Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Sports: Former Cage Warriors champ Christian Leroy Duncan gets second UFC test, fights Armen Petrosyan

Emil Lazarian
MMAJunkie
Story by Nolan King,George Garcia

Former Cage Warriors champion Christian Leroy Duncan has his second UFC fight. He’ll take on Armen Petrosyan.

The middleweight bout is scheduled for the UFC on ESPN 46 card June 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Duncan (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made his highly-anticipated promotional debut at UFC 286. The bout ended in disappointing fashion after Dusko Todorovic suffered a fight-ending knee injury. Duncan was declared the winner by TKO just 92 seconds into the bout.

Petrosyan (7-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) most recently competed in October when he defeated AJ Dobson by unanimous decision. The victory came on the heels of a split decision win over Gregory Rodrigues and a unanimous decision loss to Caio Borralho.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 46 lineup for June 17 includes:

Jared Cannonier vs. Marvin Vettori Joaquim Silva vs. Arman Tsarukyan Raoni Barcelos vs. Miles Johns Alessandro Costa vs. Jimmy Flick Tereza Bleda vs. Gabriella Fernandes Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Tatsuro Taira Modestas Bukauskas vs. Zac Pauga Nicolas Dalby vs. Muslim Salikhov Denys Bondar vs. Carlos Hernandez Nikolas Motta vs. Manuel Torres Daniel Argueta vs. Ronnie Lawrence Josh Fremd vs. Roman Kopylov Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Armen Petrosyan


https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mma_ufc/former-cage-warriors-champ-christian-leroy-duncan-gets-second-ufc-test-fights-armen-petrosyan/ar-AA1b453h?ocid=sapphireappshare&fbclid=IwAR1yqrTx9vgXNJ55oDzhMwa7PPRuWdlLeBRyx5dYO6Lr8EvbN37yAMB03YM

Rocket from Gaza kills Armenian woman in Israel

Emil Lazarian
Armenia –

– 14:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A member of the Armenian community in Israel was killed when a rocket fired from Gaza hit a building in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, Artyom Chernamorian, the president of Nairi Union of Israeli-Armenians of Petah Tikva, said on social media Friday, May 12.

80-year-old pensioner Inga Abrahamyan was killed by the rocket explosion in her 3-story house. Her husband, meanwhile, was among 12 people who were injured in the blast.

Chernamorian said that since 2008, the Armenian community had had no victims in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

According to a report from the BBC, it was the first fatality in Israel since it began an operation against PIJ on Tuesday morning with a series of air strikes that killed another three of the group’s commanders.

Arman Tatoyan: Azerbaijanis are building wide concrete roads, bunkers, infrastructure in Armenia

Emil Lazarian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
12:28, 12.05.2023

We know that the Azerbaijanis have invaded the sovereign territories of Armenia, and it is obvious that they have no intention of leaving. Arman Tatoyan, director of the Tatoyan Foundation and the former ombudsman of Armenia, told this to a press conference Friday, presenting the new special report that was prepared jointly with attorney Siranush Sahakyan, the Armenian prisoners of war’s representative at the European Court of Human Rights.

“No matter how much they [i.e., the Azerbaijanis] talk about [border] delimitation, international principles, their actions speak of something completely different. They are entrenched in the territories inside the border of Armenia. For example, I was in Syunik Province two, three months ago and I had gone [there] ten days ago; the difference is obvious in how they entrench themselves in the sovereign territory of Armenia.

“They have set up positions in the administrative area of Nerkin Hand village of Syunik, a few months ago they had built a small building; after a few months—big buildings, infrastructures, roads already. We had recorded the same thing after September 13-14 in the region of Jermuk [city]; after a few months, they were even constructing wide concrete roads, bunkers, etc.,” Tatoyan said.

He emphasized that the Azerbaijanis aim to make the life of the Armenian civilian population impossible, to force people to leave, which we see today in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as well.

“They deprive the people of water, seize the springs on purpose, people cannot use their lands, pastures. There are people, family, human destinies behind every meter of land,” Tatoyan added.

EU and UNDP project raises awareness on danger of landmines and explosive artillery in Armenia

Emil Lazarian

The EU-funded project organised a series of landmine and explosive hazard awareness activities in Armenia in April. ‘Strengthening National Mine Action Capacities in Armenia’ is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia.

The series of events began with the discussion on the National Mine Action Strategy for 2023-2027 and the operational plans of the State in this field.

