The stark realities of global warming and subsequent rising sea-levels are appearing to begin to have major effects on small Caribbean and Pacific Islands nations, with the latest stark call for assistance coming from the President of the Pacific Islands nation of Kiribati.
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President Atone Tong recently said ... continue reading

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Ever since the end of the Cold War, Russia has been looking at modernising its defence structures and equipment but never had the money or the expertise to do so. Now, with greater access to better technology and more money being available through its resources boom, Russia might well be able to substantially m... continue reading

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There are few train journeys in the world that are able to make an impression on people.

There is the Orient Express, Eurostar, the French TGV and then there are the Ghan and the Indian-Pacific in Australia.
The Indian Pacific near Huddlestone
The Indian-Pacific is an interesting train in that it runs fro... continue reading

The phenomenon of priests, clerics and other religious sex offenders is, by all accounts, more like an epidemic rather than the occasional occurrence and as to ensure that justice prevails, victims of these parasites must be extremely careful as to not make statements and/or participate in actions that may lead to reli... continue reading

[pic1]While I would be the first person to defend anyone's right to practice their chosen religion unhindered and where and when they please, and while I also acknowledge that some people with a religious background have and still are doing good deeds on behalf of their communities, I reserve my right to highlight and ... continue reading

Have you ever wondered as to how you can distinguish between a real spy and a fake?

I am going to tell you how to do this in fine detail, well, almost fine detail, well, slightly fine detail. Ah well, some detail will be sufficient.

If a man stands outside your house talking into his watch, he is definitely not ... continue reading

Now I am not going to interfere with someone's democratic right to practice his/her chosen religion in any way shape or form. Freedom of religion is one basic human rights principle that should be protected vigorously by all.

[extract1]Having said that though, I think some of the facts of life should be made known i... continue reading

Information has come to light as to the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) attempting to interfere with Swedish legal processes in relation to the Julian Assange case and there are now also questions as to communications between US Government officials and Swedish Government Ministers in relation to Mr Assange’s case an... continue reading

It can easily be said that Europe, as a continent, has learnt very little from the events of two world wars, the Kosovo crisis, Bosnia, Northern Ireland and a number of other such events that took the lives of millions of Europeans and in the end really achieved nothing apart from causing a lot of pain and suffering in... continue reading

People who live outside Australia must be wondering as to why a rich country such as Australia still has growing problems with issues such as homelessness and poverty while, on the other hand, the country is literally floating on mineral riches and substantial food resources.

To get the answer as to why less well of... continue reading

There are very few things that I dislike more than coup-leaders, coup-plotters and grubby little dictators. They all have something in common. They are all people who have achieved nothing in life and perhaps never will, all have an inferiority complex and all have a nasty dose of their illusion of self-importance.

... continue reading

During the process of ‘exhuming’ various hidden Vatican files that relate to the various yet to be revealed sex offenders within the Catholic Church, members of the International Law Compliance Forum (ILCF) have stumbled across some rather interesting and indeed disturbing instances of the Vatican, and the now Pope Car... continue reading

It has been revealed that the Vatican is currently hiding thousands of case files in relation to sex abuse cases, pedophilia and physical abuse cases implicating hundreds of priests and other church officials working within the Catholic Church.

The files, detailed to International Law Compliance Forum members by Vat... continue reading

How sad is the situation is when one of the main Australian coup-plotters, Senator Mark Arbib, is now trying to justify his position this in relation to the coup he mounted against then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd together with coup-leader Julia Gillard and fellow coup-plotter Bill Shorten plus others.

What Arbib, a m... continue reading

While there currently is a lot of talk in Australia and even more waffle from the Australian Greens Party, proposals to construct a high-speed rail system between Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane are not new. They are in fact about thirty years old and they certainly did not come from the Australian environmental lobby or the... continue reading

COUP LEADER GILLARD FORMS A MINORITY GOVERNMENT

Australian coup-leader Julia Gillard has formed a minority Government with the help of three independents and a new-elected Australian Waffle Party (Greens) member of parliament.

There are a number of aspects in terms of the composition of this, in my view a bit dub... continue reading

TRAVEL WARNING. DO NOT TRAVEL TO IRAN.

TRAVELWISE has been watching the situation in Iran for some months in relation to travelling to the country for either business or holiday purposes.

Given the current political situation within Iran, including the status of the various international sanctions that have been ... continue reading

After a couple of weeks of intense negotiations between four elected independents and both the Labor Party as well as the Liberal/National coalition parties, three out of four have decided to give Labor, led by coup-leader Julia Gillard, a chance to govern by guaranteeing not to support certain no-confidence motions an... continue reading

BLAIR DETAILS AS TO HOW TO START AN ILLEGAL WAR WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION.

I would have thought that a person who is accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, breaches of the Geneva Convention as well as breaching the Laws of War would not be so stupid as to write a book about it and in the process, getting thous... continue reading

The results of the Australian elections, just held, have highlighted a number of things that, if not addressed, will spell the end of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in terms of the party being able to retain any future support of the Australian electorate.

There is no doubt the ALP stuffed up a number of perfectly... continue reading

One aspect of the Australian Government in which coup-leader Julia Gillard played a major role as Deputy Prime Minister has been very conveniently swept aside by Gillard and her off-siders during the current Australian election campaign has been the totally failed home insulation scheme through which four people subseq... continue reading

The Australian elections thus far have been the most monotonous processes ever encountered in Australian politics but there are a couple of aspects of it that perhaps should be brought into view.

First of all, Labor’s coup-leader, Julia Gillard, keeps waffling on about a 're-elected' Gillard Government as if the cou... continue reading

Australian has lots of former Prime Ministers, wannabe Prime Ministers, could-have-been Prime Ministers and indeed should-have-been-Prime Minister but there is only one Australian who says she is the Prime Minister but who is really nothing more than an example of being just another a coup-leader. Coup-leader Julia Gil... continue reading

After two weeks of electioneering, there are signs of desperation within the Australian Labor Party after the Australian public appears to begin to see through the ALP’s cheap and nasty tactics which began by the various factions within the party, and coup leader Gillard in particular, deposing Kevin Rudd as Prime Mini... continue reading

In a particularly grubby manner, Australia’s Prime Minster Kevin Rudd, has been deposed as PM by Australian Labor Party (ALP) secretaries, ALP power brokers and other ALP ‘nobodies’ , all in a matter of 24 hours and in a manner that would lead Australian voters to question as to who is really in charge of the Australia... continue reading

Given the recent incident whereby the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, used copied and thus falsified real passports belonging to foreign nationals for the purposes of assassinating a Hamas official in Dubai, Travelwise advises foreign nationals not to travel to Israel for both leisure or business purposes. In othe... continue reading

It is fascinating to watch how some governments surround themselves in a veil of secrecy, hypocrisy and double standards and, sadly, the US Government appears to be a master of all of those when it comes to matters related to Israel. One can almost be excused for thinking that Israel’s Prime Minster, Benjamin Netanyahu... continue reading

Once again, Israel has shown that the country has little or no regard for international law, human rights laws and definitions and the nuclear-armed country can now, beyond reasonable doubt, be regarded as a rogue state.

[extract1]First of all, Israel has proven time and time again that it has no intention to withdr... continue reading

Travelwise issues the following advice in relation to cancelled flights to, from and between European destinations.

The diversions, cancellations and delays are due to the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland erupting.

For travellers coming to and from Asia/Pacific cities, train services between ... continue reading

Regular readers might have seen and read the various advisory and no-fly notices in relation to the various airlines in Australia.

The latest episodes with Australia's national airline Qantas highlights the fact that, now more than ever, air travellers within Australia and the immediate region should apply caution a... continue reading

The International Law Compliance Forum (ILCF) has urged countries with instances of child-and sex abuse allegations to immediately begin proceedings against offenders and their protectors.

The ILCF has also urged countries to vary their 'statue of limitations' provisions through their legislative processes as to en... continue reading

Some concerns have been raised in relation to some of the maintenance practices of Australia's national airline Qantas and the Australia authorities have put the airline on a 'watch' list.
Qantas A380
The latest incidents include a faulty brake system on an A380, a failed engine on a 747 and a Boeing 737 that was all... continue reading

Ah yes, another week of religious upheavals within the catholic religion and how wonderful it is to see what can only be described as an unaccountable, greedy lot of pedophiles and their protectors go down in a screaming heap having to defend the indefensible and not making a very good job of it.

And yes, I feel sor... continue reading

As the court cases mount and the damages bills are likely to venture into the billions, Toyota must getting a bit worried about the overall effect on its long-term prospects worldwide.

I am going to add a bit to those worries with the call that all sales of Toyota product be suspended until such time the company can... continue reading

These people within the Vatican walls must think it's Christmas or something and they must certainly be counting their blessings due to the fact that they seem to have gotten away with more revelations of child-abuse and other crimes without having to lift a finger. Bloody disgusting it is.

Thousands upon thousands ... continue reading

Mossad, Israel's secret service organisation, by its most recent actions, has confirmed Israel's status as a rogue state.

[extract1]The organisation, and thus Israel, have been accused by Dubai authorities of killing Hamas operative Mahmoud Al-Mabhoud in a luxury hotel in Dubai, sending a number of Israeli agents tr... continue reading

Well might you say, "You can't be serious making that statement" and I would then reply that I am very serious in terms of what I am saying and that I have a substantial number of very good reasons for doing so.

First of all I shall have a closer look at the status of the Vatican.

The Vatican is an independent S... continue reading

The evidence provided by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to a UK inquiry may have taken him six hours to provide but it will take him the rest of his miserable life to live down the consequences of his actions - actions that, to me, are much less admirable than what the British public would have and should hav... continue reading

As was expected, it only took the Obama administration to back-track on its commitment to legalise past illegal US processes that were taking place at the Guantanamo Bay concentration camp during the Bush era.

