Other countries have bogans too

Actor Rebel Wilson, right, promoting the movie Bogan Pride. Source: Getty Images

The Aussie bogan is captured in all its glory in Paul Fenech's latest series 'Bogan Hunters'. Courtesy 7Mate.

IT'S that time of year when we all embrace our inner bogan, slipping on singlets and thongs and grabbing a beer beside the barbie.

Whether you're out and proud or just have your moments, bogan culture is at the centre of being Australian.

But what's the equivalent elsewhere in the world? Here's your guide to the bogans of the globe.

ENGLAND — THE CHAV

Matt Lucas created the archetypal chav with Vicky Pollard in Little Britain. Source: Supplied

The chav typically teams an adidas or Kappa tracksuit with Reeboks, a pushed-up baseball cap and blinging gold jewellery.

Hair is styled with lashing of gel, with girls scraping their locks back into a super-tight ponytail known as a "Croydon facelift".

Variations of the chav around the UK include knackers, pikeys, skangers and spides in Ireland, neds in Scotland and scallies in the north west of England.

In 2006, Prince William wore chav fancy dress to a party at Sandhurst.

Related epithets include "chavette", "chavdom" and of course, "chavtastic".

FRANCE — LA RACAILLE

French movie La Haine explored youth culture. Source: News Corp Australia

You may have thought our Gallic friends were the epitome of refinement.

But France's sprawling suburban banlieues are filled with racailles (or "rascals") — young people who typically dress in white polyester shellsuits, tight jeans or Lacoste baseball caps.

Variants are "Beaufs" or "Jackys", who embrace all things cheesy, and might be seen doing the chicken dance at parties.

CHINA — AH BENG

Ah Beng (also lala zai) is applied to young Chinese men in Southeast Asia who own boy-racer zhng-ed cars and dye their hair bright colours.

They often speak mashup slang known as "Manglish" or "Singlish".

The female equivalent Ah Lian (or lala-lui) sports hair extensions with thick fringes, last season's Japanese fashions and heavy makeup.

ISRAEL — ARS

Arsit — and most other bogan equivalents — are linked with bling. Source: Supplied

Ars is a Hebrew slang term associated with men who wear low-slung jeans and flashy jewellery.

They typically listen to hip-hop or or Mizrahi (Arabic) music. In the US, many are now promoters of a late-1990s variety of Tel Aviv Techno.

The female version is Arsit or Freha, a fashion girl known for super-tight jeans, vertiginously high heels, make up and keen use of her mobile phone.

POLAND — DRES

In Poland, bogans are even named after the tracksuit. Source: Supplied

Dres literally means tracksuit, with the label coming into fashion in the 1990s.

Dresiarze love to display their wealth by wearing gold medallions, leather trousers, obvious labels and very short, cropped hairstyles.

The female equivalent, blachary, typically have bleached blonde or pitch black dyed hair, fake tan, pierced belly buttons, white boots and fake nails.

MEXICO — NACO

Naco (female: naca) historically referred to indigenous people, but morphed to include the "nouveau-riche" and has been appropriated by Mexican hipsters to challenge the country's class divide.

Nacos are usually soccer fans while nacas are addicted to telenovelas (soaps).

They often have Anglo-Saxon names like Kevin.

NETHERLANDS — TOKKIE

The Tokkie family name is now synonymous with bad behaviour. Source: YouTube

Tokkie is the surname of a Dutch reality TV family who gained notoriety in 2004, when they starred in Family Pride.

The Tokkies became the Netherlands' most famous "anti-social" family after they were evicted from their Amsterdam home following a conflict with their neighbours.

Now the name Tokkie has been embraced by Norwegian rappers as a celebration of all things provocative, foul-mouthed and anti-authoritarian.

INDIA — TAPORI

Tapori means "vagabond" or "rowdy" in Hindi. It is often used to describe street gangs in Mumbai with a flamboyant style of dressing.

Taporis are known for whistling at women and spitting great distances.

They now appear in many Bollywood films, and are often celebrated as comical figures.

INDONESIA — ALAY

Indonesia's Alay are known for their tattoos and piercings. Source: Supplied

Alay is a form of popular teen culture requiring in-your-face clothes, music, tattoos and piercings.

Alayen use a hyper-modern form of textspeak almost incomprehensible to other Indonesians, which often encapsulates the writer's philosophy as well as the immediate conversation.

Selfies have become a logical extension of this distinctive tech-culture.

NORWAY — HARRY

Norway's "Harrys" are heavily influenced by English culture. Source: Supplied

Harry, from the English boy's name, is thought to have come into use when Norway voted "No" to EU membership in 1994.

In a bid to stop Norwegians buying cheap products in Sweden, agriculture minister Lars Sponheim branded cross-border shoppers "Harry".

But Swedish shopkeepers started awarding cash to Norwegians called Harry — with a prize for the most "Harry" among them.

Harrys often wear pointed leather shoes with 1920s-style leather "gangster caps" and listen to techno.

BRAZIL — CAIPIRAS

Caipiras are Brazil's rural-dwelling hillbillies. Source: Supplied

Caipira usually refers to rural Brazilians, who stereotypically wear clothes in plaid patterns with straw hats.

Men commonly have moustaches and women have braids, with both sexes known for their distinctive country dialect and dropping their vowels.

Popular Brazilian drink Caipirinha literally means"'little hillbilly girl".

JUST A FEW MORE...

Every nation has its bogans. Which one is most like you? Source: Supplied

Portugal — Serranos, Azeiteiros

Sweden — Raggare

Finland — Juntti

Slovenia — Cefurji

New Zealand — Westie

Russia — Gopnik

Central Canada — Gino

Japan — Yankī

Spain — Cani

Chile — Flaite

Puerto Rico — Títere, Pelagato, Cafre

Lara Robinson as Edwina Bright in Upper Middle Bogan. Source: ABC

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How Facebook decides what to take down

Have you ever had something pop up on your Facebook news feed that you wish you hadn't seen? Source: News Corp Australia

WITH 1.35 billion people checking into Facebook every month, there's bound to be some things that pop up on your news feed that you'd rather not see.

The social media site has the difficult job of being a place where people can feel free to share their views, likes and dislikes, but also respect the myriad of cultures and values held by its global audience. What one person may find hilarious, others may find deeply offensive.

An Australian mother opened a can of worms surrounding Facebook censorship after complaining that photographs of her giving birth had been removed from the site.

Milli Hill, who is shown naked in the pictures, campaigns for positive depictions of childbirth and said Facebook had censored her "powerful female images".

RELATED: The secret army of content moderators watching the web

This prompted news.com.au to ask its Facebook followers whether they thought the site responded to offensive material effectively.

We received nearly 700 Facebook comments and emails that revealed users had mixed experiences.

Some were satisfied with the site's prompt removal of offensive material, while others were left confused when content that they thought was abhorrent was found not to breach Facebook standards.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW.

We asked our readers whether they were satisfied with how Facebook responded to complaints about offensive content. Source: News Limited

Our readers provided examples of content that they had reported, that was investigated and deemed acceptable. They included:

● A pornographic cartoon

● An animal cruelty video

● A video that showing a sex act

● An image of a man holding the decapitated head of someone else

● Graphic photos of a dead baby

● A photograph of a man pointing a gun at the head of a baby

● A comment that Tony Abbott should be assassinated

● A video of a teenager being beaten senseless.

While she was unable to comment on these specific cases, Facebook's Australian spokeswoman said the site worked hard to create a safe and respectful place for sharing and connection.

"This requires us to make difficult decisions and balance concerns about free expression and community respect," she told news.com.au.

"We prohibit content deemed to be directly harmful, but allow content that is offensive or controversial. We define harmful content as anything organising real world violence, theft, or property destruction, or that directly inflicts emotional distress on a specific private individual, eg bullying.

"Sometimes people encounter content on Facebook that they disagree with or find objectionable but that do not violate our community standards."

Facebook has specialised staffers who work to review content that has been reported by users. Source: Getty Images

Many readers objected to videos or images of animal cruelty, but Facebook considers the context in which the video was posted before taking it down. This type of content is often posted to condemn it or galvanise people into action in order to stop it. If so, that material is allowed.

Similarly, the self-regulating nature of the Facebook community can be more effective than Facebook staffers because people can pressure their friends to remove content through their comments.

"Facebook receives hundreds of thousands of reports every week and, as you might expect, occasionally we make a mistake and remove a piece of content we shouldn't have or mistakenly fail to remove a piece of content that does violate our community standards," the spokeswoman said.

"When this happens, we work quickly to address this by apologising to the people affected and making any necessary changes to our processes to ensure the same type of mistakes do not continue to be made."

Facebook admits that it allows offensive and controversial material to remain on the site, provided that it is not directly harmful. Source: News Limited

While some news.com.au readers were disappointed with Facebook's responses to complaints, many others said they were satisfied.

Reader Michelle said she had reported content several times and each time the offensive page or material was promptly removed, including get-rich-quick spam, sexual content and racist jokes.

