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September 14, 2008

"The myth of ‘Eurabia’

The myth of ‘Eurabia’ by MUHAMMAD ABDUL BARI

LONDON -- There is a powerful narrative today about how many young European Muslims are susceptible to terrorism, how Islam leads to radicalization and how Muslims, because of their creed, choose to live in ghettos and therefore create swamps that breed terrorists.

Security guard the Lourdes Sanctuary as Pope Benedict XVI arrives ...

Security guard the Lourdes Sanctuary as Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the Papamobile to celebrate Mass at La Prairie on September 14, 2008 where the pontiff is on a pilgrimage to the shrine where the faithful believe the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant girl 150 years ago. The 81-year-old Benedict celebrated a Mass for more than 150,000 people on a field in the shadow of the sanctuary built over the cave where Bernadette Soubirous said the Madonna appeared and spoke to her 18 times in 1858.

REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE)

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September 10, 2008

"Sorry, you’re just not European enough....

Sorry, you’re just not European enough

By nosemonkey on Ukraine

Better luck next time, Ukraine.

One of these days the EU powers that be are going to realise that when you’ve got countries torn between a European and non-European identity, to keep on telling them “sorry, you’re not European enough yet” is just going to drive them into the other camp.

How much longer are the likes of Ukraine and Turkey going to put up with these repeated, very public rejections before heading off to the waiting embrace of Moscow or non-secular Islamism?

Migration fears unjustified, OECD

Growing migration is putting strains on rich and poor economies alike, according to the OECD.

 

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September 08, 2008

"A match without a loser

A match without a loser by ALİNE ÖZİNİAN

When we set off for Yerevan on a scheduled midnight Armavia flight this Thursday, we saw something we had not seen since long ago on a flight between İstanbul and Yerevan. Instead of men and women carrying several bags, probably goods to be sold in Armenia, as is customary on these biweekly scheduled fights, there were a number of journalists from the Turkish press.

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"Sarkozy, Solana in Russia to clarify Georgia ceasefire

A new rival for Merkel

Social Democrats shake things up

COALITION governments often make for interesting bedfellows. The union between Germany's Christan Democrats, the party of Angela Merkel, and the Social Democrats (SPD) should be more entertaining to watch after a weekend shake-up of the latter in which the current foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, was chosen as the SPD's candidate to face Mrs Merkel in national elections next year.


Johannes Simon/Getty Images
Next Wednesday, scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland will switch on the $6 billion Large Hadron Collider, a 27-kilometer particle accelerator that will create physical conditions that haven't existed in the universe since the big bang. It all sounds totally awesome, unless you're one of the very few people who think that the LHC will create a black hole that will expand to consume the planet. In World probably will not end next Wednesday

Sarkozy, Solana in Russia to clarify Georgia ceasefire

Accompanied by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Commission President José Manuel Barroso, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in Moscow today (8 September) before heading to Tbilisi this evening to discuss the implementation of the peace plan he brokered at the outbreak of the Russia-Georgia conflict a month ago.

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September 06, 2008

Nosemonkey reports: "European Commission: It’s not racist to target a particular ethnic group for police persecution

European Commission: It’s not racist to target a particular ethnic group for police persecution

Good news for fascists today - according to the EU, it’s no longer racist to target a particular ethnic group based on folklore that suggests they’re all criminals.

EU Should Balance Criticism Toward Russia and Georgia

Leonie Holthaus: The EU should serve as a mediator in the Russian-Georgian dispute. This role requires that the EU does not take sides with one conflicting party but rather balance its criticism. Even if a position like this is perceived as "hesitant" in the US press, it may contribute to resolving the conflict by diplomatic means.........

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September 03, 2008

"The crisis of the Post-Cold War European order

The crisis of the Post-Cold War European order

By Ivan Krastev

A policy of engagement defined as a focus on national interest, and a radical turn from value-based foreign policy to nineteenth century Realpolitik, is not a workable option for relations between Russia and the West, writes Ivan Krastev.

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Here comes the Google browser- Chrome

chrome2sep2008.jpg

The launch of Google Chrome had to be rushed out last night after an employee accidentally emailed a comic book explainer to Blogoscoped. The really very excellent comic explains how Google rethought the web browser from the bottom up, starting by saying how the current browsers were designed in a different era of the web when we weren't all frequently accessing heavy, interactive applications. VIA

 

Last night I installed Chrome but did not feel to play with it as I was forcing myself to write for the dissertation. My current Firefox is too nice to quit honestly. The first impressions of Chrome users all seem to be good and i may change mine too but for the moment Firefox 3.0 is really good enough to beat. We will see. Before some links on Chrome, here is Ethan's post on-

 

Blogger “failures” in the Georgian war, and the rise of citizen propaganda

By Ethan

As Russia slowly pulls out of Georgia and the world of foreign policy wonks contemplates how the Olympics War will change the geopolitical map of the Caucuses, the world of citizen media is busily evaluating its (our?) own performance.

