You are currently browsing the archives for Environment.
Lee Duffield interviewed the Foreign Minister at Port Vila in Vanuatu on 23 July 2018. He found a frank and open, and informing account of current issues in Vanuatu. … Read More »
The Vanuatu foreign Minister, Ralph Regenvanu, has welcomed the intensified Chinese investment and aid efforts in his country, while conceding it does come with some extra diplomatic pressure.
In an extended interview with EUAustralia, at his Foreign Ministry office, Mr Regenvanu took stock of incidents upsetting the Australian government, and many Australians, like the story of China wanting a naval base in Vanuatu, which his government has denied. … Read More »
Sorting through problems of a troubled world in eyeball-to-eyeball contact among heads of government – at the G20 — always holds out the hope of getting some solutions though real communication.
It also means risk and high organisation; why squads of armed police this month have been deployed for exercises — with air support, in water, and rehearsing street movements — close to the bottom of the world, for the G20 summit in November.
Lee Duffield writes:
The International Court of Justice at The Hague has ruled emphatically against Japan, and in favour of Australia, in their dispute over whaling in the Antarctic region.
The court found Japan was in violation of obligations under the international Whaling Convention , by taking large numbers of whales for commercial use, on a justification that this was for scientific purposes.
The panel of judges determined 12 to 4, that Japan’s whaling permits are to be revoked and no new ones are to be issued to it; the decision binding, no appeals to be permitted.
New Zealand was joined in the case on Australia’s side. … Read More »
Finance Ministers of the leading 20 world economies, the G20, ended a meeting in Sydney, 23.2.14, with an agreement adopt a joint target for economic growth over the coming five years. … Read More »
People in South and South-west England, and some parts further North are facing up to another weekend of severe Winter storms, after weeks of continuing bad weather.
They have been bringing destructive winds, heavy seas along the coast, extreme flooding on the coast and well inland, and widespread snowfalls; with that, paralysis of traffic movements and blackouts. … Read More »
The Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has set out to drum up some business through the World Economic Forum at Davos (22-25.1.14) in Switzerland.
Meanwhile the government in Canberra struggles to keep ahead of adverse trends closer to home, in Indonesia and Timor Leste. … Read More »