Surfer holds ground against ‘curious’ shark

A close encounter with a shark by a surfer at West Beach, Esperance. Photos taken by Frits Debruyn from Tasmania. Courtesy of Dave Riggs. Source: Supplied

AS surfers scrambled ashore after a shark sighting at a beach where a man lost an arm weeks earlier, there were fears for one man who remained in the water.

Surfers and swimmers were on high alert when the creature was sighted at West Beach in Esperance, about 720km south of Perth.

It was the same beach where WA surfer Sean Pollard was lucky to survive after losing an arm and both hands earlier this month.

Yet Andy Johnson made a conscious decision to stay in water, as he tried 'not to freak out and make a commotion' about the 3m great white.

Ice cool or crazy? Andy Johnson eyeballs a 3m great white. Photos taken by Frits De Bruyn from Tasmania. Courtesy of Dave Riggs. Source: Supplied

"I'd rather try to hold my ground against it and not freak out and make a commotion," he told the Esperance Express.

"It seemed just curious and I didn't want to give it a reason to chase me so I tried to behave casually and keep an eye on it.

"But I didn't know it came up quite so close as I was paddling into the wave to come into the beach with the other lads."

These photos, taken by Frits De Bruyn and emailed to PerthNow, showed just how close.

A close encounter with a 3m great white shark by surfer Andy Johnson at West Beach, Esperance. Photos taken by Frits De Bruyn from Tasmania. Courtesy of Dave Riggs. Source: Supplied

Originally published as Surfer holds ground against 'curious' shark

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Mystery Indian activist revamping slums

The campaigner turned a dumping ground into a local meeting point. Source: YouTube

AN INDIAN activist is making his country beautiful, one street at a time.

The anonymous campaigner has been calling on citizens to clean up their act.

And his videos are inspiring people all over the world.

He targets ugly, unhygienic eyesores in the country. Source: Supplied

His team do the structural work of moving tree stumps and adding curbs, and then the community helps spruce them up. Source: Supplied

The "Ugly Indian" finds the filthiest streets and corners of a neighbourhood and shows how locals can turn them into safe and attractive places for the community.

His "Spotfix" videos started in Bangalore and have now gone viral, and he has even given a TED talk on why his campaign is proving so effective.

One of the targets he writes about on his website is open dumping grounds, which he says are a common sight in India.

His team revamp these eyesores by identifying the dumpers, giving them an alternative place to put waste and making the area look attractive.

Some walls have become popular public urination spots. Source: YouTube

But families are keen to try to change their areas. Source: YouTube

"Wonder Loos" have transformed walls and roads. Source: Supplied

Where smokers are dropping cigarette butts, his team install attractive-looking bins.

In other areas, he enlists locals to repaint peeling old walls and add seating.

Another issue is filthy footpaths, where shops have been dumping garbage and rat colonies flourishing for years.

"As nobody else seemed concerned, we made it 'our problem'," the campaigner says.

His team simply cleaned up the rubbish and added some pot plants — and no one dumps there any more.

An unsanitary dump outside a public playground. Source: Supplied

Paving, plants and paint give it a new lease of life. Source: Supplied

Some street corners have been piled with rat-infested rubbish for years. Source: Supplied

A new look changes local behaviour, the campaigner says. Source: Supplied

"The combined value of real estate rentals on this street is over $US1 million per month, it hosts over 200 businesses and restaurants, over 10,000 people walk here everyday," he writes of Bangalore's busy Church Street.

"Isn't that a good enough reason to fix it? Fix five such streets and the area gets transformed."

In most cases, the Ugly Indian says people respond to an area being cleaned up and stop dumping and littering, especially if they have somewhere else to dispose of waste.

Where public urination is particularly persistent, he has installed "Wonder Loos" — public urinals that can be attached to an outside wall.

The transformations are breathtaking.

Cigarette smokers get new bins so they won't drop butts. Source: Supplied

A foul spot on Church Street becomes a concealed public toilet. Source: Supplied

Perhaps his biggest achievement is saving lives.

India is rife with "death traps" like unfixed gaps in the footpath. The anonymous activist says there are affordable solutions that anyone can put in place.

Simply adding a paving stone could protect someone on your street from a broken neck.

One of the simplest and most ingenious solutions in his videos is a bright circle painted around a pothole.

Now two-wheelers can see it, avoid it, and escape a crash.

It's a small start, but the team hope to their efforts will help guide India into the future.

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Islamic preacher knew ‘lone wolf’

In an interview on the 7:30 Report, Peter Lloyd investigates Junaid Thorne.

Extreme Islam...Junaid Thorne has been described by some as a dangerous mouthpiece for militant Islam. Picture: Daniel Wilkins. Source: News Corp Australia

CONTROVERSIAL Islamic preacher, Junaid Thorne, said the slain Melbourne man who was shot dead after stabbing two police officers was one of his followers.

Speaking to Peter Lloyd for the ABC's 7.30 program Thorne confirmed that Melbourne teenager, Numan Haider, did attend a number of his lectures.

He denied however, offering any advice to the teen in relation to joining rebel groups fighting in the Middle East.

DETAILS EMERGE: Shocking details of teenage terrorist attack

FEARS FOR SAFETY: Islamic 'Sheik' Junaid Thorne reports death threats

Trouble...Junaid Thorne said he does not offer advice to anyone seeking to travel overseas and fight in the Middle East. Picture: News Corp Source: News Corp Australia

"Anyone that approaches me asking me advice about going overseas, I automatically would alienate that person because I wouldn't trust anyone that asks me stuff like that," Thorne said.

"We know that can get you into trouble and we know that authorities, whether it be ASIO or others, they tend to entrap people."

After the death of Haider, Thorne took to Facebook criticising the actions of police, saying they had provoked the teenager after visiting his home earlier in the day.

When asked by ABC interviewer Peter Loyd about that post he explained, "it was mostly a message to the government that you know you have to back off from Muslims. The policies that you people are pushing it tends to backfire sooner or later. Muslims do feel targeted".

Controversial...Junaid Thorne has given a number of lectures around Australia speaking at Islamic centres known for their hard line views of Islam. Picture: Daniel Wilkins. Source: News Corp Australia

Described by some as a dangerous mouthpiece for militant Islam, Thorne has given a number of lectures around Australia.

He has toured the country twice this year speaking at Islamic centres known for their hard line views of Islam such as the iQraa Islamic centre in Brisbane, the now-closed Al Risalah in Bankstown, and Al Furqan in Melbourne.

Earlier this year Thorne gave a lecture in which he called Jews and Christians "filthy rapists".

He told Loyd that he was misunderstood and the comments had been taken out of context.

"If you go back to the lecture, I said we have our sisters being raped by filthy Jews and Christians. So I'm talking about the ones that actually do that."

Imprisoned...Junaid Thorne reunited with his brother, who was released from a political prison in Saudi Arabia, where he spent over 3 years for speaking against the corruption of the Saudi Government. Picture: Supplied. Source: Facebook

Previously using the Islamic State flag as his background when speaking Thorne could not say whether he was a supporter or not.

"If I were to vocalise my complete support to [Islamic State], that would get me into trouble. If I were to say I don't support them at all, that would be untrue."

Thorne's older brother, Shayden Thorne, was arrested on terrorism charges and was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in a Saudi prison.

"In Saudi Arabia being accused of terrorism doesn't mean that you were plotting an attack or something. It is just because they sense you are a threat to the Government," he said.

Deported...Junaid Thorne was deported from Saudi Arabia last year for protesting his brother's imprisonment. Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

Thorne moved to Saudi Arabia with his family when he was nine years old and stayed there for 14 years until he was deported last year for protesting his brother's imprisonment.

Counter-terrorism researcher Anne Aly has spoken out against Thorne, and said he was deliberately vocal and provocative.

"He's said some very offensive remarks about Jews and Christians and these are the kinds of ideas that don't bring Muslims together," she said.

She said that while he did not pose a direct threat, but his ideas were similar to the driving force behind groups like Islamic State.

"I think he is aspiring to be a person who influences people, influences young vulnerable minds. I think he's very misguided and extremely naive."

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The faces of Robert’s ‘murderers’

The two Perth-based sons of murdered man Robert Ellis have spoken of their grief over his death.

Reunion...Police escort Noor Ellis from her cell to Police HQ to meet her son John. Picture: News Corp Source: News Corp Australia

THESE are the faces of the four people who Bali police allege are among the killers and accomplices in the murder of Australian businessman Robert Ellis in Bali.

The four are - Mr Ellis' wife of 25 years Noor Ellis, the couple's two housemaids and one of the housemaid's boyfriends.

Mr Ellis, 60, was murdered on October 19 this year and his bound body, wrapped in plastic, was found dumped in a rice paddy ditch about 25km from the villa he and Noor shared at Sanur.

