Australia and Japan are far apart on the issue of whaling

The Australian government has launched an anti-whaling message aimed at Japanese children on video-sharing internet site YouTube.

In the video, which carries Japanese subtitles, Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull urges all countries to stop catching and killing whales.

The video includes footage of humpback whales, as well as Australian children proclaiming support for a whaling ban.

Japan opposes the international prohibition of commercial whaling.

Read more: news.bbc.co.uk 

Labels: Australia, Japan, Whales, youtube

Bite on this, cobber

THE AUSSIE Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has decided to leave two Google subsidiaries alone in its case against the search outfit.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the watchdog will now only sink its teeth into the main Google parent company for misleading web users.

Read more: theinquirer.net 

Labels: ACCC, Australia, watchdog

MUCH of Sydney's city centre as it appears in the satellite images on Google Maps Australia has been fuzzed out, just weeks before the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit.

Google says the imagery was downgraded as a result of a "commercial issue" with a supplier, but there is speculation it was done at the request of police in order to minimise the risk of a terrorist attack during the September summit, where Sydney will host 21 world leaders including the US President, George Bush.

Full story: smh.com.au 

Labels: Australia, Maps, satellite

Organic

The Australian competition watchdog has accused Google of "misleading and deceptive conduct".

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken action against Google Inc, Google Ireland Limited, and Google Australia Pty Ltd in the Federal Court, Sydney, saying Google has breached the Trade Practices Act by failing to adequately distinguish between sponsored links on its website and "organic" search results.

Read more: theregister.co.uk 

Labels: ACCC, Australia, search, watchdog