A tsunami that pounded several islands in western Indonesia killed at least 113 people and scores more are missing. A 7.7-magnitude earthquake triggered the 10-foot (three-meter) wave that washed hundreds of homes into the sea late Monday. Rescuers were having a hard time reaching the Mentawai islands, closest to the epicenter, on Tuesday because of strong winds and rough seas. But reports of damage and injuries were steadily climbing. Mujiharto, who heads the Health Ministry's crisis center, said 113 bodies have been recovered so far. The number of missing was between 150 and 500.
II. RIANOVOSTI - Russia-NATO relations depend on alliance's strategic concept
Future relations between Russia and NATO will depend on compliance of the Western military block's strategic concept with norms of international law and the UN Charter, the Russian foreign minister said on Tuesday. "The key issue for us [Russia] would be how NATO's position would be defined in this new strategic concept in regard to international law, the UN Charter and most important in regard to the norms of possible use of force in modern international relations," Sergei Lavrov said after talks with Montenegrin Foreign Minister Milan Rocen. Lavrov's statement follows Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's announcement last week to attend the Russia-NATO summit, part of the NATO Lisbon Summit, on November 20. The Russian minister said all countries of the Euro-Atlantic space must have judicially granted security guarantees. "We are trying to look at broader things. We want all legal and judicial security guarantees to be equally distributed among all Euro-Atlantic states without any exceptions," he said adding that Russia's European security initiative envisages NATO's participation foremost. President Medvedev proposed drawing up a new European security pact in June 2008, and Russia published a draft of the treaty in December 2009, sending copies to heads of state and international organizations, including NATO. However, the proposal has attracted little support from other European powers.
III. B92 - Base the Kosovo dialogue on 1244
Russian FM Sergei Lavrov says that the future dialogue between Belgrade and Priština should be based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Lavrov stated that his country favored "all moments concerning the solution of the Kosovo question to be solved based on that resolution". It is on that basis that it is possible and necessary to find mutually acceptable solution within the dialogue, which should start between Belgrade and Priština based on the UN General Assembly decision, he said. The Russian minister noted that complex processes were unfolding in the Balkans, and that Kosovo was the most complicated of all.
IV. NOVINITE - Bulgaria Throws Cold Water on Russia, Greece over Oil Pipe
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Borisov has made it clear that there is hardly anyway that the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline will be built, reacting to an initiative for a joint position on part of the other participants, Russia and Greece. Earlier on Monday, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko announced that Russia and Greece will be setting up a working group to draft a joint position on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project. Borisov commented in Sofia that the three shareholders in Trans-Balkan Pipeline, Bulgaria, Greece, and Russia, must await the results from the much anticipated environmental assessment of the project. And there is no way that assessment could be positive, he added. Bulgaria, Greece and Russia agreed to build the pipeline between Burgas and Alexandroupolis, taking Caspian oil to the Mediterranean skirting the congested Bosphorus, in 2007 after more than a decade of intermittent talks. The agreement for the company which will construct the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil transit pipeline was signed by Bulgaria during Russian President Putin's visit to Bulgaria in 2008. The 280-kilometer pipeline, with 166 kilometers passing through Bulgaria, would have an initial annual capacity of 35 million tons, which could be later expanded to 50 million tons. Its costs are estimated at up to USD 1.5 B, up from initial estimates at USD 900 M. Construction of the pipeline has been on ice even after Bulgaria's government balked at the potential environmental damage that the pipeline could inflict on its resort-dotted coastline. The cabinet has stated that its final decision on the country's participation in the project will depend on its upcoming international environmental assessment. During the summer, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov unexpectedly said that the country was "giving up" on Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project. In a dramatic twist that left all of Europe confused, Borisov retracted his statements shortly afterwards, saying that the Bulgarian government hasn't made a final decision regarding the construction of the pipeline.
