Author: Ani Tigranian

President Serzh Sargsyan has sent a telegram of condolences to his French counterpart Francois Hollande over the terrorist attacks in Paris last night.

“Honorary Mr. President,

I’m deeply shocked by the news of this unprecedented act of terrorism in Paris.

I strongly condemn these nasty actions, which claimed the lives of a dozens of innocent people.

The growth of such inhumane acts of violence in different countries of the world is worrisome.

I’m confident that every member of the civilized international community will join the struggle against this evil.

We cannot allow violence, extremism and intolerance to dominate. We have to join efforts to reveal and eradicate all factors that cause such horrifying expressions of radicalism.

At this hard moment, Armenia stands by France and is ready to provide every support.

Mr. President, I offer my deep condolences to you, the friendly people of France and the relatives of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

Our prayers, hearts and souls are with the people of France.”

, a travel company located in Bristol, United Kingdom, is planning new group tours to Nagorno Karabakh.

Two tours are scheduled for May 6 and August 28, 2016. The trips will start from Armenian and last 11 days; visits to the cities of Shushi and Stepanakert, Gandzasar and Dadivank Monasteries, the Mayraberd and Tigranakert fortresses are envisaged.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has said the trips are “illegal.” Spokesman for the Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev told APA that the Azerbaijani Embassy in the UK will inform the country’s state bodies about the “illegal” activity of the travel company and take necessary measures in this regard.

The travel company doesn’t organize trips to Azerbaijan.

Armenian has welcomed the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Senate of Paraguay.

“The continuity of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide proves that the crimes against humanity have no statute of limitation, and the humanity continues to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide even 100 years after it was committed,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.

“With this step the Senate of Paraguay made an important contribution to the international efforts of preventing genocides and crimes against humanity,” the Foreign Minister stated.

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose flogging sentence caused an outcry, has been awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov human rights prize, the BBC reports.

Parliament President Martin Schulz urged Saudi King Salman “to free him, so he can accept the prize”.

Mr Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes in Saudi Arabia for “insulting Islam”.

Earlier this month he also won the Pen Pinter Prize for championing free speech.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded by the European Parliament since 1988 to individuals or organisations for their contribution to the fight for human rights and democracy.

The Spanish city of Aldaia (Valencia) officially recognized the Armenian Genocide on October 27.

The resolution introduced by the Armenian “Ararat” Union was put on a vote at the City Council by Spokesman for the Left Union Juanjo Llorente.

All four parties represented in the City Council unanimously voted to call the massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey “genocide” and condemn its denial.

Present at the sitting were representatives of the Armenian community and public and political figures of Spain.

A powerful earthquake has struck northern Afghanistan, with tremors felt in Pakistan and northern India, the BBC reports.

At least 40 people are said to have been killed in Pakistan, with about 20 deaths reported in Afghanistan.

The magnitude 7.5 quake was centred in the mountainous Hindu Kush region, 75km (46 miles) south of Faizabad, the US Geological Survey reported.

Buildings were evacuated in the capitals of all three countries and communications disrupted in many areas.

In the Afghan province of Takhar, a stampede at a girls’ school triggered by the quake is reported to have left 12 students dead. Another 25 students were injured.

Five people died in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, hospital sources said.

Most of the casualties in Pakistan are reported to have happened in the northern tribal areas.

Officials said the quake happened at a depth of 212km. The magnitude was initially put at 7.7 but later downgraded.

The relics of a 16th-century church built by Spanish colonisers has emerged from a reservoir in the south of Mexico, The Independent reports.

It is the second time the church, usually submerged on the reservoir bed, has been revealed in the state of Chiapas as a result of drought.

A water level drop of at least 80 feet in the Grijalba river which feeds the reservoir has revealed the 400-year-old roofless religious building, with its 10 metre high walls, 61 metre length and 14 metre wide hall.

The river was last this low in 2002, when visitors were able to walk about inside the church.

Today, fishermen are ferrying curious passengers around the ruins, which were submerged in 1966 when the nearby dam was completed and the area flooded.

On October 18, the annual fundraiser of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund took place in Toronto, organized by the local chapter of the foundation with the support of the Embassy of Armenia in Canada.

Ambassador of Armenia to Canada Armen Yeganian, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada, Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan, members of clergy, non-government sector, politicians, journalists, numerous members of the Armenian community were present at the event. The guest of honour of the night was the priest of Dadivank Monastery, previously of Gandzasar Monastery, Reverend Father Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, who recalled episodes from the Artsakh liberation war.

In his speech Ambassador Yeganian emphasized, that the Armenian nation has its input in the development not only of its Motherland, but also of many countries around the globe, and that Armenia and Artsakh are advancing in many spheres. “Emphasizing the work of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund, let me underline the success of its Toronto Chapter, which for many years showcases its strength, endurance and the ability to achieve higher grounds”, Ambassador stressed.

The record-breaking amount of over 700.000 dollars was raised during the evening, which will be directed at the realization of several important projects in Artsakh.

On Wednesday in Yerevan Kiriyenko gave the leading Armenian nuclear specialists medals linked to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian nuclear industry, Sputnik News reports.

“It is our common anniversary – not only Russian, but anniversary of the nuclear industry of the whole Soviet Union,” Kirienko said at the ceremony.

Kirienko noted that the strategic partnership between Russia and Armenia consists of joint work on the extension of the exploitation times of the second unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant’ (Metsamor NPP), supply of nuclear fuel, nuclear and radiation safety issues.

In March 2014, the Armenian government extended the service life of its second power plant. Russia’s nuclear energy corporation Rosatom agreed to work jointly with Armenia on the project to extend the power unit’s service life until 2026.

Russia and Armenia signed a deal in 2014 to extend the service life of the second reactor.