First U.S. moon landing since 1972 as private spacecraft touches down on lunar surface

 11:33,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander touched down on the moon Thursday after a historic, nail-biting descent following a last-minute navigation sensor malfunction, becoming the first U.S.-built spacecraft to stick a moon landing in more than 50 years and the first ever by a private company, CBS News reports.

After delaying the final descent by one orbit to press an experimental NASA navigation sensor into service — and to test hurriedly-written software patches to route its data to the lander's flight computer — Odysseus settled to a touchdown at 6:23 p.m. EST near a crater known as Malapert A some 186 miles from the south pole of the moon.

Engineers at Intuitive Machines' Nova control center in Houston expected it to take up to two minutes or so to re-establish communications after landing, but the expected signal was not immediately found.

Finally, a faint signal was picked up by a communications antenna in the United Kingdom, indicating the spacecraft had, in fact, survived the touchdown.

"What we can confirm, without a doubt, is our equipment is on the surface of the moon, and we are transmitting," Mission Director Tim Crain told the flight control team. "So congratulations, IM team! We'll see how much more we can get from that."

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was quick to congratulate Intuitive Machines, SpaceX for the Falcon 9 rocket that launched Odysseus last week from the Kennedy Space Center, and the agency's own commercial moon program, saying they "aced the landing of a lifetime."

"Today, for the first time in more than a half century, the U..S has returned to the moon," he said. "Today, for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercial company, an American company, launched and led the voyage up there. And today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA's commercial partnerships."

He concluded with, "What a triumph! … This feat is a giant leap forward for all of humanity."

But a detailed assessment of the health of the spacecraft and its payloads awaited analysis of telemetry. Finally, two hours after touchdown, the company reported that "after troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data. Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface."

The successful lunar landing marked the first touchdown by a U.S.-built spacecraft since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 and the first ever by a privately-built spacecraft.

AW: Armenian wrestlers shine at the 2024 European Wrestling Championships

Four Armenian wrestlers walked away from the 2024 European Wrestling Championships in Bucharest, Romania donning gold medals around their necks. The weeklong competition had more than 500 athletes representing 38 nations fighting for intercontinental honors. 

Malkhas Amoyan became a four-time European champion for his dominant performance against Turkey’s Yunus Emre Basar with a 7-0 score in the gold medal match. Amoyan’s quarterfinal and semifinal bouts were decided by just one point (3-2 and 2-1 respectively) before he clinched gold in the men’s Greco-Roman 77-kg competition. 

Amoyan, during his return to Armenia, told reporters at Armsport.am that this gold medal victory was difficult for him. “Everyone is preparing against you. They say that becoming a champion is difficult. Keeping the title is even more difficult. It really is. Thanks to the coaches, I was able to wrestle correctly and be recognized as the winner.”

The Yazidi-Armenian wrestler has his sights set on the Olympics, where he could become the second Armenian (after Artur Aleksanyan) to win gold in the European Championships, World Championships and Olympics. “I will do everything to return from Paris with a gold medal. The European Championship was the first tournament of this year. I’m glad I started with a win. This gold medal gave me more confidence to be able to move forward,” Amoyan said. 

As for the Greco-Roman 97-kg division, the legendary Artur Aleksanyan outwrestled Magomed Murtazaliev, representing Individual Neutral Athletes, to win his seventh European championship. The 32-year-old Aleksanyan’s illustrious medal count rose to 23, including his gold and bronze victories at the World Junior Championships.

Aleksanyan told journalists at Zvartnots International Airport that every championship comes with its own price. “Becoming a European champion is always difficult. Every year I feel that everyone is basically preparing against me. In this sense, it gets harder every time, but thank God, I manage to win,” Aleksanyan said. 

The ‘White Bear’ also alluded to his wrestling future. “I don’t know what will happen later. The Olympic Games are ahead, after which it will be clear.”

