Category: News

 

Photo: AP

 

A team of experts has begun restoring the ancient tomb in Jerusalem where Christians believe Jesus was buried, in the first such works for 200 years, the reports.

The renovation in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre aims to reinforce and conserve the structure.

Rivalry between the three denominations that run the church has delayed work.

But clerics from the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches have put aside their differences, recognising the need to begin repairs.

The work will focus on the Edicule, the ancient chamber housing Jesus’s tomb which Christians say stands above the spot where Jesus’s body was anointed, wrapped in cloth and buried.

The last restoration work to take place there was in 1810 after a fire.

The Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian authorities are responsible for running different parts of the church but share responsibility for the shrine.

Relations between them can be tense – in 2008, an argument between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks escalated into a brawl – but they have decided to act jointly after Israel’s antiquities authority last year said the church was unsafe and Israeli police briefly closed it.

“We equally decided the required renovation was necessary to be done, so we agreed upon it,” said Samuel Aghoyan, the top Armenian church official there.

The scientific co-ordinator for the repairs, Antonia Moropoulou, said the tomb was stable but warped and needed attention after many years of exposure to water, humidity and candle smoke.

The structure also needed to be protected from the risk of earthquake damage, she said.

Work is expected to take between eight and 12 months and during that time pilgrims will be able to continue visiting the site, church officials said.

Each denomination is contributing funds for the $3.3m (£2.3m) project. In addition, King Abdullah of Jordan has made a personal donation.

Jordan controlled Jerusalem’s Old City, where the church is located, until the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and continues to play a role in safeguarding Muslim and Christian holy sites there.

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.

Iran’s Telecommunication Infrastructure Company has provided bandwidth transit from Iraq to Armenia (Pilote) with the capacity of 200Gbps under a project called ‘Ouj,’ reports. 

Photo: REX FEATURES

 

The four members of Abba have appeared together in Sweden, and surprised fans with an impromptu singalong, the BBC reports.

The stars gathered on Sunday at a private party to celebrate the 50-year partnership between songwriters Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson.

During the gala, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad performed the Abba song The Way Old Friends Do.

Ulvaeus and Andersson joined in at the end of the song, marking the band’s first public performance in 30 years.

Footage of the performance has yet to surface, but images of the quartet have appeared on social media.

Since winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, Abba have sold almost 400 million albums around the world. Mamma Mia!, the musical based on their hits and produced by Ulvaeus and Andersson, has been seen by more than 50 million people.

During their most successful period, the band survived marriage break-ups between Ulvaeus and Faltskog, and Lyngstad and Andersson, but they finally called it a day in 1983.

Their last public performance came three years later, on the Swedish version of TV show This Is Your Life, which was honouring their manager Stig Anderson.

President of teh Czech Republic Milos Zeman will ask the Government and Parliament to officially recognize the massacre of Armenians by Turks as genocide.

“I expressed my stance on the Armenian Genocide, when the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, was visiting Prague in 2014,” President Zeman said in an interview with .

The President said he will reiterate the position during his state visit to Armenia. “But more steps are needed, and after my talks in Armenia I’ll call on the Czech Government and Parliament to follow the example of the German Bundestag,” he stated.

The President recalled that the Armenian Genocide has been recognized not only by Germany, but also a number of other countries, including France, Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Italy and others.

President of eth Czech Republic Milos Zeman has arrived in Armenia for a two-day state visit today at the invitation of Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan.

Armenian Archbishop’s letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has angered the Armenian community of Turkey.

Archbishop Aram Atesyan, the General Vicar of the Armenian Patriarch in Turkey, sent a letter toErdogan slamming the German Parliament’s  2 adoption of an Armenian Genocide resolution, saying that the Bundestag’s decision “about the events happened during the tragic times of World War I caused regret in our nation,” reports.

“It is unacceptable that a parliament, which was formed by the votes of German citizens and has the duty of establishing laws for the peace, prosperity, and security of their nation, expressed its opinion, though it has no right to do so. It is unacceptable that this parliament legalized its decision on behalf of the entire German nation and considers itself a judge,” Atesyan wrote in his letter, which made no reference to the Armenian Genocide as such.

In his letter, shared on the Armenian Patriarchate’s Facebook page, Atesyan criticizes the use of the “tragedy that traumatized the Armenian nation” in international politics and claimed that such resolutions cause “sorrow and pain.” “Unfortunately, this historical pain of the Armenian nation is considered as a tool for accusing and punishing Turkish state and nation. And because of this ugly mentality, sub- and supra-identities of Turkish Armenians are harmed. The ones who are willing to see the truth can realize how Armenian nation has been abused by imperialist powers,” reads a part of the letter, which concludes with prayers to God to bestow “health, success, and happiness” on Erdogan.

