His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, has called upon all clergy and faithful to remember in prayer those who lost their lives in a New Year's Day suicide bombing at the conclusion of a midnight Liturgy at a Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt. The bombing, which claimed the lives of at least 21 Coptic Christians, was the latest in a string of attacks against Egypt's Christians. As widely reported in the media, it was the first suicide bombing affecting a Christian church. Prior attacks involved shootings and less serious bomb attacks. No attacks have been reported against the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, located in the same city. Prayers are also requested for calm in the wake of escalating tensions between Egypt's Christian and Muslim communities and the Egyptian government.
II. BLOOMBERG - Greece Will Build Fence Along Border With Turkey
Greece plans to build a fence along its border with Turkey to stop the entry of illegal immigrants, Citizen Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis told state-run Athens New Agency on Dec. 31. Arrests of people arriving illegally from Turkey increased almost five-fold, to 31,219, in the first nine months of 2010, from 6,615 in the year-earlier period, according to Greek police data. The border with Turkey was the only land border that saw a rise, the figures show. Greece cannot cope with more illegal immigrants and plans to impose stricter controls at port cities such as Patras, a transit point for smuggling immigrants to Italy and elsewhere in Europe, Papoutsis said, according to a transcript of his comments. About 90 percent of illegal immigrants of all nationalities arriving in the European Union came through Greece, according to Warsaw-based Frontex, the bloc’s agency for border security. A total of 96,398 illegal immigrants were arrested by Greek police in the nine months, compared with 96,085 in the same period a year earlier.
III. FINANCIALMIRROR - Cyprus leaders to meet on January 12
President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu will be holding a new meeting on January 12, in the context of UN-led direct negotiations to solve the Cyprus problem. The meeting will be preceded by a meeting of the aides of the leaders of the two communities, George Iacovou and Kudret Ozersay, on January 5. In statements to CNA, Iacovou said that, according to Eroglu's doctors, the Turkish Cypriot leader, who recently underwent heart surgery, will be well enough to attend the meeting on January 12. Iacovou noted that during yesterday’s meeting with Ozersay they discussed issues concerning governance, adding that on January 5 they will be discussing issues relating to the economy and the EU, in preparation for the leaders' meeting on January 12. Asked if during the meeting with Ozersay he raised the interruption of the Christmas liturgy in the Turkish occupied areas, Iacovou said he did not, since representations had already been made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the UN. Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot sides have been engaged in talks since September 2008 with a view to finding a negotiated settlement to reunite the country under a federal roof. Talks were postponed earlier this month when Eroglu had to undergo emergency heart surgery in Ankara.
IV. MERCURYNEWS - Israeli prime minister wants nonstop talks with Palestinians
Israel's prime minister on Sunday proposed nonstop, face-to-face talks with the Palestinian president until a peace agreement is reached -- offering a possible way to advance talks that have stalled over the construction of Jewish settlements. Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal offers the appeal of leaders working together to make history, and it comes in response to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' latest claim -- made over the weekend in South America -- that genuine talks could yield a deal within months. But the Palestinians showed little enthusiasm for Netanyahu's offer... In his comments Sunday, Netanyahu urged the Palestinians to turn their focus away from settlements and instead work with him on the broader issues needed to reach a final peace deal. He said he was ready to sit with Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, for "continuous direct one-on-one negotiations until white smoke is wafting," an allusion to the Vatican's custom for announcing a new pope. "If Abu Mazen agrees to my proposal of directly discussing all the core issues, we will know very quickly if we can reach an agreement," he said. Netanyahu did not spell out details, but his new approach would be based on the idea that all the outstanding issues would be on the table, as opposed to the Palestinian approach of demanding a settlement freeze and general agreement on borders before talks resume. President Barack Obama has made Mideast peace a top priority, personally launching the latest round of negotiations at the White House in early September and pledging to forge a deal within a year. But the U.S.-brokered talks broke down just three weeks later with the expiration of a limited Israeli freeze on settlement construction. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. They say that Israel's construction in these areas is a sign of bad faith and refuse to renew talks until settlement building is frozen again. Israel has refused, and U.S. officials have been unable to find a way to get talks moving again.
