Bulgarian authorities discovered an explosive device on Tuesday in a van parked just outside the capital Sofia’s international airport, Reuters reports.
“An explosive device had been found in the van,” Sofia airport spokeswoman Daniela Veleva said, adding that police were still trying to dispose of the device.
Bulgarian police had earlier evacuated a section of the airport’s Terminal 1 while bags seen in the van were checked.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that he hopes to have an opportunity soon to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a step to defusing the crisis over Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane, the Associated Press reports.
Speaking in northwest Turkey on Friday, Erdogan said: “There is a summit in Paris, I believe he (Putin) will also attend. We could sit and talk there.”
Erudogan adds: “I would like to meet (Putin) face to face in Paris. I would like to bring the issue to a reasonable point. We are disturbed that the issue has been escalated.”
Photo:Â Donat Sorokin/TASS
Iran’s ambassador to Russia said on Monday that Moscow had started the procedure of supplying Tehran with S-300 anti-missile rocket system, according to the Tasnim news agency.
Russia and Iran signed a contract for Moscow to supply Tehran with S-300 surface-to-air missile systems on Nov. 9.
“Iran and Russia signed a new contract and the procedure of delivery of S-300 has started,” Iran’s Ambassador to Russian Mehdi Sanaei was quoted as saying by Tasnim.
AP Photo/ Michel Euler
A Paris suicide bomber named Ahmed Almohammad, who blew himself up near the Stade de France stadium, arrived in France via Turkey as a refugee from Syria, local media reported Friday citing law enforcement sources in Turkey, reports.
According to Haberturk TV, Turkish intelligence learned that the terrorist, traveling with an alleged forged Syrian passport, had lived in the Syrian city of Mari, controlled by ISIL.
Almohammad crossed the Turkish border in the province of Kilis in south-central Turkey disguised as a refugee, traveling through Gaziantep and arriving in the western city of Izmir where he resided on October 2-4 in a hotel.
He reached Greece by crossing the Aegean Sea, later moving through Macedonia and Serbia to Croatia, where, on October 7 he was registered as a refugee. Following these movements Almohammad traveled via Hungary and Austria and finally arrived in France.
On November 13, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out across Paris, killing 129 people and injuring over 350. One of the attacks took place outside of the Stade de France stadium, where a friendly match was underway between France and Germany.
In remembrance of 100 years since the Armenian Genocide, professors from four different universities spoke out against denial of the genocide as part of “Denial and Memory,” a conference held at Northwestern on Friday, reports.
Held by the Buffett Institute of Global Studies’ Keyman Modern Turkish Studies, history Prof. Ipek Yosmaoğlu introduced the event to an audience of about 30 people.
“Denial of violence is even more serious,” said Yosmaoğlu. “The most terrible thing is not about the suffering, but the erasure of its memory.”
Mustafa Aksakal, who teaches about Turkish history at Georgetown University, was the first speaker. He began by telling the story of five young Armenian boys who struck an undetonated shell that fell during World War I, killing two and injuring three. Aksakal used this as an example of the destruction war brought to Armenian communities.
“In short, the first World War devastated the Middle East,” he said. “Violence begets violence, but more violence begets violent identities.”
Rachel Goshgarian, a professor at Lafayette College, spoke about Armenian historical monuments and how since the 20th century, hundreds have either been destroyed or are vanishing.
“Does this destruction, this continued use of destruction, act as a byproduct of the Armenian Genocide?” she asked the crowd.
Some of these buildings had been used for demonstrations of explosive power, or target practice for the military, Goshgarian said. Other times these places lose parts of their structures for people to repurpose them for homebuilding.
“These have been the fate of these structures” she said. “Even when the ministry recognizes these buildings have some sort of historical importance, some buildings get turned into a children’s playground.”
Kerem Ӧktem, a professor at the University of Graz in Austria, discussed memory versus recognition of the genocide and ideas like the Turkish government’s denial of the genocide. He also talked about the connection between societal power groups and recognition of the genocide.
“With very little reach out in society, it is important to see how many sides can exist in society,” he said. “Denialists are losing ground.”
Barbara Lyons, an Evanston resident who was at the event, said she is interested in the topic of the Middle East and the Armenian Genocide.
“Everything they told me were things I didn’t know,” she said. “I read about the West carving out the East arbitrarily, forming countries, and that is how this whole thing got started.”
She also commented on the shock factor of the lecture.
“The destruction of Armenian culture is what surprised me,” she said. “They didn’t just get rid of the Armenians, they wanted to get rid of remembering they were there.”
Photo by Maxim Grigoriev/TASS
The UK has handed over to Moscow certain data on the Russian plane crash over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, TASS reports.
“Naturally, we hope for cooperation with all countries, which may assist in the investigation of this tragedy,” he said
“We can confirm that certain data has been handed over by the British side,” Peskov noted. The Kremlin spokesman declined to provide details on what particular data he referred to, adding that so far he had no such information. For the same reason he did not answer the question whether these data had affected Russia’s decision to suspend flights to Egypt. According to Peskov, it was up to investigators to confirm a particular version.