Two good friends have taken the blogosphere to task for its failures during the conflict. Rather than rise to the defense of Georgian, Russian, Ossetian and global bloggers, I wanted to take a look at their critiques and at the phenomenon of citizen media during the conflict and at the emergence of one of the interesting epiphenomena of citizen media: citizen propaganda...

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September 02, 2008

PRESIDENCY CONCLUSIONS of EXTRAORDINARY EUROPEAN COUNCIL, (1 SEPTEMBER 2008)

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 1 September 2008 (01.09)

12594/08

COUNCIL 3

COVER NOTE

from : Presidency to Delegations

Subject : EXTRAORDINARY EUROPEAN COUNCIL, BRUSSELS

1 SEPTEMBER 2008

PRESIDENCY CONCLUSIONS

Delegations will find attached the Presidency conclusions of the Extraordinary European Council held in Brussels (1 September 2008). 12594/08 2

The meeting of the European Council was preceded by an exposé by the President of the European Parliament, Mr Hans-Gert Pöttering, followed by an exchange of views.

1. The European Council is gravely concerned by the open conflict which has broken out in Georgia, by the resulting violence and by the disproportionate reaction of Russia. This conflict has led to great suffering on both sides. Military action of this kind is not a solution and is not acceptable. The European Council deplores the loss of human life, the suffering inflicted on the population, the number of displaced persons and refugees, and the considerable material damage.

Click here to continue. 

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September 01, 2008

"Summit to test Europe's unity over Russia

Summit to test Europe's unity over Russia

European leaders will try to put on a united front during a summit in Brussels today (1 September) that will review the EU's relations with Moscow following the conflict in Georgia. But sanctions are off the agenda for now.

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August 31, 2008

"Between the bear and the elephant

 I don't know why but i cannot take the new cold war tension in Black Sea very seriously. My mind is somewherelse. But there is certainly some tension.

 

Between the bear and the elephant

Turkey is trying to tread a fine line of diplomacy between Russia and the West. As an American ally, Turkey has trained and partially equipped the Georgian armed forces under American guidance that aimed to encircle growing Russian power in the Caucasus.

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August 28, 2008

"Montreux And Turkey

Montreux And Turkey

BY NASUHI GUNGOR

STAR- We should be watching developments in the Caucasus more closely. Yesterday Russia officially recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in response to requests from the two breakaway Georgian provinces, according to President Dmitry Medvedev. Considering the developments beginning with Georgia's attack on South Ossetia earlier this month, this latest move might not seem surprising. But in terms of the bigger picture, one can say that through its recognition Russia took a risky step in a thorny area."

This might never happen:

EU waits for Turkey to break its political crises cycle

Now is the time for Turkey to eliminate obstacles and to continue on its path to European Union accession, said the EU enlargement commissioner in an article he wrote for Turkish daily Milliyet,

I am not sure what Mehmet Ali Birand means. Just listened the speeches of new generals. Not a single change in their discourse. Anti-globalist, anti-EU, anti postmodern. Yeah the new Army general accused of postmodern thought that are a threat to nation-state!!! :

New era at the TSK

Mehmet Ali Birand

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"The demographic time-bomb

The demographic time-bomb

New projections for an ageing Europe

WHO'S up and who's down in Europe? If it's population one is counting, Britain will be on top in 50 years' time, passing both Germany and France to become the biggest country in the European Union, according to projections in a new study.

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"Nosemonkey interviewed: On EU blogs and Russia

Nosemonkey interviewed: On EU blogs and Russia

By nosemonkey

Believe it or not, from time to time people actually ask me for my opinion on things, rather than me just spouting out unsolicited words into the electronic ether and hoping that someone may spot them and correct my mistakes.

As such, this evening I’ll be doing the talking head thing on the BBC World Service’s World Have Your Say, trying to come up with a coherent theory about Russia’s current plans and how the rest of the world should respond. (Likely argument? Russia’s being childish and throwing a tantrum, and there’s usually two responses to tantrums: smack them or ignore them. Unfortunately, neither option’s really possible in this case.) Any suggestions much appreciated.


The Caucasus war viewed through Europe's blogs

By Ole Skambraks

Blogospheres are vibrating in the aftermath of the war in the Caucasus. The need to understand and debate is huge, as spin doctors have been manipulating the news on both sides

NEXT NEWS IS WRONG. YOUTUBE STATED TODAY THAT THE BAN CONTINUES; Erkan now believes only a YouTube generation can save Turkey. So far, I haven't heard a single person who defends the ban. Only after the system does not support any more those unique cases who goes to court for a ban and of course those backward-minded judges who support the unique cases...As you can see if these were particular, exceptional cases there would not be a ban. There is something more systemic.

 

YouTube returns after three-month ban

Access to YouTube, a popular video sharing Web site banned in early May by a controversial court decision for broadcasting videos deemed insulting to the nation's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was reinstated on Saturday night."