India and Cyprus on Tuesday exchanged ideas in the tourism sector with a view to promote tourism between the two nations. A four-member delegation led by Cyprus Commerce Industry and Tourism Minister Antonis Paschalldes called on Union Minister of Tourism and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja here today. During the half an hour meeting, the two nations exchanged ideas in the tourism sector with a view to promote tourism. "Cyprus is a small country but it is an important country in the Mediterranean. There is a lot of potential in the tourism sector and both the countries can actively cooperate in the field of Hospitality, Tourism Education and Human Resource Development," said Kumar Selja welcoming Paschalldes. "India can learn from Cyprus in the area of Beach Tourism. If the direct air links could be established between India and Cyprus, it will give a fillip to the promotion of tourism in both the countries and better understanding among the people of the two countries," she added. Kumari Selja further said both the countries can exchange information on the tourism statistics, tourism planning, hotel licensing and classification. "India has lot of diversity and attractions for visitors from abroad such as Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa and other parts of the country," she claimed, asserting that her Ministry is now focusing to promote India as a 365-day destination for visitors from abroad. "Forty percent Foreign Tourists are repeat tourists in India. India and Cyprus can organize Road Shows in each other's country to promote tourism between them," she added. The visiting dignitary Antonis Paschalldes was of the view that both countries can increase business contacts to have better people to people contact." Cyprus has many products like Sports Tourism, Wellness Tourism, Religious Tourism and Beach Tourism to attract visitors. Cyprus though a small country in terms of population attracts about 2.5 3 million tourists per year," he said, agreeing to work out modalities for 'Road Shows' in each other's country to promote tourism.
One week before key US elections, a new poll out Tuesday showed President Barack Obama's Republican foes fired up and looking to make big gains in congress amid anger at the sour economy. Sixty-three percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they were more enthusiastic than usual about voting, against just 37 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, according to a USA Today survey. The 26-point gap is the widest since the Gallup polling organization began asking the question in 1994, when Republicans rode a nine-point edge to a historic victory that saw them capture the Senate and House of Representatives. The survey, which had an error margin of plus or minus four percentage points, seemed to buttress repeated media reports that Democrats suffer from a potentially devastating "enthusiasm gap" ahead of the election. Democrats have countered that results from early voting in several key states show they are in good shape, and said that their get-out-the-vote efforts will make the difference in hotly contested toss-up races. All 435 House of Representatives seats, 37 of 100 Senate seats, and 37 governorships are up for grabs in the November 2 contest that comes halfway between Obama's November 2008 victory and the 2012 presidential ballot. The president has criss-crossed the country in a bid to energize Democrats. Analysts predicted that Republicans stood a solid chance of netting the 39 seats they needed to retake the House and would seize key governorships but fall just short of the 10 new seats needed to seize the Senate.
VII. FOSTERS - Orthodox Church in Dover to aid local charities
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Dover, New Hampshire announced today they will distribute aid to the following local charities from proceeds of their Annual Dover Greek Heritage Festival: Dover Children's Home, My Friends Place, Dover Police Charities, Strafford County Fuel Assistance Program, Dover Food Kitchen, and Our House for Girls. Periklis Karoutas and Litsa Georgakilas, co-chairs of the Dover Greek Heritage Festival that is sponsored by the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Dover wanted to thank all those that attended and volunteered to make the Dover Greek Festival such a success; "we believe it is critically important to support our local community and help those of us in need through these great local charities and we couldn't do it without the support from our volunteers and local business owners," said Karoutas. Dover Police Chief Anthony Colarusso thanked the church for their contribution to the Dover Police Charities. Chief Colarusso stated, "the Dover Police Charities truly appreciates the contribution that the church offers to the community and we are very grateful for their generous support not only to the Dover Police Charities but also to other area charity organizations." Bob O'Connell, executive director of My Friends Place in Dover also expressed his thanks and gratitude. O'Connell stated; "On behalf of the many homeless families we serve I want to thank the members of the Greek Orthodox Church for their ongoing financial support. Without the assistance from our church friends we would not be able to offer emergency shelter to so many people during the year. Dover's Greek Orthodox Church has been very generous with their support toward the needs of less fortunate community members." The Dover Greek Heritage Festival takes place every year during Labor Day weekend.