Hundreds vie for Best Job in World

Cameron Ernst aka "Party Pants" is one of the finalists for The Best Job In The World.

TOURISM Australia has been swamped with videos from people from everywhere from Afghanistan to Latvia dying to work Down Under as part of its Best Jobs in the World competition.

More than 45,000 videos were received in the competition, which have been narrowed down to 150 short-listed applicants - 25 for each of the six state or territory jobs on offer - which went online this morning.

Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said the quality of the number of videos received had exceeded expectations.

They include a spoof 007 video for the park ranger job offered in Queensland, an applicant for the taste master job in Western Australia singing for his supper and a video for the chief funster role in NSW delivered in rap.

Tourism Australia's "Six Best Jobs in the World" campaign has received thousands of applicants.

They also include an applicant for the wildlife caretaker in South Australia swimming in a freezing pond in England.

Other jobs include an Outback adventurer in the Northern Territory and a lifestyle photographer for TimeOut magazine in Melbourne, Victoria.

Most of the short-listed applicants came from the US, followed by the UK, Australia, France, Canada and Italy.

Chris Henschel from Canada is one of the finalists for The Best Job In The World.

Mr McEvoy said judging the videos had been a big job.

A team of around 20 people made up of current and former Tourism Australia staff and people brought in from creative and media agencies watched the video applications after undergoing rigorous training.

Entries were judged against a comprehensive selection criteria, including English language proficiency, creativity and originality.

Eileen Street from America is one of the finalists for The Best Job In The World.

"I probably watched 300 or so," Mr McEvoy said.

"The quality is outstanding."

Mr McEvoy said the ultimate aim was to get more people to come to Australia for a working holiday and around 40 per cent of applicants had also signed up to receive offers through partners such as STA Travel and Virgin Australia.

Christian Wagner from Germany is one of the finalists for The Best Job In The World.

A Facebook page promoting working holidays in Australia also shot from around 50,000 fans to more than 400,000 since the competition was launched.

"STA are already telling us that the level of inquiries for working holidays in Australia from around the world has never been bigger," he said.

"They have seen 50 per cent, 60 per cent and 70 per cent increases."

Arianna Spagnolo from Italy is one of the finalists for The Best Job In The World.

The short-listed candidates now have two weeks to submit references to support their application.

Judges from each state and territory tourism board will decide the 18 finalists - three for each job - who will be invited to Australia in June to take part in formal interviews, tests and challenges.

The winners will be announced on June 21.

Hsin-Hsuan Hsieh from Taiwan is one of the finalists for The Best Job In The World.

The short-listed videos can be viewed here.

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'The moment I found the Boston bomber'

David Henneberry, the man who found the second Boston Marathon bomb suspect. Photo: WCVB.com Source: Supplied

THE man who found one of the Boston Marathon bomb suspects hiding in his boat in his backyard has told of how he discovered him during the manhunt.

David Henneberry went to check on his boat at his Watertown home after the lockdown order was lifted in Boston.

Earlier in the day, when he was holed up inside, Mr Henneberry noticed that two of the pads he puts near the boat to prevent chaffing were out of place.

"It was really windy, so I didn't think twice about it," told local station WCVB.

US police have released thermal image pictures that they said helped to track the Boston bomber suspect.

When he went to adjust the pads, he found a strap was a lot "looser" than it normally would be on the boat.

"So I went out in the yard and felt the freedom that everyone is Watertown was feeling.

"When I pulled the strap, it was a lot looser than it usually is. But again, the wind could have loosened things up,' he told WCVB.

Police release new thermal imaging video of Boston suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lying in a boat as a flash bang grenade explodes near him. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)

He saw what he described as "a good amount" of blood on the inside of the cabin.

At first he thought it may have been from a previous incident where he might have cut himself.

"And I looked back and forth a couple of times and my eyes went to the engine block and there was a body," he said.

He then ran back to his house and called the police, who immediately rushed to the scene.

Mr Henneberry and his wife are still unable to return to their home while investigators are searching the area for more evidence.

He has dismissed claims that he is a national hero, saying that if anything, he is an "incidental hero".

