Author: Jack Hunanian

The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) has welcomed the pre-selection of Hovig Melkonian as the Australian Labor Party’s candidate for the Federal seat of Casey in Victoria.

Melkonian is a current ANC Australia National Board member and he will take an extended leave of absence from his position to contest the election, which will likely take place no later than 2016.

79% of Labor members in the Casey branch supported Melkonian’s nomination as their Party’s candidate and he was pre-selected unopposed by Labor’s public office selection committee.

“I’m honoured to have earned the support of rank-and-file members to contest the next federal election as the Labor candidate for Casey,” Melkonian said.

“This is the part of the world where I grew up. I’m very proud to have the opportunity to represent this community.”

Melkonian will be running against the incumbent Liberal Member for Casey and new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tony Smith MP.

Melkonian studied Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics Engineering at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). He has also served in the National Union of Students as a Welfare Officer and as an RMIT Council Member.

Greg Soghomonian, Chairman of ANC Australia, said: “We warmly welcome the pre-selection of Hovig as the Labor candidate for Casey. Participation in public office is an important element for the development of our nation and we are confident that if elected, Hovig will make an enormous contribution to Australia.”

Vache Kahramanian, Executive director of ANC Australia, echoed these sentiments: “I have had the great pleasure of working with Hovig for many years. He has been a great asset to the Armenian National Committee and he will be an even greater asset to the Australian nation.”

On 29 June Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited the Stepanakert Memorial Complex in connection with the Day of Perished for Motherland and Missing in Action and laid a wreath at the monument of missing in action freedom fighters, the Central Information Department  of the Office of the NKR President reported.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, National Assembly speaker Ashot Ghoulyan, prime-minister Ara Haroutyunyan, and other officials partook in the event.

The ongoing protests in Armenia against the planned electricity price hike and the promise of the authorities to nationalize the Electric Networks of Armenia could make Inter RAO UES sell the Company, according to Russian

The paper reports, quoting its sources that the holding has already held negotiations with Russian businessmen of Armenian descent, namely Samvel Karapetyan – the owner of the “Tashir” Group.

However, finding a new buyer could be problematic, considering the huge debts of the Electric Networks, the Russian paper writes.

Secretary General of the Olympic Committee of Armenia Hrachya Rostomyan today announced the names of the sportsmen that will participate in the inaugural European Games in Baku from June 12 to 28.
Arman Yeremyan – taekwondo
Hrachik Babayan – shooting
Tigran Kirakosyan – sambo
Ashot Danielyan – sambo
Sose Balasanyan – sambo
Hovhannes Davtyan – judo
David Nikoghosyan – judo
Zhanna Stankevich – judo
Artyom Alexanyan – boxing
Narek Abgaryan – boxing
Aram Avagyan – boxing
Samvel Barseghyan – boxing
Hovhannes Bachkov – boxing
Nikol Arutyunov – boxing
Garik Barseghyan – free-style wrestling
David Safaryan – free-style wrestling
Musa Murtazaliyev – free-style wrestling
Levan Berianidze – free-style wrestling
Grigor Grigoryan – free-style wrestling
Volodya Frangulyan – free-style wrestling
Roman Amoyan – Greco-Roman wrestling
Karapet Chalyan – Greco-Roman wrestling
Maxim Manukyan – Greco-Roman wrestling
Mihran Harutyunyan – Greco-Roman wrestling

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev won’t be able to participate in the summit of the EU Eastern Partnership program to be held in Riga on May 21-22.

President’s aide for public and political affairs, Ali Hasanov made the remark on May 20 while talking to media, Azeri media report.

He noted that “the President has an extremely busy schedule as very little time is left to the start of the first European Games and preparations for this important event have entered the final stage.” “That’s why the head of state will not be able to attend the Summit.”

Hasanov said Azerbaijan will be represented at the Riga Summit by Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, Chief of the Administration’s Foreign Relations Department Novruz Mammadov and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

The meeting is expected to bring together the political leadership of the 28 EU Member States and six EaP partner countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – as well as the EU institutions, including Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.

Fifteen people died, dozens were injured as a massive fire broke out in a multi-story residential building in Baku.

Azerbaijani Emergency Situations Ministry received a call about a fire in a multi-story building at Azadliq Avenue, 189 early in the morning.

The building’s residents were immediately evacuated. The fire has already been extinguished, Azernews reports.

The source quotes witnesses as saying that the fire started from the first floor and in a few seconds covered the entire high-rise. The building has 54 apartments.

According to preliminary information, the cause of the fire was the poor quality of cladding material.

More than 50 people have been killed in a landslide in Antioquia province in north-west Colombia, officials say, the BBC reports.

President Juan Manuel Santos said the authorities do not know how many people are still missing.

Heavy rains caused the river Liboriana, in the town of Salgar, to burst its banks, triggering the landslide.

Much of the village of Santa Margarita, south-west of the provincial capital, Medellin, was swept away when the disaster hit early on Monday.

Rescue teams and residents have got together to dig through rouble in the hope of finding survivors.

After visiting the scene of the disaster, Mr Santos declared a state of emergency and promised to rebuild the houses.

The tragedy in Salgar appeared to be the single deadliest event since a 1999 earthquake in the city of Armenia that left hundreds dead.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has issued a message on the International Day of Families:

The theme of this year’s International Day of Families – “Men in Charge?” – highlights the importance of gender equality and children’s rights in contemporary families.

Around the world, more women are becoming recognized as the equal partners and decision-makers in families that they should be, thus helping to ensure a conducive environment for the full and harmonious development of children.

Yet in too many countries, discrimination against women and disregard for children’s rights remain built into family laws and Government policies, and prevailing social norms often condone and justify many discriminatory practices.

The social and economic costs are felt by all.  Discrimination and neglect often lead to violence, threatening women’s and children’s health and limiting their chances to complete education and fulfil their potential.  The cycle tends to continue into the next generation, as children experiencing violence are more likely to resort to violence in their adult lives.

Equitable social and economic development depends on fair legal frameworks and social norms that support the rights of women and children.  Discriminatory laws and practices that do not give equal rights to all, and that suppress women’s and children’s rights, have no place in contemporary families, communities, societies and nations.

On this International Day, let us resolve to change legal and social norms that support male control over women, reinforce discrimination and prevent the elimination of violence against vulnerable family members.  As we shape a new sustainable development agenda and strive for a world of dignity for all, let us stand united for women’s and children’s rights in families and societies at large.

French Armenian musician Raffi Arto, 13, rocked the stage at the BBC Easter Night Show at London Coliseum.

In this Easter special, award-winning comedian Michael McIntyre hosted a star-studded night of entertainment from the majestic Coliseum in the heart of London’s theatreland.

Michael was joined on stage by a stellar line-up of fellow comedians, singing superstars and jaw-dropping specialty acts.

The Parliament of the  Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has unanimously adopted a resolution, recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Foreign Ministry informs.