Nabucco project fails, placed by Trans Adriatic Pipeline project

The Nabucco pipeline to be built to carry natural gas to Shah II sea field in Azerbaijan was failed for the consortium preferred Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), using another route

VIENNA / ANKARA (AA) - The Nabucco pipeline to be built to carry natural gas to Shah II sea field in Azerbaijan was failed for the consortium preferred Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), using another route.

The Nabucco project faced a removal possibility after Austria's gas and oil company OMV announced its detachment to the project and stated they approved TAP for its being "more economic".

Azerbaijani natural gas would have been carried through Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria to Europe within the scope of Nabucco project, where Turkey was a member. However, consortium active in Shah II sea field in Azerbaijan showed TAP as an alternative to Nabucco, which would carry the gas in a shorter route through Turkey to Italy. It was announced that Azerbaijan, Turkey, Switzerland, Norway and Germany were partners of the project. 

Government of Greece and TAP sign host government agreement / Endgültiges Aus für Nabucco - Konsortium entscheidet für TAP

The Greek Government (the Ministry of Energy, Environment and Climate Change – MEECC) and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project have today signed the Host Government Agreement (HGA) in Athens, agreed in principle last week.

The HGA sets out the framework by which the project will be realized and operated on Greek territory. This includes processes related to land easement and acquisition, the implementation of technical, safety, environmental and social standards and permitting.

TAP will be one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in Greece, and is estimated to cost approximately Euro 1.5 bn for the Greek section. During construction, TAP is anticipated to create some 2,000 direct, and up to 10,000 indirect, new jobs across a number of industries including manufacturing and utilities, transport, communications and financial and business services. The project already collaborates with a number of Greek businesses and experts, and will seek to expand such cooperation in line with its commitment to Local Content.

German, Turkish press declare war .... Bild carried Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on its cover with the caption “New Dictator”

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Media outlets in Turkey and Germany upped the severity of language of new reporting, amid rising tension between the countries that followed Berlin initiative to halt Turkey’s European Union bid.

The two have been in conflict since German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s statements on the ongoing Gezi Protests, and the daily newspapers of both countries have decided to join in.

German Bild carried Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on its cover with the caption “New Dictator,” depicting Erdoğan with a Hitler-like moustache. The cover was then featured on the front page of Turkish daily Takvim, who itself dubbed Merkel a “Nazi.”

Türkischer Minister droht Merkel mit Konsequenzen/ Οι Τούρκοι έχουν "σαλτάρει" και απειλούν τη Γερμανία....

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Der Streit zwischen Berlin und Ankara um das harte Vorgehen der türkischen Regierung gegen Demonstranten eskaliert. Wegen deutschlandkritischer Äußerungen der Regierung in Ankara wurde am Freitag der türkische Botschafter in Berlin, Hüseyin Avni Karslioglu, ins Auswärtige Amt (AA) einbestellt. Äußerungen zu den EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen seien auf großes Unverständnis gestoßen. "Das geht so nicht", sagte AA-Sprecher Andreas Peschke.

Kurz darauf bestellte das türkische Außenministerium den deutschen Botschafter Eberhard Pohl ein, wie eine Ministeriumssprecherin auf Anfrage bestätigte. Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu habe bei einem Besuch im ukrainischen Odessa gesagt, Grund seien Aussagen Pohls und aus Deutschland, meldete die Nachrichtenagentur Anadolu. Da Pohl sich nicht in Ankara aufhalte, werde ihn ein anderer Diplomat vertreten.

Deutsche Bahn to Suspend Operations in Corruption-Ridden Countries - Μίζες έδιναν στην Ελλάδα οι γερμανικοί σιδηρόδρομοι....Διεξάγεται εισαγγελική έρευνα στη Φρανκφούρτη....

German railway company Deutsche Bahn, DB, is suspending operations in a number of countries with high levels of corruption. Suddeutsche Zeitung reported on Tuesday that DB was withdrawing from Greece, Algeria, Libya, Rwanda and Thailand due to the corruption risk.
The decision of the German railway giant was explained with findings of the prosecuting authority in Frankfurt that that DB International, a subsidiary of DB, had been paying bribes in a number of countries to secure contracts for consultancy and planning for railway projects.
According to the German daily, DB International paid EUR 315 000 in bribes to Greek officials to secure contracts for the construction of a metro line.

Russian Arms Supplies to Syria ‘No Breach of Law’ - Putin ..... one does not really need to back the people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies and eat their intestines

LONDON, June 16 (RIA Novosti) – President Vladimir Putin on Sunday defended Russia’s weapons supplies to Syria saying they are in the framework of the international law. “If we speak calmly, I want to stress that Russia supplies arms to the legitimate government of Syria in full compliance with the norms of international law and we call on our partners to act in the same way,” Putin told reporters after talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday. “We are not breaching any rules,” Putin said. "I think you will not deny that one does not really need to back the people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies and eat their intestines," Putin said referring to a video footage of a rebel eating what appeared to be a government soldier’s heart.

