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Australia lifts ban on aid to Zimbabwe
Australia ended a ban on non-humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe on Wednesday, saying it wanted to help Morgan Tsvangirai relieve the suffering of the people
Stephen Smith
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‘It’s like inviting Pol Pot to a human rights conference’
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe made a surprise appearance on Monday at a world food summit in Rome, drawing fierce criticism from the British government. In his first official trip abroad since elections in March, Mugabe attended the summit organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.
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Motorsport boss under pressure over sex video
Max Mosley, president of motorsports’ governing body FIA, is under pressure after a British tabloid reported on Sunday that he engaged in sex acts with prostitutes that involved Nazi role- playing. The News of the World reported that Mosley (67) paid five sex workers £2 500 in cash and then engaged in an orgy that lasted almost five hours.
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All-round opposition to Olympic boycott
Rising above the escalating violence in and around Tibet, the message from around the world was loud and clear: ”Let the Games begin.” European nations and Olympic committees said on Monday they opposed a boycott of the Beijing Games over China’s handling of the unrest in Tibet.
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Anti-whalers halt Japanese hunt over ‘hostages’
The anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd scored a victory on Wednesday in its high-seas campaign to obstruct a Japanese whale hunt in the Antarctic, forcing the fleet to a standstill while officials tried to unload two protesters who had boarded a harpoon vessel from their rubber boat.
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Australia hits back over pro-Japan whaling video
An internet video accusing Australians of opposing Japanese whaling because of racism while brutally killing animals such as kangaroos and dingoes drew sharp government criticism on Monday. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith announced that Australia would deploy a ship to gather evidence for possible legal action.
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Japan removes humpback whales from kill list
Japan’s whaling fleet in the Antarctic will avoid killing humpback whales for now, but will press on with plans to slay 1 000 other whales by early in the New Year, a government official said on Friday. Plans by Japan to include 50 endangered humpbacks in its annual hunt had sparked an outcry from activists.
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Australia sends patrols to shadow Japan whalers
Australia will send a fisheries patrol ship to shadow Japan’s whaling fleet near Antarctica and gather evidence for a possible international court challenge to halt the yearly slaughter. The icebreaker Oceanic Viking would leave for the Southern Ocean in days to follow the Japanese fleet.
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Australia’s Rudd names Cabinet, signals change
Australia’s Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd unveiled his Cabinet on Thursday, prioritising education, industrial relations and the environment in a break with conservative predecessor John Howard’s legacy. Calling it "a team with fresh ideas", Rudd included four women and a former rock star in the Cabinet.