Since Obama came into power, a number of 'detainees' have been released or transferred to their country of ... continue reading

Ah yes, trust the Irish Government to put both left feet into an issue where sound and competent Governments would and should never venture unless such Governments have a desire to look like complete fools as well as idiots, the conclusion being that the Irish Government is certainly able to classed as incompetent and ... continue reading

While the year 2009 might well have been a bit of an eye-opener for some people, in overall terms, apart from some major disasters, year 2009 was a rather forgettable one for more people.

With any luck, however, year 2010 might well be a somewhat different in numerous different ways.

On the international scene, I... continue reading

It was rather interesting to see the conclusions that were reached, or the lack thereof, at the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. There appeared to be plenty of waffle but very little action.

The final communique, which states that the world will aim for a 'not above 2c' rise in temperatures might well settin... continue reading

Well might you say. "Poor old Santa". Here is the poor old pensioner trying to save some time by travelling via the Eurotunnel and he gets stuck on a train half-way through the tunnel, prompting a search party for him.

Yes indeed, Santa might have been stuck in the tunnel aboard a Eurostar train but thousands of oth... continue reading

Given the political and human rights situation in Iran, Travelwise advises potential visitors to Iran to avoid travelling to the country for both business as well as leisure purposes.

In political terms, Iran is in dispute with a substantial number of western countries, including EU countries, in relation to its nuc... continue reading

Travelwise advises that it recommends people avoid travelling to Israel for both business and leisure purposes.

The recommendation comes after mainly EU private and corporate international boycotts became effective in recent days the reasons for such boycotts being Israel's continued flouting of international law as... continue reading

For those people of the catholic faith, and especially for catholics in Ireland, the recently released 700-page Murphy Report into child sex abuse and rape must have been made their blood boil.

[extract1]The report contains 700 pages of details about a systemic regime of blatant and disgusting child abuse and attemp... continue reading

It is so sad to see people with obvious talents being ripped-off by crooks, charlatans, dodgy individuals and companies and other forms of low-life who prey on individual lack of legal knowledge and weaknesses in terms of contracts and so-called marketing practices that often amount to nothing more than theft and, in t... continue reading

One of the Middle-East flash-point situations, this being the stand-off between Iran and Israel, is starting to look more serious as days, weeks and months pass by but at least, at this point in time, the two countries are only exchanging insults rather than military hardware.

Israel says that the Iranian nuclear f... continue reading

The UK Armed Services Minister Bill Rammell has stated that there will not be a need for an open and public inquiry into allegations that British Forces in Iraq allegedly inflicted human rights abuses upon Iraqi detainees.

[extract1]Thus far, 33 cases of human rights abuses have surfaced including allegations of ra... continue reading

As I mentioned previously, Iran is very close, within months, to being capable of delivering nuclear warheads to a target.

The latest evidence of its capability comes with the release of information that Iran's researchers were tinkering with a 'two-point implosion device' which, when fully developed would give Iran... continue reading

As a direct result of the latest developments in Fiji whereby the Fijian military dictatorship has thrown both the Australian and New Zealand High Commissioners out of the country as well as the removal from Fiji of a Fijian-born Australian academic, after he criticised the Bainimarama military regime, I have no option... continue reading

It has been revealed that the Gordon Brown Government is endorsing former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to become EU President.

In a move that will be fiercely opposed in Europe, current UK Government ministers are lobbying behind the scenes on Blair's behalf.

The problems with a potential Tony Blair presidential ... continue reading

Australia's major airline Qantas is not travelling well at the moment with Qantas off-shoot, Jetstar, being on the Travelwise 'no fly' list and an increasing number of questions being asked in Australia as to the maintenance standards of the whole Qantas group of airlines.

The latest Jetstar saga was an engine fire ... continue reading

The fact that the UN Human Rights Council has voted that the UN war crimes inquiry findings into the Israel-Hamas conflict as being factual and valid now opens the doors to a host of legal as well as other options in relation to this conflict by both Israel as well as Hamas.

The inquiry, conducted by well-respected ... continue reading

As a result of a current Pakistani Army ground offensive in the Pakistani Tribal Regions bordering Afghanistan as well as the fact that major air strike activity in the Pakistan / Afghanistan border regions is being intensified, Travelwise is issuing a 'DO NOT TRAVEL TO PAKISTAN' warning.

The border regions are extr... continue reading

The findings of a UN investigation team in relation war crimes committed by both Israel as well as Hamas make interesting reading in terms of what may result if the International Criminal Court ever gets to proceed with laying charges against individuals.

The findings allege that the Israel military participated and... continue reading

"Oh my god", might well you say, "Pictures of sex and drugs and rock'n-roll in Western Australia, or pictures of some other scandalous behaviour perhaps perpetrated by some poor Government Minister, perhaps even with his trouser down to his ankles?"

No, none of that, "Oh bugger, what a pity."

