Australia has intercepted a boat of Vietnamese asylum-seekers, officials said today, as the government accused people-smugglers of using the upcoming election to drum up new business. 
 
Rhetoric around Canberra&#39;s controversial immigration policy has ramped up ahead of July 2 polls, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has denounced a Labour opposition pledge to allow illegal migrants already in Australia to stay permanently. 
 
The Vietnamese boat was discovered north of Australia this month, with the 21 men, women and children on board processed at sea and then flown home, immigration minister Peter Dutton said. 
 
&quot;They claimed that they were wanting protection. It was found that they weren&#39;t owed protection and they were returned back to Vietnam,&quot; he said. 
 
Under Canberra&#39;s tough measures, asylum-seekers trying to reach Australia by boat are either sent back to where they departed or to remote Pacific island camps, where living conditions have been criticised. 
 
While Labour backs the policy of turning back illegal boat arrivals, it has said it would permanently settle the bulk of the 30,000 boatpeople who came ashore under the previous Labour governments of Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, most of which are still waiting to be processed. 
 
&quot;This will send an absolutely unequivocal signal to the people-smugglers that under a Labor government, anyone who manages to get to Australia on a boat will be able to stay here permanently,&quot; Turnbull told reporters. 
 
&quot;The people-smugglers are starting to market again and we know... they are marketing that there will be, or could be, a change of government in Australia and the way the opportunities to smuggle people to Australia will be open again.&quot; 
 
Since the start of its &quot;Operation Sovereign Borders&quot; in September 2013, the government has managed to halt the flood of boat arrivals, and drownings, that characterised previous Labour administrations. 
 
Turnbull said since the Conservatives came to power, 28 boats carrying 734 people have been turned back with no successful arrival in almost 700 days. 
 
(AFP)

The immigration minister said the 21 aboard did not need protection as claimed and sent them back to Vietnam

Australia has intercepted a boat of Vietnamese asylum-seekers, officials said today, as the government accused people-smugglers of using the upcoming election to drum up new business. Rhetoric around Canberra's controversial immigration policy has ramped up ahead of July 2 polls, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has denounced a Labour opposition pledge to allow illegal migrants already in Australia to stay permanently. The Vietnamese boat was discovered north of Australia this month, with the 21 men, women and children on board processed at sea and then flown home, immigration minister Peter Dutton said. "They claimed that they were wanting protection. It was found that they weren't owed protection and they were returned back to Vietnam," he said. Under Canberra's tough measures, asylum-seekers trying to reach Australia by boat are either sent back to where they departed or to remote Pacific island camps, where living conditions have been criticised. While Labour backs the policy of turning back illegal boat arrivals, it has said it would permanently settle the bulk of the 30,000 boatpeople who came ashore under the previous Labour governments of Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, most of which are still waiting to be processed. "This will send an absolutely unequivocal signal to the people-smugglers that under a Labor government, anyone who manages to get to Australia on a boat will be able to stay here permanently," Turnbull told reporters. "The people-smugglers are starting to market again and we know... they are marketing that there will be, or could be, a change of government in Australia and the way the opportunities to smuggle people to Australia will be open again." Since the start of its "Operation Sovereign Borders" in September 2013, the government has managed to halt the flood of boat arrivals, and drownings, that characterised previous Labour administrations. Turnbull said since the Conservatives came to power, 28 boats carrying 734 people have been turned back with no successful arrival in almost 700 days. (AFP)

Australia intercepts Vietnam asylum-seeker boat

Australia qualified for the final of the triangular one-day international series (ODI) with a six-wicket win over West Indies in Barbados on Tuesday. 
 
West Indies were sent in to bat and compiled 282 for eight off their 50 overs, with Marlon Samuels scoring 125 off 134 balls for his maiden ODI century against Australia. 
 
Wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin chipped in with a brisk 91 in a 192-run fourth wicket stand as the hosts roared back after losing three early wickets. 
 
Australia made a wobbly start in reply, with openers Aaron Finch (16) and Usman Khawaja (17) going early. But, the visitors settled in as play wore on and chased down the target with eight balls to spare, Glenn Maxwell (46 not out) securing victory with a devastating late burst. 
 
The result means the winner of Friday&#39;s match between West Indies and South Africa will advance to Sunday&#39;s final against Australia at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. 
 
While captain Steve Smith (78) top-scored for Australia with his third successive ODI half-century, the batting form of team mates Mitchell Marsh (79 not out) and Maxwell pleased the skipper. Maxwell&#39;s innings included a magnificent switch-hit sweep for six over cover-point off spinner Sunil Narine in the 46th over. In the next over he bludgeoned 14 runs off three balls off Carlos Brathwaite to effectively seal victory. 
 
&quot;An innings like that, I was speechless at the other end,&quot; said Marsh in an on-field interview. &quot;Maxie has a lot of doubters but an innings like today shows why he&#39;s such a pivotal part of the team.&quot; 
 
Smith, who downplayed a question about apparent on-field sledging, had plenty of praise to share around. 
 
&quot;I thought Mitchell Marsh played a very mature innings and Glenn Maxwell finished off nicely with a few of his trademark reverse slog sweeps, or whatever they&#39;re called,&quot; he said. 
 
West Indies captain Jason Holder limped off with a strained left hamstring after bowling just two overs and is doubtful for Friday&#39;s showdown against South Africa. 
 
(Reuters)

West Indies were sent in to bat and notched up 282 for eight, with Marlon Samuels scoring his maiden ODI century against Australia

Australia qualified for the final of the triangular one-day international series (ODI) with a six-wicket win over West Indies in Barbados on Tuesday. West Indies were sent in to bat and compiled 282 for eight off their 50 overs, with Marlon Samuels scoring 125 off 134 balls for his maiden ODI century against Australia. Wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin chipped in with a brisk 91 in a 192-run fourth wicket stand as the hosts roared back after losing three early wickets. Australia made a wobbly start in reply, with openers Aaron Finch (16) and Usman Khawaja (17) going early. But, the visitors settled in as play wore on and chased down the target with eight balls to spare, Glenn Maxwell (46 not out) securing victory with a devastating late burst. The result means the winner of Friday's match between West Indies and South Africa will advance to Sunday's final against Australia at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. While captain Steve Smith (78) top-scored for Australia with his third successive ODI half-century, the batting form of team mates Mitchell Marsh (79 not out) and Maxwell pleased the skipper. Maxwell's innings included a magnificent switch-hit sweep for six over cover-point off spinner Sunil Narine in the 46th over. In the next over he bludgeoned 14 runs off three balls off Carlos Brathwaite to effectively seal victory. "An innings like that, I was speechless at the other end," said Marsh in an on-field interview. "Maxie has a lot of doubters but an innings like today shows why he's such a pivotal part of the team." Smith, who downplayed a question about apparent on-field sledging, had plenty of praise to share around. "I thought Mitchell Marsh played a very mature innings and Glenn Maxwell finished off nicely with a few of his trademark reverse slog sweeps, or whatever they're called," he said. West Indies captain Jason Holder limped off with a strained left hamstring after bowling just two overs and is doubtful for Friday's showdown against South Africa. (Reuters)

Australia beat Windies to reach ODI tri-series final

Teenage recruits into the Australian military were forced to rape each other, often as part of brutal initiation practices, a public inquiry into child sex abuse heard on Tuesday. 
? 
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse has already examined churches, sports bodies and the entertainment industry with its focus now on the Australian Defence Force (ADF) 
 
The spotlight is on two former training establishments used from the 1960s to 1980s -- HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia where junior naval recruits were trained, and an army apprentice school at Balcombe in Victoria state. 
 