Lavrov: Syria Government Gaining Ground, No Need to Use Chemical Arms

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was no need for the Syrian government to use chemical arms since the Syrian Army was making steady advances on the ground.
"The regime, as the opposition is saying out in the open, is enjoying military success on the ground," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters during a joint press appearance with his Italian counterpart Emma Bonino. "What sense is there for the regime to use chemical arms -- especially in such small amounts?" Lavrov asked.
Russia said on Friday that US allegations Assad had used chemical weapons during the fight with the foreign-backed militants were fabricated and unconvincing.

UN-Studie zur Weltbevölkerung: Afrika und Europa, Leben und Tod ..... Die Menschheit wächst schneller als erwartet

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Während Deutschland bis zum Ende des Jahrhunderts rund ein Drittel der Bevölkerung verliert, explodieren die Geburtenzahlen in Afrika geradezu. China wird seinen Platz an der Spitze verlieren.
Die Menschheit wächst schneller als erwartet und könnte schon in zwölf Jahren die achte Milliarde zählen. Während Europa schrumpft, findet das Wachstum nach dem Bevölkerungsbericht der Vereinten Nationen praktisch ausschließlich in Entwicklungsländern statt. Nigeria, heute 160 Millionen, könnte bis zur Mitte des Jahrhunderts seine Einwohnerzahl verdoppeln und die USA überholen - mit dramatischen sozialen Folgen.

ERT survived the Nazis and the junta but not the troika ....

 

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Derek Gatopoulos

The television and radio broadcasts of ERT are indelibly etched into all Greeks' minds. This detailed review of the history of the broadcaster by the Associated Press explains why a country has stood up and resisted its sudden closure...

When Nazi troops marched into Greece's nearly deserted capital on 27 April 1941, radio announcer Kostas Stavropoulos of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation announced the grim news. He urged his countrymen and women not to listen to future Nazi radio transmissions and signed off with the Greek national anthem. 

 

That moment in Greek broadcasting history is indelibly etched into the country's collective memory.

Το παρασκήνιο του ναυαγίου: το ραντεβού που άλλαξε τα πάντα ή η ρωσική μπλόφα;...... με το υψηλό υπερτίμημα που φερόταν διατεθειμένη να προσφέρει εξαρχής κατάφερε να διώξει τον ανταγωνισμό

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Την περασμένη εβδομάδα, όπως διέρρευσε από κυβερνητικές πηγές, στελέχη της Gazprom, επισκέφθηκαν τη Γενική Διεύθυνση Ανταγωνισμού στις Βρυξέλλες. Στόχος τους ήταν να βολιδοσκοπήσουν τις προθέσεις των Βρυξελλών απέναντι στη διαφαινόμενη απόκτηση της εταιρείας αερίου από τη ρωσική εταιρεία. Η απάντηση που φέρεται να δόθηκε από τους ανθρώπους της Κομισιόν ήταν ότι η εξαγορά της ΔΕΠΑ θα αντιμετωπιστεί «πακέτο» με τις υπόλοιπες ανοιχτές υποθέσεις του μεγαλύτερου προμηθευτή αερίου της Ε.Ε. και ειδικότερα με τις υποθέσεις για κατάχρηση δεσπόζουσας θέσης σε αγορές όπως η Πολωνία, η Ρουμανία και η Βουλγαρία.

Δίστομο: Εκδηλώσεις μνήμης για τα 69 χρόνια από τη σφαγή.... Ενός λεπτού σιγή στη Βουλή - Πρόταση για τις γερμανικές αποζημιώσεις

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Εξήντα εννέα χρόνια συμπληρώνονται από τη σφαγή του Διστόμου, μία από τις μεγαλύτερες σφαγές αμάχων στην Ελλάδα από τις γερμανικές κατοχικές δυνάμεις. Τη μνήμη των 218 θυμάτων της ναζιστικής θηριωδίας τιμά ο δήμος Διστόμου-Αράχωβας-Αντίκυρας.
Στις εκδηλώσεις παραβρέθηκαν ο υφυπουργός Δικαιοσύνης Κώστας Καραγκούνης, ο πρόεδρος του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, Αλέξης Τσίπρας, ο πρόεδρος των Ανεξάρτητων Ελλήνων Πάνος Καμμένος, ο γγ της ΚΕ του ΚΚΕ Δημήτρης Κουτσούμπας, ο δήμαρχος Γιάννης Πατσαντάρας και ο Ιωάννης Γρίβας που διετέλεσε υπηρεσιακός πρωθυπουργός και ο περιφερειάρχης Στερεάς Ελλάδος Περικλής Περγαντάς.

Ενός λεπτού σιγή για τα θύματα της σφαγής του Διστόμου, τήρησε και η Ολομέλεια της Βουλής.

