I. OXFORDMAIL - World’s Christians meet in Oxford
THE Archbishop of Canterbury joined Christians from all over the work on a visit to Oxford at the weekend. Delegates from Serbia, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Canada and Australia arrived for the International Theological Anglican Orthodox Commission at Christ Church. The Archbishop, Dr Rowan Williams, led a session on Saturday and preached at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday. The Rev Dr Tim Bradshaw, senior tutor at Regent’s Park College, in Pusey Street, said: “We discussed human freedom and justice and freedom in society. “Orthodox Christians like Oxford because of its expertise in the early church fathers.” The first meeting of the commission took place here in 1973.
II. CRIENGLISH - Undersea Excavation off Cyprus Confirms Mediterranean Diet
A recent undersea excavation by Cypriot archaeologists of a shipwreck estimated to be 2,500 years old has confirmed a large part of what is described as a Mediterranean diet, based on olive products along with wheat.The finding has also shed more light on seafaring and commerce in the classical era. The sunk ship, first located by amateur fishermen at a depth of 45 meters off the coast of south Cyprus, was a late classical period merchant vessel and was carrying a large quantity of wine amphorae, or clay jars. They came mainly from the island of Chios and also from other north Aegean islands. Photographic and drawing documentation on the wreck started in 2007 but the cargo of the ship was only recently taken off the bottom of the sea and moved to workshops of the Cyprus Archaeological Museum in the nearby city of Larnaca for conservation. The important fact about the wreck was that its cargo remained intact in its original place on the ship's deck and the amphorae were not thrown around when it sank in the middle of the 4th century BC. "The excavation sheds light on very important issues such as seafaring in Cyprus in antiquity, commerce between the Aegean and Cyprus, the types and sizes of the period's cargo ships,"the island state's Antiquities Department said in a statement. Among the findings was a huge quantity of olive cores, thought to be part of the ship's provisions. "An interesting piece of evidence that gives us information on the conditions under which the sailors of antiquity lived, are the large numbers of olive pips that were found during excavation, since these must have been part of the crew's food supply," said archeologists involved in the excavation. Olives and olive products form a considerable part of the Mediterranean diet to the present day, along with wheat bread and wine. Olive oil used to be the basis of some of the most ancient cosmetics made in Cyprus. Apart from the cargo's amphorae, two lead rods with remains of wood were found. These used to belong to the tow of one of the ship's anchors. "This especially rare find enhances the importance of the shipwreck and strengthens the possibilities of finding preserved wood from the ship's keel,"the statement said. Excavating the area around the ship involves moving away huge quantities of sand and this will be ventured during future archaeological expeditions in the shipwreck's site.
III. AP - Acropolis' Nike temple rises again
After a decade-long facelift, the ancient Greek temple of Athena Nike is back up, patched up and unfettered on the Acropolis. The slender marble building was free of scaffolding 10 years after being completely dismantled for repairs — the second time it has been restored since 1935. Project head Dionysia Mihalopoulou, speaking in an interview Tuesday atop the world-renowned Athens citadel, said crews replaced every block to the original position selected by architects behind the temple's construction some 2,400 years ago. She said she hoped the latest repairs would fix mistakes from previous restoration efforts for good. Athena Nike is one of the three standing Acropolis temples, along with the Parthenon and the Erechtheion.
Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Dimitrios Kypreos expressed concern on Monday over the fact that a Bosniak national council has not been formed. He also expressed further concern regarding the events that have taken place recently in the south of Serbia. In a written statement filed to the media, Kypreos urged the representatives of three election lists to find a joint solution based on the popular will expressed in the elections. “The mission welcomes comments of the commissioner for equality and the ombudsman of the Republic of Serbia. It is of key importance not to forget the fact that that the role of the Bosniak national council, as well as any other minority council, is to promote integrations and the progress of minorities in Serbia,” Kypreos said. Kypreos said that the OSCE Mission to Serbia offered strong support to the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights in the elections for the national minority councils. Following the elections on June 6, all national councils convened a session, which was preceded by the appropriate moves of the ministry. Following the elections for the national councils of the national minorities in Serbia, the Bosniak community was the only one left without a national council. Three lists took part in the elections for a Bosniak national council, and the Bosniak Cultural Community won most of the seats - 17, the Bosniak List had 13 and the Bosniak Renaissance won five seats. The Bosniak List and the Bosniak Renaissance boycotted the constitutive session scheduled for July 7, and the Bosniak Cultural Community, headed by Mufti Muamer Zukorlić, supported by two members of the council from the Bosniak Renaissance list, formed a council which has not been recognized by the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accepts that the “5+1” group – made up of the five permanent UN security Council members and Germany - may reconsider its proposals on the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. “The sextet position – based on which we have been contacting the Iranian side – was agreed over three years ago,” Sergey Lavrov said, cites RIA Novosti. Therefore, as part of preparation for a new round of talks, it would not be out of place to “look at the document once again and see whether it adequately reflects today’s realities.” The statement was made in Paris, where Sergey Lavrov and Russia’s Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov are taking part in the ninth session of the Russian-French council on security co-operation. The Russian officials have also met with the French President Nicholas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace, where among other things, they touched on the possible purchase of French Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. France and Russia have been mulling over the deal for several months and now, Lavrov said, “these negotiations are very intensive and … very specific." The negotiations also include the issue technology transfers. "The position stated in Paris in early March has not changed," he assured, cites Interfax. Back in spring it was announced that the two countries had begun exclusive talks over the sale of four Mistral-class helicopter-carriers to Russia. The French side is rather hopeful that the talks will be a success. "France will continue the negotiations with the Russian Federation with the hope of concluding the deal," the French presidential spokesman said on Tuesday, writes Itar-Tass. "President Sarkozy showed understanding of Russia's decision to hold an open tender." Back in August, the Russian head of the Defense Ministry announced an international tender due to take place in September. The result will be announced before the end of 2010. If the deal is finally sealed, it would mark the first time that a NATO country has sold military equipment to Russia.
VI. YAHOONEWS - Travelers visiting the U.S. must now pay a fee to enter
Starting Sept. 8, travelers flying to the states from certain countries will be required to pay a $14 "operational and travel promotion" fee if they do not possess a U.S. visa. Dubbed the "tourist tax," the new fee has been criticized by the European Union as "inconsistent with the commitment of the U.S. to facilitate transatlantic mobility." The fee affects air and sea travelers from: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Since January 2009, travelers from these nations have been required to complete an online form and receive prior approval of entry under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program. Run by the Department of Homeland Security, the ESTA program is designed to give U.S. authorities extra time and resources to check a traveler's name against "no fly" lists and other terrorist databases. Until now, that registration process was free. To participate in the program, travelers must also have Internet access and a credit card, The New York Times reported. Travelers are urged to register at the denied, the traveler must apply for a more expensive nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The reason for the denial will not be provided.
VII. MOSPAT - Patriarch Theodore II completes his visit to Russia
On 6 September 2010, His Beatitude Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, who visited Russia for rest and medical treatment, visited the Church of All Saints in Kulishki – the Representation of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria in Moscow. His Beatitude was accompanied by Metropolitan Athanasios of Kyrenaika, his representative to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Bishop Aleksandr of Dmitrov; archimandrite Meletios (Kumanis), skevophylax of the Patriarchate of Alexandria; and a DECR staff member Stefan (Igumnov). His Beatitude venerated the Kykka Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God and other holy objects and gave his primatial blessing to the parishioners. The Patriarch of Alexandria expressed is gratitude to Metropolitan Athanasios of Kyrenaika for his work as representative to the Moscow Patriarchal throne. His Beatitude visited the Moscow Convent of the Protecting Veil, where he venerated the relics of St. Matrona of Moscow and greeted mother superior hegumeness Feofania (Miskina), sisters, and girls from the orphanage at the convent, thanking them for warm welcome. The last item on the agenda of His Beatitude’s stay in Moscow was his visit to the Church of the “Joy to All the Afflicted” Icon of the Mother of God on Bolshaya Ordynka Street. That same day in the evening, His Beatitude Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa left for Cairo. He was seen off at the ‘Domodedovo’ airport by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Athanasios of Kyrenaika: and Bishop Aleksandr of Dmitrov.