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Lee Duffield records impressions of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev the Russian statesman who changed history. As a news correspondent he tracked the man’s progress across Europe as he tried to get support and negotiate a peaceful ending to the Cold War. … Read More »
The third independence referendum set for New Caledonia on 12 December was set to be like the last two referendums in some of its main features — but this time had worrying differences. … Read More »
Lee Duffield
The Australian Defence Minister, Melissa Price, on 9 November told the Submarine Association conference in Adelaide that the country’s nuclear-powered submarines would be built in South Australia.
It was one more ingredient thrown into a brewing of questions and contention since the sudden announcement of the nuclear plan, and immediate cancellation of the French contract for conventional submarines on 16 September. … Read More »
The change in America came inconveniently for Australians, but handily for journalists preparing peak-hour morning newscasts.
By 5 am Sydney and Melbourne time on Sunday the traditional chief outlet for verified results, Associated Press (AP), after giving the Democratic Party candidates, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the state of Pennsylvania, posted their electoral college vote to 290 – clear of the 270 needed to win. … Read More »
The European Union’s move to get CORVID-19 investigated through the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been made difficult by Chinese-American squabbling –and Australia trying to get into the fight.
The EU focus has been to try and discover more about the virus and its origins, and draw lessons about managing both the particular disease and others that may follow.
But first they have had to manage, coax and bring into the process, unreasoning parties on two sides: on one hand American and Australian governments picking a fight with the Chinese, on the other, Chinese communists indulging their accustomed habits of coercion and abuse. It’s a picture of maturity from Brussels and something much less from these other partners. … Read More »
The European Union Heads of Government, week ending 12 April, had good reason to throw the British out so they could get on with important business concerning their joint future.
As Lee Duffield reports, they took over, telling the United Kingdom to finally make a plan for leaving the EU and ruling on a timetable for that — to 31 October. … Read More »
The British parliament has voted to extend the deadline for seceding from Europe from Friday until mid-April – but has failed to vote for a consensus on what to do.
Lee Duffield says he stopped making a straw-poll of Australian observers after getting a very early consistency of comments: “silly pommie parliament”, “incompetent mob”, and so on.
In this up-date he says there is surprise and exasperation in Europe also. … Read More »