I. USATODAY - Obama White House tries to turn around bad poll numbers
The polls aren't looking good for President Obama right now. ABC News says 51 percent would prefer to see a Republican Congress elected in November, as a check on Obama. A CBS News poll says only 13 percent of Americans believe Obama's economic plan has helped them personally. And so on, and so forth. The White House sees the same data, and relates them to another set of numbers, particularly the high unemployment rate. "There is, rightly so, a great frustration in this country with where we are economically," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. Their political response, between now and the Nov. 2 elections: Ask voters for more time to let their $862 billion stimulus bill create more jobs -- and argue that the Republicans got us into this mess in the first place. Gibbs cast the election as "the choice between what got us here and what is getting us out ... that's exactly the type of choice that we'll have come November." Republicans, meanwhile, can be counted on to emphasize the high unemployment rate -- now 9.5 percent -- and rising federal debt that now tops $13 trillion. The Obama approach isn't novel, of course. Back in 1982, having launched a new economic plan and facing a tough set of first-term congressional elections, President Reagan urged voters to "stay the course." Most did not, as the Democrats scored big. We'll find out in November how well Obama does with such slogans as "moving forward or falling back." "The political numbers change when the numbers of unemployed Americans decreases," Gibbs said. "And that's what the President is focused on each day."
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is to give an advisory opinion on July 22 as to whether Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia was legal, the court announced on Wednesday. President of the Court Judge Hisashi Owada is to read out the ruling at a public sitting at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) in The Hague, it said in a statement. Serbia, Kosovo and 29 states including Russia and the United States took part in oral hearings before the court in December after the United Nations general assembly took the issue to the ICJ at the request of Serbia. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 and so far, 69 countries recognise Kosovo as a state, including the United States and 22 out of 27 EU countries. Serbia went to the UN's top court because it wants to challenge the legality of the declaration. The ICJ has been asked to give a non-binding opinion. Since it was founded in 1946, the ICJ has handed down 25 advisory opinions as part of its mission to settle international legal disputes.
III. JPOST - Gaza blockade is legitimate
Israel defended its right to stop aid ships headed for the Gaza Strip during a hearing of the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva on Wednesday, AFP reported. The two-day committee hearing began on Tuesday, discussing whether Israel was violating obligations under the UN treaty on civil and political rights. "No ship can breach this blockade, be they civil or military ships. Whoever violates the blockade is heading for retaliation," Israeli envoy Sari Rubenstein reportedly told the Human Rights Committee. "The blockade is legitimate. Under international law... a blockade can be imposed on the sea," she added. "These are not activists for peace, but messengers of death," Israeli ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar said, in reference to those aboard the Mavi Marmara, on the second day of the session. "We cannot sweep aside with a stroke of the hand the application of the treaty [on civil and political rights] in the Palestinian territories," said a member of the committee, Christine Chanet, according to AFP's report. The UN said Israel is responsible for Gaza's 1.5 million population as it controls access to its sea and air ports. Israel said it is not an occupier, because as it does not control territory within the Gaza Strip.
Greece says it has complained to Ankara about a Turkish naval research ship monitored between the eastern Greek islands of Rhodes and Kastelorizo. The Foreign Ministry says the "Piri Reis" had surveyed an area outside Greek territorial waters, but where Athens has claimed the rights to potential undersea mineral and fossil fuel deposits. The ministry says in a statement released Wednesday that the ship's actions affected Greece's "sovereign rights." Turkish officials say the vessel is carrying out seismic research for humanitarian purposes. The two NATO allies have improved relations over the last decade but remain at odds over the war-divided island of Cyprus and boundaries in the Aegean Sea.
