https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://wallstreetjournal-ny.newsmemory.com/?publink=16295d2f4_134d110__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!rt5Q-quTHDwcJuQZYqIf-ShEKr-5HlDyRnw6amZ53sHZryKTSbVKk9s56n5Y20ALmmVBqDwAkXbATQBuRQ$ Billionaire hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman spent months publicly pressuring Harvard to cut ties with its embattled president, Claudine Gay. Mean-while, a friend of his on Harvard's governing board was among a small group pushing for change. Tracy Palandjian is a member of the Harvard Corporation, the insular 12-person group with broad authority to manage the university. Though the group stood by Gay-it accepted her resignation last Tuesday "with sorrow"-Palandjian is one of a handful of its members who had privately questioned whether she could continue as president, people familiar with the matter said. Others who lost faith in her leadership included private-equity executive Paul Finnegan and investor Timothy Barakett. An alumnus of Harvard's economics program and its business school, Palandjian, 52, is co-founder and CEO of Social Finance, a nonprofit that raises money from investors for projects meant to reduce government spending. Until December, she also sat on the board of Pershing Square Holdings, the publicly traded arm of Ackman's investment firm. The two met years ago through Harvard's alumni network. Palandjian launched Social Finance in 2011, modeling it on a similar business her cofounders had built in the U.K. Ackman's charitable foundation was one of its earliest backers, contributing $1.5 million soon after it launched. His foundation has given millions more in the years since. After the New York Times reported in late December that Palandjian told a group of academics that replacing Gay might not go far enough to get the university back on track, Ackman tweeted a link to the article. "Now that's the Tracy Palandjian I know," he said. Palandjian joined the board of Ackman's publicly traded investment fund, known for taking stakes in companies including Chipotle and Hilton, in 2021. She was added to the Harvard Corporation in April 2022, after serving on the board of overseers from 2012 to 2018. She was also part of the search committees that selected former Harvard President Lawrence Bacow in 2018 and Gay in 2022. Ackman, a fellow Harvard alum, made his name as an activist investor before morphing into a social crusader in recent years, mainly through lengthy diatribes posted on his X account. He began zeroing in on Gay's handling of antisemitism on campus soon after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and sent a handful of open letters that became increasingly critical of her leadership when she was accused of plagiarism. Ackman called Palandjian a handful of times to rant during his quest to get Gay removed. He tweeted in early December one of his "friends" on the Harvard board had ghosted him and that the two haven't spoken about Harvard since early November, people familiar with the matter said. While it isn't unusual for members of the corporation to be in contact with other alumni and stakeholders, critics have accused Harvard of appeasing wealthy donors like Ackman. On Dec. 13, Pershing Square said Palandjian decided to retire from its board, effective Jan. 1, because of increased demands of her work and other board positions. Her departure was also to avoid conflicts as Ackman amped up pressure on Gay to resign, people familiar with the matter said. People who have worked closely with Palandjian say she is an expert networker who is politically adept in the boardroom. "She stays in a safe place until she understands where the chips are going to fall," one of the people said. "She doesn't want to be on the losing side of any discussion." Another person said she tries to hear everyone out to best steer the group. Palandjian was raised in Hong Kong and came to the U.S. as a teenager. While an undergraduate at Harvard, she met her future husband, Leon Palandjian, a doctor who worked and invested in life sciences before becoming chief risk officer of his family's company, Intercontinental Real Estate Corp. Tracy Palandjian completed a stint at McKinsey & Co. before receiving an MBA from Harvard Business School and working at asset manager Wellington Management. With the help of two fellow Harvard Business School alumni, she launched Social Finance, which raises money from investors for social programs, aiming to improve efficiency in government spending. Copyright (c)2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 01/08/2024
Author: Ara Felekian
The Ecumenical Patriarch’s wishes to the Patriarch of the Armenians in Turkey for Christmas and Epiphany
Jan 8 2024
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited on Monday, January 8, 2024, at noon, the Armenian Patriarchate in Kontoskali, Constantinople, to personally express his wishes to the Patriarch of the Armenians in Turkey, Sahak Maşalyan, and through him to his flock, for Christmas and the Epiphany, which they celebrated on January 6, 2024.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, accompanied by Metropolitan Gregorios and Monk Ezekiel Xenofontinos, also conveyed heartfelt wishes for a fruitful and peaceful new year.
https://orthodoxtimes.com/the-ecumenical-patriarchs-wishes-to-the-patriarch-of-the-armenians-in-turkey-for-christmas-and-epiphany/
Armenpress: Armenian nationals can visit UAE without entry visa starting February 1
11:09, 6 January 2024
YEREVAN, JANUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The agreement on mutual elimination of visa requirement for the citizens of the Republic of Armenia and the United Arab Emirates will come into effect from February 1, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia said.
