The Indonesian agriculture minister has confirmed the country will slash the amount of beef import from Australia next year. Indonesia will take only 280,000 cows in 2012--that's compared to 520,000 this year. And Minister Suswono has told the ABC Australian exports will be phased out altogether over the next three or four years. 

 

After nearly nine years of war, the US flag has been formally lowered in Baghdad, marking the end of the American military operations in that country. Only about 4,000 US soldiers remain in Iraq, but they are due to leave over the next two weeks. 

 

The political deadlock in Papua New Guinea may have entered a dangerous new phase with extra police flown into the capital to take control of government assets. Both Sir Michael Somare and Peter O'Neil are still both claiming to be the country's prime minister. Police aligned to Mr O'Neil have begun taking control of key assets including the government printing office. 

 

And the former French President Jacques Chirac has been convicted of embezzlement and breach of trust. The charges date back to Chirac's time as mayor of Paris. The 79-year-old has been given a two-year suspended prison sentence.