Religion

Meireles sports his Blue Mosque tattoo during World Cup training

Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles has shown his newest tattoo, featuring the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, during a recent training for his team’s upcoming game at the World Cup in Brazil.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool player now calls Turkey his home, as he plays for Turkish football giants Fenerbahçe. 

Croatia’s Embattled Govt Woos Church Over Schools

Croatia’s centre-left government is striving to end quarrels with the powerful Catholic Church over education in what is seen as a move to boost its tumbling ratings.

Vedran Molnar, the new Minister of Education, is to meet the Catholic primates of both Croatia and Bosnia - and assure them that the government has no intention of pushing religion out of the classroom.

Patriarch Vartholomaios, Archbishop Ieronymos meet in Athens

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios was greeted by Archbishop Ieronymos at the Athens Archdiocese on Wednesday, the first day of a three-day visit to Greece by the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Vartholomaios was expected to open a health conference in Athens on Wednesday before making his debut visit to the Saronic Gulf island of Hydra on Thursday.

Turkey’s celebrity preachers to earn fortune this Ramadan

A handful of Islamic preachers in Turkey will earn more than a million Turkish Liras with their special shows on Turkish TV screens throughout Ramadan this year, which will start on June 28.

Top of the list is Islamic scholar Nihat Hatipoğlu, who has clinched a contract worth 600,000 liras with ATV for 30 episodes of his trademark Ramadan program, according to daily Vatan.

Britain sees thaw with Iran, will reopen Tehran embassy

British Foreign Secretary William Hague says that ‘circumstances are right’ to reopen Britain’s embassy in Iran, which was closed in 2011 after hard-liners overran the building and ransacked it Britain plans to reopen its embassy in Iran, Foreign Secretary William Hague announced June 17, as the West steps up its engagement with Tehran amid rapid jihadist advances in neighboring Ir

Bulgarian Orthodox Church Condemns Sofia Gay Pride 2014

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church demanded the cancellation of the Sofia Pride 2014 gay parade, due to take place this Saturday. 

In a statement the Church urged the state and city institutions, as well as the organizers of the event, to cancel “this march of proud sin” and the accompanying events and exhibitions, because of their “unnatural and dissolute nature”. 

Istanbul-based Islamic charity organization uses ISIL-adopted insignia on logo

An Islamic charity organization based in an Istanbul suburb is using an insignia adopted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), daily HaberTürk has reported.

The report comes amid claims that some Turkish associations were recruiting militants for the jihadist group who have recently launched a wide-scale offensive in Iraq.

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