Suicide bombers and gunmen have killed at least 35 people at a Shia shrine in Iraq, which so-called Islamic State (IS) said it carried out, the BBC reports.
At least one bomber blew himself up outside the mausoleum of Sayid Mohammed bin Ali al-Hadi, in Balad, which was then stormed by gunmen, officials say.
Another bomber blew himself up among fleeing worshippers, reports say.
Meanwhile the death toll from Sunday’s suicide bombing in Baghdad has again been raised, from 250 to 292.
Dear Compatriots,
I congratulate you on the occasion of Constitution Day.
This is an important and historic day for our country and our people. Together, we are traveling step by step down the road which leads us towards the implementation of the goals enshrined in the Constitution.
The latest constitutional reforms have proved once again that our sovereign, democratic, legal, and social state has matured; the reforms have also highlighted tendencies for our country’s upward and sustainable development. The altered version of the Constitution makes us as a society freer and stronger. At the same time, the new reality requires a responsible attitude from all of us towards the ongoing social, legal, and political processes.
I once again extend my congratulations on the occasion of this great holiday and wish that we live and work according to the letter and spirit of our Main Law.
On his final day of his stay in Armenia, the Pope visited the Khor Virap monastery near the Turkish border where he will release doves in the direction of Mount Ararat. The monastery is revered as the site where St. Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of Christianity in Armenia, was imprisoned.
The monastery is revered as the site where St. Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of Christianity in Armenia, was imprisoned.
After a prayer in Armenian and Latin, Pope Francis and Catholicos of All Armenian Karekin II headed for the observation deck overlooking Mount Ararat.
The religious leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church released doves in the direction of the closed border between Armenia and Turkey as a sign of peace.
The Pope will shortly bid farewell to Armenia, the first Christian nation and will leave for Vatican after a farewell ceremony at Zvartnots Airport.
Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pakayeen expressed regret over remarks by some Azeri lawmakers against a recent visit to Iran by Armenia’s Foreign Minister, reports.
Such “unconventional” statements do not serve to develop the relations between the two friendly and brotherly countries, Pakayeen said in a press conference.
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian visited Iran earlier in June and held talks with senior Iranian officials.
On Tuesday, a number of Azerbaijani parliamentarians criticized Iran during the discussion of a draft law on approval of a cooperation between Tehran and Baku.
They voiced discontent at the growing ties between Iran and Armenia, the visit by Armenian top diplomat to Tehran, the abolition of visa regime between the two countries, and a possible trip by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Armenia.
Ankara is working on potential steps in response to the German parliament passing a resolution declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, Turkish deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Monday, Reuters reports.
“It is not possible for us to remain indifferent to this,” Canikli told a press conference during a cabinet meeting. “Work on whether it would be possible to overturn this decision and what steps can be taken is still underway,” he said.
Today, on the occasion of Europe’s Day President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Office of the Delegation of the European Union in Armenia, President’s Press Office reports.
The President of Armenia congratulated the Head of the EU Delegation Ambassador Piotr Switalski and the entire staff of the Office and in their persons the large EU family on the occasion of Europe’s Day, and wished peace and prosperity.
“It’s been six decades since one of the founders of the EU Robert Schuman stated his declaration which gave a start to the process of creating the European Union. In this short period of time the idea of the united Europe has undergone transformation, proved its viability and demonstrated the advantages of coexistence of the nations. In fact, today the authority of the European Union is reaching far beyond its borders. I am glad that in recent years our relations and political contacts have become more active and high-level visits have become more frequent. Last year, we hosted in Armenia the President of the European Council Mr. Tusk, Commissioner Johannes Hahn, and last March a high-level representative of the EU Mrs. Mogherini also visited Yerevan. These visits were full of substance and implied practical steps. Our negotiations on a new Armenia-EU legal document are proceeding successfully, and we hope that the document will be signed within a reasonable period of time which will further enhance our cooperation,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.