EMOTIONAL: Noor Ellis had an emotional meeting with couple's sons

TROUBLED: Noor Ellis asked husband for divorce but he begged her to stay

Behind bars...Mugshot of a housemaid who is one of the suspects in Robert Ellis case. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

Behind bars...Mugshot of a housemaid who is one of the suspects in Robert Ellis case. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

Behind bars...Mugshot of Noor Ellis, accused of masterminding the murder of her husband. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

Behind bars...Mugshot of the suspected executor, a boyfriend of one of the housemaids. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

Police allege that Noor Ellis masterminded her husband's death, paying the killers a total of 150 Million Rupiah or about $A14,200, to do the grisly job. Mrs Ellis denies the allegation, saying that instead she asked the five men to talk to her husband but not to injure him after marital discord between the pair and after she twice threatened to file for divorce this year.

So far one of the five killers - who police allege held Mr Ellis and slit his throat in a small room off the kitchen of the villa - has been arrested.

Adrianus Ngongo, 23, a native of Sumba, was arrested shortly after the killing, attempting to catch a boat from Bali to Lombok. His girlfriend is one of the two housemaids of the Ellis', who has also been arrested.

Tragic trip...John Ellis son of Robert and Noori Ellis visits Bali Police HQ to see his mother. Picture: News Corp Source: News Corp Australia

Police allege that the two housemaids helped by keeping the couple's dog quiet during the murder and helped dispose of the body.

Another four men are still at large and police have called on them to give themselves up.

One of them, alleged to have wielded the knife which ended Mr Ellis' life, is said to have boasted that he had previously killed another foreigner in Bali.

This week Bob and Noor Ellis' two sons, John and Peter, who live in Perth, came to Bali and had an emotional meeting with their mother at the villa where Mr Ellis was murdered. Photographs of the reunion were taken.

Mr Ellis' body has now been taken to NEw Zealand for burial.

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I, robot... you, replaced

The Lowe's OSHbot robot can scan an item and lead you directly to it. Source: AP

US hardware chain Lowe's is testing whether new bots on wheels can improve its customer service, like helping a shopper find a match for something as simple as a nail.

Four robots are being tested an Orchard Supply Hardware store owned by Lowe's Companies Inc. in San Jose, California.

The robots dubbed OSHbots look like white columns with two large black screens on either side of them, and wheels to help them move. They are equipped with 3D cameras so they can scan and identify items. And customers can research items they want to buy on their screen. Then the robot can lead them to the aisle where an item is located.

"They're based on making a science fiction story a reality," said Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe's Innovation Lab.

The robots also have a database of what inventory is in stock at the store, so they can let customers know if something is out of stock or not.

"People can come in with a random screw and say Mr. Robot, I need more of these, and if we do have it in the store, they can find it," Nel said. The robots can speak in English and Spanish.

Lowe's started working with Fellow Robots, a technology company in Silicon Valley, in November to develop the robots. The cost of the project is undisclosed.

Lowe's has been working on infusing more technology into its customer service. It has also developed a "holoroom" that can let users see what different pieces of furniture look like in different rooms in a virtual-reality environment.

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Apple and Samsung need to watch out

This could be a contender for Apple and Samsung. Source: Supplied

APPLE and Samsung have officially been put on watch. Chinese company Oppo has unveiled its two latest smartphones, with both being game changers in the mobile industry.

It's new flagship device, the N3 features a 16-megapixel rotating camera which the company claims is the best on any smartphone at the moment.

The rotating camera not only allows for the best selfies possible on any phone, it lets you do things like automatic panoramic photos. The rear fingerprint sensor also allows you to encrypt 'private' photos with your fingerprint so only you can see them when going through your device's images.

Photography is the highlight of the device, on top of its hardware features, new software options allow you to focus on moving objects to help avoid those blurry shots.

Aside from this, the company has focused on battery life, incorporating its 'VOOC' rapid charging with the device, meaning you can charge your phone from 0-75% in half an hour, or enough battery to make a two-hour phone call in five minutes.

A very tidy device. Source: Supplied

The device's screen is a 55-inch full-HD display, but the body of the device makes it unfortunately feel much bigger.

The other device announced, the Oppo R5 is now the world's thinnest smartphone, at 4.85mm thin, which is over 2mm thinner than Apple's iPhone 6. The design is very reminiscent of the iPhone 5, however each one is individually hand polished, which, with our brief hands-on offers a device that truly has a premium feel and touch. The 5.2-inch full-HD screen on the R5 is fantastic to look at and thankfully doesn't let down the rest of the device.

Both devices will be coming to Australia, with a local price to be announced soon. US pricing for the N3 is US $649 and US $499 for the R5 which should be an indication of where it will be priced in Australia.

Thin as, bro. Source: Supplied

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The crazy new Melbourne Cup fashion trends

Jessica Green and Josh Torr modelling Melbourne Cup fashion at Palazzo Versace. Styled by Simone Bennett-Smith. Photo: Kit Wise Source: News Corp Australia

MIXING up the traditional suit is a fresh take on racewear for men this Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The carnival officially launched at Flemington Racecourse on Monday. More than 330,000 racegoers are expected to attend the four days, which begin with Derby Day on Saturday.

Menswear designer Jeff Banks will be the master of ceremonies for the Myer Fashions on the Field competition.

He encourages men to break away from strict suits and try a jacket and trousers that roughly go together, but don't exactly match, perhaps in different checks.

"It doesn't have to be a suit anymore, it can be a mixture of the two," Banks told AAP.

"You don't have to have everything co-ordinated but it's a difficult one to pull off and you've got to get it absolutely right otherwise it can look like a dog's dinner."

Getting the mixing look right is difficult, but can make you stand out. Source: News Corp Australia

Banks says ties are getting wider and more flamboyant, while having shoes in pristine condition is always in style.

"Men that have great shoes — women tend to focus on that," he said. "I don't know why but I think that maybe it's an indication that they're well heeled and they've got some money and maybe that's the guy you should go after."

Banks said men should avoid wearing a hat and visit the hairdresser instead.

"There are very few men these days that can carry off a hat and what tends to happen is they start off looking fine and then gradually, after they have had a few drinks, the hat goes on the back of the head and they kind of look like bookies' runners. So for me I avoid it, I think a great haircut is better than a good hat.

"And gentlemen, please avoid white shoes."

Myer ambassador Kris Smith at Royal Randwick. Picture Cameron Richardson Source: News Corp Australia

Myer Fashions on the Field ambassador Rebeccah Panozza said for women, it's important to select a dress that flatters your figure so you feel comfortable.

She said monochrome would be big, as well as structured headwear and fun pieces like cats ears on headbands and crowns.

"They add a little bit of funk to a really feminine dress," Panozza said.

Milliner Natalie Bikicki said metal ears on headbands were on trend and easy to wear with your hair down.

"It's a little bit of a variation compared to the regular lace pieces that most people are donning right now," she said.

She said the added the advantage with headpieces is even if you wear them the 'wrong' way you can still look chic.

"I've had photographs of my beautiful clients and they send it to me and I'm like 'do I tell them you're wearing it back-to-front?'," she said. "At this point, no. It's too late and they're happy so I'm happy."

Myer Fashions on the Field Ambassador Rebeccah Panozza with 2000 cup winner Brew. Picture: Nathan Dyer Source: News Corp Australia

Australian Hollywood star Margot Robbie, models Jennifer Hawkins and Megan Gale, and Italian designer Margherita Maccapani Missoni, are among celebrities expected to attend.

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The secret army cleaning the web

There is a secret army of content moderators keeping graphic scenes out of your feed. Pictured, a young woman browses on a tablet in Bangalore. Source: AFP

DESPITE ongoing problem of online harassment, most of us go online these days with the reasonable expectation that we can look at baby pictures on Facebook without being surprised by a gruesome photo of a beheading, or search for music videos on YouTube without running into a videotaped rape or animal abuse.

It would be nice if this was because everyone online was behaving themselves, but as Adrian Chen found in a recent piece for Wired, there is an army of labourers who spend their days cleaning up the internet so the rest of us can use it in relative peace.

"As social media connects more people more intimately than ever before, companies have been confronted with the Grandma Problem," Chen writes.

"Now that grandparents routinely use services like Facebook to connect with their kids and grandkids, they are potentially exposed to the internet's panoply of jerks, racists, creeps, criminals, and bullies."

The workers are often based in places like the Philippines. Source: Supplied

The solution is to hire workers to spend all day combing over sites that depend on user-generated content to take that stuff down.

The army of comment moderators is huge, "well over 100,000," Hemanshu Nigam, the head of online security firm SSP Blue, told Chen.

Most of them work overseas, though many American companies do have squads in the United States to handle stuff that needs a little more cultural context. Chen visited offices in the Philippines, where people are paid a few hundred bucks a month to sift through the garbage people post online.

Sitting at a computer all day seems, at least, to be a better deal than working in a factory for similar pay, but as Chen discovered, the psychological toll of this work is immense.

A lot of the job involves taking down pornography, of course, but a lot of it is taking down hateful, sadistic, and terrifying stuff. (There's also a lot of overlap.)