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August 26, 2008

"Can the EU win the peace in Georgia?

Can the EU win the peace in Georgia?

The conflict between Georgia and Russia has seen the EU become the main diplomatic mediator between the two and it should use this status to develop peaceful relations in the region, argue Nicu Popescu et al. in an August 2008 commentary for the European Council on Foreign Relations.

USAK Report: Change in Caucasia brings burdens and opportunities for Turkey

By USAK

Turkey is one of the countries that will be most vulnerable vis-à-vis a new global order triggered by the conflict between Georgia and Russia, a study by the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO/ USAK) has noted.

The conflict erupted on Aug. 7-8 when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia. A Russian counter-offensive pushed into Georgia proper, crossing its east-west highway and nearing a Western-backed oil pipeline. Russia ignored Western demands to remove its remaining troops from Georgia's heartland, saying the residual troops are peacekeepers needed to avert further bloodshed and to protect the people of Georgia's separatist, pro-Moscow provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two days after Moscow said it had wrapped up its withdrawal.

 

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August 22, 2008

"Merkel asked to take lead in reshaping East-West relations

A man carries a log to his home in a small hillside settlement ...

A man carries a log to his home in a small hillside settlement located near the village of Janovce in Eastern Slovakia where none of the houses have running water or a toilet. A surprising 20 million people in the European Union do not have access to decent toilets and suffer from a lack of hygiene, posing serious health risks, experts meeting at World Water Week in Stockholm said.

(AFP/File/Joe Klamar)

 

Merkel asked to take lead in reshaping East-West relations

The notion that German Chancellor Angela Merkel should step up and take the lead within the EU to resolve tensions over Georgia and reshape the West's relations with Moscow appears to be emerging, with analysts claiming Germany is the only country that Russia might listen to.

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August 21, 2008

"Commission to test free access to EU research

Strasbourg not yet ready for MEPs

The European Parliament's temporary relocation to Brussels from Strasbourg reignites a row about where it should be based.


Pieter Aertsen
found in Small Food Nation
(Pieter Aertsen, Butcher's Stall with the Flight into Egypt, 1551. Source.)

Commission to test free access to EU research

A pilot project that will give unrestricted online access to EU-funded research results was launched yesterday (20 August), which the Commission claims will ensure better exploitation of scientific studies and guarantee a "fair return" for taxpayers. But specialist publishers are unhappy with the move.

Memories of Czech invasion

Two BBC website readers share their experiences of the Soviet invasion and living under communist rule in Czechoslovakia.

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August 19, 2008

NATO governments divided...but later "cools relations with Russia

The way forward

Nato governments divided on what to do about Russia

BUT LATER

Nato cools relations with Russia

Nato says there will be "no business as usual" with Russia, demanding Moscow withdraw troops from Georgia immediately.

 

 

 

Genetically speaking, Finns and Italians are the most atypical Europeans. There is a large degree of overlap between other European ethnicities, but not up to the point where they would be indistinguishable from each other. Which means that forensic scientists now can use DNA to predict the region of origin of otherwise unknown persons (provided they are of European heritage). found in 306 - The Genetic Map of Europe


Who are the citizens of Europe?

Philosopher Jürgen Habermas called for a pan-European referendum in the wake of the Irish 'No'. He overestimates the wisdom of the masses and underestimates what has been achieved up to now, counters Alfred Grosser.

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August 18, 2008

When Erkan was working to re-active the blog, "Has Russia really achieved its goal?...

From left, the Estonia's President; Toomas Ilves, Poland's President; ...
AP
Wed Aug 13, 9:10 AM ET

From left, the Estonia's President; Toomas Ilves, Poland's President; Lech Kaczynski, Georgia's President; Mikhail Saakashvili, Lithuania's President; Valdas Adamkus and Latvian Prime Minister; Ivars Godmanis take part in their joint news conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008. The top officials from several former Soviet republics, recent members of the European Union, arrived Tuesday in Tbilisi to express their support for President Mikhail Saakashvili after Georgia came under attack from Russian forces.

(AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

InterRail facts: discover Europe by train

By Benjamin Lasry

It has existed for over three decades, but it remains one of the most popular ways to visit Europe. New offers take you to the biggest festivals in Europe – via train

 

Stupid’s guide to travelling light in Europe

By mani sharpe

Luggage, travel necessities, cigarettes, alcohol, calls abroad and insurance: a simple factual list of what you can and can’t do when travelling Europe

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August 17, 2008

When Erkan was working to re-active the blog, EP ceiling collapsed, Georgia and Russia conflict was resolved in a way...

The BBC's Emma Jane Kirby at the 2CV exhibition in Paris

One of France's most iconic cars, the Citroen 2CV, is celebrating its 60th birthday this October. The BBC's Emma Jane Kirby in Paris has been looking at how this vehicle revolutionised the French motor industry.

 

European Parliament ceiling collapses

 

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