In men’s freestyle, Arsen Harutyunyan was first to medal after sweeping every opponent he faced with 10-0 scores to become a four-time European Champion in the 57-kg division. Harutyunyan faced Azerbaijan’s Islam Bazarganov and Turkey’s Muhammet Karavuş in the semifinals and finals respectively to win gold, scoring a 10-0 win in the final in just 54 seconds.

Harutyunyan credited not only his success, but the entire Armenian wrestling team’s success, to hard work and teamwork in an Instagram post. “We have been preparing for this European Championship for months and going through a lot of difficulties with our coaches, but we are ready to do more to get the Olympic gold,” Harutyunyan wrote. 

In the 70-kg freestyle competition, Arman Andreasyan had a European championship to remember. The 20-year-old underdog bested France’s Seyfula Itaev 6-5 in the quarterfinals, world champion Ismail Musukaev 8-5 in the semifinals and Akaki Kemertelidze 7-3 in the gold medal match for his first career European championship. 

Andreasyan nearly missed out on competing in the gold medal match. During his semifinal bout, the Armenian wrestler scored four points with less than 10 seconds remaining, going from a 4-5 disadvantage to an 8-5 victory.

“I am very happy that I managed to become the winner of the European Championship. I had silver and bronze medals and the desire was very big to win the gold. I thank God for giving me a chance to achieve my goal,” Andreasyan said in an Instagram post.

Armenia’s newest European champion also took time to dedicate his win to his late cousin, Taron Andreasyan, who died during the 44-day war in Artsakh in 2020.

Other Armenian wrestlers to medal include Manvel Khachatryan in Greco-Roman 55-kg (bronze, Armenia), Mezhlum Mezhlumyan in Greco-Roman 61-kg (bronze, Armenia), Edmond Nazaryan in Greco-Roman 63-kg (bronze, Bulgaria) and Narek Oganian in Greco-Roman 72-kg (bronze, Individual Neutral Athletes).

The focus now shifts to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where Arsen Harutyunyan (men’s freestyle 57-kg), Vazgen Tevanyan (men’s freestyle 65-kg), Slavik Galstyan (men’s Greco-Roman 67-kg), Malkhas Amoyan (men’s Greco-Roman 77-kg) and Artur Aleksanyan (men’s Greco-Roman 97-kg) have already qualified. Olympic wrestling will take place August 5-11.

Jason Takhtadjian is a reporter, producer and weekend anchor at KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa. Takhtadjian began college pursuing Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Aerospace until deciding to pursue a sports broadcast career after one semester at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas. While at UNLV, Takhtadjian worked on his own weekly radio show/podcast covering soccer and basketball, produced his own sports debate show, was part of the university’s weekly sports show “The Rebel Report” and was the play-by-play commentator for UNLV men’s and women’s soccer and basketball, to name a few. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Jason was graduating college and had to pivot to the world of general news to land a job. Three years after accepting a job in the middle of the United States with no Armenian community, Takhtadjian accepted a reporter position at KSEE in Fresno, California. The 26-year-old also worked as a contributor for Armenian Sports News, helping grow the page by thousands of followers in less than a year of work.


Azerbaijani Fitness Trainer Detained in Moscow On Armenia’s Request: A Tense International Incident

Feb 21 2024
Rizwan Shah

Imagine this: You're at the airport, bags packed, passport in hand, ready to board a flight back home. But instead of a boarding pass, you're handed a notice of detention. This nightmarish scenario became a stark reality for Kamil Zeynalli, a prominent Azerbaijani fitness trainer, at Moscow's Domodedovo airport. The incident, stemming from an international warrant issued by Armenia, has thrust Zeynalli into an unexpected spotlight, weaving a complex narrative of geopolitical tensions, personal liberty, and the unforeseen risks faced by individuals caught in the crossfire of international disputes.

