Author: Arpi Talalian

A suicide bomber from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) blew off his explosive belt when attempting to sneak into a religious ceremony held by the city’s Assyrians, killing at least 3 guards and injuring dozens of civilians,   reports.

The bloody attack comes as Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, was holding a special ceremony commemorating the 101 anniversary of Ottoman genocide against Armenians and Assyrians of Qamishli.

Local sources said that government troops securing the event had stopped the suspected bomber and prevented him from entering the ceremony before he detonated his explosive belt, killing all three guards and wounding dozens.

The northeastern city of Qamishli, populated mostly by Christians, was targeted by ISIS suicide attacks at least three times before, where dozens of civilians have been killed and wounded.

Ivory Coast international Serge Aurier was arrested and placed in police custody on Monday after he was involved in an incident in Paris, the BBC reports.

The 23-year-old, who plays for French side Paris St Germain, is alleged to have had an altercation with police.

The incident occurred in the Champs Elysees area in the early hours of Monday as Aurier left a nightclub.

Paris St Germain officials said the club will wait for further information before making any comment.

Coach Laurent Blanc briefly suspended Aurier in mid-February after the defender posted a video online in which he insulted Blanc and fellow PSG players, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Angel di Maria.

Photo: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

Real Madrid were crowned champions of Europe for the 11th time after defeating Atletico Madrid in a dramatic penalty shootout in Milan.

Sergio Ramos’ first-half goal was cancelled out by Yannick Carrasco in the 79th minute, but neither team could find a winner in 120 minutes.

In the shootout, Atletico’s Juanfran hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered the clinching penalty for Real to secure their second Champions League title in three years, and their fifth since 1998.

The City of Geneva has authorized the construction of the “Lanterns of Memory” in the Trembley Park, reports.

Although the project was born a decade ago, the Armenian community received the permission to install the street lights in memory of the Armenian Genocide last week.

However, the fight is not yet over. Lawyer and SVP National Councilor Yves Nidegger has confirmed he will file an appeal against the authorization of the project at the request of 14 residents opposed to the construction works.

“The Trembley Park is a green area. Therefore, nothing can be built there, except possibly public interest facilities directly related to the use of the said area. This is not the case here since the applicant is a private association, pursuing private interests,” the lawyer says. The lawyer also highlights the scale of the project. “There are nine monumental candelabra nine meters high and ten meters in diameter. The impact on the park is huge and will change its character.”

Commenting on the decision, project coordinator Stefan Kristensen said he was “confident in the success of the process. This is an important step and we’re very satisfied.” He’s convinced that the motives behind the opposition to the project are primarily political. “It is painful and shocking to see people here to side with the deniers,” he said.

The course of the work was fraught with difficulties. Back in 2014 the Swiss Foreign Ministry recommended not erecting an Armenian genocide memorial in Ariana Park as originally planned.

Newly released emails show that a former Democratic National Committee official and lobbyist for the Turkish government directly contacted two of Hillary Clinton’s top aides to ask for a favor ahead of the then-secretary of state’s March 2009 visit to Turkey, reports.

The correspondence raises numerous questions because the lobbyist, David Mercer, was paid $25,000 a month by the Turkish government to convince lawmakers and government officials to oppose a bill designating the Ottoman Empire’s murder of an estimated 1.5 million Armenian Christians from 1915 to 1917 a genocide.

Clinton once touted her support for the resolution but flip-flopped dramatically after she joined the Obama administration.

According to the source, the messages were sent and received at a crucial inflection point for Clinton on the Armenian genocide issue.

As a New York senator, Clinton supported several resolutions calling for the recognition of the mass murders as genocide. And as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2008 she issued a statement promising to recognize the genocide if elected president. She said then that “alone among the presidential candidates, I have been a long-standing supporter of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.”

The pledge earned Clinton the praise of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the largest Armenian political organization in the U.S.

But Clinton completely reversed course on the issue and refused to use the “g-word” to describe the century-old atrocity after she entered the Obama administration.

During a State Department town hall in Jan. 2012 she said that the issue of whether the mass murder was genocide was still up for debate.

“I think it’s fair to say that this has always been viewed, and I think properly so, as a matter of historical debate and conclusions rather than political,” she said at the time.

Clinton was called out for the comments in a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing the next month by California Rep. Adam Schiff, who is currently a member of the House Select Benghazi Committee and one of Clinton’s most ardent supporters.

“Some actions that were taken by you and the administration with regard to the Armenian genocide are of great concern,” he said during the hearing.

“I can’t begin to express in mere words how much anguish has been caused in the Armenian-American community and among many activists about recent statements at a State Department town hall that you made,” he added.

Clinton flailed as she attempted to defend downplaying her statement that the Armenian genocide was still up for debate.

Aram Suren Hamparian, who once praised Clinton as ANCA’s executive director, had harsh words for both Mercer and Clinton.

