Author: Jane Topchian

Guatemalan former TV comedian Jimmy Morales has been inaugurated as the country’s new president, the BBC reports.

He was elected in October after huge anti-corruption demonstrations that led to the prosecution of a former president and vice-president.

Mr Morales has no previous experience in government. In his inaugural address, he promised to fight against corruption.

US Vice-President Joe Biden attended the ceremony.

It was the first time in 30 years that such a high-ranking American official was present at a Guatemalan inauguration.

In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Morales praised the anti-corruption movement and said Guatemala was going through a “renaissance”.

He also promised money for health and education. “We want quality education for everyone, which prepares our children for a modern technical world.”

Spain’s Princess Cristina has become the first member of the country’s royal family to be put on trial, the BBC reports.

She is charged with being an accomplice in an alleged embezzlement scam involving her husband and 16 other defendants, who all deny the charges.

Princess Cristina, 50, faces eight years in jail if found guilty by a three-member panel of judges.

The trial in Palma, Majorca, is seen as an embarrassment for the royal family.

Princess Cristina arrived at the court in Palma on Monday with her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who is accused of embezzlement and money laundering.

They made no statement to reporters. A small group of anti-monarchists protested outside.

Elly Award-winning playwright and director Aram Kouyoumdjian returns for the Sacramento premiere of his latest work Happy Armenians presented in a joint production with California Stage Theater Company and Vista Players, the reports.

Featuring the play’s original L.A. cast, the production will enjoy a special two weekend run February 19th-28th prior to its New York engagement.

A funny, imaginative, and poignant rumination on love, war, and the burdens of history, Happy Armenians upends the world order as we know it by casting Armenia as a modern empire in its parallel version of history. But when its king has only 30 more days to live, Levon, the unexpected (and unwilling) heir to the throne, must suddenly wrestle with the world’s most delicate geopolitical crises-a war against Switzerland, the colonization of Europe, and Africa’s control of the global economy-along with his budding love for the brilliant scientist, Siran.

Reviewers hailed the play’s L.A. world premiere this past October as “captivating” (Monica Astacio of El Vaquero) and “smart, fun, fresh & cleverly executed” by “an amazing technical and artistic team” (Lorenzo Marchessi). Happy Armenians boasts a stellar cast led by Daniel Hubbard as Levon and featuring the talents of Heather Lynn Smith, Tavis L. Baker, Jade Hykush, and Gregory DePetro. Kouyoumdjian’s “thrill ride across time and space” (Ishkhan Jinbashian of Asbarez) even garnered a Best Stage Play (Drama) nomination from the NoHo Fringe Festival.

Winner of Elly Awards for playwriting (The Farewells) and directing (Three Hotels), Aram Kouyoumdjian has been lauded for having “an adventurous artistic sensibility for intelligent productions” by the Sacramento Bee. His directing credits include Arcadia, Far Away, Marvin’s Room, The Play About the Baby, and Six Degrees of Separation, while his original plays and solo pieces have enraptured audiences from Los Angeles to London. His most recent productions include Ancient Gods with Garni Theatre Ensemble at the NoHo Arts Center (2014) and the open-air, site-specific performance i Go On at Grand Park (2015).

Vista Players is an award-winning theater ensemble devoted to staging contemporary plays of social relevance. Launched in Sacramento with its production of Six Degrees of Separation, the “acclaimed” troupe (Sacramento Bee) “set the standard by which others were judged” (Sacramento News & Review) for over six seasons. Vista Players is now L.A.-based, having made its Southern California debut with Happy Armenians.

Armenian Premier League club FC Ararat Yerevan and the North American Soccer League champion New York Cosmos will play the Fresno Fuego in a pair of February exhibitions, the local Premier Development League franchise announced Tuesday, the reports.

The Fuego will host FC Ararat on Feb. 18 and the Cosmos on Feb. 24, with both matches set for 6:30 p.m. kickoffs at Chukchansi Park.

Just hours after U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Daniel Baer’s statement citing Turkey’s “valuable” role in Nagorno Karabakh mediation efforts was released, Members of Congress began to express serious concerns about the top diplomat’s controversial assessment, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) explained he is “troubled by the recent statement praising Turkey’s role in the Minsk Group peace process made by our U.S. Representative to the OSCE. Turkey’s active and overt support of Azerbaijan with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been apparent from the beginning. A statement like this will only serve to polarize the negotiations.”

House Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA) argued that “given Turkey’s behavior and longstanding support for Baku, they cannot be considered — in any way — a neutral broker in what has become an increasingly intense conflict along the Line of Contact.”  Congressman Schiff went to place focus on concrete mediation steps the OSCE can take in helping stop the escalating violence in the region, suggesting, “instead of stacking the table against Nagorno Karabakh, all nations should insist upon the deployment of monitoring technology along the border, a step that Armenia has readily agreed to but has been resisted by Azerbaijan, doubtless because it would demonstrate their unprovoked aggression.”

Congressman Pallone and Schiff’s statements follow remarks by Ambassador Baer on December 17, made public earlier today, in which he praised Turkey’s role in OSCE Minsk group facilitated Karabakh negotiations, stating “Turkey has been a valuable member of the Minsk Group and has worked cooperatively with the Co-Chairs on finding a way forward in peace talks.”

