WWII Medal awarded;Israel-Greece agreement;Osama in Pakistan;Terror in France;Start Treaty;Haitian floods;IOCC,Romania

I. NPR - 95-Year-Old NYC Man Gets Medal For WWII Rescue

The U.S. government has recognized the World War II architect of a mission to rescue more than 500 U.S. bomber crew members shot down over Nazi-occupied Serbia. It was the largest air rescue of Americans behind enemy lines in any war. George Vujnovich is credited with leading the so-called Halyard Mission in what was then Yugoslavia. The 95-year-old New York City man was awarded the Bronze Star in a ceremony Sunday at Manhattan's St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. He received a standing ovation from a crowd of several hundred. He's long retired from his job as a salesman of aircraft parts. Vujnovich says of the honor, "better now than never" — but he regrets most of the men on his wartime mission are no longer alive.

II. IMFA - Israel-Greece sign aviation agreement

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman and Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas signed today (Monday 18 October 2010) an aviation agreement between Israel and Greece. The agreement signed today replaces the previous aviation agreement between the two countries which was signed in 1952. The new agreement regulates a variety of issues and is aimed at promoting the aviation relationship between the countries, including the appointing of additional carriers, enabling up to two carriers to service each side for each destination (instead of the present one), establishing rules for setting rates, establishing guidelines for settling differences through negotiation, mediation and arbitration, establishing a schedule of routes, setting up guidelines for mutual criticism of the agreement and the appointed air carriers regarding compliance with safety regulations that relate to aviation facilities, flight teams, aircraft or their operation, and other subjects. Prior to the signing of the agreement, FM Liberman and FM Droutsas met in a private session, and in an extended meeting discussed the bilateral relationship, the situation in the region and negotiations with the Palestinians. At the signing ceremony, which was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, FM Liberman stated that there is a good and close level of cooperation between Israel and Greece, and that this relationship is beneficial not only to the two countries but to the entire region. FM Liberman further stated that he is pleased to sign the aviation agreement, as it is an important agreement which will benefit both countries. FM Droutsas noted the strengthening of the bilateral relationship, which includes the many meetings between FM Liberman and himself, as well as meetings between other senior Greek and Israeli officials, and added that the aviation agreement shows how the strengthening of the relationship can be translated into practical terms. The Greek foreign minister also stated that additional areas of mutual interest were defined, and that the two sides were looking into other areas in which cooperation could be expanded. FM Droutsas said that the discussions with FM Liberman were very effectual and contributed to the cooperation between the two countries. He added that Greece is interested in promoting peace and stability in the area, and if both sides are willing, is ready to offer its services to assist on this issue.

III. NYDAILYNEWS - NATO: Osama Bin Laden is "living comfortably in Pakistan"

Osama Bin Laden is living it up in Pakistan, not hiding in a Tora Bora cave, a senior NATO official tells CNN. The report states that Bin Laden, the founder of Al Qaeda, is shacked up in a home somewhere in the northwest region of the country. With Bin Laden is his No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, although the odd couple are not bosom buddies sharing a pad, but merely neighbors. "Nobody in Al Qaeda is living in a cave," the unnamed official told CNN. Pakistan has denied that Bin Laden is in their country. According to the official, the terror boss has moved around over the years, but has remained in the region which borders Afghanistan near Tora Bora to the west, as well as Tajikistan to the north and China to the east. The source, who according to CNN has access to sensitive information as a senior NATO official, also said that Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban which has led the insurgency against the United States in Afghanistan, also spends time in Pakistan. Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik played down reports that Bin Laden and his ilk were based in his country. Reports of the terror mastermind's location have surfaced in the media before, and have rarely been reliable, he said.

IV. EURONEWS - Saudis warn France of terror threat

French tourist sites are to remain on high alert amid fresh fears of an imminent terror attack. Tension rose last month after warnings that al Qaeda could be planning simultaneous commando-style raids in several European cities. Now alarm bells are ringing again with reports from Saudi Arabian security services that the group is active, or planning to be active, in Europe, especially in France. French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux revealed the warning, pointing to information confirming the reality of a threat from radical Islamists. September’s scare included a reported tip-off that a female suicide bomber was planning to attack the French transport system. The recent ban on the full-face Muslim veil has heightened fears France could be a terrorism target.

V. REUTERS - START Treaty at risk

A nuclear arms treaty between Russia and the United States could collapse unless Washington ratifies it before next month's elections change the Senate's composition, a senior Russian lawmaker said. The signing of the new START treaty in April was a step towards U.S. President Barack Obama's goal of "resetting" relations with the Kremlin, so its derailment would be a big setback for the White House's foreign policy agenda. The treaty is not in force until it has been ratified by legislatures in both countries and Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the international affairs committee in Russia's lower house of parliament, said this now hung in the balance. The Kremlin ally said he remained hopeful that the Senate could ratify the treaty in the so-called lame duck session, when it re-convenes after the Nov. 2 congressional elections but before newly elected senators take up their seats. The agreement will cut strategic nuclear arsenals deployed by the former Cold War foes by 30 percent within seven years but leave each with enough to destroy the other. Its predecessor treaty expired in December last year. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has submitted the treaty to Russia's parliament, but he told lawmakers not to ratify the agreement before the full U.S. Senate has approved it.

VI. CP - Steady rains cause floods in Haiti, 12 dead

Steady rains flooded portions of the Haitian capital over the weekend, turning streets into rivers and leaving at least 12 people dead, civil protection officials said Monday. Storms falling on the mountains that ring the capital sent cascades into the pitch-black downtown, where trucks left boat-like wakes as they forded boulevards. At least 10 people were killed in Port-au-Prince on Saturday and Sunday, most when surging rivers burst through houses built in ravines, civil protection chief Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste told The Associated Press. One victim fell into an open sewer. Others were killed trying to cross rivers. Two children were killed when mud slid into earthquake-refuge camp in Carrefour, west of the capital. An AP Television journalist who reached the camp Monday said dozens of families were repairing their tarps. The rocky dirt under other post-quake settlements, home to an estimated 1.3 million people, turned into spongy mud and then lakes. Aid groups and officials overseeing Haiti's post-earthquake reconstruction have been on guard for heavy rains since the Jan. 12 disaster. Canals were cleared and drainage ditches dug around some of the better-managed camps. But even without a direct hit from a hurricane this year, 23 rain-related deaths have been confirmed over the last month in southern Haiti, including the quake zone. The national meteorology centre issued flash-flood warnings across Haiti's southern peninsula through Tuesday, which extends west from Port-au-Prince.

VII. IOCC - Project In Romania Aims To Expand And Strengthen Social Services

IOCC's efforts to partner with the Romanian Orthodox Church and local community-based organizations to provide vital social services received a boost recently when it was awarded a grant of more than $1.8 million to help strengthen the work of community-based organizations in Romania. "Ten years ago, IOCC opened an office in Bucharest with the vision of working side-by-side with the Romanian Orthodox Church to serve people in need," reflected Constantine M. Triantafilou, IOCC Executive Director. "We are gratified to have this opportunity to take one more step toward that goal of a vibrant network for diakonia in partnership with Filantropia." The project will assist Filantropia, a national network of community-based organizations under the auspices of the Romanian Orthodox Church, to improve the social services it provides to orphans, the elderly, families living in poverty, prisoners, the terminally ill and others in need in Romania. The training and organizational development that will be provided through the project will enable Filantropia to become a strategic partner in improving social services at the local, regional and national levels. The new program has been made possible through the Romanian Ministry of Labor, Family and Equal Opportunity and co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Sectorial Operational Program for Human Resources Development 2007-2013. Over the next two years, the project will provide essential training in the organization and management of the network and its member agencies. The training is expected to improve social service delivery throughout much of Romania, aid in evaluation programs, and assist in the development of a strategic plan that will guide the federation's organizational development and map its future initiatives. The project will also enhance communication and networking among the federation's members, increase linkages and the sharing of resources and best practices. The project will help Filantropia develop strategic partnerships and more effectively coordinate with local government agencies and businesses to cooperate more effectively and increase the efficiency of social service activities. IOCC will help promote sustainable social inclusion and provide opportunities for underserved communities to be fully engaged in society. Training and coordination efforts offered through the project will be offered in the Romanian counties where the twelve members of the Filantropia network are located, including Alba, Bucharest, Buzau, Calarasi, Cluj, Dolj, Galati, Ialomita, Iasi, Mehedinti, Buzau, and Timis.

Chilean hero;Russia-Germany-France talks;Palestinian state?;NATO-US-Taliban;Serb victims,Gospić;Turkish nationalists;Prinkipo orphanage

I. EURONEWS - Chile salutes its new hero

Hollywood has already reportedly pencilled in Matt Damon to play his role if a film is made of the Chilean miners’ rescue, and Manuel Gonzales fits the bill for a hero. He was the first rescue worker down the rescue shaft, and the last to come out. He made the decisions underground; who would be rescued first, and evaluated the safety risks once there. “When I arrived in the mine everyone hugged me. They thanked me for being the first. But I was the happiest to see them. The first impressions were the strongest, the men wearing shorts because it was 40 degrees centigrade down there, and I was thinking ‘I’m going to be in this heat for 24 hours and they’ve had to survive it for 70 days’. They were very, very well-prepared, they’re organised guys, and they helped us a lot to run a smooth operation until the end,” he told reporters the day after the operation. The rescuers certainly had something to congratulate themselves about. Together they helped 33 men cheat almost certain death and Chile, indeed the world, salutes them.

