Author: Frangulian Shushan

Criminal case against Armenia’s ex-president lands in European court

Frangulian Shushan
dpa-AFX International ProFeed
August 9, 2019 Friday 8:16 PM GMT
Criminal case against Armenia’s ex-president lands in European court
 
 
PARIS (dpa-AFX) – Armenia’s Constitutional Court is seeking advice from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) about a law under which former president Robert Kocharyan is facing trial. The Strasbourg court announced on Friday that it had received a request from the Armenian court for an advisory opinion about a criminal code article dealing with the overthrow of the constitutional order. Kocharyan is accused of overthrowing the constitutional order by authorizing a violent 2008 crackdown on protests against his protege Serzh Sargsyan’s disputed victory in presidential polls. The ECHR said the Armenian Constitutional Court was considering two cases about the constitutionality of the article, one brought by Kocharyan himself and the other by a court in the capital Yerevan. The former president surrendered himself to a Yerevan jail in June after a court ordered him remanded pending trial. Armenia’s current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rose to power in April last year as he led protests in opposition to the appointment of Sargsyan to the prime ministerial post at the time. Sargsyan, who had just reached his term limit as president after serving a decade, was prime minister for only a week before he decided to resign amid the protests. The case is the second where a national court has requested an advisory opinion from the ECHR under a protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights that came into effect last year. In the first such case, the court ruled in April that French authorities did not have to register the intended mother of a child born abroad to a surrogate mother as the child’s mother on its birth certificate, as long as it was possible to establish the legal parental relationship of the intended mother by other means.

Art: Nvard Yerkanyan’s minimalist illustrations devoted to Soviet modernist architecture in Armenia

Frangulian Shushan
Creative Boom
Aug 1 2019
Nvard Yerkanyan’s minimalist illustrations devoted to Soviet modernist architecture in Armenia

Written by Andy Mallalieu

01.08.2019


We first discovered Nvard Yerkanyan when she was shortlisted for this year’s World Illustration Awards.

The illustration we featured was from her series devoted to Soviet modernist architecture in Armenia. And so we thought we’d share the rest of her artworks here. “The series is an ode to the architectural heritage that is either lost or unfairly undervalued,” Nvard tells Creative Boom. “The main aim of the project is to reveal the beauty and the value of Soviet modernist architecture to the indifferent public through the magic of colours and shapes which accentuate brutal, yet fascinating forms of these monuments.”

An Armenian graphic designer and illustrator based in Florence, Italy, Nvard is the co-founder and curator of WHY Graphic Design Festival in Florence and co-founder of AJZ space and curatorial art collective. A graduate of architecture with a Masters in Graphic Design and Cultural Criticism, she tries to combine all these disciplines and skills in her work.

Her interests mainly focus on issues of public spaces, urban transformations, and cultural heritage. She works as a freelancer internationally and is passionate about design that serves to a good cause. Discover more: nvard.yerkanian.com.



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The Central Bank Board left the refinancing rate unchanged at 5.75%.

Frangulian Shushan
  • 30.07.2019

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  • Armenia:

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  • arm

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  • rus

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2019 at the session of July 30, the Central Bank Board decided to leave the refinancing rate unchanged at 5.75%. This was reported by the press service of the Central Bureau of Investigation.


2019 June saw a 1.9% deflation, compared to 1.6% in the same period last year, with 12-month inflation falling to 2.5% due to a deeper seasonal decline in agricultural prices. At the same time, normal inflation increased slightly during the month.


In the external sector, the trends of slowing down the growth of the world economy and weakening of demand are maintained, under which the main partner countries of RA


In the near future, the Central Banks will conduct a policy of loosening monetary conditions. In this situation, the inflationary environment in the international markets of basic food and raw materials also continues to be weak, in which case the Central Bank Board estimates that inflationary pressures are not expected from the external sector in general.


The council notes that in the second quarter, in line with expectations, high growth rates of economic activity were maintained due to the growth of private consumption. The impact of the fiscal policy implemented in the second quarter of the year on domestic demand is estimated to be a significant deterrent. It is expected that in the second half of the year it will be expanding, as a result of which the restraining effect of the fiscal policy on the aggregate demand will be significantly reduced as a result of the year.


In the current situation, the Central Bank Board, giving preference to the gradual recovery of inflation, finds it appropriate to maintain the current monetary conditions, leaving the refinancing rate unchanged. At the same time, in case of forecasted macroeconomic developments, it will be necessary to maintain the stimulating position for a long period of time in order to achieve the inflation goal in the medium term. As a result, inflation is expected to remain below the target level in the coming months, stabilizing around it in the medium term.


It should also be noted that the risks of deviation from the predicted trajectory of inflation are mainly in the direction of decrease, due to the developments of the outside world and the behavior of the state budget, in case of which the Central Bank is ready to respond accordingly, ensuring the stability of prices in the medium term.


You can familiarize yourself with the detailed information underlying the determination of the interest rate level until 2019. In the Press Release to be published on August 13 (Interest Rate Protocol).

Rebuilding Aleppo: Before & after PHOTOS show reconstruction of key Syrian sites

Frangulian Shushan
Russia Today
Rebuilding Aleppo: Before & after PHOTOS show reconstruction of key Syrian sites

Published time: 26 Jul, 2019 10:32 Edited time: 26 Jul, 2019 14:51
<img src=””https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.07/xxs/5d3ad8e2dda4c89b688b45ec.jpg” class=”media__item ” alt=”Rebuilding Aleppo: Before & after PHOTOS show reconstruction of key Syrian sites” />
© SANA
Syria’s ancient city of Aleppo was filled with bustling markets and historical buildings before it was engulfed in the devastating conflict. Now, before and after photos show progress in rebuilding its war-torn sites.

