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JULIA Gillard came to talk about education and Australia's place in the world, but for Barack Obama and a class of high school history students, Vegemite was the main topic of interest. Hosting the Prime Minister on a visit to the Wakefield High School, in Virginia, the most-powerful man in the world had a clear message about Vegemite - the sandwich filling that is part of the average Australian childhood. Vegemite was, Mr Obama declared, "horrible". "It's like a quasi-vegetable by-product paste that you smear all over your toast," Mr Obama told the students after one asked Mr Gillard to...

IT is looming as the sports fan's ultimate dilemma: the Grand Prix revving up or the footy kicking off? For the first time, two of Victoria's glamour events will collide this weekend in a major sporting feast. Melbourne will live up to its status as the nation's sporting capital when the two major events go head to head. The AFL season begins tonight when West Coast hosts St Kilda at Subiaco Oval, while the first day of high octane action rings around Albert Park. Tomorrow night Richmond clashes with the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome, hours after the world's fastest...

The Kangaroos have thumped reigning AFL premiers the Swans by 48 points in a sold-out exhibition game in Los Angeles. Kangaroos ruckman Hamish McIntosh was voted best-on-ground and dominated the youthful Sydney lineup, kicking an equal game-high two goals. The Kangaroos won 13.8 (86) to 6.2 (38). Both teams were without senior stars, with Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley and Sydney's Paul Roos opting to blood younger players. Roos said he was not disappointed with the score because both teams did not play their full squads and it was still more than two months away from the opening of the AFL...

IF the West Coast Eagles win tomorrow's AFL Grand Final, a bet between the New South Wales and WA premiers will see the Perth's team flag flying from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. WA Premier Geoff Gallop said today he had made a bet with his NSW counterpart Morris Iemma on the outcome of the match between the Sydney Swans and the West Coast Eagles. "If the Eagles win he'll fly the Eagles flag over the bridge and if the Swans win we'll hang the flag over Parliament," Dr Gallop said on ABC radio. "That's the deal. When a premier commits...

NI celebrates win over England Football fans across Northern Ireland are basking in the glory of the national team's shock World Cup victory over England in Belfast. By:Press Association Lawrie Sanchez`s men had been given little hope against a star-studded England side which included David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen. But Leeds United striker David Healy sent the capacity-crowd Windsor Park crowd wild with a stunning strike in the 74th minute. The 1-0 Group Six win was Northern Ireland`s first over England for 33 years and one of the greatest sporting successes in the province`s history. Politicians hailed the...