II. RIANOVOSTI - Russia, Germany, France to talk security

The leaders of Russia, France and Germany will discuss European security, the Russia-EU visa regime, the power industry and Iran's nuclear program next week in northern France, a Russian presidential aide said Friday. Sergei Prikhodko said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev would arrive in Deauville, northwest France, on Monday and would have a working dinner with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Three-party talks are slated for Tuesday, to be followed by a joint press conference. "A three-sided meeting is not an exclusive club to work out decisions separately from other states, but rather a convenient format for discussing our common vision in a trustful frank atmosphere with our closest partners in Europe," Prikhodko said. Regarding European security, Prikhodko said Russia wants to promote Medvedev's European security treaty initiative. 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 been met coolly by Western powers.

III. JPOST - Arabs may ask UN to recognize Palestinian state

Arab nations may seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state if Israel continues to build settlements in the West Bank, Egypt's foreign minister said Friday. Ahmed Aboul Gheit said an Arab League request to the UN may come next month. "If Israel does not respect the settlements freeze," Gheit said, "the Arab League will study some other option aside from the peace process such as going to the United Nations and ask for the recognition of the Palestinian state." Gheit spoke as he arrived at a Friends of Democratic Pakistan meeting in Brussels. The group is made up of two dozen nations and international institutions committed to stabilize Pakistan with long-term economic support. US-sponsored, Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resumed last month after a hiatus of nearly two years. But they already have run aground over Israel's refusal to renew a moratorium on West Bank settlement construction. On Thursday night, Israel's government said it has approved the building of 238 homes in Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, ending a nearly yearlong, unofficial freeze on new building there.

IV. VOA - NATO Says It's Ready to Help in Taliban Talks

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance is ready to help in the Afghan government's efforts to pursue peace talks with the Taliban. At a NATO meeting in Brussels Thursday, Rasmussen said the NATO-led force in Afghanistan is willing to provide "practical assistance" for reconciliation efforts. He did not elaborate but noted the alliance will keep up military pressure on the Taliban. His comments came a day after a NATO official said the alliance has helped secure passage of Taliban commanders to Kabul, and that such trips would be very difficult without NATO's consent. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who attended the meeting, said they support Afghan reconciliation efforts. But they cautioned the process may not be successful. In Kabul, a top adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai called for NATO forces to cease military operations in areas where militants are willing to begin talks. Also in Kabul, the head of Afghanistan's new peace council -- Burhanuddin Rabbani -- said the Taliban is willing to take part in negotiations to end the country's nine-year war. Rabbani, the former Afghan president, said the insurgent group has never rejected talks completely and instead has set tough conditions for peace. Earlier this week, President Karzai acknowledged his government has held informal discussions with the Taliban but the group has denied his claim. The militants have demanded all international troops leave Afghanistan before peace negotiations can begin. U.S. officials have called for Taliban fighters to lay down their arms, cut ties to al-Qaida and support the Afghan constitution.

V. B92 - Croatia: Serb victims remembered

The Veritas Documentation Center is marking the 19th anniversary of executions of Serbian civilians in the Croatian town of Gospić in the fall of 1991. According to Veritas, at least 123 ethnic Serbs, including 35 women, were killed. Almost half of them were executed on October 17 and 18, 1991. Veritas points out that the entire political, military and police leadership of Croatia as well as representatives of the international community knew about the killings. They “pressured” then Croatian President Franjo Tuđman into ordering an investigation into the execution of Gospić Serbs, the center's representatives say. Even though the collected evidence pointed to those who had ordered and committed the murders, the bodies of the victims were moved from the original into secondary graves, which still have not been revealed and which hide about 100 corpses, the Veritas announcement reads. The Municipal State Prosecution in Rijeka in March 2001 raised an indictment against certain members of the Croatian military and police for war crimes against civilian population, unwarranted arrests and execution of at least 50 people. The Municipal Court in Rijeka sentenced Tihomir Orešković to 15, Mirko Norac to 12 and Stjepan Grandić to 10 years in prison in March 2003. The Veritas Documentation Center asked why others, that the court determined “beyond reasonable doubt” that they were planning, arresting and participating in liquidation of Gospić Serbs under command and individual responsibility, did not stand trial. “There are several dozens of them, some of them today hold high positions in Croatian military, police and government,” the announcement points out. The families of the victims are especially disturbed by the fact that former Croatian President Stjepan Mesić pardoned Grandić by reducing his sentence by two years, that Orešković is often allowed to spend time outside prison, while Norac has been allowed to lead an “almost normal life”.

VI. AP - Turkish nationalists accused of killing bishop

Turkey's top Roman Catholic bishop has publicly accused Turkish ultra-nationalists and religious fanatics of being behind the slaying of the country's senior bishop in June. Monsignor Luigi Padovese, the Vatican's apostolic vicar in Anatolia, was stabbed to death by his driver outside his home in Iskenderun on June 3, a day before he was to leave for Cyprus to meet Pope Benedict XVI. The slaying shocked the Turkish church and cast a cloud over Benedict's visit. It was the latest in a string of attacks in recent years on Christians in predominantly Muslim Turkey, where Christians make up less than 1 percent of the 70 million population. Turkish officials have insisted the slaying was personal and not religious or politically motivated, and the driver's lawyer has said the suspect had mental problems. But the head of Turkey's bishops' conference, Monsignor Ruggero Francheschini, told a Vatican meeting Thursday that Padovese was the victim of "premeditated murder" by the same forces that Padovese had denounced for killing a priest in 2006 and three Christians in 2007. In speech to bishops gathered for a meeting about the plight of Christians in the Middle East, Francheschini said Padovese's killing was part of a "dark plot of complicity between ultra-nationalists and religious fanatics, experts in schemes of tension." The driver, Murat Altun, was arrested soon after the slaying. His lawyer, Cihan Onal, said Friday that prosecutors in Iskenderun are still investigating the case and it's not clear when they will issue an indictment. While some church officials and diplomats have quietly said the murder seemed suspect, Franceschini's comments were unusual in their bluntness. He said he wanted to set the record straight to erase the "intolerable slander circulated by the same organizers of the crime."

VII. ANA - Turkish foundation to return Prinkipo orphanage to Ecumenical Patriarchate

Press reports here on Wednesday claimed that Turkey's General Directorate of Foundations (Vakiflar Genel Mudurlugu) has decided to re-register the historic Greek Orthodox orphanage on Büyükada (Prinkipo) -- billed as the world's second-largest wooden structure -- with the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to a newspaper report, the Turkish state organisation just barely met a three-month European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) deadline -- Wednesday was the last day -- to re-register the property, following a relevant ECHR ruling last June. If confirmed, the development would mark the first time that such a property has been returned to a recognised religious minority by the Turkish foundation. According to the same report by the "Haberturk" newspaper, registration of the property at the Turkish cadastre office in the name of the Patriarchate is expected to take place next week. Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew has previously stated that the orphanage will be turned into an inter-faith centre for dialogue and peace. The orphanage was originally built as a hotel by renowned French architect Alexandre Vallaury in the 1890s; it was subsequently bought in 1903 and donated to the Patriarchate by Hélène Zafiropoulo-Zarifi, the wife of Ioannis Zarifi, a banker to then Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid ll, with the stipulation that it be used as an orphanage for ethnic Greek children. The orphanage was closed in 1964 at the height of tensions over Cyprus.

Tourism in Chile;Israeli-Greco ties bloom;Israel drones,Russia;Georgia-Russia;Ahmadinejad;Cyprus crossing;Turkish Christians

I. USATODAY - Miners' rescue puts tourism spotlight on Chile

As millions of viewers across the globe watched the last of 33 trapped Chilean miners emerge from their subterranean prison into the glare of cameras on a cold desert night, Chile is hoping for a boost from its own ecstatic turn in the media spotlight. "It would be difficult to put a price on how much the good news exposure will be a boost to Chilean business abroad, tourism at home or even the numbers who will choose a Chilean red over an Australian or French vintage on their way home tonight (judging by the numbers on Facebook who said they planned to hoist a celebratory glass of Chile's finest, the nation's wine industry should enjoy a post-rescue windfall)," notes CNN. The donated Oakley sunglasses worn by each of the miners as they greeted the world could serve as canaries in the coal mine: According to one estimate, Oakley's largess netted the equivalent of $41 million in television advertising time alone. Foreign travel to Chile, which celebrated its 200th anniversary of independence from Spain last month, has been rebuilding since an 8.8 earthquake rocked the central part of the South American country in February. The desolate mine location near Copiapo isn't a tourist draw yet, though there's talk of building an underground museum and preserving Camp Hope, the ad hoc tent city (complete with school and hair salon) that housed family members, rescue workers and media during the 69-day ordeal. But more than 400 miles to the north, the Atacama Desert outpost of San Pedro de Atacama - where I'll be on vacation next month - is booming with trendy boutique hotels and tour companies offering excursions into the world's driest landscape. "At this point, I don't think we have a way to measure a spike in interest in the Atacama, (but) certainly this has put a positive spin on Chile, and our ability to handle a crisis of this magnitude," notes Kristina Schreck, author of Frommer's Chile. "Yesterday the country felt a sense of indescribable euphoria, celebrating in the streets, honking horns. It made me very proud of my adopted country." Meanwhile, it's a safe bet the miners themselves won't be turning to the Atacama for R&R. Rescued miner and Elvis fan Edison Pena scored an all-expenses-paid trip to Graceland, while a Greek mining company has offered the men and their guests a week-long jaunt to Greece and the soccer team Real Madrid has invited them to watch a match at its stadium in Spain.

