Author: Ani Kharatian

Mssis Post – Naré Mkrtchyan describes her film, The Other Side of Home, as “a universal story of identity, denial, and how the experience of genocide creates a ripple effect for future generations on both sides.”

In 2015, a Turkish woman named Maya discovers that her great grandmother was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. As Maya wrestles with this new reality, she comes to embody the conflict that remains unresolved between the two peoples. She has two conflicting identities: one that suffers and the other that denies the suffering and its causes. The Other Side of Home is a documentary that follows Maya as she goes to Armenia to take part in the 100th commemoration of the Genocide and to explore her new-found roots.

The USC Institute of Armenian Studies is co-hosting the screening with the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the USC Shoah Foundation. The 40-minute film will be followed by a conversation with the film’s director and USC Institute of Armenian Studies Fellow, Filmmaker Eric Nazarian.

Naré Mkrtchyan is a filmmaker living in Los Angeles, CA. She graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Her passion is telling unique human stories that connect people and move beyond the boundaries of nationality, gender, and religion.

Born in Armenia and raised in Los Angeles, Eric Nazarian is also a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He has lectured on the origins of cinema and the Armenian Genocide on campuses across the U.S. and Europe. Nazarian is currently working on the film adaptation of The Sandcastle Girls, Chris Bohjalian’s critically acclaimed bestselling novel. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America.

Salpi Ghazarian, the director of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, says, “After the Genocide, most of the Armenian survivors who stayed in Turkey took on new identities – sometimes voluntarily, often not. These were the hidden Armenians who knew who they were. But as the genocide generation disappears, the third and fourth generations who are slowly discovering their roots are shocked and unprepared for their new identity. This film adds to the conversation about this difficult transition.”

The Armenian National Security Service informs that a group of people connected with the gunmen that attacked the premises of the patrol service of RA Police has been arrested.

The NSS says the group supported crimes committed in the past and keeps supporting the planned ones.

“Members of the armed group currently on the territory of premises of the patrol service directly guide and give instructions to their supporters in order to organize and perpetrate criminal actions threatening the life and health of citizens and inciting provocative and criminal actions,” the statement reads.

The National Security Service warns that other persons intending to support the armed group have also been individualized and are under constant monitoring of the authorized state bodies. All legal and accessible measures are being taken for the prevention of the possible criminal actions.

Taking note of the above-mentioned, the NSS strongly urges the citizens to be watchful at places of gathering, to leave any area in case of spotting strange behavior or suspicious items and immediately inform the law-enforcement bodies.

Photo: AP

 

Some 2,839 soldiers, including high-ranking officers, have been arrested after an attempted coup that is now over, says Turkey’s PM Binali Yildirim, the BBC reports.

The attempted coup was a “black stain on Turkish democracy”, he said, with 161 civilians killed and 1,440 wounded.

Those held include two army generals, Turkish media say.

Explosions and firing were heard in key cities on Friday night and thousands heeded a call by President Erdogan to rise up against the coup-plotters.

It is unclear who was behind the coup.

The authorities also said 104 suspected coup-plotters had also been killed.

Some 2,745 Turkish judges have also been dismissed in the wake of the coup, state media say.

They are reported to include a member of the country’s top court.

The Armenian National Assembly voted 102 to 8 today to ratify the Agreement on Joint Air Defense with Russia, a bill that had stirred controversy among the public.

The concerns were connected with the fear of sharing the control of one of the most important elements of the country’s defense with a second country.

The agreement between the two countries was signed in Moscow in December 2015.

Speaking about the agreement yesterday, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyanb said “it will provide us with an opportunity to involve the fourth-generation multi-purpose fighter jets of the 102^nd Russian military base in Armenia, as well as all capacities of the aerospace to solve air defense issues in the Caucasian region.”

He assured that “all capacities of the Joint Air Defense System, the aviation forces and means will be planned and used under the leadership of RA Armed Forces and the aviation.”

Photo: Getty Images

 

The Bundesliga club have stood firm over the attacking midfielder but are now ready to sell to Jose Mourinho’s side if their asking price is met this summer, reports.