Counsel assisting the inquiry Angus Stewart said the commission had been contacted by 111 people about incidents of child sexual abuse within the ADF -- and 50 of these involved either Leeuwin or Balcombe. 
 
Survivors giving evidence to the inquiry would reveal that they were sexually abused during their first six months at Leeuwin, when they were 15 or 16 years old, he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Royal Commission will hear that most of the abuse was perpetrated by older recruits as part of an informal hierarchy in which older recruits physically and sexually abused more junior recruits as part of ritualised practices of &#39;bastardisation&#39; &nbsp;that were designed to &#39; break in&#39; &nbsp;and humiliate new entrants to the navy,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
This bullying included &quot;blackballing&quot; or &quot;nuggeting&quot; in which a junior recruit was held down as boot polish or toothpaste was smeared on his private parts, sometimes with a harsh brush, and &quot;gotcha&quot; in which a recruit&#39;s private parts were grabbed, usually while they showered. 
 
Another practice was the &quot;royal flush&quot; in which junior recruits held the head of one of their number in a used toilet bowl and flushed. 
 
&quot;The survivors will give evidence that they were subjected to serious forms of sexual abuse, including fondling of the genitals, masturbation, oral sex, and anal penetration by a penis or other object,&quot; Stewart said. 
 
Survivors rarely reported the crimes, overcome by shame and fear, while those who did have claimed they were not believed or were told such experiences were &quot;a rite of passage&quot;, he said. 
 
One survivor, known as CJA, &quot;will give evidence that he was regularly forced to perform and receive oral and anal sex on other junior recruits during his first six months at Leeuwin&quot;. 
 
CJA, who was 16 at the time in 1967, would tell the inquiry that his complaints went nowhere and he was described as a troublemaker, Stewart said. 
 
Survivors from Balcombe, where apprentices were often as young as 15, were subject to similar practices as those at Leeuwin, the inquiry heard. 
 
The Australian military has been subject to two major inquiries into abuse over the last five years, with complaints dating from the 1940s. The ADF has since embarked on cultural reforms. 
(AFP)

Survivors have given evidence of sexual abuse to the inquiry in two former training establishments that operated from the 1960s to 1980s

Teenage recruits into the Australian military were forced to rape each other, often as part of brutal initiation practices, a public inquiry into child sex abuse heard on Tuesday. ? The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse has already examined churches, sports bodies and the entertainment industry with its focus now on the Australian Defence Force (ADF) The spotlight is on two former training establishments used from the 1960s to 1980s -- HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia where junior naval recruits were trained, and an army apprentice school at Balcombe in Victoria state. Counsel assisting the inquiry Angus Stewart said the commission had been contacted by 111 people about incidents of child sexual abuse within the ADF -- and 50 of these involved either Leeuwin or Balcombe. Survivors giving evidence to the inquiry would reveal that they were sexually abused during their first six months at Leeuwin, when they were 15 or 16 years old, he said. "The Royal Commission will hear that most of the abuse was perpetrated by older recruits as part of an informal hierarchy in which older recruits physically and sexually abused more junior recruits as part of ritualised practices of 'bastardisation' that were designed to ' break in' and humiliate new entrants to the navy," he said. This bullying included "blackballing" or "nuggeting" in which a junior recruit was held down as boot polish or toothpaste was smeared on his private parts, sometimes with a harsh brush, and "gotcha" in which a recruit's private parts were grabbed, usually while they showered. Another practice was the "royal flush" in which junior recruits held the head of one of their number in a used toilet bowl and flushed. "The survivors will give evidence that they were subjected to serious forms of sexual abuse, including fondling of the genitals, masturbation, oral sex, and anal penetration by a penis or other object," Stewart said. Survivors rarely reported the crimes, overcome by shame and fear, while those who did have claimed they were not believed or were told such experiences were "a rite of passage", he said. One survivor, known as CJA, "will give evidence that he was regularly forced to perform and receive oral and anal sex on other junior recruits during his first six months at Leeuwin". CJA, who was 16 at the time in 1967, would tell the inquiry that his complaints went nowhere and he was described as a troublemaker, Stewart said. Survivors from Balcombe, where apprentices were often as young as 15, were subject to similar practices as those at Leeuwin, the inquiry heard. The Australian military has been subject to two major inquiries into abuse over the last five years, with complaints dating from the 1940s. The ADF has since embarked on cultural reforms. (AFP)

Australian defence recruits forced to rape each other: Inquiry

Faced with a risk of losing more than a million visitors a year, Australia&#39;s Great Barrier Reef is experiencing severe coral bleaching that could eventually result in loss of huge sums in lost tourism.&nbsp; 
 
The World Heritage-listed reef which teems with marine life experienced an unprecedented bleaching earlier this year that saw much of it whiten and almost a quarter of corals die, a survey higlighted on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The reef tourism areas are at risk of losing over one million visitors per year,&quot; a discussion paper from the independent think-tank , The Australia Institute said. It added that Aus$1 billion (US$747 million) of potential revenue could be lost if those visitors do not travel to the tropical reef region. 
 
&#39;Loss of tourism translates into loss of jobs&#39;&nbsp; 
Some 10,000 jobs in Queensland state were also at risk from a drop in tourism, a major industry in the area, the survey has added. 
 
The report said last year, about 3.5 million tourists, mostly Australians, visited areas along the reef. &quot;Continued bleaching could not only impact the reef&#39;s status as Australia&#39;s premier international tourist destination, but also impact Australia&#39;s identity as an international tourist destination,&quot; it said. 
 
The 2,300-kilometre (1,429-mile) long reef, the world&#39;s biggest coral ecosystem, is suffering from its worst bleaching in recorded history due to warming sea temperatures.&nbsp; 
 
The institute surveyed thousands of Australians and others from of the major tourism markets of China, the United States and Britain. 
 
More than a third of Australians said they were more likely to travel to another part of the country if the bleaching continued. 
 
In terms of foreign tourists, more than half Chinese respondents, and about a third of American and British participants said they were more likely to visit somewhere other than Australia if the reef&#39;s deterioration persisted. 
 
&lsquo;Tourism and coal mining industry at odds&rsquo;&nbsp; 
Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour. 
 
