Month: September 2020

Armenian CDC reports 244 new cases of COVID-19

David Nargizian

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 11:38,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. 244 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded over the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 47154, the Armenian Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.

182 patients recovered, raising the number of total recoveries to 42551.

2 people died from COVID-19, increasing the death toll to 928. This number doesn’t include the deaths of 285 other people infected with the virus who died from other pre-existing conditions, according to health authorities.

As of 11:00, September 19 the number of active cases stood at 3390.

Testing was ramped up starting September 8, a week ahead of the re-opening of schools which took place on September 14.

3737 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan




WATCH: Armenian homegrown loitering munition test strike

Mary Lazarian

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 14:23,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Minister of High Tech Industry Hakob Arshakyan has released footage from a field test of a loitering munition developed in Armenia.

“I am presenting one of our Armenian strike drones in action,” Arshakyan said, sharing the video of the test. The video was prepared as an homage to the achievements in the sector ahead of the 29th Independence Day. 

“A developed military industry is an important component of the independent Armenia’s economic development and security”.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Artsakh announces relocation of Seat of Parliament to Shushi

Tatoyan Vazgen

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 12:36,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The government of Artsakh has announced the relocation of its Seat of Parliament from the capital city of Stepanakert to Shushi, the mountain town liberated by the Armenian forces in 1992.

The relocation will officially take place on May 9, 2022, the 30th anniversary of the Liberation of Shushi.

Meanwhile, the building of the new seat of parliament is under construction.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan said the Free Fatherland and Justice factions of parliament have endorsed his proposal on moving the seat.

“I think the other factions of parliament will join their colleagues’ stance,” he said.

The building which is planned to be allocated for the seat of parliament was originally being built as a courthouse but was never finished.

Harutyunyan hailed the move as politically and practically significant, and noted its meaningful importance for revaluing “our historic and victorious city.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan


Azerbaijan violates Artsakh ceasefire 295 times in one week

Antranik Varosian

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 15:05,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS.  Azerbaijani armed forces violated the ceasefire at the Artsakh line of contact around 295 times in the past week.

The Defense Army of Artsakh said in a statement that the Azerbaijani military fired more than 2300 shots from various caliber firearms at their positions from September 13 to 19.

“The Defense Army vanguard units mostly refrained from responding to the adversary’s provocative actions and continued confidently carrying out their combat objectives.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Prosperous Armenia Party leader: Our priority issue is international recognition of Artsakh independence

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 19 2020
Prosperous Armenia Party leader: Our priority issue is international recognition of Karabakh independence
               Prosperous Armenia Party leader: Our priority issue is international recognition of Karabakh independence
15:49, 19.09.2020

If we do not get out of this situation, we are really in the abyss. Gagik Tsarukyan—chairman of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), MP, and business tycoon—stated this in Ararat Province—and referring to the situation in the country.

"People taking care of 120,000 families did not go to work abroad, those who work for a daily wage do not work, today the turnover has decreased. The state must subsidize and repay the loans of the people for a year. Today, the state has increased its national debt by 1 billion 400 million, has neither created jobs nor has granted forgiveness to the [loan] interests of the people. The state can petition to the World Bank, bring 1 billion [dollars], and distribute it to the people; they should give at least $2,000 to each family so people can spend their winter. If the condition of my people is not good, the condition of my children will not be good either," said Tsarukyan. He added that the problems accumulated in Armenia should be resolved, as the country is not a testing ground.

Tsarukyan touched also upon the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict, noting that the issue of international recognition of the Artsakh Republic should be raised in the negotiations. "You do not know exactly what was agreed on the Artsakh issue, what was discussed, saying 'We are consulting, we are drinking coffee.' C'mon! Our priority is the issue of international recognition of Karabakh's independence. The people of Karabakh have settled this issue, Karabakh has been independent for 30 years, [and] the issue of [its] international recognition remains," Gagik Tsarukyan said.




Most of industrial accidents in Armenia occurred during mining last year: statistics

Arsine Chaltikian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 19 2020

A total of 27 industrial accidents were recorded in Armenia in 2019 due to violations of standards on occupational safety and health, the latest figures released by the Statistical Committee of Armenia show.

Most of the accidents – 17 – occurred in Syunik Province, in which 17 employees, including two women, were injured.  4 of the accidents took place in capital Yerevan, 2 – in Armavir Province, and one – in Lori, Kotayk and Aragatsotn Provinces, each.