As Zeynalli prepared to return to Baku, his journey took an abrupt and bewildering detour. Moscow police, acting on an international request from Armenia, detained him. Through a video shared on his Instagram account, Zeynalli detailed the surreal experience, revealing to his followers that he was now on an internationally wanted list. This news was not only a shock to Zeynalli but also to his vast following, igniting a flurry of concern and speculation across social media platforms.

Zeynalli's situation quickly evolved into a legal imbroglio. The Azerbaijani embassy in Russia has been closely monitoring the situation, highlighting the complex interplay of international law and diplomatic relations. The possibility of extradition to Armenia, as mentioned by the police, adds a layer of severity to Zeynalli's predicament. The intricacies of extradition processes, especially within the context of the historically tense relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan, underscore the precarious position individuals like Zeynalli can find themselves in, through no fault of their own.

The detention of Kamil Zeynalli has transcended personal misfortune, becoming a symbol of larger geopolitical tensions. His case has garnered international attention, raising pertinent questions about the safety and freedom of individuals navigating the invisible lines drawn by international politics. The response from Zeynalli's online community, a blend of support and outrage, mirrors the broader concerns surrounding the incident. As the situation unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable impact of international disputes on ordinary lives.

In an era where global mobility is often taken for granted, incidents like these starkly remind us of the fragile nature of this freedom. Zeynalli's ordeal at Domodedovo airport is more than an isolated incident; it's a narrative that challenges us to reflect on the complexities of international law, the power of state actions, and the human stories caught in between. As the world watches and waits for the resolution of Zeynalli's case, one thing is clear: the lines between personal liberty and international politics are as blurred as ever.

https://bnnbreaking.com/international-affairs/azerbaijani-fitness-trainer-detained-in-moscow-on-armenias-request-a-tense-international-incident

Armenian soldiers killed by Azerbaijani fire in biggest skirmish since exodus (+Links)

Reuters
Feb 13 2024
  • Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of killing four soldiers
  • Azerbaijan says Armenia injured one of its soldiers
  • Peace talks to end decades-old conflict stagnating
TBILISI/BAKU, Feb 13 (Reuters) – Armenia said on Tuesday that four of its soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani fire along the two countries' heavily militarised border, the first fatal incident since they began negotiating a deal to end more than 30 years of intermittent war last year.
Fatal exchanges have been common along the closed, roughly 1,000 km (620 mile) frontier since 1988 when Christian Armenia and mostly Muslim Azerbaijan first went to war over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, but the situation had calmed amid peace talks in recent months.
Tuesday's incident was the biggest since hundreds died when Azerbaijan retook Karabakh in September, prompting an exodus of the region's ethnic Armenian population.
Armenia's Defence Ministry said in a statement that the four soldiers were killed and another wounded at a combat post near the southern Armenian village of Nerkin Hand.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that its attack on the Armenian position had been in retaliation for an Armenian "provocation" the previous day that it said wounded one of Baku's soldiers in the area.
Baku said it had no intention of further escalation.
"Azerbaijan is committed to the peace process, and calls on the Armenian side to refrain from military escalations that would jeopardise the efforts to that end," it said.
Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry said earlier that Armenian forces on Monday evening fired at Baku's positions near Nerkin Hand, and at another point along the border, around 400 km (250 miles) to the north. It said one Azerbaijani serviceman had been wounded in the first incident.0
Armenia said it was investigating the Nerkin Hand shooting, and denied the incident Baku reported further north.
In a statement, Armenia's Foreign Ministry said that Azerbaijan had been looking for a "pretext" to attack Armenia, and accused Baku of deliberately jeopardising the peace process.
"The Azerbaijani leadership is consistently trying to thwart the efforts of actors interested in the stability and security of the South Caucasus to resume negotiations aimed at resolving relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan," it said.
The Kremlin, which is formally allied to Armenia but also has close ties with Azerbaijan, called for restraint on both sides. A Russian peacekeeping contingent remains in Karabakh and its border guards help patrol Armenia's frontiers.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said during a press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Brussels that Armenia's shooting of an Azerbaijani soldier was "deplorable", but called Azerbaijan's response "disproportionate".
The EU's relations with Azerbaijan have sharply deteroriated since September, as Armenia has deepened ties with the bloc.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan had a mostly ethnic Armenian population which won de facto independence after a lengthy war during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But Azerbaijan in September retook Karabakh in a lightning offensive, prompting a rapid exodus of almost all of the territory's ethnic Armenian population of more than 100,000, and a renewed push from both sides for a deal to end the conflict.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have said they want to sign a peace treaty, but disagree over issues including precise demarcation of their border and control over several small territorial enclaves.
Azerbaijan also wants a customs-free transport corridor through Armenian territory, connecting Azerbaijan's mainland with its Nakhichevan exclave. Armenia has said it must retain control over any transport links on its soil.
Talks have in recent months appeared to stagnate, with both sides accusing the other of sabotaging the diplomatic process.