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian immediately spoke out against the statement, noting “Ankara makes no secret of its pro-Baku bias, and long ago abandoned any pretense of neutrality.  Look at the facts: The Erdogan government actively supports Aliyev’s virulent anti-Armenian positions, openly providing military aid and training to the Azerbaijani military, while, at the same time, blockading Armenia, contrary to international law, and seeking to isolate Yerevan in the international arena.  Turkey’s strategy — and the international community’s unwillingness to call them out on it — has emboldened an aggressive and intransigent Azerbaijan to increase its attacks – leading to over 43 Armenian deaths in 2015 alone.”  Hachikian concluded that “tearing down the firewall between Turkey and the Karabakh talks would only result in adding more fuel to the fire, setting back the cause of lasting peace.”

Rep. Schiff’s calls for the deployment of monitoring technology is an important element of a three pronged plan, advanced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY), supported by Rep. Schiff and over 80 House colleagues, that calls on the top U.S. Karabakh negotiator, Ambassador James Warlick, to secure the withdrawal of snipers, bring in additional OSCE monitors and put in place a gun locator system to identify the parties initiating cease-fire violations.

Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh have agreed to the Congressional proposal, as has the Obama Administration.  Azerbaijan remains alone in refusing to implement the life-saving measures.

Chairman Royce, at the Capitol Hill Celebration of Karabakh Peace and Freedom last week, announced that his committee will be hosting a briefing with Amb. Warlick to follow up on the implementation of the Royce-Engel proposals for peace.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been voted the player of Matchday 16. The Armenian international convinced the voters with his impressive performance in the match against Eintracht Frankfurt.

With 54 percent of the ballot Mkhitaryan clearly won the first place in the voting on 

Dortmund began determined to make amends and immediately went on the attack. They had a couple of half-chances early on, but it was Frankfurt who broke the deadlock when Alex Meier fired in from the edge of the area following a swift counterattack.

BVB fought back, however, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan equalizing from close range following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s pass.

Aubameyang should have scored just before the break, but he missed a penalty after Slobodan Medojevic felled Gonzalo Castro in the box – an offence for which the Eagles defender received a second yellow. It was one-way traffic towards the Frankfurt box in the second half and eventually the pressure took its toll, with Aubameyang, Mats Hummels and Adrian Ramos each scoring excellent goals to give Thomas Tuchel’s men a thoroughly deserved victory.

Photo: AP

 

Egyptian investigators say they have so far found no proof that terrorism caused a Russian jet to crash in the Sinai in October, killing 224 people, the BBC reports.

The plane came down en route to Russia from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

A group linked to so-called Islamic State (IS) said it bombed the plane. Nearly all the victims were Russians.

Russia has said a bomb brought down the Metrojet Airbus, after finding what it said were “traces of foreign explosives” on the debris.

It has vowed to “find and punish” the perpetrators. In response to Monday’s findings, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov re-iterated that “our experts concluded this was a terrorist attack”.

The Police have refuted the reports on alleged shooting in one of the polling stations in the South-Eastern District of capital Yerevan.

Earlier media reports suggested an unknown gunman entered the precinct and opened fire, forcing the public to escape in panic.

RA Police confirm there have been no such incidents either in the mentioned polling station, or elsewhere across the republic.

The Police urge to publicize only authentic data and facts and refrain from spreading misinformation and creating undue tension.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has adopted a for Armenia under which it will over the next four years give priority to enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector, improving the business environment, developing local the capital markets and funding infrastructure development.

Armenia’s economic growth has slowed down this year as a result of the broader regional downturn which affects the country via reduced trade, remittances and investment flows. In addition, the depreciation of the Armenian dram and a decrease of foreign currency reserves have impacted the country’s economy.

To speed up economic growth and support the government’s ambitious reform programme, which includes improving the business environment, the EBRD will focus on the following key priorities in its new strategy for Armenia:

• Enhancing private sector competitiveness: For Armenia’s small and open economy, a significant improvement in competitiveness is key to attracting investment. The EBRD will continue financing the private sector. The Bank will target assistance for improvements to the regulatory and administrative environment and strengthen its assistance to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Developing capital markets and promoting local currency financing: As the authorities roll out mandatory pension reforms, the majority of pension fund investments will be channeled in local currency. Success will largely depend on the emergence of a healthy supply of capital market issues on the local market, and enough different investors to create market liquidity. The EBRD stands ready to support the development of the local capital market.
• Developing public utilities: Armenia’s energy, transport and municipal infrastructure still needs much update. For this, it is important to increase private participation in public service provision. The Bank will support commercially viable energy and energy efficiency, transport and municipal service projects and engage in policy dialogue.

The EBRD is the largest single investor in Armenia. To date, the Bank has committed almost €950 million in over 140 projects in all major sectors of the economy.

Pope Francis said on Monday that Christians and Muslims were “brothers”, urging them to reject hatred and violence while visiting a mosque in the Central African Republic’s capital which has been ravaged by sectarian conflict, AFP reports.

On the last leg of a three-nation tour of Africa, the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholic visited a flashpoint Muslim neighbourhood in Bangui on what was the most dangerous part of his 24-hour visit.

Thousands of people gathered at the roadside, cheering as his popemobile drove down the red dirt roads. As his vehicle passed, many waving Vatican flags and dressed in long traditional robes, ran down the road after it.

“Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters,” he said after meeting Muslim leaders at the Koudoukou mosque in the PK5 district, the last Muslim enclave in Bangui where tensions remain high after months of violence.

“Together, we must say no to hatred, to revenge and to violence, particularly that violence which is perpetrated in the name of a religion or of God himself,” he said.

The pope later flew out of Bangui at the end of his first trip to Africa that has also taken him to Kenya and Uganda.

Francis’ message of peace and reconciliation appeared to have made a powerful impression, with a group of Muslim rebels turning up to join tens of thousands watching a papal mass at the capital’s Barthelemy Boganda Stadium.