims that RTP's organisers in Hong Kong were hopelessly under-prepared for such an emergency.

There were communication blackspots because they did not have the proper satellite phones.

WA's Fire and Emergency Services Authority said it was not notified of the race until it was too late, contradicting RTP's claims that all relevant services were given the "necessary approvals".

The authority said that in the middle of a worse-than-normal bushfire season, it would have had the race moved, or even cancelled - had it known about it.

Competitors were briefed about the dangers of snake bite and crocodiles - but not bushfires. Yet organisers knew there were fires on or near the course.

Course director Carlos Garcia Prieto had been out replacing pink plastic tape marking some of the route after it was burnt.

"The risk of harm to competitors in these circumstances is submitted to be simply overwhelming," solicitor Greg Walsh, acting for Ms Pitt and four other runners, said in his submission.

Turia knew little of this when she got off the plane at the Emma Gorge landing strip at the El Questro station at 7.50am that morning with the other runners.

She had the world at her feet. Born in Tahiti, she grew up in Ulladulla, on the NSW south coast, where she met Michael at school. They hooked up three years ago.
Turia Pitt at the West Australian parliamentary inquiry.

TURIA paid her way at university to qualify as a mining engineer doing odd jobs including modelling.

Michael quit the police before they moved to WA last year, where both worked in the mining industry.

He said his super-fit girlfriend wanted to take part in the RTP ultra-marathon but couldn't afford the $1600 entry fee.

The day before the event, organisers contacted Turia and some others and let them enter free because there were not enough competitors and the race was to be filmed.

The inquiry heard from Mr Pietro that about 11am on race day, he was told there was a fire coming towards them and it would reach the second checkpoint within two hours.

Despite this, no runners were warned or held back at the checkpoint.

Competitors recall Turia being "chirpy, happy and talkative" as she left checkpoint two.

Soon after, about 1.30pm, when she and five others reached the top of Salerno Gorge, they heard what was described as the roar of a road train.
Turia Pitt's burns were so bad she was told by doctors she might not make it.

TO their horror, they realised it was a massive fire with the wind behind it. They couldn't outrun the flames or climb to safety.

A "really scared" Ms Pitt began to cry. She stopped and covered her head with her jacket because there was "nowhere else to go", she told the inquiry.

"It just got hotter and hotter and hotter, and I couldn't stand it any more so I jumped up and tried to run and that's when I got burnt," she said.

Fellow competitors heard her scream, including Kate Sanderson, who was already badly burnt. Ms Sanderson, 35, had huddled in a crevice but was burnt when she stood up to try to put out the flames on her jumper.

It took almost four hours for a helicopter to arrive and the other four runners - Michael Hull, 44, Shaun Van Der Merwe, 30, his father, Martin, 56, and Hal Benson, 37 - have been credited with saving the two lives.

They used their jackets and space blankets to shield them from the sun and pooled their water. But the only painkillers they had were paracetamol.

Turia was flown to a Sydney burns unit, lost her fingers and thumb on her right hand, spent five months in hospital and will need at least 10 more operations.

But Mr Hoskin, 27, who left work to care for her because she cannot dress, wash or feed herself, says she feels lucky because she still has the fingers on her left hand.

"She's got crazy energy," Mr Hoskin said.

"She loves the outdoors, she loves the ocean."

Solicitor Mr Walsh, who is preparing to sue RTP, says Turia Pitt is one of the bravest people he has met.

With huge medical bills, the only support Turia and Kate Sanderson received from RTP was a card, some emails and chocolates.

"The degree of negligence is simply overwhelming," Mr Walsh said.

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'Too fat to fly' passenger sues airline

  * A PASSENGER who was told she was "too fat to fly" has announced is suing the airline that told her she would have to buy a second seat.

Kenlie Tiggeman, from the US, said Southwest Airlines’ controversial "Customers of Size" policy is discriminatory towards the obese and claims the airline ignored her “constitutional rights”.

She’s not after a payout but wants an industry-wide standard to be put in place.

“'We need to know if we need one seat or two, because this eyeballing happening at the gate is incredibly discriminatory, and it's so unnecessary,” she said.

Ms Tiggeman and her mum Joan Charpentier were waiting during a stopover at Dallas Airport last year when she claims they were singled out by a Southwest Airlines employee because of their weight.

"I asked him what the weight restrictions were and he said that he didn't know, just that we were too heavy to fly,” Ms Tiggeman told MSNBC. “Too fat to fly."

She said that she was humiliated by the incident, which developed into a 45-minute confrontation over the airline's weight restrictions in front of other passengers.

The women say during the public stoush with the Southwest employee he even told them they could board the plane but only if they sat next to a third overweight person in a row.

Ms Tiggeman claims she can fit comfortably into airline seats.

A supervisor eventually intervened and they were able to board their flight without any special conditions. They also received flight vouchers and an apology, which Ms Tiggeman has recorded on her blog.

Southwest has already taken flack over the policy with high-profile and sizeable film director Kevin Smith also told he was too fat to fly.

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'Too fat to fly' passenger sues airline

  * A PASSENGER who was told she was "too fat to fly" has announced is suing the airline that told her she would have to buy a second seat.

Kenlie Tiggeman, from the US, said Southwest Airlines’ controversial "Customers of Size" policy is discriminatory towards the obese and claims the airline ignored her “constitutional rights”.

She’s not after a payout but wants an industry-wide standard to be put in place.

“'We need to know if we need one seat or two, because this eyeballing happening at the gate is incredibly discriminatory, and it's so unnecessary,” she said.

Ms Tiggeman and her mum Joan Charpentier were waiting during a stopover at Dallas Airport last year when she claims they were singled out by a Southwest Airlines employee because of their weight.

"I asked him what the weight restrictions were and he said that he didn't know, just that we were too heavy to fly,” Ms Tiggeman told MSNBC. “Too fat to fly."

She said that she was humiliated by the incident, which developed into a 45-minute confrontation over the airline's weight restrictions in front of other passengers.

The women say during the public stoush with the Southwest employee he even told them they could board the plane but only if they sat next to a third overweight person in a row.

Ms Tiggeman claims she can fit comfortably into airline seats.

A supervisor eventually intervened and they were able to board their flight without any special conditions. They also received flight vouchers and an apology, which Ms Tiggeman has recorded on her blog.

Southwest has already taken flack over the policy with high-profile and sizeable film director Kevin Smith also told he was too fat to fly.

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Fergie's secret film could land her in jail

Sarah Ferguson tried in absentia in Turkey
* Charges relate to secret film of orphanages
* Maximum sentence is 22 years in prison

A TURKISH court has begun a trial against Britain's Duchess of York for allegedly taking part in the secret filming of orphanages in the country, the state-run news agency says.

