Energy

"Blair reappears on shortlist to head EU

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"Interview: EU political dimension 'painfully lacking'

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European gas supplies disrupted

Several EU countries report major disruption to their gas supplies from Russia as Moscow accuses Ukraine of shutting pipelines.

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"Eurostat yearbook 2008 ? Europe in figures

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Europe split on how to restore Moscow ties

An EU policy document reveals a vigorous debate under way among member governments about how far, and how quickly, to restore relations with Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Georgia in August

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"Sarkozy, Solana in Russia to clarify Georgia ceasefire

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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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"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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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, Mr. Ahmadinejad visited Istanbul,

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oriental show off messed up the daily lives of Istanbul… always smiling Mr. Ahmadinejad is not really sympathetic in this context but he still apologized from Istanbulians, whereas our leaders did not bother to do that. Another center-wise reflex of AKP: Shut up you ordinary people, we are doing energy business here!

 

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) smiles while hugging ...

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) smiles while hugging his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul August 14, 2008.

REUTERS/Fatih Saribas (TURKEY)

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