Reporting by Felix Light in Tbilisi, Nailia Bagirova in Baku and Dmitry Antonov in Moscow; editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Cawthorne and Nick Macfie

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/two-armenian-soldiers-killed-by-azerbaijani-fire-first-major-incident-since-2024-02-13/

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We suggest Azerbaijan accelerate the delimitation process – Armenia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson

 20:01,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS.  Armenia suggests Azerbaijan accelerate the delimitation process based on the Prague agreement of October 6, 2022 and reiterates the willingness of the Republic of Armenia, reads the statement of the spokesperson of the Armenian Foreign Ministry Ani Badalyan.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan made a comment regarding the speech made by the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan during the Government session on February 15, in relation to which we would like to remind that on 6 October 2022 in Prague Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed in written form that they recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty based on 1991 Alma-Ata declaration and that the Alma-Ata declaration will be the political basis for the process of demarcation. 

 We suggest Azerbaijan accelerate the delimitation process based on this agreement, and we reiterate the willingness of the Republic of Armenia, " Ani Badalyan said in a statement.

Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission hosts UK parliamentary delegation

 17:58,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS.  The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Armenia on Tuesday  hosted the parliamentary delegation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Armenia John Gallagher,  Director of the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Rick Nimmo, International Project Manager at British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union Joe Perry, IFES Country Director for Armenia Jérôme Leyraud attended the meeting, Armenia's Central Electoral Commission said.

Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan welcoming the guests, emphasized that the Armenian CEC has a rich experience of cooperation with the UK. He expressed his gratitude for the Supporting Safeguards of Democracy in Armenia (SSDA) project signed last year.

 The guests also highlighted the importance of cooperation with the Armenian Central Election Commission, stressing that they appreciate the holding of free and transparent elections, such as those conducted by the Armenian Central Election Commission.

Armenpress: Armenia is ‘not Russia’s ally’ in Ukraine conflict, reiterates Prime Minister Pashinyan

 23:58,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is diversifying its relations in the security sector and doesn’t reject cooperation with Russia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with The Telegraph.

The Armenian PM repeated that Armenia is not Russia’s ally in the Ukraine conflict.

“We have not said that we deny and reject cooperation with Russia in general and in the security sector in particular. What we have said is that we are going to diversify our relations in the security sector. What does this mean? Does this mean that we are going to break our security relationship with Russia? No, it doesn't mean that, but it means that in the field of security, we are preparing and ready, and we are discussing and working to establish relations, for example, with the European Union, which is already a reality by and large, with France, which is already a reality by and large, with the United States, which is already by and large a reality, with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is already by and large a reality, with India, which is already by and large a reality, and with many other countries. Our security relations with the United States, or France, or India, or the European Union are not naturally directed against Russia. This is simply the consequence of the reality that the security relationships we used to have in the past do not address our security needs,” the Armenian PM said when asked to comment on his earlier statement that Armenia "cannot rely on Russia" as its defense partner anymore and whether this means that Armenia is seeking a future with NATO.

