Author: Kalashian Nyrie

Photo: AFP

 

The evacuation of Syrian civilians and rebels from eastern Aleppo is continuing round the clock, as a truce was reported to be holding overnight, the BBC reports.

More than 3,000 people were bussed out on the first day of the evacuation on Thursday, but the UN says as many as 50,000 are still trapped there.

Syria’s army, backed by Russia, has taken nearly all rebel-held districts.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday hailed the liberation of Aleppo after more than four years of fighting, saying that history was being made.

“New history lessons adopted by the California Board of Education this year may especially resonate with Fresno students and families,” Mackenzie Mays writes in an article published by .

Schools are now required to teach about the Armenian genocide – an important history in the Fresno area, which has a large Armenian American community. Teachers also are to provide information on the “unprecedented American humanitarian response” to the genocide: relief efforts raised more than $117 million in the aftermath, saving more than 1 million refugees.

The new content, which is more inclusive and aims to teach students to think critically about historical events, is expected to show up in textbooks by 2018.

“Turkish authorities first arrested hundreds of Armenian intellectuals who eventually were killed. The remaining Armenians were ordered onto death marches into the Syrian desert, during which they were subjected to rape, torture, mutilation, starvation, holocausts in desert caves, kidnapping and forced Turkification and Islamization,” reads the curriculum framework for California’s 10th-graders.

“The Armenian genocide has been ignored in history textbooks,” said Barlow Der Mugrdechian, director of Fresno State’s Center for Armenian Studies. “I know several local teachers who have already been providing materials on it, but it’s absolutely essential for all teachers. It brings to light an example of how government can choose to go down a path toward genocide and what conditions allow that to happen.”

Der Mugrdechian pointed to Adolf Hitler’s quote before invading Poland, in which he asked who remembered the annihilation of the Armenians – leading many to believe that it encouraged him to proceed with plans to kill millions of Jews.

That alone “is a clear statement about the necessity to remember history,” Mugrdechian said.

Fresno Unified school board member Brooke Ashjian’s great-grandmother survived the Armenian genocide. He says contributions made by Armenian Americans have shaped the city and beyond, pointing to famous writer and Fresno native William Saroyan.

“It’s a valuable lesson because it’s something you don’t want to repeat,” Ashjian said of the Armenian genocide. “Armenian people are resilient.”

A maiden shipment has arrived in Iran from Germany via a multimodal transit route connecting Iran to Europe via the Black Sea, secretary of International Transport Association of Iran, Gholamhossein Amiri, announced, the reports.

Plans are underway for the route to replace the one passing through Turkey.

“Two cargo containers have entered Iran from the Armenian border,” Amiri was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.

“The containers were shipped from Hamburg in a relatively shorter journey compared to the Turkish route.”

Amiri did not mention the exact date of the arrival.

“In the past couple of years, we have had problems on the Turkish side of the border regarding transportation of cargo from Europe. This prompted us to start negotiations with several other countries for alternative routes,” he said.

Tehran and Ankara have been grappling with a longstanding transit dispute, arising from different fuel prices in the two neighboring countries. The issue led the government to take measures, such as charging Turkish trucks a fee to compensate the considerably low fuel prices in Iran to sealing the Turkish trucks’ fuel tanks at the Bazargan-Dogubayazit border crossing.

The common border has frequently been the scene of traffic congestion with transit trucks queuing at the border in lines reaching 15 kilometers at times.

Agreements signed by the neighboring countries’ customs officials have done little to help solve the problem.

Border security is another issue hindering transit via Turkey. While on Turkish soil, several Iranian trucks have been the target of arson attacks, which Ankara blamed on armed forces affiliated to Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

The Iranian government demanded Ankara guarantee the safety of Iranian trucks, but the results were found to be unsatisfactory, which led to lack of confidence in Turkey’s ability to stem the violence. Consequently, Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development advised companies shipping to Europe to avoid routes passing through Turkey.

The ministry advised truck drivers to take two alternative routes: one through Azerbaijan, Russia and Belarus; and another through Armenia, Georgia, the Black Sea and then into Romania or Bulgaria.

“The cost of cargo transportation via the [new] route was 1-2% lower [compared to the Turkish route],” Amiri said.

Recent negotiations with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Italy and Greece have centered around a transit corridor involving Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, the Black Sea, Bulgaria, Greece and Italy. According to Amiri, an agreement has been signed by Iran, Armenia and Georgia regarding implementation of the corridor.

Trucks are shipped by roll-on/roll-off ships from Georgia to Bulgaria across the Black Sea. The same method can also be used for trucks shipping goods from Greece’s southern ports to Italy using the Mediterranean Sea.