The Anadolu Agency says Sarah Ferguson, who is being tried in absentia, faces charges of going "against the law in acquiring footage and violating privacy" of five children. If convicted, she could receive a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison.

Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, allegedly made an undercover trip to Turkey in 2008 during which two state-run orphanages outside Ankara were secretly filmed for the British ITV program Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission.

Anadolu quoted Ferguson's lawyer Cansu Sahin as saying the duchess is seeking an out-of-court settlement.

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Fergie's secret film could land her in jail

Sarah Ferguson tried in absentia in Turkey
* Charges relate to secret film of orphanages
* Maximum sentence is 22 years in prison

A TURKISH court has begun a trial against Britain's Duchess of York for allegedly taking part in the secret filming of orphanages in the country, the state-run news agency says.

The Anadolu Agency says Sarah Ferguson, who is being tried in absentia, faces charges of going "against the law in acquiring footage and violating privacy" of five children. If convicted, she could receive a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison.

Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, allegedly made an undercover trip to Turkey in 2008 during which two state-run orphanages outside Ankara were secretly filmed for the British ITV program Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission.

Anadolu quoted Ferguson's lawyer Cansu Sahin as saying the duchess is seeking an out-of-court settlement.

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Teen drowned in Bali 'wanted just one last swim'

THE grief-stricken family of drowned Central Coast teenager Jack McCabe tearfully told how his quest to dive "as deep as he could go" cost him his life in Bali.

On a family holiday, they left their hotel for a day trip snorkelling in a remote bay off the island of Nusa Penida.

"We were having such a beautiful time," said Jack's mother. "We had all been snorkelling around for an hour together. He knew his stuff, had done marine studies and was always in the water with his friends at home.

"He knew the safety procedures and we discussed them when we were all out together. Jack kept showing us how deep he could go. He just wanted one last swim.

"We were all watching him and then took our eyes off him for a couple of minutes and the next we knew some local divers who were in the bay brought him up.

"He just went too deep, there was no sign he had hit his head or anything," she explained, dismissing reports that he was knocked out after hitting his head against a boat.

"They couldn't get him on the boat so I jumped in," explained Jack's father John McCabe. "His mum started CPR and I was doing compression but there was no one to help us, no one spoke English and our 12-year-old, daughter who had seen it all happen, was screaming."

After about 30 minutes of trying to revive their son with CPR with no assistance from the local boat operators, they took him to the beach and continued to try everything to bring him back.

"I kept telling my husband, he's gone,'' said Mrs McCabe. "We couldn't communicate with anyone, there was no one to help us. When we took him to the local clinic it was filthy and there were no facilities,'' she said.

Now, the family are planning to return home with their beloved son's body.

"We are not leaving without him, we don't know when his body will be released and we are not leaving without him, we just want to go home,'' said Mrs McCabe from her hotel in Legian Bali.

Trapped on the island for four hours before transport could be arranged to take them back to Bali, they finally arrived at Bali's Sanglah hospital seven hours after the accident.

Jack was a popular boy and keen on his sports.

"He really knew what he was doing. He was always watching those shows on television and would come down at night with his laptop and show me things he had found on the internet about diving and underwater studies. He knew and we knew what to do and how to snorkel safely, how to equalize, we think he just dove down too deep and couldn't get his air.''

"The family's nightmare continues as they battle with their UK based insurance company who told them it was Friday afternoon in the UK when they called and they would not be able to provide immediate assistance.

"The Australian consulate is trying to help but we still don't know when we will be able to take him home and we are not leaving," explained his grieving father.

The couple spoke of the pain their twelve-year-old daughter suffered watching the whole thing unfold, losing her brother in a remote island bay. Their older daughter waits at home, distraught.

"We just want to be together and we can't get him home.''

The medical examiner at Sanglah made a statement that the boy's injuries were consistent with drowning.

The family says he never surfaced and waved, he had no injuries apart from the scratch on his nose. They spent seven long hours with him before finally reaching the hospital in Bali far too late to change the outcome and save their beloved son.

Local divers claim he may have been a victim of shallow water blackout, a syndrome that often affects experienced divers when they free dive and take in too much air before going down.

"Technically it is like hyperventilating, when the body has too much carbon dioxide and the brain doesn't register. It can cause a black out and results in drowning,'' said Dewi Kartika, a local dive expert yesterday.

The family agree this is probably what happened. They have not requested an autopsy, they simply want to go home with their boy and grieve together with their family.

"We can't leave the room, we can't stop crying, our daughter is not okay, she saw it all.''

Jack McCabe lies waiting in the local morgue while consular officials attempt to sort out the red tape so that the family can finally return from the Bali holiday that started so well and ended in tragedy.

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Teen drowned in Bali 'wanted just one last swim'

THE grief-stricken family of drowned Central Coast teenager Jack McCabe tearfully told how his quest to dive "as deep as he could go" cost him his life in Bali.

On a family holiday, they left their hotel for a day trip snorkelling in a remote bay off the island of Nusa Penida.

"We were having such a beautiful time," said Jack's mother. "We had all been snorkelling around for an hour together. He knew his stuff, had done marine studies and was always in the water with his friends at home.

"He knew the safety procedures and we discussed them when we were all out together. Jack kept showing us how deep he could go. He just wanted one last swim.

"We were all watching him and then took our eyes off him for a couple of minutes and the next we knew some local divers who were in the bay brought him up.

"He just went too deep, there was no sign he had hit his head or anything," she explained, dismissing reports that he was knocked out after hitting his head against a boat.

"They couldn't get him on the boat so I jumped in," explained Jack's father John McCabe. "His mum started CPR and I was doing compression but there was no one to help us, no one spoke English and our 12-year-old, daughter who had seen it all happen, was screaming."

After about 30 minutes of trying to revive their son with CPR with no assistance from the local boat operators, they took him to the beach and continued to try everything to bring him back.

"I kept telling my husband, he's gone,'' said Mrs McCabe. "We couldn't communicate with anyone, there was no one to help us. When we took him to the local clinic it was filthy and there were no facilities,'' she said.

Now, the family are planning to return home with their beloved son's body.

"We are not leaving without him, we don't know when his body will be released and we are not leaving without him, we just want to go home,'' said Mrs McCabe from her hotel in Legian Bali.

Trapped on the island for four hours before transport could be arranged to take them back to Bali, they finally arrived at Bali's Sanglah hospital seven hours after the accident.

Jack was a popular boy and keen on his sports.

"He really knew what he was doing. He was always watching those shows on television and would come down at night with his laptop and show me things he had found on the internet about diving and underwater studies. He knew and we knew what to do and how to snorkel safely, how to equalize, we think he just dove down too deep and couldn't get his air.''

