I. Nikola Tesla, godfather of the 20th Century, deserves more credit
2006 was the sesquicentennial of the birth of one of the worlds greatest geniuses, the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla. UNESCO dubbed 2006 the “year of Nikola Tesla.” Though you may have heard of the word “Tesla” as a unit of magnetic field; the ubiquitous discharging Tesla Coil seen in the old Frankenstein movies and at the Boston Museum of Science; a famous rock group; the name of Belgrade’s airport; David Bowie in “The Prestige”; or as a recently-introduced electric car company, few people are actually aware of the tremendous contributions made for us all by the refined, attractive yet deeply eccentric gentleman behind the name.
II. Greece steps up demands for return of Elgin Marbles for new museum
Greece is making new demands for the return of the Elgin Marbles to coincide with the opening next month of the £115 million ($230 million) Acropolis Museum, which has a reserved space for the famous piece of classical statuary. The museum has been established as a home for the 146-metre-long frieze that adorned the Parthenon until 1801. The Parthenon frieze and other treasures were removed by Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, when Athens was under enemy occupation. He sold them to the British Museum for £35,000 after Parliament voted in 1816 to acquire them for the nation.
III. Europe Betrays Its Mission In Prague
Strategic thinking was never a European forte. American think-tankers poke fun at their European counterparts for superbly managing day-to-day affairs but never quite getting the big picture. In Prague we definitely missed the big picture. It was a sad day for all. The EU is clearly without good ideas and without the bold leadership necessary to do what is needed in the east. The countries invited to the summit are all European. So why was a membership concept for these countries missing from the document?
IV. Incoming EU presidency offers hope on Turkey membership
At a press conference Monday, along with Karamanlis, Reinfeldt was asked about his views on talks between the EU and Turkey, one of the country's engaged in EU membership talks. "I think we should stick to our promises. We have said that based on conditionality, Copenhagen criterias, (the) European Union stands open for new membership countries to come in," Reinfeldt said. "But that means reform processes, that means changes in these countries," he added. Reinfeldt indicated that Sweden did not support suggestions that Turkey should only be offered a "special relationship", instead of possible future membership. Other items included developments on the Balkans, Cyprus that has been divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974, as well as illegal immigration.
V. Gas deal between Turkey and European Union breaks Russian stranglehold
The European Union and Turkey have struck a ground-breaking gas pipeline deal unlocking a potential energy bonanza in the Caspian basin after more than a year of deadlock, according to senior EU officials. The €9bn Nabucco project is at the centre of a contest pitting Russia against the EU. Ankara has been driving a hard bargain, insisting on collecting a "tax" on the gas being pumped and demanding 15% of the transit gas at discounted prices. The Turkish leader indirectly linked any Nabucco deal with progress on Ankara's negotiations with Brussels on joining the EU. The negotiations are being blocked by Greek Cypriots, while several big EU states are quietly happy to see Turkey's EU bid frozen.
VI. Croat Convicted of Killing Serbs Hides in Bosnia
A powerful Croatian politician, who was sentenced by a Croatian court in the first instance to 10 years in prison for murdering Serbs during the 1992-95 wars, has crossed into Bosnia and Herzegovina to escape conviction. Glavas was sentenced for two separate accounts of command responsibility for murder, torture and incarceration of Serbs in the Croatian town of Osjek. On Monday police in the Bosniak-Croat dominated entity said they had interviewed Glavas, and were waiting for a possible request for his extradition to Croatia. In an attempt to place him in custody also on Monday, Croatia's Parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission stripped him of his parliamentary immunity.
VII. Bartholomew threatens Turkey with court for the church properties
The Ecumenical Patriarch threatened that he will approach the European Court for the human rights of 23 church properties, which were seized by the Turkish state and rented to private owners. “Two meters behind the altar and inside, in the yard they are playing pool! Every time I come here and even in other places in the provinces, I see the same things I get filled up with bitterness and anger.”