In The Herald: 1968

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday May 13, 2008

Jonathan King

* Preliminary peace negotiations on Vietnam seemed headed for deadlock. Hanoi emphasised that the United States must unconditionally halt bombing and other acts of war against North Vietnam before any other questions were considered. However, the US position was that North Vietnam must undertake to scale down military activity in return for a halt to the bombing. The Americans were known to be concerned that the heavy infiltration of men and supplies into South Vietnam had been taking place since March 31, when President Lyndon Johnson limited the bombing to the south of the 20th parallel.

* The Duke of Edinburgh began setting a business-like pace when he arrived in Sydney for the start of the study conference which bears his name. The public saw little of him on the eve of a conference where he would deal with 300 delegates from 30 Commonwealth countries.

* More rain enveloped Central Australia, threatening isolation of Alice Springs and stranding tourists in the territory. In NSW, the minister for agriculture said the weekend falls in the wheat belt had broken the drought.

* Police swinging truncheons cleared the way for a soccer referee to leave the ground after a first division match at Wentworth Park. On the South Coast a soccer linesman, George Gibbons, said he would resign after spectators spat at him, threw stones and jostled him at Woonona Oval during another first division match.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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