As of February 1, Armenian citizens can enter, exit and transit through the UAE without an entry visa or fee. The passport of an Armenian national must be valid for at least 6 months from their arrival date in the UAE.
Armenian citizens will be allowed to stay in the territory of the United Arab Emirates for a maximum period of 90 days in each 180-day period.
The validity of the passport refers to the period of validity indicated on the 2nd (Armenian) and 3rd (English) pages of the passport, not the note on the validity in foreign countries (round stamp) indicated on the 4th page of the passport, which is no longer applicable and is not mandatory from January 1, 2024.
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 03-01-24
17:15, 3 January 2024
YEREVAN, 3 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 3 January, USD exchange rate up by 0.49 drams to 405.28 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 5.05 drams to 442.85 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.07 drams to 4.43 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.71 drams to 511.67 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 108.63 drams to 26940.29 drams. Silver price down by 3.66 drams to 312.00 drams.
Armenpress: JN.1 Covid variant: WHO charts its rapid global spread
10:35, 21 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. A sub-variant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus has been classified as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization, because of "its rapidly increasing spread,” the BBC reports.
JN.1 has been found in many countries around the world, including India, China, UK and the United States.
The risk to the public is currently low and current vaccines continue to offer protection, the WHO says.
But it warns Covid and other infections could rise this winter.
Respiratory viruses such as flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and childhood pneumonia are also on the rise in the northern hemisphere.
The virus which causes Covid is constantly changing over time and sometimes this leads to new variants developing.
Omicron has been the globally dominant variant for some time.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently tracking a number of variants of interest linked to Omicron - including JN.1 – although none of them are deemed to be concerning.
But JN.1 is spreading quickly in many corners of the world.
It is currently the fastest-growing variant in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accounting for 15-29% of infections.
The UK Health Security Agency says JN.1 currently makes up around 7% of positive Covid tests analyzed in a lab. It said it would continue to monitor all available data on this and other variants.
JN.1 is spreading fast in all regions, probably because it has an additional mutation in the spike protein compared to the BA.2.86 variant from which it's descended.
"It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in Sars-Cov-2 [coronavirus] cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season," the WHO's risk assessment says.
There is still limited evidence on how capable JN.1 is of getting round the immunity offered by vaccines, the WHO says.
There are no reports of people becoming more ill with this variant than previous ones.
Lavrov discusses South Caucasus situation with Iranian and Turkish Foreign Ministers
18:28,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.
It is noted that Russia’s Lavrov with his Iran counterpart discussed a number of topical issues on the regional and bilateral agenda in the context of implementing agreements reached during the highest-level talks in Moscow on December 7.
In a phone conversation with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Lavrov exchanged views especially on current matters on the bilateral and international agenda, emphasized the situation in the South Caucasus, taking into account the special role of the countries of the region in the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
According to the source, some aspects of Russian-Turkish cooperation were also touched upon, including the schedule of upcoming high-level contacts.
New Museum in Armenia Will Tell Story of Charles Aznavour’s Love for Jews
Dec 22 2023
Larry Luxner
His haunting French rendition of “La Yiddishe Mama” is legendary, as is his spirited performance of “Hava Nagila” in a duet with Algerian Jewish singer Enrico Macias. In 1967, he recorded the song “Yerushalayim” as a tribute to Israel’s Six-Day War victory.
Yet Charles Aznavour, a diminutive singer and songwriter later nicknamed the “Frank Sinatra of France,” wasn’t Jewish. Born in Paris into a Christian Armenian family that prized culture, the young tenor learned basic Yiddish while growing up in the city’s Jewish quarter. And when the Nazis occupied Paris in 1940, the Aznavourians (their original surname, before Charles shortened it) risked their lives to save Jews from deportation.
