"Russia has of course been a power since the end of the Cold War and you're seeing now quite a significant resurgence of Russia." Clowner...

Gus: Mr Downer!!! Where have ya been??? Where were you before the end of the Cold War????

During and before the end of the Cold War, Russia WAS a superpower.

Russia only dipped a bit when the West was trying to infiltrate its economy (slightly moribund but overtaken by a few Russian Mafiosos, courtesy CIA and MI6) but Putin has turned things around — sure with a fist of iron in a velvet glove — but unlike you he knows the full power and glorious history of the Russian people. Presently his country is raking in more than 10 billion dollars of trade surplus a week, while Australia looses about 1 billion a month and the US looses 20 billion a week. 

Russia still is a superpower despite the west trying to marginalise it, patronisingly — Mr Downer your comment is so ridiculous, you could be a stand up comedian... Sad one as that, sure...

UK jets shadow Russian bombers Norway says Russia has increased military flights in the Arctic The UK's Royal Air Force has launched fighter jets to intercept eight Russian military planes flying in airspace patrolled by Nato, UK officials say.

Four RAF F3 Tornado aircraft were scrambled in response to the Russian action, the UK's defence ministry said.

The Russian planes - long-range bombers - had earlier been followed by Norwegian F16 jets.

Russia recently revived a Cold War-era practice of flying bombers on long-range patrols.

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Gus: It is quite telling that while Putin is smiling at president Bush-it in Syderney, he is flexing his muscles (missiles) in the international skies appropriated by NATO... Yes, Mr Clowner, you will understand what makes Mr Putin tick... He is clevered than the whole of America's and Australia's politicians put together (that would be a mishmash...)... Meanwhile as the world is drifting along at APEC or was it OPEC (according to GWB), Most people 'want Iraq pull-out'...

Most people across the world believe US-led forces should withdraw from Iraq within a year, a BBC poll suggests.

Some 39% of people in 22 countries said troops should leave now, and 28% backed a gradual pull-out. Just 23% wanted them to stay until Iraq was safe.

In the US, one-in-four supported an immediate withdrawal, while 32% wanted Iraq's security issues to be resolved before bringing the troops home.

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Gus: of course the people don't matter, since the decider has decided otherwise... Democracy? "We know what you shall have..."  and many people believe that the US wants "permanen" bases in Iraq... Hum... "I wonder"...

Mr Downer said learning languages were part of the DFAT training.

"If you go and join the foreign service and you do a language course, you are obviously going to learn a language," he said.

"I did the French language course and Mr Rudd did the Chinese language course. I did mine in two months and he did his in two years, that could say something about him and me or something about the two languages. I think the former but that sounds a tad partisan."

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Gus: Two monz to learn French?... Piece of cake! "La ploome de matante is bigga que le dog de mon uncle..." see? And Madarin?... Ah believe our Clowner is upset that Rudd could use his second language and that the French are not at the APEC meeting so he could do the same with his wonderful skill...