I. INDEPENDENT - Poll: Europe's best beach getaways, Cyprus, Greece top list
According to a survey released April 5, by TripAdvisor, Cyprus nabbed two of the top three beach destinations in Europe, with Ayia Napa - which made its name as a notorious party paradise - in top place. Protaras, another Cypriote tourist resort more popular with families, took third place, just below the Greek island of Skiathos, a small island famous for its white sand beaches. Top Ten Beach Destinations in Europe: 1. Ayia Napa, Cyprus; 2. Skiathos, Greece; 3. Protaras, Cyprus; 4. Mykonos, Greece; 5. Oludeniz, Turkey; 6. St. Ives, England, UK; 7. Alcudia, Balearic Islands, Spain; 8. San Vito lo Capo, Sicily, Italy; 9. Calvia, Balearic Islands, Spain and 10. Villasimius, Sardinia, Italy.
A fragment of a clay tablet bearing archaic writing from an early period of state formation in Greece, more than 3,400 years ago, has been uncovered in the middle of an olive grove in southwest Greece, near the modern village of Iklaina. The tablet, only 2 inches by 3 inches, dates to sometime from 1490 to 1390 B.C. Clay tablets were made and used to keep state records so early in Mycenaean history and seems to be a “page” from a bookkeeper’s note pad. Not meant to be saved as a permanent record, it was not baked in a kiln , but ended up in a refuse dump, where a fire hardened the clay for posterity. Previous excavations had yielded clay writing tablets from 1200 B.C., close to the approximate time of the supposed Trojan War, and some references to Iklaina as an administrative center associated with Pylos. Archaeologists are only beginning to consider the implications of the discovery. It suggests that political states in ancient Greece originated at least a century and a half earlier than had been documented.
Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said that in the recent meeting between Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and acting Libyan Foreign Minister Abdulati Al-Obeidi, there was no discussion of either Muammar Gaddafi leaving libya or of him coming to Greece. Droustas added that Greece is "in constant contact" with both the Libyan regime and the rebels.
IV. B92 - Tadić and Sarkozy to meet in France
Serbian President Boris Tadić will meet with French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy during his April 6-8 visit to France and it will be an opportunity to strengthen the relations between the two countries. The meeting with focus on strategic partnership. Serbia has already signed similar agreements with China and Italy, while another one with Russia has also been announced. The document is meant to include cooperation in culture, science, education, economy and Serbia's EU integration.
V. EURASIAREVIEW - Somali Pirates Hold At Least 56 Vessels, 886 Hostages
According to Ecoterra, as of Monday, at least 56 foreign vessels plus two barges are in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 886 hostages or captives – including a South-African yachting couple and a Danish yacht-family with three children and two friends – are being held.
VI. RFERL - Japan Seeks Russian Help On Nuclear Crisis
Japan has asked Russia to send a floating treatment plant used to decommission nuclear submarines to help Japan contain radiation from the earthquake- and tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear power complex. The vessel, called the "Landysh," is reported capable of treating radioactive liquid with chemicals and storing it in a cement form. The request was disclosed as workers at the Fukushima plant have begun pumping contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean in order to free storage space for even more highly radioactive water. Since the March 11 earthquake and tsunuami, workers have been struggling to stabilize the Fukushima plant, which has leaked substantial amounts of radiation into the air, soil and sea in the area.
VII. INTERFAX - Russian Orthodox Church fears Islamists' arrival in Arab world
Speaking to a delagation of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee in Moscow on Tuesday, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk , the head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations said, "Changes in political regimes and a collision of interests of different social forces may lead to uncertainty, violence and lawlessness," expressing fears that religious extermists may seize power in North Africa and in the Middle East. Adding, "We have been observing growth in Christianophobia, which may deteriorate into a plunder of Christian churches and killings of Christians. The world community must rise to defend the basic human right to freely choose a religion and to live abiding by the religious norms and principles."