The pictures moderated include animal abuse and torture scenes. Pictured, shark fins are dried at a factory in Hong Kong. Pic: AP/Kin Cheung. Source: News Limited

"The worst was the gore: brutal street fights, animal torture, suicide bombings, decapitations, and horrific traffic accidents," Chen writes, regarding one American who took the job thinking it would be easy but had to quit because it began to get to him. Most people just aren't capable of looking at torture, rape, and animal abuse all day and shrugging it off.

A psychologist who works in the Philippines likened the problems the moderators had to PTSD. One woman in particular is "especially haunted" by a video she took down, about half an hour long, that appeared to be of a man raping a teenage girl who she described as "blindfolded, handcuffed, screaming and crying."

Seeing that just once would be hard to get over, but having to deal with that stuff daily seems impossible to fathom.

Workers often suffer from PTSD as a result of their job. Source: Supplied

Back in the 1990s, the rise of the internet created a porn panic, as parents and politicians worried that the new technology would make it all too easy for kids to see naked people having sex.

Since then, the worst fears about porn have come to pass, and anyone can see hardcore porn any time of day from anywhere. But it turns out that ubiquitous porn was the least of our problems. Far more upsetting is the way that the internet allows people to share "the infinite variety of human depravity," as Chen puts it.

The gore, the sexual abuse, the animal torture, the hate speech, the harassment? It all makes watching a video of a consensual sex encounter seem downright wholesome.

Of course, even the consensual porn gets to the moderators after awhile, because workers "feel desensitised" watching porn all day and some suffer sexual dysfunction. But, for good and bad, they still aren't desensitised to the rest of it.

"They begin to suspect the worst of people they meet in real life, wondering what secrets their hard drives might hold," Chen writes of the moderators. Some women are so afraid that they refuse to hire babysitters anymore.

The largely unknown job takes a major toll on workers personal lives. Source: AP

Chen brings us inside a world, and introduces us to a job, that most of us didn't know existed. He does not, however, offer any solutions, probably because the problem is massive and defies easy fixes.

One thing is certain: Setting aside a group of people to absorb all the psychological impact for the rest of us is not good enough. The internet has been mainstream for a couple of decades now. It's time to stop treating it like it's a fantasy landscape, accept that it's an extension of real life, and start imposing some of the controls on the web we use in real life, such as tying a person's online behaviour to his or her real identity and having law enforcement intercede when things get out of hand.

If we can't bear to do that just yet, then at least let's pay the people who are tasked with cleaning the place up for the rest of us a lot more money.

This article was written by Amanda Marcotte from Slate and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.

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Where’s Clive? Pup needs a leash

Palmer United Party Leader Clive Palmer has missed 17 days of parliament. Source: News Corp Australia

CLIVE Palmer has missed nearly a third of parliamentary sittings since he became a "full-time politician", with an official headcount revealing his abysmal attendance record.

The colourful businessman-turned-MP, who declared himself a "100 per cent politician" when he first arrived at Parliament House last November, has missed 17 days at work since then.

Mr Palmer rolled up to just nine of 15 sittings last year and has made 32 of 43 days in the first half of this year, according to the latest official figures from the Department of the House of Representatives.

It's the worst attendance behind Trade Minister Andrew Robb, who is required to travel overseas to represent Australia in trade missions, and a South Australian backbencher given special leave due to illness.

Mr Palmer has also not turned up to parliamentary committees he is a member of.

Can someone help Clive find his way back to Parliament House? Source: HeraldSun

The Economics Standing Committee into real estate, the Reserve Bank and banking ­issues has held 10 meetings, but he has been to none.

Last week he went missing in action while campaigning for the Newcastle by-election in NSW and yesterday he was tardy, turning up late to Parliament after spending the morning at his Sunshine Coast resort to campaign for the Queensland election.

The Palmer United Party leader was asked about his apparent dislike for Canberra travel on Monday — despite his access to a private jet.

Mr Palmer said his best work was in leveraging his powerful PUP votes in the Senate rather than working as a backbencher.

"I've been dealing with government ministers and the Prime Minister ... and representatives to work out what will be the actual laws," he said.

"I believe I can do more for this region by having that power and influence than I can in Parliament by having my vote sitting down."

jessica.marszalek@news.com.au

Originally published as Where's Clive? Pup needs a leash

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11 things you don’t know about Michael Jordan

Retro Michael Jordan and Spike Lee Commercial for Nike's Air Jordans. Courtesy: Nike.

It's 30 years since Michael Jordan played his first NBA game. Source: AP

Although he was chosen third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft and initially didn't make his varsity basketball team in high school, Michael Jordan would go on to have arguably the greatest basketball career of all time.

Six NBA championships. Five NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Fourteen NBA All-Star appearances.

Jordan was even so influential during his reign that he's credited with starting the baggy shorts fad when he required bigger shorts so he could continue wearing his University of North Carolina shorts underneath his Chicago Bulls gear during every game.

In honour of the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's NBA debut on October 26, here is a round-up of a few facts you didn't know about the eternal King of Chicago.

These are 11 things that will make your head spin about MJ:

1. "THE FLU GAME" MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY SOMEONE POISONING JORDAN'S PIZZA

Someone messed with MJ's margherita Source: Getty Images

IN THE famous "Flu Game" in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz, despite almost passing out in Scottie Pippen's arms, Michael Jordan scored 38 points and led the Bulls to victory. The game is certainly one of Jordan's most memorable performances, but the flu might not have been to blame for Jordan's sickness.

Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's former personal trainer, recounted what happened the night before:

"Yes, 100 per cent poisoned for ('The Flu Game'). Everyone called it a 'Flu Game,' but we sat there and we were in the room, we were in Park City, Utah, up in a hotel. Room service stopped at like nine o'clock. And he got hungry, and we really couldn't find any other place to eat so we ordered ... I said, 'Hey, the only thing I could find is a pizza place.' He said, 'All right, order pizza.' We had been there for a while, so everybody knows what hotel ... Everybody kind of knew where we were staying. So we order a pizza, they come to deliver it, five guys come to deliver this pizza ... I said, 'I got a bad feeling about this.' ... Out of everybody in the room, he was the only one that ate. Nobody else ... then two o'clock in the morning, I get a call to my room. I come to the room, he's curled up in the foetal position ... Immediately I said, 'It's food poisoning.' Guaranteed. Not the flu."

Coach Phil Jackson has also said that the Bulls guard Ron Harper also claimed it was "bad pizza" to blame.

2. JORDAN PLAYED A CARTOON SUPERHERO IN A SHORT-LIVED SERIES WITH WAYNE GRETZKY AND BO JACKSON

"PROSTARS" lasted for two seasons in the early '90s and featured the three sports stars living together in a gym and saving the world from villains.

Michael Jordan was the leader and brainy one of the group, often explaining long scientific reasonings for plans.

Jordan and the other stars would do real-life Q&As alongside the cartoon, but none of the actors provided their actual voices for their characters. A few of the episodes have survived on YouTube.

3. THE INSPIRATION FOR JORDAN STICKING HIS TONGUE OUT CAME FROM WATCHING HIS FATHER DO THE SAME WHILE HE WORKED

James and Michael Jordan. Source: Getty Images

WHEN Michael Jordan's father was fixing things around the house, he'd stick out his tongue. His father actually clarified and said it stretched even farther back in the lineage.

"As far as I can remember it originated from my grandad. My grandad stuck his tongue out and if I'm working on my car or something around the house I find myself going (sticks tongue out) really concentrating."

In 1989, the Chicago Tribune did an in-depth report on what Jordan's "tongue-wagging" actually means and decided the move fit in with anthropologist Desmond Morris' categorisation of the "Concentration Tongue."

Quoting Morris about this classification:

"The gesture gradually revealed itself, not so much as a pure 'concentration' gesture, but as a 'please leave me in peace' gesture ... Once the action was understood as a social rejection gesture, it began to fit in with the infantile breast rejection movement."

Well that's one theory!

4. JORDAN DONATED HIS FIRST YEAR SALARY WITH THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS TO THE RECOVERY EFFORT AND VICTIMS' FAMILIES OF 9/11

The day Michael Jordan joined the Wizards Source: AP

FOR his first year out of retirement with the Washington Wizards, Michael Jordan was paid $1 million, a sum he gave away entirely.

With the tragic events of 9/11 happening just a short time before the NBA season was set to start, Jordan decided to help the recovery effort.

"It's my way of giving back and hopefully aiding those in need during a terrible time," he said.

Jordan went on to lead the Washington Wizards in points, assists and steals that season.

5. JORDAN'S JERSEY WAS ONCE STOLEN IN ORLANDO, FORCING HIM TO WEAR THE NUMBER 12 WITH NO LAST NAME

ON Valentine's Day, 1990, a still unknown thief stole Michael Jordan's jersey right out of the locker room just a bit over an hour before tip-off.

Unable to recover the jersey and unsure what to do, the Chicago Bulls had Jordan try on a fan's replica jersey, but unfortunately the fit was too small.