Aznavour died in October 2018 at the age of 94. During his nearly 80-year career, he recorded over 1,400 songs in seven languages, sold around 200 million records and appeared in more than 90 films. His duets with other stars, including “Une vie d’amour” with Mirelle Mathieu, and his witty multilingual lyrics — the 1963 hit “Formidable” is a prime example — thrilled audiences worldwide. In 1998, Aznavour was voted Time magazine’s entertainer of the 20th century.
May 22, 2024, will mark the 100th anniversary of Aznavour’s birth, and many events are planned next year to celebrate that milestone. A violent conflict in September between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan has made the rollout more difficult, but eventually, his admirers hope to inaugurate a large museum and cultural center in Yerevan to honor the various facets of Aznavour’s life — including the warm ties he cultivated with
Israel and Jews.
“We started to work on this idea while my father was still among us,” said Nicolas Aznavour, 46, son of the famous chansonniere and co-founder of the nonprofit Aznavour Foundation. “He recorded the audio guide, so he’s the narrator of his own story.”
The foundation occupies a large building overlooking the Cascades, a series of giant limestone stairways that form one of Yerevan’s most prominent landmarks. A forerunner of the charity, the Aznavour for Armenia Association, was established in 1988 following the massive earthquake that struck Armenia — then a Soviet republic — killing 25,000 people, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless and propelling Aznavour’s philanthropic work.
Since then, the family has raised money for humanitarian projects throughout Armenia, while also funding cancer and Alzheimer’s research and aiding victims of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake.
After Armenia’s bruising 44-day war in 2020 with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the foundation delivered 175 tons of food, clothing, medical supplies and other aid to more than 42,000 ethnic Armenians displaced by the fighting.
Upon completion, one room of the future museum will contain the nearly 300 prizes Aznavour received from around the world during his lifetime. That includes the Raoul Wallenberg Award, presented to Aznavour in 2017 by Israel’s former president, Reuven Rivlin, in Jerusalem, in recognition of his family’s efforts to protect Jews and others in Paris during World War II.
Aznavour’s son was present when his father, then 93, received the medal from Rivlin on behalf of the singer’s parents and his older sister Aida, who is now 100.
“It’ll be an important part of the exhibit,” he said. “My grandparents, who had fled the Armenian genocide in Turkey, settled in France but ultimately wanted to go to the U.S. And when they saw what was happening to the Jews, they could not stay idle.”
That compassion is what led the family to shelter Jewish acquaintances in their small, three-room apartment at 22 rue de Navarin, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The eventual museum will consist of 10 rooms, taking visitors on a journey that begins with the Armenian genocide and continues with Aznavour’s early life in Paris.
“We want to tell the story of their resistance, how they helped not only Jews but also Armenian soldiers who were recruited by the Germans against their will,” said Tatev Sargsyan, chief operating officer of the Aznavour Foundation.
According to a 2016 book by Israeli researcher Yair Auron, “Righteous Saviors and Fighters,” Aznavour and his sister would help burn the Nazi uniforms of Armenian deserters and dispose of the ashes. They also hid members of a French underground resistance movement who were being pursued by the Gestapo — something the modest Aznavour rarely talked about.
“It’ll be more of an immersive experience — something that you feel rather than just see,” Nicolas Aznavour said of the planned 32,000-square-foot museum. Hundreds of artifacts besides the medals and awards will be displayed, including Aznavour’s clothing, his favorite sunglasses and dozens of posters advertising movies in which he starred. (Among them:
“The Tin Drum,” a 1979 German thriller in which Aznavour plays a kind Jewish toy vendor who kills himself after the Nazis vandalize his store and burn down the local synagogue.)
The foundation has formed a partnership with the French government to establish a French Institute within the future center, which will offer a wide range of cultural and educational activities. Among other things, there will be music lessons with hands-on experience in a recording studio. Artists will have the opportunity to perform live on stage.
In addition, experts will teach courses in film, theater and production. These classes will include film screening, featuring some of the 90 movies in which Aznavour himself starred.
Last April, the Tel Aviv suburb of Petah Tikva renamed a municipal park after Aznavour, in the presence of Mayor Rami Greenberg and Arman Hakobian — Armenia’s ambassador to Israel — as well as officials of the French Embassy and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
“During World War II, the Aznavourian family saved numerous Jewish lives,” said community leader Artiom Chernamorian, founder of a nonprofit group called Nairi Union of Armenians in Petah Tikva. The suburb is home to a sizable Armenian ethnic community. “This gesture symbolizes the unbreakable bond between the Armenian and Jewish people, two nations that have endured unspeakable tragedy.”