No these are pictur... continue reading

Tiger Airways is one of the more recent entrants into the Australian domestic airlines market. It is an 'el-cheapo' budget carrier flying Airbus A320s to and from Australia's major capital cities.

The airline is part-owned by Singapore Airlines.

In recent months, a number of stories have come to light in relation... continue reading

As an example as to how far Governments will go in terms of their anti-terrorism paranoia we may take a recent Western Australian case as a perfect example as to how stupid and idiotic some Governments really are.

A colleague who writes for railway magazines recently decided to do some stories for his various public... continue reading

Yes, for those of you wish to have a real train experience, I think a trip on Eurostar from London to Paris or from London to Brussels might be one that would put a whole new light on one's opinion of what train travel should be like instead of what it is today in some countries.
Eurostar
Try London to Paris in just... continue reading

If there were any justice in this world one would certainly not look at Australia's airline, Qantas, to find it.

Details of what former Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon was paid in his final year in the boss' seat, or part thereof, has shown that he took home many millions of dollars in pay, bonuses and other fees.

Yet on ... continue reading

Sydney has been one of Australia's main international destinations for visitors from other countries and while other Australian cities are now beginning to make an impact, Sydney is likely to remain Australia's main gateway for some years to come.

The first shock to the system for visitors upon arriving is Sydney Ai... continue reading

Well might Iran's Ayatollah All Khamenei, a man who should stick with his religious books instead of dabbling in politics, say that Iran has no intention to develop nuclear weapons.

The statements by this man being the case, one can only conclude that this particular individual is a liar.

[extract1]The evidence ... continue reading

After an incident with one of its aircraft at Bangkok, whereby passengers has to sit in the aircraft on the tarmac without airconditioning and food for 3 hours 40 minutes, I have decided to issue a 'no fly' warning on Qantas subsidiary Jetstar.

This latest incident is just the latest in a series of incidents in ... continue reading

Some time ago I mentioned that the war in Afghanistan, as it was then as well as the way it was then conducted, was basically unwinnable.

I have not changed my view and these days there are some added dimensions that will have to be taken into account when we start looking for solutions and exit strategies.

Firs... continue reading

They seek him here, they seek him there, they seek him everywhere but finding Osama Bin Laden seems to be proving to be more difficult than first thought. Not that the difficulties with finding him are an indication as to how good he and other Al Qaeda main decision-makers and operatives might appear to have been in te... continue reading

Ah yes, my Australian friends certainly won't like me for this little contribution but then, that's life.

First of all we must ask the question as to how on earth John Howard ever managed to stay in power as Prime Minister for 11 long years. Were Australians asleep at the wheel or did they just care more about cric... continue reading

Singapore is one of those places that most people in transit to other destinations in Europe would have visited at one time or another. I am of the view though that Singapore represents much more than just the transit lounge at Chang Airport and that this small country is well worth a visit.

Today's Singapore is a s... continue reading

While the former Australian Liberal Government has always claimed that it knew nothing of allegations of the torture of Australians David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib at Guantanamo Bay, it now turns out that both the then Attorney General, Philip Ruddock as well as then Prime Minister, John Howard, were fully briefed as to ... continue reading

Remember a man named Tony Blair? Yep, that's him.

[extract1]He was the one who ventured into an illegal war in Iraq together with his other two grubby little mates George W Bush and Johnny Howard. And then, after his resignation as British PM, he became a Middle East 'peace representative' on behalf of the United N... continue reading

I can remember saying, on this very site in fact, and on 7th March 2007, that the CIA (Central Intelligence Organisation) was acting like a terrorist organisation and by the looks of things,
I was damned right.

[extract1]A secret report, only released days ago, highlight incidents whereby CIA operatives 'interview... continue reading

When the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York occurred, the immediate aftermath, in terms of revised and additional anti-terrorism legislation just had to be put in place. Many countries, if not most, all revised their legislation to suit their own specific needs regardless of the fact that some of those could well b... continue reading

What is it with so-called religious leaders that even entices them into running countries and stuffing them in the process? Their motivation has certainly has nothing to do with religion but rather more to do with their hunger for power, in my view.

Iran would have to be a perfect example.

Here we have country t... continue reading

Bali is perhaps one of the world's best known tourism destinations and while I have no great love for Bali as a resort destination, I do admire Balinese culture and some of the scenery in the more outlying areas.

Bali is visited by people from all over the world but mostly by Australians who regard it as one of Indo... continue reading

Vanuatu is a small island nation located in the Western Pacific east of Australia. Consisting of numerous small islands, the country was once ruled by both the British and the French when it was then known as the New Hebrides.

The current capital is Port Vila

Population is a mixture of Melanesian, French and Bri... continue reading

Given the parlous state of the world-wide aviation industry at the moment, I am not surprised that crashes such as recent crash events with the various types of aircraft ranging from Airbus A330s to Twin Otters are appearing to have become more common.

