Putin declares Easter ceasefire with Ukraine on April 11-12

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday an Easter ceasefire with Ukraine, effective from 4.00 pm (1300GMT) on April 11 until the end of April 12, in connection with the upcoming holiday, the Kremlin said.

Combat operations restart after Easter truce, Kiev was 'prompted' to accept ceasefire — Putin

Combat operations have restarted in the special military operation area in Ukraine after the Easter truce, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Monday.

One civilian killed, six injured in Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk church — DPR leader

A civilian resident of Donetsk was killed and six wounded when Ukrainian troops shelled the city’s Transfiguration Cathedral during Easter Vigil on Sunday, the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, said.

Six People Injured During Ukrainian Troops Shelling Of Donetsk On Easter Night

At least six people were injured as a result of Ukrainian troops' shelling of central Donetsk, carried out on Orthodox Easter night, Denis Pushilin, the acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), said.

Kremlin On Possibility Of Easter Truce: No One Put Forward Such Ideas

The initiative on the Easter truce with Ukraine has not yet been put forward, and Kiev ignored all Russia's previous initiatives of such nature, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

26 die on Spanish roads over Easter holidays

A total of 26 people died as the result of 26 separate accidents on Spain roads over the 10 days of the Easter Holiday weekend, according to data published on Tuesday by the Spanish General Direction of Traffic (DGT).

Violence returns to E. Ukraine as Easter truce ends

Representatives of the Ukrainian government and independence-seeking militants said on Monday that violence has resumed in eastern Ukraine after a period of relative calm that started on May 1, when the country celebrated Orthodox Easter.

Bulgarian carriers call off blockade of Greek border at Orthodox Easter

A meeting between Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, Transport Minister Ivailo Moskovski, road carriers and tour operators on April 25 resulted in a planned blockade of the Greek border for 10 days starting at the Orthodox Easter being called off.

Bulgarian drivers to block border crossings with Greece at Orthodox Easter

Bulgarian lorry drivers intend blocking all border crossings with Greece during the April 29 to May 2 2016 holidays, when Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, and the protest will continue until May 8.

Over 600 terror suspects arrested after blast in Pakistan

At least five terrorists were killed and over 600 suspects arrested in an extensive operation launched by security forces across Pakistan's eastern Punjab province following the Sunday's deadly suicide blast in the provincial capital of Lahore, local media reported on Tuesday.

69 killed, 300 injured as suicide blast hits public park in Pakistan's Lahore

At least 69 people including a large number of women and kids were killed and over 300 others injured when a suicide bomber hit a public park in Pakistan's east Lahore city on Sunday evening, officials said.

Pakistan explosion leaves many dead at Lahore park

At least 50 people have been killed and many others injured in an explosion at a park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, officials say.

Christians in Turkey mark Easter with masses...

Christians celebrated Easter with church masses in several cities across Turkey on April 20.

The Greek Orthodox community gathered for a mass at the Fener Orthodox Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul’s Balat neighborhood, performed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the Saint George Church. The mass was attended by locals as well as visitors from Greece and other parts of Europe.

Easter masses were also performed in cities with small Christian populations, such as in the southern provinces of Hatay and Mersin.

Seven injured by fireworks on Easter Day in Greece

Seven people were injured by fireworks on the Aegean Sea island of Santorini in Greece on Sunday as the country was celebrating Easter Day.

The injured included three American tourists, aged 51, 53 and 54 respectively, who were transferred by air from Santorini to Crete after suffering serious injuries from fireworks used by worshippers.

Four other people, two Cypriots and two Greeks, were also slightly injured in the same incident and received first aid on the Greece's popular tourist island.

Palestinian Christians marking Easter are kept from Jerusalem holy site, U.N. envoy says

JERUSALEM — Israeli police officers blocked Palestinian Christians on their way to an Easter celebration Saturday at one of the holiest Christian sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, according to a top U.N. envoy.
Robert H. Serry, the United Nations’ special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said he and several other senior diplomats had joined members of the Palestinian Christian community in a special procession to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is built on the hill where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried before rising from the dead. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Saturday of Light at the site, as thousands did again Saturday.

