Australian prime minister dodges another sandwich

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced to dodge a flying sandwich for the second time this month Thursday when someone's salami lunch was flung at her during a school visit.

Gillard was greeting children at Lyneham High School in Canberra when the sandwich narrowly missed her.

Photos showed it bypassing her left arm and lying on the ground in front of her as she shook hands with a crowd of students.

The incident came after a student earlier this month threw a sandwich covered with Australia's favourite yeast-based lunch spread, Vegemite, at her during another school trip.

Gillard appeared unfazed by the latest prank, commenting afterwards: "They must have thought I was hungry."

The student who threw the Vegemite sandwich was suspended from school for 15 days despite denying he was responsible.

There were no immediate suspects in Thursday's salami incident.

Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, who was accompanying Gillard, laughed it off, saying: "Schools are full of kids, kids occasionally do silly things."