I. Georgia troops mutiny, govt accuses Russia
Russia's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, told the Interfax news agency that the accusations against Moscow were "insane." "We have slowly grown accustomed to insane accusations from Georgia's political and military leaders," he said. "What is taking place now is the total collapse of the Georgian army and the Georgian state." Georgia's accusations show the "sick imagination" of the Tbilisi leadership, a top Russian foreign ministry official told Interfax.
II. Government Spokesman's speech on the Cyprus problem and Euro-Turkish relations
Referring to Turkey’s European prospect, Mr Stefanou said that the Republic of Cyprus supports the prospect of Turkey’s accession to the European Union, but not without conditions. Accession to the European Union obliges Turkey to comply with the Copenhagen criteria. It also obligates it to terminate the occupation in Cyprus, because it is inconceivable for an EU member state have the territory of another member state under its occupation.
III. Belgrade would like agreement over Kosovo
The USA Vice President Joseph Biden is to visit Serbia in the second half of the month. Official Belgrade is expecting that visit to be an opportunity to reach an agreement over how to put away the issue of Kosovo as the biggest obstacle in relations between the two countries.
IV. Almagor to sue NATO over Serbia
"We were preparing the case anyway, building on the success of the lawsuit against [former PLO leader Yasser] Arafat," he said, referring to a 2001 counter-suit in Belgium that the group brought after the Palestinians sued former prime minister Ariel Sharon.Indor admitted that the Yugoslavian case was meant to "embarrass or open a Pandora's box" that would make third parties think twice before accepting lawsuits filed against Israel by the Palestinians. Every European member country of NATO and the United States would be implicated, and, Indor said, the lawsuit would be pressed in every country that decided to sue Israeli officials for war crimes allegedly committed in Gaza either during the Shehadeh assassination or more recently.
V. "Russia and US can show way in arms cuts"
Arms reduction would ease tensions around the world and “would give Moscow and Washington a solid base to do the same with other nuclear powers”, said Dr Walid Phares from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
VI. “EU is a federal decentralized structure”
While some believe the European Union has a great future ahead, others are sure the bloc's days are numbered. British writer and journalist John Laughland says the Union is in a state of permanent crisis and may even collapse.
VII. New Trends Disturb an Old Balance
Original inhabitants of Aleppo – Christians, Muslims and Jews – live side by side in mixed neighbourhoods like Jamaliyah. But as the city has expanded, its fabric has changed. Areas that were once outlying suburbs have now been absorbed into the city itself and, unlike the old neighbourhoods, they are not mixed. Al-Furqan, a new and wealthy part of Aleppo, is virtually exclusively Muslim, while Surian Jdeideh is known as a Christian area. Newcomers from the surrounding villages and the Jazeera area have also moved into the city, bringing with them conservative ideas. Many of them have never met a Christian before and, as a result, consider them to be foreigners.