Vlad and Kim

 New relations

Having displeased his traditional ally , China, Kim Jong-un  is shifting his attention towards Russia  . Vladimir has  made himself unpopular with the West as a result of his actions in Crimea and Ukraine and is feeling the heat.
Putin has cancelled some of North Korea's debt and both countries intend to step up their trade in the coming year.
Kim, the Great Leader beloved everywhere in Pyongyang has not met one single world leader. Perhaps they don't like his haircut. It seems that Kim  might be plumping for Putin to make this  first major step outside his North Korea.
It seems both pariahs are looking for a meaningful relationship.....Aw...

                "Go on big fella.Gimme a hug!"

Australia Day 2015

Up a gumtree

In 1980 , Australia had a population of about 15 million, Today that figure is a little over 25 million. We'll obviously have a job catching up with China and India's numbers but frankly who cares? In 1980 , one of the topics of conversation was Australia's population sustainability but the dark mutterings of doom and gloom seem to have abated.
Australia has sun, sand sea and endless beaches but is also populated by venomous insects, arachnids, sharks and monstrous  salties . They thrive in the temperate climate. Then there are the big red kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, possums , brumbies and bilbies.  Too numerous to mention are other unique fauna like the cross between a duck and a mole, the platypus , or the egg-laying anteater, the echidna. Lastly , as far as the weather goes there's feast or famine with either too much or too little rain.  
So there we are. Many reasons and more to celebrate . 
What do you reckon?

"Barbecued gum leaves doesn't do it for me, I'm sorry"

Spotlight on Australia

Tales of the unexpected?

The G20  meeting in Brisbane  was followed by informal visits to Sydney. Rock star status was accorded to Indian PM Modi ( more popular than Gandhi apparently but that's easy as India's population has grown a zillion times after the Raj downed his G & T , tearfully sailing out of Bombay some 67 years ago) and last but not least,  photo opportunities with cuddly Koalas. Tony and Boris must have made up as they fondled their marsupials together for the Press. No clean shirtfronts there.

Tony Abbott's opening speech, according to some weightier members of the Press, was a doozy, leaving the audience to pick their teeth and glance furtively at their watches as the wonders of the coalition's policies were splashed cross the broad canvas of everything and anything that moved. 

Obama had Brisbane students swooning in their Nikes while,for afters , China and the U.S,  vowed to put the dampeners on pollution. Xi Jinping and Boris were obliquely slapped on the wrist by David
Cameron; the criticism sunk like a pair of soggy socks in the wash. Ebola was in there somewhere. From an appeal point of view the Koalas blitzed ém. 

Now it's all over with Everybody lurvs Orstrayleeyah ,there's a cluster of trade agreements , maybe free Yoga classes in India,  (spare Boeing parts from Russia?) from which benefits will accrue ......when? China managed to put a bit of a lever under Canberra to loosen U,S. Australian ties.They don't give up. 

Talk about the unexpected? Not really.

More than cricket

Stability in the sub-continent ; anyone for Yoga?

""I am prepared to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in a peaceful atmosphere, without the shadow of terrorism, to promote our friendship and cooperation. However, Pakistan must also take its responsibility seriously to create an appropriate environment". So said Indian Prime Minister Modi in his maiden speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars against each other since independence in 1947, two of them over the disputed territory of Kashmir. Then there is the problem of Muslim unrest on the world stage.

His comments on Pakistan came a day after Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif criticised India for cancelling bilateral talks last month.

India's economy is well on its way to becoming an industrial powerhouse as well as rivaling China in terms of population.Will Pakistan get dragged along by India's coat tails or will it fall behind causing more instability?

P.M. Modi's speech was well received by hundreds of delegates.  Mr Modi also proposed creating an International Yoga Day. Hallmark must be working on this already.

 Don't know if yoga can solve this one. Should we be concerned, hopeful or apprehensive?

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Continuing trouble in little China

Hong Kong

Hundreds of police using sledgehammers knocked down and cleared barricades set up by protesting students in Hong Kong.

The students however retaliated by making  a surprise move to occupy the tunnel on Lung Wo Road, an important east-west artery near the offices of the Hong Kong 

In the meantime roads through the Central business district and a main city tram line have reopened.

The Hong Kong and Beijing governments have called the protests illegal. Some of the city's most powerful players and businessmen had earlier warned that occupying the heart of the city to press for democracy could undermine stability.

Mr Leunhe city's pro-Beijing leader said this week there was a fat chance that China's leaders would give in to protesters' demands and change an August decision limiting democracy. The protesters want Mr Leung to step down.

The show goes on...

HONKERS

1st July 1997 was the handover of Hong Kong to China. The U.K. did its best to ensure that some form of democracy remained but it was basically a face saving measure in the face of humongous odds. Things are now changing and the protests there are posing an interesting conundrum. Who will blink first? The answer will more than likely come soon.