"The family's nightmare continues as they battle with their UK based insurance company who told them it was Friday afternoon in the UK when they called and they would not be able to provide immediate assistance.

"The Australian consulate is trying to help but we still don't know when we will be able to take him home and we are not leaving," explained his grieving father.

The couple spoke of the pain their twelve-year-old daughter suffered watching the whole thing unfold, losing her brother in a remote island bay. Their older daughter waits at home, distraught.

"We just want to be together and we can't get him home.''

The medical examiner at Sanglah made a statement that the boy's injuries were consistent with drowning.

The family says he never surfaced and waved, he had no injuries apart from the scratch on his nose. They spent seven long hours with him before finally reaching the hospital in Bali far too late to change the outcome and save their beloved son.

Local divers claim he may have been a victim of shallow water blackout, a syndrome that often affects experienced divers when they free dive and take in too much air before going down.

"Technically it is like hyperventilating, when the body has too much carbon dioxide and the brain doesn't register. It can cause a black out and results in drowning,'' said Dewi Kartika, a local dive expert yesterday.

The family agree this is probably what happened. They have not requested an autopsy, they simply want to go home with their boy and grieve together with their family.

"We can't leave the room, we can't stop crying, our daughter is not okay, she saw it all.''

Jack McCabe lies waiting in the local morgue while consular officials attempt to sort out the red tape so that the family can finally return from the Bali holiday that started so well and ended in tragedy.

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I'm so sexy I can still pull $100,000 on runway

CANADIAN supermodel Linda Evangelista has told a court she can still command about $100,000 to walk a runway, though her career has slowed since its 1980s and '90s heyday.

In an unusual peek into high fashion in Manhattan Family Court, Evangelista took the witness stand to begin telling her side of her child support standoff with French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault.

But their five-year-old boy didn't come up in Evangelista's brief testimony; she's expected to continue testifying on Monday.

Rather, answering questions from her lawyer, the high-flying model who once famously said she and her peers "don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day" sketched a portrait of herself as a woman whose first job - harvesting cherries on a farm in her Canadian hometown - paid $10 a day. She did that work at the age of 12 to earn money for a bicycle, she said.

She said she had pounded the pavement in two continents to get her start in modelling and felt pressured into getting her now-signature haircut, she said.

When she first got her famous cut in the late 1980s on advice from some fashion heavy-hitters, she said she cried and organisers cancelled 16 of about 20 fashion shows she was about to do. But soon, she added: "I had every Vogue cover around the world ... and then people came around and decided they like the short hair."

Asked about her career now, the 46-year-old model paused.

"I'm active," she said in a calm, careful voice.

"I would like to work."

Evangelista is on the latest cover of Italian Vogue, recently did a roughly $US90,000 ($88,000) advertising shoot, and still gets some runway requests, including a 2010 Paris show she had to turn down for a court date - ultimately cancelled - in the custody battle, said Evangelista, dressed for court in a tailored white skirt, stylishly boxy grey linen jacket with tan collar and cuffs, and tan spike-heeled pumps.

But her lawyer, William Beslow, has said Evangelista's roughly $1.8 million-a-year income took a dive last year after a contract with L'Oreal ended, and that's why she's asking a court to order Pinault to chip in for son Augustin's expenses. She says she spends $46,000 a month on bodyguards, 24-hour-a-day nannies and other care for the boy, known as Augie.

Pinault, who is CEO of luxury-brands powerhouse PPR and now the husband of actress Salma Hayek, says he has offered for years to pay Evangelista child support, but she responded with the lawsuit. His lawyer, David Aronson, has termed the possibility of a $46,000-a-month child-support bill "just ridiculous".

Pinault was grilled earlier on Friday about his own spending, including the roughly $62,000 in clothes, $100,000 on a watch and half-share in a $250,000 sports car he bought himself in 2010. Holidays cost him $200,000 that year, and upkeep on the garden at his Paris apartment about $45,000, he said.

His testimony pulled back a curtain on personal difficulties, as well as financial details. He said he had postponed formally recognising Augie as his son for some months in 2007 because he and Hayek were caught up in concern about her own pregnancy with their daughter, Valentina. For a time, they were told the baby would have Down syndrome, he said.

"The situation was very, very complicated. We almost lost the baby," he testified.

Pinault, now 49, and Evangelista dated over about four months in 2005 and 2006. He said they spent only about seven days together in all. Augie was born in October 2006.

Pinault also has two children by a previous marriage.

PPR owns Gucci, Yves St Laurent and other high-end brands. Forbes recently estimated his family's net worth at $13 billion.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/evangelista-sues-billionaire-for-child-support/story-e6frfmqi-1226347546703#ixzz1u05oEYty

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I'm so sexy I can still pull $100,000 on runway

CANADIAN supermodel Linda Evangelista has told a court she can still command about $100,000 to walk a runway, though her career has slowed since its 1980s and '90s heyday.

In an unusual peek into high fashion in Manhattan Family Court, Evangelista took the witness stand to begin telling her side of her child support standoff with French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault.

But their five-year-old boy didn't come up in Evangelista's brief testimony; she's expected to continue testifying on Monday.

Rather, answering questions from her lawyer, the high-flying model who once famously said she and her peers "don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day" sketched a portrait of herself as a woman whose first job - harvesting cherries on a farm in her Canadian hometown - paid $10 a day. She did that work at the age of 12 to earn money for a bicycle, she said.

She said she had pounded the pavement in two continents to get her start in modelling and felt pressured into getting her now-signature haircut, she said.

When she first got her famous cut in the late 1980s on advice from some fashion heavy-hitters, she said she cried and organisers cancelled 16 of about 20 fashion shows she was about to do. But soon, she added: "I had every Vogue cover around the world ... and then people came around and decided they like the short hair."

Asked about her career now, the 46-year-old model paused.

"I'm active," she said in a calm, careful voice.

"I would like to work."

Evangelista is on the latest cover of Italian Vogue, recently did a roughly $US90,000 ($88,000) advertising shoot, and still gets some runway requests, including a 2010 Paris show she had to turn down for a court date - ultimately cancelled - in the custody battle, said Evangelista, dressed for court in a tailored white skirt, stylishly boxy grey linen jacket with tan collar and cuffs, and tan spike-heeled pumps.

But her lawyer, William Beslow, has said Evangelista's roughly $1.8 million-a-year income took a dive last year after a contract with L'Oreal ended, and that's why she's asking a court to order Pinault to chip in for son Augustin's expenses. She says she spends $46,000 a month on bodyguards, 24-hour-a-day nannies and other care for the boy, known as Augie.