II. JPOST - Israeli-Greco ties in bloom as Greek FM's arrival nears

The newly kindled Israeli- Greek romance continues to blossom, as Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas is expected in Jerusalem on Monday, a week after a high level official from the Greek Prime Minister’s Office came to Israel to “map out fields of cooperation” between the two countries. Droustas will arrive as part of a three-day regional tour that will also take him to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. A Greek diplomatic official said the visit is further indication of the significant strengthening of ties between the two countries. His visit will come just four days after Greece and Israel are scheduled to conclude a four-day joint military exercise. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu paid the first visit by an Israeli prime minister to Greece in August, a month after his Greek counterpart George Papandreou came to Israel. The recent sharp deterioration in ties with Turkey has led to a significant warming of Israel’s ties with other traditional Turkish rivals in the region, such as Cyprus, Bulgaria and – most markedly – Greece, which for many years was viewed in Jerusalem as one of the least friendly countries toward Israel in Europe. Earlier this week, the minister of state in the Greek Prime Minister’s Office, Haris Pamboukis, visited Jerusalem and held a number of meetings to discuss ways to advance the diplomatic, security and economic relations with Israel. Among the issues reportedly discussed with Pamboukis was the possibility of building an underwater pipeline form Israel to Greece, through which Israel could export natural gas to Europe. Turkey was in the past considered as the logical partner for this pipeline, since it is closer, but the recent strain in relations has forced a re-evaluation of these types of deals with Ankara.

III. UPI - Israel will sell Russia spy drones

Israel's decision to sell $400 million worth of unmanned spy drones to Russia will help contain Iran's nuclear program, an official says. Israel Aerospace Industries will sell the drones to Russian arms maker OPK Oboronprom in the next three years, and the unmanned aerial vehicles will be assembled in Russia, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. "This is a huge step toward deepening cooperation between IAI and Russian industry. This agreement will also strengthen the bilateral relationship between Israel and Russia," the two companies said in the statement. Russia agreed to purchase drones costing $50 million in 2009, the report said.

IV. RIANOVOSTI - Georgia's move to cancel visas for North Caucasus residents "provocation"

Russia has described as a provocation a decision by the Georgian authorities to scrap visas for residents of Russia's North Caucasus republics. "The attempt itself to divide Russia's population into different categories contradicts civilized interstate communication norms," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Thursday. Tbilisi's move is yet another attempt to "destabilize the situation in the North Caucasus" and "draw attention away from the Georgian authorities' destructive policies towards [the former Georgian republics of] South Ossetia and Abkhazia," the ministry said. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze said on Monday that Georgia was planning to introduce a visa-free regime with Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Adygeya. On Tuesday, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that the visa-free regime would come into effect on October 13. Russians outside the North Caucasus will still need a visa to enter Georgia. Later in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Georgia's decision, which had not been discussed with Russia, was "yet another propagandist move." Tbilisi broke off diplomatic ties with Moscow after a five-day war in August 2008 over Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia. Russia recognized South Ossetia and another breakaway republic, Abkhazia, shortly after ceasefire.

V. FOXNEWS - Ahmadinejad in Lebanon

Iranian, Hezbollah, and Lebanese flags line the streets of Lebanon. They are everywhere, from Beirut down to the southern border with Israel--and so is Iran's growing influence in Lebanon. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the second day of his visit to Lebanon, addressed a crowd of supporters in the town of Bint Jbeil, in the country's south. During the 2006 war with Israel it was the site of heavy clashes between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah fighters. According to some estimates, Iran has paid as much as $1 billion to help with reconstruction efforts. "We consider him a hero," said Mahmoud Arabi, 72, from Bint Jbeil. "He stood with us in all difficult times and he has a big heart." In a videolink appearance on Wednesday night, Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah praised Ahmadinejad's effort to rebuild Lebanon, adding that Iran has never told Hezbollah what to do. But many in Lebanon and the west disagree. The White House on Wednesday expressed concern over Ahmadinejad's visit. "I think that it also suggests that Hezbollah values its allegiance to Iran over its allegiance to Lebanon," said Robert Gibbs, White House Spokesman.

VI. AP - Divided Cyprus' rival leaders open new crossing

Rival Cypriot leaders opened a new crossing point linking the ethnically split island's Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities Thursday, offering a boost to plodding reunification talks. The opening of the Limnitis-Yesilirmak crossing in the island's remote northwest satisfies a decades-long demand by Greek and Turkish Cypriot area residents to shorten travel times across the divide there and help the region's development. The crossing is the seventh through a 180-kilometer (112-mile) United Nations-controlled no man's land separating the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north from the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south that have opened since 2003. Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded. Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou hailed the opening Thursday as the culmination of "many months of difficult efforts" as part of a government policy to open as many crossings as possible — without acting as a substitute for a peace deal. The push for a Limnitis-Yesilirmak crossing began in early 2008 when Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and then Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat embarked on a renewed peace drive — the latest in a series of failed talks stretching back 36 years. Months of negotiations ensued until work by a Greek and Turkish Cypriot joint venture to repave a six-kilometer (3.7-mile) stretch of road began in March. The United States and the European Union funded the project. Christofias and Talat's successor, Dervis Eroglu, conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday attended by EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule. The crossing reduces travel time for Greek Cypriots in the area heading to the capital, Nicosia by about 1.5 hours. Peace talks between Christofias and Eroglu have been slow because of the complexity of the issues they have to tackle, particularly arrangements on private property lost during the war. Most of the property in the north belongs to Greek Cypriots and Christofias wants them to have the first say on what will happen to it. Eroglu wants the current occupants to decide.

VII. VISION - Turkey's dwindling Christians fear end is approaching

Andreas Zografos left Turkey in 1974 amid economic and political turmoil to find work in Europe, but he always knew he would return home. "The ties of this land are strong. I was drawn back by the blue of the sea, the colour of the sky," he says. A Greek Orthodox Christian, Zografos, 63, and his wife today tend to the 19th-century St Nicholas Church, where his grandfather painted vibrant icons, on Heybeliada, or Halki in Greek, an island off the Istanbul coast. Heybeliada was home to a few thousand ethnic Greeks when he left, Zografos says. About 25 remain, part of a dwindling community of 2,500 Greeks in Istanbul, capital of the Greek Orthodox Byzantine Empire until the Ottoman conquest of 1453. Istanbul, a city of 13 million Muslims, is still the seat of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox. But vast numbers of Christians have left their ancient homeland and now make up just 0.13 percent of Turkey's population of 73 million people. Some 60,000 Armenians and 15,000 Syriac Orthodox also live in Turkey, and there are much smaller communities of Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Chaldeans and others. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to expand rights for religious minorities to meet the standards of the European Union, which Turkey aspires to join. But many Christians say they still face deep-rooted discrimination. Non-Muslims are tacitly banned from jobs in the state bureaucracy and security forces. Zografos finished primary school and began working at a hairdresser's at age 13. After finishing military duty at age 22, he could not earn enough income to provide for his family. The EU has said that applications to open places of worship by non-Muslim citizens are generally refused in Turkey and that some groups say security forces monitor their worship. Attacks against Christians are infrequent but sensational. In 2006, a Roman Catholic priest was murdered. Earlier this year, a Catholic bishop was stabbed to death at his home in southern Turkey. The bishop's driver was arrested, and the Vatican said the murder was not politically motivated. Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink was slain in 2007. Three members of a Bible-publishing firm were tortured and killed the same year. No one has been convicted in either case. Most of Turkey's Christians fled in the upheaval of World War One and the ensuing War of Independence. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians were massacred and 1.5 million Greeks deported in a population exchange. A treaty with Western powers in 1923 allowed Istanbul's non-Muslim communities to retain special education and property rights. But decades of economic discrimination and sporadic violence reduced Christians to less than 200,000 by 1955, according to state statistics. Since then, the decline has been precipitous. Today 60 percent of Turkey's Greeks are over the age of 55, according to the patriarchate. Zografos's departure coincided with a peak in tensions between Greeks and Turks in 1974, when Turkey invaded Cyprus. Most Syriacs, who speak a form of Aramaic, the language of Jesus, abandoned their homeland in southeastern Turkey more recently, fleeing violence between separatist Kurds and the Turkish army in the 1990s. Turkey has confiscated billions of dollars worth of property belonging to Armenian and Greek foundations when they can no longer fill schools or churches. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled these seizures are illegal. Since 1971 the government has also kept closed the Holy Theological School of Halki, perched on Heybeliada's highest ridge, called the Hill of Hope. Without a seminary, Bartholomew struggles to dispatch enough clergy to celebrate mass at the churches that do still operate.

