Michael's Afternoon 7 - 12 June

I. Macedonia's great Alexander statue vexes Greece

Astride his rearing horse, Alexander the Great will soon raise his hand high above the main square in Macedonia 's capital on a giant statue that has enraged Greece . Shrouded in secrecy, the ambitious but deeply controversial project has seen few details emerge other than that it will cost this impoverished Balkan state more than 10 million dollars (seven million euros). Both Macedonia and Greece claim the famed warrior-king as their own. Born in Pella in modern-day Greece , Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and much of the world known to ancient Greeks before dying in Babylon in 323 BC at the age of 32. Athens has refused to recognise its neighbour under its constitutional name, the Republic of Macedonia , because that is also the name of a northern Greek province. UN-led negotiations on the 18-year-old row have proved fruitless, with Athens vetoing Macedonian membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and threatening to derail its European Union integration. Greece has also heaped scorn on the plans to erect the statue, a structure that will dwarf most buildings around Makedonija Square . Others like philosophy professor Nada Proeva of Skopje University see it as a misguided attempt to assert a national identity, after challenges from nearly all its neighbors since Macedonia proclaimed independence in 1991. Bulgarians reject the notion of a Macedonian language, while the Serbian Orthodox Church protests against the autonomy of its Macedonian counterpart. Amidst such pressure, the nationalist-led government has pumped up its claim to Alexander's heritage on grounds that his country was once part of ancient Macedonia . Such initiatives were "unnecessary, counter-productive, and even out of fashion," said Proeva who feels the country's identity is sound.

II. Greece prepares EU-style smoking ban

Greece's health minister is urging his compatriots, considered the most passionate smokers in the European Union, to strictly obey a bill restricting smoking. Greek Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said the authorities will enforce without exception the smoking restrictions in public places, offices, restaurants and bars as of July 1, the Kathimerini daily reported Friday. Avramopoulos said violators will be severely fined as the government is determined to enforce the restrictions to comply with the EU standards and to contain risks of so-called passive smoking. The Health Ministry will take care that a blanket ban on smoking is respected in public places and offices. Restaurants and cafes whose owners do not designate smoking areas will be treated as non-smoking facilities as of July 1.

III. NATO to Send Six-Ship Force to Fight Somali Piracy

NATO will send more naval firepower to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia , agreeing to dispatch six ships to protect sea lanes that handle a tenth of the world’s trade. A "short gap" may ensue between the departure of the current five-ship fleet on June 28 and the arrival of the new task force in July, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said after defense ministers endorsed the deployment today.Patrolling a swathe of water about four times the size of France, warships from NATO, the European Union and countries including Russia and China have battled 114 pirate attacks so far this year, more than in all of 2008.Warships from the U.S., Portugal, Canada, the Netherlands and Spain make up the current task force, cobbled together from a group that is normally used for routine exercises and port visits. The follow-up force consists of ships from the U.S. , U.K. , Greece , Italy and Spain . Germany plans to join. Russia , its ties with NATO improving after strains due to last year’s war with Georgia , may also take part, a NATO official said. The fleet will patrol for an undetermined period, while the 28-nation alliance wrestles over legal questions such as the treatment of captive pirates before conducting a "longer-term" mission, spokesman NATO is also looking at the EU’s extradition deal with Kenya as a possible model for the handling of captured pirates. Current NATO rules require captives to be treated according to the laws of the country of the ship that seized them. Under that legal authority, Dutch- and Canadian-flagged warships were forced to set captive pirates free.

IV. Cyprus Destroys Anti-aircraft Missiles Stockpile

Cyprus said it has successfully destroyed 324 out-of-service Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles to ensure they don't fall into the hands of terrorists. A ceremony to destroy the last batch of 20 SAM missiles took place Friday at a military firing range in Larnaca on the south coast in the presence of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe officials and foreign diplomats. "The Cyprus Republic had promised to withdraw these missiles as soon as possible, acknowledging the threat of the uncontrolled use and production" of the arms, said Defense Minister Costas Papacostas. "In the hands of terrorists, they can be used to wreak havoc and destruction," he added. The portable shoulder-fired SA-7 Strela 2 reached their expiry date in 1992, and Cyprus agreed to dispose of them with the OSCE's help and support. In 2002, the Greek Cypriot-run government of the divided island destroyed a 4,500 small arms cache, and in 2007 it completed the destruction of 48,475 stockpiled anti-personnel mines. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish mainland troops invaded the northern third.