The reef is also under pressure from farming run-off, development and the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. 
 
The report concluded that two of Queensland&#39;s industries -- tourism and coal mining -- were directly at odds with each other. 
 
&quot;Without serious action on climate change and real resources allocated to the reef&#39;s health, the tourism industry seems certain to lose its most precious asset,&quot; it said. 
(AFP)

The 2,300-kilometre long reef, the world's biggest coral ecosystem, is suffering from its worst bleaching in recorded history

Faced with a risk of losing more than a million visitors a year, Australia's Great Barrier Reef is experiencing severe coral bleaching that could eventually result in loss of huge sums in lost tourism. The World Heritage-listed reef which teems with marine life experienced an unprecedented bleaching earlier this year that saw much of it whiten and almost a quarter of corals die, a survey higlighted on Tuesday. "The reef tourism areas are at risk of losing over one million visitors per year," a discussion paper from the independent think-tank , The Australia Institute said. It added that Aus$1 billion (US$747 million) of potential revenue could be lost if those visitors do not travel to the tropical reef region. 'Loss of tourism translates into loss of jobs' Some 10,000 jobs in Queensland state were also at risk from a drop in tourism, a major industry in the area, the survey has added. The report said last year, about 3.5 million tourists, mostly Australians, visited areas along the reef. "Continued bleaching could not only impact the reef's status as Australia's premier international tourist destination, but also impact Australia's identity as an international tourist destination," it said. The 2,300-kilometre (1,429-mile) long reef, the world's biggest coral ecosystem, is suffering from its worst bleaching in recorded history due to warming sea temperatures. The institute surveyed thousands of Australians and others from of the major tourism markets of China, the United States and Britain. More than a third of Australians said they were more likely to travel to another part of the country if the bleaching continued. In terms of foreign tourists, more than half Chinese respondents, and about a third of American and British participants said they were more likely to visit somewhere other than Australia if the reef's deterioration persisted. ‘Tourism and coal mining industry at odds’ Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour. The reef is also under pressure from farming run-off, development and the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. The report concluded that two of Queensland's industries -- tourism and coal mining -- were directly at odds with each other. "Without serious action on climate change and real resources allocated to the reef's health, the tourism industry seems certain to lose its most precious asset," it said. (AFP)

Australia's Great Barrier Reef at risk of losing million tourists annually: Report

Australia&#39;s Prime Minister insisted today a referendum on legalising same-sex marriage will be held this year if his government is re-elected despite the Labor opposition calling it &quot;a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia&quot;. 
 
The country holds elections on July 2 with the latest opinion poll showing the ruling Liberal-led coalition and Labour neck-and-neck. 
 
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is well-known for his support of gay marriage, is in favour of a referendum on the issue instead of a parliamentary vote. 
 
But Labor has hardened its language against a public vote, in what commentators said was a strategic move to set up the issue as a clear choice on polling day. 
 
&quot;We have a very clear policy which is that every Australian will get a vote on the subject,&quot; Turnbull, the first sitting Australian leader to attend the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, told reporters. 
 
&quot;Of course, if we are successful on July 2, then I have every expectation that the parliament will swiftly legislate for a plebiscite and a plebiscite will be held shortly after parliament resumes, which I would assume to be in August. 
 
&quot;So I would hope that the plebiscite could be held before the end of the year.&quot; 
 
Labor has pledged to hold a parliamentary vote to change the Marriage Act within 100 days if it wins office, and warned that allowing the public to decide risked exposing underlying homophobia. 
 
It has suggested a plebiscite could unleash hateful advertising and expose children of gay parents to negative messages. 
 
&quot;In modern Australia, no one should have to justify their sexuality or their love, to anyone else,&quot; Labor leader Bill Shorten said at Labor&#39;s official election campaign launch on Sunday. 
 
&quot;And instead of sitting in judgement, instead of providing a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia, we will gift every Australian an equal right in respect of love. Nothing less.&quot; 
 
Australia is seen as lagging behind a growing number of countries on marriage reform and popular support for change is high. 
 
Same-sex couples can have civil unions or register their relationships in most states across Australia, but the government does not consider them married under national law. 
 
The issue is shaping up as a key election issue, along with economic management, immigration, and climate change, in polls too close to call. 
 
A Newspoll in The Australian broadsheet today showed the outcome was on a knife edge with the Liberals and Labor both locked at 50-50 on a two-party basis. 
 
The poll of 1,805 people from June 16-19 has Turnbull favoured as the better Prime Minister on 46 per cent to Shorten&#39;s 31 per cent, but neither of them polled well on performance satisfaction. 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

His opposition called it 'a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia'

Australia's Prime Minister insisted today a referendum on legalising same-sex marriage will be held this year if his government is re-elected despite the Labor opposition calling it "a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia". The country holds elections on July 2 with the latest opinion poll showing the ruling Liberal-led coalition and Labour neck-and-neck. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is well-known for his support of gay marriage, is in favour of a referendum on the issue instead of a parliamentary vote. But Labor has hardened its language against a public vote, in what commentators said was a strategic move to set up the issue as a clear choice on polling day. "We have a very clear policy which is that every Australian will get a vote on the subject," Turnbull, the first sitting Australian leader to attend the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, told reporters. "Of course, if we are successful on July 2, then I have every expectation that the parliament will swiftly legislate for a plebiscite and a plebiscite will be held shortly after parliament resumes, which I would assume to be in August. "So I would hope that the plebiscite could be held before the end of the year." Labor has pledged to hold a parliamentary vote to change the Marriage Act within 100 days if it wins office, and warned that allowing the public to decide risked exposing underlying homophobia. It has suggested a plebiscite could unleash hateful advertising and expose children of gay parents to negative messages. "In modern Australia, no one should have to justify their sexuality or their love, to anyone else," Labor leader Bill Shorten said at Labor's official election campaign launch on Sunday. "And instead of sitting in judgement, instead of providing a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia, we will gift every Australian an equal right in respect of love. Nothing less." Australia is seen as lagging behind a growing number of countries on marriage reform and popular support for change is high. Same-sex couples can have civil unions or register their relationships in most states across Australia, but the government does not consider them married under national law. The issue is shaping up as a key election issue, along with economic management, immigration, and climate change, in polls too close to call. A Newspoll in The Australian broadsheet today showed the outcome was on a knife edge with the Liberals and Labor both locked at 50-50 on a two-party basis. The poll of 1,805 people from June 16-19 has Turnbull favoured as the better Prime Minister on 46 per cent to Shorten's 31 per cent, but neither of them polled well on performance satisfaction. (AFP)

Australian PM vows to legalise same-sex marriage, if re-elected

Australian big hitter Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to snatch victory in the Queen&#39;s Cup on Thailand&#39;s Koh Samui island today as overnight leader Prom Meesawat stumbled. 
 
The 42-year-old finished the day with a four-under-par 67, one shot ahead of runner-up and local talent Gunn Charoenkul in the $300,000 competition at the Santiburi Samui Country Club. 
 