Pinault, who is CEO of luxury-brands powerhouse PPR and now the husband of actress Salma Hayek, says he has offered for years to pay Evangelista child support, but she responded with the lawsuit. His lawyer, David Aronson, has termed the possibility of a $46,000-a-month child-support bill "just ridiculous".

Pinault was grilled earlier on Friday about his own spending, including the roughly $62,000 in clothes, $100,000 on a watch and half-share in a $250,000 sports car he bought himself in 2010. Holidays cost him $200,000 that year, and upkeep on the garden at his Paris apartment about $45,000, he said.

His testimony pulled back a curtain on personal difficulties, as well as financial details. He said he had postponed formally recognising Augie as his son for some months in 2007 because he and Hayek were caught up in concern about her own pregnancy with their daughter, Valentina. For a time, they were told the baby would have Down syndrome, he said.

"The situation was very, very complicated. We almost lost the baby," he testified.

Pinault, now 49, and Evangelista dated over about four months in 2005 and 2006. He said they spent only about seven days together in all. Augie was born in October 2006.

Pinault also has two children by a previous marriage.

PPR owns Gucci, Yves St Laurent and other high-end brands. Forbes recently estimated his family's net worth at $13 billion.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/evangelista-sues-billionaire-for-child-support/story-e6frfmqi-1226347546703#ixzz1u05oEYty

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Three Diggers wounded by bomb in Afghanistan save

THREE Australian soldiers have been wounded by a roadside bomb in southwest Afghanistan.

The special operations soldiers were wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED), which detonated midway through a mission on Thursday in northern Helmand, the Defence Department said.

Two of the soldiers suffered serious blast and fragmentation wounds in the incident.

Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Ash Power said the men were in a satisfactory medical condition.

The third soldier suffered minor wounds and is likely to return to full duties soon.

The two seriously wounded soldiers will return to Australia in the coming days, possibly through the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany.

Two coalition soldiers were also wounded in the attack.

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Three Diggers wounded by bomb in Afghanistan save

THREE Australian soldiers have been wounded by a roadside bomb in southwest Afghanistan.

The special operations soldiers were wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED), which detonated midway through a mission on Thursday in northern Helmand, the Defence Department said.

Two of the soldiers suffered serious blast and fragmentation wounds in the incident.

Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Ash Power said the men were in a satisfactory medical condition.

The third soldier suffered minor wounds and is likely to return to full duties soon.

The two seriously wounded soldiers will return to Australia in the coming days, possibly through the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany.

Two coalition soldiers were also wounded in the attack.

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Two youths charged over tourist rape attack

POLICE have now charged two more youths over the alleged rape of two tourists in Alice Springs.

The 17-year-old youths were caught  yesterday, one in Alice Springs and the other in Hermannsburg, about 120km west of Alice Springs, the Northern Territory News reports.

Police this morning laid charges against them over Wednesday's shocking attack of two women, aged 21 and 28, who were asleep in their car at Mount Johns in Alice Springs when the vehicle was broken into and three men allegedly forced them to have sex.

Detective Acting Superintendent Travis Wurst said one of the youths was charged with sexual intercourse without consent, acts of gross indecency, deprivation of liberty, assault and threaten with a firearm along with numerous other offences.

He said the other youth has only been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, but that police expect to lay further charges as the investigation continues.

A third 17-year-old youth was charged yesterday and has made his first appearance in Alice Springs Magistrates Court on sexual assault charges over the attack.

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Two youths charged over tourist rape attack

POLICE have now charged two more youths over the alleged rape of two tourists in Alice Springs.

The 17-year-old youths were caught  yesterday, one in Alice Springs and the other in Hermannsburg, about 120km west of Alice Springs, the Northern Territory News reports.

Police this morning laid charges against them over Wednesday's shocking attack of two women, aged 21 and 28, who were asleep in their car at Mount Johns in Alice Springs when the vehicle was broken into and three men allegedly forced them to have sex.

Detective Acting Superintendent Travis Wurst said one of the youths was charged with sexual intercourse without consent, acts of gross indecency, deprivation of liberty, assault and threaten with a firearm along with numerous other offences.

He said the other youth has only been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, but that police expect to lay further charges as the investigation continues.

A third 17-year-old youth was charged yesterday and has made his first appearance in Alice Springs Magistrates Court on sexual assault charges over the attack.

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BY CROOK: Abbott hooks recluse MP to outnumber Labor in parliament

    * Tony Crook will now sit and vote with Coalition
    * Gillard controls parliament with help of Greens
    * Crook strongly criticised the carbon and mining taxes

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott's parliamentary numbers have won a boost, with Nationals MP Tony Crook formally joining the Coalition.

The West Australian MP, who has been on the cross benches, will sit with his party's colleagues in parliament from Tuesday, The Nationals say.

The move by Mr Crook, who has voted with Labor more than 30 times in the lower house since the last election, puts the Coalition's numbers at 72 members to Labor's 71.

While Prime Minister Julia Gillard still controls the house through her deals with the independents and Greens, Tony Abbott now has bragging rights for which major party has more members, and more discipline over Mr Crook's vote.

Nationals Leader Warren Truss welcomed Mr Crook's move today following the WA Nationals' central council meeting in Perth.

"After extensive consultation with his constituency and his Nationals WA colleagues, Tony has made a decision that I am certain is in the best interests of his electorate of O'Connor and the nation," Mr Truss said.

Mr Truss said Mr Crook's decision to sit on the crossbenches after the 2010 federal election had "raised a few eyebrows", but that the party understood he was simply trying to get the best possible results for his electorate.

Read more: ht

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BY CROOK: Abbott hooks recluse MP to outnumber Labor in parliament

    * Tony Crook will now sit and vote with Coalition
    * Gillard controls parliament with help of Greens
    * Crook strongly criticised the carbon and mining taxes

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott's parliamentary numbers have won a boost, with Nationals MP Tony Crook formally joining the Coalition.

The West Australian MP, who has been on the cross benches, will sit with his party's colleagues in parliament from Tuesday, The Nationals say.

The move by Mr Crook, who has voted with Labor more than 30 times in the lower house since the last election, puts the Coalition's numbers at 72 members to Labor's 71.

While Prime Minister Julia Gillard still controls the house through her deals with the independents and Greens, Tony Abbott now has bragging rights for which major party has more members, and more discipline over Mr Crook's vote.

Nationals Leader Warren Truss welcomed Mr Crook's move today following the WA Nationals' central council meeting in Perth.

"After extensive consultation with his constituency and his Nationals WA colleagues, Tony has made a decision that I am certain is in the best interests of his electorate of O'Connor and the nation," Mr Truss said.

Mr Truss said Mr Crook's decision to sit on the crossbenches after the 2010 federal election had "raised a few eyebrows", but that the party understood he was simply trying to get the best possible results for his electorate.