Chilean order of rescue;Al-qaeda "jihad" on DC;Greece-Israel drills,Culture in Belgrade;Cyprus "no" partition;India-Russia drills,Orthodox youtube

I. AP - Rescue order of men pulled from Chilean mine

Rescue order of the men pulled from the San Jose mine in Chile, with some details on each: 1. 12:04 a.m. — Florencio Avalos, 31, the second-in-command of the miners, chosen to be first because he was in the best condition. 2. 1:10 a.m. — Mario Sepulveda Espina, 40, who captivated Chileans with his engaging personality in videos sent up from underground. 3. 2:08 a.m. — Juan Illanes, 52, a married former soldier who urged his fellow miners to be disciplined and organized while trapped. 4. 3:09 a.m. — Carlos Mamani, 24, the lone Bolivian, started at the mine five days before the collapse. One of 11 children who emigrated because he could find work, he has been promised a house and a job from Bolivian President Evo Morales. 5. 4:10 a.m. — Jimmy Sanchez, at 19, the youngest miner and father of a months-old baby. 6. 5:34 a.m. — Osman Isidro Araya, 30, the father of three, had planned to quit the mine at the end of August because of the risk. 7. 6:21 a.m. — Jose Ojeda, 47, a widower with no children who has diabetes. Two of his nephews were on hand at the site to greet him. 8. 7:02 a.m. — Claudio Yanez, 34, a drill operator who requested cigarettes be sent down while awaiting rescue and expressed disgust at the nicotine patches he received instead. 9. 7:59 a.m. — Mario Gomez, at 63 is the oldest of the miners. He also is the most experienced, having first entered a mine shaft to work at the age of 12. 10. 8:52 a.m. — Alex Vega, 31, who is married with two children, had been saving to buy a house and move out of his parents' home. His father helped in rescue efforts — using a false name because officials prohibited relatives from doing the dangerous work. 11. 9:31 a.m. — Jorge Galleguillos, 55, was injured in at least two earlier mining accidents. He has 13 brothers and requires medication for hypertension. Officials have promised to help his son, who is a university student. 12. 10:11 a.m. — Edison Pena, who is 34 and married, was reportedly among the most depressed of the trapped men and asked rescuers to send down a photo of the sun. He tried to run everyday underground for exercise.

II. WASHINGTONPOST - Al-Qaeda affiliate calls for D.C. attacks

Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen urges followers to strike U.S. targets, including restaurants in Washington, in a new edition of an English-language publication that the group posts online. In a section that suggests ideas for attacks inside the United States, the publication says that using firearms to carry out "a random hit at a crowded restaurant in Washington D.C. at lunch hour for example might end up knocking out a few government employees" and attracting widespread news media attention. U.S. counterterrorism officials said they were taking the threat seriously. In the second edition of its publication, which it calls "Inspire," the al-Qaeda affiliate cautions American Muslims against traveling abroad to join jihadist groups and mentions the arrest of five Virginia residents in Pakistan last year. "Therefore we strongly encourage our brothers to fight jihad on U.S. soil," said an article titled "Tips for our brothers in the United States". Another article, under the headline "The Ultimate Mowing Machine," proposes attaching a steel blade to the front of a four-wheel-drive truck and using the vehicle to strike pedestrians in a crowd.

III. JPOST - Greece and Israel carry out joint air force drills

Greece and Israel are carrying out their first joint military exercise since Greece suspended a drill in May after Israeli forces killed nine people on an aid convoy to Gaza. The Greek air force says eight Israeli helicopters are taking part in the combat search-and-rescue exercise in southern Greece. Greece is participating with three helicopters and six fighter jets. The four-day exercise ends Thursday. Athens strongly condemned the Israeli raid on the aid convoy, which included two Greek ships and was trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. But relations quickly improved, with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou visiting Israel in July, and a reciprocal visit to Greece in August by Benjamin Netanyahu.

IV. B92 - Days of Israeli Culture in Belgrade

A three-day festival of Israeli culture opened in the Belgrade municipality of Voždovac on Tuesday night. The opening saw performances from Belgrade's Braća Baruh Choir and Israeli folk dance company Nahar HaEsh. The event was opened by Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Arthur Koll and Voždovac Municipal President Dragan Vukanić, who said that the Serb and the Israeli people have a history of friendly relations, the municipal press office said in a statement. Vukanić pointed out that the festival should help renew the brotherhood and close ties between the two peoples. Thanking the hosts for the warm welcome, Ambassador Koll said that Serbs and Jews in Serbia have lived in peace for centuries and that the Jewish community did not always get the same treatment in other European countries. "During World War II, between 80 and 90 percent of the Jews in Belgrade and Serbia did not live to see the end of the war, but it was thanks to Serbs that some of them did. Serbs hid them in villages and mountains, and many Jews joined the Partisan movement," the Israeli ambassador said.

V. FINANCIALMIRROR - Partition of Cyprus not an option for Europe

The European Parliament and the EU strongly support the efforts towards reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem which will re-unify the island to the benefit of all its people, the President of European Parliament Jerzy Buzek said today addressing the House of Representatives of Cyprus. “For Europe”, he said, “no-solution or a partition is not an option”. Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion and the occupation of the northern part of the island. UN-led negotiations begun in 2008 between the President of the Republic and Turkish Cypriot leader in an effort to reach a comprehensive solution to the problem. The settlement of the Cyprus issue, said Buzek, will bring greater stability and prosperity to the whole Eastern Mediterranean, adding that it will also have far-reaching implications for the whole of the European Union and the Middle East. Referring to Cyprus’ historic geopolitical role he said that throughout history, Cyprus has served as an important bridge between East and West, North and South, a crossroad which is a crucial link, connecting three continents. We have not forgotten, he said, the central role your island played during the 2006 conflict in Lebanon. A durable settlement would go a long way to strengthen EU-NATO relations, he noted, adding that with NATO about to unveil its new Strategic Concept, the timing would be ideal. He expressed the hope that Turkey will actively support reunification negotiations and contribute in concrete terms to a lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue, which as he said, would be in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, international law and the principles on which the EU is founded. “A solution to the Cyprus problem is within your reach”, he said, noting that “if any settlement between the two communities is to pass the test of time then it must be functional and it must be viable”. Buzek also expressed the view of how important it is for a unified Cyprus to bring together not only land, public institutions and the economy, but also its people, adding that a bi-zonal and bi-communal Federal agreement will only work if Turkish Cypriots are fully integrated within the state’s institutions. Referring the ghost of town of Famagusta, which has been out of bounds within the occupied areas since 1974, he said that in its day, it was one of the wealthiest spots in the eastern Mediterranean and its Varosha quarter counted among the top tourist destinations in Cyprus, if not Europe. “Since 1974”, he said, “Varosha remains abandoned, frozen in time, a ghost town full of empty hotels”, adding that “Famagusta is a symbol of both today's failure and possible future success”, because “it illustrates the immense potential that a unified Cyprus could unlock”. “I am convinced that a lasting solution to the division of this island can, and must be found”, he said and added that the time for blaming is at an end, it is time for Cyprus not to defeat itself. The European Parliament, he added, has strongly supported the efforts of the two sides and the Committee of Missing Persons to find and identify the missing persons from both communities. It was on the initiative of the European Parliament that substantial funds from the Community budget were allocated for this purpose, he pointed out. European Parliament President made special reference to Cyprus role and importance as an EU member since 2004. “In 2012, your country will take over the Presidency of the European Union, you will be in the same troika with Poland and Denmark. I believe this is a historic opportunity to put forward an ambitious agenda for the Union,” he pointed out. He expressed the belief that Cyprus Presidency will be remembered for years – it will have to tackle issues such as re-launching the single market, on implementing the legislation we need to achieve our 2020 strategy. We have to start working to fulfill our commitments in the fight against climate change, but more importantly in 2012 we will be ending discussions regarding the Multiannual Financial Framework. “During your Presidency, Cyprus will play a key role in helping shape the future of Europe for the next decade,” he noted. He expressed the belief that very good cooperation on all levels is developing and Cyprus is becoming genuine partner in the EU legislative process, making European legislation better for the citizens. Finally, Buzek congratulated Cyprus on the Nobel Prize in economics, which was earned by Christopher Pissarides of Cyprus. He also congratulated Cyprus and its people on the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence, which was celebrated this month and expressed hope that in Cyprus the impossible may become possible.

VI. RIANOVOSTI - Russia, India to hold joint antiterrorism drills

Russia and India will conduct joint antiterrorism exercises on Indian territory on October 15-24, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. Russia is sending more than 200 troops from its 34th mountain brigade, based in the North Caucasus, to join the Indian troops in the INDRA 2010 drills. "During the upcoming exercise, the Russian and Indian military personnel will form a joint task force, and plan and carry out a series of mock antiterrorism missions in the mountains," the ministry said in a statement. The Russian troops will be equipped with lightweight Permyachka Infantry Suits, which protect at least 80 percent of the body surface from small-caliber bullets and low-speed shrapnel. The Russian and Indian military have been conducting joint INDRA exercises, including biannual antiterrorism drills, since 2003.

VII. REUTERS - Russian Orthodox Church launches YouTube channel

Russia's Orthodox Church unveiled its own channel on YouTube on Monday to attract young followers to a faith which has grown increasingly powerful since the fall of communism. The Orthodox Church has been endorsed by Russia's leaders as the country's main faith, leading to criticism by rights groups that this undermines Russia's secular constitution, while the country's large Muslim minority say it excludes them. "We are doing this so the word of God, God's wisdom and the divine law comes closer to the life of modern, especially young, people," Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said in a video address on youtube.com/user/russianchurch. The channel will regularly post short clips of Kirill's appearances on the video-sharing website which will be subtitled in English, German and Japanese, Interfax news agency reported. "Let God's blessing be with all those... who visit the Russian Orthodox Church on YouTube," added Kirill, dressed in a flowing black cloak and a white and gold crowned hat. The Russian patriarch also presides over the biggest branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church has undergone a revival since the fall of the Soviet Union almost 20 years ago ended decades of communist repression. Interfax said 165,000 users have visited the site over the last three months while it was being created. The trend toward consolidation of the church as a national force has worried Russia's 20 million Muslims -- one seventh of the population -- as well as those who believe church and state should be strictly separated.

