I. CHICAGOTRIBUNE - Farrakhan: Revolution imminent in U.S.; praises Scientology
Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan predicted on Sunday that America faces imminent uprisings that mirror those in the Middle East. "What you are looking at in Tunisia, in Egypt … Libya, in Bahrain … what you see happening there … you'd better prepare because it will be coming to your door," Farrakhan said in a booming voice, thousands of followers cheering in response. Farrakhan called on President Barack Obama to allow protesters to march, urging the president not to attack innocent people when they do. The controversial minister spoke to a packed house at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont as part of the 81st annual celebration of Saviours' Day, which marks the birth of the faith's founder, W. Fard Muhammad. The keynote address, titled "God Will Send Saviours," capped a weekend of workshops focused on health, preparing for natural disasters and unidentified flying objects. The Nation of Islam believes in a UFO called "the wheel" or "the Mother Plane." Farrakhan has described a 1985 religious experience in which he ascended into a flying saucer and heard the voice of Elijah Muhammad predicting events that came to pass. Speaking for about four hours Sunday, Farrakhan jumped from topic to topic. He praised Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Farrakhan extolled the virtues of Scientology and its auditing process, which is considered spiritual counseling by its members. "L. Ron Hubbard is so exceedingly valuable to every Caucasian person on this Earth," Farrakhan said. "L. Ron Hubbard himself was and is trying to civilize white people and make them better human beings and take away from them their reactive minds. … Mr. Hubbard recognized that his people have to be civilized," Farrakhan said to a cheering crowd.
II. AFP - Somali pirates seize Greek ship
Somali pirates on Monday hijacked a Greek-owned ship carrying a crew including 19 Filipinos, three Romanians and a Russian in the Arabian Sea, the EU naval mission said. The bulk cargo carrier Dover was on its way to Saleef, Yemen, from Port Quasim, Pakistan, when it was attacked by the pirates around 260 nautical miles northeast of Salalah at 0600 GMT, the EU Navfor mission said. "Details of the attack are not known at this time," the anti-piracy armada said in a statement. "There is presently no communication with the vessel and no information regarding the condition of the crew," it said. The Dover was registered with the Maritime Security Centre Horn Of Africa, which monitors the movement of ships in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. Prior to this latest hijacking, pirates were holding 31 vessels and 688 hostages off the coast of Somalia, according to the latest Navfor figures released last Friday. Piracy has surged in recent years off Somalia, a lawless, war-torn country that sits alongside one of the world's most important shipping routes, with seafaring gangs venturing further and further out to sea to capture ships.
Macedonia has made it clear it is ready to a compromise with Greece with respect to the notorious dispute over the country's name. In a formal letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki has declared that Macedonia could agree to one of the proposals for renaming the country suggested by special UN envoy Matthew Nimetz – namely, "Republic of Macedonia (Skopje)." The Foreign Minister of FYROM, however, has underscored that the new name could be adopted only after a general referendum. "The official authorities in Athens are investing a lot of funds, efforts, and energy in diplomacy in order to present Macedonia to the world as a country that hinders the finding of a solution for this 20-year-old dispute," Milososki says in his letter to Ban Ki-moon, as cited by Kanal 5, not missing the opportunity to slam Greece. Milososki's letter to the UN chief was sent about two weeks ago, apparently shortly after Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski was in the USA for talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden, as he did not meet with US President Barack Obama. The notorious "name dispute" is based on Greek concerns with Macedonia's constitutional name ("Republic of Macedonia") because much of Northern Greece is called "Macedonia" as an administrative district. Therefore, recognizing the same name for its neighbor could legitimize potential territorial claims by Skopje. Because of the name dispute, Greece has so far vetoed Macedonia's accession to NATO, and blockaded the start of EU accession talks with Macedonia. Because of the Greek position the Republic of Macedonia was admitted to the UN under the made-up name of "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)."