“Mr. Mercer profited personally by aiding and abetting Turkey’s shameful cover up of its genocide of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians and other Christians. Mr. Mercer’s complicity in Ankara’s genocide denial represents an unconscionable corruption of U.S. democracy by high-priced lobbyists, a morally unacceptable compromise of American values by a foreign power,” Hamparian told The Daily Caller.

It is likely that Clinton and company were aware of Mercer’s role as an opponent of the Armenian resolution. Records show that he sent letters to Lee Feinstein, the national security director of Clinton’s campaign, at around the time she publicly supported the genocide resolution.

“Hillary Clinton needs to answer for her morally indefensible actions as Secretary of State enforcing Turkey’s gag-rule against American condemnation and commemoration of the Armenian Genocide,” Hamparian told TheDC.

Clinton has not weighed in on the genocide issue during the 2016 cycle. Her campaign did not respond to TheDC’s request for comment.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with French Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir.

During the meeting reference was made to the stabilization of situation in the Karabakh conflict zone and the steps targeted at restoring the negotiation process.

In this context the parties underlined that the main objective of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents proposed by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs is the reinforcement of the ceasefire established by the 1994 agreement and implementation of confidence-building measures with a view of restoring the negotiation process.

Minister Nalbandian and Secretary of State Desir discussed the Armenia-EU relations, and the current talks on formation of a new Armenia-EU legal basis.

Minister Nalbandian attached importance to the start of the dialogue on visa liberalization on the basis of the existing achievements.

The parties exchanged views on a number of urgent regional and international issues.

“The Armenian sides do not oppose the step-by-step settlement of the Karabakh conflict, but Azerbaijan should recognize the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic as a first step. Then it has to return the occupied territories (parts of Martakert region and Shahumyan) and start talks with NKR on further clarification of the state border,” Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said in an interview with .

The Deputy Foreign Minister noted that all documents – the Madrid Principles, the Kazan document, actually propose a package for bringing the approaches of the parties closer through mutual concessions.

“Formally backing the package, Azerbaijan, in essence, puts the emphasis on points favorable for itself,” Kocharyan said. He added, however, that all provisions of the documents on the negotiating table need to be reconsidered after the recent aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan.

According to the Deputy FM, the recent developments showed that Azerbaijan has not refused from its policy of power and hatred for Armenians.

He reminded that the trilateral agreements on ceasefire and reinforcement of ceasefire of 19914 and 1995 remain in force until a final political deal is reached. “By trying to denounce the agreements, Azerbaijan is refusing from its international commitments,” he added. “There are no guarantees that Azerbaijan will not refuse from an agreement in the future. It’s impossible to move forward without taking this into consideration.”

The Deputy Foreign Minister added that “the issue of Karabakh’s status should not be left uncertain, while speaking about territories is untimely today at least for two reasons.”

First, he said, it’s only up to Nagorno Karabakh to speak about territories. Second, speaking about concessions is useless, when the rival excludes any status for Karabakh.

“Unilateral concessions are excluded,” he stressed.

Shavarsh Kocharyan said resumption of talks is senseless as long as Azerbaijan is shooting. It will be possible to return to the negotiating table only after Azerbaijan stops firing, excludes the possibility of recurrence of such incidents in the future and when peoples are prepared for peace and an atmosphere of trust is established.

Armenia’s Iveta Mukuchyan had her first rehearsal on Eurovision stage today. During the Armenian stage performance different light effects and pyros were used, according to Eurovision’s official website.

“When I came in the arena, it feels like home: nice and really, really comfortable,” Iveta said before the rehearsal.

Iveta told how much work has been done for the preparation of her entryLoveWave: “We have been intensively preparing for two months, and we were waiting for this day! But I am not excited at all. It feels like when you want to see somebody and you miss him too much and then you finally see him. It’s the kind of the same feeling. I can’t wait for my first rehearsal”.

The Armenian representative has also revealed that she will be supported by five backing vocalists on stage: “I have really great singers with me on stage!”

Amenian GM Levon Aronian beat World Champion  Magnus Carlsen of Norway in Round 8 of the Norway Chess-2016 super tournament.

The two ae now tied for the lead with just one round to go.

This marked Levon’s second subsequent victory in the tournament. The Amenian had beaten Pavel Eljanov in Round 7.

 

 

 

“Armenia and Russia continue negotiations on gas price cut,” Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Levon Yolyan told reporters after the government sitting today.

“It’s an issue of clash of interests, and we’re discussing it,” the Minister said. He added that the talks aim to have the price cut for consumers, as well.

Speaking about the re-launching of the “Nairit” plant, the Minister noted that the talks are under way and offers are expected by April 2016.

Will Georgia finally import Iranian gas through the territory of Armenia? Levon Yolyan said Energy Ministers of Armenia, Iran, Georgia and Russia are going to meet in Tbilisi on April 11-13, and the issue will be finally solved.

“We’re actively working to get more actively involved in regional energy programs,” the Minister stated.