Estonia "no" on GITMO;Clinton in Belgrade;"Once Brothers",ESPN;Israel to Europe:"Mind Business";Occupied Cyprus;FYROMacedonia;Met Hilarion interview

I. RT - Estonia says no to “guests” from Guantanamo

Estonia has refused to take in prisoners from Guantanamo detention center, citing legal reasons. The Baltic country says it supports the European Union’s policy regarding accepting inmates. However, the country’s Foreign Minister, Urmas Paet, told parliament on Monday that current legislation makes it impossible for Tallinn to receive any detainees, according to Interfax news agency. The US asked EU countries to find a place for Guantanamo inmates in cases where there is not enough evidence for indictment, but where they still cannot return to their own countries. Speaking in parliament, Paet confirmed that Estonia supported closing the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. But officials in Tallinn have decided that hosting “individuals with such backgrounds” would breach the country’s laws. In Estonia, residence permits cannot be granted for people who have taken part in criminal or terrorist groups, or those who have been trained to form armed gangs. The same applies to servicemen of other country’s armed forces. Paet made it clear that the US understood the country’s position and that Washington had not tried to “exert pressure” and make Tallinn amend its legislation. There had been earlier reports that Estonia and its Baltic neighbor Latvia were considering the possibility of taking in Guantanamo prisoners. On Tuesday, the first civilian trial of a Guantanamo detainee begins in New York. Terror suspect Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is accused of plotting to blow up the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998.

II. B92 - U.S. secretary of state to visit Belgrade

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will start her visit to Serbia on Tuesday afternoon. Clinton will arrive here from Bosnia, for meetings with top state officials, that are expected to focus on Serbia's EU integration and the planned dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. Clinton will first meet with President Boris Tadić, it has been announced, and is expected to relay strong support for Serbia's Euro-Atlantic integration. She will also meet with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković. According to the prime minister's cabinet, the meeting will be attended by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Božidar Đelić, Interior Minister Ivica Dačić and Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić. Clinton will also meet her Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremić and Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac during the day. The visit also comes as the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština is expected to start in order to find solution to issues which, according to Clinton, are not easy to solve. Ahead of her Balkan tour the U.S. secretary of state said that her country and the EU were ready to help and facilitate but that it was up to the leaders and peoples to reach agreement and find a solution to their future.

III. ESPN - "Once Brothers" with Vlade Divac debuts Tuesday

Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were friends who grew up sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. "Once Brothers", debuting Tuesday, will tell the gripping tale of these two men, how circumstances beyond their control tore apart their friendship, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.

IV. ISRAELTODAY - Israeli FM to Europe: Mind your own business

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman hosted his Spanish and French counterparts on Sunday, and expressed to his guests deep disappointment with Europe’s double standards toward Israel. Lieberman is known to not hold his tongue when he has a problem with the international community, but polls in Israel consistently show that he genuinely speaks for a majority of Israelis. And he did not hold back in the least when he told French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos that Europe needs to mind its own business, and stop pressuring Israel to meet dangerous conditions for a phony peace. “I don’t expect you to solve the problems of the world, but I certainly expect that before you come here to teach us how to solve conflicts, you will deal with the problems in Europe and solve those conflicts,” said Lieberman. The Israeli explained that while Europe thinks it knows best what Israel must do for peace and security, in its own backyard the Cyprus, Serbia-Kosovo and Caucasus conflicts continue to rage. Succeed in ending those conflict, said Lieberman, and “we will listen to your advice.” Lieberman suggested that European involvement in the Israeli-Arab conflict is less about brokering peace, and more about securing perceived European interests. “In 1938, the European community decided to appease Hitler instead of supporting Czechoslovakia and sacrificed them [sic] without gaining anything,” Lieberman said. “We will not be the Czechoslovakia of 2010. We will ensure the security of Israel.” And it’s not only Europe that is guilty of this, Lieberman noted. He said it appears as if the entire international community is trying to make up for its peace failures everywhere else by forcing an imprudent deal down Israel’s throat. “What about the struggle in Somalia, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Sudan?” he asked. “Instead of talking now with the Arab League about the future of a referendum in Sudan, or discussing the explosive situation in Iraq in 2012, the international community is applying great pressure on Israel.” The worst part, said Lieberman, is that the international community knows exactly where these ill-fated peace efforts are heading - toward increased violence and eventually another Arab Muslim invasion of Israel. Historically, international efforts to broker peace in the Middle East by pressuring Israel to surrender land have only resulted in the rise of Muslim extremists like Hamas and an increase in violence.

V. PRESSASSOCIATION - Northern Cyprus flights ban upheld

A Turkish airline has lost its bid in the Court of Appeal to overturn the ban on flights from the UK to Turkish-held northern Cyprus. Kibris Turk Hava Yollari (KTHY) and its UK tour operator, CTA Holidays Limited, argued that the ban unfairly restricted Turkish Cypriots and their companies wishing to travel and conduct business with the EU and the rest of the world. Currently, flights to northern Cyprus must land in Turkey first, which is the only country in the world that recognises the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC).

VI. KATHIMERINI - FYROMacedonia move ticks off Athens

Diplomats in Athens were vexed yesterday by the latest proposal by Antonio Milososki, foreign minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), according to which FYROM should be allowed to begin negotiations with officials in Brussels for accession to the European Union while bilateral talks aimed at solving a dispute over the Balkan country’s name continue in parallel. Milososki said that FYROM’s eventual accession to the EU would subsequently occur under the name agreed upon in ongoing talks with Greece. Government sources in Athens reacted by calling on Skopje to stop its “political maneuvers” and focus on United Nations-mediated talks aimed at breaking the name deadlock, noting that a settlement must be reached before accession talks can begin. Milososki’s comments came a few weeks before an anticipated progress report by the European Commission on FYROM’s prospects of accession to the bloc.

VII. INTERFAX - Metropolitan Hilarion’s interview to The Voice of Russia Radio

His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia was enthroned in early October. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, attended the ceremony on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church. Having returned home, he gave an interview to "The Voice of Russia". You have just returned from Kosovo. What are your impressions of the visit? My stay in Kosovo was very short this time, as I only took part in the enthronement of Patriarch Irinej of Serbia. However, I visited Kosovo a year ago and had an opportunity to get well acquainted with the life of this land. I have both positive and negative impressions. On the one hand, I saw remarkable monuments of the old Serbian culture and wonderful frescoes of the Decani and Gračanica monasteries. I saw people living there, performing their feat. On the other hand, I saw awful conditions in which they live, as the churches have been destroyed and local residents’ attitude to the Serbs and Orthodoxy is utterly negative. As a matter of fact, I saw the land that used to be a cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy, but has been lost for the Church. What is the attitude to the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian people in Serbia and in Kosovo? The attitude is very good. Everybody knows that Russia has supported Serbia Russian Orthodoxy supported Serbian Orthodoxy throughout centuries up to now. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia visited Serbia several times, and Patriarch Kirill, when he was metropolitan also often visited Serbia and Kosovo. Today many people are worried about Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo, a part of which had been lost forever during recent military conflicts. Is the Russian Orthodox Church prepared to help restore these word famous monuments and in what way? First of all, we highly appreciate a decision of the Russian state to give UNESCO money to restore the churches in Kosovo. Besides, the Russian Orthodox Church will do what she can for the Orthodox living in Kosovo, monks and nuns in particular. We talked with representatives of the Serbian Church; they wish to welcome our monks and nuns, let it be at least on the rotation method, for a year, or two, or three years, thus supporting their monasteries and convents. For instance, the Patriarchate of Peć, where the enthronement of the Patriarch took place, is a convent at present. Its hegumeness is ninety years old, and there are only a few sisters there. Certainly, our monasteries and convents could help to keep monasteries and convents in Kosovo in a proper state. I believe that the Russian Orthodox Church, having over eight hundred monasteries and convents could render fraternal support to the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo. Is there any special programme in the Russian Church on the pilgrimage of laymen to the holy sites in Kosovo? Thus not only monks, but also all believers could come there and do what they can to help. The believers visit holy sites in Kosovo. I was happy to see several hundred pilgrims from Serbia and other countries at the enthronement of the Serbian Patriarch. It should be noted that many Russian Christians visit these holy sites, though it is rather difficult and even dangerous to do under the present circumstances. Some time should pass before the inhabitants of Kosovo begin to look at the recent events calmly. Even now, pilgrims traveling by bus are being attacked; stones are being thrown at them. This tension remains; it is heading in the air. What part does world Orthodoxy play, how can it help preserve the holy sites in Kosovo and also stabilize peace in the Balkans? I believe that all Orthodox Church should close their ranks and, together with the Serbian Church, elaborate a programme of aid to the monasteries and holy places in Kosovo. I can say that we in the Russian Orthodox Church are considering this issue. Since visiting Kosovo for the first time, I have been thinking about the necessity of a full-scale relief programme. A tendency for improving relations between the Orthodox and the Catholics has been taking shape recently. Could it influence the well being in the Balkans, where the followers of these Christian confessions have been living side by side for centuries? I think that the improvement of relations between the Orthodox and the Catholics would tell positively on the life in all countries where they live side by side. We discuss certain theological and theoretical problems and in our dialogue with the Catholics, but we should not forget about the real life of people and about our calling to help them. In this regard, any improvement of inter-confessional relations would bring good to our believers. You travel much representing the Russian Orthodox Church. What do you think about the attitude of people abroad to Orthodoxy and is the voice of the Russian Orthodox Church really heard? As to the influence in the Western world, I think that the Russian Orthodox Church should not be compared with the Catholic Church. However, we do not have problems as it has at present, and therefore we are not sharply criticized in the Western mass media. Any time the Russian Orthodox Church vigorously states her position, her voice is heard throughout the world. It is difficult to tell how far they understand us, yet I think that we do not work for nothing, that the dialogue with our brothers, including non-Orthodox, is carried not in vain.