The equipment manager then came up with an extra jersey kept for emergencies that simply had the number 12. It would have to do.

"That has never happened to me before. It's pretty irritating because you're accustomed to certain things and you don't like to have things misplaced," Jordan said to the Orlando Sentinel. He ended up scoring 49 points, although the Orlando Magic won this game in overtime.

6. GROWING UP, JORDAN'S NICKNAME WAS 'MAGIC JORDAN' — AFTER MAGIC JOHNSON

TALKING to Playboy in 1992, Michael Jordan revealed that Magic Johnson was an idol of his despite having career strife when he first came into the league:

"I liked him when I was in high school. They used to call me Magic Jordan. My first car had a license plate with Magic Jordan on it. It was a 1976 Grand Prix ... There was a little bit of envy because of the way I came into the league. Magic came in with even more flair and even more success. And he should have been even bigger than I was in terms of endorsements and business opportunities. But he wasn't marketed that way. And I was fortunate to have good people. So there was some envy ... During my third year, he invited me out to play in his summer charity game. We ironed out our differences in private in the locker room and we began a relationship."

7. STARTING IN NOVEMBER 1990, MICHAEL JORDAN AND THE CHICAGO BULLS NEVER LOST THREE GAMES IN A ROW

MICHAEL Jordan went eight years without a three-game losing streak.

Although this math has been called into question, Ben Blatt of the Harvard Sports Analysis Collective figured out the insane odds for accomplishing this feat and determined it was ".2114 per cent, or about one out of 500."

A more updated math led to Blatt determining the number might be closer to one out of 140, which is still ridiculously improbable.

This span included 500 regular season games and 126 playoff games for a total of 626.

8. JORDAN'S BEST FRIEND IS THE LIMO DRIVER WHO PICKED HIM UP WHEN HE ARRIVED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CHICAGO

FIRST landing at the Chicago O'Hare airport in 1984, the Chicago Bulls had neglected to send anybody to pick up Michael Jordan.

A limo driver named George Koehler took pity on him and offered to help.

Koehler was a young man as well and the two hit it off, despite an initial confusion.

Koehler recounted, "I was excited because I knew who he was and I thought, 'Holy smokes, it's Larry Jordan.' I played four years in high school with a guy named Larry Jordan so that name was stuck in my memory bank ... When I saw Michael, I said, 'Larry Jordan.'"

Larry was Michael's brother and so they bonded over Koehler attending the same school as his sibling.

Koehler only charged Jordan 25 dollars and offered him to show him around the city to help him find a beer.

A couple of weeks later, Jordan called him to hang out. Koehler explained the development of their friendship:

"And 25 years later I don't drive the limo for him, but we're still really close friends. I've met just about everyone under the sun through Michael. If you picked up a book about Michael's life, it would be my life, just Michael's name on the cover. I don't know if you believe in fate, but I obviously do. My whole life could've been different if my customer had showed up that day. Michael likes to tell the story and say, 'George was the first person I ever met in Chicago. He gave me a ride and has taken me for a ride ever since'."

9. THE MIAMI HEAT ALSO RETIRED HIS NUMBER 23 JERSEY OUT OF RESPECT

You can wear No. 6 in Miami, LeBron. Source: Getty Images

THE first jersey that the Miami Heat ever retired was Michael Jordan's 23.

The ceremony took place on April 11, 2003, before a game between the Washington Wizards and the Heat.

"No one will ever wear number 23 for the Miami Heat. You're the best," Heat president Pat Riley said to Jordan.

Riley had coached against Jordan many times when he still played with the Chicago Bulls.

The Wizards won this game.

10. THERE'S A LEGEND THAT A UNC GEOGRAPHY PROFESSOR TOLD HIS STUDENTS THE AVERAGE STARTING SALARY FOR THEIR MAJOR WAS $250,000, BUT THEN ADMITTED THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF MICHAEL JORDAN

THE story is now often used as a peril for always trusting the "mean average" in statistics. Michael Jordan's salary for his first year on the Chicago Bulls for the 1984-1985 season was $550,000.

Presumably, Jordan's graduating class would have had to be very small for this salary to skew the average so much, but perhaps this is just a legend anyway.

The Huffington Post reached out to the current chair of the University of North Carolina's Geography department, but did not hear back.

11. MICHAEL JORDAN'S FAVOURITE DUNK EVER WAS ON PATRICK EWING

No one dunked like Jordan Source: News Limited

IN A promotional video for the NBA 2k14 video game, Michael Jordan revealed that his most memorable dunk of all time was against his longtime friend Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks.

The dunk happened in Game 3 of the 1991 NBA playoffs and happened in Ewing's home court of Madison Square Garden.

Jordan explained: "My most memorable dunk that I think about very, very often is the Patrick Ewing dunk. That's only because Patrick and I are such great friends. (Charles) Oakley was a part of that whole process because he thought he could defend. We got into a screen-and-roll and I spun back and Patrick, I told him Georgetown guys don't block shots they just take charges. And I dunked it so hard on him it was unbelievable."

Jordan claimed he won't let Ewing forget the moment and said, "Every time I see him that's the first thing I remind him of."

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Aussie teacher ‘hunted’ in Lebanon reveals ordeal

Australian mother Mahassen Issa was charged with adultery and disowned by her family. Source: Channel 7

THE Australian mother and schoolteacher who was allegedly trapped in Lebanon facing adultery charges raised by her own husband has shared her story in an exclusive interview with Sunday Night.

Mahassen Issa, 29, who was charged with adultery in June after she flew to Lebanon to be with her new partner, Mohammed Awick, claims she was unable to leave the country and was "hunted" by authorities after her estranged husband triggered the charges.

"I've been followed, harassed, threatened," Ms Issa tells Seven reporter Steve Pennells in the interview, which took place while she was still on the run from authorities in the foreign country.

Pennells spent several weeks with Ms Issa in Lebanon and said the situation "got worse and worse" while he was there and recalled the pair "being followed at one point."

Mahassen Issa made a spontaneous decision to fly to Lebanon to be with Mohammed Awick. Source: Supplied

Refused contact with her two young children (aged six and nine) back in Australia, she can be heard in the interview saying, "I have to go back to my children ... just put my kids on the phone."

Ms Issa secretly fled Australia and her husband Bassem Abou Lokmeh to be with Mr Awick and within days found herself wearing a white dress and pledging her commitment to him — a mistake she now admits to be the biggest of her life.

Ms Issa "was supposed to be there [in Lebanon] for two weeks," Pennells told news.com.au. "She was blocked from leaving and her home back in Sydney was rented out, all her belongings were taken."

Pennells added that Ms Issa never married Mr Awick, it was simply a commitment ceremony.

Mahassen Issa was only planning to stay in Lebanon for two weeks. Source: Supplied

Pennells added that Ms Issa didn't tell anyone she was flying to Lebanon, instead she told friends she was planning to spend two weeks in Melbourne. "It was a spur of the moment decision — a spontaneous, impulsive decision."

Over the next two months Ms Issa alleges she became a fugitive from Lebanese authorities. An arrest warrant was issued, she was accused of bigamy and adultery, and now faces punishment under strict Islamic law.

"She was scared, there was definitely an arrest warrant and she was definitely blocked from airports," Pennells confirmed.

"My crime here, under sharia law, is adultery," Ms Issa says in the Sunday Night exclusive.

Despite being disowned by her own family, the Sydney-born primary school tutor says her new boyfriend never turned his back on her.

"He [Mr Awick] risked it all, his whole life, for me and I'm the one bringing this trouble onto him. And he took it, and he said it's OK,'' she says.

"He was the one lugging luggage up and down streets, running around at 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock in the morning trying to find us a safe haven."

"He risked it all" — Mahassen Issa with boyfriend Mohammad Awick. Source: Supplied

Ms Issa turned up at Bankstown Local Court earlier this month but it's not yet known how, or when she managed to return to the country. Ms Issa refused to comment when questioned outside the court, having signed a deal with Seven's Sunday Night.

Her October 9 court appearance was reportedly over a withdrawn apprehended violence order against Mr Lokmeh, allegedly relating to threatening phone calls and text messages she claimed to have received from her former husband.

A lawyer for Mr Lokmeh said his client was exonerated regarding the AVO.

Pennells said that Ms Issa has been reunited with her two children upon returning to Sydney but said "the battle isn't over yet."

Bachelor of education Mahassen Issa with husband Bassem, mum Nala and sister Salma at her graduation ceremony in Rydalmere, 2007. Source: DailyTelegraph

When asked about her fears that her new partner would leave her, she said: "I was scared that he would. I was honestly scared that he would, because anyone would run. I would.

"If I was in a predicament like that and I was going to go to jail, I'd run. But he didn't. And I never left him and he didn't leave me."

An emotional Mahassen and Mohammed during their interview with Sunday Night. Source: Channel 7

Australian divorce proceedings require separation of at least a year. Ms Issa claims she separated from her husband in September last year but continued to live in the same house, while he claims they were together until April this year.