Answering a question whether Russia sees any progress in the investigation of the Russian plane crash, he said “it was premature to talk about this, there have been no official statements yet about even some preliminary results from the investigators.”
He refused to comment on the fact that the Egyptian investigators are considering a terrorist attack to be the major cause of the crash. “At the moment I can say nothing,” Peskov said.
An A321 passenger jet of Russia’s Kogalymavia air carrier (flight 9268) bound to St. Petersburg crashed on October 31 some 30 minutes after the takeoff from Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh.
It fell down 100 kilometers south of the administrative center of North Sinai Governorate, the city of Al-Arish. The plane was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew members. None of them survived.
The newly renovated Armenian St. Gevorg Cathedral of Tblisi will be solemnly opened and consecrated on October 31.
On October 30, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; will travel to Tblisi Georgia at the invitation of the Armenian Church Diocese of Georgia.
On October 31, His Holiness will preside over the service of consecration for the newly renovated St. Gevorg Cathedral of Tblisi.
Before that Primate of the Georgian Diocese, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan will bless the 12 columns of the church. A plaque with the names of the benefactors will be unveiled.
The renovation of the church was initiated by Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan, who was joined by a group of Armenian and Georgian entrepreneurs.
The Armenian Church of St. Virgin Mary was consecrated in the Swedish city of Södertälje on October 24.
The funds for the reconstruction of the church that started in 2014 were granted by representatives of the local Armenian community and benefactors.
The solemn blessing ceremony was attended by Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Sweden Artak Apitonyan, Vice-President of the Swedish Rikstag Esabelle Dingizian, representatives of sister churches, high-ranking officials, members of the community and pilgrims.
President Serzh Sargsyan took part today in the congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Madrid. It was presided over by EPP President Joseph Daul. The congress was joined by the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, heads of EU and European Partnership states and governments representing the EPP member parties.
Among the congress’ agenda items are the elections of EPP President, as well as the discussion and approval of the party program and the amendments to the party rules. From 21 to 22 October, the congress delegates will focus on some issues of pan-European importance, e.g. the refugee problems, the consequences of the economic crisis and the opportunities to overcome thereof. The parties will touch upon the European Neighbourhood issues, the developments in the area of the Eastern Partnership and upon contemporary international challenges.
Armenia’s president delivered a speech at the congress.
Statement by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan at the European People’s Party Statutory Congress
Dear Colleagues,
At the outset I would like to thank the EPP President Daul for the invitation to take part in this meeting. Thank You Mr. Prsident.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Eastern Partnership Summit of Riga welcomed the common understanding reached on the scope for a future agreement between the EU and Armenia. Today I am glad to note that we have reached a new responsible milestone in our relations with the EU: last week the EU Council in Luxembourg adopted mandate to open negotiations on a new, legally binding and overarching agreement with Armenia. I strongly believe that negotiations will result in an elaborate document outlining comprehensive cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, and it will become the best assurance for our joint commitment to elevate Armenia-EU relations to a new stage.
There is no doubt that our journey should not have been unclouded unless it was supported by our partners, not least of the EPP family. I strongly hope that the EPP will stand by us also in the course of negotiations in order to conclude it as soon as possible and continue with the European agenda of Armenia upon a new legally binding foundation.
In our country we continue development of the democratic institutions, balance separate branches of power, protect human rights and independence of judiciary. We have taken an important step in this direction by initiating constitutional reform in our country, which is implemented in close cooperation with the Venice Commission. Should our people approve the Constitutional amendments on December 6, Armenia will transform its semi-presidential model of governance into the parliamentary one, which in its turn will make more efficient interaction of the separate branches of power, lay ground for more intensive economic development, increase the level of the human rights protection and institutional role of the opposition. We have invited the EU, PACE, OSCE and other international structures to observe the referendum. I am confident that you participation and best practices will give a further impetus to the progress of the democratic process in Armenia.
Dear Attendees,
In conclusion I would like to note once again that the Armenian nation highly values the EPP contribution to the adoption of the European Parliament resolution to condemn the Armenian Genocide, as well as the adoption of the resolution dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial titled “The Armenian Genocide and European Values” by the EPP Political Assembly. They came to prove that the European People’s Party, as the largest political group represented in the European Parliament and the force that advances the European identity and idea, notwithstanding the most diverse set of political considerations, is committed to the protection of the fundamental human rights.
Last but not least I wish this unique platform of dialogue continuous and fruitful work.
Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah and Iranian fighters launched an offensive south of Aleppo on Friday, expanding the army’s counter-attack against rebels across western Syria with support from Russian air strikes, Reuters reports.
The assault means the army is now pressing insurgents on several fronts near Syria’s main cities in the west.
Aleppo, a commercial and industrial hub near the border with Turkey, was Syria’s largest city before its four-year civil war, which grew out of protests against Assad’s rule.
Control of the city, still home to two million people, is divided between the government and rebels.
“This is the promised battle,” a senior military source in Syria said of the offensive backed by hundreds of Hezbollah and Iranian forces which he said had made some gains on the ground.