News archive of August 2014

By Nikos Xydakis

The Ukrainian crisis may herald the start of a second Cold War, while there is no shortage of analysts comparing the current international climate to that of 1914 in the runup to World War I.

It gives us a great deal of hope that we have a new batch of mayors and regional authorities, as well as university rectors who represent the voice of reason and prudence and are unafraid to stand up to and clash with extreme elements both in society and in their respective institutions.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic conferred with the delegation of the International Committee of Slavists (ICS) to mark Serbia's four-year presidency in the science organisation which will be crowned by the 16th International Congress of Slavists in Belgrade in 2018.

NEW YORK – A UN Security Council meeting to present UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s ’regular quarterly report on the situation in Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) was held late on Friday in New York, and an agreement was reached that a special court for war crimes committed in KiM should be set up as soon as possible.

A firefight erupted on Aug. 30 between a group of Philippine peacekeepers trapped in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Islamist militants who were surrounding their position, the defense chief of the Philippines said. 

Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Saturday he would argue, when attending the European Council later in the day, for the European Union and NATO to make Ukraine available military hardware, lest its army become "cannon fodder".

Seven NATO members will create a British-led joint expeditionary force for rapid deployment in response to the crisis in Ukraine, the Financial Times has reported.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said terrorism would soon spread to Europe and the United States unless it is quickly dealt with in the Middle East, the Saudi state news agency reported late on Aug. 29. 

The king made the statement during a reception for foreign ambassadors held in Jeddah. 

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha will have to return to the state the mountain chalet Saragyol, a Sofia court has decided.

The decision has come a week after the same court issuing a similar ruling regarding another property claimed by Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Bulgaria’s former prime minister (2001-2005) who was the country’s child king before the monarchy was overthrown in 1946.

Turkey is celebrating the Victory Day on Aug. 30, marking the 92nd anniversary of the Turkish victory against Greek forces at the Battle of Dumlupınar, the final battle of the War of Independence.