Russia: Troops on border to return to bases after drills

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russian troops along the border with Ukraine will return to their bases AFTER finishing military exercises.

Lavrov made the comments in response to criticism over the continued presence of Russian troops along the border. He said Russia had the right to move troops within its territory. 

He also demanded answers from NATO concerning the alliance’s activities in Eastern Europe.

Με τιμές αρχηγού κράτους η υποδοχή του Αγίου Φωτός το απόγευμα στην Αθήνα

Το Αναστάσιμο Μήνυμα έδωσε σε ολόκληρη την Οικουμένη, από τον Πανάγιο Τάφο, ο Ελληνορθόδοξος Πατριάρχης κ. Θεόφιλος, στις 14.16 το μεσημέρι.
Ακολουθώντας τα βήματα των προκατόχων του ο Ελληνορθόδοξος Πατριάρχης, που έχει το ακριβό προνόμιο να φέρνει κάθε χρόνο το Φώς της Ανάστασης του Θεανθρώπου, από νωρίς μπήκε στο ιερό κουβούκλιο στον Πανάγιο Τάφο μέσα στον κατάμεστο ναό της Αναστάσεως στην καρδιά της Ιερής Πόλης.
Λίγα λεπτά μετά τις δύο μεσημέρι βγήκε από τον Πανάγιο Τάφο, κρατώντας σε κάθε χέρι 33 κεριά όσα δηλαδή και τα χρόνια του Ιησού και μετέδωσε το Φως στους πιστούς και μαζί το μήνυμα της Ανάστασης του Σωτήρα της ανθρωπότητας. Ένα μήνυμα που πλημμύρισε τον ναό και ξεχύθηκε στα παμπάλαια δρομάκια των Ιεροσολύμων με τους εκατοντάδες πιστούς που κρατούσαν τις αναμμένες λαμπάδες, ενώ οι καμπάνες του Ναού δεν σταματούσαν να ηχούν χαρμόσυνα. Περισσότεροι από 5.000 υπολογίζονται οι πιστοί που έφτασαν αυτές τις ημέρες στην Ιερή Πόλη απ΄όλα τα σημεία του πλανήτη, ακριβώς για να παραστούν στην τελετή της Αφής του Αγίου Φωτός.

Thousands to flock to J'lem for Orthodox Easter ceremony

By JPOST.COM STAFF

05/04/2013 08:47

 

Tens of thousands of pilgrims were expected to visit the Old City of Jerusalem Saturday to celebrate the "Holy Fire," Israel Radio reported. 

The annual occurrence held at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher marks the day preceding Orthodox Easter.

Thousands of security authorities were deployed Saturday morning in the Old City where vehicular traffic was barred.

Macedonia News el:How Greece celebrated Easter in these difficult times ...

Macedonia News el

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(News from real/true Macedonia, Greece [1] , [2])

Greeks celebrated Orthodox Easter on Sunday in a manner befitting the country’s crisis-hit economy with food and drink cutbacks and state expenses kept to a minimum.

Stung by higher transport costs and income falls, many opted to stay at home while a leading trade association said purchases for the country’s foremost religious festival had been the poorest in a decade.

A tradition for political leaders to visit army barracks on Easter Sunday was also curtailed, with the exception of the head of state, Karolos Papoulias, who is lunched with paratroopers in the northern city of Naousa (Macedonia)[fotos 1,2].

Holy Fire ignites in Jerusalem (VIDEO rt) ...

Thousands of Christians have lit torches and candles from a holy flame that 'miraculously' emerged from the tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on the eve of Orthodox Easter.

­The Holy Fire ignited after Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem delivered a prayer. To make sure he had no unholy sources of fire, he was searched by Israeli security forces before entering a small chamber marking the site of Christ' tomb.