Read more: ht

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NRL Late Mail - round nine

The first eight rounds of the season have proven that NRL tipping is a tough caper.

But never fear, we've called on the crew at Fox Sports Stats to provide you with a valuable statistical insight into round nine.

Read our predictions based on the key numbers and tell us whether you agree or disagree on the selections by posting a comment below.

The Adjudicator
The Adjudicator NRL

    * R9: 'Not much chop but he tries hard'

Canterbury-Bankstown v Parramatta, Friday, 7.35pm (EST), ANZ Stadium

TAB Sportsbet: Bulldogs $1.45, Eels $2.85

Despite their perilous position, this fixture offers a glimmer of hope for embattled Parramatta. The Eels have won eight of their past 11 clashes against the Bulldogs, and they will be encouraged by scoring 83 points in their past three games compared with the Bulldogs' 56. But that's where the good news ends. Pick any number of stats and it makes for some pretty ugly reading for the Eels. Lose this game and the Eels fall to their worst start to a season since 1960, when they went 0-9. If that isn't bad enough, they have also lost 15 of their past 16 away matches. And they have been held scoreless in at least one half of football in six of their eight matches this season. Enough of the Eels bashing, though. The Bulldogs, themselves, have hardly been in great form of late. They have won only one of their past five matches and have only scored a total of 32 points in their four loses this season. Looking for a first tryscorer? Look no further than Josh Morris, who has scored six tries in his past six ANZ Stadium appearances.

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Late Mail: Bulldogs 1-12

North Queensland Cowboys v St George Illawarra, Friday, 7.35pm (EST), Dairy Farmers Stadium

TAB Sportsbet: Cowboys $1.65, Dragons $2.30

St George Illawarra have certainly had the measure of North Queensland in recent years, but that has been away from Townsville. The travel-shy Cowboys have been no match for the Dragons in Sydney since 2009, conceding 87 points while scoring only 34. But it's a completely different story at Dairy Farmers, where the home side have won six of their past eight matches. The Dragons, in fact, haven't picked up two points in Townsville since 2005. But they do enter this clash in good heart after consecutive wins and with the knowledge the Cowboys have lost three of their four home games this season. Interestingly, the team that has led at half-time has won all of the Cowboys' matches this season. Brett Morris has dominated this fixture, scoring eight tries in his past four games, including four on his only appearance in Townsville.

Late Mail: Dragons 1-12

Warriors v Brisbane Broncos, Saturday, 5.30pm (EST), Mt Smart Stadium

NRL: Round Nine
NRL Weekly Preview

    * Greg Alexander's NRL round nine preview

TAB Sportsbet: Warriors $2.30, Broncos $1.65

Something has to break here. The irresistable home force against the road warriors. Home is certainly where the heart is for the Warriors, who have won 16 of their past 22 matches at Mt Smart Stadium, including their past two. They also boast seven wins from their past 10 matches against the Broncos. That success has been built on a solid foundation of defence, defence and more defence; in 13 of those wins, they have conceded 12 points or less. And they'll need to be on their game against a team that averages almost 24 points per game - second only behind Melbourne this season. The Broncos have won all four of their away matches this season and have not conceded more than 14 points in any of those games. Manu Vatuvei could become the leading all-time try-scorer at the venue - ahead of Stacey Jones - if he scores one try.

Late Mail: Broncos 1-12.

Gold Coast Titans v West Tigers, Saturday, 7.30pm (EST), Skilled Park

TAB Sportsbet: Titans $3.75, Tigers $1.28

Tim Sheens has every right to be concerned! Wests Tigers' recent record against Gold Coast Titans certainly doesn't inspire great confidence. They have not only lost two of their past three games against the Titans, but also four of their past five at Skilled Park. Add to that the fact the Tigers are making the equal-fewest linebreaks in the competition and are busting the fewest tackles, then two points, even against a team whose struggles are more pronounced, is no guarantee. There is no certainly no respite from the mediocrity for Titans fans, though. The home side have lost their past five matches at home - and 11 of their past 12. They have also scored the fewest points (106) and fewest tries (18) in the NRL this season, and they have been held scoreless in the first 40 minutes in three of their matches this season. Maybe the home fans can look to David Mead for some salvation. The flying winger has scored 11 tries in his past 11 matches at home.

NRL Line-ups
NRL Lineups new logo

    * Round nine: NRL line-ups for the weekend

Late Mail: Tigers 1-12.

Penrith v Melbourne Storm, Saturday, 7.30pm (EST), Centrebet Stadium

TAB Sportsbet:  Penrith $6, Storm $1.14

Penrith haven't beaten Melbourne since 2005, when they did the double. That's six years of struggle - and this year promises to be no different. Home or away, Melbourne are proving unstoppable. They have won their past three matches at Centrebet Stadium, and five of their past nine. Nine of their past 17 wins against the beleaguered Panthers have been by 20 points or more. To make matters worse for the home side, defeat on Saturday will create an unwanted record of eight consecutive losses at home. The Panthers have lost their past four matches and 12 of their past 15. Worryingy, they have been outscored 94-14 in their past three matches. They looked to have picked the wrong game to try and find some form. Billy Slater, unbelievably, hasn't scored a try in his past three matches after scoring nine in his first five of the campaign.

Late Mail: Storm 13+.

Manly v Canberra, Sunday, 2pm (EST), Brookvale Oval

TAB Sportsbet: Manly $1.18, Canberra $5

If Manly could hand-pick an opponent, Canberra would be a runaway winner. The Sea Eagles, who have won only two of their past six matches, take into the match a record of eight wins from their past 10 against the Raiders. The positives don't stop there for the home side, either. Seven of their past eight wins over the Raiders have been by 13 points or more, while they have also won 16 of their past 19 Sunday afternoon matches at Brookvale. Canberra enter the match desperate to arrest an alarming form slump. They have picked up two points in only two of their past nine matches, and four of their last 16 away games. In the first half of their last three defeats at Brookie, Canberra have leaked 38 points without scoring. Brett Stewart, who has scored six tries in his past four Brookvale appearances against the Raiders, has not played on a losing side at Brookvale since 2008.

Late Mail: Manly 13+.

Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights, Sunday, 3pm (EST), Allianz Stadium

TAB Sportsbet:  Roostes $1.57, Knights $2.45

If the alternating win/loss pattern of the past five seasons continues, then you want to be on the Roosters in this one. No team has got a run of consecutive wins since 2007 - and that's nine games. The Roosters may have been ordinary in recent weeks, but they do enjoy facing the Knights at Allianz Stadium. The Knights may be doing the business at home, but they have lost five of their past seven matches on their travels. Points have been hard to come by in this fixture in recent times. Last season, only 50 points were scored in two games - Roosters won 12-10 in round 11, and the Knights won at home 18-10. Anthony Minichiello, who signed a new deal with the club on Friday, has scored 13 tries in 18 games against the Knights.