NATO on Terror;Greece-Israel coop;China on Kosovo;Medvedev in Cyprus;S-300 refund;Hilarion,Christian Healing;Orthodox-Catholic dialogue

I. CBS - NATO: Terror Threat In Europe Justifies Afghan War

A top NATO commander says an al-Qaida-linked plot that triggered the terror alert for Europe underlines the need for the alliance's mission in Afghanistan. U.S. Adm. James Stavridis, NATO's top commander in Europe, said Friday that terrorists are still trying to target Europe and this justifies a war that has grown unpopular in many places. The U.S. advised American citizens in Europe last weekend to take more precautions about their personal security. France and Britain have since issued similar warnings to their citizens. The U.S. believes a cell of Germans and Britons are at the heart of a terror plot against European cities, a plan they link to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

II. AFP - Greece, Israel to resume military exercise

Greece and Israel will resume a joint military exercise next week which was postponed after the deadly Israeli assault on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May, the Greek defence ministry said on Thursday. The two countries will stage four days of joint aerial training manoeuvres on October 11-14 around the island of Crete and the western Peloponnese peninsula, which were part of May's "Minoas 2010" exercise, the ministry said. Eight Greek combat helicopters will take part in the drills, including three Black Hawk UH-60 helicopters and three Apaches, the ministry said. The exercise was interrupted after an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on May. Traditionally pro-Arab, Greece has improved relations with Israel and in August Benjamin Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister to visit Greece. Greece and Israel began limited military co-operation in 1994, and the first joint manoeuvres involving combat aircraft took place in 2008.

III. B92 - China will not change stand on Kosovo, respects Serbia sovereignty

The Chinese government has not changed its stand regarding Kosovo and continues to respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is according to Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade Wei Jinghua has stated. In an interview for the Thursday edition of the Belgrade-based daily Večernje Novosti, the Chinese ambassador said that his country is consistent in its support to a dialogue between Belgrade and Priština which would render a mutually acceptable solution to the Kosovo issue. Wei pointed out that China will back all actions aimed at re-initiation of the dialogue and talks, and added that Beijing believes that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 provides a basis for solving the Kosovo issue. He assessed that it would be best to use the opportunity which has presented itself with the adoption of the Serbia-EU resolution on the ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo in the UN General Assembly and restart talks between the Serbian and the Albanian side concerning all relevant matters.

IV. FINANCIALMIRROR - Medvedev in Cyprus: Double taxation agreement to boost Russia investments

Minister of Finance Charilaos Stavrakis said today that investment from Cyprus to Russia will mark an increase, after the signing of an agreement to avoid double taxation between the two countries. The Minister described the agreement as “very important” and “very beneficial for the two countries”. Speaking at the Cyprus-Russia Business Forum held today in Nicosia, Stavrakis mentioned that Cyprus comprises one of the biggest foreign investors in Russia. He also referred to the financial benefits of Cyprus as a financial hub and spoke about the potential of Cypriot economy. According to the Minister, growth rates at the end of 2010 will stand at 0,5 - 1%, while inflation will remain low, at 2,5-3%. Moreover, unemployment rates will not exceed 6,5%. Stavrakis added that, according to his expectations, the economy will grow by 1,5% within 2011, while the International Monetary Fund predicts a 1,8% growth. President of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency Phidias Pilides, addressing the Forum said that the agreement between Cyprus and Russia to avoid double taxation will give a new impetus in the financial cooperation between the two countries and is expected to increase flow of investment. Pilides added that Cyprus’ taxation policy is considered as the most advantageous among EU countries, for those businesses establishing their parent companies, or investing, financial, shipping or copyright companies in the island. Cyprus has been put in the white list of OECD and the G20 on April 2009, CIPA President added, saying that this fact confirms Cyprus’ reputation as a respectable international business center.

V. POLITICO - Russia to refund Iran for cancelled S-300 sale

In a move the Obama administration highlighted as a sign that Russia is once and for all canceling the sale of sophisticated anti-air missiles to Iran, Russia announced Thursday that it will refund Iran the down-payment it paid for the S-300 air defense system. "We should return them all the funds," Russian Technologies chief Sergei Chemezov was cited by AFP Thursday from Cyprus, where he was traveling with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. "Of course, they are not very pleased. We do not have a choice." "Medvedev signed a decree last month banning supplies of S-300 missiles and other arms to Iran in a long-awaited move after weeks of deliberations by Russian officials," the AFP reported. "Under the decree, supplies of any tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, ships and missile systems are forbidden." Russia signed a contract in 2005 to provide Iran the S-300 ground-to-air missiles, but has repeatedly stalled on delivery, before announcing this summer it would cancel the sale, which has been vehemently opposed by the United States and Israel. The Russian announcement that it would refund Iran is among the strongest statements yet that Russia intends to undo the deal -- although Chemezov said it was unlikely all the money would be returned by the end of the year. Iran has repeatedly complained that one reason it is dubious about a possible nuclear fuel swap deal with the west is because in the past it has made agreements for nuclear fuel to be provided to Iran and then had the foreign country both cancel the delivery and, Iran says, refuse to refund them. The U.S., Russia, and France are discussing a possibly updated nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran in conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. It wasn't clear if the Russian announcement that it would refund Iran for the S-300s was a sign Moscow was trying to show good faith in order to not scuttle the possibility of an updated nuclear fuel swap arrangement. Iranian press reports said Iran was threatening to sue Moscow for breach of contract.

VI. CATHOLICONLINE - Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion Predicts Christian Springtime, Healing of Divisions

Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk is expressing the conviction that the 21st century will see a flowering of Christianity, without divisions between the followers of Jesus. The chairman of the Department of External Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate made these comments Thursday in a ceremony in which he was given an honorary doctorate by the faculty of theology of Catalonia, which is under the patronage of the Gregorian University of Rome. The ceremony took place in the Conciliar Seminary of Barcelona. "A Christian spring is just about to arrive," he said. "The 21st century will see the divisions between Christians healed and a rebirth of the faith, gift of God, just as it was preached by the Apostles and preserved by the Fathers." The prelate described as "erroneous" the consideration of the present time as a "post-Christian" era, and those claims that Christianity will disappear from the religious map in the third millennium and be absorbed by Islam. "I am sure that Christians will resist together and preserve their teachings, their Church and their tradition," he said. He centered his address on the timeliness of the legacy of the Fathers in today's world. "Knowledge of the Fathers enables the Christian not to lose his way amid the multitude of tendencies of modern philosophy" or to "let himself be drawn by complicated and strange doctrines," Archbishop Hilarion said. He added that "knowledge of the Fathers helps Christians to understand themselves, to build a firm relationship with God, to order their spiritual life." He continued, "Contrary to the recipes of modern teachings such as psychoanalysis, the advice of the Fathers exhales a healthy spirit, founded as it is on the solid understanding of the human spirit, and the need to combat one's own sinful tendencies and put goodness into practice... The counsels of the Fathers are much more universal than the basic postulates of Freudianism, and can be applied to people who live in the most diverse cultural and temporal contexts," the archbishop said. Moreover, he added, it is "a favorable moment for our faculty and the rest of the ecclesial academic institutions of the Catholic Church to reaffirm their commitment to study and appraise the Fathers of the Eastern Church" in studying theology "in the present moment and in the concrete context of 21st century Europe." Archbishop Hilarion is the author of works on the Fathers of the Church and topics of present-day Orthodox theology, and he maintains a firm and constant commitment and presence in the ecumenical realm.

VII. CATHOLICCULTURE - U.S. Orthodox-Catholic dialogue outlines vision of unity: Filioque, Pascaha, Primacy of Pope

The Pope would no longer select most bishops in a vision of restored Christian unity outlined by the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation. The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation is the official Orthodox-Catholic dialogue in the US and Canada. Last year, participants in this dialogue criticized the work of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which is the official Orthodox-Catholic dialogue at the international level. “Steps Towards a Reunited Church: A Sketch of an Orthodox-Catholic Vision for the Future” was issued by the North American dialogue following a September 30-October 2 meeting in Washington. The dialogue also issued a second document, “Celebrating Easter/Pascha Together.” The vision of restored unity in “Steps Towards a Reunited Church” includes the mutual adoption of the original version of the Nicene-Constantinopalitan Creed, which did not include the word Filioque (the original version said that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father,” rather than “from the Father and the Son”). A “renewed Roman primacy” would be essential to Christian unity, according to the document. The document also called for a significant change in the relationship of the Pope and the Roman Curia to the rest of the Church in the West. Most significantly, the Pope would no longer select bishops in the West. The new documents from the North American Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, chaired by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans and Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, come less than a year after the North American dialogue criticized the Ravenna document, a modest consensus document on the papacy developed by the international Orthodox-Catholic dialogue. “Steps Towards a Reunited Church” appears to backtrack from this criticism by citing the Ravenna document in a positive manner. To read the documents in full, click the links below. Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue Lays Out a Vision of Unity in Unprecedented Document (USCCB); Steps Towards a Reunited Church: A Sketch of an Orthodox-Catholic Vision for the Future (USCCB); Celebrating Easter/Pascha Together (USCCB). To find all documents from The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, please visit the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) website, by clicking here.

