World War I

Collaborator Petain's tomb vandalised

Les Herbiers - Muslimchronicle

The tomb of Marshal Philippe Petain, who led France's collaborationist Vichy regime under Nazi occupation, was vandalised on Saturday, the eve of the 66th anniversary of his death, police said. Police and firefighters were called to the site of the tomb on Ile d'Yeu in western France at 4:00 am (0200 GMT) on reports of a trash bin fire atRead more

Pope Francis describes mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule as 'genocide'

Yerevan - Arab Today

Pope Francis has described the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman Turkish rule in World War I as “genocide” during a visit to Yerevan, Russia Today reported. It comes despite reports that he would instead use the word "martyrdom" when referring to the deaths. The Friday remark is the second time the Pope has referred to the killings as genocide,Read more

Germany adopts Armenian 'genocide' resolution

Berlin - Arab Today

German lawmakers passed a resolution Thursday recognising the World War I massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide, defying Turkey's warnings that the vote could hurt ties. Only one MP voted against and another abstained, as parliament approved overwhelmingly by a show of hands the resolution titled "Remembrance and commemoration of the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minoritiesRead more

Turkey: Germany should not call Armenian killings Genocide

Ankara - Arab Today

Turkey has criticized plans by Germany's parliament to recognize the World War I killings of Armenians as genocide, ABC News reported on Monday. The killings of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks are widely viewed by historians as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, insists that the toll was inflated and saysRead more

Hollande, Merkel mark centenary of Battle of Verdun

Verdun - Arab Today

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel stood shoulder to shoulder Sunday to mark the centenary of Verdun, one of the bloodiest battles of World War I. The battle in northeast France was the longest of World War I, lasting 300 days, and claimed more than 300,000 lives before France emerged victorious. “The name Verdun is a symbolRead more

1st Japanese sub since WWII enters Sydney Harbor

Tokyo - Arab Today

A Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine arrived in Sydney Friday — the first time a Japanese sub has entered the harbor since World War II — to participate in bilateral exercises with its former foe, Japan Times reported. The Soryu-class submarine Hakuryu was dispatched with the destroyers Umigiri and Asayuki for the latest round of Exercise Nichi Gou Trident, which kickedRead more