Only a small inner door in the grand entrance to the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem was open on Friday.
The larger cast-iron gateway that normally welcomes tourists and pilgrims towards the Cathedral of St James remained shut since October 7, when the Holy Land was thrown into turmoil after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack in Israel’s south.
Authorities and the military went into high alert, Palestinians and Israelis restricted their movement and foreign tourists were told by their governments to avoid the region.
Some visitors have stayed, such as Margaret Chevian, a former librarian from Rhode Island, who came to the Armenian Patriarchate for three months to help it organise its sprawling collection of books.
“Should I stay or should I go?” Ms Chevian asks.
"My family and friends back in the US are saying 'come home', because it’s not safe here.
“My friends here in the Old City of Jerusalem are telling me to stay, 'Jerusalem is the safest place to be'.
“So far, I've opted to stay and I do feel safe.”
One group staying steadfast is the clergy. It cannot abandon one of the most important religious institutions for Armenians. The community has had a presence in Jerusalem since the seventh century AD.
“Jerusalem is one of the main centres of the Armenian church,” says George Hintlian, a historian and long-time pillar of the Armenian community in the Holy Land.
The Patriarch is in charge of Armenian communities in the Middle East.
“In places like Lebanon, Syria and Jerusalem, you have to spend most of your time dealing with local politics – adjusting to changing situations,” he says.
The Armenians know they must do the same in the weeks, possibly months of conflict ahead.
On Tuesday, in a small, early-morning ceremony in which Irish coffee was distributed generously, they welcomed two new bishops, vital reinforcements for the struggling community.
They will help bolster the spiritual vitality of the institution. But they also need to boost numbers in a more secular sense.
The remit of one of the new bishops includes managing the community's vast property portfolio, both inside the Old City and out.
It has been targeted by illegal Israeli settlers in recent years. The Armenians are currently battling the most dangerous and complex threat yet. Settlers are trying to obtain the community’s only car park and surrounding land. Corruption among some of the clergy paved the way for the attempt.
Armenians say without the car park, their community will die. Residents will lose their mobility and pupils at the school will have nowhere to be dropped off. All for a paltry hotel lease deal that would leave the already wealthy community with very meagre financial gains, if any.
War in the Holy Land only makes their struggle harder.
Fortunately, Mr Hintlian thinks highly of the bishop with this important job.
“The Israeli context, to put it conservatively, is very dynamic – you have to take new policies into your daily life,” he says.
But with reinforcements and a community that is committed to its survival, Mr Hintlian still manages to be optimistic.
“There has never been a period in our presence when we did not have to manage crises,” he says.
“Vigilance is now part of our spiritual duties.”
THE SPECS
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Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
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ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
SPECS
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