It was Hend&#39;s second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour. 
 
Hend, the most successful international player on the tour, said he was pleased to make up for some recent near-wins in Mauritius and China. 
 
&quot;Whether this was my golf course or not, I&rsquo;ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It&#39;s nice to win again,&quot; he said, according to a report by tour organisers. 
 
Two late bogeys saw Thailand&#39;s Prom go from starting the day out in front to ending with a disappointing 72. 
 
He finished in joint third alongside American Paul Peterson, Korea&#39;s Wang Jeung-hun and Thailand&#39;s Pavit Tangkamolprasert. 
(AFP)

It was Hend's second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour

Australian big hitter Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to snatch victory in the Queen's Cup on Thailand's Koh Samui island today as overnight leader Prom Meesawat stumbled. The 42-year-old finished the day with a four-under-par 67, one shot ahead of runner-up and local talent Gunn Charoenkul in the $300,000 competition at the Santiburi Samui Country Club. It was Hend's second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour. Hend, the most successful international player on the tour, said he was pleased to make up for some recent near-wins in Mauritius and China. "Whether this was my golf course or not, I’ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It's nice to win again," he said, according to a report by tour organisers. Two late bogeys saw Thailand's Prom go from starting the day out in front to ending with a disappointing 72. He finished in joint third alongside American Paul Peterson, Korea's Wang Jeung-hun and Thailand's Pavit Tangkamolprasert. (AFP)

Scott Hend secures victory by one stroke in Queen's Cup

England won their first series win on Australian soil on Saturday produced a sustained and outstanding defensive effort to keep Australia at bay before a late Owen Farrell try clinched a 23-7 win to take the three game series 2-0. 
 
England clung on to a six-point lead for much of the second half and stood firm in the face of relentless Australian attacks, though the Wallabies will face questions after their refusal to take kickable shots at goal with the scores so tight. 
 
It was England&#39;s relentless defence under suffocating pressure that was ultimately decisive as they repelled wave after wave of assaults on their line from a Wallabies side desperate to square the series. 
 
England now leapfrog Australia into second in the world rankings and have set their sights on dethroning world champions All Blacks, who earlier sealed their series over Wales 2-0. 
 
&quot;We want to be the best team in the world and we want to win the series 3-0. If the All Blacks were in this situation now what would they be thinking? You know, if doesn&#39;t mean you cant change the team, they&#39;d be thinking 3-0. So they beat Wales, didn&#39;t they? They&#39;d be thinking 3-0. If we want to be the best team in the world we want to think 3-0. We know Australia will come back, they&#39;re a well coached, driven team so we&#39;re anticipating quite a feisty encounter at Sydney,&quot; England coach Eddie Jones said to journalists. 
 
The series win was a personal triumph for Jones, the former Wallabies mentor who was left heartbroken by Jonny Wilkinson&#39;s last minute drop-goal in the 2003 World Cup final that gave England victory over the hosts in Sydney. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a win for English rugby in total, it&#39;s a win for the fans, it&#39;s a win for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), it&#39;s a win for the supporters. You know, we&#39;re all in this together. It&#39;s a win for the English media, now you got bragging rights over the Australian media,&quot; he said with a grin to the reporters. 
 
Crestfallen Wallabies coach Michael Cheika lamented his side&#39;s failure to find a way through despite their dominance of possession. 
 
&quot;You have to pay credit to England, they played very well. In both games so far they&#39;ve played very smart, you know, and they&#39;ve played in the right areas and they&#39;ve played well at the ruck.They spoiled a lot of good ball for us, lot of balls squeaking out and that&#39;s well done to them, you know what I mean,&quot; said&nbsp;Cheika. 
(Reuters)

England are now second in world rankings and have set their sights on dethroning world champions All Blacks

England won their first series win on Australian soil on Saturday produced a sustained and outstanding defensive effort to keep Australia at bay before a late Owen Farrell try clinched a 23-7 win to take the three game series 2-0. England clung on to a six-point lead for much of the second half and stood firm in the face of relentless Australian attacks, though the Wallabies will face questions after their refusal to take kickable shots at goal with the scores so tight. It was England's relentless defence under suffocating pressure that was ultimately decisive as they repelled wave after wave of assaults on their line from a Wallabies side desperate to square the series. England now leapfrog Australia into second in the world rankings and have set their sights on dethroning world champions All Blacks, who earlier sealed their series over Wales 2-0. "We want to be the best team in the world and we want to win the series 3-0. If the All Blacks were in this situation now what would they be thinking? You know, if doesn't mean you cant change the team, they'd be thinking 3-0. So they beat Wales, didn't they? They'd be thinking 3-0. If we want to be the best team in the world we want to think 3-0. We know Australia will come back, they're a well coached, driven team so we're anticipating quite a feisty encounter at Sydney," England coach Eddie Jones said to journalists. The series win was a personal triumph for Jones, the former Wallabies mentor who was left heartbroken by Jonny Wilkinson's last minute drop-goal in the 2003 World Cup final that gave England victory over the hosts in Sydney. "It's a win for English rugby in total, it's a win for the fans, it's a win for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), it's a win for the supporters. You know, we're all in this together. It's a win for the English media, now you got bragging rights over the Australian media," he said with a grin to the reporters. Crestfallen Wallabies coach Michael Cheika lamented his side's failure to find a way through despite their dominance of possession. "You have to pay credit to England, they played very well. In both games so far they've played very smart, you know, and they've played in the right areas and they've played well at the ruck.They spoiled a lot of good ball for us, lot of balls squeaking out and that's well done to them, you know what I mean," said Cheika. (Reuters)

England beat Wallabies 2-0 and sweep Rugby series

Malaysia said it will host a two-day meeting with Australia and China beginning Monday to discuss next steps in the fruitless search for missing flight MH370. 
 
Malaysian state-run Bernama news agency late yesterday quoted a transport ministry official saying the meeting will focus on &quot;the future direction of the search operation for MH370&quot;. 
 
The three countries have said previously they will call off the Australian-lead hunt for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean. 
 
So far 105,000 square kilometres (40,500 square miles) of the 120,000-square-kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success. 
 
Recent bad weather has delayed the expected completion of the search to August, Australian authorities said earlier this month. 
 
The jet disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board in March 2014 and is presumed to have crashed into the sea far off Western Australia&#39;s coast. 
 