Another reader, Cathy, helped to have a number of comments taken down that threatened violence towards Tony Abbott.

Meanwhile, Karen said her experience had also been positive.

"Not that I am a serial complainer either but I have reported material of graphic violence nature, primarily cruelty to animals, and on one occasion something was removed as a result of that feedback," she told news.com.au.

How do I report something offensive?

Every update posted to Facebook carries with it a small arrow in the top right corner that allows users to hide the post or report it.

If a complaint is made, it is then placed in a queue for assessment.

Users can click on the arrow on the top right corner of a post to reveal a drop-down box that allows them to report offensive material to Facebook. Source: Facebook

What does Facebook consider unacceptable?

● Nudity: Photos of breastfeeding or Michelangelo's David are likely to pass the test, however. Milli Hill's childbirth photographs were most likely taken down because of the nudity depicted

● Violence and threats

● Self-harm: "We remove any promotion or encouragement of self-mutilation, eating disorders or hard drug abuse," Facebook says

● Bullying and harassment: Repeatedly targeting users with unwanted friend requests or messages is considered harassment

● Hate speech: "While we encourage you to challenge ideas, institutions, events, and practices, we do not permit individuals or groups to attack others based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or medical condition," Facebook says

● Graphic content: Some graphic content is considered acceptable if it is shared for the purposes of condemning it, but it should carry a warning. "However, graphic images shared for sadistic effect or to celebrate or glorify violence have no place on our site," Facebook says

● Privacy violations: Claiming to be another person and creating multiple accounts is a no-no

● Copyright infringement

● Selling items illegally

● Phishing and spam

● Fraud or deception.

Views can differ about what content is offensive. Source: News Corp Australia

Who assesses complaints? Are there programs that do it automatically?

All complaints are reviewed by Facebook staffers, and not by any automatic programs.

Complaints are assessed against Facebook's community standards, which govern what material is acceptable on the site.

There are dedicated teams based in the US, Ireland and India, so complaints can be processed around the clock.

More serious material is prioritised, but most reports are reviewed within 72 hours.

Reporting a post does not guarantee it will be removed.

"Because of the diversity of our community, it's possible that something could be disagreeable or disturbing to you without meeting the criteria for being removed or blocked," the Facebook community stands page reads.

You can find out more about how complaints are assessed here.

What can I do if something I find offensive is not taken down?

Facebook also offers personal controls so every user can hide or quietly block people, pages or applications they find offensive.

Facebook has tools for controlling what you see in your news feed, and tools for controlling your Facebook experience generally.

What has your experience been with reporting offensive content to Facebook? Were your satisfied with the response? Comment below or join the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ.

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How many kids did he murder?

Deputy State Coroner Iain West and Detective Senior Sgt Wayne Newman interview Derek Percy over the 1968 murder of Linda Stilwell

Linda Stilwell, seven, went missing from the St Kilda foreshore near Luna Park in August 1968. Source: Supplied

DEREK Percy was Australia's real life bogeyman.

The former naval sailor has been linked to the murders and disappearances of at least nine children in three states, including the Beaumont children, whose fate remains one of this country's most enduring mysteries.

The Beaumont children vanished on Australia Day in 1966 Source: Supplied

Despite evidence placing him near the scene of each crime, Percy managed to escape conviction in all but one case, leaving relatives in never-ending limbo.

This morning, a coroner offered Jean Priest, the mother of Linda Stilwell, some comfort after finally ruling that Percy caused her daughter's death 46 years ago.

Victorian Deputy State Coroner Iain West had already declared, at a previous hearing, that Percy had been seen in St Kilda on August 10, 1968, the day seven-year-old Linda went missing from the foreshore near Luna Park.

Jean Priest, the mother of Linda Stilwell who went missing in 1968. Source: News Limited

Ms Priest had been fighting for years to force Percy, who died last year, to give evidence at inquest. After losing one of those legal battles, she was ordered to pay Percy's court costs.

Percy was convicted of the abduction, torture and murder of 12-year-old Yvonne Tuohy, who was snatched from a beach at Victoria's Westernport Bay in July 1969. He was arrested hours later, and was found to be criminally insane and jailed indefinitely.

Since then, investigators have tried every trick in the book to get Percy to admit his role in at least eight other high profile crimes involving children.

An attempt to extract a deathbed confession as Percy lay dying from lung cancer at St Vincents Hospital in Melbourne failed, with the old man maintaining a stony silence until he drew his last breath.

Derek Percy, as he appeared in a police mugshot after his arrest for the murder of Yvonne Tuohy, 12, in 1969. Source: Supplied

When Percy was arrested over the Tuohy case, he was also investigated in connection with Linda's disappearance. Police found maps, one with a line drawn past the spot on the St Kilda foreshore where Linda was last seen. A witness told police she saw the little girl near a man wearing a dark spray jacket. When Percy was arrested for murder of Yvonne Tuohy, he was photographed wearing the same style of jacket.

Mr West would subsequently rule that Percy would not be a reliable witness and could not be compelled to testify. That decision was effectively overturned last December when the Victorian Court of Appeal said Percy should have been offered immunity to give evidence.

Christine Sharrock and best friend Marianne Schmidt, both 15, were killed at Wanda Beach in 1965. Source: News Corp Australia

It is widely-believed that Percy was behind the still-unsolved Wanda Beach murders near Cronulla in Sydney's Sutherland Shire in 1965.

Best friends and neighbours Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt, both 15, disappeared on January 11 during a trip to Cronulla Beach with Marianne's younger siblings.

The teenagers became separated from the younger children some time that afternoon. Their bashed and mutilated bodies were found partially buried in the sand dunes of nearby Wanda Beach the following day.

In 2007, Victoria Police questioned Percy in jail after discovering 35 boxes of documents in a storage unit. It was later established their contents included Percy's possessions at the time of his arrest as well as material smuggled out of jail from the 1970s onwards.

One contained a handwritten note saying "Wanda". They also found a street directory containing handwritten marks around St Kilda Pier, the area Linda Stilwell was abducted from.

Another crucial piece of circumstantial evidence were several packets of razor blades similar to those police believe were used to mutilate Christine and Marianne and later, Yvonne Tuohy.

At the time of the murders, Percy had been staying with his grandmother in Ryde, where the girls also lived.

Percy as he looked in the months before his death in Melbourne last year. Source: Supplied

Percy has also been linked to the mysterious disappearance of the Beaumont children, who vanished from the Adelaide suburb of Somerton Park on Australia Day 1966.

Jane, nine, Arnna, seven, and Grant, four, left their home at around 10am to catch the bus to nearby Glenelg Beach.

They were expected to catch the midday bus back home but never returned.

The case remains unsolved.

The Beaumont children have never been found. Source: Supplied

Percy was stationed in Sydney with the navy in 1968 when three-year-old Simon Brook was kidnapped and murdered.

The little boy had been seen playing in the front yard of his Glebe home and spotted wandering off with a "thin-faced" man.

Percy was in Sydney when Simon Brook was kidnapped from his Glebe home and murdered. Source: Supplied

In 2005 a coronial inquest recommended Percy be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions over Simon's murder but the then-DPP, Nicholas Cowdery decided there was insufficient evidence to press ahead.

An inquest has found convicted killer Derek Percy responsible for seven-year-old Linda Stilwell's death.

Percy has also been linked to the murder of six-year-old Allen Redston, who was found dead next to a creek bed in the Canberra suburb of Curtin on September 28, 1966.

His mother had sent him to the shops to buy ice cream for his brother and himself.

Detectives interviewed several men in Queensland over the crime but nobody has ever been convicted of his murder.

Allen Redston, six, was found murdered in Canberra in 1966. Source: Supplied

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Ultra-thin TopShop mannequin sparks outrage

TopShop mannequins have come under fire for being unnaturally thin. Source: News Corp Australia

A PHOTO of a size eight TopShop customer beside a super-skinny mannequin has caused outrage after it was posted on Twitter.

Shopper Georgia Bibby's legs look far larger than those of the tall, spindly shop dummy.

The image was retweeted thousands of times, and social media users vented their frustration at seeing unnatural-looking mannequins in high street stores.

Becky Leigh Hopper tweeted the photo of her friend in TopShop in Hull, England, along with the hashtags #poorbodyimage and #irresponsible.

The 23-year-old pair quickly received an overwhelming response, with Twitter users commenting that it was "shocking" and "wrong".

Many observed that the size zero model looked unhealthy and could promote eating disorders.

But the tweet also prompted a backlash from others, who said the photo was "body-shaming" people who are naturally slender.

Becky wrote in a blog post: "The mannequins were thinner than any human being I have seen in my life.

"We believe that all girls are beautiful and all should be comfortable in their own skin, whether they be a size 4 or a 24.

"The mannequins in Topshop are all this size and misrepresent a normal body image for their demographic."

Georgia has now received tweets attacking her over her weight.

It is not the first time fashion chains have been called out for the minuscule size of their mannequins.

