Ceremonies

Turkey's oldest university student has received his diploma at a ceremony held in Ankara.

Mustafa Yavuz Yalçınkaya, an 82-year-old law student, earned a diploma from Ankara University Law School after completing his final exams.

The funeral took place in a closed family circle

The funeral services will start at 2 pm

The Archbishop apologised for his presence at the inauguration of the Turkish House

The Archbishop of Athens has come under criticism in Greece for quietly raising the costs of church funerals during the pandemic by up to 250 per cent without any warning or explanation to funeral homes and the families of the deceased.

Archbishop Ieronymos on Tuesday called on all Metropolitans, the heads of ecclesiastical districts, to help ensure the diligent observance of all health safety restrictions during Epiphany Day church services on Wednesday.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place tomorrow

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece rebuffed a call issued this week by the Istanbul-based Patriarch Vartholomaios for a dialogue between Orthodox churches regarding Holy Communion in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, while also denouncing yoga, which has been recommended by various bodies and groups as a way to relieve stress during the pandemic. 

The authorities of the monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece said in a statement on Wednesday that they recognize the necessity of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus but also noted, however, that the sacrament of Holy Communion "is absolutely necessary for the spiritual life" of worshippers.

Spring graduation ceremonies in Japan have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but students at one school were able to attend remotely by controlling avatar robots while logged on at home.

The robots, dubbed "Newme" by developer ANA Holdings, were dressed in graduation caps and gowns for the ceremony at the Business Breakthrough University in Tokyo.