Several pieces of debris have been found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area but they have so far shed no light on what caused the disaster.&nbsp; 
(AFP)

The three countries are trying to work out the future direction of the 'fruitless search'

Malaysia said it will host a two-day meeting with Australia and China beginning Monday to discuss next steps in the fruitless search for missing flight MH370. Malaysian state-run Bernama news agency late yesterday quoted a transport ministry official saying the meeting will focus on "the future direction of the search operation for MH370". The three countries have said previously they will call off the Australian-lead hunt for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 if nothing is found in a designated search area in the remote Indian Ocean. So far 105,000 square kilometres (40,500 square miles) of the 120,000-square-kilometre seafloor search zone has been covered without success. Recent bad weather has delayed the expected completion of the search to August, Australian authorities said earlier this month. The jet disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board in March 2014 and is presumed to have crashed into the sea far off Western Australia's coast. Several pieces of debris have been found thousands of kilometres from the suspected crash area but they have so far shed no light on what caused the disaster. (AFP)

Missing MH370 flight: Malaysia, Australia, China to meet on next step

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir became the first South African to claim seven wickets in a One-Day International as the Proteas demolished West Indies in St Kitts on Wednesday. 
 
Tahir served up a rich variety of deliveries to claim 7-45 from nine overs as the South Africa won by 139 runs, dismissing the bewildered West Indies for 204 in 38 overs at Warner Park. 
 
Earlier, Hashim Amla scored 110 off 99 balls to notch his 23rd career ODI century, sharing an opening partnership of 182 with Quinton de Kock (71) to set the visitors on their way to a formidable 343-4. 
 
West Indies made a bright start in reply with openers Johnson Charles and Andrew Fletcher compiling a quickfire 69 before the latter holed out at deep mid-wicket for 21 from the last ball of the ninth over to give Tahir his first wicket. 
 
The result was never in doubt once Charles, who scored 49, was sent packing in the 13th over. 
 
Tahir&#39;s haul included the scalp of World Twenty20 hero Carlos Brathwaite, who was clean bowled by a wicked googly for a golden duck. 
 
In his 58th match, Tahir became the fastest South African bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets, and the fourth quickest overall. 
 
Tahir said he had not realised he needed only two wickets to crack the century until a pre-match phone call came from his wife. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m grateful she reminded me,&quot; the 37-year-old said. &quot;I&#39;m really pleased.&quot; 
 
West Indies captain Jason Holder offered no excuses. 
 
&quot;We weren&#39;t good enough today and were totally outplayed. We didn&#39;t bowl well, especially the first 10 overs,&quot; he said. 
 
South Africa&#39;s victory leaves the triangular series evenly poised, with the Proteas, West Indies and Australia all on two wins from four matches. 
 
South Africa, thanks to two bonus points, lead the standings with 10 points, followed by Australia on nine and West Indies on eight. 
 
The series shifts to Barbados for three more matches from Sunday and the hosts face the biggest challenge if they are to make the June 25 final. 
 
&quot;Probably one (victory) out of two games will be enough for us to go to the final,&quot; said South African captain AB de Villiers. 
(Reuters)

In his 58th match, Imran Tahir became the fastest South African bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets, and the fourth quickest overall

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir became the first South African to claim seven wickets in a One-Day International as the Proteas demolished West Indies in St Kitts on Wednesday. Tahir served up a rich variety of deliveries to claim 7-45 from nine overs as the South Africa won by 139 runs, dismissing the bewildered West Indies for 204 in 38 overs at Warner Park. Earlier, Hashim Amla scored 110 off 99 balls to notch his 23rd career ODI century, sharing an opening partnership of 182 with Quinton de Kock (71) to set the visitors on their way to a formidable 343-4. West Indies made a bright start in reply with openers Johnson Charles and Andrew Fletcher compiling a quickfire 69 before the latter holed out at deep mid-wicket for 21 from the last ball of the ninth over to give Tahir his first wicket. The result was never in doubt once Charles, who scored 49, was sent packing in the 13th over. Tahir's haul included the scalp of World Twenty20 hero Carlos Brathwaite, who was clean bowled by a wicked googly for a golden duck. In his 58th match, Tahir became the fastest South African bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets, and the fourth quickest overall. Tahir said he had not realised he needed only two wickets to crack the century until a pre-match phone call came from his wife. "I'm grateful she reminded me," the 37-year-old said. "I'm really pleased." West Indies captain Jason Holder offered no excuses. "We weren't good enough today and were totally outplayed. We didn't bowl well, especially the first 10 overs," he said. South Africa's victory leaves the triangular series evenly poised, with the Proteas, West Indies and Australia all on two wins from four matches. South Africa, thanks to two bonus points, lead the standings with 10 points, followed by Australia on nine and West Indies on eight. The series shifts to Barbados for three more matches from Sunday and the hosts face the biggest challenge if they are to make the June 25 final. "Probably one (victory) out of two games will be enough for us to go to the final," said South African captain AB de Villiers. (Reuters)

Tahir spins South Africa to victory over West Indies

Australia secured their place in the final of the 36th Hero Champions Trophy with a 2-0 win over Belgium in the preliminary league, while defending champions Germany were out of contention after being held 1-1 by Great Britain. 
Title holders Germany are without a victory from four outings, drawing three and losing one. This puts them out of contention from the title encounter. 
Britain stay in the hunt for the second spot in the final with five points from four matches and need to win the last fixture against Belgium tomorrow to stay in contention. 
World No. 1 Australia boosted their points tally to 10 from four matches to ensure that they would feature in the title showdown irrespective of any result in other matches. 
India are in the second place with seven points, followed by Britain on five and Belgium on four. 
Open play goals from Glenn Turner in the 38th minute and Tristan White in the 49th gave Australia the upper hand against the Belgians, who tried to put up a good contest but suffered from poor shooting. 
Australia, winners of the Champions Trophy for a record 13 times, take on India in their last round-robin league fixture tomorrow. That match is extremely important for India, who are on seven points from four outings. 
Germany today took the lead through a penalty corner goal by Tobias Hauke, who made good use of a rebound from the goalkeeper in the 29th minute. 
Britain shot back through a penalty corner strike of their own through Ashley Jackson to equalise in the 48th minute and split two points with Germany, who had won the title two years ago in Bhubaneswar

Open play goals from Glenn Turner in the 38th minute and Tristan White in the 49th gave Australia the upper hand against the Belgians

Australia secured their place in the final of the 36th Hero Champions Trophy with a 2-0 win over Belgium in the preliminary league, while defending champions Germany were out of contention after being held 1-1 by Great Britain. Title holders Germany are without a victory from four outings, drawing three and losing one. This puts them out of contention from the title encounter. Britain stay in the hunt for the second spot in the final with five points from four matches and need to win the last fixture against Belgium tomorrow to stay in contention. World No. 1 Australia boosted their points tally to 10 from four matches to ensure that they would feature in the title showdown irrespective of any result in other matches. India are in the second place with seven points, followed by Britain on five and Belgium on four. Open play goals from Glenn Turner in the 38th minute and Tristan White in the 49th gave Australia the upper hand against the Belgians, who tried to put up a good contest but suffered from poor shooting. Australia, winners of the Champions Trophy for a record 13 times, take on India in their last round-robin league fixture tomorrow. That match is extremely important for India, who are on seven points from four outings. Germany today took the lead through a penalty corner goal by Tobias Hauke, who made good use of a rebound from the goalkeeper in the 29th minute. Britain shot back through a penalty corner strike of their own through Ashley Jackson to equalise in the 48th minute and split two points with Germany, who had won the title two years ago in Bhubaneswar

Australia enter Hero Champions Trophy final, Germany knocked out

India named six new Test venues today as they prepare to host New Zealand, England and then top-ranked Australia in an exhaustive home season starting in October. 
 
