Secrets of Ethiopia's ancient "church forests" - Into the Forests of Gondar (PHOTOS)

In a faraway land, in a province named South Gondar, the arid landscape is dotted with ancient Orthodox Christian Tewahedo churches. Forests encircle these churches—hundreds of green spots visible in satellite photos—and they are about the only stands of trees surviving after the Amhara people expanded their agricultural fields by cutting down more than 95 percent of the old forest for fuel, crops, and grazing.

 

 

A scenario out of J.R.R. Tolkien? An imaginary land in the game Myst? 

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The Immovable Ladder at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Venerated as the site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is perhaps the world’s most sacred Christian pilgrimage site. It is also the location of a 150-year-old argument over a ladder.  

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Bilderberg agenda: Western elites meet to determine the future of Middle East and Africa

 

During the world’s most secretive gathering the Bilderberg Group is set to discuss topics including cyber warfare, US foreign policy, “developments in the Middle East” and “Africa’s challenges” despite the glaring absence of regional representatives.

The Bilderberg Group, long criticized for a lack of transparency, has revealed details of its upcoming meeting. This year 138 politicians, bank bosses, billionaires, chief executives and European royalty have confirmed their attendance to the invitation-only event, set to take place in Watford, England. The list notably includes only 14 women. 

The group is comprised largely of individuals from financial and business backgrounds - there will be nearly three dozen CEOs and more than two dozen Chairmen of banks and petroleum giants. Twenty-three financial institutions will be represented at the five-star Grove Hotel near Watford, Hertfordshire, including Goldman Sachs. 

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IMF admits mistakes made in Greece bailout

The International Monetary Fund has said that it lowered its normal standards for debt sustainability to bail out Greece and its projections for the Greek economy may have been overly optimistic.

The IMF was one of a trio of international lenders that in 2010 stepped in to keep the euro zone country from defaulting on its debt and departing the common currency bloc. The IMF pledged about $39bn to Greece at the time, out of a total package of $146.2bn.

Some IMF board members and others criticised the fund for giving Greece so much money in comparison to the size of its economy, accusing the lender of being overly swayed by its European members.

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Turkish police tear gas protesters in Ankara

 

Turkish police have fired tear gas and water cannon at crowds who joined mass demonstrations in Ankara, as the government hit out at US expressions of concern over its handling of demonstrations.

 

 

 The latest violence in days of angry protests erupted after thousands of union workers filled the central Kizilay square in the Turkish capital on Wednesday, urging Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resign.

 

Ambulances took away at least four people who collapsed as the gas blew into nearby restaurants, said an AFP news agency photographer at the scene.

 

Erdogan's government earlier defended its democratic record after the United Nations, the United States and other Western powers voiced concern over allegations of police brutality.

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Christians caught in middle of Syrian conflict

Orthodox faithful pray during a mass held at the Syrian Orthodox Church on Sunday in Damascus, Syria to celebrate Easter according to the Orthodox calendar. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter several weeks after observances by other Christian denominations. Christians pose around 12 percent of Syria's 20 million Sunni-majority inhabitants.

The uprising in Syria began as a peaceful protest for diversity and democracy during the Arab Spring of 2011. But it has turned into a holy war between Shiite and Sunni sects of Islam — with Christians and other minorities caught in the middle.

The highest profile Christian victims of the civil war are two Orthodox bishops kidnapped in late April, and there is still no official word as to the whereabouts or fate of the two clerics, who were abducted as they returned from a humanitarian mission in Turkey.

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SYRIA: France, Britain confirms use of sarin gas in Syria

a Syrian victim who suffered an alleged chemical attack at Khan al-Assal village according to SANA, receives treatment by doctors, at a hospital in Aleppo, Syria. 

 

France said Tuesday it has confirmed that the nerve gas sarin was used "multiple times and in a localized way" in Syria, including at least once by the regime. It was the most specific claim by any Western power about chemical weapons attacks in the 27-month-old conflict.

Britain later said that tests it conducted on samples taken from Syria also were positive for sarin.

The back-to-back announcements left many questions unanswered, highlighting the difficulties of confirming from a distance whether combatants in Syria have crossed the "red line" set by President Barack Obama. The regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad has refused to allow U.N. investigators into the country. 

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EGYPT: Coptic Christians hold protest after coming under attack at monastery in southern Egypt

Egyptian security and church officials say hundreds of Coptic Christians visiting a southern monastery have protested after coming under attack by unidentified assailants who stole their money and personal belongings and beat them.

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FORBS: A Bit Of Ancient History Dead Sea Scrolls In Tax Court

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls were one of the most fascinating discoveries of the twentieth century. 

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Turkish Warships Pass Greek Islands

 The Turkish Navy was again provocative as, for the second time this week, two Turkish warships passed by eight Greek islands.

The missile ship ZIPKIN and the frigate YILDIRIM entered and violated the national territorial waters between Mykonos, Naxos, Syros, Kea, Gyaros, Amorgos, Euboea and Andros.

In the last seven days, this is the second time that the Turkish warships have violated the Greek territorial waters. The warships were participating in a naval exercise called Thalassolikos (Sea Dog}, that is taking  place near Rhodes, when authorities said they veered off course.

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