NEW YORK: World soccer’s governing body FIFA has defended its last-minute decision to change the location of the global event’s final between Argentina and Spain this Sunday.

The final was to have been played in New York but in the wake of the outcome of the semi-final between England and Argentina, FIFA has now agreed to demands from the South American team that the game be switched to a venue in the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

A spokesperson for the Argentinian team denied the change had been sought to add further humiliation to England following its failure once again to reach the World Cup final.

FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has backed and defended the change, saying: “Argentina has provided me with some very, very compelling arguments to have the final moved.

“In fact by my count they gave me a couple of hundred thousand reasons, and I quickly agreed.” (main picture)

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ADELAIDE HILLS: Liberal Party grandee, Lord Downer, (below) has issued a statement suggesting his submission to an internal review on the party’s future will support quotas to achieve greater gender balance in the party’s ranks of candidates and MPs.

The statement printed on goat parchment and read by an under-butler at the gates of the Downer family seat Pout House, cited the need for the Liberal Party to do more to attain more female MPs.

“In saying that, I wish to make it clear that I see no reason to make any extra effort to attain more women MPs,” the statement by His Lordship said.

“Nay, my concern is that my party does not have sufficient ladies in its ranks, and in particular it continues to fail to find a parliamentary position for my dear darling daughter, Lady Georgina Downer. (below)

“If quotas are required to ensure dear Georgina is accommodated in our national parliament then I shall support them.

“Once she is ensconced in a safe and hereditary seat, then the work of quotas is done and they should be abandoned forthwith,” the statement said.

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CANBERRA: One Nation MP, Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts, (below) has modified his claims about the impact of “chemtrails” – the visible emissions from aircraft that have grown to be the focus of conspiracy theories.

Senator Roberts has previously aligned himself with proponents of the conspiracy theories who claim that routine contrails caused by the condensation of cold air by aircraft engines are part of top-secret work to distribute biological or chemical agents to change or control weather conditions or affect human health to control population growth. (below)

“I still maintain that chemtrails should be a source of concern for all human beings because of the dangerous and nefarious purposes behind them that have been proved beyond doubt – I mean just look at the mass of information available on the internet,” Senator Roberts said today. “Do your own research.

“But I do want to make a very important distinction when it comes to chemtrails.

“I categorically refute any suggestions that chemtrails from Gina Rinehart’s private jet, or the plane she gave [One Nation leader] Pauline [Hanson] are cause for concern,” he said. “I hope that makes my position clear.”

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