On behalf of the EU Delegation in Armenia and his own behalf, Ambassador Switalski thanked the President of Armenia for visiting the Office and for his warm words and underscored that the EU Delegation considers Europe’s Day a common holiday, which they would like to celebrate with Armenia and the extended European family.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Armenian authorities for the assistance in the organization of the celebrations dedicated to Europe’s Day on the entire territory of Armenia. From Gyumri to Kapan, to the border with Iran we call it the European Gates and make our best to develop relations with Armenia. We assess our relations as excellent, dynamically developing but believe at the same time that there is even a greater potential for their enrichment and development,” said the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Piotr Switalski.
President Serzh Sargsyan and Ambassador Switalski discussed also issues pertinent to the Armenia-EU agenda, ongoing programs and priorities, spoke about reforms conducted in Armenia. The President of Armenia thanked the EU for the continuous assistance to these reforms. The parties expresses hope that joint efforts aimed at the deepening of the EU-Armenia relations will enrich the bilateral agenda and will elevate the Armenia-EU relations to a new level.
Armenian gymnast Harutyun Merdinyan won a gold medal in the pommel horse competition of the 2016 Men’s European Championships held in Bern.
The win marked the first ever European title for independent Armenia and the first for an Armenian gymnast since Albert Azaryan in 1955.
Vahagn Davtyan and Artur Davtyan brought Armenia two silver medals.
The settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be a “package solution with stepwise implementation,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in an interview with Interfax.
“Over the past years we have been working on compromise formulations and have been very close to a settlement on several occasions, but every time Azerbaijan has made a step backward,” Minister Nalbandian said.
“The implementation of the agreements reached between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna will create necessary conditions for the settlement of conflict and the search for compromise solutions,” the Foreign Minister said.
During the meeting the parties reiterated that there can be no military solution to the conflict. The Co-Chairs insisted on the importance of respecting the 1994 and 1995 ceasefire agreements.
The Presidents reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. To reduce the risk of further violence, they agreed to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism. The Presidents also agreed to the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office. Finally, they agreed to continue the exchange of data on missing persons under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to which the Presidents committed during the Paris summit of October 2014.
Minister Nalbandian noted that “the first-ever participation of the Foreign Ministers of the co-chairing countries in the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan is a testament to the extreme importance the mediating countries attach to the implementation of the agreements.”
Minister Nalabandian voiced hope that Azerbaijan would not disappoint the hopes of the co-chairing countries and would come up to the expectations of the international community.
The Azerbaijani side started heavy shelling of the NKR Defense Army positions all along the line of contact from 17:00 today, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.
More intensive firing was reported in the northeastern (Martakert) and northern (Talish) directions of the line of contact. The rival fired 116 shells from 82 mm mortars.
“The Azerbaijani side rushed to lay the blame for destabilizing the situation at the line of contact on the Karabakh side, but this does not correspond to reality,” the Ministry said.
The front divisions of the NKR Defense mostly remain committed to the agreement on ceasefire and resort to response actions only in case of extreme necessitytargeting the firing ranges of the rival.
The Islamic State (ISIS) group carried out rare attacks in Iraq‘s deep Shiite south Sunday, May 1, killing at least 33 people with twin suicide car bomb blasts in the city of Samawa, AFP reports.
“The hospitals have received 33 dead,” a senior official in the Muthanna health department, which covers Samawa, told AFP. An officer in Muthanna Operations Command confirmed the toll.
They said at least 50 people were also wounded in the blasts in Samawa, 230 kilometers (145 miles) south of Baghdad.
“Two car bombs went off in town. The first one was at around midday near a bus station in the city centre,” a senior police officer in Muthanna province said.
“The other exploded about 5 minutes later, 400 metres from the spot of the first explosion,” he said.
ISIS issued a statement later on social media claiming two suicide attackers detonated their car bombs against members of the security forces.