The Union of Artists of Armenia then hosted an art exhibition entitled ‘Art against Mines’, which presented paintings by children from mine-affected communities in Armenia. The exhibition highlighted the importance of mine risk education and humanitarian mine action in the affected regions and communities, while introducing visitors to the challenges faced by children living in mine-affected areas. 

The events concluded with an interactive training session on first aid/medical assistance in emergencies, with simulation exercises. This was organised in partnership with the Armenian Red Cross Society for the staff of the Armenian Centre for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise (CHDE). The training provided CHDE staff dealing with landmines and explosive artillery in their daily activities with practical, up-to-date and crucial knowledge and skills.

Find out more

Press release

https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/latest-news/eu-and-undp-project-raises-awareness-on-danger-of-landmines-and-explosive-artillery-in-armenia/

3,000-year-old bakery — still covered in flour — unearthed in Armenia, photos show

Emil Lazarian
Aspen Pflughoeft

Digging into the ruins of a large building in Armenia, archaeologists noticed something unusual. Pressed into the brown dirt was a layer of some dusty, white substance.

Initially, archaeologists at the Metsamor archaeological site thought the ashy material was just that: ashes, Science in Poland said in a May 12 news release. The substance was found scattered across the ruins of a large building with several furnaces.

The explanation made sense — at least at first glance.

But after testing the material, researchers realized it was actually preserved ancient flour, the excavation’s lead archaeologist Krzysztof Jakubiak told Science in Poland. Flour is rarely found at archaeological sites, but several sacks worth of flour were unearthed at the ruins, he said.

The unusual find led archaeologists to identify the ruined structure as a 3,000-year-old large-scale bakery, the release said.

Close up showing some of the white, dusty flour scattered at the ruins.

The massive structure was used from the end of the 11th century B.C. until the beginning of the 9th century B.C., archaeologists said. Initially, it functioned as a public building. Later, furnaces were added, and the building took on an economic role as a place where people likely used wheat flour to bake bread.

Eventually, the structure collapsed due to a fire, the release said.

When archaeologists began excavations of the structure, they identified it as a public building, according to a 2022 news release from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

Still, the entire building has not yet been excavated and may hold more secrets for archaeologists to uncover, the release said.

A view of the bakery ruins. Some of the flour can be seen in the lower righthand section of the structure.

The structure is in a portion of the Metsamor archaeological site known as the lower city, experts said. The lower city is outside the site’s main fortification network.

Metsamor is about 20 miles southwest of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and near the border with Turkey. The city was continuously inhabited from the 4th millennium B.C. until the 17th century, the release said.

The site’s ancient inhabitants remain a mysterious group of people. Archaeologists don’t know much about them except that they had no written language. Excavations of the oldest part of Metsamor — a walled settlement with a necropolis or cemetery — uncovered about 100 burials.

Many of these tombs were empty, having been looted at some point, but one couple’s untouched tomb contained several gold pendants and about 100 jewelry beads.

Metsamor expanded into a larger fortress surrounded by seven temple sanctuaries between the 11th and 9th centuries B.C. — about the same period as when the bakery was used, the release said. The city emerged as an economic, cultural and political center for the region.

Eventually, the city was conquered in the 8th century B.C. and became part of the Urartu kingdom, archaeologists said.

Excavations of Metsamor began in 1965 and are ongoing. The joint Polish-Armenian excavations began in 2013.

Google Translate was used to translate news releases from Science in Poland and the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

https://news.yahoo.com/3-000-old-bakery-still-203515856.html

US Says Armenia, Azerbaijan Should Seize ‘Peaceful Solution’ After Clashes

Emil Lazarian
BARRON’S
  • FROM AFP NEWS
By AFP – Agence France Presse

The United States, which recently held talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, urges the two nations to seize peace initiatives after fresh clashes. SOUNDBITE

The Barron’s news department was not involved in the creation of the content above. This story was produced by AFP. For more information go to AFP.com.

Watch the video:

Escalation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Emil Lazarian
  • JAMnews
  • Baku

The Armenian Defense Ministry reported intense shelling of its positions by artillery and mortars early morning on May 11 and four wounded. Information was received from Azerbaijan that “as a result of a provocation from the Armenian side, a soldier of long service was killed.” The situation had relatively stabilized in the afternoon.

Both sides claim that they took only retaliatory measures, and the operational situation is under the control of military units. Statements were made by the Foreign Ministries of both countries. The Prime Minister of Armenia announced that Azerbaijan’s goal is to nullify the negotiation process and disrupt the May 14 meeting in Brussels.

