Author: Jagharian Tania

Pashinyan gets top breed puppy as gift from Georgian leader

Jagharian Tania

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 23:50, 3 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received a premium breed puppy as a gift on Tuesday from Georgian leader Giorgi Gakharia while on an official visit to Tbilisi.

In a video shared online, Prime Minister Gakharia is seen giving the puppy – a purebred Kazbek shepherd dog – to Pashinyan in the evening after the official meetings.

“This is an honor”, Pashinyan told his Georgian counterpart after taking the puppy into his arms.

“This is going to be our fifth dog”, Pashinyan said.

“We must think of a name. Or maybe he already has a name?” – the Armenian PM asked. “He does have a name by his birth passport, but as Mr. Prime Minister you will like you will name it” – Gakharia responded. But the Armenian PM insisted the puppy to keep its birth name, which Gakharia said was Bonbor.

PM Pashinyan then shared on Facebook a photo with the pup, and wrote “My friend, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s dearest gift, Bonbor – a purebred Caucasian shepherd. He will be our fifth dog, after Kaylo, Arjuk [Bear], Ampik (Cloudy) and Molly. Thank you”.

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Armenia airlines temporary cancel round trip flights from Yerevan to Tel Aviv

Jagharian Tania
Panorama, Armenia
March 2 2020

Armenia airlines issued a statement on Monday about cancellation of flights from Yerevan to Tel Aviv. As the company detailed in its statement, the decision came amid the recent developments with the return of bought tickets as well as the travel alert issued by Israeli authorities.

The cancelation will affect all flights scheduled by March 22 inclusive. The source added that a full refund will be granted to all passengers who have canceled their flight.

Flowers laid in memory of victims of March 1, 2008 events on behalf of Armenia President

Jagharian Tania
News.am, Armenia
March 1 2020
(PHOTO) (PHOTO)

14:24, 01.03.2020

This morning, on behalf of President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, flowers were laid near the statue of Myasnikyan as a sign of tribute to the victims of the tragic events that took place on March 1, 2008 in Yerevan, as reported the Staff of the President of Armenia.

Exactly 12 years ago, tragic events took place in central Yerevan, taking the lives of 10 citizens.

In the wake of the presidential elections that took place on February 18, 2008, the supporters of first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan gathered at Liberty Square with the demand for a recount of the votes and held round-the-clock rallies at Liberty Square for ten consecutive days.

On the morning of March 1, police dispersed the crowd by force, after which people started gathering near the statue of Myasnikyan. On the evening of the same day, President Robert Kocharyan declared martial law. The clashes took the lives of 10 citizens, including two police officers, and another 200 received injuries of various degrees.

The ten victims were Gor Kloyan, Davit Petrosyan, Tigran Abgaryan, Tigran Khachatryan, Armen Farmanyan, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Hamlet Tadevosyan, Grigor Gevorgyan, Samvel Harutyunyan and Zakar Hovhannisyan.


Electronic scammers managed to steal from ATMs in Armenia 34.8 mln drams

Jagharian Tania
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 18 2020

ArmInfo.The criminal case of theft of ATMs committed by a group of people has been sent to court. It is reported by the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

According to the source, in August 2018, a message was received that  a theft had been committed using computer technology on the Kievyan  street in Kievyan, and a criminal case was opened, which was then  added by several more cases related to thefts from other ATMs , as  well as committing theft in one of the apartments and attempted theft  from another.

As a result of the operational-search measures undertaken, two  persons were identified who were suspected of having committed these  crimes – residents of Yerevan, born in 1986 and 1976. Using a  malicious program, they illegally were able to withdraw significant  sums of 34.8 million drams from ATMs, involving a group of persons  that had not yet been identified, with which a preliminary agreement  had been reached, in illegal actions.

In addition, it turned out that one of the attackers had stolen in  one of the Yerevan apartments in the Nor- Nork quarter, from where he  took out 2.4 million drams, $ 120, as well as watches and jewelry  worth 700 thousand drams. Thus, the total amount stolen amounted to  3.158 million drams. Then, using technical means, he managed to open  the electronic lock of another apartment – on Komitas Street, but he  was forced to leave on his own, because there was neither money nor  valuables in it.

Cases against both suspects were sent to court. Actions are being  taken to identify other individuals not yet identified.