A scientific study more than 20 years ago showed that if mannequins were real, they would not have periods. In 2007, Spain asked its country's fashion retailers to fatten up their window dummies to size 10 or above as one of many measures to combat anorexia.

And experts continue to raise concerns over the super-thin models on which mannequins are based.

TopShop has come under fire in the past over the issue, as have other high street stores.

Earlier this month, fashion retailer Glassons was forced to remove dummies with visibly protruding ribs after an outcry from customers.

TopShop have yet to respond to the latest tweet.

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Is Jess Mauboy’s video that bad?

Fans divided ... is Jessica Mauboy's new clip Hot Jess or a Hot Mess? Source: Supplied

JESSICA Mauboy's new video has divided opinion — is it a Hot Jess or a Hot Mess?

Mauboy dropped the clip for her top five hit Can I Get a Moment? today.

In the ruthless world of instant online experts some have already hailed the video as sexy while others say it "looks like it cost $2."

The video's You Tube page is a barometer of mixed opinions.

Malinov24 says "I loved the song but I honestly expected more out of the video. All her outfits were not very flattering of her figure. This to me is her worst video."

The Brown Lamb noted "Why does Jess always have the best songs but worst music videos :/"

Cacticris added "Yeah there's something off about this video. The song is great though."

But Damian Nicholas of website Auspop hailed the video, stating: "There's more to the clip than just her polished delivery out front of the band. There's some serious making love to the camera here, suggesting to us that Jess is growing increasingly comfortable in her sexuality and her standing as one of Australia's premier pop talents."

Mike Wass of American website Idolator compared the video to Beyonce's no-frills performance based clip for Love on Top, calling the video "cute but familiar."

"Can I Get A Moment? obviously draws inspiration from Beyonce's Love On Top visual, which was a cute reworking of New Edition's If It Isn't Love clip. It's hardly surprising given Jessica's love for all things Queen Bey and the format fits the song perfectly."

Adelaide journalist Matt Gilbertson noted "The song is as good as Beyonce ... the video is a little Michelle (Williams) :("

The video was filmed at Crown casino in Melbourne and was directed by Stu Gosling, whose CV includes Ronan Keating, Westlife, Girls Aloud and Las Ketchup.

Last year Mauboy's record label Sony axed X Factor winner Dami Im's clip for Alive after fans said it looked cheap and awkward. Her mentor Dannii Minogue directed a replacement version.

Australian video budgets have dropped in the past decade, around the same time as Channel 10 axed Video Hits, the last outlet for pop videos to get played in full on commercial TV.

The only remaining video-based programs are Rage, which plays Top 40 videos in the wee hours, and The Loop, which airs at 9am Saturdays on Ten's digital network Eleven, and effectively replaced Video Hits.

Ten now repeat their morning show Studio 10 and episodes of Dr Phil on a Saturday morning.

Aside from You Tube, the only other exposure for music videos in Australia is on cable TV.

The song has continued Mauboy's impressive run in the chart — making her the most successful Australian Idol export behind Guy Sebastian.

Debuting in the ARIA chart at No. 5 this week, Can I Get a Moment? became Mauboy's eighth Top 10 single, her fifth top five single and her third top 10 debut.

The song, written by American A-list producer Babyface, will appear on a reissue of Mauboy's album Beautiful, which is nominated for Album of the Year at this year's ARIA Awards.

What do you think of the Can I Get a Moment? video? Leave your comment below.

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Katie Price’s big surprise on Channel 7 today

Katie Price during her first segment on The Morning Show. Source: Channel 7

KATIE Price might seem like an unusual choice to join The Morning Show, but after her first segment she's proved there's more to her than just her massive 34F boobs.

Price, glamour model and mother-of-five, was today announced as a new weekly contributor to the Seven show in a new partnership that will see her give her two pence worth on beauty, fashion and motherhood.

But while some might think she's just an attention seeker only known for flaunting her flesh, this morning Price showed she's smarter than you think - and she knows exactly what she's doing.

Katie Price dresses up to launch ColourB4 hair colour remover. Source: Splash News Australia

Price flaunts her assets to launch her new novel "Make My Wish Come True". Source: Getty Images

Known for her outrageous and often ridiculous fashion choices, the former wife of Peter Andre says that looking "silly" and propping her assets up to almost rest under her chin is a deliberate ploy to make headlines.

"I don't always look in the mirror and think 'oh my God I look amazing,'" she told The Morning Show, "you have to work with the media and I know if I show a bit of flesh and a bit of cheekiness then they'll promote whatever it is I'm endorsing. It works both ways.

"Any product I have out, I always like to do a mad press call where I dress up. I just love doing that, and there's not anybody else in the UK that does that, so when the photographers come along, they're always like 'oh my God, what is she going to wear for this one?'

Katie Price dresses as a pink unicorn. Source: Getty Images

Price dresses in a pair of giant lips at a photocall to launch new fragrance, Kissable. Source: Supplied

"I've been in the industry 20 years and that's what works for me ... everyone knows whatever product I have out I'm always going to give them a good press call and dress up."

Price says she never shows her "assets" during the daytime and it's only when she looks at pictures of herself that she realises the enormous size of her bust.

"They're massive aren't they, oh my God, you're not looking at my face are you?"

With a portfolio of products that includes everything from perfumes to shoes to books to hair colour remover, Price has amassed an impressive business empire worth millions.

Katie Price sits astride Dante the stallion, to launch her eighth novel, 'In the Name of Love'. Source: AP

And on top of her flesh flaunting, Price says she's very dedicated to keeping her name around for a long time to come.

"I don't just bring out a product and that's it, I think long term so each season I bring something different out. For the last two years I've been pregnant so that's held me back a bit but now I'm on full force and next year there's so many things coming out. Some people could just bring a product out and that's it but like I say you've got to think of long term and anything I start, I start small and build from that, it seems to work."

But she's careful not to call herself a role model and says she has no plans to step away from the spotlight anytime soon.

Katie Price as Bo Peep to launch new book, 'He's The One'. Source: Getty Images

Katie Price launches her new book 'Angel Uncovered'. Source: Supplied

"Am I a role model? I try not to be a role model because there are some things I do that people don't like but hopefully I can inspire people in different ways. I've got a disabled child and I do go through dramas and I do come out of it strong all the time.

"I'll only retire when the public stop buying my products, because everyone has a shelf life and 20 years on I'm still up there so I'm obviously doing something right."

As part of her business plan, Price announced today that she will be getting her boobs done again for the seventh time as a "Christmas present to myself".

And of course, you can buy her calendar after.

Price will appear as a weekly UK contributor on the program dubbed The Katie Price Is Right.

Morning Show co-host Larry Emdur said he was already impressed by his new co-star.

"There is no doubt Katie Price is a newsmaker and a human headline, so it's a real bonus to have her on our team," he told news.com.au.

"She's got solid opinions on all the topics that we'd cover on The Morning Show. She's actually very funny and surprisingly self-deprecating. If you look past her globally popular bikini pics you'll find a focused, prudent businesswoman who is always working to expand her business empire. She's a smart cookie. Personally, I find her a fascinating character, and my favourite bit? We now have a segment with the title The Price is Right and that's got to be good."

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What is a fair cost for university?

Labor has stepped up its campaign against university fee deregulation, launching an ad that calls on the Abbott government to scrap its controversial higher education reforms.

Could Tony Abbott be brought down over university fees? Source: News Corp Australia

WILL university fees be the issue that haunts the Abbott Government?

A Labor TV campaign will kick off tonight and will highlight the Opposition's determination to destroy government plans to deregulate university funding as a major priority.

The "debt sentence" campaign will claim degrees could cost young people much as $100,000.

It will be aimed at young people of university age and parents and its start will coincide with high school exams and the period when graduates are starting to look at uni courses. The ad will be run "strongly" in Sydney, Brisbane, Tasmania and regional areas, said a Labor source.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has told Labor MPs he wants to destroy the plan either now or in an election campaign.

Mr Shorten will be the focus of the campaign because of the inspiration of his late mother Ann who was prominent academic and encouraged her children to study.

A committee inquiry report into the government's bill for deregulation and other changes to the university sector is expected to be published today, and the Senate will debate the issue this week.

Although Labor, along with the Greens and Palmer United Party say they are opposed to the bill, the Group of Eight, an informal network of Australia's most established universities, is urging the Senate to pass the legislation with some amendments.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten is fighting changes to university fees. Source: News Corp Australia

The Abbott Government's plans, released as part of the Budget earlier this year, include allowing universities to set their own fees starting in 2016, to allow an increase in interest charges of up to six per cent on debts and for a 20 per cent reduction in the Federal Government's contribution to student's fees.

The income threshold at which students start paying back their debt would also be lowered to $50,638 from July 1, 2016. The cut-off for 2014-15, was set at $53,345.

Mr Shorten told a caucus meeting in Canberra today that Labor's campaign against the changes was being run in the tradition of the late prime minister Gough Whitlam, who brought in free university tuition.

The new Labor Party campaign will include posters and online and television advertising to force the government to drop its uni changes.

University campaign: Inspired by Gough Whitlam. Source: Supplied

"The Liberals' plan to deregulate university fees means we will wind up with a two-tiered Americanised system," Mr Shorten said.

The United States has one of the most expensive tertiary systems in the world. Federal funding is reserved solely for military institutions and while state universities provide some assistance for local students, the privatisation of higher education has led to a system of expensive and inaccessible Ivy League schools at the top and community colleges at the bottom.

Community colleges cater almost exclusively to the lower socio economic students with yearly fees averaging around $3,000 while private universities charge an average of $30,000 a year for a four-year degree.

Mr Shorten has vowed to ensure the Abbott Government's proposed changes to Australia's university education sector was a major issue at the next federal election, due in 2016.

"We will fight the Liberals' debt sentence and we will prevail," Mr Shorten said.

In an online letter to voters, Mr Shorten says: "No matter where you grew up or what school you went to, no Australian should have to pay $100,000 for a degree. It's just not fair".

PLENTY OF OPPOSITION

Labor, the Greens and Palmer United Party's Clive Palmer have all said they are opposed to the package.

"A free education's very important," Mr Palmer said told ABC this morning.

"You don't want to graduate with $100,000 or $200,000 debt, or you'll become an accountant or something very mundane."

"You want these sorts of people (students) to take risks, so you get the Googles, the Apples, the Yahoos," he said. "They're not going to take risks if they've got $200,000 in debt already. And we become a society with no ideas at all."

Palmer: "A free education's very important". Source: News Corp Australia

"We (the PUP) believe that Christopher Pyne's benefited from a free education policy, otherwise he wouldn't be where he is now. Bill Shorten's had a free education policy, and I think Tony Abbott had it too, although that may have been a Jesuit-funded one."

"We're a low debt country, why shouldn't we invest in our own people, in our own children?"

WILL DEGREES COST $100,000?

The Abbott Government has defended its plans, with Education Minister Christopher Pyne saying deregulation will boost university freedom, productivity and dynamism.

He said in June that competition between universities would actually force student fees down.

"If universities think they can get away with charging exorbitant fees I think you'll find that they'll face very intense competition," he told ABC.

His remarks came after University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis said fees might have to rise by as much as 61 per cent in some courses due to funding cuts and deregulation.

The National Tertiary Education Union has suggested fees could exceed $100,000.

However, others including Australian Technology Network executive director Vicki Thomson, have disputed claims that university degrees will cost up to $100,000, saying they would find "few, if any, students willing to pay for them".

A cardboard cut out of MP Christopher Pyne is set on fire and then stomped on by protesters marching against fee changes. Source: News Corp Australia

According to research done by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling for The Conversation and based on fees charged at the University of Canberra, pay-off times and total repayments would be significantly higher for science, nursing and teaching degrees, particularly for women.

Even without deregulation, if the university simply recouped the amount lost from the government's reduction in funding, a female science graduate would take 5.5 years longer to pay off the cost of her degree. She would be paying it off for a total 13.9 years. Her total repayments would increase by an estimated $51,500, to $95,700.

If universities increase their fees by an extra 20 per cent, the same graduate would have the debt for 16.4 years. Her repayments would nearly triple from $44,200 to $123,000. The initial debt would double from $39,700 to $79,700.

However, university degrees would probably still be worth doing, with a separate report finding that the average person receives a boost of about $1.5 million to their lifetime earnings from getting a degree.

Currently a five-year law degree at the University of Sydney costs $37,715.

Tara Wankiganayaka, president of Sydney University student board, is nearing the end of a six-year law and media degree and a recent check showed her HECS debt was around $45,000. "It's definitely a lot of debt," she said.

Tara Wankiganayaka is completing a law and media degree. Source: Supplied

She said she thought that Sydney University, like many others was suffering from a black hole in research funding and a lot of the increased revenue would probably go to filling that hole.

But she thought that deregulation would adversely impact on lower socio economic students and minorities.

"The problem is that we don't really know what the increases will look like," she said. "The failure of this government is its inability to realise that education is not a privilege, it is vital to our economy and Australia's future ... I don't think you can view it in purely in a market context."

However, despite the perception that lower fees benefit poorer students, former PM Whitlam's private secretary Peter Wilenski once wrote that the abolition of university fees "had no impact on the socio-economic distribution of the origins of university students, and was in effect a direct handout to the better off".

DEBATE RAGES OVER REAL IMPACT

The Group of Eight supports deregulation of fees but wants three amendments to the government's proposals.

The group includes Melbourne University, Sydney University, Monash, UNSW, ANU, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide, and the University of Western Australia. They believe the interest rate on HECS-HELP loans should be kept at CPI rather than a capped bond rate or, should this not be sustainable for the taxpayer, that a proposed hybrid system be implemented.

The group also wants proposed cuts to the Commonwealth Grant Scheme reduced to a level less than 20 per cent, as well as a transitional support package for universities in areas with thin markets.

In a column published in August, Australian Technology Network executive director Vicki Thomson, is expected to take over next month as executive director of the Group of Eight, said a far more realistic estimate of how high fees might rise for a standard degree in a deregulated market was $12,000 to $14,000 a year.

"Deregulating fees will provide students with increased choice and universities with flexibility. Will fees go up? Some may, but others would also decrease as we have the freedom to determine the size of our institutions and the degrees that we offer.

Economist Bruce Chapman, who was the architect of HECS, now called the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), said the impact would vary among institutions, with some putting up prices more than others.

But he said he would be surprised if fees didn't at least double at 'prestigious' universities like the University of Sydney, Australian National University and Monash.

The Greens have also done modelling on the impact of the changes that shows poorer students would be hardest hit.

A graduate with a $34,000 debt and a starting salary of $75,000 would take 20 years to pay off their debt, paying $20,000 in interest.

Other modelling has revealed that women would be further impacted because they generally take a year off to have children and work part-time for at least two years after that.

How much do you think a university degree should cost? Comment below, or join the conversation on Twitter: @newscomauhq

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Apple wants to fix the iPhone 6’s biggest flaw

The iPhone 6 uses NFC technology as part of its electronic wallet feature.

Apple Pay is a potential game changer in how we pay for things. Source: AFP

WHEN Apple announced the iPhone 6, it was mostly praised, except for one thing. The long awaited Near Field Communication (NFC) chip inside the device would be limited to mobile payments.

NFC allows information or data to be sent when two chips come in contact or close proximity with each other. So they possibilities of this technology are huge.

Android phones like Samsung's Galaxy S5 or LG G3 already have this chip, and they use it for cool things such as turning your air con on as you enter the house.

The Information is reporting that Apple is currently searching around for new partnerships to fully take advantage of the NFC chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The company is reportedly talking with partners to use the technology for anything from ID passes to train tickets. The report says that Apple is already in talks with HID Global and Cubic, one of the world's largest makers of secure building keycard and transit fare systems.

Apple already has a partnership with Starwood Hotels in the USA. In the future, Apple Watch wearers will be able to replace their keycard with their device. The use on the iPhone is the natural evolution of that.

Soon it will be more than just mobile payments you can use your iPhone's NFC chip for. Source: AP

Best uses for NFC

NFC use is growing around the world, and is making millions of people's lives easier every day. In South Korea, public transport commuters use their phones as their tickets, tapping on and off. Many airlines such as Air France allow passengers to check in and board with an NFC enabled phone.

When set up properly on an Android device, NFC can be also be extremely useful around your home.

You can even buy 'NFC tags' which are just stickers with a tiny NFC chip that you can program with information or an action for your phone to complete when you tap it. You can do things like share your Wi-Fi password with it, automatically enter driving mode when you dock your phone in the car or automatically activate Wi-Fi tethering.

Aside from tags and payment systems, NFC can be used to share photos and contact details with just a tap. Wireless speakers and headphones can also use NFC, meaning you can just tap the device and not have to worry about the hassle of pairing the bluetooth up.

It's great technology that is still yet to fully enter the mainstream, but if any company can do that, it's Apple.

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Gallen banned, fined $50K for vile tweet

Paul Gallen has refused to talk about his offensive twitter comments and reports that he is suffering from depression.

Paul Gallen at a media conference on Monday to promote his upcoming bout against former NRL player Anthony Watts on the Daniel Geale undercard. Pic Brett Costello Source: News Corp Australia

ON the day it was revealed he has been suffering depression Cronulla captain Paul Gallen has been fined $50,000 and banned from Test selection in 2015 following an abusive tweet aimed at NRL heirarchy.

In an indication of how seriously the NRL authorities viewed Gallen's remarks, he has been handed the harshest individual penalty allowable under the NRL code of conduct.

As revealed by News Corp, the ARLC have hammered Gallen with not only a massive fine but by banning the 31-Test veteran from Kangaroos selection in 2015 after he returns from his drugs suspension.

Gallen attacked the NRL within hours of news breaking that chief executive Steve Noyce was made redundant.

How do you rate the penalty handed down to Paul Gallen?