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The Ministry of Defense of Armenia reported information about the escalation starting early morning with a frequency of 20-30 minutes. It was reported that “from 11:00 to 13:00, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces continued to violate the ceasefire at certain intervals.” Only by 13:00 did information appear that the situation on the front line had relatively stabilized.

The Ministry of Health reported that an ambulance transporting wounded Armenian soldiers was struck by Azerbaijan.

“The Ministry of Health condemns yet another case of targeted fire on an ambulance and medical workers performing their professional duties. Such manifestations are contrary to all international humanitarian laws, even the laws of war,” the doctors said in a statement.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry called on the Azerbaijani authorities to “stop the groundless, unjustified and shameful attempts to disrupt the negotiation process with the use of force and thereby put pressure on Armenia.”

Armenian diplomats declared the escalation another violation of the fundamental principle of international law on the non-use of force or threat of force:

“These actions of Azerbaijan, aimed at destabilizing the situation, are also an open disregard for the meeting held in Washington, as well as for the planned meetings in Brussels and Moscow, aimed at normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the efforts of international partners interested in stability and peace in the South Caucasus.“

Nikol Pashinyan also presented his assessment of the situation. He began the government meeting with a summary of the situation on the border.

Armenia-Azerbaijan talks in Washington – experts in Baku, Yerevan weigh in on the four days Mirzoyan, Bayramov and Blinken spent together

“The actions of the Azerbaijani side are of a provocative nature and are aimed, among other things, at nullifying the progress of the negotiations held on May 1-4 in Washington.

The provocation is also aimed at disrupting the tripartite talks scheduled for Sunday in Brussels [with the mediation of the head of the European Council] and for June 1, the five-party talks in Chisinau [with the participation of the presidents of France and Germany].

Experience shows that Azerbaijan needs the negotiation process only for escalation and a casus belli, and escalation is used to nullify any progress made during negotiations.

The reports of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan about the violation of the ceasefire by our army are far-fetched. This information is fabricated to exacerbate the situation.

If the escalation had not been a deliberate provocation by Azerbaijan, any local incident could have been instantly resolved by checking and exchanging information and preventive agreements through existing channels.

This did not happen for a simple reason: no incidents were observed, and the Azerbaijani disinformation machine invented this “news” retroactively to aggravate the situation.

Another goal of Baku is to divert the attention of the international and Armenian public from the installation of an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, to create a new crisis in order to consign the old one to oblivion. This is a proven tactic of Azerbaijan.

I have not changed my decision to go to Brussels on Sunday for negotiations.

I want to answer in advance the question of how likely it is that a peace treaty with Azerbaijan will be signed in Brussels on Sunday. Unfortunately, this is extremely unlikely, because the draft bilateral agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations is still very crude and it is too early to talk about its signing.

We are faced with the task of finalizing this document as soon as possible and preparing it for signing.”

Experts warn that Azerbaijani military positions are literally a few meters from the Syunik airport, located in the city of Kapan

According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, on the morning of May 11, “units of the armed forces of Armenia fired heavily from small arms at the positions of the Azerbaijani army located in the direction of Zod”:

“As a result of a provocation deliberately committed by units of the Armenian armed forces, Azerbaijani soldier Novruzalizade Orkhan Elkhan died.”

The department also reported that the units of the Azerbaijani army are taking decisive retaliatory measures: “The operational situation is under the control of the units of the Azerbaijani army.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan issued a statement:

“Armenia is stepping up military provocations against Azerbaijan in the border regions. Despite the fact that the Armenian side was warned that provocations and deliberate aggravations of the situation would be stopped on their part, on the morning of May 11, the Armenian armed forces further aggravated the situation by firing mortars at the positions of the Azerbaijani army, as a result of provocations, one soldier died.

According to the Foreign Ministry, “The fact that Armenia’s provocations, as always, take place against the backdrop of intensified negotiations on a peace treaty, as well as expected negotiations between leaders, indicates that Armenia is not interested in the peace process.”

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, once again, placed all responsibility for the aggravation of the situation on the military-political leadership of Armenia.

Azerbaijani Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva also issued an appeal in connection with “another provocation of the Armenian armed forces.” According to the statement of the Ombudsman, one soldier of the Azerbaijani army was killed, two more were seriously injured.

“We state with regret that Armenia, ignoring Azerbaijan’s calls for peace, continues military provocations aimed at gross violation of human rights. Contrary to Azerbaijan’s constant calls for peace, Armenia purposefully escalates the situation in the region, grossly violating the norms and principles of international law and international humanitarian law, and commits provocations in order to create new hotbeds of conflict.