Recognition of Armenian Genocide by Syrian parliament sign of friendship – MFA Armenia

Jagharian Tania

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 21:06,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The adoption of the resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide by the People’s Council of Syria is a brilliant evidence of the centuries-old friendship between the Armenian and Syrian peoples. It’s an important contribution to the restoration of historical justice and prevention of genocides, reads the statement issues by the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia.

“We highly appreciate the adoption of the resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire by the People’s Council of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The genocide unleashed by the government of the Young Turks a major part of which was carried out in the territory of Syria that was under the Ottoman rule at that time, is a part of the shared memories of the Armenian and Syrian peoples.

The Syrian people, witnessing the calamity facing the Armenian people, were one of the 1st to extend a helping hand to the genocide survivors. Thousands of survivors re-found their new motherland in Syria, establishing one of the most flourishing Armenian communities and had their contribution to the development of Syria.

This resolution is a brilliant evidence of the centuries-old friendship and reciprocal sympathy between the Armenian and Syrian peoples. It’s an important contribution to the restoration of historical justice and prevention of genocides”, reads the statement, expressing solidarity with the Syrian people, who currently face challenges.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Asbarez: Fresno State Armenian Studies Program to Host Musical Heritage Event

Jagharian Tania

Fresno State’s event highlighting Armenian-American music of the San Joaquin Valley will be held on Feb. 29

California State University, Fresno’s Armenian Studies Program will be hosting a special event titled “Armenian-American Musical Heritage of the San Joaquin Valley.” The event will be held on Saturday, February 29 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the University Business Center on the Fresno State campus, located at 5241 N Maple Ave, Fresno, CA 93740.

The Armenian Studies Program was recently awarded a California Humanities grant of nearly $5,000 for “Amplifying Community: Recording the History of the San Joaquin Valley Armenian Music Production,” which is dedicated to recovering the history of Armenian-American music production in the San Joaquin Valley during the first half of the 20th century. Drawing upon the reminiscences and expertise of local musicians, “Armenian-American Musical Heritage of the San Joaquin Valley” will provide a forum for the community to contribute their own recollections, contextualizing and bringing to life the little-studied early musicians, recording labels, and venues in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

The event will have two segments, with the first segment to be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants will bring historic photographs, sheet music, promotional materials, and ephemera relating to Armenian music production for scanning. The digitized files will be added to the Armenian Studies Program Music Archive, which will eventually be available to the public.

Oud master Richard Hagopian and Dr. Yektan Türkyilmaz will have a discussion about the Armenian Music of the San Joaquin Valley, which will include a performance of traditional Armenian music by Hagopian, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

After a highly competitive process, California Humanities announced $397,496 in awards to 37 new projects through the final round of 2019 and Humanities for All Quick Grant and Humanities for All Project Grant programs. The 20 Humanities for All Quick Grants, totaling $98,239, include a range of locally-initiated public humanities projects, from a teen-focused writing workshop series that will share speculative writing and reading techniques and help catalyze supportive and creative teen communities in the San Diego area, to a month-long presentation of multimedia arts celebrating Black empowerment and possibility in San Luis Obispo for Black History Month.

The event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available in Fresno State Lots P6 and P5, near the University Business Center, Fresno State. Parking permits are not required on Saturdays.

For more information about the presentation, contact the Armenian Studies Program at 559.278.2669, visit their website, or visit their Facebook page.

Armenia and Serbia are abolishing visas

Jagharian Tania
PanArmenian, Armenia
Jan 30 2020
January 30, 2020 – 12:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – to facilitate the free movement of people in the two countries.

The government in Armenia on Thursday, January 30 approved a Foreign Ministry proposal to lift visa requirement for the citizens of Serbia.

On October 25, Serbia unilaterally decided to remove visa requirements for holders of Armenian passports. According to a document approved by the government, Armenians are allowed to enter, transit and stay in the territory of Serbia for a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days.

Deputy Foreign Minister Avet Adonts said Thursday that once the draft is approved in Armenia, the same rules will apply for Serbian citizens.

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/277410/Armenia_and_Serbia_are_abolishing_visas

Armenia and China officially abolished visas in January. The deal is expected to boost trade, business and tourism exchanges between the two countries.

According to Henley Passport Index, which measures which passports are the most powerful based on the countries its holders can enter without prior visa approval, holders of Armenian passports can now visit 62 countries visa free.

