Most people use alcohol as a social rather than creative stimulant, banishing cares with a potation or two after work; lubricating discourse rather than inspiring the intellect. Yet a number of our greatest writers, painters and musicians also seem to have relied on it as fuel for their muse. Winston Churchill claimed it crucial for The World Crisis, his six-volume memoirs, stating: “always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me.” The creative effect of alcohol, then, seems to involve a delicate counterpoint between stimulation and relaxation. Unlike some side-effects of drink, such as its tendency to make some people morose or violent, this endorphin release is positive and pleasant to behold. People with this gene variant also seem more prone to alcoholism, perhaps engaging in an increasingly vain pursuit of the highs they used to experience after the first drink or two.
Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou said on Friday (May 15th) Nicosia does not intend to veto Turkey's EU accession process, "either on its own or with another country". The minister, however, added his government "is preparing for all scenarios" ahead of December, when the Union is expected to assess Ankara's progress in meeting EU membership criteria. "We will reflect upon the possible repercussions for Turkey, and we'll decide whether to give our consent to the opening of new negotiation chapters [in its membership talks]," Kyprianou said. Turkey began EU talks in October 2005 but has so far opened only ten of the 35 negotiation chapters, mainly because of tensions with Cyprus and opposition from some other member states. In other news, Turkey denounced on Friday a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice that backed the right of Greek Cypriots to reclaim property abandoned in northern Cyprus after the 1974 Turkish intervention and later sold to foreigners.
Bosnia said Monday it had asked Interpol to cancel arrest warrants Serbia issued against several former Bosnian officials over a 1992 attack on a column of Yugoslav army troops. Earlier this year, Serbia launched a investigation into 19 Bosnian officials it suspects of involvement in an attack on an army convoy in Sarajevo in 1992, as well as alleged incidents at a hospital and military barracks in the capital. Belgrade later issued international arrest warrants against the suspects, including some of the highest-ranking wartime Bosnian leaders.
A Turkish court ruled on Monday that President Abdullah Gul should stand trial for a fraud case dating to the late 1990s, a move that will highlight tension between the ruling Islamist-rooted party and a conservative secularist establishment. An Ankara prosecutor had ruled the case should be dropped, but the Ankara court ruled Gul should stand trial. A court of appeals now will have the final say on the case. "It is the rule in the Turkish Republic's constitution and laws that everyone should stand trial," the court ruled. Parliament speaker Koksal Toptan said that under the constitution the president can be tried only for treason.
The infamous article 301 of Turkey’s Penal Code which severely punishes anyone who dares to “sully Turkey’s national identity” is once again in the news. Over the past few years it has silenced many intellectuals who dared to contest “Turkey’s democratic government”. Once again the writer Orhan Pamuk is being targeted, in a case that has been on the shelf for over three years. The trail against the Turkish writer, guilty of having spoken about the Armenian genocide and the massacre of Kurds, could be reopened. Turkey is sliding towards Islamic fundamentalism and nationalism. Tell-tale signs; its friendship with Syria and Iran.
The demonstrators, from Greece's right-wing Popular Orthodox Rally party, shouted slogans and held a large banner saying "Bilderberg Unwelcome" outside the hotel, which is 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Athens on the Aegean Sea. One demonstrator was arrested when the group tried to break through a police cordon. "We came here to protest this anti-Greek meeting.We need to do something to protect our country." Greek newspapers said the secret meeting of the politicians and managers of world capitalism included Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis. The papers said this year's invitees also included U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner; Larry Summers, the director of the U.S. National Economic Council; the Obama administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke; World Bank President Robert Zoellick; European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet and European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.
Today, Kirill is arguably one of the most influential men in Russia. Moreover, Kirill's vision has a fully European scope, going far beyond the borders of the country. Kirill now heads a church with about 140 million adherents, far larger than the Anglican Church and second only to the Roman Catholic Church. With a significant percent of Orthodox believers living outside Russia, this gives the church a truly global reach. But statistics are less important than suffering and faith. The Russian Orthodox Church suffered greatly under Soviet rule. Now it has re-emerged from the catacombs following the collapse of the Soviet Union 17 years ago to take on a greater role in post-Soviet Russia. One of Pope John Paul II's most important goals was to put an end to the scourge of atheist communism, and Pope Benedict XVI still passionately hopes to see the restoration of a unified church. While Kirill has not spoken in terms of unification, he has helped improved ties with Rome. This explains why Benedict has made numerous gestures toward Kirill of welcome and appreciation. "When we meet a man who claims to be fighting for the purity of Orthodoxy, but his eyes are lit with the fire of anger ... if we find someone who is ready to shake the foundation of church life to defend Orthodoxy ... this is the first sign of that we have a wolf in sheep's clothing," he said.