World Watch
Pope Benedict meets
Orthodox patriarch Bartholomew I at his Headquarters in Istanbul (NorthWest Turkey on the Black Sea)
The below from theage.com.au -- dateline Dec 1 2006
What will be the impact of discussions for changing the status of the Crusader-era building on Mount Zion in Jerusalem known as the Coenaculum or of the Vatican's land holdings in Israel or on the Catholic Church's aims to develop a center on Mount Zion? Special Report.
Finish President
Tarja Halonen
will surrender the
EU Presidency
to German Chancellor Angela Merkel
at the beginning of the Roman new year.
Pope seeks unity for ancient churches
Foolish Israeli PM Olmert Kowtows to Number- One Enemy of Israel Who Lusts for Mount Zion!
During his visit to the Vatican on 13-December 2006, the Israeli Prime Minister besought Pope Benedict XVI to denounce this week's Holocaust
denials in Iran. The Israeli leader also reiterated his long-standing invitation during his talk with the pontiff to visit Israel. Details. More. Vatican's Goals.
Pope, by 29-Nov-2006 trip to Turkey, is seeking to mend the 1000-year rift between the once- united Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Ian Fisher and Sabrina Tavernise, Istanbul December 1, 2006
POPE Benedict has turned from efforts to repair his damaged relations with Muslims to the central aim of his trip to Turkey: to help heal the 1000-year rift between the once-united Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.
In a prayer service in Istanbul on Wednesday at the Patriarchal Church of St George, which is the seat of Bartholomew, the spiritual first among the Orthodox patriarchs, Benedict said: "It gives me great joy to be among you, my brothers in Christ, in this cathedral church, as we pray together to the Lord and call to mind the momentous events that have sustained our commitment to work for the full unity of Catholics and Orthodox."
A millennium of bad blood, mistrust and some violence has separated the two Christian churches. Forty years of talks have resulted in warmer relations, but not the goal of a greater formal unity that would allow them to celebrate communion together. A pope has yet to visit Russia, home to most of the world's 220 million Orthodox Christians, and Benedict has made that unity one of the prime goals of his papacy.
Despite the troubled history, Benedict faced a far friendlier audience with his fellow Christians, a tiny minority in Turkey, than he had on Tuesday, the first day of his visit, reaching out to Muslims offended by a speech he gave two months ago that Muslims felt equated Islam with violence.
The Pope's visit to Turkey, his first to a Muslim country, comes at a sensitive time in relations between the Muslim world and the West. Many Muslims say they feel that they have been unfairly stereotyped after Islamic militants attacked the United States on September 11, 2001.
Turkey's highest spiritual leader, Ali Bardakoglu, referred to the feeling as "Islamophobia" in a speech before the Pope on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, a broad array of Turks in this lively port city said they supported the Pope's efforts at reconciliation. They said they had still not forgotten the speech in September, but after conciliatory speeches and public meetings with Muslim leaders, many Turks said they were giving Benedict the benefit of the doubt.
Newspaper headlines in Turkey's mainstream, secular publications glowed. "It started beautifully," proclaimed the daily newspaper Hurriyet. Pictures featured the Pope smiling and shaking hands with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The smaller pro-Islamic newspapers were less upbeat. "Turkey is Muslim and will remain Muslim," snapped Vakit, a pro-Islamic daily. NEW YORK TIMES
Germany Assumes Command of U.N. Naval Force Off Lebanon This Month
Germany takes Presidency of the EU from January thru June 2007, we have a German Pope, and beginning December 2006 Germany commands the U.N. naval force off Lebanon.
Has the world forgotten the Nazi Holocaust? Are we wise to believe the German people so soon after WW1 and WW2 can be trusted with control of such forces? But then is mankind really in control of the governments and institutions of this world. Stay awake friends. More on this is sure to come. slg
See full story on Germany assuming command of U.N. naval forces off Lebanon this month here.
South Korean to Take the Reins of the UN on 1-January-2007.
South Korea's Ban Ki-moon took the oath of office as the next secretary-general of the UN, promising to restore the world body's tarnished reputation and push for peace in the Middle East and conflict-wracked Darfur.
...
Ban swore to conduct himself solely in the interests of the UN, and refused to accept instructions from any government or other authority. Afterwards, he said key words in the oath—loyalty, discretion and conscience—"will be my watchwords as I carry out my duties as secretary-general."
When the 62-year-old career diplomat becomes secretary-general, he will be the first Asian to lead the organization in 35 years. It will also mark a milestone for South Korea, which only joined the UN in 1991 and still has UN troops on the tense border with North Korea.
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Ban will oversee an organization with some 92,000 peacekeepers around the world and a US $5 billion (4 billion euro) annual budget whose reputation has been battered by scandals in the oil-for-food program in Iraq and in peacekeeping procurement, and whose outdated practices need reform to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
In a brief address after being sworn in, Ban pledged "to set the highest ethical standard" and "work to enhance morale, professionalism and accountability among staff members, which in turn will help us serve member states better, and restore trust in the organization."
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Speaking to reporters, Ban singled out Middle East peace as a priority and said he will try "to energize" the roadmap to Israeli-Palestinian peace drafted by the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers—the UN, the US, the EU and Russia.
He also expressed concern at the "deteriorating situations" in Lebanon and Iraq, as well as conflicts in Africa.
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He told reporters his first trip may be to an African Union summit in late January.
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He stressed that the US is an important member of the UN, and the world body needs its support. When US and UN goals and interests differ, Ban said, "it is very important ... to resolve the differences of opinion, and I, as secretary-general, will try to harmonize" to ensure constructive US participation in all UN activities.
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