"It makes me feel wonderful that people that are thinking like that, but it is my boat. People lost lives and lost limbs," Mr Henneberry said.

"I am lucky I am alive. These other people were killed. Sometimes, I just sit and say, "Wow,"' he said.

Today, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has admitted to planting the explosives. The women closest to the Boston bomb suspects have told of their shock.

The American wife of Tamerlan Tsarnaev is co-operating with authorities probing the attack, her lawyers say.

Katherine Russell, 24, who married Tamerlan Tsarnaev in June 2010 and has a three-year-old daughter with him, is "doing everything she can to assist (the) ongoing investigation'', her lawyers said today in a media statement.

And the suspects' sisters - who live in New Jersey - have expressed their sadness over the "callous acts" of the Tsarnaev brothers.

The Boston Globe reported that Tsarnaev admitted to planting the bombs and killing MIT police officer Sean Collier with his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed in a police shoot-out.

The Boston Marathon attack left three dead and at least 264 people wounded.

Tsarnaev reportedly told authorities on Sunday that he and his brother were behind the attacks, and said his brother had become radicalised in part because of US action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The statement from the Russell family said news that the two brothers may have been behind the carnage came as an "absolute shock'' to Tsarnaev's wife and her family.

"As a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife, Katie deeply mourns the pain and loss to innocent victims, students, law enforcement, families and our community,'' it said.

"In the aftermath of this tragedy, she, her daughter and her family are trying to come to terms with these events.''

Watch Mr Henneberry's interview with WCVB here.

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Police probe fatal Mandurah taxi crash

A crash on the Kwinana Freeway has claimed the life of one person. Picture: Seven News/Facebook Source: PerthNow

TWO passengers who exited a taxi before a crash that killed the driver are being sought by police as they investigate the fatality.

Police said a white Swan Taxis 'maxi taxi' was between driven on Mandurah Road between 10am and 10.30am when it suddenly swerved into Rouse Road and struck what is believed to be a removalist van.

The truck left the scene and police believe the driver of the truck may not have known the taxi had hit his vehicle.

The 67-year-old male driver of the taxi died at the scene and a passenger in the taxi is assisting major crash officer with their investigation.

Police are seeking to speak with two other passengers, who they believe exited the taxi somewhere along Mandurah Road before the crash.

Anyone with information or who witnessed the crash is asked to contact CrimeStoppers.

One killed in Kwinana Freeway crash

Up to six cars may have been involved in a crash on Kwinana Freeway that claimed the life of one man and saw another person airlifted to hospital.

Freeway lanes northbound between Safety Bay Road and Mundijong Road in Baldivis have now been reopened after being shut for much of the afternoon.

The RAC Rescue chopper transported one person to Royal Perth Hospital, while fire and rescue crews helped free several people trapped after the crash.

The age and gender of the man has yet to be released.

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Woodside rejects 'moral obligation' claim

Woodside chairman Michael Chaney says green groups had 'zero' influence in the board's decision not to go ahead with James Price Point. Source: The Sunday Times

WOODSIDE Petroleum has ruled out making ex-gratia payments to traditional owners who signed up to a $1.5 billion social benefits package for the now-shelved Browse gas project.

The communities stand to miss out on all but a small part of the package as it was conditional on the company and its joint venture partners deciding to proceed with an onshore processing hub at James Price Point, north of Broome, in Western Australia's Kimberley region.

Woodside shelved that $45 billion proposal almost a fortnight ago, saying it would not deliver the returns needed.

While traditional owners said the joint venture had a moral obligation to deliver the package regardless of whether the project proceeded, Woodside chief executive Peter Coleman said only $18 million in native title payments would still be made.

"The agreement was very clear,'' Mr Coleman told reporters after the energy giant's annual general meeting in Perth today.

"It was based upon the successful final investment decision at James Price Point.

"We don't expect to be making ex-gratia payments to them.''

Financial market analysts have said a flood of LNG exports to Asia from North America's shale gas boom was a factor in the company's decision to shelve Browse.

Mr Coleman said he expected LNG demand would remain strong for the next three or four years, particularly for cargoes sold on the spot market.