According to the statistics, last year 3 people died as a result of industrial accidents in Yerevan, Aragatsotn and Lori Provinces.

Most of these accidents (66%) occurred in the mining industry due to the violation of workplace safety standards. 5 accidents were registered in the processing industry, while 4 others were electrical and gas leak accidents.

The affected employees or their relatives were paid a total of 70.8 million drams in compensation for the damages. 



San Francisco Armenian church badly damaged in a possible hate crime fire

Emil Lazarian
Fresno Bee, CA
Sept 19 2020

A historic Armenian church in San Francisco was halfway destroyed by a fire that police suspect was set ablaze by arsonists.

The St. Gregory The Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church at 51 Commonwealth Ave. in the Laurel Heights neighborhood caught on fire early Thursday morning.

Firefighters responded to the blaze just after 4 a.m., according to NBC Bay Area, and were able to extinguish the fire.

But there was extensive damage in the building adjacent to the main church, with two floors of four floors gutted.

“The building housed Vasbouragan Hall, as well as offices for St. Gregory Armenian Church and various organizations,” the church board of trustees said in a statement to ABC7.

St. Gregory has been the primary place of worship for many Armenians in the Bay Area dating back to its first service in November 1957. The church also has long ties to Fresno: In more recent years, the Holy Trinity Armenia Apostolic Church in Fresno would partner with St. Gregory for events, including young adult spiritual trips.

We met with Fresno’s @holytrinityministriesfresno along with @fr.ashod and @fr.smpad to discuss Fresno and San Francisco’s upcoming young adult spiritual trip.

Posted by St. Gregory The Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church on Monday, March 2, 2020

Armenian community leaders told ABC7 the fire was set in three separate locations in the building: Sunday School classrooms, the church office and in the Hamazkayin Library.

District Attorney Chesa Boudin tweeted out calling the suspected arson an “outrage.”


“The Armenian community of San Francisco woke up today to an arson at their church. There is no room for this cowardly, hateful, criminal conduct in San Francisco. We stand with the Armenian community against hate,” he said.

SFGate said church leaders believe this could be related to the vandalism that happened at San Francisco’s Armenian School Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan in July. The school walls were vandalized with graffiti that conveyed anti-Armenian messages.

Investigators have classified the vandalism as a hate crime and the suspects in that case remain at large, police told NBC Bay Area.


https://amp.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article245848215.html?fbclid=IwAR1pewi3XS6H0vPXzK8STNTHhKa0QvYu4cLMfI1pC9Jy9BFInDmNNF-TPUE







Zareh Sinanyan meets with Armenian journalists from US and Canada

Hagop Kamalian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 19 2020

Armenia’s High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan on Friday held a virtual meeting with journalists from two dozen Armenian media outlets operating in the United States and Canada, his office said.

Welcoming the participants, Sinanyan highlighted the work of the Armenian media in the Diaspora, its role in strengthening Armenia-Diaspora cooperation and raising the awareness of our compatriots in the Diaspora.

During the meeting, which lasted for about 2 hours, he presented to the journalistic community the programs of the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs. The range of questions from the participants were wide, ranging from issues Lebanese-Armenians may have, investments, repatriation, and developments in Armenia.

At the end of the meeting, the participants and High Commissioner Sinanyan expressed hope for regular discussions on such a scale, aiming to strengthen the media communication between Armenia and the Diaspora.


Newspaper: Armenia Constitutional Court ex-chief judge not coming to work

Karlen Baghdasarian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 19 2020

10:22, 19.09.2020
                  

Newspaper: How is it that all "wanted" Armenia ex-officials take refuge in Russia?

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 19 2020

10:02, 19.09.2020
                  

YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: We were told that a noteworthy conversation took place between NA [National Assembly] vice speaker Alen Simonyan and the Russian ambassador during one of the meetings with the Russian ambassador to Armenia.

In particular, when the ambassador remarked, 'Unspeakably many criminal cases are initiated in your country, which do not reach any point; there is no judicial act made in 2 years, you are busy pursuing the former [officials],' Alen Simonyan did not leave him unanswered and countered, 'And how is it that all the ‘wanted’ former [Armenian officials] take refuge in Russia?’

The ambassador said only one word, "Is it?"