In terms of the airlines, the problem is that in order to remai... continue reading

I am extremely pleased to announce that the year 2010 will be known as the "Visit Afghanistan Year 2010" and for the purpose, I have pleasure announcing some great travel packages that are likely to please many among you.

As a bit of background information, I can tell you that Afghanistan is such a peaceful place, f... continue reading

Burma, or Myanmar as it is called these days, is one of the largest South East Asian countries within that region.

Its population is about 33 million of various different ethnic groups.
At this point in time, Burma is a member of ASEAN (Association of South-East-Asian-Nations).

Some of the main tourist attrac... continue reading

Travelwise was designed to provide prospective travellers with information that neither travel agents and/or representatives of the tourist and travel authorities of the various countries are interested in giving you.

I shall give an example.

When a particular country is or ventures into a period of dictatorship... continue reading

I was recently asked if I had any desire to visit Burma. My answer, "You have got to be kidding. Why would I want to visit a country that is ruled by a military junta of the worst kind?"

The fact is of course that Burma, or Myanmar as it is known these days, is ruled by the so-called 'generals' and we must be wonde... continue reading

New Zealand is one of those countries that people from around the world should visit at least once in a lifetime.

The country, located in south-west Pacific Ocean, is an island state divided into two main islands, one the North Island, one the South Island. New Zealand is a democracy with the British Queen being t... continue reading

Timor-Leste, or perhaps better known as East Timor, is one of the world's newest independent nations. It is located between Indonesia and Australia and while half of the island is Indonesian territory, the other half, East Timor, is now independent.

[extract1]The country was a Portuguese colony, it was then invaded ... continue reading

Try this one for stupidity.

[extract1]Chinese Government owned company, Chinalco, tries to buy into Anglo-Australian iron ore miner, Rio Tinto, and fails in its bid because Rio had other ideas in terms of who controlled the company as well as the fact that the Australian Government and the general population did no... continue reading

Photo: AP/Rob GriffithOne would have though that after two successive coups and one attempted one, the nation of Fiji would have had enough of trumped-up little military dictators but sadly, any notion of a free, democratic Fiji went out of the window when the current incumbent of the title Fiji's dictator came on the ... continue reading

Fiji is a Pacific Ocean island nation located half-way between eastern Australia and Hawaii. The population largely consists of people of Indian descent as well as the local Fijian population.

Fiji's main sources of income are the tourism industry as well as sugar production. Fiji's tourism industry is a well-develo... continue reading

While another country has now decided to develop and/or obtain nuclear weapons, we really must be wondering as to what the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), as the UN agency responsible for preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, might be doing with its time these days.

I have a fair idea.

Vie... continue reading

Much consternation in Australia about a news article published by Australia's national newspaper "The Australian" in relation to an impending raid on some terrorism suspects.

Details of the impending raids were leaked by someone yet unknown to a journalist employed by the newspaper, which were then published on the... continue reading

The menace of suicide bombers walking into hotels and other places where people congregate has become so widespread that one must be wondering as to why people are stupid enough to even contemplating participating in such activities.

There is no doubt, and it has been proven, that the grooming of potential suicide b... continue reading

There Is More To Be Made Robbing People Working For A Bank.

Ah yes indeed. What is the difference between a gangster and a banker? None really, they both rob people blind while living off the taxpayer. Hence from hereon in a banker may well be known as a bankster.

Try this one out for size.
The US Government ha... continue reading

China is country of contradictions.

On one hand there is the China with a growing economy, increasing consumer consumption and better living standards for some of its population while on the other hand there is the Chinese Government, ambitious, oppressive, corrupt and generally afraid of and for its own existence.... continue reading

Remember the war in Iraq, one of the two? Take your pick.

One was because Saddam invaded Kuwait, a country that was growing oil and not oranges while the other was because Saddam was said to have weapons of mass destruction, weapons that never were and for which former US President George W is still looking, togethe... continue reading

When Nato Secretary-General, Jaap De Hoop Scheffer recently made some rather hopelessly inadequate comments about new marriage laws in Afghanistan, laws that are at best dubious in both Islamic law as well as International law, he must have forgotten about some of his own rather dubious practices that he had presided o... continue reading

Australia must be one of the world's few economically developed countries that has not as yet seen the development of a high-speed railway network; the reason for the lack of such a system being a lack of Government initiatives, a lack of vision in terms of what is possible in railway development, a large country with ... continue reading

The shining light of European democracy, fairness, and human rights justice, The Netherlands, is turning out not so democratic, fair and just after all, this following an investigation into some rather dubious practices by Dutch officials in relation to the soon to be held EU elections.

A number of years ago the the... continue reading

Some people might have choked on their collective breakfasts when it was announced that former Prime Ministers Howard and Blair would receive US Freedom medals from now former President Bush.

The gesture of providing these two individuals with medals is as disgusting as it is evidence that the three accused human ri... continue reading

While most countries might be in recession right now, there is still a fair amount of business travel actually taking place.