V. USA not to stop anti-missile project

The USA will finish an analysis of the technological and financial aspects of the plans to build an anti-missile radar base the Czech Republic by the end of the year and Prague does not expect the project to be halted, Defence Minister Martin Bartak told journalists today after meeting his U.S. counterpart Robert Gates. President Barack Obama has launched a thorough analysis of the plans within which the radar base is to be built in the Czech Republic and ten interceptor missiles are to be stationed in Poland . "They expect the results at the end of the year," Bartak said, adding that the conclusions will show how to continue with the talks. The radar base, stationed 90km southwest of Prague , along with a base with interceptor missiles in Poland is to be part of the U.S. missile defence shield to protect the United States and its allies in Europe against missiles that states like Iran and North Korea might launch. The treaties on the base were signed by the Czech government and former U.S. president George Bush's administration in 2008. However, the previous center-right government withdrew them from parliamentary agenda for fear they would be rejected. The leftist parties and a majority of Czechs oppose the idea of a radar base on Czech soil. The project is strongly criticised by Russia . "The Americans will say how to continue with the anti-missile defence, what the partners' role will be, what the role of the alliance (NATO) will be and what the role of Russia may be," Bartak said. "Nevertheless, we do not think the project will be halted," he added.

VI. British Museum to attend Greek launch despite marbles spat

British Museum officials will attend the inauguration of Greece 's New Acropolis Museum next week, it said Friday but insisted its stance on the long-disputed Parthenon Marbles remains unchanged. A spokeswoman for the museum also stressed that it had not made an offer nor received a request for those sculptures held in London to be loaned to Athens , following comments by a Greek minister this week. A new museum for the remaining parts of the frieze and other sculptures from the Acropolis is scheduled to open in the Greek capital on June 20, reviving the debate over the significant portions held by the British Museum . Greek Culture Minister Antonis Samaras said this week that Athens would turn down any loan offer as it would "legalise the snatching of the Marbles". The British Museum reiterated its lending pre-condition that any borrowing institutions must acknowledge the museum's ownership of the objects in question. "You can't lend something if they don't recognise your ownership," the spokeswoman said. Greece has long pursued a campaign for the return of the priceless friezes. They were removed in 1806 by British ambassador Lord Elgin, when Greece was occupied by the Ottoman Empire, and later sold to the British Museum . Elgin 's acquisition of the sculptures -- with the permission of the Ottoman authorities -- was deemed legal in an 1816 British parliamentary investigation.

VII. Israeli Christians: Oil-streaked icon 'miracle'

Christians have been flocking to this dusty Israeli town to see what locals are calling a miracle: streaks of what looks like oil mysteriously dripping down an icon of St. George at a Greek Orthodox church named for the legendary third century dragon slayer. Worshippers said Tuesday that the more than two dozen streaks might represent God's tears or the Christian rite of baptism. Worshippers said Tuesday that the more than two dozen streaks might represent God's tears or the Christian rite of baptism. The church priest, Father Nifon, first saw the streaks while preparing for Sunday morning services, they said. "He kissed all the icons, and when he reached that one, he took down the picture and he cleaned it," said Aida Abu el-Edam, an English teacher and longtime church member. "After 20 or 25 minutes, he looked again and he saw the oil again and said, 'This is a miracle."' The icon hangs near the front of the church, hidden from most pews by a small gold chandelier. A nun dressed in black was rubbing the bottom of the icon with cotton balls, which she handed to the faithful who sometimes smelled them before clutching them to their chests. "People these days, they've forgot God and this is a sign to tell them, 'I'm still here,' said Edith Fanous.