(gm) – In a recent report published by SmashingLists.com in their assessment of 10 Best Intelligence Agencies In The World, a website that rates products, services and organisations, Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence Agency, (or ISI) has ranked number one among the world’s top ten intelligence agencies. more ...
Despite the problems of the ruble and the weak oil price in recent months for the Russian economy, the Russian Government is pursuing a very active foreign policy strategy. Its elements focus on countering the continuing NATO encirclement policy of Washington, with often clever diplomatic initiatives on its Eurasian periphery. Taking advantage of the cool relations between Washington and longtime NATO ally, Turkey, Moscow has now invited Turkish President Abdullah Gul to a four day state visit to discuss a wide array of economic and political cooperation issues. more ...
(Zaman.com). The presidents of Russia and Turkey signed a joint declaration in Moscow yesterday aimed at deepening friendly relations and improving multidimensional cooperation between the two countries, with the Russian side defining the declaration as a “strategic document.” Turkish President Abdullah Gül arrived in Moscow on Thursday, accompanied by State Minister Responsible for Foreign Trade Kürşad Tüzmen and Energy Minister Hilmi Güler, in addition to his spouse, Hayrünnisa Gül, and a large business delegation. more ...
(zaman) State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek has said that the Christian Democrats who have assumed office in EU member countries have been cool toward Turkey's prospective membership. He argued that the EU's negative and obstructive attitude has been encouraging those groups who oppose Turkey's EU membership. "This also reinforces the Turkish people's perception that the EU is not inclined to accept Turkey as a member, regardless of how well it performs," he said. more ...
(Zaman). What are the geopolitical consequences of the current economic crisis? Who are the winners and who are the losers? Let's start with the winners. Russia might be the most obvious contender for the title. It has been sitting on a pile of cash for a long time thanks to the boom in commodity markets, particularly those of oil and natural gas. more ...
(gm) I have found a handful of places in the world which live up to all the praise heaped on them, justify the swarms of visitors and postcards, and deserve their own iconification. Descriptions and images teeming in my vision, and having devised reasons in advance to soften the inevitable disappointment, I arrived at such places and was utterly enchanted from the first moment, as if no-one had ever seen such a miracle before me – indeed as if I were the discoverer, despite the chatter of the ubiquitous tourist-droves, or the posters of dictators reminding of the unfriendly present. more ...
(kuna) As the Indian healthcare sector develops, the new term "'Medical Tourism" emerges whereby people from various parts of the globe are visiting India to seek medical and relaxation treatments. "Tourists choose India because of the key opportunities in our healthcare sector; efficient infrastructure, and state-of-the-art technology," one leading surgeon told us. The most common treatments sought are heart surgery, knee transplants, cosmetic surgery dental care, and indigenously developed relaxation methods. more ...
(gm) British Petroleum’s Georgian Pipeline is a flop, and Gazprom is opening one pipeline after the other. It is now hoped that war will eliminate the Russian lead.
(ma) Fed up of the chaos of the big cities? Berlin, Paris and London aside, the smaller cities are where you will discover the real charm of Europe’s cultural regions. One prime example is the city of Freiburg in the south-west of Germany. Built on the banks of the little Dreisam river in the beautiful Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald area, the town is today home to 215,000 people, 30,000 of which are students. In summer Freiburg attracts many tourists, yet it still offers plenty of peace and quiet – and southern German Gelassenheit. more ...