When we look at both the leisure/holiday and business travel markets, we can come to the conclusion that the two markets are totally different both in terms of focus as well as outcome.

At... continue reading

One of the biggest expense when people go wondering around the world is accommodation and one can lose large amounts of money in wasted hotel accommodation if the subject as to where to stay is not properly considered.

Take this scenario for instance.
A lot of hotels and resorts have star-ratings from one to five.... continue reading

In the immediate term, there are number of things that must now happen.
Israel and Hamas must adhere to a total ceasefire as demanded by the UN Security Council and the EU.

There are a number of conclusions that can be drawn from the Israeli actions in Gaza as well as the recent Israeli proposals towards the US Bus... continue reading

Most people would think that actions related to the term 'terrorism' is a rather recent phenomenon when in fact, terrorism as an act, dates back to the middle ages. It is just that, in recent years, people such as George Bush and company have preferred to put a different spin on the term meaning that anyone who may not... continue reading

Having looked at what a 20-year old German person might have to look at before he or she hits the road into the wilds of Europe, we might, this time, look at what is happening within the airline industry and what is viable in terms of value for money, which airlines are reliable and indeed which airlines will be here t... continue reading

I think most clear-thinking people would by now have just about had enough of Israel and its grubby tactics, tactics that have cost the world billions and more billions in order to allow the Jewish people a country of their own. Western support of Israel has also cost many innocent lives around the world of people who ... continue reading

When we say that travelling around the globe has become a lot easier in recent years we may well correct but when we look closer at what is involved in travelling from one country to another, the notion of easier travel is only partially correct.

First of all, I think we should split the travel and tourism industrie... continue reading

The United Nations, as a humanitarian organisation, has done an enormous amount of good work and I would be the first person to recognise the benefits of some of the UN projects that have brought good results.

In other areas however, UN processes have been disastrous in terms of its main objectives that being to gai... continue reading

Since the fall of the Soviet Empire, Russia has tried to regain some influence and credibility in a world that does not look kindly upon Russia in terms of its policies and tactics towards former Soviet republics as well towards other nations in general. These days, Russian foreign policy can only be described as antiq... continue reading

 Instead of investigating all abuses of International Law, the Geneva Convention and other abuses and abusers, prosecutors and the court itself only get off their collective behinds when it suits their political masters, or when convenience or alternative political and other unrelated criteria are taken ... continue reading

The concerns have been heightened by the emergency landing that a Qantas Boeing 747 had to perform at Manila airport following part of the aircraft's fuselage being dislodged from the aircraft by a yet to be determined chain of events.Recent Qantas incidents have included an emergency landing at Bangkok after a power f... continue reading

First of all we might determine the reasons behind the rises in fuel prices.  The two main reasons for rising are demand and greed.  In terms of demand it should be noted that developing countries, and mainly India and China, have an increasing demand for oil in order to fuel their booming economies... continue reading

Sure, the 2008 Olympic Games will proceed but China's behaviour in terms of its commitments as well as the processes through which it gained the bid are open to serious questioning. The questions the International Olympic Committee must answer in relation to the Chinese bid are numerous, the process... continue reading

 
The practice sessions were sighted on radar on Cyprus as well as by civilian aircraft in the area and the aircraft were also physically sighted and observed. The F16 and F15 aircraft were fully armed and the support aircraft were seen to be in operational status. The distance flown between Israel and Greek... continue reading

 
With Australia's John Howard and Britain's Tony Blair now out of office and George Bush starting to count his final days as US President, human rights and other international law organisations are beginning to line-up with submissions to the International Criminal Court to have George Bush, Tony Blair... continue reading

 
 
What were already farcical processes in terms of UN human rights enforcement have virtually collapsed following the United Nations failure to bring human rights and other international law abuses forward into the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice processes.
 
Thus f... continue reading

 
Planned Al-Queda attacks on Saudi refinery facilities and air bases have been averted following the arrest of a number of Al-Qaeda operatives.
The planned attacks were discovered after intelligence found that Al-Qaeda was planning to attack incoming military and civilian aircraft at various Saudi air bases as ... continue reading

During the recent air show at Avalon, near Melbourne in Australia, the pilot of a C27, a modernised G222 troop transport aircraft designed in Italy, did a low level barrel roll. Just as well he had no Army parachutists hanging out of the back of the aircraft. The scene would have been interesting.  "Excuse me Sir.... continue reading

 
 
What appeared not to have been possible for decades may now be within reach if everything goes in accordance to proposals that are currently being formulated by the various Arab States including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and the Gulf States, plus Kuwait.

While the basic principles of the proposals a... continue reading

 
 
Israel Still Practicing 'Bunker Busting'
The Israeli Air Force is still practicing its 'bunker-buster' techniques over the Mediterranean as well as over Israeli airspace. Six F15i's, a 707 tanker and an EC2 Hawkeye were recently detected, intercepted and monitored 50 miles from Cyprus during the most r... continue reading

Moves are afoot in Europe to abolish NATO.
 