V. YNET - Russian president cancels Israel visit
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has canceled his scheduled visit to Israel which was meant to take place in mid-January following disruptions imposed by the Foreign Ministry's workers union. Medvedev was slated to visit Israel on January 17-19 accompanied by a delegation of 500 members, including 300 businessmen, ministers and senior officials. The visit was planned months in advance and has major political significance for Israel. In recent days, directors of the Foreign Ministry were urged by Russia to avoid diplomatic embarrassment and work to prevent disruptions during the visit which could arise in light of the workers' strike. The Foreign Ministry's workers union said in response to the cancellation that "unfortunately the obtuseness and negligence on the part of the finance minister and his clerks once again hurt the State of Israel's national fortitude and foreign relations." They called on the prime minister and foreign minister "to take responsibility and work to salvage the State of Israel's Foreign Service." For the second week in a row, employees of the Foreign Ministry have been protesting their wages. On Sunday, the workers arrived in their offices dressed casually donning black t-shirts reading "I'm a poor diplomat." The ministry is currently suspending the exchange of formal telegrams with Israeli missions around world as well as other official and classified messages. Should the strike continue other visits may be compromised.
VI. RADIOSRBIJA - Fortresses, Remnants of Fortified Towns
In mid-December, the exhibition entitled “The road of culture – fortresses on the Danube” was organized in the Serbian Cultural Center in Paris. The display was conceived as part of the project that represents Serbia in the future strategy of the biggest European river, both in the field of culture and sustainable tourism. Last summer, the exhibition was presented in the European Commission, then in the Danube Commission in Ulm, and in February it will be on display in the UNESCO seat in Paris. Fortresses and their remnants, sometimes dominating the hill tops or barely visible as rubble, have always attracted attention and stimulated visitors’ imagination, which in turn has yielded many a legend. Hundreds of localities with fortress remnants have been listed, and those that were functional in the era of Ottoman rule are still best preserved. Most fortresses, along the former borders, have been expanded and adapted to the development of war technology over time. Standing out as the example of best realization of European military architecture in the second half of the 17th century is the Petrovaradin fort, on the right bank of the Danube River, in Novi Sad. In the same manner, the forts that were increasingly used for military and defensive purposes, have lost their medieval shape. Some of them, such as those in Belgrade, Smederevo or Ras, were the roots of modern cities, whose urban structures are decorated by the old ramparts and occasional tower to this day. The research shows that in the 12th century the fortress of Ras was the main seat of the medieval Serbian state, during the rule of King Radoslav, and the found coins testify that at that time Serbia had its first mint. Best preserved medieval fortress in Vojvodina is the castle of Bac, with a well preserved tower in the inner yard, as one of the most beautiful examples of late medieval donjon in this part of Europe. The forts in Vojvodina were mostly done after the model of western military architecture, and the only exception is the nicely preserved tower in the fortress near Vrsac, which is closer to the Serbian, i.e. byzantine style. Also fortified are the monasteries of Mileseva, Manasija and Ravanica. In some cases, fortresses are even located in the downtown parts of a city, like those in Belgrade, Smederevo, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar, Pirot and Nis. A good example of the preserved medieval fortress is Zvecan, in the vicinity of Kosovska Mitrovica. It guards the entrance to the Ibar gorge, and lies well with the landscape. It was first mentioned in the 11th century, and three centuries later, in the Nemanjic era, it hosted one of the royal courts. Archaeologists say that the fortresses alongside rivers or key roads are important to learn about the history of our country. Some have been ruined, abandoned and are still closed for the tourists, due to necessary conservation. Especially challenging are those along the Danube. They fit perfectly with the idea of tourism on the Danube, which is becoming increasingly popular. The plan envisages the sanitation of the forts in Smederevo, Ram and Golubac, as well as the restoration of those in Belgrade and Novi Sad, and the creation of conditions for a longer stay of tens of thousands of tourists, who are cruising the Danube and passing through our country. The tourism workers have recognized the imperative of awakening the interest of foreign guests, so now they are looking for a wider space fro new programs in the old forts, as with the changed function they would also get the protection from further decay. Also notable over the past few years is the interest of researchers and conservationists to preserve and renovate those facilities, as the form of cultural heritage that only serve its purpose if available to all those who wish to learn about the spiritual life in these areas.
Turkey says it is considering a demand by the Istanbul-based Orthodox Patriarchate for the reopening of a seminary that trained generations of Ecumenical Patriarchs. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc says "we will try to meet them from a legal point of view." He spoke Monday during a courtesy New Year visit to Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians. Bartholomew hailed Turkey's overtures toward minorities as "openings for democracy and westernization." He said he hopes the seminary can be reopened this year, 40 years after its closure. Turkey recently granted citizenship to several senior clerics at the church — a requirement for the aging Bartholomew's successor — and separately returned control of a 19th-century orphanage to the Patriarchate.