EVERYTHING ELSE

A South Australian farmer held hostage in Africa for 12 days in an internet bride scam has returned home, saying he's lucky to be alive. Des Gregor, a 56-year-old from Hoyleton in SA's midnorth, arrived at Adelaide Airport last night after being freed from his African captors who were ultimately duped by police. Mr Gregor travelled to the landlocked west African nation of Mali last month to meet his supposed bride and collect a dowry of $100,000 in gold. But on his July 27 arrival, he was kidnapped by an organised scam gang, beaten, stripped, had his cash and credit cards taken, and was held hostage at an apartment in Bamako, the capital of the third world country.

The wheat and sheep farmer was told he would have his limbs hacked off with a machete unless he arranged a $100,000 ransom.

Mr Gregor was freed last Thursday when Australian Federal Police persuaded the kidnappers there was money to be collected by their captive from the Canadian embassy in Bamako. The conmen briefly released Mr Gregor, and police rescued him.

"I especially thank the Australian Federal Police for the effort that they put in and also the Mali police, they did a fantastic job in conjunction with the AFP, and if it wasn't for them, I reckon another couple of days and I wouldn't have returned,'' Mr Gregor said.

Mr Gregor said he was beaten with a machete and bound by the legs during his time held captive in a one-room apartment. He said on arrival in Mali, he had no suspicion he was a victim of a con. "Everything was as to plan, I got off the plane and was met by this guy who dressed the part,'' he said. "The first indication I had that there was something wrong was when we got to the flat, they called out for somebody's name and the person that was supposed to meet me weren't (sic) there.

"We walked in and there was one bloke with I would say a home-made pistol and another one with a machete. It's a bit hard to explain what I thought. I basically was wondering what the hell was going on and then they started demanding money -- then I knew things were serious.'' Mr Gregor said he was given "a good belting with a machete, I still have the scars to prove that.'”

"I was tied, bound by the legs, and that was only probably for a couple of days because they knew that I was going to cooperate ... there was always one bloke sleeping at the door, there was no way out,'' he said. "They basically asked for money, $100,000 was the original figure. I gave them what I had, they then made me strip -- that is when they got the wallet and that had 675 Australian dollars in it.''

Asked if he had learnt his lesson, Mr Gregor replied: "I think so.'' Mr Gregor arrived in Adelaide with none of his possessions and issued a warning to others seeking love over the internet. "Just be careful, make sure you check everything out 100 per cent,'' he said. Earlier, his brother Phil Gregor said Des was "absolutely blinded by the fact it was a scam.”

The humble bra, which revolutionised the way women dressed, this year celebrates its 100th birthday. Branded the "brassiere" by fashion bible Vogue in 1907, the invention has undergone many changes from the flat-chested flappers of the 1920s, to bra-burning ceremonies of the '60s and Madonna's cone shaped bustiers of the '80s. Stylist Lisa Cimmino said women were spoilt for choice when it came to the support staple.

"The bra is a foundation piece in any women's wardrobe. We would be lost without them," she said. "I mean, 100 years on they are making our busts bigger or smaller, sexier or sportier." Australian designers are cashing in on the popularity of the bra, with such labels as Sass and Bide and Willow showcasing luxurious lingerie lines this season. "It's a huge business. Just look at the celebrity endorsements as well as stars like Delta, Kylie and Elle who all have their own labels," Ms Cimmino said.

Do women know how to wear a bra correctly?

Sex might be important to Australian women but it's also a bit of a let-down, a new global survey reveals. The Sex and the Modern Woman report found Aussie women were the least satisfied in the bedroom. A third said their sex lives were not very or not at all satisfying, compared with a global average of just 16 per cent. Just 26 per cent of Australian women rated their sex life very satisfying and 36 per cent were somewhat happy.

Saudi Arabian women were the most fulfilled, followed by Mexican, Spanish, Italian and Venezuelan women.

Longing for better sex

Australian women were also among the most likely to wish for better sex, 65 per cent saying they had often or sometimes longed for this in the past year. Despite their discontent, 74 per cent rated sex as important in a relationship. Leading GP and women's sexual health specialist Dr Penny Adams said men and women were not that far apart sexually.

The survey of more than 14,000 women from 14 countries showed 76 per cent of women overall valued sex, while 89 per cent of men rated it important or very important in the 2005 Sex and the Modern Man report. But Dr Adams said Australian couples had some work to do, with the report showing women believed more communication and spontaneity would boost their sex lives. "Women like to communicate on all issues and sex is no different," Dr Adams said. "It makes them feel connected to their partners."

Macho image a sexual barrier

Dr Adams said the Aussie male's macho image and laid-back nature was often a barrier to greater communication with their partners. "It's always been a touchy area in relationships, talking not just about how much sex you are having, but also the techniques you enjoy and the quality of the performance," she said. "But if women present their sexual needs to their partner in a way that's affirming, in terms of their attraction and desire for them, I think it'll be accepted in a positive way. "As soon as men think they are being picked on or criticised it's going to have a negative impact."

The report, sponsored by Bayer HealthCare, found more communication about sex and more spontaneity were the top needs of women wanting to spice up their sex life. These were followed by greater desire for each other and giving more pleasure to a partner.