As the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan, we once again appeal to international organizations and demand to immediately put an end to the military provocations of the Armenian Armed Forces, take decisive measures to restore peace in the region,” the appeal says.

Armenia and Azerbaijan trade gunfire along border

Emil Lazarian
Qatar –

Deadly incident comes days before the European Council hosts Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev for talks in Brussels.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have blamed each other for gunfire along their restive border days in advance of EU-hosted talks aimed at resolving their 30-year-old territorial dispute.

The fighting came on Thursday as the two countries are in negotiations on a peace agreement to end a decades-long standoff over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated mainly by Armenians.

“Azerbaijani forces are shooting artillery and mortars at Armenian position in the Sotk region” in the east, Armenia’s defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday, adding four of its soldiers were wounded.

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said “the Armenian side has once again violated the ceasefire agreement” with “large-calibre weapons”.

“A soldier from the Azerbaijani army was killed after a provocation from the Armenian forces,” Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said in a statement.

The incident comes just days before European Council President Charles Michel is to host Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev for talks in Brussels on Saturday.

The two also agreed to meet together with the leaders of France and Germany on the sidelines of a European summit in Moldova on June 1, according to the European Union.

The EU-hosted meeting comes after the United States said “tangible progress” had been made at talks between foreign ministers in Washington, DC last week aimed at ending the dispute over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were both republics of the Soviet Union that gained independence in 1991 when the USSR broke up.

They have gone to war twice over disputed territories,  mainly Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-Armenian region inside Azerbaijan.

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Tens of thousands of people have been killed in two wars over the region, one lasting six years and ending in 1994, and the second in 2020, which ended in a Russia-negotiated ceasefire deal. But clashes have broken out regularly since then.

Western mediation efforts to resolve the conflict come as major regional power Russia has struggled to maintain its decisive influence because of the fallout from its war on Ukraine.

Armenia and Azerbaijan trade blame over Nagorno-Karabakh attacks

Emil Lazarian
By Euronews  with AFP  •  Updated: 11/05/2023 – 11:41

International brokers are trying to strike a new peace deal for the separatist region

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of firing across their shared border on Thursday as international efforts intensify to calm tensions over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“Azerbaijani forces are firing artillery and mortars at Armenian positions in the Sotk region of eastern Armenia,” the Armenian defence ministry announced in a statement, saying three Armenian servicemen were wounded as a result of the shelling. 

The ministry added that Armenian forces were taking “appropriate defensive measures”.

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry for its part accused Armenia of firing “high-calibre weapons” at its positions on the border, denouncing the actions as a “provocation”.

“Despite warnings about the need to stop provocations,” a statement said, “the Armenian side has again violated the ceasefire regime.” 

The ministry claimed an Azerbaijani serviceman was wounded by Armenian fire last night, with “mortar fire” continuing on Thursday morning.

The incident comes as members of the international community seek to revive peace talks between the two neighbours, who have been rowing over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region for some 30 years – often violently.

After four days of intense talks in Washington last week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev are set to meet in Brussels on Sunday, says the European Union, which will sponsor the meeting.

According to the US, “tangible progress” was made during the talks and a peace agreement is now “in sight”.

The Russian government was irked by the talks, with the Kremlin insisting there is no realistic alternative to the ceasefire agreement it helped craft in 2020.

“At this stage, there is no other legal basis that would contribute to the settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week.

The two Caucasus countries fought two wars in the early 1990s and in 2020 over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region with a majority Armenian population that seceded from Azerbaijan more than three decades ago.

Tensions escalated this spring when Baku announced on 23 April that it had set up a road checkpoint at the entrance to the Latchine corridor, the only route linking Armenia to the separatist enclave. 

It is already under a months-long blockade that has led to power shortages and blackouts.

https://www.euronews.com/2023/05/11/armenia-and-azerbaijan-point-fingers-over-nagorno-karabakh-attacks

Two Armenian servicemen wounded in Azerbaijani drone strike

Emil Lazarian

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 10:45,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. Two Armenian servicemen were wounded Friday morning when the Azerbaijani armed forces used a UAV to bombard their position in Gegharkunik Province, the defense ministry said in a press release.

“On 12 May, around 10:00, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire in the direction of Sotk by using a UAV,” the defense ministry said, adding that two servicemen of the Armed Forces of Armenia were wounded in the drone strike. One of the two wounded troops is in grave condition.

As of 10:30 the situation on the frontline was relatively stable, the ministry added.

The Azeri drone strike comes a day after Azeri forces bombarded Armenian positions in the same area in an unprovoked attack.