For many years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, better known as NATO, has provided Europe, the US and Canada with the combined strength and security against any perceived threat coming from the former Soviet Union and her allies. NATO, as it was during those d... continue reading

David Hicks was repeatedly tortured and mistreated during his illegal five-year detention at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba according to secret CIA and Pentagon documents, statements by US military personnel, interview transcripts held by the UK in relation to a passport application and other Pentagon evidence, including state... continue reading

 
Western countries and the UK, the US in particular, seem no have absolutely no notion as to how the Middle East operates. The case of 15 British sailors and Marines is a classic example as to how not to conduct diplomacy. The 15 accidentally ventured into Iranian territory through a number of consequential navi... continue reading

 
 
Much has been said as to what might happen to Cuba beyond the Castro era and, as per usual, vested interests have muddied the waters to the extent that those who are likely to eventually run the country have, with the blessing of the current Cuban Government, gone to independent and unbiased sources to ... continue reading

 
Hick May Ignore Conditions As He Pleases.
 
The release conditions put upon Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks are unable to be enforced and can basically be ignored, according to International Law experts.
 
International Law Compliance Forum justices, attorneys and other law experts... continue reading

And here are the latest words of wisdom from Australia's illustrious, half-witted Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander 'Shirley' Downer. This is what he said about David Hicks, the Guantanamo Bay detainee who has just pleaded guilty to a 'provide material support for terrorism' charge, whatever that means. "David Hi... continue reading

 
After some intense negotiations between independent mediators and the Iranian Government, the 15 HMS Cornwall sailors and marines have been released and are allowed to depart Iran onboard an aircraft provided by the mediation team.
 
The Iranian Coast Guard arrested the 15 when a boarding party off the C... continue reading

Cheney, Howard Stitched Up Hicks Deal.
Grubby US-Australian Deal Set Up Weeks Ago.
 
It has emerged the US Vice-President Dick Cheney and Australian Prime Minster John ‘bonsai’ Howard, stitched up the plea-bargain deal that allowed Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks to serve nine months in an Adelaide jail.
... continue reading

 
When George Bush waffles on about freedom, liberty and democracy as if he knows something about the subject, most people either throw up or walk off in disgust.
 
You see, when young George talks about these lofty subjects, he is essentially talking nonsense. In other words, when it comes to the notions... continue reading

 
In a move that has Australia's fingerprints all over it, Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee, David Hicks, who has already been in U.S. illegal custody for over five years, has been sentenced to serve nine months in an Australian prison, most likely to be a jail in Adelaide. Hicks pleaded guilty just to get out ... continue reading

Despite denials, Iran is expected to be capable of producing a nuclear weapon within twelve months.
 
The information as to Iran's current nuclear program, its progress as well as its capabilities and civilian as well as military, were provided by sources within Iran as well as being obtained through other reli... continue reading

 
Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander 'Shirley' Downer just can't resist opening his uninformed mouth, can he?
 
Here is boofhead, supporting the British position in relation to the 15 sailors and marines who were detained by the Iran Coast Guard as they ventured into Iranian territorial waters follow... continue reading

 
It seems that just about every major country has had a go at trying to either conquer or stabilise Afghanistan, all of these attempts failing in one form or another, the most recent attempt being the Russian occupation which fell apart after 15 years of trying.
 
So what is it about Afghanistan that see... continue reading

 
Despite denials from the British Foreign Office, proof has emerged that a British inspection party off the HMS Cornwall ventured into Iranian territorial waters. The 15 Navy sailors and Marines were detained by the Iranian Coast Guard upon reboarding their 'small-boats' following an inspection of an Iraqi vesse... continue reading

 
A British Airways first-class passenger got the shock of his life recently when he discovered that there was a dead body sitting next to him on a flight between Delhi to London.
 
What happened was that, while the first-class passenger was asleep, an elderly lady died in peasants-class and it was decide... continue reading

 
Given the amount of defence lemons the Australian Government has been purchasing, Australians must be getting a bit worried about Australia's capacity to defend itself militarily. For years, the Australian Defence Force has been buying major defence assets most of which either have doubtful performance levels w... continue reading

 
 
Khalid Sheik Mohammed Admissions Questionable.
 
While there appears to be very little doubt that the person involved is a 'nasty piece of work', the admissions made by alleged terrorist Khalid Sheik Mohammed in relation to the various terrorist activities that he allegedly has been involved in r... continue reading

 
The Australian Government
Incompetent, Dishonest, and Corrupt.
 
 
The Australian Government has once again been proven to be incompetent, dishonest and even corrupt in relation to its accountability and other processes following the discovery of restricted and secret intelligence reports and comm... continue reading

 
Following Australian Members of Parliament being exposed recently in relation to them holding and operating 'dirt files' being operated by a number of them, the levels of activity within the various electorate offices have seen a substantial increase as 'inappropriate' files are being removed.  The problem... continue reading

 
To say that the United Nations human rights processes are a farce is to state the obvious rather mildly. Consider more recent and more blatant abuses by a fairly large number of so-called leaders who are all likely to escape justice in relation to their human rights abuses, war crimes and other crimes against h... continue reading

 
It has been discovered that some Australian Members of Parliament are maintaining 'dirt files' on their constituents.
 