Sunday Night, hosted by Chris Bath, airs Sundays at 8pm on Seven.

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Ebola fears for Brisbane patient

The World Health Organisation says the number of people infected with Ebola has risen to more than 10,000.

AN AFRICAN patient is in isolation and being tested for Ebola at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

Queensland Health authorities said the 18-year-old patient arrived from West Africa 11 days ago and had developed a fever.

"She's otherwise well and has been in home quarantine since she arrived home,'' Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said.

The woman did not have any known contact with the Ebola virus but was in an area where there are a high number of confirmed cases.

Test results to confirm whether it is Ebola are expected in the early hours of Monday.

MOCKING TWEETS: NSW MP makes fun of Queensland Ebola scare

It is understood she was moving from Guinea in West Africa to Queensland with family members. She arrived 11 days ago with eight members of her extended family and all had been placed in home quarantine immediately, Dr Young said.

The family was moving to Australia as part of the Federal Government's humanitarian refugee program.

Queensland Health knew the family was arriving, met them at the airport and arranged their quarantine.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said there was no risk to anyone on the same flight at the African woman as she did not have symptoms at that time. Pic: Marc Robertson.

Staff were checking the family's health daily and on Saturday night the 18-year-old developed a fever.

AUSSIE UNDER WATCH: Man told to stay at Thai home

KILLER VIRUS: New York doctor tests positive for Ebola

The six children and two adults she travelled with are "quite safe" but remain in home quarantine.

"They're all perfectly well and no one else in that house has a fever," Dr Young said.

Test results expected early Monday, coupled with those from a second screening in three days, will confirm whether the woman has contracted Ebola.

Even if the woman has Ebola, other passengers from the plane are safe, Dr Young said.

"She's been here in Brisbane now for 11 days in home quarantine so there is no risk at all for anyone else on that plane," Dr young said.

The suspected Brisbane case comes after a New York doctor tested positive last week, and as an Australian man is under Ebola watch in Thailand.

"You need to have symptoms and be excreting the virus, in vomit, in faeces, in sweat, in urine and she doesn't have any symptoms so she hasn't been excreting the virus so someone could get infected."

As the woman hadn't left the house since arriving or had any visitors, there was no risk to the wider community, Dr Young said.

Her fever has abated and Dr Young said it's unlikely she has Ebola.

"But she's been in an area that there's been a significant number of cases so there's always that potential," she said.

A NSW MP on Sunday night came under fire for making fun of the Queensland Ebola scare.

Liberal MP Peter Phelps launched a series of bizarre, insensitive tweets that mocked the sunshine state for being "beautiful one day; pandemic the next".

The Brisbane scare comes as an Australian man living in Thailand is under Ebola watch.

The man had recorded an elevated temperature and was been told to stay at his home in Thailand after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 49 people have died of Ebola.

New York and New Jersey have ordered a mandatory quarantine for medics who treated Ebola victims in Africa.

The unnamed man returned to Thailand on October 17 from the DRC, where he works in the oil-drilling industry.

He lives in Trat province, 312km southeast of Bangkok.

Reports said Trat Hospital had been asked by the Thai public health office to prepare "to put a patient under investigation", after he recorded an elevated temperature when he was tested at Bangkok international airport.

A doctor at Trat Hospital's emergency unit said the man had been told to "remain at home" under observation, until November 5, three weeks after returning from Africa.

"He doesn't come to the hospital, he just stays at home," the doctor told AAP.

The order is in line with the mandatory 21-day quarantine for medics returning to the US who may have had contact with Ebola patients in west Africa.

The Ebola outbreak in the DRC, reported by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is unrelated to the outbreak in west Africa, where nearly 10,000 people have been infected and almost 5000 have died from the virus.

In DR Congo, the CDC has reported 67 cases of Ebola and 49 deaths.

In his weekly address, President Obama focuses on Ebola saying patients can beat the deadly virus, after seven Americans treated; all seven survived. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

The concerns over the Australian comes as Thai medical authorities are set to reveal the results of blood tests on a British man, 68, who was found dead in his apartment in Phuket on October 23.

The man, who had travelled from Lagos in Nigeria on October 7, went to a local hospital on October 15 after fainting. Doctors treated him for a heart condition and sent him home.

The Thai Health Department is monitoring about 25 people who had been in contact with the man.

Research scientists at Thailand's Mahidol University announced recently they were successful in developing an antibody treatment for Ebola using human gene therapy.

The Thai researchers are receiving assistance from the World Health Organisation and the US National Institute of Health to continue their research.

Thailand is closely monitoring visitors from Ebola-affected states, with more than 2400 people screened without detecting any cases.

Originally published as Ebola fears for Brisbane patient

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‘Most bogan rendition ever’

Shannon Noll has copped some criticism after singing the national anthem at the Cox Plate. Courtesy Channel Seven

Cox Plate viewers and racegoers were not very complimentary of Shannon Noll's singing efforts. Source: Channel 7

WE haven't heard a rendition of the Australian national anthem so bad since an Argentinian singer butchered it at the Wallabies v Pumas in Mendoza earlier this month.

But Shannon Noll, true blue Aussie and boy from the bush, almost managed to outdo him today - if the feedback from racegoers and home viewers watching the Cox Plate are anything to go by.

Shannon Noll sings during the Cox Plate at Moonee Ponds. Source: Channel 7

The former Australian Idol runner-up took to the stage before the big race at Victoria's Moonee Ponds this afternoon to sing the national tune, apparently pronounced, "Advernce Austraya Fair."

Within seconds, Noll was being slammed on Twitter for "butchering" and "murdering" what was labelled "the most bogan rendition" of the anthem ever heard.

Taking the criticism on board, Noll responded to at least one of the #haters:

Have a listen to Nollsie in the video above (or the full version at the bottom) and let us know what you think.

Fair criticism or "what about me, it isn't fair?"

Noll sings to the Cox Plate crowd. Source: Channel 7

In the meantime, here's just some of the feedback.

Here's the full clip:

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The movies getting all the Oscar buzz

Will you be mine? Robert Downey Jr gets into the rough and tumble of screenings for the Academy in New York earlier this month. (Photo Rob Kim/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

FOUR months out from the 2015 Academy Awards, there is one thing pundits agree on: this is going to be one of the most competitive races in many years ... in the Best Actor and Best Picture category.

As for Best Actress, that statuette seems to be Julianne Moore's to lose.

While movie folk still talk about "Awards Season" (running from September through to March, it actually eats up half a year), Oscar predictions nowadays start dribbling in from May, when a handful of prestige titles premiere at Cannes.

Julianne Moore leads the ladies with a moving performance in Still Alice (Icon) Source: Supplied

The heat is then turned up come September when studios begin screening their awards bait for the first time at four taste-making festivals: Venice, Toronto, Telluride and New York.

(In Australia, Awards Season titles tend to be held from cinemas until January/February, in order to capitalise on the hype.)

The crowded 2015 Best Actor field welcomed its first contenders when Cannes threw up Steve Carell playing against type in Foxcatcher as a paranoid millionaire who appoints himself benefactor of the US Olympic wrestling team, and Timothy Spall as a famously eccentric British painter in Mr Turner.

Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo are both on the Oscar radar for real-life tale of paranoia and tragedy, Foxcatcher (Roadshow) Source: Supplied

Toronto pushed two more Brits playing real-life genii to the fore: Eddie Redmayne as physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything and Benedict Cumberbatch as WWII code-cracker Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

Sometimes festival launches rule an actor out, rather than in. Case in point: Robert Downey Jr.

His return to drama with The Judge was tipped to herald a return to Oscar-ville (he's been nominated twice, in 1993 for Chaplin and 2009 for Tropic Thunder). But the response to The Judge has been lukewarm both from critics and the paying public.

This Best Actor race is too crowded for lukewarm.

The Academy loves a tale of real-life struggle: actors Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne meet physicist Stephen Hawking, subject of their film The Theory of Everything (Universal) Source: Supplied

So who's at the head of the pack? Michael Keaton. The former Batman winged it out of Telluride and straight to No.1 nominee status with Birdman, the story of a washed up cinematic superhero attempting a comeback. Sound familiar?

It's not just Keaton's spectrum-blowing performance but the life-imitating-art factor that will appeal to voters. At 63, he has never been nominated and has not headlined a hit since the '90s. Keaton is also considered one of the industry's good guys, so it's hard to imagine anyone begrudging the veteran a reward for a lifetime of beloved movies.

Michael Keaton plays an actor who can't escape his superhero past in Birdman. Sound familiar? (Twentieth Century Fox) Source: AP

Films released outside the Awards Season window really have to shout to be heard once the floodgates open.

Richard Linklater's Boyhood, released in August, has the groundbreaking 12-years-in-the-making angle as well as universal acclaim on its side. It's an especially strong contender in the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (for Patricia Arquette) categories.

Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, released in March, did such strong business for an art house film (locally, it became the highest-grosser in the 22-year history of boutique Melbourne venue Cinema Nova), that its sublime silliness should stick in the memories of voters when it comes to Best Picture and Best Actor (for Ralph Fiennes).