He believes the resources sector as a whole is going through a natural correction after a long commodities cycle.

And while green groups claimed victory after often heated protests at James Price Point, Woodside's chairman Michael Chaney insisted the dissent had "zero'' influence on the board's decision.

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Son charged over couple's death

Wangaratta couple Bill and Pauline Thomas were a quiet and loving couple well-regarded in the local community. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THE son of a couple found dead in their home has been charged with murder.

Ian David Thomas, 35, of Western Australia, faced an out-of-sessions court hearing charged with the murders of Bill and Pauline Thomas.

Plain-clothes detectives arrested Mr Thomas in Meredith, between Ballarat and Geelong, on Tuesday.

The bodies of the devoted couple were found in their home outside Wangaratta on Monday night.

Ian Thomas has been arrested over the deaths of his parents.

A barefoot Mr Thomas, in a blue jumpsuit, asked for bail, saying: "I am absolutely no threat to anyone's livelihood whatsoever."

He appeared calm, but had an injury to his face that he said occurred when a police officer "stomped" on him as he was arrested.

The hearing was told investigations into the cause of the couple's deaths, some time between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, were continuing.

Detectives have arrested a 35-year-old man after the discovery of two bodies at a home in country Victoria.

Mr Thomas was remanded to face Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Family of the couple, who'd been married for 40 years, said they were in disbelief at the tragic deaths.

Mr Thomas's brother, Alan, said: "We're all just totally shellshocked. We're absolutely gobsmacked."

Police outside a house in Wangaratta where two bodies were found. Picture: Rob Leeson

The dead couple's other children, who live in Queensland and Western Australia, planned to gather at Alan Thomas's Undera home.

"Nobody knows what to do. We're all dumbfounded," Mr Thomas said.

He said the last time he saw his brother was at his mother's funeral in January, when the family gathered.

Police outside a house in Wangaratta where two bodies were found. Picture: Rob Leeson

"They were a very quiet couple, kept to themselves, and when they weren't working they were inseparable.

"They would help anybody," he said.

Meredith resident Courtney Young said news of the arrest had been a shock.

"Everyone's been talking about it and we have seen the police around town," she said. "It's such a quiet kind of place normally - not something you expect to hear about."

wayne.flower@news.com.au

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Australia's sexiest jobs revealed

Women who work in sport and recreation are considered the most attractive. Picture: Thinkstock Source: Supplied

• Survey finds the sexiest men are soldiers
• Hottest women work in sport and recreation
• No love for insurance workers or telemarketers

WOMEN dig Diggers and men can't keep their eyes off the yoga teacher.

That's the verdict of a new national survey, commissioned by 'infidelity site' VictoriaMilan.com.au, which asked 1,000 Australians from the population at large to name the professions that get them drooling.

It turns out that girls really do love a man in uniform. Soldiers topped the list of hunky heartthrobs, and emergency service personnel weren't far behind.

"Wars aren't sexy but fighters are and that's why Aussie women dig Diggers," said VictoriaMilan founder Sigurd Vedal.

There are some surprising results as well. For instance, 'unemployment' was voted a sexier profession than sales, science, HR, IT and a bunch of other perfectly respectable careers. Figure that one out.

We've used the results to put together a list of the five sexiest professions for both men and women, along with the five least alluring jobs.

Did the survey get it wrong? Leave a comment below. Tell us where your partner works ... and where you'd like them to work.

Look at that jawline. He can put you in his sights any day. Picture: Thinkstock Source:

Hot hunks

Soldiers

He's fighting fit, resourceful and brave to boot. He has all the muscles of a gym junkie but none of the insufferable vanity. That soldier boyfriend will keep you safe and satisfied.

Emergency Service Personnel

What could be sexier than a man who devotes his life to saving the lives of others? Whether your beau is a fireman, a cop or an ambulance officer, his selfless attitude will blow you away. And don't forget the appeal of a man in uniform.

Tradesmen/Construction Workers

They don't call these guys handymen for nothing. All of those mundane household tasks which would stump most fancy-pants businessmen are a breeze for any tradie. Of course, those strong hands have other uses.

