The winner of Australia’s Next Top Model gave a heartfelt acceptance speech in a live TV final – before the host realised she had announced the wrong name.

Host Sarah Murdoch named 19-year-old Kelsey Martinovich (centre) the winner of season six of the Fox Television reality show. However, minutes later, her hand over her face, Ms Murdoch made an awkward apology. The actual winner, as voted by television viewers, was 18-year-old Amanda Ware (left).

Ms Murdoch said the wrong name was fed to her earpiece.

Ms Martinovich was a good sport, hugging Ms Ware and dismissing Ms Murdoch’s apo­logies. The network said that Ms Martinovich will get £12,200 and a trip to New York – which are also part of the winner’s prize – as compensation for the blunder. (PA)

Wine thieves in grape harvest heist

French police said yesterday there were hunting thieves who sneaked on to a farmer’s land under cover of darkness and harvested his entire crop of cabernet sauvignon grapes.

The thieves used a wine-harvesting machine when they struck on Sunday night in the southern area of Villeneuve-les-Beziers and then transported the 30 tonnes of stolen grapes in a truck.

The theft from the two hectares of land meant that the farmer lost an entire year’s work. (AFP)

Bicycle etiquette

A bid to soothe an apparently troubled relationship between users of Britain’s towpaths has been launched with the publication of a new Victorian-style etiquette guide.

British Waterways said it acted after receiving a flood of complaints from walkers intimidated by bicycles speeding past along towpaths in London. Now Debrett’s, the modern authority on etiquette and taste, has issued a five-point guide, which includes advising cyclists to sound a “ting ting” on their bells as they approach pedestrians. (PA)

Bond gadget bike

A “James Bond” bike, complete with flame-thrower and ejector seat is to go on display.

The bike also boasts a caterpillar track for smooth riding over potholed roads. Named the BOND (Built of Notorious Deterrents) Bike, the cycle is the creation of insurer ilovemybike.co.uk, which was inspired to build it after asking 800 cyclists to state their least favourite aspect of life on two wheels.

The flame-thrower was included as 52 per cent of cyclists named “cars and lorries passing too close” as their number one complaint. So the bike’s handlebars are fitted with a specially-designed flame-thrower to fire towards vehicles that get too close. (PA)

Virginity tests

Girls in an Indonesian province should have to pass virginity tests before being admitted into state-funded high schools, said a local politician.

Bambang Bayu Suseno, a member of Jambi’s provincial Parliament, cited concerns about a rise in premarital sex among teenagers in pushing for the proposal. It stands little chance of being adopted with critics saying it would be a violation of human rights. (PA)

The heat is on for super heroes

Soaring temperatures in Los Angeles forced even Spider-Man to take the day off.

And tourists along Hollywood Boulevard were disappointed to discover that it was all too much for Batman and Wonder Woman as well. “The costumed characters really suffer in this heat. They have to stay inside,” said stallholder John Oren. The temperature reached a record high 45˚C.

Only Catwoman, bundled up in a suit that included a leather mask, tights, corset and boots, was brave enough to step outside and meow to passers-by. Like her comic-book counterpart, she declined to reveal her true identity. (PA)

Dreams do come true

A man from Missouri who won the lottery twice in three months says he had a dream six years ago of a big win.

Ernest Pullen, 57, won one million dollars (£633,000) with a ticket in June, and this month, he won two million dollars (£1.26 million) with a second ticket. “All the numbers I dreamed about, and all my lucky numbers, were on the card,” Pullen said of the second win.

Mr Pullen, a retired military man who was working at the help desk for a telecommunications company before retiring after the first lottery win, said he considers himself to be a “lucky guy.” (PA)