A British man has started "the best job in the world" - a six-month contract as caretaker of an island on the Great Barrier Reef.Ben Southall beat more than 35,000 applicants from around the world to the post, which involves exploring hundreds of tropical islands off the coast of Queensland.
His most arduous duty is writing a blog with photos and video updates to attract visitors to the area, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The 34-year-old, from Petersfield in Hampshire, fought off competition from 15 other finalists to win the £70,000 role.
He was chosen by officials from Tourism Queensland on May 6 after a four-day selection process on Hamilton, Daydream and Hayman Islands.
Mr Southall, whose new home is a rent-free three-bedroom ocean-front villa on Hamilton Island, said "excited" could not begin to describe how he felt about starting his new job.
"It seems a lifetime ago when I sat down in January to plan and film my 60 second video application for the 'best job in the world'," he said.
"At times I still can't believe I was successful in being offered what has to be the most sought-after job in the world - the chance to spend six months exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef - one of the world's most amazing destinations."
The job is part of a campaign to attract visitors to the Great Barrier Reef, and tourism chiefs claim it already has generated £98 million in publicity.
It became an internet hit, spreading across the world via YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook.
Umbrellas stop Obama melting in the heat
A new waxwork of Barack Obama has been unveiled in Paris - where it had to be protected from the hot sun by umbrellas.
The same heatwave that has hit Britain has sent temperatures soaring in France and threatened to melt the model's face, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Helpers grabbed umbrellas to shield the waxwork from the hot sun as it was unveiled near the Eiffel Tower before taking up its place in the Musée Grevin wax museum.
It was created by sculptor Eric Saint Chaffray who had to overcome the problem that he had never seen the US president in person.
"The main difficulty is making it without meeting him, from press photos," he admitted.
But passers-by were so taken by the resemblance that many stopped to have their photograph taken by the model.
"It looks really cool," said Emily Artes, a US tourist. "Everyone was joking that he was actually here and that we were gonna take pictures with him."
Mr Saint Chaffray has been creating wax statues for the museum for the past 20 years, and has worked on American presidents in the past.
"We're presenting Barack Obama at the Musée Grevin as part of a gathering of heads of state, which is why he has kind of an official attitude, a little bit stiff," he said.