The reconstruction challenge is stark: In December 2018, the UN cultural agency UNESCO said 10 percent of Aleppo’s historical buildings had been destroyed, and as much as 60 percent of the Old City, a World Heritage Site, was severely damaged.

<img src=””https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.07/original/5d3acfccfc7e9340698b459f.jpg” />

Renovations of one of the ancient markets in Old Aleppo. © SANA

Also on rt.com Bake bread not war: Russian military helps Syrians restore Aleppo bakery (VIDEO)

After Damascus regained control over the whole city in 2016, some restoration work began – however, significant progress has been hindered from outside. While allies like Russia, Iran, and China have made investments in the country, reconstruction efforts have been complicated by sanctions imposed on President Bashar Assad’s government by Western countries.

Some locals finally began to enjoy the fruits of their labor by the end of March, when an Armenian church, Forty Martyrs Cathedral, hosted its first mass. Restoration work on the 14th century church began more than a year prior to bring it back to its former glory after it was damaged in April 2015 during shelling. 

<img src=””https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.07/original/5d3acfcafc7e9340698b459e.jpg” />

Renovations of one of the ancient markets in Old Aleppo. © SANA

Major progress can also be claimed by those involved in the effort to return the city’s incredible historical markets to their former glory. 

Citizens have also taken to the streets, quite literally, to lend a hand in efforts to rebuild and reconstruct their city.

<img src=””https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.07/original/5d3acfc9fc7e9340698b459d.jpg” />

A restored flower fair in Teshreen park in the center of the Syrian capital, Damascus. © SANA
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A1+: Nikol Pashinyan congratulates Zelensky on his party’s victory in Ukrainian parliamentary election

Frangulian Shushan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and his party – the Servant of the People, on the victory in the snap parliamentary election.

The Armenian PM congratulated Zelensky on Twitter in Ukrainian.

“Congratulations to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Servant of the People party on the victory in the Ukrainian parliamentary election. I am confident that the new parliament and government will continue the path of reforms with greater efforts and new opportunities for the Armenian-Ukrainian cooperation”, the PM said.

President Sarkissian arrives in Syunik province on working visit

Frangulian Shushan

President Sarkissian arrives in Syunik province on working visit

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14:34, 5 July, 2019

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian arrived in Syunik province on a two-day working visit on July 5, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The President is scheduled to visit the Meghri free economic zone, healthcare and cultural facilities, production companies of the province.

Armen Sarkissian will also visit one of the military positions of the Armenian Armed Forces.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Defense Minister attends killed soldier’s funeral

Frangulian Shushan

Defense Minister attends killed soldier’s funeral

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14:43,

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan personally attended the funeral of an on-duty Armenian soldier who was shot dead in a cross-border shooting from Azerbaijan at the Artsakh line of contact on June 13.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said on Facebook that attendees at the funeral applauded the fallen soldier during the three-volley salute.

“Our nation’s attitude for its heroes is unique,” he said.

Artyom Khachatryan, a 20-year-old soldier, was killed by Azerbaijani gunfire while patrolling at a military base in the northern direction of the Artsakh line of contact.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Armenia goes through important chapter in its modern history, says Pashinyan

Frangulian Shushan

Armenia goes through important chapter in its modern history, says Pashinyan

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16:52, 7 June, 2019
ST. PETERSBURG, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. PM Nikol Pashinyan talked about the political and economic changes that are taking place in Armenia during remarks at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The Armenian PM said these changes are aimed at raising the efficiency of political and economic institutions’ activities, ARMENPRESS correspondent reports.

“Today, Armenia is going through an important chapter in its modern history. On the background of political stability and unprecedented legitimacy of authorities fundamental transformations are taking place in the country. The final goal of these changes is to create a competitive and technologically advanced economy and modern society, based on universal principles of equality, justice and the rule of law. What is the essence of these transformations? In short, they are aimed at increasing the efficiency of activities of our political and economic institutions,” Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan


Nikol Pashinyan congratulates Theresa May on UK National Holiday – Queen’s Birthday

Frangulian Shushan

Nikol Pashinyan congratulates Theresa May on UK National Holiday – Queen’s Birthday

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12:14, 8 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 8 ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan congratulated Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on the occasion of the United Kingdom’s National Holiday – Queen’s Birthday.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, the message runs as follows,

“I cordially congratulate you on the United Kingdom’s National Holiday – Queen’s Birthday. I wish the friendly people of Great Britain peace and further progress on this festive occasion.

It is my pleasure to note that as underpinned by close historical affinities, our relations are now developing in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual respect.

Armenia is keen to expand the scope of interaction with the United Kingdom in all areas of mutual interest.

I can say confidently that there are all the necessary prerequisites to impart new quality to the Armenian-British mutually beneficial cooperation by complementing it with effective programs.”

Sports: Armenian boxers win 8 medals in Georgia

Frangulian Shushan
News.am, Armenia
June 4 2019
 
 
 
Armenian boxers win 8 medals in Georgia

 
 Armenian squad won 8 medals at the youth boxing tournament held in Georgia, FBA press service reported.
 
Gurgen Kakoyan (64 kg) and Armen Manukyan (69 kg) became gold medalists. Rudolf Garboyan (49 kg), Ruslan Aslikyan (56 kg), Sarkis Poghosyan won silver medals. Arthur Ghazaryan (52 kg), Virab Mkrtchyan (52 kg), Rafael Hovhannisyan (81 kg) became bronze medalists.