Holidaying in Hawaii, Gallen tweeted: "Steve Noice (sic) actually cared about players from cronulla's feelings. Couldn't say that about any other c... from Nrl."

PAUL GALLEN'S HIDDEN BATTLE WITH DEPRESSION

TWEET SET TO END GALLEN'S TEST CAREER

In a statement released today the NRL confirmed they had handed down a severe punishment for Gallen, but added he could be reconsidered for Test football if he successfully completed a "leaders' accountability" course.

His eligibility to return to Test reckoning would then be determined by an ARLC panel.

NRL CEO Dave Smith said the tweet on social media was offensive and a clear breach of the Code of Conduct.

KENT: GALLEN SHOULD BE SACKED AS NSW CAPTAIN

It was aggravated by the fact that Gallen, as captain of the NSW Blues, holds an important leadership position in the game.

Smith said he would also be discussing the issue of Gallen's captaincy credentials for State of Origin with the NSWRL in a clear sign the game had finally tired of his belligerent antics.

"Origin is one of our flagship properties and we do not want it to be undermined in any way," Smith said.

A breach notice has been issued to Gallen, giving him seven days to state why the fine should not be imposed.

Should Gallen be stripped of the Origin captaincy?

He will be free to put forward any mitigating factors as part of his response.

Late on Monday afternoon, the New South Wales Rugby League chairman George Peponis said the NSW Blues would not abandon its skipper.

"We do not condone Paul Gallen's comments but at this stage consider it to be a matter for the NRL and his club Cronulla," said Dr Peponis.

"He has already apologised and now the NRL has laid down a clear process for Paul to follow.

"Paul has been a loyal servant for his State and we will continue to support him throughout the NRL's code of conduct process."

Paul Gallen celebrates the Blues Origin victory. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

The NRL determined the fine in collaboration with Gallen's club the Cronulla Sharks and the club chairman Damian Keogh said they supported the strong sanctions imposed on Gallen.

"The last two years have been a difficult period for the Sharks and our focus is on performing strongly on and off the field in 2015," he said.

"So it is disappointing to have the club involved in this sort of issue as we prepare for next season."

Paul Gallen with the World Cup following Australia's victory last year. Source: Getty Images

Gallen, who has apologised for his outburst, said he'd tried unsuccessfully to offer a personal explanation to Smith.

"I tried to ring Dave Smith and the club within minutes of getting off the plane," he said.

"I haven't got hold of him yet. I don't know what's going on."

Cronulla's Paul Gallen has copped a $50,000 fine from the NRL. Pic Brett Costello Source: News Corp Australia

Gallen responded briefly to reports he is suffering from depression at a boxing promotion on Monday in Sydney.

Gallen said he supports people with depression and encourages them to talk about it, but doesn't want to go public about his reported battle with that problem.

"It's an issue that's hard for me to talk about at the moment," Gallen said.

"It's something that I support, the people that come out and talk about it and encourage them to talk about it."

The Sharks captain evaded rugby league questions on Monday and preferred to focus on his second professional boxing bout against his former Sharks teammate Anthony Watts at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on December 3.

Originally published as Gallen banned, fined $50K for vile tweet

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Michelle found at home of ‘older man’

NSW Police confirm Michelle Levy has been found safe in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs after going missing.

Missing since Saturday: 11-year-old Michelle Levy was last seen leaving the family home on Glenayr Avenue, North Bondi about 6.30pm. Source: Supplied

• Police have finished questioning Michelle
• Michelle spent two nights in man's Randwick unit
• Man is believed to be in his 50s
• 'We're very relieved,' mother Anne said

MISSING schoolgirl Michelle Levy spent two nights at the unit of man she met not long after she left her family's North Bondi home on Saturday.

Adam Levy said his daughter had stayed with the man, who she did not know, after he befriended her in Bondi Junction.

Mr Levy said the man contacted a woman this morning who in turn called his wife Anne directly. The distressed parents then phoned police and rushed to the Randwick unit where she had been staying.

The picture of Michelle celebrating her birthday that NSW Police issued. Source: Supplied

The Levys returned to their home before 12pm without their daughter who was talking to police counsellors.

"She's doing fine. She didn't have to sleep rough. It's someone who came across her the first night and she's been with them the whole time," he said.

"I presume that he spoke to her and she didn't want to (come home). We haven't had a chance to speak to her in detail.

"I am not sure who the person is that came across her. The person contacted someone else and that person contacted us directly. We then informed the police."

Mr Levy said police told him shortly before 3pm they had finished questioning Michelle and had released her into the care of family member or friend.

He said he told police not to bring her to their North Bondi home because he did not want her questioned by the waiting media.

The man Michelle befriended is believed to be aged in his 50s and it is understood he did not immediately contact police at the insistence of Michelle.

A Bondi Anglicare worker contacted the Levy family about Michelle's location just before 10.30am this morning after being contacted by the man she was with.

Anne Levy said her daughter was spotted by a member of the public in Randwick this morning, who called her and put her daughter on the phone following a massive two-day search.

Anxious for news.... Adam and Ann Levy earlier today. Source: News Corp Australia

"We are very relieved," Mrs Levy told The Daily Telegraph.

"She is in good condition. She's happy and healthy. We've had a family hug."

Police say Michelle was found at a unit on Mulwarree Ave in Randwick just after 10.30am.

She was reunited with her family, before being taken to a nearby police station, where she is being interviewed by detectives.

"Detecitves are speaking with Michelle and her parents to see if we can ascertain her movements over the last couple of days," Detective Superintendent Jason Box said.

"I would like to thank all the police, SES, the Jewish community and the community in general who have been of great assistance and been very pro-active in attempting to locate Michelle.

"It's an extremely positive result, I'm glad she's safe and well."

Search area... Reported sightings of Michelle Source: DailyTelegraph

Michelle was found just hours after CCTV footage of her was widely circulated on social media.

"She's been found! Going to fetch her now. Thank you everyone one and all!" Michelle's mother Anne posted on Facebook after 10.30am.

FACEBOOK PAGE TO HELP FIND MISSING MICHELLE

Michelle left the family home on Glenayr Ave about 6.30pm on Saturday after an argument with a family member and had not been seen since.

Mr Levy said police showed him photos of the man spotted with Michelle at Randwick Plaza yesterday afternoon but he did not recognise him.

Michelle in CCTV footage 30 minutes after she went missing. Source: Supplied

"She didn't say much. They went shopping yesterday, where she was captured. When we got there the person she was with had left to be interviewed by the police. A third party was there but she was in the care of the police already," he said.

"She hooked up someone on Saturday night, not in a "hook-up" sense. Somebody came across her and took her under their wing and she's been staying with that person since Saturday night."

Mr Levy said he hoped to be reunited with his daughter later today.

"She well may have wanted to (come home) but the police wanted to make sure she is safe and not at risk so that she can come home of her own accord," he said.

"We haven't had chance to speak to the person in between (who phoned the Levys with Michelle's whereabouts) in any detail. When we get Michelle back and have time to decompress we can get all the details ourselves.

"She's a bit of daddy's girl. She's bit of a chip off the old block (she's head strong)."

Adam Levy, father of missing girl Michelle, with a note appealing for help to find her. Picture: Bradley Hunter Source: News Corp Australia

Mr Levy and his wife contacted relatives, friends and searched nearby parks but called police within two hours when they could not locate her.

A sign was posted on the Levy home's front door today, saying "Michelle, please come in. We love you. Ring door bell no matter what time."

Mr Levy was told by police after 8am there had been a confirmed sighting of his daughter at Coles in Randwick at 3pm on Sunday.

Anne Levy said she had been worried sick.

"It's been so worrying. She's been out there alone, sleeping somewhere, she must be cold and frightened and hungry.

"I've been blown away by the level of community support. To everybody that's been helping to search thank you very much."

SES crews joined hundrerds of locals as they search the eastern suburbs for Michelle.

Bondi Inspector Simon Glasser thanked the public for their help. Source: News Corp Australia

Originally published as Michelle found at home of 'older man'

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Is Myer still Jen’s store?

Jennifer Hawkins is the face of Myer but doesn't feature in their new campaign. Source: News Corp Australia

UNDER siege department store giant Myer has dropped its decade old "my store" tag line and will instead be encouraging shoppers to "find wonderful" from tonight.

As it fights of the ravages of huge profit drops as shoppers of all ages flee to online bargains, Myer has revealed its biggest brand reshuffle in ten years.

But the face of Myer, Jennifer Hawkins, is noticeably absent from the store networks big relaunch.

HAWKINS EXPANDS HER HORIZONS

MY DAY ON A PLATE: JEN'S FOOD DIARY

Myer told the Herald Sun there is nothing sinister in the move, saying Hawkins would remain as the face of the department store.

Myer said it came up with the "find wonderful" line — which it acknowledged was a "major shift" — after "extensive research" into the Myer customer base and "its desires and aspirations".

"We now better understand who our shoppers are and what they are looking for when

shopping at Myer," chief Bernie Brookes said.

Instead the new campaign features little known Adelaide actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey.