In response to Atesyan’s letter, the Turkish-Armenian Weekly , condemning his praise of Erdogan, despite the President’s gross violation of human rights, anti-Armenian and racist policies, and denial of the Armenian Genocide. The letter reads:

Dear Mr. Archbishop,

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been taken to hospital with a heart problem, according to a spokeswoman for his party, the BBC reports.

The 79-year-old’s condition was “nothing to worry about”, she added.

A statement by the San Raffaele hospital in Milan said the hospitalisation was necessary after what it called a “cardiac deficiency”.

Mr Berlusconi was Italy’s prime minister four times, but has since been convicted for tax fraud and bribery.

The leader of Forza Italia, who had a pacemaker implanted in a hospital in the US when he was 70, would undergo tests “in the next few days”, the hospital statement said.

Turkey has no levers to exert pressure on Germany, and the threats to take measures over Bundestag’s vote on Armenian Genocide are not serious, Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan said in an interview with .

He said Turkey itself depends on Germany economically and militarily, and the only thing Ankara can do is to use the migrants deal as a tool for “blackmail.”  He said, however, it cannot be a serious threat, either, considering that Turkey also depends on the EU, as it’s expected to get billions for the deal.

Speaking about the Bundestag resolution on Armenian Genocide, Safrastyan said “it’s of great importance for Armenia,” but added that the Armenian side should be able to make correct use of it.”

“The Bundestag vote has resulted in an establishment of a new atmosphere in Europe as regards the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. “It’s no coincidence that the Czech President has pledged to do his best reach Armenian Genocide recognition in his country,” the political scientist said. He’s confident many European countries will follow Bundestag’s example. Besides, he said, the Armenian Genocide will be included in school programs across Europe.

Ruben Safrastayn excluded any link between the Bundestag vote on Armenian Genocide and Turkey’s actions in Syria.

“Turkey pursues concrete goals in Syria – to get rid of Assad’s administration, strengthen its influence in the country by supporting certain terrorist groups and strike a blow to Kurds and create an atmosphere of fear among the Armenian population. The recent escalatioin in Aleppo is connected with the fact that the Al-Nusra Front, which is said to have close ties with the special services in Turkey, has recently received a huge amount of weapons from that country. There are even reports on representatives of Turkish special forces fighting in the ranks of the terrorist group,” Safrastyan added.

The political scientist called attention to the fact that Al-Nusra is targeting not only Syrian Army positions, but also Armenian-populated neighborhoods in Aleppo.

Referring to today’s blast that killed at least 11 in Istanbul, Safrastyan said “Turkey is getting what it deserves.”

Turkey would have to suspend its agreement with the European Union to stem the flow of migrants into the bloc if there is no deal to grant visa-free travel to Turks, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT Haber on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

In a live televised interview, Cavusoglu said the German government must make clear its stance is not in line with a German parliament resolution declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces a genocide.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) today published its new . While progress was achieved in areas such as migration legislation and living conditions of historical minorities, other issues give rise to concern, such as the continued use of hate speech, a crackdown on independent civil society and media, prejudice against LGBT people and discrimination against religious minorities.

ECRI expresses concern about a wide ranging crack-down on independent civil society and media. As a result, vulnerable groups can no longer turn to NGOs for assistance in cases of racism, hate speech and discrimination.

“Political leaders, educational institutions and media have continued using hate speech against Armenians; an entire generation of Azerbaijanis has now grown up listening to this hateful rhetoric. Human rights activists working inter alia towards reconciliation with Armenia have been sentenced to heavy prison terms on controversial accusations and there are big concerns that hate speech provisions have been misused against the Talysh minority,” the report reads.

“The authorities should ensure that public officials at all levels refrain from hate speech towards Armenians and create adequate conditions for the development of a diverse and independent civil society,” it continues.

“An entire generation of Azerbaijanis has now grown up listening to constant rhetoric of Armenian aggression. According to a 2012 survey, 91% perceived Armenia as Azerbaijan’s greatest enemy.”

ECRI reiterates its recommendation that the Azerbaijani authorities ensure that public officials at all levels refrain from hate speech towards Armenians.

“Even though no violent hate crime based on ethnic affiliation has been registered in Azerbaijan during the last five years, political leaders, educational institutions and media have continued spreading hate speech. The pardon, release and promotion in 2012 of Ramil Safarov, who had been sentenced in Budapest to life imprisonment for the murder of an Armenian army officer, contributes to a sense of impunity for the perpetrators of racist crime. The report recommends that authorities put an end to the constant, mediatized use of hate speech, and rather promote mutual understanding and confidence,” the report says.

ECRI is a human rights body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts, which monitors problems of racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, intolerance and discrimination on grounds such as “race”, national/ethnic origin, color, citizenship, religion and language (racial discrimination); it prepares reports and issues recommendations to member States.