Ave Maria

 'The Baghdad Eucharist' by Sinan Antoon, translated by Maia Tabet (Hoopoe, American University in Cairo Press, 136 pages, $15)

A former nun claimed that she was forced to engage in self-flagellation and write her vows in her own blood while living in a convent in Italy.

In an interview with an Italian newspaper the woman claims that the nuns of Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate were forced to take part in punishing rituals, as Daily Mail reports.

The Russian Red Army Choir, known as the Alexandrov Ensemble, will be in Istanbul and Ankara this month.  
The choir?s repertoire includes surprise Turkish songs. The Istanbul concert will be on June 13 at Zorlu PSM, while the Ankara concert will commence on June 15 at the Ankara Congresium.

The Russian Red Army Chorus will be in Istanbul for a performance on June 13, and it is also set to include surprise Turkish songs in its set-list.