newsroundup

It's been a busy week, but my favourite story by far has to be another example of housewives' favourite Junichiro Koizumi's knack for flare.
Apparently, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi turned up for work on a Segway this week after presumably spending time working on manouveres in his Tokyo backgarden.

In Europe it has been a torid year for the major EU players with the rejection of the European Constitution earlier this year, but they did manage to hash out a budget deal for the next 7 years.
However, most critcs at home would view the deal as a pretty hefty failure on the UK's part, giving up a sizeable chunk of it's rebate in return for no guarantees on the Common Agricultural Policy (of which France is a huge beneficiary). Big disappointment.

Beaches in the Sydney area will be closed down this weekend, as police erect roadblocks and enforce searches in order to prevent another weekend of racial violence between "ethnic lebanese and mediterraneans" and "white austalians".