We have to level up our economic relations – PM Pashinyan meets with Moldova’s PM

Jagharian Tania

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 18:14,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. There are very good political relations between Armenia and Moldova, the countries have rich history of cultural, humanitarian ties. But the two countries have to level up economic relations and trade turnover, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council session in Almaty in a meeting with Prime Minister of Moldova Ion Chicu.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, PM Pashinyan said, “Honorable Mr. Prime Minister, I am very glad to meet you, and I want to once again congratulate you on being appointed Prime Minister of Moldova. Of course, there are very good political relations between Armenia and Moldova, the countries have rich history of cultural, humanitarian ties. But we cannot boast about the level of our trade and economic relations, for which there are both objective and subjective reasons. But I think we have to level up our economic relations and trade turnover, which is a solvable task in the 21st century and I am ready to make efforts in that direction. I emphasize particularly trade and economic relations, because I am confident that we have and will have no problems in other directions”.

The Prime Minister of Moldova said,

“I am thankful, Mr. Prime Minister, for your congratulations and warm wishes. We are really happy, since there are very good relations between our countries and peoples in cultural, humanitarian and other spheres. Of course, you are right and we have great potential for developing economic relations, since we both have advantages in a number of spheres where we can develop cooperation. I talked about that also in my speech. Moldova has free trade regime with the EU and given the activeness of Armenia’s representatives, I think we will be able to make a good use of that opportunity. In some areas we are represented in the same market, but, of course, we are not rivals. We can only say words of appraisal in the address of the Armenian cognac and other productions.

We also have very good relations in terms of reforms in various spheres, for example, in the sphere of state finances I had many interactions with the Ministry of Finance of your country when I was working at the World Bank, where progressive reforms were being implemented. I mean we can promote and give new impetus to our cooperation in various directions.

And of course, we are looking forward to your visit to the Republic of Moldova. Before my visit I spoke with Igor Nikolaevich Dodon and he conveyed warm greetings to you, saying that we are looking forward to your visit to Moldova.

I also think that we should resume the works of the intergovernmental commission, which is a good platform for discussing issues and the opportunities for the development of cooperation”.

The Prime Ministers of Armenia and Moldova also discussed a broad scope of issues referring to the development of economic relations.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Manouk Akopyan’s Radio Show Debuts Across Major Platforms

Jagharian Tania

Manouk Akopyan’s new radio show “Time Out With Manouk Akopyan”

LOS ANGELES—A new radio show dedicated to shining light on Armenian issues, individuals, and organizations that are making an impact throughout the diaspora has debuted across airwaves and every major audio platform.

Manouk Akopyan, a journalist, writer and editor for over 13 years, has launched the one-hour radio show “Time Out With Manouk Akopyan” on KLOS-FM 95.5 HD3 and SoCal Armenian Radio. It will air every Monday from 8 to 9 p.m. PST, reaching more than 200,000 Armenians living in the Los Angeles area. “Time Out With Manouk Akopyan” is also available internationally on demand for Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, RadioPublic, Anchor, Overcast, and Pocket Casts.

“Time Out With Manouk Akopyan” is a global Armenian lifestyle radio show that discusses culture around the nexus of arts, entertainment, sports, film, music, food, business, and everything else in between. The program features interviews with prominent guests who lead extraordinary lives, careers, and serve as leading role models for the next generation.

“Hosting a radio show that spotlights the Armenian community is a dream come true,” said Akopyan. “I’m very proud of my Armenian heritage and culture, and most of our heroes are, too. I can’t wait to cover people in the diaspora who are making a difference, and create thoughtful dialogue that makes an impact. The conversations and interviews can be consumed not only Armenians, but everyone who finds the subjects and their stories as a source of inspiration.”

Akopyan interviewing American professional boxer Mike Tyson

Akopyan is formerly the managing editor of the international lifestyle publication Yerevan Magazine. During his years-long tenure there, in addition to running the magazine, he interviewed the likes of Hall of Fame tennis player Andre Agassi, Food Network chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian and casino magnate Alex Yemenidjian for cover stories, among many others.

“Time Out With Manouk Akopyan” promises to bring the same caliber of guests that resonate among the global community.