“As to NATO, this is not an item on our agenda. In other words, we have not and are not discussing NATO membership. We do have partnership relations with NATO, and there is nothing new there. We used to have an Individual Partnership Action Plan, now that program is being reformatted into a certain partnership format that doesn't imply membership. I will also tell you something that we are at least a de jure member of the CSTO today, and I am not sure if there are discussions on that topic in general, or rather in Armenia, as to how well the alliance-based strategy corresponds to Armenia's interests, in general, in the long term,” Pashinyan added.

Asked about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Pashinyan repeated that Armenia is not Russia’s ally in the conflict with Ukraine. “Ukraine war had just started, I believe I gave an interview to the Czech CNN and I said that we are not Russia's ally in the matter of Ukraine, and that is the reality. But I also want to say that our security cooperation with the United States or France or our other security partners is not directed against our other security partner. Another thing is that our partners may have concerns about how cooperation with others could affect their security systems. We are trying to manage this issue being as transparent as possible,” he said.

Armenia-EU ties obviously deepening – PM

 00:37,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The relations between Armenia and the European Union are deepening, including under the conditions and because of the implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with The Telegraph’s Roland Oliphant.

“We should clarify what we mean by saying direction, because even before I became the prime minister, Armenia and the European Union had already signed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. Now that agreement is being implemented,” he said when asked if he wants to lead Armenia in the direction of the EU.

“It is obvious that the relations between Armenia and the European Union are deepening, including under the conditions and because of the implementation of the "Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement". But, of course, on the other hand, it is obvious that the relations between Armenia and the European Union are getting closer because, according to the international community, we have visible successes in implementing democratic reforms.

"You know, this subtlety is very important for understanding our situation, the situation and many events that are unfolding in Armenia. Look, we don't turn away from anyone. We are implementing the messages received from our people. And that message is primarily about democratic reforms. And democracy, democratic reforms, the development of a democratic society are not agendas caused by certain circumstances. I have stated many times that this is a strategy for us, and in my speech in the European Parliament I stated that we will continue the implementation of these strategies, we will continue these reforms. And I said that the Republic of Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the European Union deems it possible,” Pashinyan added.

PM Pashinyan lauds reforms for upgrade in Transparency International CPI score

 12:15, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has commented on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023 report, which shows that Armenia has stopped the regress in its score. 

“The year before we had a regress in the score of the Transparency International Corruption Perception index. We addressed this issue at the Cabinet meeting and now we can say that we have stopped the regress and we have a bit progress,” Pashinyan said Thursday at the Cabinet meeting. 

PM Pashinyan highlighted one sentence from the Transparency International report, "Despite facing challenging security threats – like many countries in the region – Armenia has the potential to navigate such difficulties and turn strong policies into better control of corruption." 

“This is a very objective sentence,” Pashinyan said.

“This means that having faced security challenges in the previous period, a context was formed that this wasn’t the most important issue, and that security issues should be dealt with. But I’d like to remind you that when we had very concrete crises in various situations, we publicly agreed that our work is to stay on track on the strategic agenda and continue the work. Unequivocally, today many countries and international organizations are taking note of the unusual manifestations of our resilience. And this is because even in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, our reforms agenda did not stop not for a minute. We’ve raised the level of our resilience thanks to our reforms, and we must continue that path,” Pashinyan said.

Armenia’s CPI 'score,' measured on a 100-point scale, rose from 46 to 47 in 2023.

Armenia ranks 62nd out of 180 countries and territories evaluated in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Defense Minister lauds 25-day training model for reservists

 12:07,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan has praised the 25-day training model for military reservists.

Speaking at the January 28 Army Day event, Papikyan said the government decided to initiate training musters for military reservists given the security situation around the country, and with the purpose of increasing the level of combat readiness of the reserve. “Despite the existing problems, we can say that the 25-day training model is a success,” he said.