Author: Liana Toganian

The Italian city of Ravenna has recognized the Armenian Genocide.

The Resolution unanimously adopted by the Ravenna City Council notes that “taking into consideration an application of the Armenian union in Italy and taking note of the fact that the tragedy of Armenians has been recognized as genocide by a UN Human Rights Subcommittee, the European Commission, the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Pope Francis, the Ravenna City Council recognizes the Armenian Genocide and expressed its sympathy to the Armenian people on the 100^th anniversary of the massacre.”

The country of Armenia may be getting its first conservation center for reptiles and amphibians thanks to a crowd-funding campaign launched by the Saint Louis Zoo, reports.

The goal of the online fundraising is to raise $40,000, so the zoo’s WildCare Institute Center for Conservation in Western Asia can buy a building to help breed and ultimately save endangered species like the Armn vieniaper.

Center director and zoo herpetologist Jeff Ettling has been working in Armenia for more than a decade, particularly studying the viper. In that time, he said he learned a lot about how important conservation efforts are to the country that’s one of 24 unique biodiversity hotspots in the world.

“It has a high level of endemism; quite a few species of reptiles and amphibians occur there and nowhere else in the world,” he said. Endemism means a species lives only in one defined geographic area.

Ettling said the country’s minister of nature protection, Dr. Aramais Grigoryan, and other researchers also recently completed a new analysis of the state of the country’s animals. Of Armenia’s 58 unique species of amphibians and reptiles, 30 are considered endangered.

“Really what we need to do is develop some sort of captive breeding facility, where we could pull in the 11 most critically endangered amphibians and reptiles, so we could breed them…and then put the offspring back in the wild to augment the populations, similar to what we’ve been doing here in Missouri with the Ozark hellbenders,” he said.

Ettling said the targeted crowd-funding campaign, which will run until December 1, is the first of its kind for the zoo, and he said the goal is to be green and sustainable by buying and retrofitting an existing building outside of Yerevan, the nation’s capital city.

“It’s all about putting money back into the country where we’ve spent a lot of time studying the reptiles and amphibians and we know the needs there,” Ettling said. “All the money goes to get the facility started. Our ultimate goal is zero extinction for any of those species there.”

While he’s learned a lot from his Armenian colleagues, he has also been able to share some technology and conservation science with them. That’s why he said it’s important that the new conservation center also have a space for visiting researchers so scientists have a place to exchange information.

“We want to make it a really useful facility, not only for captive propagation, but also for scientific investigations that might be going on with collaborations with outside researchers and our colleagues in Armenia,” he said.

Ettling said the zoo and its partners hope the breeding center project will start next June.

The Armenian-American group is being honored by the Parajanov-Vartanov Institute at an Oct. 21 event to be held at Los Angeles’ Chateau Marmont hotel, according to the .

Armenia trip is featured in  Season 10 of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians Show that returened on E! Sunday.

Sunday’s mid-season premiere of Keeping Up With the Kardashians began with the family cooking dinner at Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick’s house. But Kourtney was understandably upset that Kylie Jenner flaked on spending time with them.

“Kylie has been really distant, just not responding to texts, which is so not like her,” Kourtney said. “I just feel bad. With her dad transitioning, everyone’s been really emotional…and I just want to make sure that she’s okay, but I haven’t even seen her.”

Later, Kim Kardashian met Khloé Kardashian at her house as she was packing for their very first trip to Armenia! “You, me, North and Kanye are going to rule that town!” Khloé said. “Dad would have been so excited,” Kim replied.

Afterward, mama Kris Jenner visited Khloé to find out if Rob Kardashian was going to join his sisters in Armenia. “You know he’s not going,” Khloé told her mom. “You guys have got to leave him alone and let him have a breather.”

“I just want to encourage him to go,” Kris replied. “So, you want to force him to go to Armenia with the most popular Armenian girl ever?” Khloé responded.

Subsequently, Kim and Khloé flew to Armenia later that night with Kanye West and North West. When they touched down, it was safe to say they were greeted with a warm welcome.  The sisters were obviously thrilled to visit the country and learn about their ancestors, but they were disappointed that Rob and Kourtney weren’t there.

At their hotel, even more fans were waiting outside. “They’re all chanting Kim’s name,” Khloé said. “Kim is in her glory. She loves all this. If Kim ever loses a little bit of fame, she should just move to Armenia. She’ll be golden for the rest of her life.” LOL!

The next morning, Khloé and Kim got ready to embark on an Armenian adventure around the city. But first, Kim had some surprising news to share with her little sis! “I am pregnant!” Kim said. Yay!

“When did you find out?” Khloé asked, surprised. “Like two days ago,” Kim responded. “But I haven’t told anyone, just you. I told North last night, but I don’t think she understands.” Aww!

“I really thrived when you were fat and pregnant and they compared you to a whale,” Khloé said to her. “It was the first time I was ever the thin one.”

“This is like your moment to shine,” Kim told her. “You’ve got to do every sexy photo shoot you could possibly imagine. Kourtney’s just not sexy anymore.” Ouch!

“That’s so sad that you guys have to be pregnant for me to be the thin one,” Khloé joked.

Kim, Khloé and their cousins visited an authentic Armenian carpet factory for dinner, music and a traditional fashion show. When the cultural center representative came over the welcome the ladies, Khloé had an unusual request for the attractive woman. “My brother isn’t here and you’re such beautiful girl, can I take a picture of you? I want to show my brother how beautiful Armenian girls are!”

Following fashion show, Kim told the representative that she really liked one of the necklaces. She immediately took it off the model’s neck and gave it to Kim to wear! “Literally, if Kim said, ‘Oh, you’re daughter is so cute,’ they would give Kim their daughter!” Khloé said. Ha!