Then there are those films no one has seen as yet, but the pedigree of which screams "Oscar Bait". They'll be vying for space with The Imitation Game, Gone Girl, Birdman et al when it comes to Best Picture.

Angelina Jolie's biggest directorial outing yet, Unbroken, the true story of a US Olympic runner and POW; Interstellar from Christopher Nolan, one of the few filmmakers (along with Gone Girl's David Fincher) who seems to appeal equally to audiences and the Academy; Star-packed fairytale mash-up musical Into the Woods, led by Queen Oscar herself, Meryl Streep; Clint Eastwood's American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as the US military's real-life top sharpshooter; Selma, an Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt-backed biopic that follows Martin Luther King (played by David Oyelowo) on his 1965 voting-rights marches.

Memories of Patricia Arquette's depiction of motherhood spanning 12 years in Boyhood will linger with voters (Universal) Source: Supplied

And writer-director J.C. Chandor's gritty 1980s crime drama A Most Violent Year, starring Oscar Isaac and Academy pre-approved Jessica Chastain, is considered a chance to edge some bigger-name opposition out of the race once it premieres next month.

That the Best Actress field is far less populated than Best Actor this year isn't simply about a lack of quality films or performances.

Sasha Stone, founder of tracking and analysis site Awards Daily, last week wrote: "What I've observed in the 16 years I've been watching films get released ... and the awards race that follows, tells me that movies by or about women have to resonate with men and women to get attention.

"Where a Terms of Endearment or a Broadcast News might have been considered universal enough once upon a time, those movies can't even get made anymore, let alone get anywhere near the Oscar race."

Reese Witherspoon finds herself in Wild. Could she also find an Oscar? (Twentieth Century Fox) Source: Supplied

As for those who have made it onto the 2015 field, Julianne Moore as a professor and mother who learns she has early-onset Alzheimer's in Still Alice is lengths ahead of Rosamund Pike as the missing wife in Gone Girl and Felicity Jones as Hawking's other half in The Theory of Everything (with the caveat that the studio behind Theory may choose to campaign for Jones in the Best Supporting category instead. Ahh, Oscar politics!).

Reese Witherspoon's 1700km trek following a divorce in Wild is also gaining traction, while pundits are waiting on seeing Amy Adams in painter biopic Big Eyes and Chastain in A Most Violent Year before solidifying their Top 5.

Similarly, the Best Supporting Actress field is slender, with Arquette leading the likes of Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game, Laura Dern in Wild and Emma Stone in Birdman.

Veteran character actor J.K. Simmons teaching his way to glory in Whiplash (Sony Pictures) Source: Supplied

The Best Supporting Actor category remains a toss-up, though most money right now is going to J.K. Simmons' vein-popping performance as a sadistic music teacher in Whiplash.

Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher, Edward Norton in Birdman and Ethan Hawke in Boyhood are also circling, while pundits wait on Albert Brooks' turn as a lawyer in A Most Violent Year.

The nominees for the 87th Academy Awards will be announced on January 15.

Then will follow six weeks' worth of contention as to who should, could, will or won't actually win when those gold statuettes are handed out on February 22.

OSCAR BAIT: WHEN CAN WE SEE IT IN AUSTRALIA?

November 6

Interstellar

December 26

Mr Turner

St Vincent

Regular punters and Academy watchers alike are breathlessly awaiting Interstellar (Roadshow) Source: Supplied

January 1

The Imitation Game

January 8

Into the Woods

January 15

Unbroken

Birdman

January 22

Wild

American Sniper

There's no holding Benedict Cumberbatch back: if The Imitation Game doesn't win him an Oscar, something else will (Roadshow) Source: Supplied

January 29

Foxcatcher

Still Alice

The Theory of Everything

February 5

Inherent Vice

February 19

Big Eyes

February 26

A Most Violent Year

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Teen told: Join IS or be beheaded

Kareem Mufleh said he was drugged and forced to fight. Picture: CBS Source: YouTube

A 15-YEAR-OLD former IS fighter has revealed he was drugged and threatened with beheading if he did not join the militants.

Kareem Mufleh said he was forced to watch the jihadists commit atrocities against other Syrians after his village was captured.

"I even saw them kill a woman because her wedding dress showed her neck and bare arms," he told CBS News.

The news station discovered the teenager being held in a Syrian prison by a Kurdish group battling the extremists.

He said IS had drugged him with anti-anxiety drug Zolam before he went in to battle.

"That drug makes you lose your mind," he said. "If they give you a suicide belt and tell you to blow yourself up, you'll do it."

Mufleh then pulled up his top to reveal three gunshot wounds to his stomach.

The teenager was captured by the Kurds nine months ago, in an act that may have saved his life.

He was being held in a basement cell along with other suspected IS militants.

Mufleh showed reporters three bullet wounds to his stomach. Picture: CBS Source: YouTube

Suleiman Mohammed, who was accused of detonating a car bomb with accomplice Jaber Sabah Habash, was shaking with terror when the US journalists tried to talk to him.

He said he was afraid he was going to be beaten.

The pair deny the accusations.

CBS reporter Holly Williams said it took the team weeks to obtain access to the Kurdish prison.

They were not permitted to see the jail cell where the suspected IS fighters were being held.

Despite his mental and physical scars, Mufleh is lucky — he is one of few children to have escaped the clutches of the militants.

The teenager was being held in Syria by Kurds along with other suspected IS fighters. Source: YouTube

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LIVE: Warner gone as wickets tumble

Day three of the opening Test and David Warner has hit his third consecutive century, but Pakistan are taking control.

Imran Khan celebrates taking his first ever Test wicket. Source: Getty Images

IRREPRESSIBLE opener David Warner emulated greats from Don Bradman to Adam Gilchrist with a third-straight Test century before Australia stumbled seriously in Dubai.

Warner was clean bowled by leg-spinner Yasir Shah with the third ball after lunch, reducing Australia to 5-207 with debutant Mitchell Marsh an wickekeeper Brad Haddin yet to score, and Australia still trailing by 247 runs on the first innings.

MATCH CENTRE: VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS, LIVE SCORES, BALL-BY-BALL COMMENTARY AND STATS

WARNER JOINS GILLY IN HAT-TRICK CLUB

Opener Chris Rogers (38), No.3 Alex Doolan (5), skipper Michael Clarke (2) and Steve Smith (22) all departed in a morning session collapse of 4-78. Play was extended half an hour due to religious prayers and the tourists were saying theirs.

The joy of Warner's milestone with a boundary off Imran Khan (0-35) accompanied by trademark jump and kiss of the helmet – was soon dampened.

Smith flayed carelessly to Mohammad Hafeez off debutant leg-spinner Yasir Shah (1-30) just before lunch.

Clarke's exit caused most concern. Australia's best player of spin was lacking match practice on return from the hamstring strained against Zimbabwe on August 31.

Australia needed a captain's knock and someone to bat time but Clarke fell popping a bat pad chance to Rahat Aliat at short leg off impressive left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar (1-49).

Doolan attempted an ambitious run despite finding Rahat Ali at mid-on and was caught short when deviating from a vertical path home. The Tasmania couldn't lift gear a 34-ball stay.

Rogers was cramped for room by Rahat Ali after 38 runs in 130 balls.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR MATCH CENTRE

Get the latest updates, reaction and analysis from Dubai and around the world via social media in our live blog below. You can leave a comment by clicking where it says 'Display Name' or send us a Tweet @FoxCricketLive.

Originally published as LIVE: Pakistan puts Aussies in a spin

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Oscar’s ‘special’ prison treatment

June Steenkamp has insisted she does not want revenge on Oscar Pistorius after he killed her daughter.

The Kgosi Mampuru II prison ... where Oscar Pistorius will serve at least 10 months. Picture: Getty Images. Source: Getty Images

AS Oscar Pistorius spends his second night behind bars and undergoes prison induction programs the reality for other disabled prisoners in South Africa is not the same.

The Blade Runner was assessed and immediately placed in a single cell in the hospital wing of Kgosi Mampuru II prison.

But other disabled prisoners at the same jail, formerly known as Pretoria Central prison, can only dream about such special treatment.

SHOCKED: World reacts to Paralympian's jail term

BEHIND BARS: How Oscar spent his first day in jail

Gone to jail ... other disabled prisoners at Pistorius' jail can only dream about the special treatment he is receiving. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Like Eric Viljoen, a single amputee with a prosthetic leg. A convicted rapist, he was in Kgosi Mampuru II since January this year and moved on Monday, the day before Pistorius got there.

He told the Wits Justice Program that he was never offered the chance of a single cell in the hospital wing like Pistorius has. Instead he was in an overcrowded cell with 37 other prisoners.

The Wits Justice Program, run out of the Witwatersrand University journalism program, investigates the plight of prisoners in South African jails.

FAMILY CLANS: Pistorius and Steenkamps, where to now?