The discovery was made after a constituent of a Federal Liberal Party MP made allegations upon which an independent investigation found that the claims could be substantiated.
 ... continue reading

 
 
It is interesting to watch the total US military paranoia at Guantanamo Bay NAS. On the US side of one particular closed and barricaded gate, numerous heavily armed US Marines with dogs and other paraphernalia were busy at it, their weapons all aimed at the 'enemy'.  The 'enemy' on the other side c... continue reading

 
 
The US has been accused of conducting terrorism activities in various countries around the world; such activities designed to bypass international and U.S. domestic laws. The U.S. agency involved is the CIA, which can now be classified as a terrorist organisation in accordance with internationally recog... continue reading

 
The "International Law Compliance Forum", ILCF, have declared U.S. facilities at Guantanamo Bay to be an illegal occupation of Cuban territory.
 
The ILCF says that Guantanamo Bay belongs to Cuba and that the U.S. has no right to occupy and maintain any facilities in Cuba, as Cuba has not seeded legal au... continue reading

 
Poor people of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia. Here they were holding a perfectly peaceful vigil for the release of Guantanamo Bay detainee, David Hicks outside the Springwood offices of local Parliamentary Representative named Kerry Bartlett, a rather obscure and irrelevant little man.
The loc... continue reading

 
It seems to be becoming more and more obvious that the overall U.S. foreign policy structure appears to have all but collapsed and that all that remains is for someone to give it decent burial.
 
The demise of American foreign policy goes back to the virtual end of the Cold War following which the U.S. w... continue reading

The Israeli Air Force is said to have received 'bunker-buster' bombs from the U.S. 
The C17's and a C5 have been seen at Ovda Airbase unloading what can only be described as 'unconventional cargo' with three USAF transport aircraft doing several trips into the base.
Apart from housing a number of F16's, Ovda is ... continue reading

 
The Australian Government has approved the construction of another U.S. spy-base, this one to be constructed near Geraldton in Western Australia. As per usual with the current Australian Government, the Australian population was not informed or consulted, with the two-year negotiation process being carried out ... continue reading

The U.S. is currently in the planning and implementation phases for an attack on Iran on or about April 7.
 
The attack would involve four carrier groups, a U.S. Marines attack group, Special Forces groups, cruise missiles and long-range strike aircraft. Two carrier groups have been practicing tactics in the Gu... continue reading

 
 
As the conflict in Iraq grinds on in a seemingly endless cycle of sectarian violence and counter violence, very little has been done, its seems, to get a permanent and lasting solution in terms of obtaining stability and personal and financial security within Iraq's population.
 
Elections were h... continue reading

 
How does one best annoy a 777 pilot?  Stick a Cessna 152 in front of him on the taxiway ready for take-off or put a Pilatus PC12 in front of him on a landing approach.
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Qantas, Australia's major... continue reading

 
No Provable Facts, Little Evidence, And Lots Of Fiction.
 
There is very little doubt that when Australian David Hicks left Australia in 1999, he was not your average tourist hoping to have a bit of fun and games in the various European cities. The Australian citizen, now charged with two offences at the... continue reading

 
Some time ago in Australia.
Royal Australian Air Force DHC4 Caribou is on its way into Townsville in Northern Queensland flying at 9000 ft. A Mooney 20 follows closely behind from Bankstown near Sydney flying at 19000 ft. On descent the Mooney encounters the Caribou at about 5000ft and lets lose to air traffi... continue reading

 
Since the George W. Bush regime came to power, there have been numerous breaches of International Law, breaches of UN and other Conventions including the Geneva Convention. Those breaches are enough in severity and seriousness to warrant an international investigation as to charges being brought against former ... continue reading

 
The way things have turned out in Iraq, those reading the statistics must be wondering as to how various countries got sucked into a war that nobody wanted, and resulting in a civil war that will take a genius to resolve.
 
To get to the truth of the matter we must retrace our steps back to the days of ... continue reading

Just think of this one. You could be standing in the middle of Kabul waiting for either a bus or a taxi and up comes a vehicle and you get bundled into the back.  Next thing you know, you are in Guantanamo Bay and you are there for five years and more to come. No charges, just lots of allegations, and living in co... continue reading

There have been murmurings in the U.S. about the U.S. administration being interested in 'having a go' at Iran. Perhaps a little piece of advice to President Bush might be appropriate. "Don't even think about it, George. You are going to get done over if you try this sort of stunt".
 
The facts are these. Iran ... continue reading

While relations between the US and Iran have not been good ever since the fall of the Shah, the verbal hostilities between the two countries have become increasingly acrimonious in recent months.       
In fact, with the US becoming increasingly unpopular and isolated throughout the Middl... continue reading