Azerbaijani leader: Christian churches will be protected
Moscow: The president of Azerbaijan has promised that Christian churches will be protected when the strongly Muslim country takes possession of areas formerly controlled by Armenians.
President Ilham Aliyev's office said he made the promise in a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is deploying peacekeeping forces in the areas under an agreement that ended six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Ethnic Armenian forces had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and sizeable adjacent territories since the 1994 end of the separatist war. Fighting resumed in late September and ended with an agreement that calls for Azerbaijan to regain control of the outlying territories as well as allowing it to hold on to parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that it seized during the fighting.
The first of the territories, Kalbajar, is being turned over on Sunday.
Kalbajar is home to the well-known Dadivank monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church. A day before the territory's handover, workers removed many of the monastery's sacred objects. Other residents in Kalbajar torched their own homes, fearing what will happen when Azerbaijani forces take over.
Azerbaijan is about 95% Muslim and Armenians fear that churches would be damaged or closed when it takes control of the territories.
"President Aliyev said that Christian churches in Azerbaijani territories, which are returned to Azerbaijan in accordance with the trilateral statement, will also be properly protected by the state. Christians of Azerbaijan will have access to these churches, said the statement from his office.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of combatants and civilians, have been killed since fighting flared anew in late September.
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Israel-Iran tensions disrupt flights at Bengaluru Airport, passengers stranded
Bengaluru: International flight operations at Kempegowda International Airport were hit on Saturday after escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. The tensions led to widespread airspace restrictions across West Asia, leaving several passengers stranded and uncertain about their onward journeys.
Multiple flights connecting Bengaluru to Gulf hubs and onward destinations in Europe along with the United States were cancelled or rerouted as several countries.
Passengers scheduled to travel to Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Italy reported abrupt cancellations. Airline staff attributed the disruption to the evolving security situation and closure of key aviation corridors. Some travellers were quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that they were informed that services would resume only after conditions stabilised while no timelines were indicated.
In an advisory posted on social media platform X, the Kempegowda International Airport said certain international flights were experiencing schedule changes due to developments in parts of the Middle East. A dedicated help desk had been set up at the kerbside of Terminal 2 to assist affected passengers with information and guidance.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, hundreds of flights nationwide were expected to be cancelled due to the airspace curbs. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been coordinating with airlines to facilitate passenger support.
Aviation experts cited by the Hindustan Times, indicated that disruptions could persist if airspace restrictions remain in place, affecting travel plans for passengers flying out of Bengaluru in the coming days.