Sportsmen

Talk about window shopping. Weekend television is a virtual catalogue of sporty hunks. Are you a woman who likes her men to be seriously built? League's the sport for you. Or would you rather have a lean man with a great reach? Turn on the AFL and start drooling.

Doctors

It's nice to know that your boyfriend has a noble job. It's even better when that job makes him loads of money. Men in medicine represent the perfect blend of brains, responsibility and fun, and expensive holidays.

Lawyers can be sexy. And as an added benefit, they can keep you out of prison. Picture: Thinkstock Source:

Bewitching babes

Sport/Recreation

Some men go to the gym to admire themselves in the mirror. Others prefer to admire the female company. Women working in sport and recreation are fit and energetic. They're also willing to roll around in the backyard with a footy after work.

Medical Workers

We all put on a brave face, but every man secretly wants to be cared for. That's why doctors and nurses are so appealing; it's their job to care for people. Of course, the skimpy nurse costumes which surface around Halloween also have something to do with it.

Hospitality/Tourism

Men love to eat and drink. They also enjoy travelling to exotic places. So naturally, they'd love to date a woman whose job connects her with food, drink or travel.

Students

Men find students sexy. Ok, you could easily use that fact to accuse blokes of being creepy cradle-snatchers. Having said that, students are curious, idealistic and intelligent. They could remind men of their younger days in more ways than one.

Lawyers

Women who work in law are hardworking and super-intelligent. They tend to be excellent conversationalists as well. You wouldn't know it from walking into a pub, but many men do want to discuss the weightier issues of the day with their partners.

She's sad because she's lonely. Picture: Thinkstock Source:

Unlucky in love

Insurance

These poor folks really do struggle to make a good first impression. They pick up the phone, introduce themselves and then spend an hour tussling over different interpretations of the fine print. You don't win friends, or lovers, by denying them a desperately needed payout.

Manufacturing

It's not entirely clear what manufacturers have done to be rejected so callously. Perhaps, as the manufacturing industry inexorably declines across the first world, sexy singles would rather jump on a love boat which isn't slowly sinking.

Community Services

Ok, this one just isn't fair. Seriously Australia, what is so awful about people who work in community services? They're caring, conscientious and they love the community. The community should really start loving them back.

Call Centres and Customer Service

They have no trouble retrieving hotties' numbers, but no matter how many times they try, call centre workers just can't get anyone to pick up the phone.

Consulting and Strategy

When you tell other people how to do their jobs for a living, you shouldn't be surprised when nobody wants to share their innermost secrets with you. Potential partners are probably scared that every dinner conversation will end with a pointed suggestion for self-improvement.

So there you have it. Is the survey wrong? Which professions make you hot under the collar? Leave your preferences below and you might even meet your match.

Or continue the conversation on Twitter @SamClench | @newscomauHQ

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$2 coffees would send Bocelli broke

Leo Agnello, pictured with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in 2008, says serving coffees for $2 would put him out of business. Source: PerthNow

THE owner of Perth's most popular cafe says he would go broke if he sold $2 coffees.

Leo Agnello, whose Forrest Place cafe Bocelli's Espresso was voted the city's best coffee shop by customers during the Eat Drink Perth month, says his trade is doing fine, despite the competitive push to lower prices, as he serves up long blacks for $3.80 to the tune of hundreds a day .

"Five cafes around me have closed up in the past seven or eight months,'' he said.

"It is really hard to make a living when you have to pay exhorbitant rents and high wages.

"On Anzac day I will be paying $4,600 in wages because I have to pay double time.''

Even if his customers are lured elsewhere to cafes like Bar 399 ($2 coffees) and Five Bar, which PerthNow revealed on the weekend was offering $2.50 coffees, Agnello said he will always have a faithful customer in blind tenor Andrea Bocelli, who stops in for an espresso whenever he is in Perth.

Agnello, a classical music lover, was ridiculed by friends and family when he named his cafe, owned with his brother Francesco, after Bocelli in 1989.

Then one day in 2002, he served a coffee to Bocelli's manager who was in Perth with his boss on tour. He was so taken with Agnello's personal blend of hazelnut, guatemalan and ethiopian beans that the manager brought Andrea back the next day.