V. REUTERS - EU seeks ways to speed up Turkish accession process
The European Union's Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele assured Turkey on Tuesday that the EU was committed to the Muslim country becoming a full member, saying that ways of accelerating the process would be worked on. "There should be a zero doubt policy about our commitment," Fuele told a joint news conference with Turkish ministers in Istanbul. "We have a very clear mandate from member states." Turks suspect some EU states of foot-dragging because of their reluctance to let in a Muslim nation, whose membership would mean EU lost a buffer between itself and the Middle East. Out of 35 chapters, -- subject areas for negotiation on EU entry -- Turkey has completed one and opened 13 others, leaving 21 to go. All but three are blocked, due mainly to an impasse over the divided island of Cyprus, an EU member whose government has obstructed Turkey's progress because of Ankara's support for Turkish Cypriots who broke away. Turkey is backing reunification efforts, and wants the EU to lift its embargo of the Turkish north of the island, while the EU expects Turkey to open its ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus. Fuele gave his backing to the government's proposed package of constitutional changes that Turks will vote on in a referendum on Sept. 12. He said the package met the EU's expectations on a number of issues and described it as a positive step in the framework of Turkey's candidacy for membership.
VI. RIANOVOSTI - Russia: Turkey, Brazil not included in Iran Six talks
Turkey and Brazil are not joining talks led by the Iran Six group of international mediators on Tehran's nuclear program, the Russian foreign minister said Wednesday. "There have been no discussions on the issue," Sergei Lavrov said. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that the Islamic Republic wanted Turkey and Brazil to participate in the talks. The Iran Six consists of Russia, the United States, China, France, Britain and Germany. The West suspects Iran of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, but the country says it needs nuclear power solely for civilian purposes. A new round of talks is due in September. "The UN Security Council has recognized the Iran Six as an informal leader to consider the settlement of all aspects relating to the Iranian nuclear program. But at the same time it is clear that a number of other countries are interested in helping settle this rather old issue peacefully. Brazil and Turkey are among them," Lavrov said. He said the initiatives of Brazil and Turkey relate to a scheme to deliver fuel for the Tehran research reactor. On June 9, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1929 imposing a fourth set of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, including tougher financial controls and an expanded arms embargo. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in early July Tehran was ready to resume dialogue with the Iran Six, but would put off talks until the end of August in order to "punish" the West for imposing fresh sanctions. He also said new sanctions would not affect the country's nuclear program. International pressure on Iran increased in early February when Tehran announced it had begun enriching uranium to 20% in lieu of an agreement on an exchange that would provide it with fuel for a research reactor. Iran says it needs 20% enriched uranium for the Tehran research reactor and for production of isotopes used in medicine.
His Eminence, Archbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finland, Primate of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland, visited the Orthodox Church in America’s Representation Church of Saint Catherine the Great Martyr on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. Archimandrite Zacchaeus, parish dean and OCA Representative to the Russian Orthodox Church, greeted Archbishop Leo at the entrance to the church, after which a Service of Thanksgiving in honor of Saint Catherine was celebrated. After formally welcoming Archbishop Leo on behalf of the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Father Zacchaeus recalled the many bonds that unite the Orthodox Church in America with the Finnish Orthodox Church, ranging from common saints -- especially Saint Herman of Alaska -- to student exchanges at the Churches’ respective theological schools. In response, Archbishop Leo expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he had received, the icon of Saint Catherine with which he had been presented, and most importantly, the possibility to pray together during the Service of Thanksgiving, at which prayers were offered for Primates of the Russian, American, and Finnish Churches. According to the web site of the Church of Finland -- www.ort.fi -- it was after Finland gained its independence as a consequence of the Russian Revolution that the Orthodox Church acquired the status of a national Church alongside the Lutheran Church. In 1921, Saint Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow granted autonomy to the Finnish Church. In view of the political turmoil in the Soviet Union and the difficulties of maintaining contacts in that direction, however, the Orthodox Synod of Finland applied to be taken under the protection of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. On July 6, 1923, the Ecumenical Patriarchate issued a Tomos recognizing the Finnish Church as an autonomous archbishopric of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. A full report and gallery of Archbishop Leo’s visit may be found on the web site of Saint Catherine Church.