Later, the sisters were given the opportunity to try on traditional Armenian garments. After that, the group invited Kim to dance, but she coerced Khloé to join in the festivities in her place.

In Armenia, Kanye visited the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies, an art and technology school, where the students got an opportunity to play their music for the Grammy-winning artist!

Elsewhere, Kim and Khloé met with a genealogist to learn more information about their heritage. She told them that they were able to locate their ancestors’ hometown and their old house, and they would be able to visit! Then, the conversation turned to the tragic Armenian genocide. “My great-great grandparents—that’s why they moved to California,” Kim revealed.

Later that night, Kim called her mom to chat. When Kris started tearing up about Caitlyn Jenner’s transition, Kim cheered her up with her excited pregnancy news! “That’s the best thing I’ve heard in so long!” Kris said.

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia may meet in New York on Sept. 24-25 as part of the UN General Assembly, said Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov, Trend reports.

He made the remarks Sept. 15 at a briefing with his Turkish counterpart Feridun Sinirlioglu.

Mammadyarov said that according to the format he and the Armenian FM each will first meet with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and then a joint meeting will be held.

Facebook is to add a “dislike” button to its social network, founder Mark Zuckerberg has said, the BBC reports.

In a Q+A session held at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, the 31-year-old said the button would be a way for people to express empathy.

He said Facebook was “very close” to having it ready for user testing.

A “dislike” button has been constantly requested by some users since the introduction of the now-iconic “like” button in 2009.

“People have asked about the ‘dislike’ button for many years,” Mr Zuckerberg told the audience on Tuesday.

“Probably hundreds of people have asked about this, and today is a special day because today is the day that I actually get to say we are working on it, and are very close to shipping a test of it.”

However he went on to say he did not want it to be a mechanism with which people could “down vote” others’ posts.

Instead, it will be for times when clicking “like” on “sad” posts felt insensitive.

On September 8, Dr. Vaughan Turekian, formerly the Chief International Officer at The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), was named the 5th Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State, according to the State Departament’s official website.

In this capacity, Dr. Turekian will advise the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment on international environment, science, technology, and health matters affecting the foreign policy of the United States. Dr. Turekian will draw upon his background in atmospheric chemistry and extensive policy experience to promote science, technology, and engineering as integral components of U.S. diplomacy.

A grandson of Armenian Genocide survivors, Turekian is the son of Karl K. Turekian, a pioneering Yale geochemist. Vaughan Turekian was also visiting professor at the American University of Armenia in 2000, Asbarez reports.

Dr. Turekian brings both technical expertise and 14 years of policy experience to the position. As former Chief International Officer for The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Director of AAAS’s Center for Science Diplomacy, Dr. Turekian worked to build bridges between nations based on shared scientific goals, placing special emphasis on regions where traditional political relationships are strained or do not exist. As Editor-in-Chief of Science & Diplomacy, an online quarterly publication, Dr. Turekian published original policy pieces that have served to inform international science policy recommendations.

Prior to his work at AAAS, Turekian worked at the State Department as Special Assistant and Adviser to the Under Secretary for Global Affairs on issues related to sustainable development, climate change, environment, energy, science, technology, and health and as a Program Director for the Committee on Global Change Research at the National Academy of Sciences where he was study director for a White House report on climate change science.

Hundreds of people are feared dead after two boats carrying about 500 migrants sank off Libya, officials say, the BBC reports.

The first boat, which capsized early on Thursday, had nearly 50 people on board. The second, which sank later, was carrying about 400 passengers.

A Libyan official told the Reuters news agency that about 200 people had been rescued but this is unconfirmed.

The UN says about 2,400 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year.

More than 100,000 others have landed in Italy, whilst another 160,000 have crossed to Greece.

The Armenian national team will hold a training campaign from August 31 to September 3 to prepare for a Euro-2016 qualifier against Serbia scheduled for September 4. The team will leave for Serbia on September 3. Interim head coach Sargis Hovsepyan has called up 23 players to take part in the training campaign:

Goalkeepers

Gevorg Kasparov FC Alashkert

Arsen Beglaryan FC Mika

Gevorg Prazyan FC Ararat

Defenders

Robert Arzumanyan Amkar (Russia)

Hrayr Mkoyan Esteghlal (Iran)

Gael Andonyan Olimpique (Marseille, France)

Hovhannes Hambardzumyan FC Vardar (FYR Macedonia)

Levon Airapetian FC Pyunik

Taron Voskanyan FC Pyunik

Varazdat Haroyan FC Pyunik

Kamo Hovhannisyan FC Pyunik

Midfielders

Henrikh Mkhitaryan Borussia (Dortmund, Germany)

Gevorg Ghazaryan C.S. Maritimo (Portugal)

Marcos Pizzelli Aktobe (Kazakhstan)

Aras Ozbiliz Spartak (Moscow, Russia)

Karlen Mkrtchyan Anji (Russia)

Norayr Aslanyan Almere City (Netherlands)

Artem Simonyan Zurich (Switzerland)

Artur Yuspashyan FC Pyunik

Artak Grigoryan FC Alashkert

Forwards

Yura Movsisyan Spartak (Moscow, Russia)

Edgar Manucharyan FC Ural (Russia)

Ruslan Koryan Luch-Energia (Russia)

Indonesian officials say 141 bodies have been recovered after a military transport plane crashed in a residential area of Medan on Tuesday, the BBC reports.

The military says none of the 122 people on board the Hercules C-130 survived when it hit houses and a hotel before bursting into flames.

Many of the victims are thought to have been relatives of servicemen and women.

But the latest death toll indicates there were at least 19 people killed on the ground.