The talks with Belgrade come at a bad moment for Kosovo, as it is going through a series of institutional crises, stated Krenar Gasi of the Pristina-based Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED) and added that another reason why the talks are ill-timed is the fact that the idea of the dialogue did not come from Kosovo but was rather a plan made by the European Union (EU) and Serbia. Radio Free Europe reported Gasi as saying that Kosovo is about to enter a process whose level and topics Kosovo officials have no knowledge of, and this is something that neither Kosovo, Serbia nor the EU are ready for. Gasi also said that Serbia is perhaps the readiest of the three because it knows that in the course of the dialogue, it aims to open the issue of Kosovo's independence and its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The radio notes that at the time when the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is expected to start, the opposition in Kosovo is calling the legitimacy of new institutions into question.
V. NEUROPE - Putin to visit Serbia in March, talk energy
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Belgrade in March, local media reported on 19 February, quoting unnamed sources close to the Serbian government. Putin’s last such visit was in 2001 when he was president. Putin is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and President Boris Tadic, focusing on economic issues, including starting new strategic projects in the energy. Serbia is planning to become the first European country to begin constructing an onshore section of the South Stream gas pipeline, designed to transport Russian gas to western Europe, by the end of 2012. The construction of the Serbian 450-kilometer section of the pipeline is estimated to cost at least €700 million. South Stream Serbia AG is a joint venture founded by Russia’s Gazprom and Serbian state-owned company Srbijagas. South Stream is the yet-to-be gas pipeline that will pump natural gas from Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiisk to Bulgaria’s Varna and further split into two directions to Italy and Austria (these routes have not been finalized yet). The pipeline’s annual designed capacity is 63 billion cubic meters. The project is estimated at €8.6 billion. To build the pipeline’s overland section, Russia signed intergovernmental agreements with Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria.
VI. RIANOVOSTI - Iran protests Olympic logo
Tehran has officially challenged the 2012 London Olympic Games logo as racist and Zionist. Head of Iran's Olympic Committee Bahram Afsharzadeh said the logo was designed by a freemason organization. "We had to protest the measure. We intend to write a letter to the Asian Olympic Council to urge them to follow up on the issue," he told ISNA. Tehran believes the geometrical figures illustrating "2012" in the logo conceal the word "Zion," a term Iranian officials use to describe Israel and its government, which they do not recognize. Some Muslim nations raised objections as soon as the logo was unveiled, but their objections were rejected by British Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee officials. Afsharzadeh said some British individuals and organizations also protested the logo. "This is the first time that this has happened in the history of the Olympics. Zionists have exercised influence in Britain, and according to our information, the summer games logo has been designed by a Zionist organization linked to freemasons," he said.
VII. ORTHODOXCHURCHINAMERICA - Metropolitan Kallistos to moderate 15TH Orientale Lumen Conference
His Eminence, Metropolitan Kallistos [Ware] of Diokleia will serve as moderator at the 15th annual Orientale Lumen Conference [in Washington, DC], June 20-23, 2011. The conference theme -- "Rome and the Communion of Churches: Bishop, Patriarch or Pope" -- will be discussed from the Catholic and Orthodox Christian perspectives by several noted speakers representing both traditions. Other Orthodox Christian speakers include His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and Sister Dr. Vassa [Larin], lecturer at the University of Vienna, Austria, of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Of Russia. Panel discussions and questions will follow each presentation. For the first time, the conference proceedings will be broadcast live through an on-line video webcast. Viewers will be able to submit via e-mail questions to the moderator. During the conference, the Rev. Ron Roberson, CSP, who coordinates Catholic-Orthodox dialogues in North America for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, will offer a summary presentation of the latest document from the North American Dialogue, “Steps Toward a Reunited Church: A Sketch of an Orthodox-Catholic Vision for the Future.” Sponsored by Eastern Christian Publications and the Society of Saint John Chrysostom, the annual Orientale Lumen conferences provide a forum for Orthodox Christians and Roman and Eastern Rite Catholics to gather, discuss and learn about their respective traditions. Additional information, registration forms, and a schedule of fees are available by visiting Orientale Lumen Conference website.