A Revived Roman Empire

A Revived Roman Empire?

EU seeks mediating role in Mideast conflict - looking to develop Mediterranean Union

EU officials hope to play a 'constructive' role in the Middle East peace process when they meet delegations from Israel and the Palestinian territories in Lisbon on Monday. The talks are due to take place just hours before a meeting of foreign ministers from Europe and the Mediterranean area and several weeks before a US-sponsored conference on Palestinian statehood is due to take place in Maryland. The EU's executive, the Commission, has announced its intention of resuming direct financial aid to the Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. The EU has been trying to play a constructive role in the Middle East at least since 1995, when it set up a Euro-Mediterranean Partnership at a meeting of foreign ministers in Barcelona, Spain. The so-called 'Barcelona Process' seeks to establish a common area of peace and stability while enhancing economic, social and cultural cooperation between the EU and 10 Mediterranean Partners - Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. EU officials in Brussels said that while no concrete results were expected to emerge from the Lisbon meeting as far as the peace process is concerned, the fact that the EU was providing traditional enemies a forum in which to discuss issues of common interest was in itself significant. On Tuesday, EU ministers planned to discuss a variety of issues with its colleagues from the Mediterranean. These include enhanced economic cooperation, issues relating to migration and a code of conduit on counter terrorism. The meeting was also expected to offer EU ministers a first chance to discuss Sarkozy's as yet undefined idea of creating a Mediterranean Union. Modelled on the EU, the Mediterranean Union would comprise 20 countries on the Mediterranean Sea. Among them Israel and Syria.

Britain 'No Longer Christian,' Says Influential Liberal Think Tank

It's time for Britain to recognize that it is no longer a Christian nation and should embrace multiculturalism, according to a liberal think-tank favored by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.Echoing sentiments heard throughout Britain in recent years, the authors of the report say that the traditional pillars of British identity have now vanished or been greatly weakened.Church attendance is at historically low levels, the British Empire is gone, the monarchy is far less popular and the Second World War is inexorably slipping into memory. After interviewing opinion makers and ordinary citizens, the authors say that it's up to the government to create a new and more inclusive national identity, part of which includes honoring the diverse cultures found in Britain. With regards to religion, bishops from the Church of England should no longer sit in the House of Lords and a new constitution could be created to defend "the right of citizens to practice whatever faith they please." And more recognition should be given to different ethnic groups: "If we are going to continue as a nation to mark Christmas -- and it would be very hard to expunge it from our national life even if we wanted to -- then public organizations should mark other religious festivals too." Members of the opposition Conservative Party charged that the report amounted to "throwing out" history and "denying the fundamental contribution" that Christianity plays in Britain.