Aussie women want it on tap

Australian women had the second highest desire for spontaneity, with 90 per cent rating it essential or important. The report also identified the "Vitalsexual" woman, a profile that fitted almost half women surveyed. They were over 40 and believed sex and their partner's sexual satisfaction was important. They were most likely to discuss the problem of erectile dysfunction with their partner and encourage them to see a doctor. The report uncovered erectile dysfunction as a blight in Australia. Women reported the highest rate in their men, at 35 per cent.

Dr Adams said Australia's high rate of erectile dysfunction and poor satisfaction rating were no coincidence. "Erectile dysfunction has always been seen as a man's problem, but it's also a woman's problem," she said. "All the good things that sex contributes to a relationship are lessened by erectile dysfunction."

Richard Branson, the Virgin Atlantic airline chief, lifted the lid on how he joined the mile-high club in a plane toilet, in interview extracts released on Sunday. The British entrepreneur said it was "every man's dream", adding that he had to wipe handprints off the toilet mirror following the high-flying high jinks. The 57-year-old knight also admits to having tried cocaine, ecstasy and Viagra, in the forthcoming edition of GQ monthly men's magazine.

"I was sitting in economy on a Freddie Laker flight, next to this very attractive lady, as we headed to Los Angeles," said the boss of Virgin Atlantic. "We got chatting and it went a bit further. And it was every man's dream, to be honest. I was about 19," the tycoon boasted. "I remember getting off the plane and she turned to me and said, 'Look, it's slightly embarrassing but I am meeting my husband at arrivals, would you mind holding back a bit.' But it was a memorable flight.

"The problem with plane loos generally is that they are very small, and the acrobatics can't take too long because there's no room and people start banging on the door," Branson explained. "What I remember vividly is seeing four handprints on the mirror as we finished, and thinking I'd better wipe them off."

Branson's Virgin airline has made no bones about using sex to sell seats. It has used slogans including "Hello gorgeous," "Love at first flight," "You never forget your first time," "More experience than the name suggests," and "Extra inches where it counts."

Speaking about his experiences with the virility drug Viagra, Branson said: "I had to tie something around my trousers for the rest of the next day to make sure nothing showed." He admitted: "I took ecstasy once... but it didn't have a massive effect on me." Of cocaine, he added: "I suspect I've tried it, yes." And he said Keith Richards, the hell-raising Rolling Stones guitarist, was the "first person to teach me how to roll a joint.” I haven't tried skunk (a strong variety of cannabis); I have smoked cannabis, though. I went with my son on his gap year, for God's sake. We learnt to surf and had some nights where we laughed our heads off for eight hours."

The Virgin Group chairman joked he would be good at Tantric sex, "but I keep dropping the book." Branson has combined canny business sense with a gift for self-promotion, and his goings-on have long fascinated British media. Newspapers have recently linked the flamboyant businessman's daughter, Holly, with Prince William, who is second in line to the British throne. But Branson insisted the pair were "just good friends" and his daughter marrying the prince would be "a dreadful idea."

A NSW oyster farmer has been feeding his crop Viagra to make the ultimate aphrodisiac -- but now the drug's maker is threatening to take him to court. George May (pictured) began lacing his oysters with the anti-impotence drug in a bid to sell them to overseas customers.

Marketing them as Viagra Oysters, he says the process not only boosts the aphrodisiac qualities of the shellfish but there is also a potential Asian market of up to $300 million.

The unusual additive has, however, landed the farmer in hot water with pharmaceutical company Phizer and state food authorities. Food Safety NSW says Mr May's conduct is illegal and breaches the NSW shellfish program under the food act. Pfizer has also threatened to take legal action because Viagra Oysters is a trademark violation.

Mr May, who has patented the process, is adamant he will continue harvesting the oysters and transferring them to tanks full of crushed Viagra because there is an overseas market. "We realise we will not be able to sell them in Australia but we haven't been told we can't harvest them here despite a number of conversations with the food authority," Mr May said. "Other countries have different regulations so we will be selling overseas. I'm happy to change the name but they are going to have a real David and Goliath battle if they want me to stop."

The 59-year-old came up with the idea because of the threat of impotence after having prostate cancer surgery this year. "It really works, it's sex in a can," he said.

He has already produced 10,000 oysters, which he eats and gives away to friends. But food authorities and health groups are concerned, saying the drug is contaminating the oysters. "There are tight regulations on oysters in NSW so they are safe. They can't add Viagra to oysters -- it is no allowed, it's up to doctors to prescribe Viagra," a Food Safety NSW spokesman said. "Even giving it away is illegal as it is a form of marketing to induce a sale."

A lion and a tiger kept as exotic pets on the roof of a Mexican meat processing plant killed a man feeding them Monday, Mexican media said. Caretaker Angel Aguilar, 56, was taking pieces of chicken to feed the two big cats when the lion swiped at him through the bars of its cage and pulled him inside, Reforma daily said. The tiger then joined in the attack.

Paramedics arrived at the plant in the rough Mexico City neighborhood of Iztapalapa while the man was still alive but they could not get past the animals to treat him. The two big cats, which had separate quarters of a big cage but came together to eat, were according to reports kept by the plant's owner as pets and in good condition.