Late Mail: Roosters 1-12.

South Sydney v Cronulla, Monday, 7pm (EST), ANZ Stadium

TAB Sportsbet:  Roosters $1.57, Knights $2.45

Cronulla may be riding high but they have traditonally struggled to tame South Sydney. The Rabbitohs' best winning percentage (64.3 per cent) over the past eight years has been against the Sharks. To make matters worse for the visitors, they haven't picked up two points at ANZ Stadium against Souths since 2008. But records are meant to be broken, and Cronulla will have no better opportunity to claw back some respect on Monday night. The third-placed Sharks will not only be chasing seven consecutive wins for the first time since 2002 but also four wins in a row on the road. Interestingly, the Sharks have lost their past four matches - and seven of their past eight - after scoring 40 points in their previous match. Greg Inglis has never lost a match against the Sharks - winning five out of five.

Read More

NRL Late Mail - round nine

The first eight rounds of the season have proven that NRL tipping is a tough caper.

But never fear, we've called on the crew at Fox Sports Stats to provide you with a valuable statistical insight into round nine.

Read our predictions based on the key numbers and tell us whether you agree or disagree on the selections by posting a comment below.

The Adjudicator
The Adjudicator NRL

    * R9: 'Not much chop but he tries hard'

Canterbury-Bankstown v Parramatta, Friday, 7.35pm (EST), ANZ Stadium

TAB Sportsbet: Bulldogs $1.45, Eels $2.85

Despite their perilous position, this fixture offers a glimmer of hope for embattled Parramatta. The Eels have won eight of their past 11 clashes against the Bulldogs, and they will be encouraged by scoring 83 points in their past three games compared with the Bulldogs' 56. But that's where the good news ends. Pick any number of stats and it makes for some pretty ugly reading for the Eels. Lose this game and the Eels fall to their worst start to a season since 1960, when they went 0-9. If that isn't bad enough, they have also lost 15 of their past 16 away matches. And they have been held scoreless in at least one half of football in six of their eight matches this season. Enough of the Eels bashing, though. The Bulldogs, themselves, have hardly been in great form of late. They have won only one of their past five matches and have only scored a total of 32 points in their four loses this season. Looking for a first tryscorer? Look no further than Josh Morris, who has scored six tries in his past six ANZ Stadium appearances.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

Late Mail: Bulldogs 1-12

North Queensland Cowboys v St George Illawarra, Friday, 7.35pm (EST), Dairy Farmers Stadium

TAB Sportsbet: Cowboys $1.65, Dragons $2.30

St George Illawarra have certainly had the measure of North Queensland in recent years, but that has been away from Townsville. The travel-shy Cowboys have been no match for the Dragons in Sydney since 2009, conceding 87 points while scoring only 34. But it's a completely different story at Dairy Farmers, where the home side have won six of their past eight matches. The Dragons, in fact, haven't picked up two points in Townsville since 2005. But they do enter this clash in good heart after consecutive wins and with the knowledge the Cowboys have lost three of their four home games this season. Interestingly, the team that has led at half-time has won all of the Cowboys' matches this season. Brett Morris has dominated this fixture, scoring eight tries in his past four games, including four on his only appearance in Townsville.

Late Mail: Dragons 1-12

Warriors v Brisbane Broncos, Saturday, 5.30pm (EST), Mt Smart Stadium

NRL: Round Nine
NRL Weekly Preview

    * Greg Alexander's NRL round nine preview

TAB Sportsbet: Warriors $2.30, Broncos $1.65

Something has to break here. The irresistable home force against the road warriors. Home is certainly where the heart is for the Warriors, who have won 16 of their past 22 matches at Mt Smart Stadium, including their past two. They also boast seven wins from their past 10 matches against the Broncos. That success has been built on a solid foundation of defence, defence and more defence; in 13 of those wins, they have conceded 12 points or less. And they'll need to be on their game against a team that averages almost 24 points per game - second only behind Melbourne this season. The Broncos have won all four of their away matches this season and have not conceded more than 14 points in any of those games. Manu Vatuvei could become the leading all-time try-scorer at the venue - ahead of Stacey Jones - if he scores one try.

Late Mail: Broncos 1-12.

Gold Coast Titans v West Tigers, Saturday, 7.30pm (EST), Skilled Park

TAB Sportsbet: Titans $3.75, Tigers $1.28

Tim Sheens has every right to be concerned! Wests Tigers' recent record against Gold Coast Titans certainly doesn't inspire great confidence. They have not only lost two of their past three games against the Titans, but also four of their past five at Skilled Park. Add to that the fact the Tigers are making the equal-fewest linebreaks in the competition and are busting the fewest tackles, then two points, even against a team whose struggles are more pronounced, is no guarantee. There is no certainly no respite from the mediocrity for Titans fans, though. The home side have lost their past five matches at home - and 11 of their past 12. They have also scored the fewest points (106) and fewest tries (18) in the NRL this season, and they have been held scoreless in the first 40 minutes in three of their matches this season. Maybe the home fans can look to David Mead for some salvation. The flying winger has scored 11 tries in his past 11 matches at home.

NRL Line-ups
NRL Lineups new logo

    * Round nine: NRL line-ups for the weekend

Late Mail: Tigers 1-12.

Penrith v Melbourne Storm, Saturday, 7.30pm (EST), Centrebet Stadium

TAB Sportsbet:  Penrith $6, Storm $1.14

Penrith haven't beaten Melbourne since 2005, when they did the double. That's six years of struggle - and this year promises to be no different. Home or away, Melbourne are proving unstoppable. They have won their past three matches at Centrebet Stadium, and five of their past nine. Nine of their past 17 wins against the beleaguered Panthers have been by 20 points or more. To make matters worse for the home side, defeat on Saturday will create an unwanted record of eight consecutive losses at home. The Panthers have lost their past four matches and 12 of their past 15. Worryingy, they have been outscored 94-14 in their past three matches. They looked to have picked the wrong game to try and find some form. Billy Slater, unbelievably, hasn't scored a try in his past three matches after scoring nine in his first five of the campaign.

Late Mail: Storm 13+.