India will kickstart the season against New Zealand with three Tests and five One-Day Internationals, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said. 
 
England then arrive for five Tests and six limited-overs matches, while the Australia series is scheduled for February and March next year. 
 
Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test during the season, their first such outing in India since they gained Test status in 2000. 
 
The cities of Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore will host Test matches for the first time, the BCCI said after a meeting in Mumbai. 
 
&quot;I welcome the new Test venues. Their arrival will take Test match cricket to every corner of the country,&quot; BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in a statement. 
 
India will play 13 Tests in total during the season, the most since the 1979-80 home season, along with eight ODIs and three T20 Internationals. 
 
The BCCI also said that the domestic Duleep Trophy tournament in September will be played under lights and with a pink ball for the first time in the country. 
 
Australia and New Zealand played the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide last year, attracting huge crowds.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur believes that with these new venues, Test cricket will go to every corner of the country

India named six new Test venues today as they prepare to host New Zealand, England and then top-ranked Australia in an exhaustive home season starting in October. India will kickstart the season against New Zealand with three Tests and five One-Day Internationals, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said. England then arrive for five Tests and six limited-overs matches, while the Australia series is scheduled for February and March next year. Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test during the season, their first such outing in India since they gained Test status in 2000. The cities of Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore will host Test matches for the first time, the BCCI said after a meeting in Mumbai. "I welcome the new Test venues. Their arrival will take Test match cricket to every corner of the country," BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in a statement. India will play 13 Tests in total during the season, the most since the 1979-80 home season, along with eight ODIs and three T20 Internationals. The BCCI also said that the domestic Duleep Trophy tournament in September will be played under lights and with a pink ball for the first time in the country. Australia and New Zealand played the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide last year, attracting huge crowds.

India names new Test venues for home season

Cricket Australia (CA) will push for up to two day-night Tests at next year&#39;s Ashes series despite the misgivings of captain Steven Smith and his England counterpart Alastair Cook. 
 
Both skippers said they felt the game&#39;s most enduring series could survive without being played under lights but CA CEO James Sutherland said he felt it was a &quot;natural progression&quot;. &quot;I respect the views of Steven and Alastair,&quot; he told reporters in Melbourne today. 
 
&quot;The Ashes is a great contest and will no doubt attract a huge audience both at the grounds and on television, but the facts of the matter are by playing day-night Tests, we&#39;re going to get even bigger audiences at the game and on television.&nbsp;The Ashes series is still a long way off and we want to get through this summer first but we will play somewhere between zero and two day-night Tests during the Ashes in 18 months&#39; time.&quot; 
 
Australia played the maiden day-night Test against New Zealand at Adelaide Oval last November and have just agreed another flood-lit match with South Africa at the same venue during the home summer. 
 
The hosts will also play their series-opener against Pakistan with the pink ball in Brisbane for the first time in December. 
 
Smith has backed day-night cricket repeatedly but said he did not feel it necessary for the Ashes, which reliably draws big crowds.&nbsp;&quot;I think it works pretty well with the red ball,&quot; he told media while on tour in the Caribbean.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s been around for years and I think playing against England we always get the viewers and the crowds out,&quot; added Smith. 
 
Cook echoed Smith&#39;s position. &quot;It&#39;s probably not a series where you need to do it exactly at this time,&quot; he said. 
 
England and Wales Cricket board chairman Colin Graves has also backed day-night cricket, saying it was only a matter of time that a match would be played in England.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland believes that day-night tests will draw bigger audiences to the game and on television

Cricket Australia (CA) will push for up to two day-night Tests at next year's Ashes series despite the misgivings of captain Steven Smith and his England counterpart Alastair Cook. Both skippers said they felt the game's most enduring series could survive without being played under lights but CA CEO James Sutherland said he felt it was a "natural progression". "I respect the views of Steven and Alastair," he told reporters in Melbourne today. "The Ashes is a great contest and will no doubt attract a huge audience both at the grounds and on television, but the facts of the matter are by playing day-night Tests, we're going to get even bigger audiences at the game and on television. The Ashes series is still a long way off and we want to get through this summer first but we will play somewhere between zero and two day-night Tests during the Ashes in 18 months' time." Australia played the maiden day-night Test against New Zealand at Adelaide Oval last November and have just agreed another flood-lit match with South Africa at the same venue during the home summer. The hosts will also play their series-opener against Pakistan with the pink ball in Brisbane for the first time in December. Smith has backed day-night cricket repeatedly but said he did not feel it necessary for the Ashes, which reliably draws big crowds. "I think it works pretty well with the red ball," he told media while on tour in the Caribbean. "It's been around for years and I think playing against England we always get the viewers and the crowds out," added Smith. Cook echoed Smith's position. "It's probably not a series where you need to do it exactly at this time," he said. England and Wales Cricket board chairman Colin Graves has also backed day-night cricket, saying it was only a matter of time that a match would be played in England.

Cricket Australia pushing for two day-night Ashes Tests

A fish swimming inside a jellyfish was pictured off Australia&#39;s east coast in an image that has gone viral, with more than two million online views. 
 
Underwater photographer Tim Samuel was in the water with a friend near a tourist resort Byron Bay in December when they came across the little creature trapped inside the only slightly larger jellyfish. 
 
&quot;He was trapped in there but controlled where the Jellyfish was moving,&quot; Samuel wrote in a post on Instagram. 
 
After the image was reposted by @discoverocean on Monday, Samuel said his phone started &quot;going crazy&quot;. 
 
&quot;When @franny.plumridge and I stumbled upon it we knew we had found something special, but no idea just how unique and rare this sighting was,&quot; Samuel wrote. 
 
&quot;I`m completely blown away by all the attention it is getting from all over the world.&quot; 
 
Some speculated that the fish was being stung, while others pointed out that part of its tail appeared to be still outside the jellyfish, providing a clue to its apparent ability to steer. 
 
Marine life expert William Gladstone confirmed the rareness of the shot which has been viewed more than 2.3 million times on imgur. 
 
The academic from the University of Technology in Sydney told The Sydney Morning Herald he had seen a young trevally - a species of fish - hide among jellyfish, but had &quot;never seen one like this where the fish is just a little smaller than the jellyfish&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Samuel said he had considered whether to &quot;set the little guy free&quot;, but ultimately decided it was best to &quot;just let nature run its course&quot;.

