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Iraq: Gunmen attack governorate building in Irbil

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Three militants stormed the governorate building in the city of Irbil, the normally secure capital of Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. The gunmen were eventually killed, but it was unclear if there were other casualties.

The main regional government building in the city of Irbil in northern Iraq came under attack on Monday morning, after three gunmen shot their way into the building.

The assault on the governorate building in Irbil, which is the capital of Iraq’s self-governing Kurdish region, began around 8:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT).

The militants took control of the third floor of the building before being killed by Kurdish security forces a few hours later, officials told Iraqi media.

It was unclear whether there were any hostages or other casualties.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, although Kurdish security officials said the attack bore the hallmarks of the militant “Islamic State” (IS) group.

“We believe that the attackers are from Islamic State because of the tactics they used in breaking into the building from the main gate. Two gunmen used pistols to shoot at the guards,” a security official was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Irbil, which typically enjoys good security in northern Iraq, was the site of a major attack on the US Consulate in 2015. The IS-claimed attack killed three people and wounded five others.

The Iraqi government declared victory over IS in December, although the militant group still holds pockets of territory and continues to carry out attacks.

The Iraqi Kurdish forces known as peshmerga were key in the military’s defeat of IS after the group launched an offensive in 2014, seizing nearly a third of the country.

rs/rc (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Bulgaria: China has an Interest in Building the Belene NPP, a Highway and a Railway Line to the Aegean Sea

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China has the desire to invest and participate in the construction of a railway linking Bulgaria with the Aegean Sea, the North-South Highway and the Belene NPP. This was understood after the meeting of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the chairman of the State Council of China Li Keqiang. He is on a four-day visit to Bulgaria, during which a meeting with the leaders of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe will be held in the form “16 + 1”.

We believe it is most important to follow EU market rules and laws, Li said. So far, the EU’s rules on transparency in EU procurement have been seen to contradict China‘s way of doing business. “Public procurement will be carried out and non-state projects will be guaranteed by the state,” Li said. He wanted to emphasize that 16 + 1 is not a political platform and does not separate the EU, it will even help to integrate into the union the countries of the initiative, some of which are not members. “We understand that the EU is an important force for global prosperity and peace.” The EU supports democracy in international relations, and without Europe on the global stage there will be no global development, Li said.

Borisov “hired” Li Keqiang as an advertising agent

Borisov showed Li Keqiang and his wife the National Historical Museum. “I saw the surprise of the Prime Minister and his wife of gold which 7000 years old. I hired him as an advertising agent of the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage,” said Borisov. “Please tell the Chinese people about the 7,000-year-old processed gold, how exquisite it is, how beautiful it is, show the pictures,” Li Keqiang told Chinese journalists. “Even if only that is achieved the visit would be worth it,” added Borisov. “And I very much want more Bulgarians to travel to China,” Li Keqiang said.

During the visit of the Chinese prime minister to Bulgaria, dozens of joint agreements and memoranda were signed. The largest amount is a financial agreement for 1.5 billion euros between the Bulgarian Development Bank and the Chinese Development Bank, followed by an agreement between Bulgarian Maritime Fleet and a Chinese bank for $ 94.15 million for the construction of six bulk carriers .

Li Keqiang is the first Chinese prime minister to come to Bulgaria since 2000, and his delegation consists of nearly 700 people.

For four days in Sofia Li will meet with the Bulgarian leaders and then with the leaders of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the form “16 + 1”. In the afternoon, President Rumen Radev will also welcome Li.

Last year, according to Beijing’s Ambassador to Sofia, Zhang Haizhou, trade between Bulgaria and China was $ 2.13 billion (65% growth), with exports of $ 960 million and imports of 1.17 billion dollars.

 

Source: Dnevnik, Georgi A. Angelov

Explosion at Yerevan building, 14 people evacuated

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Explosion at Yerevan building

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia received a call, on Tuesday at 5:11am, informing that an explosion had occurred at an entrance of a building in capital city Yerevan

Two fire and rescue squads were dispatched to the scene.

It was found out that the explosion had occurred in an apartment. As a result, the partition walls and the balcony of this apartment had collapsed. In addition, the windows of the second, third, and fourth floors were damaged.

There are no casualties or injuries.

Ten cars, which were parked in the yard, were also damaged.

Rescuers evacuated fourteen people.

 

Turkish Court rejects request to return Armenian Patriarchate building

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Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate has lost its legal battle to reclaim the Sansaryan Han building, which was confiscated by the state about seven decades ago.

187562_newsdetailThe court rejection came in spite of a recent government plan to return seized properties to minority groups.

The historic building, built in 1895 and commissioned by Mıgırdiç Ağa Sanasaryan, was designed by architect Hovsep Aznavour. It was seized by the Turkish state in the early years of the republic. The Armenian Patriarchate has been fighting a legal battle for its return since 2011.

The İstanbul 13th Court of First Instance rejected the patriarchate’s request for the return of Sansaryan Han in the last session on Friday, attended by lawyers representing both the Patriarchate and the Treasury.

A contractor leased the building on June 18 from Turkey’s Directorate General for Foundations (VGM). The lease agreement was executed before the conclusion of the lawsuit and prompted speculation that the building will be turned into a hotel.

Ali Eyüboğlu, an attorney for the Armenian Patriarchate, said the court’s reasons for not returning the building are not clear as all the documents and expert reports indicate that the building rightfully belongs to the patriarchate. Eyüboğlu said they will appeal the decision once the court issues its reasoned opinion regarding the verdict.

In a related development, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Sezgin Tanrıkulu submitted a parliamentary motion addressed to Minister of Culture and Tourism Ömer Çelik inquiring whether the speculation that the Sansaryan Han will be turned into a hotel is true.

Minority foundations, seeking the return of properties that were seized by the Turkish state in the first decade of the Turkish Republic, have long been saying that they have experienced a number of challenges. Despite a 2011 law passed to ensure confiscated property be returned to its rightful owners, the foundations indicate that reclaiming the properties is not going to be easy.

In August 2011, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government adopted legislation to return all confiscated immovable property belonging to minority foundations in Turkey, a long-overdue step towards expanding the rights of minorities in the country. The decree allows foundations to reclaim real property declared in 1936, when all the foundations were asked by the government to present lists of their property assets. Applications for at least 88 items have been rejected.