Macedonia an EU candidate!

Subject to EU Council approval in December, Macedonia's EU candidacy bid will take a major step forward.

Lazio-Fiorentina: 1-0

16/10/2005
La Lazio vince all'Olimpico contro la Fiorentina grazie al gol di Luciano Zauri al 37' del secondo tempo. Festa anche per Fabio Liverani che ha raggiunto quota 100 presenze con la maglia della Lazio.

New EU accession criteria?

The caveats in the negotiating framework for Turkey's accession to the EU contain more criteria than the ones set in Copehagen in 1993. The condition that Turkey's accession will depend on the "absorption capacity" of the Union goes well beyond the criteria set in 1993 and clearly indicates the reservations that "Europe" has about Turkey joining the club. Double standards are never a good thing and this is no exception.

Croatia gets EU nod

In a typical Brussels (Strasbourg, Luxembourg) manouvering, after Austria's exerted pressure, Croatia began negotiations for EU membership. It is higlhy likely that Croatia will join the exclusive club much earlier than Turkey, maybe even together with Romania and Bulgaria (although I am doubtful). The next move that I expect to happen is that the EU/US will strenghten their rapprochment policy towards Serbia and delay Croatia's EU accession to a later date allowing Serbia's wounds to heal (losing Kosovo, Montenegro, Croatia's EU membership talks). As for the rest of the Western Balkans, those counreis will have to wait, and will probably enter with Turkey(if that happens at all) as a part of the Ottoman Accession.

Turkey opens EU membership talks

Despite ill-timed Austrian efforts to block full membership of Turkey in EU, the EU 25 began membership talks with Turkey yesterday. This is great news not only for the Turks,but also for the Western Balkans countries (especially Macedonia) given the fact that enlargement was to be indefinetelly put off after France's and Holland's rejection of the EU constitution.
It is also positive to see that the EU is not an exclusive Christian club, but a club open to all democratic countries on the European continent (even though Turkey has only 5% of its territory in europe).
Turkey will be able to serve as a bridge between the christian and muslim worlds and be a leading expample of the compatibility of Islam, democracy and secularism.
This is good news for everyone.

Lynndie England found guilty in abuse of Iraq detainees

Good. And she should receive the maximum 10 year sentence. Making an innocent (not yet proven guilty) muslim man strip naked, keeping him on a leish and laughing at him is despicable behaviour and should be sanctioned heavily. These were the soldiers that were meant to bring freedom to Iraq.I was disgusted when I heard about it and I am now satisfied that she will have to accont for her illegal behavior. I am eagerly awaiting her sentencing

Lazio-Palermo 4-2

Sotto di due reti la squadra di Delio Rossi ribalta il risultato in appena sette minuti. Al 13' del secondo tempo apre le marcature Tommaso Rocchi, Pandev regala il gol del pareggio, al 20' è Manfredini autore del gol del vantaggio biancoceleste. Rocchi infine chiude il match.
Forza Lazio!