Photographer Tim Samuel came across the little creature trapped inside the only slightly larger jellyfish near Byron Bay

A fish swimming inside a jellyfish was pictured off Australia's east coast in an image that has gone viral, with more than two million online views. Underwater photographer Tim Samuel was in the water with a friend near a tourist resort Byron Bay in December when they came across the little creature trapped inside the only slightly larger jellyfish. "He was trapped in there but controlled where the Jellyfish was moving," Samuel wrote in a post on Instagram. After the image was reposted by @discoverocean on Monday, Samuel said his phone started "going crazy". "When @franny.plumridge and I stumbled upon it we knew we had found something special, but no idea just how unique and rare this sighting was," Samuel wrote. "I`m completely blown away by all the attention it is getting from all over the world." Some speculated that the fish was being stung, while others pointed out that part of its tail appeared to be still outside the jellyfish, providing a clue to its apparent ability to steer. Marine life expert William Gladstone confirmed the rareness of the shot which has been viewed more than 2.3 million times on imgur. The academic from the University of Technology in Sydney told The Sydney Morning Herald he had seen a young trevally - a species of fish - hide among jellyfish, but had "never seen one like this where the fish is just a little smaller than the jellyfish". Samuel said he had considered whether to "set the little guy free", but ultimately decided it was best to "just let nature run its course".

Fish eyes life inside jelly belly

Dean Elgar has been called up by South Africa to replace injured batsman Rilee Rossouw for the rest of the Tri-Nation One-Day International series in West Indies, Cricket South Africa said yesterday. 
 
Rossouw dislocated his shoulder in Tuesday&rsquo;s 47-run victory over Australia at Providence. 
 
&ldquo;Rilee fell awkwardly on his shoulder while fielding the ball on the boundary. He was immediately taken to the local hospital for X-rays which confirmed he had dislocated the AC joint of his right shoulder,&quot; manager Mohammed Moosajee said in a statement. 
 
&quot;He will be unable to take further part in this series and will return back to South Africa as soon as possible. The extent of the injury and the recovery period will only be known once he has been assessed and managed by one of Cricket South Africa&rsquo;s panel of shoulder specialists.&rdquo; 
 
Elgar, 28, last played an ODI for South Africa against India in Mumbai in October. He has played six ODIs previously for South Africa. 
 
South Africa and Australia meet again on Saturday in Basseterre in St Kitts &amp; Nevis in the fourth match of the 10-game series.

Dean Elgar will replace batsman Rilee Rossouw who has a dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint of his right shoulder

Dean Elgar has been called up by South Africa to replace injured batsman Rilee Rossouw for the rest of the Tri-Nation One-Day International series in West Indies, Cricket South Africa said yesterday. Rossouw dislocated his shoulder in Tuesday’s 47-run victory over Australia at Providence. “Rilee fell awkwardly on his shoulder while fielding the ball on the boundary. He was immediately taken to the local hospital for X-rays which confirmed he had dislocated the AC joint of his right shoulder," manager Mohammed Moosajee said in a statement. "He will be unable to take further part in this series and will return back to South Africa as soon as possible. The extent of the injury and the recovery period will only be known once he has been assessed and managed by one of Cricket South Africa’s panel of shoulder specialists.” Elgar, 28, last played an ODI for South Africa against India in Mumbai in October. He has played six ODIs previously for South Africa. South Africa and Australia meet again on Saturday in Basseterre in St Kitts & Nevis in the fourth match of the 10-game series.

South Africa call up Elgar to replace injured Rossouw in ODI series

The path to the Olympics is paved with potholes for many athletes but few can claim to have overcome hardship like &nbsp;Indian-origin wrestler Vinod Kumar, who was thrown off a speeding train by a rival&#39;s family in India before landing on his feet in Australia. 
 
Melbourne-based Kumar will compete for his adopted country in the 66 kg-class of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Rio de Janeiro Games, six years after landing Down Under, a colloquialism for Australia, with a suitcase in hand and a head full of troubled childhood memories. 
 
Winning the Olympic ticket was karma, according to Kumar, and a reward for forgiving the people who all but killed him when he was a teenager competing on India&#39;s wrestling circuit. 
 
&quot;Wrestling is big in India,&quot; the 31-year-old Kumar told Reuters in an interview at his Melbourne home. &quot;Fathers all want their sons to win... I forgave them because I believe in karma and I believe in God.&quot; 
 
Born in a small village near the Indian capital &nbsp;of New Delhi and raised in a family of wrestlers, Kumar competed at junior national tournaments across the country from a young age. 
 
In 2001, he boarded a long-haul train to an event in southern India with other young wrestlers but never arrived. 
 
BROKEN BONES 
 
As the train coursed through coastal forests in southern Indian state of &nbsp;Karnataka, Kumar was handed a spiked soft-drink and immediately felt dizzy after taking a mouthful. 
 
He went groggily to the carriage&#39;s doorway to get some air and two men, one the father of a rival wrestler, hurled him from the train before it sped into a tunnel. 
 
Bones were broken in his arms and legs as his body careened off the tracks to settle by a body of water. 
 
&quot;The train was going very fast. Maybe 100-130 kilometres (per hour/ 81 mph),&quot; the shaven-headed wrestler said in halting English. 
 
&quot;My clothes were all torn, like I was just wearing my underwear.&quot; 
 
Fifteen years later, Kumar lifts up his shirt and trouser leg to show deep scars along his chest and knee but can now chuckle about the absurdity of what happened. 
 
He was conscious and in searing pain, unable to move as mosquitoes bit him and flies buzzed around his wounds. 
 
Kumar believes he would have died if he had not been discovered by rail workers in the morning, putting him on another train bound for a hospital that could treat him. 
 
&quot;No one knew where I was for 15 days, everybody thought I was dead,&quot; he laughed. 
 
When he returned to his family, police arrested five of the men who were on the carriage. 
 
DIRT WRESTLER 
 
His family took legal action as Kumar lay bed-ridden for a year. One of his brothers refused a compensation payment from the rival wrestler&#39;s father. 
 
Kumar eventually returned to competition and although he appeared in court &quot;two or three times&quot;, the case dragged on for years and he told his family to drop the lawsuit. 
 
His forgiveness was not shared by his family, however, and caused a rift so deep that Kumar left home for good. 
 
He then spent years roaming the country, competing for cash prizes in towns and villages in conventional freestyle events and in &#39;pehlwani&#39;, India&#39;s traditional dirt wrestling. 
 
Australia promised a fresh start but it has been tough since landing in 2010 with little English and no skills. 
 
With no professional wrestling to speak of in Australia, Kumar has worked as a courier and a bouncer at nightclubs to earn money and says he owes friends up to $10,800. 
 
Both &nbsp;parents have died since he left India, his mother of a heart attack only two weeks before his interview with Reuters. 
 
&quot;Sometimes I&#39;m feeling very upset, thinking I am here and I have no money, nothing here,&quot; said Kumar, sitting on his bed with a clutch of medals hanging by the wall. 
 