BIZARRE CHARACTERS: Who came to Oscar's trial

Special prisoner ... Pistorius has a single cell in the hospital wing, something other disabled prisoners were never offered. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Robyn Leslie is a researcher with the program and says the experience of disabled prisoners with whom the program has dealt is not that of Pistorius.

"They were not given the option of a single cell as Oscar was. They were not given the option to stay in the hospital wing," Ms Leslie said yesterday.

"Anecdotally it has been our experience there is not such a routine care taken in terms of people who have disabilities," she said.

Locked up ... researchers say disabled prisoners are typically not treated well in South African prisons. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Ms Leslie said the portrait painted in Pistorius' sentence hearing by the acting head of Correctional Services, of disabled prisoners well treated and a prison system on par with the UK and the US, was not the research program's experience.

"We are concerned about the representation that was provided of the prison system on the whole because by and large that is not our experience."

Pistorius' case was exceptional — from the time of the offence to the trial was only a year and the verdict was 20 months. Prisoners, with no money or means and relying on legal aid lawyers can wait years to get to court.

Alone ... Oscar Pistorius won't get his first visitors until the weekend because visiting hours are only on weekends and public holidays. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

One man waited six years to get court — and almost immediately the Judge threw out the case for lack of evidence.

But Ms Leslie does not believe the profile of the Pistorius case, the first to be televised, will change much for the average South African seeking access to justice.

Prisoners have suggested that Pistorius, because of his fame and profile, will be well-looked after in jail. By and large disabled prisoners are not targeted by able-bodied prisoners.

Pistorius is undergoing an induction program to assess which of the jail's programs and activities he will participate in.

He won't get his first visitors until the weekend because visiting hours are only on weekends and public holidays.

Convicted of the culpable homicide of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, Pistorius was this week sentenced to five years jail. But the law under which he was sentenced stipulates that after serving one-sixth of the sentence he could be eligible for release to house arrest. That would be in 10 months time.

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The Aussie team ready to fight Ebola

Australiaapos;s allies have asked the government to do more to tackle the Ebola crisis.

THEY are ready to fight Ebola wherever they are tasked, but the man who heads Australia's National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre says the Commonwealth is right to hold back on sending teams to West Africa.

Infectious diseases and respiratory medicine specialist Dr Nick Coatsworth has a team of 24 — 16 nurses, four doctors and four logisticians from the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue — ready to move at 24 hours notice to treat Ebola cases within the region.

He is confident they have the training to protect themselves from infection but says until better evacuation contingencies are in place, the team should stay out of the West African Ebola epicentres.

EBOLA: Who hasn't been trained to handle the virus in our region

FEELING SAFE? Australia's protective equipment called into question

Leader ... Dr Nick Coatsworth is part of the 24 person team put together by the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre based at the Royal Darwin Hospital, to fight Ebola if the need arises. Picture: Elise Derwin Source: News Corp Australia

"The only way to get people out is on a military flight," he said. "As it stands, a C17 plane would take 30 hours to get to West Africa and then there is the return evacuation.

"If you really have an Ebola patient, you have about 48 to 72 hours before you start to vomit, diarrhoea and haemorrhage. If that happens in an aircraft, that's a very dangerous situation for the patient and the people around them."

Dr Coatsworth said they would go to West Africa, if ordered by the Commonwealth, but better plans were needed.

"We want to go over, there is no question of that," he said.

Ready to go ... Dr Nick Coatsworth suited up in the PPE gear and prevention clinical nurse manager Helen Judd are part of theteam put together by the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. Picture: Elise Derwin Source: News Corp Australia

"But I think the Commonwealth response is fair. If they can't get you to a first-world intensive care unit in a reasonable time frame, it would be like sending in the SAS into Afghanistan with no helicopters to get them out."

Dr Coatsworth said if they were tasked to treat cases in, for example, Papua New Guinea, they could be assured that any infected medical staff were in fast reach of Australian hospitals that could provide quality care.

The 24 doctors, nurses and firefighters are volunteers who have been receiving intensive retraining on procedures for wearing and removing protective clothing.

They will continue in their normal day jobs until the call-up comes. Mostly, their role will be about containment.

Taking precaution ... Dr Nick Coatsworth suited up at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Picture: Elise Derwin Source: News Corp Australia

People who are evacuated to western hospitals stand a better chance of recovery, but this is not an option for the 10,000 people infected in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

"You're not going to give people intensive care," he said. "You'll separate them from the community, give them dignity and literally give them water to drink.

"You take their blood to see if they've cleared the virus, and that's all you can do. But if you get enough infrastructure in, you can definitely stop the epidemic."

Getting people in West African countries into isolation will give them a 50 per cent chance of survival, compared with the 80 per cent death rate for those who stay at home.

Virus spreads ... a child stands underneath a signboard reading 'Police order quarantined home unauthorised should keep off' as a family home is placed under quarantine due to the Ebola virus in Port Loko, Sierra Leone. Picture: AP Source: AP

Dr Coatsworth was in the Congo for an outbreak of Marburg virus, the haemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola and which is equally as fatal.

He feels certain that the specialist staff can look after themselves, but there were risks.

"I've people who've said they wouldn't go, and just as many say they would go," he said.

He pointed out that the choice only existed while Ebola remained offshore. "If you're required to treat people in hospital in Australia, well, that's your job."

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Air fright: Aussie pilots detained

Two Indonesian jets have forced an Australian pilot to land his small plane after he 'violated airspace'.

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

TWO Indonesian Sukhoi fighter jets have 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.

The captain's name was Graeme Paul Jacklin of Brisbane, and his co-pilot was Richard Wayne MacLean, from Burnside in South Australia, according to an air force spokesman.

Both men they were bound for Cebu in the Philippines on their plane from Darwin under the flight number VHR5S.

The co-pilot ... Richard MacLean from South Australia. Source: Supplied

But their plane was detected by Indonesia's national air commander radar.

Indonesian Airforce Brigadier General Hadi Tjahjanto said both men violated an official flight path as it passed above the Indonesian waters, around 8am local time.

Forced down ... two Australian pilots whose civilian plane was grounded by the Indonesian airforce for flying in Indonesian airspace. Picture: Reynold Lumi Source: News Corp Australia

"The plane violated the official path around Saumlaki," he said, referring to a town in Maluku.

"Because they're civilians, the case will be under the authority of airport authorities."

The two Sukhoi Indonesian Air Force jets then followed the plane, asked them to land in Manado around 11.40am local time.

Questioned ... Richard MacLean, the co-pilot of the Beechcraft plane. Picture: Reynold Lumi Source: News Corp Australia

As Mr Jacklin and MacLean taxied in, snipers lay on the ground, their rifles pointed at the Beechcraft light plane.

Both men were then escorted across the tarmac by armed soldiers. and told they must show all of their flight documents.

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

Police guard ... two Australian pilots whose civilian plane was grounded by Indonesian Airforce. Picture: Reynold Lumi Source: News Corp Australia

The aircraft is a 1996 Beech twin-engine which has been registered to Mr Maclean since 2006.

Mr Maclean's wife, Kaye, told Fairfax Media her husband was a "ferry pilot" and that this plane had been sold and was being taken to the Philippines. She said there must have been a misunderstanding.

Escorted ... Richard MacLean walks with Indonesia police. Reynold Lumi Source: News Corp Australia

"He ferries planes all around the world," she said.

Graeme Jacklin's brother Greg (Jacklin) said he had spoken briefly with his brother about the incident.

"He's fine,'' he said.

"All I know is they were doing a ferry run.''

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

The Commander of Sam Ratulangi Military Air Base in Manado, Colonel Hesly Paat, said the two Australian pilots were still being interrogated last night.

He said a team from Jakarta was on its way to further question the men, who have been stopped on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Being held ... two Australian pilots whose civilian plane was grounded by the Indonesian airforce. Picture: Reynold Lumi Source: News Corp Australia

But he said the two pilots were not being detained as prisoners.

Colonel Paat said the pilot told investigators they were taking the plane to the Phillippines from Darwin.

He said they did not have the necessary permits to cross Indonesian air space.

"They don't have flight clearance to cross Indonesia. The plane was detected by our air defence radar, the plane could not be identified," Colonel Paat said.

"Apparently they don't have a permit to cross Indonesian air space. We didn't find any illegal or dangerous stuff in the plane."

"Now we are safekeeping the plane and the crew in the military air base."

Colonel Paat said the matter was still under investigation and he could not yet say what sanction the pilots would face.

Dramatic scene ... the civilian plane grounded by the Indonesian Airforce. Picture: Reynold Lumi Source: News Corp Australia

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.

After being contacted by News Corp Australia, the AFP, DFAT, CASA and Airservices Australia are unaware of the incident.

CASA also said Qantas and Jetstar fly the same routes every day and would not be going off the beaten track.

In trouble ... one of the Australian pilots whose civilian plane was grounded by the Indonesian Airforce. Picture: Reynold Lumi Source: News Corp Australia

Indonesia has a history of defending its airspace rigorously.