Medvedev in Cyprus;NATO missile shield;Greek Heroes;Sleep&drop Lbs;Google TV;Bosnia votes;Kosovo-Serbian Jerusalem

I. PIOCY - Russian President State visit to Cyprus

The President of the Russian Federation Mr Dmitry Medvedev arrives in Cyprus tomorrow night for a state visit, accompanied by a Russian delegation. Mr Medvedev will be welcomed at Larnaca Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Marcos Kyprianou. On Thursday morning, the official welcoming ceremony will be held at the Presidential Palace, during which the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Demetris Christofias will welcome the Russian President. Mr Medvedev will inspect the Guard of Honour and lay a wreath at the statue of the late President of the Republic of Cyprus Archbishop Makarios III, and a moment of silence will be observed. The two Presidents will introduce their official delegations and then proceed to the Presidential office for a tête-à-tête meeting. This will be followed by official talks and the signing of the visitors' book by Mr Medvedev. An action plan, bilateral agreements and memoranda will also be signed, followed by the decoration of President Christofias by the President of the Russian Federation with the Decoration of Friendship and statements to the Press. Afterwards Mr Medvedev will have a meeting with the President of the House of Representatives Mr Marios Garoyian at the House of Representatives and later on with Archbishop Chrysostomos II at the Archbishopric Palace. He will also inaugurate, together with President Christofias, the Russian Commercial Bank. In the evening, the President of the Republic Mr Demetris Christofias will give a banquet dinner in honour of the President of the Russian Federation at the Presidential Palace, during which he will decorate Mr Medvedev with the Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III. Later Mr Medvedev will travel to Larnaca Airport for his departure for Moscow. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Cyprus Mr Vyacheslav D. Shumskiy will bid him farewell.

II. RIANOVOSTI - NATO: New missile shield proposals to be presented to Russia in November

New proposals on a missile defense plan for Europe will be presented to Moscow at a Russia-NATO Council summit in November, the alliance's spokesman said on Monday. Such a joint project will bring Russia and NATO closer, James Appathurai said. The summit will take place in Lisbon on November 20. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called for the creation of missile defenses in Europe, but Russia says a serious assessment of missile risks should be carried out before starting on the project. Rasmussen has said a new Euro-Atlantic missile defense system would liven up the EU allies’ ties with the United States and the alliance’s relationship with Russia. The leaders of 28 NATO countries should invite Russia to participate in the project at the November summit, he told journalists in September. But the U.S.’s plans to deploy an anti-ballistic missile shield in Eastern Europe remains a bone of contention between Moscow and NATO. The U.S. says it would defend NATO territories against a possible missile threat from Iran, but Russia says there is no threat.

III. THEWALTERS - Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece

October 11 - January 3, 2011, "Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece" is an international loan exhibition organized by the Walters Art Museum. What makes a person a hero or heroine? This exhibition explores the human need for heroes through the arts of one of the oldest and most influential cultures in history. Heroes are sometimes portrayed as superhuman protagonists while at other times as average people who rise above the ordinary. Statues, reliefs, vases, bronzes and jewelry illustrate the lives of heroes and heroines, including their tasks, adversaries, challenges, failures and private moments. The exhibition features over 100 objects from U.S. and European museums as well as pieces from the Walters' collection. Admission is Free. Click here for more information.

IV. TIME - Study: Want to Drop a Few Pounds? Lie in Bed

Next time your alarm clock sounds, you can hit the snooze button in good conscience: sleeping in may help you lose fat.A study released Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine compared two groups of people who were trying to lose weight. One was randomly assigned to sleep 5.5 hours each night for two weeks, while the other was able to sleep 8.5 hours. The study found that the sleep-deprived group had higher levels of ghrelin — a hormone that drives appetite. The New York Times reports: “The bottom line is that if people are trying to diet and lose weight for health reasons, it makes sense to get a sufficient amount of sleep,” said Dr. Plamen D. Penev, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and the senior author of the study. “If they're not getting enough sleep as they diet, they may have higher levels of hunger and be struggling to adhere to the regimen.” Both groups lost about 6.5 lbs. over the course of the experiment, but the well-rested group lost more of the weight from fat, not muscle. Of note: the participants had to spend their nightly assigned sleep hours in bed, but not necessarily sleeping. Resting, it turns out, worked just as well. The study had an insignificant sample size (just 10 adults), but the results were significant enough to warrant further investigation.

V. GIZMOCRUNCH - Google TV Details On Official Website

As we all know Google TV will be launched this fall but before that to promote as well as to provide more information on it Google has come up with a website with full details of the new TV service. The website Google TV provides a quick tour of the TV service, give details on features of Google TV as well as a rough idea on what kind of shows that will be aired on it and how one can get the service. Some of the Google TV features mentioned on the website include: A search box which will allow the users to search for any program that they want to watch. Google Chrome web browser to allow users to access everything on the web from watching web videos to chatting with friends. Apps like Netflix, Twitter, CNBC, Pandora, Napster, NBA Game Time, Amazon Video On Demand and Gallery. Starting early next year, apps from Android Market will work on Google TV as well. Users will also be able to use their Android phone or iPhone to control Google TV instead of using a remote control. Users can also "Fling" what they're watching, listening to, or doing on their phone by sending it to their TV with the press of a button. Users can browse the web or open an app and watch TV on the same screen simultaneously. Read more on the features of Google TV on the web address provided. After looking at the website we can say that Google TV definitely looks interesting and to grab attention of many. We hope to provide you with more information on it as well as on the release date of Google TV as soon as we get it.

VI. B92 - Bosnia: Large number of invalid ballots

International observers say the number of invalid ballot papers in Sunday's elections in Bosnia is cause for concern. They have supported an investigation into this, announced by the electoral commission (CIK). PACE, OSCE and NATO observers held a news conference in Sarajevo on Monday. Meanwhile, the EU and the United States have called on leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina to find common ground and reach agreement on forming the government. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley spoke to reporters after the October 3 elections in Bosnia appeared to perpetuate the country's persistent ethnic divisions, RFE/RL reported. High International Representative in Bosnia Valentin Inzko stated that he did not expect the government to be formed this year, and mentioned February 2011 as the likely date, according to reports. Elections in Bosnia on Sunday were held for all federal, entity and cantonal bodies. The post-war Bosnia is made up of the Serb republic, RS, and the Muslim-Croat Federation entities. The latter is further subdivided into cantons. The still partial results of the voting show that it was marked by as many as 70,000 invalid ballots, the defeat of Haris Silajdžić, who ran for the Bosniak (Muslim) seat in the country's presidency, and the convincing victory of Milorad Dodik, who became the new RS president.

VII. BLIC - Kosovo – Serbian Jerusalem

Church officials who attended enthronement ceremony of the Serbian Patriarch, left Kosovo and Metohija with mixed emotions. They spoke to ‘Blic’ about the joy for attending such "historical event" but also about the sorrow they felt seeing the circumstances in which Serbian Orthodox Church and people are living in in Kosovo and Metohija. "I feel that I am at a place where there is no truth, no justice and no law. In the Czech Republic all having their roots there enjoy the same rights. This is not the case here. The Almighty sees the history and it is on us to wait for His judgement," Hristifor, the Archbishop of the Czech Church says. "Serbian Patriarch is an open human being ready to accept people as they are." Chrysostomos, leader of the Cypriot Church compares Cyprus and Serbia and says "we are similar... All of us representing the Orthodox Church are ready to cope with difficulties but also to fight. Serbian nation is not alone in that struggle. That is the similarity between you and us. I am sure that our two nations shall resurrect." For him Serbian Patriarch Irinej is "a man of decision and order." The Littoral Head of the Jerusalem Patriarchy Teofilakt and also Archbishop of the Jordan Church says that "a historical event has taken place at the Patriarchy in Pec... But what I have seen around me in Kosovo is sad. Our church, too is acting in several politically divided areas, Palestine and Israel, but nevertheless we are united. There is attempt that Serbian Church is split, too and I pray God not to allow that to happen." The Littoral Head of the Albanian Orthodox Church Ignjatije admits to feel anxiety. "I see now this situation in Kosovo. I feel anxiety. We Orthodox Albanians felt sympathy with the Serbian people and Church during bombing and today. But I also feel great joy here at the Patriarchy in Kosovo. I know, I feel it is for the Serbs and their Church your Jerusalem." Domentian, the Littoral Head of Vidin (Bulgarian Church) said "We of the Bulgarian Church feel sorry when our fraternal church and its people are suffering, but we are also happy that the Serbian Patriarch has been enthroned at this historical place. He is a moderate and a dignified person." Enthronement of the Serbian Patriarch at the Pec Patriarchy was attended by 40 high officials of all Orthodox churches and about 30 high representatives of other Christian churches and traditional religious communities. The Vatican envoy, the Archbishop Kurt Koch said to have been attending the enthronement ceremony for the first time. Church officials, the Prime Minister, ministers and opposition leaders yesterday attended reception at the Patriarchy in Belgrade on the occasion of enthronement of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

Cyprus,Israel,UN search;Turks frustrated,EU;Muslims in Germany;4000yrs old Aryan city;Greece migration;His Holiness Irinej;St. Spyridon relics

I. YNET - Cyprus, Israel, UN join search for Israeli overboard

Helicopters and boats from Cyprus, Israel and the United Nations were on Monday scouring the Mediterranean for a 26-year-old Israeli man who fell off a cruise ship, Cypriot officials said. A defense ministry statement said a SOS signal was received at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT) Monday saying the Israeli was missing at sea after falling overboard from the Panama-flagged cruiser Mirage, which was sailing to the southern Cyprus port of Limassol from Haifa. Cypriot authorities who are coordinating the effort said naval ships from Israel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are also taking part in the search. Israel, Cyprus and UNIFIL have deployed helicopters as well as vessels, including the UN frigate Sourcouf. "The search will continue until all means of the rescue operation have been exhausted," said the defense ministry statement.