30.000 turcos se concentran en la plaza de Taksim, la mayor reunión contra Erdogan (9/6/13)

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Adversarios y partidarios del primer ministro turco, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, han protagonizado este domingo masivas concentraciones en lo que constituye ya todo un pulso entre dos concepciones del país.
En Estambul, la plaza de Taksim, epicentro de las protestas que sacuden Turquía desde hace 10 días, ha albergado la mayor reunión desde que empezaron las acampadas por salvar el adyacente parque Gezi de una reforma urbanística.
La jornada transcurrió en un ambiente festivo y bajo una marea de banderas de los signos más diversos, desde marxistas hasta kemalistas, kurdos y alevíes. Según Efe, al menos 30.000 personas se agolpaban en la plaza, con muchos miles más llenando el parque cercano, convertido en campamento con puestos de información, comida gratuita, talleres infantiles, bibliotecas y dispensario médico.

Ankara upset at Vatican for pope’s remarks on mass killings of Armenians

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Turkey has reacted angrily to the Vatican following a statement from Pope Francis describing the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as “the first genocide of the twentieth century” during a meeting with a delegation led by Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics on June 3.

“The Turkish Foreign Ministry delivered Turkey’s views on the issue and expressed disappointment to the embassy in Ankara and Vatican in Rome yesterday,” a Turkish diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News on June 7.
Pope Francis described the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as “the first genocide of the 20th century” during a meeting with a delegation led by Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics on June 3.

UN Food and Agriculture Org. warns of food prices rise over next decade

Video cctv

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned food prices across the globe are set to rise by as much as 40 per cent over the next decade. Rising costs in farm production, and less available land are mostly to blame. But as Ray Kuka reports, new technologies and stronger relationships in global trade should solve any potential food shortage.
Farms like this are becoming more and more precious.
As developing countries become more wealthy, demand for food is growing.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation says the world is facing a situation where demand outgrows production.
Kenneth Ash, OECD Director of Trade and Agriculture, said, "It’s not about being optimistic or pessimistic, the key message is the markets have fundamentally changed."
Rising production costs, less available farmland, and environmental factors are mostly to blame.

Russia-EU Values Gap on Display at Summit - «Χάσμα αξιών» στη Σύνοδο Κορυφής ΕΕ-Ρωσίας

Photo: themoscowtimes.com

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Despite declarations of strategic partnership and cooperation at Tuesday's Russia-EU summit in Yekaterinburg, leaders of the two sides demonstrated an apparently growing rift on a wide array of issues, including civil liberties and ways to resolve the bloody civil war in Syria.
One of the main expected achievements of the meeting, a visa facilitation agreement, failed to materialize due to lingering disagreements, and while President Vladimir Putin emphasized the economic dimension of the Russia-EU relationship, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy focused on shared values and human rights.
"Fundamental human rights is an important, albeit difficult, dimension of our partnership," Van Rompuy said at a news conference following the talks.

Russia has to react as NATO moves closer to its borders - Medvedev

Iskander high-precision missile system (RIA Novosti / Alexei Danichev)

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Russia cannot see NATO expansion towards its borders as positive, as under certain circumstances the possibility of military confrontation remains, the Russian PM has said at the Euro-Arctic Council’s forum.
When a reporter asked Dmitry Medvedev how the balance of forces in Europe will change if Sweden and Finland decide to enter NATO, the Russian Prime Minister answered that his country would have to react to such developments.
“This is their own business; they are making decisions in accordance with the national sovereignty doctrine. But we have to consider the fact that for us the NATO bloc is not simply some estranged organisation, but a structure with military potential,” the head of the Russian government said adding that under certain unfavorable scenarios this potential could be used against Russia.

Президент Греции наградил патриарха Кирилла высшей наградой страны/ Παπούλιας: «Αδερφικές οι σχέσεις Ελλάδας-Ρωσίας» ....

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Одна из высших наград Греческой Республики — Большой Крест Ордена Почета – вручена Патриарху Московскому и всея Руси Кириллу. Президент Греции Каролос Папульяс, вручая награду, отметил, что таким образом отмечен вклад РПЦ в дело укрепления братских отношений между Россией и Грецией.

Папульяс подчеркнул, что народы России и Греции — братские, имеющие единую веру, что является незыблемым фундаментом взаимоотношений между двумя странами. Он поблагодарил патриарха Кирилла за визит, который совершается в период экономического кризиса.

EU's Ashton calls for restraint following incidents at Taksim Gezi Park in Constantinople

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EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Ashton called on all sides to act with restraint after incidents in Taksim Gezi Park

 

Ankara (AA) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on Sunday called on all sides to act with restraint after the incidents in Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park.
In a statement made, Ashton's spokesperson said that they were concerned about Turkish police using "excessive force"[1] at Taksim.