In 2000 Indonesia-Australia relations were tested when five unarmed Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) planes were intercepted.

At the time, Australia protested the "highly provocative" interception by two Indonesian fighter jets calling the action "extremely unusual".

In response, former President Abdurrahman Wahid said unintended territorial violations by other country's armed forces should be downgraded.

Last year a US military plane was ordered down without the involvement of fighter jets because it did not have the proper clearances.

And as recently as April this year, retired Swiss pilot Heinz Peier was intercepted after straying into Indonesian airspace.

Armed soldiers surrounded the 65-year-old when he landed his home made plane at Soewondo airbase, and demanded to see his licence.

He was arrested, then released days later when investigations found he had applied for a permit to enter Indonesian airspace but left before it was issued.

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LIVE: Johnson gets big breakthrough

Australia had the perfect start to the first Test taking two early wickets before Pakistan dug in on a flat lifeless wicket in Dubai.

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 picked up the crucial wicket of Azhar Ali shortly before tea. Source: Getty Images

PAKISTAN found a first-Test backbone despite Mitchell Johnson's menace as renegade veteran Younis Khan made Australia sweat in the Dubai sands.

Having been at war with the Pakistan Cricket Board, premier batsman unbeaten Younis Khan (52) turned the heat on Australia during a dogged, 108-run third wicket stand with Azhar Ali (53).

Pakistan, 3-125 at tea, was going to make Australia work for the No.1 ranking on offer with a 2-0 series scoreline. Misbah-ul-Haq was not out 8.

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MARSH AND O'KEEFE GET THE CALL

It was sad the contest with high honours on offer had the atmosphere of a park match with around 100 hardly souls in attendance at the neutral venue.

Pakistan had always plotted to negate Australia and impressive Johnson (2-16) with a low, slow strip but Ali failed to cash in – issuing a lazy prod to Alex Doolan at cover just before tea off Johnson.

Chris Rogers had missed a difficult chance from Ali on 24 off Johnson before lunch.

Australia will have to be careful how matchwinner Johnson is used having bowled the most overs, 14, before tea for the visitors.

Get all the best updates, reaction and analysis from Dubai and around the world in our live blog below. You can join the conversation by leaving a comment in the box below, or get in touch with us @FoxCricketLive.

Originally published as LIVE: Johnson gets big breakthrough

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Are you being bullied at work?

Many victims of workplace bullying suffer silently out of fear of retribution. Source: Getty Images

JUST because none of your employees have complained to you about being bullied at work doesn't mean it's not happening.

Many victims of workplace bullying suffer silently out of fear of retribution and because it's often hard for them to fully explain what is happening and how it started, according to new research recently published in the Management Communication Quarterly.

As part of their study, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with nearly 50 victims of workplace bullying. They discovered that many of the victims felt that no one would believe them, or they were afraid of being labelled as a crybaby or a whiner, so they didn't report the situation to a manager or someone else in the organisation.

"When you experience serious trauma in the workplace, it's difficult to explain to people what is happening to you," Stacy Tye-Williams, one of the study's authors and an assistant professor of communication studies and English at Iowa State University, said in a statement.

Overall, 54 million workers, or 35 per cent of U.S. employees, are targeted by a bully at some point in their careers, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute.

Besides not wanting to become ostracised, bullying victims are also hesitant to tell their story because they have a tough time fully explaining how the bullying began and escalated. Tye-Williams said their stories don't always have a distinct beginning, middle or end and that since bullying often starts with subtle behaviours that make it hard to identify initially, several months can go by before the victims realise there truly is a problem.

Bullying can take many forms. Source: Getty Images

How victims tell their stories makes all the difference in whether people believe what the targets are saying is true, according to Tye-Williams.

"When the story is all over the place and feels disjointed or disconnected, people don't understand or they can't make sense of what happened," she said. "Then what often happens is the victim is not taken seriously or not believed, which is really sad because these victims tend to be the ones suffering most."

The study's authors believe supportive co-workers can play a huge role in helping victims get up the nerve to report the situation to higher-ups. Victims who don't have someone to talk to about their story have a hard time formulating a narrative, Tye-Williams said.

"Even if you're not comfortable as a co-worker reporting the behaviour, letting the victim tell you their story, go with you to have a drink and vent, or just feel believed can help," Tye-Williams said. "For a lot of victims, that process of being believed and having someone listen to their story is crucial in helping them better communicate about their experience."

When a victim does have the strength to report the situation, it's critical that managers reserve judgment, according to the study. Even when the story is hard to follow, managers need to listen and ask questions in order to better understand what is going on, Tye-Williams said.

Besides listening to the victims, businesses also need to take action when bullying reports are found to be true, Tye-Williams said.

"It's also important that we learn how to treat each other better and reach out when people are being harmed," she said. "We can all make strides in that direction."

Kathleen Krone, a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, co-authored the study.

This article originally appeared on Business News Daily and was republished with permission.

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Man killed execution-style in Bali

Bob Ellis execution-style murder ... Bali police bring the evidence found on and around his body in a paddy field to detectives investigating the killing. Picture: Komang Erviani Source: News Corp Australia

THE wife of a man, with two sons studying in Australia, is being questioned by police after he was found murdered execution style in Bali with his throat cut, his hands and feet tied.

Robert Kelvin Ellis, 60, was found wrapped in plastic at about 8am (11am AEDT) by farmer Putu Giri Susena in a ditch in a paddy field in Sedang Village in the Abiansemal subdistrict of Badung Regency in Bali.

"We have identified the victim. He is an Australian, who lives in a villa in Sanur," said police investigator Wisnu Wardana.

"When found the corpse was wrapped in plastic with a bed cover over the body. The hands and feet were tied up.

"We alleged that there was physical violence to the victim."

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Police later said that Ellis had a UK passport who had lived for some time in Australia before moving to Indonesia.

Komang Suartana, the head of Badung police, said that police were still investigating the case.

"This is a murder case. But we are yet to find the motive. Our investigation team are still conducting the investigation," Suartana said.

Asked if the dead man's wife was a suspect in the case, he said that so far no suspects had been identifiied.

He said that based on security cameras the dead man and his wife Nur were last seen leaving the villa by car at 1.10pm on Sunday.

"After that only Nur was coming in and out of the villa alone."

Staff at the Emerald Villa complex in Sanur, where the couple lived, said that the couple had two sons who both study in Australia.

Staff member Ketut Kastawan said the couple had been living in the villa for more than 10 years.

A wreath of flowers delivered to the villa yesterday said: "To Noor Ellis. Bob was wonderful man. He will be missed by all of us."

Ida Bagus Putu Alit, the head of Sanglah's forensic team, said Ellis' throat was cut three times, with one wound fatal. He also had several bruises around his head.

Ellis, known as Mr Bob, is said to be blonde-haired, 165cm tall, weighing 103kg. There is a surgical scar to the right of the stomach.

Mr Bob is estimated to have died about 18-24 hours before he was found Tuesday.

Police also revealed that they had found a doormat and mobile phone. The phone was found in the ditch.

Wisnu Wardana said there was no report of a missing person.

Ellis' wife, an Indonesian, positively identified his body in Sanglah morgue.

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‘Fake’ inspector wants apology from The Block

Consultant Chris Hutton from Alpha Environmental who appeared on The Block. Picture: MIKE KEATING Source: News Limited

IT may have been "great for TV" but an environmental consultant from The Block is demanding an apology from Channel 9 for damaging his professional reputation in its quest for drama.

Chris Hutton says his ­clients have begun calling him "Chris the fraud" and "famous for all the wrong reasons" after Nine falsely inflated his ­credentials on the top-rating series to misrepresent the level of threat from a fuel tank ­unearthed at the Prahran construction site during filming.

THE BLOCK 'FAKED' EPA INSPECTION

Mr Hutton, who works for Alpha Environmental in Collingwood and has a degree in environmental science, was called out to the High St site to survey for "dangerous" pollution risks from the tank.

But he quickly realised that there was no great threat being caused by the tank and struggled to contain his giggles when questioned about it.

The Block host Scott Cam. Source: News Corp Australia

He said he was repeatedly told "this will be great for TV" during his inspection even though the so-called "threat" was almost non-existent.

"It was all a bit of a beat-up done for TV," Mr Hutton said.

"They identified a potential concern, dealt with it, but it was built up for ratings.

"They even referred to it as a bomb they were sitting on.

"When I was giving them the results, I was trying to keep a straight face thinking 'this is just ridiculous'."

Despite making the producers aware of his title, he was shocked when he saw himself described as an EPA inspector on screen.

He suspects Nine misrepresented him — along with the pollution risk — to win ratings.

"I'm not at all happy about the way I have been portrayed but Chris from the EPA sounds pretty significant as opposed to Chris from Alpha Environmental," he said.

Nine spokesman Terry Stuart said he would not be commenting further on the issue.

andrew.jefferson@news.com.au

Twitter: @Jeffo18091971

Originally published as 'Fake' inspector wants apology from The Block

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