II. YAHOONEWS - Turks frustrated by EU "intrigues"

A minister says the Turkish public is becoming increasingly frustrated by European "political intrigues" that are stalling its EU membership bid. Turkey started negotiation in 2005 but has made little progress since then due to a dispute over Cyprus — an EU member that is divided between the ethnic Greek south and Turkish north. In addition, France and Germany have expressed opposition to its bid. Turkey's chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis said in a blunt statement Sunday: "The negotiation process is interrupted by political intrigues in a way that has never been experienced by a candidate country before." The statement was issued to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the accession talks. Bagis says the approach to Turkey is "neither fair nor sustainable."

III. HINDUSTANTIMES - Merkel: Muslims should conform to German values

German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded on Monday that Muslims living in Germany conform to "fundamental German values", saying there was no leeway on the issue. She spoke a day after Germany's largely ceremonial president, Christian Wulff, had reached out to Muslims in a speech marking 20 years of reunification, assuring them they belonged. The Christian Democrat chancellor, in remarks promoting a fiercely conservative book by one of her supporters, said Muslims in Germany must orient themselves without reservation to Germany's fundamental values and constitution. "There is no leeway on this," she said, adding that Germans' perceptions of Islam were dominated by Sharia (Islamic law), the lack of equality between men and women and honour killings. Germany had freedom of religion, and Islam was welcome, "but it must be a form of Islam that feels devoted to our fundamental values", Merkel said. If it were not, fears would develop among Germans, "and that is hardly something we want to happen".

IV. TIMESOFINDIA - 4000-year-old Aryan city discovered in Russia

Russian archaeologists have unearthed some ancient and virtually unknown settlements which they believe were built by the original Aryan race about 4000 years ago. According to the team which has discovered 20 of the spiral-shaped settlements in remote part of Russia steppe in southern Siberia bordering Kazakhstan, the buildings date back to the beginning of Western civilisation in Europe. The Bronze-age settlements, the experts said, could have been built shortly after the Great Pyramid some 4000 years ago by the original Aryan race whose swastika symbol was later adopted by the Nazis in the 1930s. TV historian Bettany Hughes, who explored the desolate part of the Russian steppe for BBC programme 'Tracking The Aryans', said: "Potentially, this could rival ancient Greece in the age of the heroes." The remains of the ancient city were explored for the first time around 20 years ago shortly after then Soviet officials relaxed strict laws banning non-military aerial photography. But because of the region is so remote the incredible cities have remained virtually unknown to the rest of Europe until now, according to the archaeologists. They are about the same size as several of the city states of ancient Greece and would have housed between 1,000 and 200 people, they said. The Aryan's language has been identified as the precursor to a number of modern European tongues. English uses many similar words such as brother, oxen and guest which have all been tracked to the Aryans.

V. ANA - Greece to focus on illegal migration

Citizens' Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis, speaking in the extreme northeastern city of Alexandroupolis on Sunday during a meeting on the increasingly urgent problem of illegal immigration, emphasised that "Greece is not a free-for-all." A briefing for officials cited the intensity of the problem in the Evros River region, which marks the land border between Greece and EU hopeful Turkey. Amongst others, authorities said more and more illegal immigrants -- the vast majority from the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and increasing from Africa -- are attempting to enter EU territory via Greece in relation to clandestine sea landings on Aegean islands and continental Greece. "Greece can no longer tolerate the waves of illegal immigrants, and all are aware that it this not a phenomenon that concerns only our country, but the European Union as a whole," Papoutsis, a former EU Commissioner, underlined. He further indicated that the Papandreou government will take additional initiatives in the near future within the framework of the European Union, which he called on to assume its responsibilities towards a country that is "currently experiencing the greatest pressure by immigration flows".

VI. SPC - His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch introduced to the Throne of the Patriarchs of Pec

His Holliness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch held the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Stavropegial Laura of the Serbian Patriarchs - the Patriarchate of Pec. His Holiness, besides bishops of our Holy Church, was concelebrated by dignitaries of all Orthodox Churches. The Holy Hierarchal Liturgy was attended by President of the Republic of Serbia Boris Tadic, Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic and representatives of the diplomatic corps. During the Service of God Their Eminences Metropolitans JOvan of Zagreb and Ljubljana and Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral introduced Patriarch Irinej to the Throne of Serbian Patriarch calling the word Worthy (Axios). At the end of the formal act Patriarch held a sermon. His Holiness Irinej at the Divine Liturgy, besides the Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, was concelebrated by: Metropolitan Emanuel and Metropolitan Teoliptos of Iconia (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Metropolitan Kalynikos of Pilusia (Alexandrian Patriarchate), Archbishop Nyphon (Patriarchate of Antioch), Archbishop Teophylact of Jordan (Jerusalem Patriarchate), Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (Moscow Patriarchate), Metropolitan Gerasim Sharashenidze (Georgian Patriarchate), Metropolitan Irenaeus of Oltenia and bishops Nikodim and Danilo (Romanian Patriarchate), Metropolitan Dometian of Vidin (Bulgarian Patriarchate), Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Nea Justiniana and all Cyprus (Cypriot Patriarchate), Metropolitan Teologos of Seres and Metropolitan Symeon of New Smyrna (Hellenic Archbishopric), Metropolitan Ignateous of Verat (Albanian Orthodox Church), Archbishop Avelof Lublin and Holm (Polish Orthodox Church), Archbishop of Prague and Metropolitan of Czech lands and Slovakia Christofer, Bishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and West Pennsylvania (Orthodox Church in USA). The Divine Liturgy and the formal act of the enthronement was attended by: President of the Papal Council for promoting Christian Unity H.E. Monsignor Kurt Koch, Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar, Leopold Rohmes, Vicar General, Msgr. Andrija Kopilovic, (Catholic Church), Jonathan Goodall (Anglican Church), Tjeerd Hielke Wolters (SSC), Archbishop Karekin of Germany from the Armenian Church, representatives of the Islamic Community of Serbia, the Slovak Evangelical Church, the Federation of Jewish Communities, the Evangelical Christian Church; Mr. Constantine Triandaphilos, director of the IOCC, the delegation of the Fund of Andrewi the First-called from Moscow. The Patriarchal throne was engraved and it is a gift from Hellenic Archdiocese, and an icon of Lord Jesus Christ on the throne is the handwork done by nuns from the monastery of Zica.The new vestment intended for Patriarch Irinej for the formal act of enthronement, done in the embroidery with the 12 icons of big holidays, the work of Atelier RIZA - the workshop of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, donated by the Crnomarkovic brothers, Krstan and Peter,j and their sisters Olga Lukic and Milica Radan for the repose of souls of their parents Marija and Duro.

VII. VOICEOFRUSSIA - St.Spyridon relics in Moscow

In the past week, hundreds of thousands of Russians have visited the Trinity Cathedral of St. Daniel's Monastery in Moscow, where the relics of Saint Spyridon are currently on display. The shrine was for the first time delivered to Moscow in 2007, when more than one million and three hundred thousand Russian believers paid tribute to the relics of a bishop-turned-saint, explained the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill. This year, he added, many braved bad weather so as to offer a prayer in front of the relics. Saint Spyridon is widely venerated for his assistance in healing, settling family conflicts and acquiring Christian love, Patriarch Kirill said. Thousands upon thousands turned to him for help only to see their dreams finally come true, the Patriarch added, praising God’s grace that he says especially emanates from icons and the relics of the Church-revered saints. A saint honored in both the Eastern and Western traditions, Spyridon was born in Cyprus in 270 and was known for his great piety. He was venerated for the rare gift of clairvoyance and his ability to cure the sick by prayer. He eventually became Bishop of Tremithous and went down in history after he proved the essence of the Trinity at the First Ecumenical Council in 325. Using a potsherd, he reportedly illustrated how one single entity could be composed of three unique entities, a metaphor for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. As soon as Spyridon finished speaking at the Council, the shard is said to have miraculously burst into flame, water dripped on the ground, and only dust remained in his hand. After the Council, Saint Spyridon returned to his diocese in Tremithous, where he died peacefully in old age. When the Arabs took Cyprus in the middle of the 7th century, Spyridon's body was disinterred and taken to Constantinople. It was at the time that the relics were found to be incorrupt which prompted many to believe in his being a saint. The shrine will stay in Moscow till October 6th and is then to be transferred to St.Petersburg. On October 15th, the relics of Saint Spyridon will be delivered to the Greek island of Corfu, where they have been preserved since the late 1980s.