Borussia Dortmund are willing to sell Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Manchester United for €40 million (£30.7m), according to Bild.

United have already submitted a €36m (£27.6m) offer for the attacking midfielder and the Bundesliga club are now ready to sell if their asking price is met.

Mkhitaryan’s contract expires next summer but while the Armenia international has refused to sign a new deal, Dortmund have previously been adamant that the 27-year-old would stay with the club.

Mkhitaryan’s agent, Mino Raiola, has also claimed that United are Mkhitaryan’s “dream club”.

The meeting of Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan and Federica Mogheini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU Commission, has started in Vienna, President’s Spokemsman Vladimi Hakobyan informs.

The Presidents of Armenia and Azebaijan are in Vienna to participate in meetings initiated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Russian Foeign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kery have also joined the talks.

UEFA President Michel Platini will resign from European football’s governing body after failing to have a six-year ban from football overturned, the BBC reports.

A Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) panel reduced the ban to four years on Monday.

Following the judgement, the 60-year-old said he would be stepping down.

Platini and former Fifa counterpart Sepp Blatter, were last year found guilty of ethics breaches over a 2m Swiss Franc (£1.3m) “disloyal payment”.

The pair, who deny wrongdoing, had their original bans reduced from eight to six years by the FIFA appeals committee.

Platini had taken his case to Cas seeking to get the ban overturned, but a three-man panel said it “was not convinced by the legitimacy of the payment”.

The two said the payment in 2011 was made for consultancy work Platini had carried out for Blatter between 1998 and 2002, and that they had a “gentleman’s agreement” on when the balance was settled.

Juventus are looking to hijack Arsenal’s deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, according to reports, according to .

Mkhitaryan has been in fine form for Borussia Dortmund this term and is closing in on Kevin De Bruyne’s Bundesliga assist record of 21.

The Armenia international needs to set up just two more goal’s to surpass the Manchester City star and has also weighed in with an impressive 18 goals.

Mkhitaryan reportedly attracted the attention of the Gunners who are said to be close to a deal for the 27-year-old.

 claimed last month the winger had already begun house hunting in London ahead of a summer move to the Premier league.

However, reports in Italy now suggest Juventus are planning to hijack Arsenal’s deal after failing in their attempts to sign Isco and Oscar.

Website  claim Juve chiefs are hoping to fast-track a deal and are willing to pay in the region of £24million.

Mkhitaryan’s current contract with Dortmund expires in June next year

Spanish media outlet claim the Gunners are looking increasingly likely to sign the Armenian international, according to the

Chelsea and Juventus have also been linked with the attacking ace.

But according to Italian football experts , Arsenal are leading the race for his services.

It’s understood the north Londoners will pay around £23m for the Bundesliga sensation.

They’re also set to offer him an annual salary of £5m, which works at £96,000-a-week.

The midfielder has enjoyed a phenomenal season, scoring 23 goals and creating a further 30 in 49 appearances.

He is about to enter the final 12 months of his current Dortmund deal and appears no closer to a new deal after snubbing a £6.4m-a-year extension.

When asked by German newspaper Bild if he is about to pen fresh terms, Mkhitaryan said: “I do not know yet.”

A prosecutor has demanded a 7-year imprisonment for prominent Armenian businessman Levon Hayrapetyan who stands charged with stealing $700,000 from the mother of former Bashkortostan senator Igor Izmestyev who was sentenced to life for terrorism, RAPSI reported on Tuesday from Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court.

The prosecutor also asked the court to collect from the businessman 20.8 million rubles ($310,000) in damages in favor of the injured party.

Investigators believe that the businessman has misled the woman by promising a reduced sentence for her son. In practice, he could not influence the judgment. The maximum penalty for such crime is 10 years in prison.

Hayrapetyan has pleaded not guilty. According to his lawyer, the case has been framed up.

Hayrapetyan also stands charged with involvement in an embezzlement case under which Ural Rakhimov, son of the former head of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov, sold Bashneft, a midsized oil company he headed for three years, to the oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Sistema in 2009 at a huge “discount” of $500 million.

In early October 2014, Hayrapetyan was placed under house arrest. His defense attorney asked the court to release him, citing health problems.