State of Europe

"Can the EU win the peace in Georgia?

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

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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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"Commission to test free access to EU research

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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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"NATO's new role?

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MAIN FOCUS: NATO’s new role? | 20/08/2008

The NATO foreign ministers gathered yesterday to confer on the crisis in the Caucasus. NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer sharply condemned Russia and called for an immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops. Europe’s press discusses the role of the alliance after Moscow’s show of force.

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NATO governments divided…but later "cools relations with Russia

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

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

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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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