Adelaide actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey fronts the new Myer campaign. Source: Supplied

Mr Brookes came under fire last week after taking home $2.57 million for the year, despite a 20 per cent profit drop.

"In the fast changing retail landscape we wanted to know how and where we fit into the expectations and desires of today's retail consumers," he said.

The brand relaunch begins with a major television campaign commencing tonight and will also appear in cinemas, online and in-store.

Acknowledging the changing tastes of consumers Myer said the campaign was about appealing to the new "contemporary customer segment" while "emotionally engaging with all our existing customers".

The new branding is by the Clemenger advertising company — known for campaigns including Carlton Drought — after Myer earlier this year parted ways with Ogilvy & Mather.

Originally published as Is Myer still Jen's store?

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Aussie trapped in Mexican hell

Melbourne woman Kylie Bretag is trapped in a filthy Mexican immigration detention centre. Source: Supplied

IT'S a simple travel mistake any of us could have made, but it's landed one Australian woman in a filthy Mexican detention centre with no idea when she will be released.

Kylie Bretag, a 30-year-old waitress from Melbourne, was arrested on October 20 at a checkpoint in the town of Tenosique after Mexican officials boarded her bus to check passengers' passports, according to her friend Natalie Wayt.

Ms Wayt, 27, was due to meet Ms Bretag in Cancun but was forced to return to Houston after finding out her friend had been detained. It's understood Australian consular officials are working with Mexican authorities to resolve the issue.

The nightmare began when Ms Bretag followed advice posted on TripAdvisor which said it was cheaper to cross the border into Mexico from California and take a domestic flight from Tijuana to Guadalajara, rather than fly directly in, Ms Wayt told news.com.au from the US.

Kylie Bretag was travelling in Mexico to celebrate her 30th birthday. Source: Supplied

However, Ms Wayt said border officials failed to stamp her friend's passport when she crossed over from California, despite being asked to do so. Without a stamp in her passport, the Federales who later boarded her bus claimed she was in the country illegally.

Ms Bretag, who recently completed a degree in public relations, was taken to an immigration detention facility where she now sleeps in a crammed cell, head-to-toe with other women and children and no access to proper bathroom or shower facilities.

Her friend Natalie Wayt has started a social media campaign. Source: Facebook

Ms Wayt, 27, says her friend hasn't showered or even seen sunlight in six days. "She's very scared. She doesn't speak any Spanish at all, she doesn't know what's going on, they're not telling her anything," she told news.com.au.

"At first she was still in high spirits, joking that it was a good chance to catch up on her reading and things like that, but she just doesn't want to be there anymore."

"She's very scared. They're not telling her anything." Source: Supplied

According to Ms Wayt, the guards at the prison have repeatedly told her she will be released "tomorrow" but it never happens. She says she's afraid her friend could be held for months.

"If her sentence is to be deported, why hasn't she been deported yet? The people at the jail tell the embassy it'll be Wednesday, Wednesday comes and goes. Then they say Friday, and that doesn't happen.

Natalie Wayt, left, with Kylie Bretag in San Francisco. Source: Supplied

"This time they say she'll be transferred to Mexico City on Monday — I said okay, what's the flight number, which bus? Personally I don't think it's happening."

News.com.au understands Australian consular officials are working with Mexican authorities, however the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to provide an official comment.

Ms Wayt, who has managed to stay in contact with Ms Bretag through Facebook Messenger, has started a social media campaign to draw attention to her friend's plight.

"She was just trying to follow travel advice and save a few bucks. She has done her time — now she just wants to go home."

In a subsequent interview with MailOnline, Ms Wayt claimed Ms Bretag's phone has now been removed from her possession.

Her mother, Colleen Bretag, told Fairfax Media the family were "very on edge".

"It was a dream trip and it's all gone horribly wrong," she told The Age.

frank.chung@news.com.au

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Aussie horses are no good

That's Adelaide there on the left. Picture:Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

THEY call it the race of legends. More years than not, the best horse in Australia wins it.

Horses like Kingston Town (who won three in a row), Might and Power, Sunline, Makybe Diva and So You Think all won the Cox Plate. They were all Australian or New Zealand champions.

But now the overseas trainers have started to send the right horses. And today, the Irish horse Adelaide became the first northern raider to win our third richest race and premier middle distance event, the Cox Plate.

Adelaide triumphs in Melbourne: It's not a bad line. Not since the Port Power won the AFL Grand Final in 2004 has anyone been able to say that Adelaide won one of Melbourne's biggest sporting events.

That's Adelaide towards the rear. Melburnians would like to keep it that way. Picture: Andy Brownbill Source: News Corp Australia

Wisecracks aside, what a win. Adelaide took off early and ran three wide around the field. It was even wider on the home turn. You don't win a Cox Plate like that. Well, unless you're a freakish stayer from the northern hemisphere who has never missed a place in your seven previous starts.

It was a similar story in last week's Caulfield Cup. Japanese horse Admire Rakti went ridiculously wide yet still had both the speed and stamina to hold off our best.

We've known for a while that the quality of Australian stayers (distance horses) is on the wane, with our racing industry geared towards the quick bucks of the shorter races. It's a problem fuelled by all those over-hyped two-year-old races like the Goldden Slipper, with their too-generous prizemoney for babies.

This has all been on the cards for a while. Back when Makybe Diva won three Melbourne Cups, we thought maybe Aussie stayers were back. Turns out that was more of a blip than an indication of a trend.

Anyway, for now we can only sit back and Admire the likes of Admire Rakti and Adelaide. And say god help the Aussies in the Melbourne Cup.

Originally published as Aussie horses are no good

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Woman’s mid-air baby tragedy

Tragedy ... An Australian woman lost her baby after a premature labour on board a Malaysia Airlines plane. Source: Supplied

THE baby of an Australian woman who went into labour aboard a Malaysia Airlines flight, forcing an emergency landing in Bali, did not survive, doctors say.

Flight MH135 from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane requested a priority landing in Denpasar on Friday about 2.10pm local time.

An Australian woman was rushed to Kasih Ibu Hospital.

Head of medical services Diah Ratna Dewi says when the patient arrived, the baby of around 24-weeks had already been delivered and was deceased.

"We estimate the baby was born 1-1.5 hours before we received her," she said.

"According to the patient, there had been no problems with her pregnancy." The woman was treated and picked up by her airline around 9pm, the doctor said.

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What’s Kerri-Anne’s big secret?

On fire: Kerri-Anne Kennerley with Nine's Karl Stefanovic and Seven's Michael Pell at the Sony Foundation fundraiser in Sydney Pic: Melissa Hoyer Source: Supplied

KERRI-Anne Kennerley has never looked better and it's all because she has finally been able to chill out.

"The most liberating thing is to be able to say 'I don't have cancer,'" the 61-year-old tells news.com.au.

"Coupled with that I just don't let the little things bother me, at all, anymore. When you get to the space of running your life at your pace, you just feel better about yourself.''

For almost 30 years it was five-days a week of live television for Kerri-Anne (or KAK to most of Australia) and any less energetic mortal may have conked out after 20.

"I loved every minute of that pace but now I do the things that I want to do as opposed to having to be everywhere and 'on' all of the time," she says.

And it shows.

Looking brilliant: KAK with able seamen Hamish Blake and Andy Lee at the Sony Foundation fundraising event at Woolloomooloo Pic: Mitch Cameron Source: DailyTelegraph

KAK looks sensational.

"I have a happy life, a husband (John) of 30 years who I adore, and a new 17-month old dog," she smiles.

"And don't forget my golf! I adore my golf and play as much as I can.''

Work is something KAK will never give up and she currently has a TV relationship with the Seven Network as well as Foxtel.

"I have some Sunday Night stories on the boil and am fronting a series on CI (Crime Investigation) channel on Foxtel called Love Gone Wrong,'' she says.

Champagne KAK: Celebrating a new collection of Paspaley pearls with cocktails and canapés: the unstoppable Kerri-Anne Kennerley. Pic: News Corp Source: News Corp Australia

"Some of these love crimes are just extraordinary. I am riveted by all of them."

If the reaction on social media is any indication, fans of KAK agree that she's looking bloody brilliant.

"How does KAK look better now than 10 or 20 year ago?" asked one. "I would like some of KAK's age reversal cream — she looks better and better," said another. "She does look amazing, younger by the year," agreed another.

But despite all the praise for her good looks, KAK says being cancer-free is still her biggest triumph.

"I just never thought about the about the negatives,'' she says of being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012.

Media personality Kerri-Anne Kennerley appears in the latest ads for CBA's school banking program. An ex-Sandgate SS student, she is shown in a classroom at her old school. Source: Supplied

KERRI-ANNE'S TOP TIPS FOR GOOD HEALTH:

• Moisture is the most important thing for your skin — lots of water and lots of moisturiser.

