It's some time since I've seen any bridge blogging here at EuroTrib, so here's something to titillate the engineers.

Today is the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the longest steel arch bridge in the world. The Bridge was conceived and built amidst controversial politics, and its closure to vehicles all day yesterday to allow some 250,000 walkers to cross must be closely connected with the New South Wales (NSW) State election next Saturday. Photos taken yesterday below the fold.

From the diaries -- Whataboutbob

Long Tan was so important a battle in Australia's Vietnam engagement that the anniversary has been adopted as Vietnam Veterans' Remembrance Day in Australia.  The question of recognition for Vietnam Veterans is as sensitive in Australia as it is in the US, and there has been lingering resentment about the downgrading of bravery awards to soldiers who fought at Long Tan.

This prompted Prime Minister Howard to offer a national apology on Thursday to the soldiers who were "poorly treated" on their return from Vietnam.

Some Australians are celebrating another anniversary this weekend.  

The present problems have grown from a variety of internal tensions in the new country, which have become more and more openly expressed since the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force in the middle of last year.

In the last few days, army loyalists have been fighting rebel soldiers and elements of the police in and around the capital.  At least 20 people, including up to 12 police, were shot dead by loyalist soldiers as unarmed police tried to surrender in a UN-brokered deal on Thursday.  A mother and her four children burned to death when seven homes were torched in a Dili suburb the same day.  It appears that ethnic gangs are fighting each other in the streets.

Our two girls have fallen asleep again after waking up at 2.57am and 4.30am respectively to see what Santa had left in their stockings.  Lots of excited unwrapping and exclamations of delight later ("Dad, can you believe that Santa gave me a Barbie `laptop'"), they have snuggled down to sleep on the lounge and in a beanbag.  This is very fortunate, as we have a long day ahead.

I've just made the mixture for the champagne crepes which will later form the basis for a smoked salmon & crepe `cake' (recipe provided on demand).  While it rests, I've checked the news and weather on the net.  It will be fine and 25 degrees Celsius: rather cool for this time of year.

But guess what?  Three weeks later, FTS reappeared (with the monkey and woman changing positions!) and soj has posted some excellent pieces on the manufacturing of an Iran 'crisis', on blogging, and a variety of other subjects.

It's worth checking out.  Guess the writing urge was just too powerful.

Cross-posted at Booman Tribune.

promoted and updated fromthe diaries ~ whataboutbob

UPDATED Today begins the largest-ever gathering of international leaders at the UN Headquarters in New York, the likely outcomes are still unclear and the world's media has hardly covered the event.

And the looming question is whether the US and Ambassador John Bolton in particular will stymy hopes for reform of the UN.

After months of discussions, a 38-page draft outcomes document was presented to the General Assembly in August.  Three weeks ago, Ambassador Bolton asked for some 750 changes, objecting to references to the International Criminal Court, action on global warming and increases in development aid.   At the same time, he insisted on greater commitment to tackling terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

The changes proposed by the US, and Bolton's personally combative approach to negotiations, have put even major US allies like the UK and Australia offside.  As Fran highlighted at European Tribune on Saturday, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made calls to foreign ministers around the world over the weekend.  This followed a personal plea to Condoleezza Rice for the US to withdraw opposition to plans for reform of the UN, during which he asked Ms Rice to rein in Bolton.  I understand that Australian diplomatic reporting from New York, normally not critical of the US given the sensibilities of our Government, has been openly disparaging of Bolton's approach.

According to The Guardian, "Ambassadors from more than dozen key countries also met yesterday to try to break the deadlock on plans for UN reform but appeared to make little progress".

Now, Colin Powell has gone public with a 'Colin Powell regrets' interview with American ABC TV news to be broadcast on Friday US time.  He says he spent five days at the CIA headquarters ahead of the speech studying intelligence reports, many of which turned out to be false, and admits the speech is "a blot" on his record.

More below fold...

But the report shows that 18 of the world's poorest countries - with a population of 460 million - are doing worse in most key indicators than they were in 1990.  Twelve of the 18 are in sub-Saharan Africa where the effects of HIV/Aids and conflict are to blame.  The remaining six are former Soviet states in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, suffering falling life expectancy and economic disruption.

And the most shocking of all, the report details a string of appalling statistics which show that inequality within countries, and particularly the US, is as stark as the gaps between countries.