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Canada Child Porn Probe Led to Hundreds of Arrests

A global investigation into a Canadian child porn website had led to the arrest of 341 people including teachers, doctors and police officers, and the rescue of 386 sexually abused children, police said.

Those arrested include six law enforcement officials, nine religious leaders, 40 school teachers, three foster parents, 32 children volunteers and nine doctors and nurses, Toronto police said Thursday.

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Asylum-Seeker Boat Breaks down Off Indonesia

Indonesian rescuers brought nine Australia-bound asylum seekers back to the main island of Java Wednesday after their boat broke down but some 40 more are refusing to be picked up, an official said.

The boat suffered engine failure about three miles (five kilometers) off Manuk beach in Banten province in the morning, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said.

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Australia, Indonesia in Talks on Refugee 'Swap'

Australia and Indonesia are discussing a people "swap" deal under which Jakarta would take asylum-seekers from Australia if Canberra agreed to take some of its refugees, an Indonesian government adviser said Tuesday.

Asylum-seekers arriving on unauthorized boats in Australia, often via Indonesia, are a sensitive issue for both sides, and Canberra's military-led Operation Sovereign Borders to clamp down on them has raised concerns in Jakarta.

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Australian Government Boatpeople Policy under Fire

Australia's Labor opposition on Sunday claimed the government's boatpeople policy was in serious disarray after a high-seas stand-off with Indonesia.

The Tony Abbott-led government went into September elections vowing to turn back asylum-seeker boats to Indonesia, where many depart, when safe to do so.

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Australia Ends Asylum Boat Stand-off with Indonesia

Australia said Saturday it will take a boatload of asylum-seekers at the center of a high-seas stand-off with Indonesia to its Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island.

Australia had requested Indonesia take the group of about 60 people who were picked up by an Australian vessel south of Java on Thursday but Indonesian officials had so far failed to agree to this.

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Indonesia, Australia in High Seas Asylum Boat Stand-off

Indonesia and Australia were locked in a high seas stand-off Friday after Jakarta rejected attempts by an Australian vessel to return scores of asylum seekers to the main island of Java.

The row, which came with tensions already high between Jakarta and Canberra over a spying controversy, prompted fresh questions about new Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's hardline asylum-seeker policies.

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Report: Australia, U.S. Spied on Indonesia during U.N. Talks

Australia and the United States mounted a joint surveillance operation on Indonesia during the 2007 United Nations climate change conference in Bali, a report said Sunday.

The Guardian newspaper's Australian edition cited a document from U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden showing Australian spy agency the Defense Signals Directorate worked alongside America's National Security Agency (NSA) to collect the phone numbers of Indonesian security officials.

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Malaysia Summons U.S., Australia over Spy Row

Malaysia summoned the heads of the U.S. and Australian missions in protest at spying allegations, its foreign minister said Saturday, as a row over a vast U.S.-led surveillance network deepened in Asia.

China and Indonesia have already demanded explanations from Australia over reports that Canberra's missions were being used to monitor phone calls and collect data as part of American surveillance.

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Indonesia Summons Australian Ambassador over Spying Report

Indonesia said Thursday it was summoning the Australian ambassador after a report that his embassy in Jakarta was being used for surveillance as part of a U.S.-led spying network.

Ambassador Greg Moriarty will face questions at the foreign ministry Friday over the "totally unacceptable" activities reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, the ministry said.

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Abbott Declares End of Australia's Longest War

Prime Minister Tony Abbott declared Australia's longest war at an end during a surprise visit to Afghanistan, with more than 1,000 troops to return home before Christmas in a "bitter-sweet" withdrawal.

"Australia's longest war is ending, not with victory, not with defeat, but with, we hope, an Afghanistan that's better for our presence here," Abbott said.

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