• I have Omnilux treatments (non-invasive, red and blue light treatments that stimulate collagen production and are available at credible salons including Zecca and The Clinic in Sydney)

• I have been weight training with Billy at City Gym (Sydney) to build bone mass which the cancer drugs had affected

• I also have treatments a few times a year that infuse moisture into the skin at (KAK's preferred skincare spot) The Clinic in Sydney's Bondi Junction

• It is also so important for every woman to check their vitamin D levels as mine were horrendously low and that can be the catalyst for other, bigger issues

• Just try not to take everything so seriously. It's life and you just have to live it as best you can

Follow Melissa on Instagram and Twitter @melissahoyer

30 years of a happy marriage in showbiz? You'd better believe it. Kerri-Anne and John Kennerley at the grand opening of Brooks Brothers at Martin Place. Pic: News Corp Source: News Corp Australia

30 years of a happy marriage in showbiz? You'd better believe it. Kerri-Anne and John Kennerley at the grand opening of Brooks Brothers at Martin Place. Pic: News Corp

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This boring golf game has a disturbing backdrop

Would-be immigrants stand atop a boarder fence separating Morocco from Melilla. Source: AFP

THIS is the astonishing sight of African migrants scrambling over a fence into Spain while golfers calmly enjoy a game just metres away.

The remarkable image underscores the dramatic gap between the haves and have-nots in the region.

It was taken on Wednesday, when 200 immigrants rushed the Moroccan border in a desperate bid for a new life.

An extraordinary image shows golfers playing just metres from fence-climbing migrants. Picture: Prodein Source: AFP

Hundreds of African immigrants make a coordinated assault on the barrier in the Spanish enclave of Melilla, ending with 10 injured. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

Nine were injured during the scramble, with 70 staying on top of the fence for hours, waiting for an opportunity to evade authorities.

It is the latest in a spate of rushes on the North African border, which have thrown Spain's draconian immigration laws and heavy-handed police tactics into the spotlight.

Last week, a video emerged that appeared to show Spanish security forces in the city of Melilla beating a migrant unconscious as he hung from the fence, before handing him back to Moroccan authorities.

Local NGO Prodein, which filmed the video, identified the man as a 23-year-old Cameroonian named Danny.

Spanish officers filmed beating an African asylum seeker, one of 300 attempting to cross the border at Melilla. Vision from rights group Prodein. Source: LiveLeak

Jose Palazon, Prodein's director, accused officers of "a high level of violence", saying the migrant "should have had medical assistance".

"The whole thing was absolutely illegal. It is a monument of contempt for the law, morality and ethics," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Spanish government delegation in Melilla, Irene Flores, said the migrant was not injured and had offered "passive resistance".

"The Civil Guard acted in scrupulous fulfilment of the law," she said.

Spanish police carry the limp body of a 23-year-old Cameroonian through a border service gate, after apparently beaten while trying to climb the fence. Source: AFP

On February 6 around 15 migrants drowned in Moroccan waters while trying to swim from a beach in Morocco to Ceuta.

Witnesses accused Spanish security forces of firing rubber bullets at the migrants in the water. The government admitted using rubber bullets but denied its forces had targeted the migrants directly.

Spain said on Wednesday that it would pass a legal amendment authorising police to expel migrants who climb the fence around Melilla and Ceuta, two Spanish territories bordering Morocco, which have Europe's only land borders with Africa.

The ministry said 2000 migrants have made it across the fences in roughly 60 attempts this year.

But Amnesty International warned Spain yesterday it was breaking international law by instantly deporting the migrants who cross over.

A member of the Spanish Guardia Civil intercepts the would-be immigrants. Source: AFP

Amnesty is now one of many human rights groups that have attacked Spain for its "on-the-spot deportations" of African migrants who have stormed the seven-metre, triple-layer border fence.

They say such deportations are illegal since migrants have the right to be registered and given the chance to apply for asylum if they are fleeing persecution.

The government denies that migrants who climb the fence should be considered as having reached Spanish territory.

Thousands of migrants fleeing war and hardship try each year to cross the fences.

Others try to sail across the 15-kilometre strait from Morocco to Spain in makeshift boats and inflatable dinghies, or to smuggle themselves into the country hidden in vehicles.

Spain has been accused of acting illegally in its treatment of African immigrants. Source: AFP

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Identical twins to identical dolls

Identical in every way (bar the hair colour) ... Emma (left) and Sara Koponen. Picture: Sara Koponen Source: Instagram

IDENTICAL twins Emma and Sara Koponen are obsessed.

The Swedish 25-year-olds rose to fame as identical ringside girls at boxing matches.

They gained notoriety by living the same lives — eating the same food, drinking the same drinks, wearing the same clothes, performing the same exercises at the gym and living and working together.

The pair, who live in the city of Marbella in Spain, have decided to take it further through plastic surgery.

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"Our goal is to look like identical artificial dolls" ... Emma Koponen on her and her identical twin Sara. Picture: Sara Koponen Source: Instagram

"As twins we have to look the same, people expect it and we love the attention," Sara Koponen told The Sun.

"We are both obsessed with body modification but we make sure we both do the exact same things otherwise we run the risk of not matching."

Emma and Sara, 25, have to date reportedly spent a total of $37,000 on surgery to "enhance" their assets — three boob jobs to go from bra cup size A to E and four rounds of lip fillers — and they plan to go further.

"We have ideas for future surgery, our goal is to look like identical artificial dolls," Emma told The Sun.

"It's important for us to make our dreams come true — and the main thing, too, is that we do it all together."

Lips fillers and boob enhancements just the beginning ... identical twins Emma and Sara Koponen want to look like identical dolls. Picture: Sara Koponen Source: Instagram

Emma added the plastic surgery to date has been for their idea of perfection.

"I think it's always me who wants more," she said. "It's usually my decision at first and Emma says yes, for example because she didn't want to have smaller boobs than me."

The twins are single and have already thought what would happen if one of them fell in love and married.

"Emma has decided that if one of us gets married, the other one will come and live with them. It's just the way it has to be," Sara said.

Twenty-five-year-old identical twins in every way ... Emma and Sara Koponen, who live in Marbella, Spain. Picture: Sara Koponen Source: Instagram

The twins admit they work hard to keep their looks and to be noticed.

"Every day we hit the gym for two hours. We do the same exercises, on the same machines to get the same body," Sara said.

"We also have a strict diet and measure food out equally so neither one puts on more weight. If one of us wants ice cream and the other chocolate, we fight over which to buy as we can't eat different things."

Obsessed with their looks ... Identical twins Emma and Sara Koponen want to live the same lives and become identical dolls through plastic surgery. Picture: Sara Marbella Source: Facebook

In keeping with being identical, the sisters claim to share a phone, wardrobe and stay together all day.

"We have the same job and friends and go to the same places, we do everything together. Sometimes it feels as though we are one person. If Sara is sad, I feel it too," Emma said.

CELEBRITY PLASTIC SURGERY

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Would the real Freya Newman please stand up?

Freya Newman, 21, will have to wait until November 25 until she is sentenced for leaking details of Frances Abbott's controversial scholarship. Source: Supplied

FREYA Newman was trending on Twitter in Australia and briefly centre stage in a Down Under political drama. The only problem was it was the wrong Freya Newman.

Ms Newman, from Somerset, England knew nothing about Freya Newman, the Australian 21-year-old, who today faced the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney.

The Aussie Ms Newman has pleaded guilty to leaking restricted data that revealed Frances Abbott had been awarded a $60,000 scholarship to study at the exclusive Whitehouse Institute of Design.

But while she was in court it was the Ms Newman in England who was getting the attention on social media.

Confused? Many were, none more so than the British Freya Newman who suddenly discovered who Frances Abbott was.

She was flooded with messages from well intentioned people offering support, and even to attend the next court hearing.

The British Ms Newman tweeted: "Such nice supportive messages from strangers on Facebook".

The "real" Freya Newman will be sentenced on November 25.

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Indo jets ‘force Oz plane to land’

Air space ... Indonesian Sukhoi fighter jets have reportedly forced an Australian civilian plane to land for flying through Indonesian airspace. Source: AP

TWO Indonesian Sukhoi fighter jets have reportedly intercepted an Australian civilian plane and forced it to land for flying through Indonesian airspace.

A civilian Beechcraft plane, in the air defence area of Manado, North Sulawesi, was crewed by two Australian pilots, Jackline Paul and co-pilot Micheline Richard.

The plane departed from Darwin and was flying to the Phillipines under the flight number VHR5S.

"The plane was detected by our national air command radar. The plane violated the flight path,`" Indonesian air force spokesman, Hadi Tjahyanto told Indonesian news portal Vivanews.

He said the plane had violated the flight path as it passed above the Indonsian Ocean, around 8am local time.

Two Sukhoi Indonesian Air Force jets then followed the plane, asked them to land in Manado around 11.40am local time, and told them to show all flight documents.

"After we checked, apparently they don't have the documents."

The case has been handed over to the Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado to pursue possible sanctions against them, it was reported.

The incident occurred just days after the inauguration of Indonesia's new president Joko Widodo.

