Nobel-winning writer Guenter Grass banned from visiting IsraelApril 8, 2012 - 16:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Israel has banned German intellectual Guenter Grass from visiting the country because of a critical poem published by the Nobel laureate last week, The Associated Press reported. In his order, Interior Minister Eli Yishai used an Israeli law that allows him to bar entry to ex-Nazis. Grass, 84, admitted in 2006 that he served in the paramilitary Waffen-SS in the final months of World War II. Yishai said Sunday, April 8, "If Guenter wants to continue to spread his twisted and lying works, I suggest he does this from Iran, where he can find a supportive audience." Grass published a poem called "What Must Be Said" last Wednesday in which he claimed a nuclear Israel was a threat to world peace and called for supervision of both Israel and Iran's nuclear facilities. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |