The Guardian published an article containing anthropological research of the word “Caucasian” and its meaning. According to this material, the term "Caucasian" was introduced by the German anthropologist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, who was busy measuring skulls in Georgia in the 19th century, and for no good reason decided that the Caucasus was the birthplace of mankind. He made division of Aryan, Semitic (Jews) and Hamitic (north Africans), just as it was written in Genesis. Europeans back than would not like to be seen as having racial connections with Jews or Africans, and German Nazi extermination policies gave the term "Aryan" a bad name.
An article published by The Washington Post suggests that while senior NATO envoys discussed closer ties and possible joint naval maneuvers in Kuwaiti palace, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was belittling the Western-allied Gulf states for casting Iran as a regional menace. However, the article suggests that the turmoil across the Middle East has changed the Gulf policies on Iran 180 degrees and now the Gulf leaders feel they are under threat and facing a whole new security environment. This harder line toward Iran is the new normal for the Gulf.
The same agency published an article entitled “U.S. envoy Chris Stevens arrives in Libya to help opposition fighters”. A U.S. envoy arrived Tuesday in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi to begin talks on possible financial help to the Libyan opposition amid reports of fresh setbacks for anti-government forces in the key port city of Brega. Chris Stevens, a former U.S. Embassy official in Tripoli and the highest-ranking U.S. representative to travel to Libya since the uprising began, will explore ways to open the funding spigots for an opposition movement that is desperately short of cash and supplies. In Tripoli, Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim said Libya was open to “any political solution,” and said the government would be prepared to consider political reforms or elections if the rebels laid down their arms. But he also dismissed the possibility of negotiations with the Transitional National Council, saying the rebel government amounted to little more than an “armed militia” that had been infiltrated by al-Qaeda and was supported by a minority of Libyans. Acting Libyan Foreign Minister Abdul Ati al-Obeidi arrived in Turkey for talks with its government, just a day after he delivered a message from Gaddafi to Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in Athens. Turkey and Greece, both NATO members, have said that they want to listen to proposals from both sides on a way to end the violence. Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said after meeting with Obeidi that “there is mobility, and there is a chance, albeit small, for a politico-diplomatic solution.”
The Los Angeles times published an article suggesting that for Obama, it's business before friendship with world leaders. However, the some say that Obama might get more cooperation in the messy dispute over the war in Libya if he had closer ties to counterparts.
According to the Turkish information agency Hurriyet, during the Justice & Development (AK) Party's last group meeting at Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he would not nominate several names – who have been working in the last two terms in the Parliament – and have them take a rest until the next elections. Nearly 200 names, some of whom worked as ministers in AK Party, will be out of the list. In main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), 70 percent of deputies are expected to be changed. Half of Peace & Democracy Party (BDP) will be changed, while there will be a limited change in Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