In line with his election campaign comments, Joko has warned he will be tough on the issue of sovereignty.

Mr Joko has described as "unacceptable" the incursions of the Australian Navy into Indonesian waters during operations to turn back asylum seeker boats.

More to come

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Live: is this the worst review ever?

Pakistan waste a review in opening Test against Australia 1:21

Pakistan has wasted a review in the opening moments of their first Test against Australia after a Mitchell Johnson yorker hit Mohammed Hafeez right on the foot.

Mitchell Johnson celebrates after taking the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez. Source: Getty Images

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Gone fishing: teen reeled in by ISIS

Video has emerged of an Australian man perpetrating the propaganda of ISIS. The fair-skinned, red-haired man called Abu Khaled Australia threatens to put ISIS' flag on Buckingham Palace and the White House.

A SYDNEY teenager who told his mother he was leaving on a fishing trip in June has turned up in a chilling video for the Islamic State, threatening Tony Abbott and declaring war on the West.

In the video, posted to YouTube last night, 17-year-old Abdullah Elmir from Bankstown is dressed in military gear and holding a rifle surrounded by dozens of other young jihadists.

The red-haired teenager, speaking under the name "Abu Khaled", addresses the two-minute propaganda video to "the people of America ... the people of Britain ... and especially to the people of Australia".

RELATED: Mother's brave move to bring her son back from ISIS

'Ginger jihadist'... Abdullah Elmir's parents haven't seen him since June, soon after his 17th birthday. Source: Supplied

In it, he says ISIS will not stop its depraved crusade until its black flag flies all over the world, including above the White House.

"I say this about your coalition: you threaten us with your countries, bring every nation that you wish to us, bring every nation that you want to come and fight us," he said in the video.

"Whether it's 50 nations or 50 thousand nations it means nothing to us."

Holding court ... The ginger-haired Australian teenager is front and centre in the latest ISIS propaganda video. Source: YouTube

The video marks the first time Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been mentioned by name in an ISIS propaganda tape.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the video "again highlights the threat posed by ISIL".

"As the Prime Minister has said on many occasions, ISIL is a threat that reaches out to Australia and our allies and partners.

"That is why Australia has joined the Coalition to disrupt and degrade ISIL in Iraq and is giving our law enforcement and security agencies the powers and resources they need to keep Australia and Australians as safe as possible."

"Australians should continue to be confident to go about their daily lives as normal."

In the video, Khaled pledges that ISIS "will not stop fighting".

"We will not put down our weapons until we reach your lands, until we take the head of every tyrant and until the black flag is flying high in every single land, until we put the black flag on top of Buckingham Palace, until we put the black flag on top of the White House."

Brainwashed ... Elmir's parents haven't seen him since June and believe he's been brainwashed. Source: Supplied

Elmir's family told Fairfax Media in June that their son had been brainwashed. He ran away from home soon after his 17th birthday

With a 16-year-old friend who has since returned to Sydney, he caught flights from Perth to Turkey via Malaysia and Thailand.

His family only discovered he'd left the country when he texted a friend in Australia and asked the friend to tell his parents he was gone. He later made contact to say he was "crossing the border", which family members interpreted to mean he was going to join the fighting in Syria or Iraq.

The Elmir family's lawyer Zali Burrows told AAP the boy's parents were desperate to get him home with the help of the Australian Government.

"We know they have the intelligence to pinpoint him," Mr Burrows said.

"The concern is that he's being used as a tracking device to gather further intelligence, to see where he's actually going to go."

The spokesman from the Prime Minister's office said members of the public should continue to report suspicious activities to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400, or directly to local police.

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Family ‘positive’ as Oscar arrives

Watch live coverage from AP

OSCAR Pistorius will finally learn his fate tonight as a judge hands down her sentence over his killing of model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Judge Thokozile Masipa, who has presided over his case since March, is due to begin handing down her decision on the Blade Runner's sentence from 6.30pm (AEDT).

She will determine whether Pistorius heads to prison or is allowed to live at home, under house arrest, for killing Ms Steenkamp.

He arrived and made his way through a massive media scrum outside court to the courtroom.

His family told reporters outside the court they were staying positive.

The Steenkamp's lawyer Dup du Bruyn told Sky News: "The Steenkamp's are strong people. They are trying to stay strong. Inside, they are broken completely. They are wonderful people. There's one thing I must put on record, there is no such thing as any animosity between the two families whatsoever."

The sentencing tonight marks the end of a journey which began in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013 when Pistorius, armed with a pistol and high-powered ammunition, fired four shots into the door of a toilet cubicle in his home, killing Ms Steenkamp in what the Prosecution

described as a horrific death.

Outside court, before the proceedings started, a protestor, dressed in orange garb and wearing chains, carried placards asking whether certain offenders were more equal before the law than others.

"Are certain offenders more equal than other offenders before the law if that is the case why are certain offenders more equal than others before the law, why?" he asked.

"No more talking about the criminal justice system, we are talking about the criminal injustice system."

"He cries like a baby, he screams like a woman but he shoots like a soldier," the man said of Pistorius.

Authorities were taking covering all eventualities. Before court, paramedics brought in a stretcher and medical gear.

If the disgraced Paralympian goes to prison, it will be to the Kgosi Mampuru II, formerly known as Pretoria Central Prison.

If he doesn't, he will likely be ordered to serve his term of house arrest living at his uncle Arnold Pistorius's palatial home, with lovely gardens and swimming pool in the exclusive Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof.

Cold and dark ... the visitors room at Kgosi Mampuru II Prison. Source: Supplied

Pistorius cannot serve his house arrest at his own home because he is penniless and broke, has sold all his properties and even his car and all his lucrative sponsors have dropped him like a hot potato.

For the duration of the trial he has lived with his uncle Arnold and aunt at their home. Each day in court they have sat in the front row, along with his sister Aimee and brother Carl.

Family ... Arnold and Lois Pistorius, Oscar's aunt and uncle at the North Gauteng High Court. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Legal pundits in South Africa have been divided on what will happen to the former sporting icon who, with the world and the chance to become a multi-millionaire at his feet, lost everything by shooting dead his girlfriend in the toilet cubicle of his home.

Brotherly love ... Carl Pistorius, brother of Oscar Pistorius. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Aimee Pistorius, sister of Oscar Pistorius. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Last month, after a hotly-contested trial, Judge Masipa found Pistorius not guilty of premeditated murder but guilty of culpable homicide.

She accepted Pistorius' evidence, that he believed when he fired four shots into the door of the toilet cubicle in his home that there was an intruder inside and that he was protecting himself and Reeva, who he believed was still in bed at the time.

The State had argued that Pistorius chased Ms Steenkamp into the toilet after a blazing row and shot her dead deliberately, presenting him as hot-headed gun lover with a furious temper.

But Judge Masipa found there was not enough evidence to support that scenario and, in a controversial decision, found him guilty of the lesser charge. There is no minimum or maximum term for culpable homicide, leaving the discretion of sentence entirely to the Juge.

Legal analysts were evenly divided on whether she got it right or wrong at law in finding him guilty of the lesser charge. Some argued she was correct and that there was never enough evidence to prove he intended to kill Ms Steenkamp that fateful night. In her judgment,

Judge Masipa cited differing accounts from the witnesses, neighbours of Pistorius, about what they heard on the night.

Judge Thokozile Masipa reacts during the sentencing hearing of South African paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Other analysts argued that he should have been convicted of murder in that he should have known that by firing four shots into the door he would kill whoever was behind it but that the State focused its case too much on proving he intended to kill Ms Steenkamp, rather than just

whoever was there.

The State is expected to appeal against the verdict meaning the saga could drag on for years to come.

There are plenty of examples in South Africa of those guilty of culpable homicide being treated leniently by the courts and police. A former South African rugby player, who shot dead his own daughter believing she was a thief stealing the car, was never even charged.

The State asked that Pistorius be jailed for 10 years, saying that society demanded this as a minimum term, and that Pistorius' negligence in the case bordered on intent and that he was "grossly negligent" in his actions.

Fighting hard for Oscar ... defence lawyer Barry Roux. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Pushing for jail ... Chief State Prosecutor Gerrie Nel. Picture: AP Source: AP

The defence sought correctional supervision or house arrest for a period of three years, with 18 hours per month of community service, such as cleaning in a museum. They argued that he was genuinely remorseful for his actions, had desperately wanted to apologise to Ms Steenkamp's parents and had written emotional letters to them in the days after the shooting, but was advised, for legal reasons, not to pass them on.

In arguing against jail, the defence said that Pistorius disability would put him at risk in jail not equipped to deal with him.

Distraught ... June and Barry Steenkamp sit in court during the sentencing hearings for Oscar Pistorius. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The State said house arrest would be a "shockingly disproportionate" sentence for what he did.

If he is sent to jail it will be to the Kgosi Mampuru II prison, formerly known as Pretoria Central, close to the centre of Pretoria and not far from the court building itself.

If he is given house arrest it will likely be to live at his uncle, Arnold Pistorius' home in the upmarket Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof.

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