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to the President Elect of the United States of America Donald Trump which reads,

“Honorable Mr. Trump,

Please accept my warmest congratulations on your election as the President of the United States.

The American people has enthusiastically voted in support of your outstanding leadership qualities, your experience and vision, thus entrusting you with the honorable responsibility to lead the nation. I have no doubt, that under your able leadership the United States will achieve further progress and advancement in the years to come.

As the United States and Armenia prepare to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, I seize this opportunity to express my gratitude for the substantial support extended by the United States over the last quarter of a century to help Armenia build democratic institutions and strengthen its economy.

In Armenia we highly value the important role played by the United States, in its capacity as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group, in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

I am confident that under your presidency, the Armenia-US close partnership would continue to develop dynamically – expanding and reaching new heights in diverse areas. I also believe that we can continue to count on the active engagement of the Armenian-American community – a strong bridge between our nations.

As you embark upon your new responsibilities, I would like to assure you and the people of the United States of our continued friendship and sympathy and wish you utmost success in leading your country and the American people to progress and prosperity.

Please accept, Honorable Mr. Trump, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

A last-minute header by Robert Lewandowski  sent Pland to a 2-1 win over ten-men Armenia in a 2018 World Cup qualifier held at Warsaw’s National Stadium.

Armenia’s Gael Andonian was dismissed after earning a second yellow card on the 30th minute.

An own goal by Hrayr Mkoyan sent Poland to 1-o on the 48th minute.

Marcos Pizzelli scored the equalizer on the 50th minute with a left-footed shot to the centre of the goal.

Robert Lewandowski headed from very close range to the top left corner after an assist by Jakub Blaszczykowski in the injury time.

On September 18, political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran were held in Tehran. The Armenian and Iranian delegations were headed by Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, and Ebrahim Rahimpour, Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour of Iran, respectively.

A wide range of issues aimed at the further development of the Armenian-Iranian relations was discussed.

The sides emphasized the importance to maintain security and stability in the region.

A special attention was attached to the implementation of bilateral and multilateral economic projects. Issues related to the cooperation in the legal field, in cultural and humanitarian areas, as well as within international organizations were discussed.

Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, also had a meeting with Morteza Sarmadi, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran. During the meeting the sides summarized the negotiations on the issues of mutual interest and outlined the future steps.

On September 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan received Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the meeting, the sides discussed a range of issues related to the monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan conducted by the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

President Serzh Sargsyan has signed a decree today, appointing Karen Karapetyan as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

Karen Karapetyan, 53, graduated from Yerevan State University, department of applied mathematics in 1980 and holds PhD in economics.

From 2001 to 2010, he held the position of Director General of ArmRosgazprom joint enterprise, which subsequently became a subsidiary of Gazprom, Russian gas giant.

In 2011, Karapetyan became a Vice President of Gazprombank and, in conjunction, from 2012 he held the position of Deputy Director General of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz.

Since 2015, Karen Karapetyan has been Deputy Director General for International Projects of Gazprom Energoholding LLC.

Tigran Martirosyan, 28, of Armenia, competing in the Men’s 69kg weightlifting event, has been disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, in which he ranked third, and for which he was awarded the bronze medal. Reanalysis of Martirosyan’s samples from Beijing 2008 resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substances stanozolol and dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol).

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg and Ugur Erdener, decided the following:

1. The Athlete, Tigran Martirosyan
   • is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 (presence and/or use, of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an athlete’s bodily specimen),
   • is disqualified from the Men’s 69kg weightlifting event in which he participated upon the occasion of the  Olympic Games Beijing 2008,
   • has the bronze medal, the diploma and the medalist pin obtained in the Men’s 69kg weightlifting event withdrawn, and is ordered to return these.
2. The IWF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
3. The National Olympic Committee of Armenia shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
4. The National Olympic Committee of Armenia shall notably secure the return to the IOC, as soon as possible, of the medal, the medalist pin and the diploma awarded in connection with the Men’s 69kg weightlifting event to the Athlete.
5. This decision enters into force immediately.

Other athletes disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 include Alexandru Dudoglu of Moldova, Nadezda Evstyukhina of Russia, Tatyana Firova of Russia, Marina Shainova of Russia and Intigam Zairov of Azerbaijan.

Photo: AP

 

Prince’s private estate and studio complex is to open to the public six months after his death, the BBC reports.

The singer died in an elevator at the 65,000 square-foot complex in Minneapolis in April.

The trust company overseeing his estate announced Paisley Park will open for daily public tours from 6 October, provided the city approves the plan.

Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, said: “Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do.”

The singer died after an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl.

Officials investigating his death said earlier this week the pills had been mislabelled as hydrocodone, a weaker type of opioid.