Manly v Canberra, Sunday, 2pm (EST), Brookvale Oval

TAB Sportsbet: Manly $1.18, Canberra $5

If Manly could hand-pick an opponent, Canberra would be a runaway winner. The Sea Eagles, who have won only two of their past six matches, take into the match a record of eight wins from their past 10 against the Raiders. The positives don't stop there for the home side, either. Seven of their past eight wins over the Raiders have been by 13 points or more, while they have also won 16 of their past 19 Sunday afternoon matches at Brookvale. Canberra enter the match desperate to arrest an alarming form slump. They have picked up two points in only two of their past nine matches, and four of their last 16 away games. In the first half of their last three defeats at Brookie, Canberra have leaked 38 points without scoring. Brett Stewart, who has scored six tries in his past four Brookvale appearances against the Raiders, has not played on a losing side at Brookvale since 2008.

Late Mail: Manly 13+.

Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights, Sunday, 3pm (EST), Allianz Stadium

TAB Sportsbet:  Roostes $1.57, Knights $2.45

If the alternating win/loss pattern of the past five seasons continues, then you want to be on the Roosters in this one. No team has got a run of consecutive wins since 2007 - and that's nine games. The Roosters may have been ordinary in recent weeks, but they do enjoy facing the Knights at Allianz Stadium. The Knights may be doing the business at home, but they have lost five of their past seven matches on their travels. Points have been hard to come by in this fixture in recent times. Last season, only 50 points were scored in two games - Roosters won 12-10 in round 11, and the Knights won at home 18-10. Anthony Minichiello, who signed a new deal with the club on Friday, has scored 13 tries in 18 games against the Knights.

Late Mail: Roosters 1-12.

South Sydney v Cronulla, Monday, 7pm (EST), ANZ Stadium

TAB Sportsbet:  Roosters $1.57, Knights $2.45

Cronulla may be riding high but they have traditonally struggled to tame South Sydney. The Rabbitohs' best winning percentage (64.3 per cent) over the past eight years has been against the Sharks. To make matters worse for the visitors, they haven't picked up two points at ANZ Stadium against Souths since 2008. But records are meant to be broken, and Cronulla will have no better opportunity to claw back some respect on Monday night. The third-placed Sharks will not only be chasing seven consecutive wins for the first time since 2002 but also four wins in a row on the road. Interestingly, the Sharks have lost their past four matches - and seven of their past eight - after scoring 40 points in their previous match. Greg Inglis has never lost a match against the Sharks - winning five out of five.

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Bikie boss faces nervous wait to see if his bail will be revoked

HELLS Angels bikie Scott Orrock faces a nervous wait until Tuesday, when a court will decide if his bail is to be revoked.

Orrock is charged with torching a police car outside Newtown police station two weeks ago, but was granted bail in court last week- a decision met with stinging criticism of the judiciary by Premier Barry O'Farrell.

Police allege Orrock stormed into the police station and told them to remove a police car parked outside his King St tattoo parlour within 10 minutes "or I'll burn it down."

The car was discovered, destroyed by fire,  on the street a short time later.

The DPP took carriage of the Orrock matter and appealed the decision to grant him bail to the Supreme Court.

When the prosecution attempted to bring up the recent spate of drive-by shootings in south western Sydney, he was scolded by Justice Peter Garling for "grandstanding."

"This is not trial by speculation or suspicion," Justice Garling said.

Orrock's barrister Deone Provera tried to submit it was not a strong case, suggesting it may have been someone the 47-year-old knew who did it "without his knowledge or consent."

But Justice Garling noted that Orrock had handed himself in to police the day after the torching.

The Crown submitted that Orrock is "a volatile and aggressive individual", but the court heard he had no prior convictions relating to assaulting police or resisting arrest.

Justice Garling has reserved his decision on bail until Tuesday.

The former Nomads boss will remain on bail until then.

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Bikie boss faces nervous wait to see if his bail will be revoked

HELLS Angels bikie Scott Orrock faces a nervous wait until Tuesday, when a court will decide if his bail is to be revoked.

Orrock is charged with torching a police car outside Newtown police station two weeks ago, but was granted bail in court last week- a decision met with stinging criticism of the judiciary by Premier Barry O'Farrell.

Police allege Orrock stormed into the police station and told them to remove a police car parked outside his King St tattoo parlour within 10 minutes "or I'll burn it down."

The car was discovered, destroyed by fire,  on the street a short time later.

The DPP took carriage of the Orrock matter and appealed the decision to grant him bail to the Supreme Court.

When the prosecution attempted to bring up the recent spate of drive-by shootings in south western Sydney, he was scolded by Justice Peter Garling for "grandstanding."

"This is not trial by speculation or suspicion," Justice Garling said.

Orrock's barrister Deone Provera tried to submit it was not a strong case, suggesting it may have been someone the 47-year-old knew who did it "without his knowledge or consent."

But Justice Garling noted that Orrock had handed himself in to police the day after the torching.

The Crown submitted that Orrock is "a volatile and aggressive individual", but the court heard he had no prior convictions relating to assaulting police or resisting arrest.

Justice Garling has reserved his decision on bail until Tuesday.

The former Nomads boss will remain on bail until then.

Read More

Outed - the man who made chips inaccessible

T

HERE'S a couple of issues at play in the story you're about read.

One involves wtf chip companies were thinking when they make their bags so goddamn hard to get into.

The other centres around the type of people who struggle to open a chip packet.

An undisclosed number of years ago, John Spevacek was working for a company called Hercules in Delware, US, which specialised in chemicals and gunpowder.

A chemical engineer, one of Mr Specavek's first tasks at Hercules was making "multilayer polypropelene films" for food packaging.

"It was my first job right out of school," he wrote in a blog post confession yesterday.

"One of our larger clients used our films to make potato chip bags.

"The problem they had with our existing films was that the ... seal was too weak."

Too weak? Yes, there are those among us that remember such a day existed when opening a bag of chips - think Chickadees or Monster Munch - didn't involve using dangerous solvents or spreading a sterile groundsheet first.

Which was wonderful for small children and sun-shy public servants, but not so good for the "larger client" of Hercules who had to transport their chips from the Rocky Mountains to California.

"Some of the seals would open up due to the pressure difference between the high altitude air and the air sealed inside the bag," Mr Spevacek wrote.

"And so they needed a stronger seal from us, which was then passed down to me."

Suffice to say, he succeeded. Anyone who's struggled with a family-sized pack of Doritos knows the feeling when the top seal parts with such force that it splits the entire bag and they've got just three seconds to collect the lot. (Or 10, as the case may be.)

You can blame John Specavek, or "that guy" as he's become known since his last post.

Mr Specavek then details how chips bags are made - which is more interesting than you might think - and why they chose the simple "more glue" option over others, such as reducing the air pressure inside the bag.

(Side note: Whenever someone complains that their bag of chips is more air than chips, you can now tell them that it's to stop the chips from breaking, silly.)

"The best option was to develop an adhesive that sealed at a lower temperature," Mt Specavek wrote.

"Something that was successfully accomplished, or so I'm led to believe from all the complaints that colleagues pile on me now that they know I'm that guy."