&quot;I feel it&#39;s too hard here and I want to quit... Then I go to the club (to train) and have a better feeling.&quot; 
 
After earning his ticket to Rio in April at a qualifying tournament in Algeria, Kumar feels the grind has been worth it. 
 
Melbourne&#39;s prominent Indian community have rallied to his cause and he will head to Brazil hoping to become Australia&#39;s first wrestling medallist in more than 60 years. 
 
He said the rival wrestler&#39;s father who threw him from the train is dead and that the man&#39;s wife had hanged herself. Their son has not succeeded in wrestling. 
 
&quot;Now he&#39;s nothing and I&#39;m an Olympian,&quot; Kumar said. &quot;This is karma.&quot; 
 
&nbsp;

Vinod Kumar has endured broken bones, legal battles against his attackers and loss of family to finally achieve his dream of wrestling in the Olympics

The path to the Olympics is paved with potholes for many athletes but few can claim to have overcome hardship like Indian-origin wrestler Vinod Kumar, who was thrown off a speeding train by a rival's family in India before landing on his feet in Australia. Melbourne-based Kumar will compete for his adopted country in the 66 kg-class of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Rio de Janeiro Games, six years after landing Down Under, a colloquialism for Australia, with a suitcase in hand and a head full of troubled childhood memories. Winning the Olympic ticket was karma, according to Kumar, and a reward for forgiving the people who all but killed him when he was a teenager competing on India's wrestling circuit. "Wrestling is big in India," the 31-year-old Kumar told Reuters in an interview at his Melbourne home. "Fathers all want their sons to win... I forgave them because I believe in karma and I believe in God." Born in a small village near the Indian capital of New Delhi and raised in a family of wrestlers, Kumar competed at junior national tournaments across the country from a young age. In 2001, he boarded a long-haul train to an event in southern India with other young wrestlers but never arrived. BROKEN BONES As the train coursed through coastal forests in southern Indian state of Karnataka, Kumar was handed a spiked soft-drink and immediately felt dizzy after taking a mouthful. He went groggily to the carriage's doorway to get some air and two men, one the father of a rival wrestler, hurled him from the train before it sped into a tunnel. Bones were broken in his arms and legs as his body careened off the tracks to settle by a body of water. "The train was going very fast. Maybe 100-130 kilometres (per hour/ 81 mph)," the shaven-headed wrestler said in halting English. "My clothes were all torn, like I was just wearing my underwear." Fifteen years later, Kumar lifts up his shirt and trouser leg to show deep scars along his chest and knee but can now chuckle about the absurdity of what happened. He was conscious and in searing pain, unable to move as mosquitoes bit him and flies buzzed around his wounds. Kumar believes he would have died if he had not been discovered by rail workers in the morning, putting him on another train bound for a hospital that could treat him. "No one knew where I was for 15 days, everybody thought I was dead," he laughed. When he returned to his family, police arrested five of the men who were on the carriage. DIRT WRESTLER His family took legal action as Kumar lay bed-ridden for a year. One of his brothers refused a compensation payment from the rival wrestler's father. Kumar eventually returned to competition and although he appeared in court "two or three times", the case dragged on for years and he told his family to drop the lawsuit. His forgiveness was not shared by his family, however, and caused a rift so deep that Kumar left home for good. He then spent years roaming the country, competing for cash prizes in towns and villages in conventional freestyle events and in 'pehlwani', India's traditional dirt wrestling. Australia promised a fresh start but it has been tough since landing in 2010 with little English and no skills. With no professional wrestling to speak of in Australia, Kumar has worked as a courier and a bouncer at nightclubs to earn money and says he owes friends up to $10,800. Both parents have died since he left India, his mother of a heart attack only two weeks before his interview with Reuters. "Sometimes I'm feeling very upset, thinking I am here and I have no money, nothing here," said Kumar, sitting on his bed with a clutch of medals hanging by the wall. "I feel it's too hard here and I want to quit... Then I go to the club (to train) and have a better feeling." After earning his ticket to Rio in April at a qualifying tournament in Algeria, Kumar feels the grind has been worth it. Melbourne's prominent Indian community have rallied to his cause and he will head to Brazil hoping to become Australia's first wrestling medallist in more than 60 years. He said the rival wrestler's father who threw him from the train is dead and that the man's wife had hanged herself. Their son has not succeeded in wrestling. "Now he's nothing and I'm an Olympian," Kumar said. "This is karma."

Thrown out of a moving train, Indian-origin Australian wrestler gets back on track for Olympics

A crocodile in Australia snatched a woman taking a late-night swim in a national park and is believed to have killed her, media reported on Monday. 
 
The 46-year-old woman was swimming with a friend late on Sunday in waist-deep water at a beach in Queensland state when she disappeared, police said. 
 
&quot;They felt a nudge, and a large crocodile is alleged to have grabbed one of the ladies and pulled her into the water,&quot; Neil Noble, a supervisor for the Queensland state ambulance service, told reporters. 
 
Police would only say the woman was believed to have been taken by a crocodile. Media reported that the friend struggled to pull the woman back from the crocodile`s jaws. 
 
Police did not identify the woman or give her nationality but said she lives in Australia and has family in New Zealand. 
A police spokesman told Reuters a search and rescue operation would continue on Tuesday. 
 
Warren Entsch, the area`s member of parliament, said the incident occurred in a place that is popular with crocodile-spotting tours, with many warning signs. 
 
The incident should not encourage reprisals against the animals, he said. 
 
&quot;You can`t legislate against human stupidity,&quot; Entsch told reporters. &quot;This is a tragedy but it was avoidable. There are warning signs everywhere up there.&quot;

A crocodile in Australia snatched a woman taking a late-night swim in a national park and is believed to have killed her, media reported on Monday. The 46-year-old woman was swimming with a friend late on Sunday in waist-deep water at a beach in Queensland state when she disappeared, police said.

A crocodile in Australia snatched a woman taking a late-night swim in a national park and is believed to have killed her, media reported on Monday. The 46-year-old woman was swimming with a friend late on Sunday in waist-deep water at a beach in Queensland state when she disappeared, police said. "They felt a nudge, and a large crocodile is alleged to have grabbed one of the ladies and pulled her into the water," Neil Noble, a supervisor for the Queensland state ambulance service, told reporters. Police would only say the woman was believed to have been taken by a crocodile. Media reported that the friend struggled to pull the woman back from the crocodile`s jaws. Police did not identify the woman or give her nationality but said she lives in Australia and has family in New Zealand. A police spokesman told Reuters a search and rescue operation would continue on Tuesday. Warren Entsch, the area`s member of parliament, said the incident occurred in a place that is popular with crocodile-spotting tours, with many warning signs. The incident should not encourage reprisals against the animals, he said. "You can`t legislate against human stupidity," Entsch told reporters. "This is a tragedy but it was avoidable. There are warning signs everywhere up there."

Crocodile attacked woman taking late-night swim in Australia

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