"Bocelli said he could feel something special about the place and was so touched that I named the cafe after him that he gave me tickets to the show,'' Agnello said.

"He has been back twice since then and each time he has come in. I am hoping that he will tour again at the end of this year and drop in again.''

Perth coffee drinkers have been vocal against soaring coffee prices ever since PerthNow revealed earlier this month that a Scarborough cafe was charging $7.25 for a cappucino in a mug.

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Two men found guilty of shooting murder

Jeremia Iskander was shot in the chest while at a mate's place in Wanneroo. Picture: Supplied. Source: PerthNow

A PERTH jury has found two men guilty of murdering a 21-year-old man over a drug debt by shooting him in the chest at close range.

A Supreme Court jury deliberated for more than a day before convicting Damien Phillip Mathews and Hayden Shane Wayne Joseph of murdering Jeremia Iskander, who was fatally shot on December 2, 2011.

Prosecutor Amanda Forrester had argued Mathews fired the fatal shot, but Joseph was involved in its planning and was therefore equally culpable.

The court heard during the four-week trial that Mr Iskander had been friends with Joseph for several years, but they had fallen out because Joseph owed him money.

Iskander stole two of Joseph's cars to force him to pay his debt. However, Joseph and Mathews confronted Mr Iskander in a driveway where he was shot, the court heard. Colin Lovitt, representing Mathews, alleged it was Mr Iskander who had a gun and that a shot was fired accidentally.

Matthews and Joseph will be sentenced on May 31.

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Footy numbers net Morley man a million

A YOUNG Morley man has his favorite AFL players to thank for bagging a million-dollar Lotto win last week.

The footy fan said he had been playing the numbers only for the past five months but they have already delivered him Division 1 Lotto luck.

"After the first few Lotto draws I thought the numbers were a bit useless but I had this feeling that I had to keep playing them," he said.

"It was definitely worth sticking with them because faith in your numbers pays off."

The Morley man said the million-dollar win would set him up for life and he now plans to buy his first home and jet off travelling.

"I can now buy something closer to my dream home, I never imagined I would be in this position," he said.

$70 million worth of jackpots this week!

WA Lotto players will have two chances to win big this week, with tonight's $20 million OZ Lotto draw and Thursday night's $50 million Powerball draw.

Tickets are available from Lotterywest retailers across WA or from Play Online at lotterywest.wa.gov.au

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Who was Boston's naked man?

Police have not identified the 'Naked Man' - fuelling conspiracy theories. Source: news.com.au

IT'S one of the enduring mysteries of the chaos in Boston last week. Just who was the naked man law enforcement authorities paraded in front of the cameras?

After the shooting of a police officer at MIT and the high-speed chase through Watertown that followed, the Boston Police arrested and questioned a man and ordered him to strip. CNN broadcast footage of the nude man being escorted by police to a waiting wagon.

It was a riveting moment in the foggy TV coverage of the issue, where it (wrongly) seemed like there was resolution to the case.

But days later the naked man has yet to come forward, and the Watertown police department has not clarified the man's identity – fuelling conspiracy theories about the man's identity.

Several online conspiracy theorists claim the world is being hoodwinked by Boston law enforcement and that the naked man was one of the terrorists who caused the chaos, Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

The claims, fuelled by an interview that aired on US television where Tsarnaev's aunt identified the naked man as "100 per cent" Tamerlan, were today rubbished by the Watertown police department.

Official accounts of the incident said Tamerlan died after a lengthy shootout with law enforcement agents. Doctors said Tsarnaev's body was riddled with massive penetrating injuries. He immediately went into cardiac arrest upon arrival at hospital and was later pronounced dead.

A man who was caught up in the case when the Tsarnaev brothers hijacked his SUV has yet to publicly speak about the case.

Law enforcement officials told The New York Times that this man was released, uninjured, at a gas station and he then called the police.

The Naked Man mystery continues. But he has become an object of a different kind of fascination, too. Author Michael Patrick said on Twitter he was "an inspiration to all of us to get back to the gym", adding that a similar situation could happen to you.

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