Yet the influential singer wasn’t shy about calling out his Jewish friends over Israel’s refusal to officially recognize the Ottoman Turkish genocide of 1.5 million Armenians during World War I. Nor did he hold back criticism of Israel’s growing friendship with energy-rich Azerbaijan, which since 1993 has been ruled by the Aliyev family dynasty and is home to some 15,000 Jews.
“I think it’s a complex situation,” Nicholas Aznavour said. “We have friends who totally support recognition of the Armenian genocide. But more than the Turkish reaction, there’s a political reality, and the reality is that the interests of Israel align with those of Azerbaijan.”
Politics aside, that’s a “dangerous compromise,” he warned. “In the long term, it’s a bad strategy, because when you align yourself with dictatorships, it’s like putting one foot in the grave.”
http://www.jewishexponent.com/new-museum-in-armenia-will-tell-story-of-charles-aznavours-love-for-jews/
Deputy Prime Minister emphasizes UNICEF’s efforts in addressing the needs of forcibly displaced children from Karabakh
20:07,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan received the UNICEF's Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Regina De Dominicis. UNICEF Representative to Armenia Christine Weigand also attended the meeting.
As the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office said, Tigran Khachatryan, welcoming the attendees, highly appreciated the role of the Fund in solving problems related to the protection of children's rights, improvement of their health and living conditions in Armenia.
The Deputy Prime Minister particularly underscored the inclusion of a humanitarian response aimed at addressing the needs of forcibly displaced children from Nagorno Karabakh within the framework of the 2021-2025 action plan of the United Nations Children's Fund.
It is noted that Regina De Dominicis, in turn, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and emphasized the commitment to continue and expand the cooperation with the Government in order to properly assess and address the needs of children.
A wide range of issues of mutual interest were also touched upon during the meeting.
Armenia, Azerbaijan Progress Towards Border Resolution Amid Rising Antisemitism
bnn
HongKong – Dec 18 2023
In a decisive move towards addressing persistent border disputes, Armenia has affirmed the terms of engagement for a commission on delimitation with Azerbaijan. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan anticipates that official Baku will endorse the regulations today, marking a collaborative stride towards resolution of the contentious border issues that have plagued both nations in the wake of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The establishment of a commission to delimit the borders between the two nations is seen as a significant step towards mitigating the post-conflict tension. The confirmation of the rules of engagement by Armenia and the expected approval by Azerbaijan reflects an earnest commitment from both sides to address and resolve the border disputes that followed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The document outlining the rules and regulations of the commission will be published simultaneously by both countries, signifying a united front in this pivotal effort.
(Read Also: Armenian Prime Minister Expresses Regret and Promises Resolve Over Captives’ Issue)
In an unrelated development, Armenia has been grappling with a surge in antisemitism. Grigor Hovhannissian, a former Armenian diplomat, highlighted numerous antisemitic incidents and the proliferation of hate speech in the country. The only synagogue in Armenia has been the target of arson attempts, and antisemitic comments have been made by Armenian officials. Armenian media outlets have also been accused of promoting antisemitic views and drawing comparisons between the situation in Karabakh and the Holocaust. The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, along with professional media assets and think tanks, have documented and reported on the exploitation of the Holocaust for propaganda purposes in Armenia.
(Read Also: Azerbaijan Nears Finalization of Stance on Armenia’s Peace Proposal)
In a separate development, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to exchange detainees for the first time since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This agreement has seen the return of 32 Armenian POWs, while several high-profile Armenian detainees remain in Azerbaijan. The United States has expressed its willingness to mediate between the two nations, reinforcing its commitment to maintaining peace in the region.
PM Pashinyan congratulates Polish counterpart on taking office
13:42, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has congratulated Donald Tusk on his election as Prime Minister of Poland.
“Congratulations Donald Tusk on becoming Poland’s Prime Minister! Looking forward to further enhancement of the Armenia-Poland cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels, as well as to the close partnership in the framework of the EU, built on our shared values and democratic ideals,” Pashinyan said in a post on X.
Tusk previously served in the position of Prime Minister from 2007 to 2014. He served as President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019.