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Outed - the man who made chips inaccessible

T

HERE'S a couple of issues at play in the story you're about read.

One involves wtf chip companies were thinking when they make their bags so goddamn hard to get into.

The other centres around the type of people who struggle to open a chip packet.

An undisclosed number of years ago, John Spevacek was working for a company called Hercules in Delware, US, which specialised in chemicals and gunpowder.

A chemical engineer, one of Mr Specavek's first tasks at Hercules was making "multilayer polypropelene films" for food packaging.

"It was my first job right out of school," he wrote in a blog post confession yesterday.

"One of our larger clients used our films to make potato chip bags.

"The problem they had with our existing films was that the ... seal was too weak."

Too weak? Yes, there are those among us that remember such a day existed when opening a bag of chips - think Chickadees or Monster Munch - didn't involve using dangerous solvents or spreading a sterile groundsheet first.

Which was wonderful for small children and sun-shy public servants, but not so good for the "larger client" of Hercules who had to transport their chips from the Rocky Mountains to California.

"Some of the seals would open up due to the pressure difference between the high altitude air and the air sealed inside the bag," Mr Spevacek wrote.

"And so they needed a stronger seal from us, which was then passed down to me."

Suffice to say, he succeeded. Anyone who's struggled with a family-sized pack of Doritos knows the feeling when the top seal parts with such force that it splits the entire bag and they've got just three seconds to collect the lot. (Or 10, as the case may be.)

You can blame John Specavek, or "that guy" as he's become known since his last post.

Mr Specavek then details how chips bags are made - which is more interesting than you might think - and why they chose the simple "more glue" option over others, such as reducing the air pressure inside the bag.

(Side note: Whenever someone complains that their bag of chips is more air than chips, you can now tell them that it's to stop the chips from breaking, silly.)

"The best option was to develop an adhesive that sealed at a lower temperature," Mt Specavek wrote.

"Something that was successfully accomplished, or so I'm led to believe from all the complaints that colleagues pile on me now that they know I'm that guy."

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More News Chris Paine Chris Paine on life with two black dogs

I have two black dogs. Jethro's an actual dog. Oscar is "the black dog". Jethro is awesome. Oscar's an a---hole.
LET me tell you about my two black dogs: Jethro and Oscar. Jethro's an actual dog. Oscar is "the black dog". I'll start with Jethro.

He's a cocker spaniel. He's six. His jet-black hair smells funky, he rocks a dome-shaped head, and every so often he eats poo. Like actual poo. More importantly, he's amazing. A happy, sweet, cuddle-bomb. He really is a man's best friend, my dad's, but I'd like to think I'm a close second. And he helps me beat the blues - but more on that later.

Oscar is the other black dog. He's like an imaginary best friend, except that to me he's neither imaginary or a friend. I've known him for 12 years and, put simply, he's an arsehole. He follows me around. Everywhere. He makes me cry. He makes me doubt everything about everything. And he's turned me against the one person I need most: myself.

Let's put it this way - he's no Jethro. If you pitted the two of them in a death match in the Cage of Awesome, J-ro would deliver victory with a fly-kick to Oscar's pants. I don't care that Oscar’s been de-sexed, or that he doesn't wear pants or that he’s only a metaphorical dog - that's how it's going to go down.

Life with Jethro is simple, fun and carefree. Jethro is just Jethro. But Oscar isn't like that. Oscar isn't Oscar, Oscar is OCD. Not the glamorous As-Good As-It-Gets kind where you skip over cracks in a flight of whimsy and flirt with Helen Hunt. No, Oscar is the shit, boring, in-your-head-27-hours-out-of-24 kind of OCD. I’m not saying one is better or worse than the other - but Howard Hughes wasn’t crazy and eccentric. He just had a disease no-one, least of all himself, understood: OCD.

I didn’t ask Oscar to come when I moved to Sydney last year, he just invited himself. Like I said: arsehole. Jethro’s still in Brisbane but he’s taught me many things. The most important? To get outside of my head and see life, in the moment, for what it is. And I have to say, it's not half bad.

When I look at his oddly-formed face and his impossible smile, I'm taken away from Oscar and into that moment where I can just chase my own tail. Because it's my tail and I'll chase it if I damn well please. And at times like that, I'm reminded of the simple things we can all do to make our lives a little bit better.

Everyone's different, but here are five things that help me deliver a Jethro-esque fly-kick to Oscar's pants between sunrise and sunset. And beyond, if there's a Scrubs marathon on Foxtel.

1. Don't go it alone. It can be hard but you need to tell someone you're suffering. The best day of my life was the day I bawled my way towards a diagnosis, drove home, and gave Jethro the longest hug of all time. Tell your Mum, tell your best friend, tell your GP. And please, if you're in crisis and feeling overwhelmed, speak to Lifeline.

2. Know your enemy. If the first step is getting help then the second is helping yourself. The only way I'm going to keep Oscar in the doghouse is by learning from the best. It's a continual process, so skill up. Google is your friend. So is your Kindle. Whatever it takes, get reading. Ask questions. Get involved.

3. Smile - inside and out. This isn't about putting on a mask. Sometimes you're just going to have a bad day. That's fine. Laughter might be the best medicine, it might not. But if I can catch up with friends for a cheap Saturday lunch or sit down to Q&A Family Guy after work, I'm going to be in good spirits. As for smiling inside? Meditate. It's not just for Buddhists and hipsters. It clears your mind, improves concentration and boosts energy. It's legit. Google 'Inner Smile Meditation' and it should explain why the tall ranga on the Bondi Junction service is sitting bolt upright with his eyes closed, wearing a smug grin.

4. Log off. I live my life online and it not only keeps me connected - it pays my bills. But if you're too wired in you will burn out. Try this: I have a "no devices" rule during meal times and episodes of Breaking Bad, much to the chagrin of my multi-tasking girlfriend. If you can't switch off you'll miss out on what's happening around you. Take 30 minutes a day to get outside - of your house and your head. That Nyan Cat's not going anywhere.

5. Sweat it out. If I have to peel myself off the gym floor and carry my pasty, pre-pubescent excuse for a torso home and collapse in a sweaty, broken heap, I call that a good start to the day. Exercise is a profound anti-depressant. It gives you energy, purpose, and even a little swagger. Maybe too much, to the point where you're busted checking yourself out in the elevator after lunch. Awkward.

Time for that stroll. I think I can trust Oscar to behave himself.

Please follow news.com.au's onehour|onelife campaign during May and give generously to Lifeline's new Online Crisis Support Chat Service - live on May 8.

If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide contact Lifeline 13 11 14, beyondblue 1300 22 46 36, or Salvo Care Line 1300 36 36 22.

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