Cyprus-Forum.com

[supporttheunderdog]

http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/12/13/a-spy-story-thats-not-about-snowden/

the tale of a big country stealing natural resources from its smaller weaker neighbor.

Now where do we find the name Downer cropping up, elsewhere?

[B25]

I wonder how many bugs may be in Anastasiades rooms where Mr Downer may have travelled, just say like, just saying.

And here we have a crook trying to negotiate a settlement for the Cypriots. And wasn't Woodside another one of those so called companies interested in a couple of the blocks in Cyprus EEZ????

I smell some rotten fish in all of this.

[GreekIslandGirl]

It's a strange land ....


The filthy and severely deformed offspring of a horrifying incest cult whose members bred together for generations have been discovered in a remote farming community in Australia.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 98115.html

[Paphitis]

It's a strange land ....


The filthy and severely deformed offspring of a horrifying incest cult whose members bred together for generations have been discovered in a remote farming community in Australia.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 98115.html

As far and wide as my travels have taken me, I have come to understand that Australia is probably the best country in the world and I try to say this by being as objective as possible without a word of lie.

No other country affords its citizens as much from education, health, social services and most importantly, lifestyle. So much cultural diversity, food, wine, sport and the weather is probably the best. You can do anything and everything, the only limitation is your imagination. Crime is very low, our cities are the clean and green, with superb skylines. There is plenty of natural beauty from rugged coastlines to sandy beaches.

It should be on your bucket list before you get too old, because Australia is a massive country, about the size of Europe. Not the ideal place to visit as a retiree A young active person's country for sure.

[Archimedes]

Greek helps re-write history.


Teenager Christopher Doukas poses for a photograph with a 500 year-old Portuguese swivel gun that he found on Dundee Beach southwest of Darwin in January 2010. Photo: AAP

Australian scientist Tim Stone says the find will help re-write the nation's history.

Dr Stone is an Australian geomorphologist and member of the Past Masters, a multidisciplinary team that explores historic mysteries.

"The cannon is one of the most significant historical artefacts ever found in northern Australia," he said.

When first reported, it was speculated the gun might have once belonged to 16th century seafarers from Portugal.

However, the Past Masters think that Macassan or other sailors from Indonesia are likely to have lost the gun as long ago as 250 years.

The likely date of around 1760 places the gun at the start of the Macassan trepang trade, possibly during the days of exploration in search of the sea delicacy.

An Indonesian vessel could have been blown off course and on to Australian shores, and the gun find could represent one such incident.

To date the weapon, geochronologist Dr Matt Cupper from the University of Melbourne carefully removed sediment from within the gun barrel and then, using optically stimulated luminescence dating methods, measured how long the gun had been buried in the sand.

He found that the gun had been lying on the seabed for as long as 250 years.

Further metal analysis tests are being undertaken in Australia and North America to try to determine the source of the bronze used to cast the gun.

"With the help of these tests the Past Masters hope to learn more about the exact age and origin of the cannon," said Ian McIntosh, adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University's Indianapolis campus in the US and another member of the team.

Until now, Australian historians assumed that the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon was the first European to have reached Australian shores in 1606, closely followed by his fellow Dutch seafarer Dirk Hartog a few years later.

But several finds in the past years suggest Australia needs to re-write or at least add to its history books.

Apart from the swivel gun, five up to 1000-year old coins from the ancient African kingdom of Kilwa found in the Northern Territory in 1944 opened up the possibility that seafarers from distant countries might have landed in Australia much earlier than what is known today.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/20283098/anc ... tain-cook/

[Paphitis]

The arrival of Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch explorers into Australia is well known.

East Timor was infact a Portuguese Colony. It now has very close relations with Australia and it depends on Australia for its security from Indonesian expansionism. Australia liberated East Timor and rumours are that numerous sweetheart deals were made to prompt Australian Military Action. If true, Alexander Downer would be in the know, but whatever transpired would be closely guarded and confidential. Alexander Downer is a consultant to the East Timorese Government and a close friend of Juan Hose Horta.

As to the Snowden revelations it was always a known fact that Australia participates in the global Echelon network and shares intelligence with the US, UK, Canada and NZ. They have the highly secretive Defence Sygnals Directorate which is similar to NSA. Then they have ASIC with is the international spy arm, ASIO which is the local shrveillance arm responsible for vetting military personnel and other officials and then the Feds.

The DSD and ASIC do spy on foreign governments. But I doubt Downer is still privy to Australia's intelligence community.

[supporttheunderdog]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25411670

Oh dear!