Author: Maghakian Mike

Russian broadcaster Channel One will not broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest next month because the country’s competitor has been barred from host country Ukraine.

Russia’s decision removes any chance of it competing this year, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said.

Ukraine is refusing to allow Julia Samoilova to perform at Eurovision because she has visited Crimea in 2014.

The EBU has condemned the ban.

It says Ukraine is undermining the non-political nature of the contest.

The union, which produces Eurovision, said it had offered two possible solutions to Channel One. The proposals were for Ms Samoilova to perform via satellite from Russia or for another contestant to be allowed to travel to Ukraine to take her place.

Both were rejected and the broadcaster has now announced it will not televise the event.

“Unfortunately this means Russia will no longer be able to take part in this year’s competition,” the EBU said. “We very much wanted all 43 countries to be able to participate and did all we could to achieve this.”

Armenian football player Yura Movsisyan urges all to watch the Armenian genocide film The Promise.

“I urge all my friends to go out and watch The Promise in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 21st!

At last, the true story of the #ArmenianGenocide brought to life on the big screen,” Movsisyan said in a Facebook post.

Photo: EPA

Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday have killed at least 40 people, officials say, the BBC reports.

In Alexandria, an explosion outside St Mark’s Coptic church killed 13 people. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, had been attending Mass inside and was unhurt, state media reported.

An earlier blast at St George’s Coptic church in Tanta killed 27 people.

So-called Islamic State (IS) says it is behind the explosions. The group has recently targeted Copts in Egypt.

Four police officers, including one policewoman, were among those killed in Alexandria, the interior ministry said. The suicide bomber blew himself up after they stopped him from entering the church.

The first explosion in Tanta, 94km (58 miles) north of Cairo, took place near the altar.

Security forces later dismantled two explosive devices at the Sidi Abdel Rahim Mosque, also in Tanta, the state-run Al-Ahram news website reports.

The explosions injured at least 78 people in Tanta and 35 others in Alexandria, the health ministry said.

On 4 April Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address to President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in connection with the 2017 National Assembly elections.
The address runs as follows:

“Your Excellency,

On behalf of the Artsakh Republic people, authorities and myself, I congratulate You and Armenia’s citizens on the parliamentary elections held on April 2, 2017.

The elections took place in an atmosphere of free and active competition which was confirmed by the international observers.

I am confident that the elections and the new governance system to be formed will contribute to the consistent development and strengthening of Mother Armenia, raising the governing efficiency and cementing the independent Armenian statehood.

I congratulate You once again and wish peace, good luck and all the best.”

The Armenian Police received 41 reports on alleged election frauds as of 15:00.

Preliminary investigation has been launched on five cases, materials on 11 cases are being prepared, another 25 cases are being checked.

The UN has issued a statement, expressing support to the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. The statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reads:

We have noted the recent statements by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and express full support for the call to the sides to refrain from any actions that would undermine the ceasefire agreement.

We welcome all efforts to reduce the level of tensions and call on all sides to demonstrate the necessary political will to resume substantive negotiations leading to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Turkish President Erdogan has praised the arrest of a German journalist and accused Germany’s Angela Merkel of using “Nazi measures,” in a fresh attack on Berlin. A Turkish paper also slammed DW for “terror propaganda,” reports.

Ankara launched a new wave of anti-German rhetoric on Sunday, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling out the German chancellor in a televised speech.

“When we call them Nazis, they (Europe) get uncomfortable. They rally together in solidarity. Especially Merkel,” Erdogan said.

“But you are right now employing Nazi measures,” he said, addressing Merkel directly and using the unofficial, personal way of saying “you” in Turkish.

Erdogan has previously accused both the Netherlands and Germany of acting like Nazis after the two countries prevented Turkish ministers from holding campaign rallies on their territory.

In his Sunday speech, Erdogan accused Merkel personally of using Nazi methods against his “Turkish brother citizens in Germany and brother ministers.” The row with Europe “showed that a new page had been opened in the ongoing fight against our country,” he added.

Berlin was decidedly not amused, saying that the Turkish president had “gone too far.” Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told the Passauer Neue Presse that he warned Ankara against continuing this “shocking” rhetoric.

“We are tolerant but we’re not stupid,” Gabriel said. “That’s why I have let my Turkish counterpart know very clearly that a boundary has been crossed here.”

Erdogan also described German reporter Deniz Yucel, who had been arrested  in Turkey, as a “terror agent.” Yucel was initially detained after reporting on emails allegedly coming from the private account of Berat Albayrak, Turkey’s energy minister and Erdogan’s son-in-law.

“Thank God he has been arrested,” the Turkish president said.

Berlin has urged Yucel’s release and rejected earlier claims that he was working as a German spy

Photo: PA

The Queen has given Royal Assent to the Brexit bill, clearing the way for Theresa May to start talks to leave the European Union, the BBC reports.

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was passed by MPs and peers on Monday.

It allows the prime minister to notify Brussels that the UK is leaving the EU, with a two year process of exit negotiations to follow.

Mrs May says she will trigger the process by the end of the month.

It is unlikely to happen next week to avoid a clash with an informal summit of EU countries.

The meeting will mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, and in turn became the European Union.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh Karen Mirzoyan is on a working visit to the Hellenic Republic to participate in the March 13-15 events entitled “Our Heroic Artsakh”, organized by the Armenian National Committee of Greece.

The Foreign Minister started his visit by attending the Armenian Evangelical Church of Greece as well as some Armenian educational institutions, in particular, the Galpakyan and Zavaryan Colleges, where he got acquainted with the college activities and talked to the students.

On the same day, in the Armenian National Prelacy of Greece Karen Mirzoyan met with the Patriarchal Vicar, Archbishop Komitas Ohanian and members of the Armenian National Administration of Greece. The Foreign Minister briefed on the processes taking place in Artsakh and the situation on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, as well as answered the questions of the participants.