Akopyan is a lifelong Los Angeles native and a California State University, Northridge journalism graduate. He’s worked as a writer and editor for NFL Media, and later in the same capacity for the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing.

Akopyan still actively contributes with feature stories to the LA Times, primarily with coverage around boxing and UFC. He’s also a broadcast reporter for Lights Out Xtreme Fighting, an MMA league that airs on Fox Sports. He has over 2,000 written stories and video interviews with global newsmakers and cultural icons, including Mike Tyson, Shaquille O’Neal, Marc Cuban, and William Shatner. Akopyan’s distinctive writing and TV reporting have appeared across such outlets as USA Today, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Men’s Health, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Antonio Express-News, Glendale News Press, Armenian Weekly, and Asbarez.

Akopyan interviewing Hall of Fame tennis player Andre Agassi

“Time Out With Manouk Akopyan” will originally air across Lotus Communications Corporation networks in collaboration with Radio Iran 670 AM, which has been on American airwaves for over 20 years.

The show is taped in Studio City, California out of Lotus headquarters. Lotus owns and operates radio stations and television properties across the United States.

For more information, follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn @ManoukAkopyan, email him tips and guest suggestions at [email protected] or visit www.ManoukAkopyan.com.

Commentary: A journey along Armenian Street in Singapore

Jagharian Tania
Los Angeles Times
Jan 23 2020

People gather during a rally in Singapore in June 2013. “An in-depth look at Singapore’s history … reveals a history of civic and commercial involvement by Armenian merchants who helped to develop this Asian hub in earlier times,” writes Gus Gomez, who recently visited the island city-state in Southeast Asia.
(Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images)

By Gus Gomez
Jan. 23, 2020
           

Singapore visitors are impressed by the marvelous architecture of the Raffles Hotel in this island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.

An in-depth look at Singapore’s history also reveals a history of civic and commercial involvement by Armenian merchants who helped to develop this Asian hub in earlier times. This history is memorialized in part by the existence of Armenian Street in Singapore.

Some, guided by a spirit of travel and adventure, have come upon this jewel of knowledge entirely by chance, while others search for a better understanding of history.

The Republic of Singapore is a nation founded in the 1960s. It is, in fact, one large island in addition to several dozen smaller islets. Today, it is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Asia, with a population just over 5 million.

In modern times, Singapore served as a trading post with the arrival of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in the early 1800s. Singapore gained independence from Great Britain in 1963 along with Malaysia and became a sovereign nation in 1965.

Armenian Street in Singapore opened as Armenian Church Street sometime after the construction of the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator. The street is tucked between Coleman Street and Stamford Road.

Today, the street features galleries, restaurants and other attractions adjacent to the Singapore Art Museum just east of the Singapore River and Fort Canning, famous for Raffles House and Fort Canning lighthouse.

The Armenian population in Singapore is described as a small community numbering about 100 individuals at their peak in the 1920s. They were among the earliest merchants to arrive when Singapore was established as a trading post by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.

The first Armenian settlers in Singapore were descendants of Armenian people who migrated from Persia. In the early 1800s, Armenian trading firms like Sarkies and Moses became more prominent in Singapore’s economy.

One merchant, Catchick Moses, co-founded the Straits Times. The newspaper went on to become the most prominent English language newspaper in Singapore.

Later, Agnes Joaquim cultivated a hybrid orchid flower which eventually became the national flower of Singapore. Her younger brother became a respected lawyer and served as president of Singapore’s town council.

In the 1880s, the Sarkies brothers founded the Raffles Hotel, now one of the most famous hotels in the world. Over the years, the grandest balls and banquets were hosted at Raffles, according to Australian author and historian Nadia H. Wright, who is of Armenian descent.

In total, about 830 Armenians lived in Singapore between 1820 and 2000, as noted in Wright’s book, “Respected Citizens: The History of Armenians in Singapore and Malaysia.” The Armenian community virtually disappeared by the 1970s. But the small Armenian diaspora’s contribution to business and cultural endeavors was significant.

As author Nadia H. Wright points out, every municipality has street names peculiar or unique to its history and culture. In Singapore, Armenian Street brings this point home, even as the city has transformed into a vibrant financial center in Asia.

Gus Gomez is a former mayor and councilman in Glendale and is now a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. He recently visited Singapore and came upon Armenian Street while exploring the city.