A member of Sasna Tsrer group Martiros Hakobyan, known as “Ded,” was not present at the trial.
The judge offered a break so that the defender could find out why Martiros Hakobyan did not come to the court.
While the issue was being debated, Tigran Manukyan, another member of Sasna Tsrer group, announced that he would also leave the conference room as his friends were on hunger strike.
However, Tigran Manukyan did not manage to leave, since the break was announced.
Palestine News & Information Agency (WAFA) January 6, 2018 Saturday Syrian Orthodox procession first to arrive in Bethlehem for Christmas celebration BETHLEHEM, January 6, 2018 (WAFA) – Syrian Orthodox Patriarchal Vicar of the Holy Land and Jordan, Archbishop Mar Swerios Malki Murad, was the first to arrive in Bethlehem on Saturday marking the beginning of the Christmas celebration for the orthodox churches in Palestine. Archbishop Murad’s procession started from the Monastery of Saint Mark in Jerusalem’s Old City and arrived at Bethlehem’s Manger Square where it was received by officials, including the governor of Bethlehem Jibrin Bakri, Minister of Tourism Rola Mayaya, mayor of Bethlehem Anton Salman as well as other officials. The Syrian Orthodox procession will be followed by the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Anba Antonius, then the Greek Orthodox and finally the procession of the Ethiopian Orthodox. The orthodox churches mark Christmas Day on January 7 and the Armenian Orthodox Church is the last to celebrate Christmas in the Holy Land with the Christmas Eve procession to Bethlehem on January 18 and Christmas Day on January 19. M.K.
YEREVAN. – From the point of view of the Karabakh settlement, the second half of 2017 was calmer. This opinion was expressed by the chairman of the parliament’s standing committee on foreign relations, deputy chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashotyan at the meeting with journalists on December 22.
According to Ashotyan, the first half of 2017, was distinguished by a large number of cases of aggravation of the situation on the borderline: with provocations that led to human casualties.
“However, a certain easing of tension was recorded after the summit held in Geneva, after the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan”, Ashotyan said, adding that it is necessary to remain vigilant in the issue of the Karabakh settlement, since the decline in tension is not conditioned by the proposals of Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk Group, that were supported by both sides of the conflict. Moreover, Ashotyan noted that it is not related to the expansion of monitoring functions, the introduction of mechanisms for investigating cases of violations of the ceasefire.
As the chairman of the parliamentary committee noted, the incumbent President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is responsible for the periodic exacerbations, and any aggravation is related to his position on the resolution of the conflict.
“After all, Azerbaijan is an authoritarian state, and any decision made there on the Karabakh settlement is directly linked to the position and decision of the leader,” Armen Ashotyan said.
ARMINFO News Agency Saturday From March 1, drivers from Armenia will have to pay for entry to the territory of Georgia Yerevan December 23 Ani Mshetsyan. Drivers of cars with foreign numbers will be forced to insure the vehicle from March 1 when they enter the territory of Georgia in the event that they intend to remain in the territory of the republic for a period of not less than 15 days. The Parliament of Georgia approved the draft law "On compulsory insurance of civil liability of a motor vehicle owner traveling in Georgia registered in a foreign country", he also must be signed by the country's president, "Sputnik Georgia" informs. Insurance can be purchased at a checkpoint. Depending on the type of vehicle and the term of the insurance period, the cost of the insurance package will depend. The vehicle can be insured for 15, 30 or 90 days, as well as for a year. It is assumed that this insurance will cover both the physical and material damage caused to victims during an accident. Thus, in case of causing serious harm to health, the damage will be covered completely, and in case of less serious injuries the damage will be covered by approximately 60% and 30%. At the same time, this insurance will not cover the damage if it is caused by the deliberate actions of the insured, as well as damage from transportation of dangerous substances, damage from terrorist acts, military operations and military maneuvers, as well as damage during competitions, exercises or tests . Cars weighing up to 3.5 tons, irrespective of the volume of the engine on the Georgian border, will be obliged to pay 30 lari for 30 days of 50 lari for 15 days in Georgia, and the annual insurance is 295 lari.
The main directions of the Armenia-EU cooperation agenda were discussed during the working consultation held today at Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. In particular, a number of issues related to the implementation of the RA-EU Comprehensive and Extended Partnership Agreement were discussed.
“An interdepartmental commission is being formed, which will be headed by the RA Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms Vache Gabrielyan: We need to agree specifically on how to move forward and clearly define what each of us should do,” Prime Minister Karapetyan said.
Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielyan presented the outline of actions and measures planned by sectors, and RA Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Karen Nazaryan reported on the upcoming works and programs within the framework of the RA-EU cooperation agenda, which derive from the logic of a number of fundamental documents related to bilateral partnership.
The Prime Minister instructed the head of each department to analyze the measures provided for by the agreement in the sphere of his/her subordination, to develop an action plan and a road map for their implementation.
WENN Entertainment News Wire Service Thursday 8:10 PM GMT CHRIS CORNELL SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED AT UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW A scholarship dedicated to late rocker CHRIS CORNELL is set to be launched at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. The Chris Cornell Scholarship has received a $1 million (£748,800) endowment from the late Soundgarden frontman's widow Vicky Cornell, the singer's friends, and others, according to The Los Angeles Times. "My husband and I agreed that given the opportunity of education, people have the power to change the world," a statement from Vicky reads. "UCLA School of Law is an institution known for its academic excellence and we are proud the Chris Cornell Scholarship will provide funding for future students and future leaders of the world." Chris was known for his humanitarian efforts and wrote the song The Promise for the 2016 film of the same name, which centred on the Armenian genocide, when authorities in the Ottoman Empire conducted the systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians. Proceeds from the film helped to set up the Promise Institute for Human Rights at the UCLA School of Law. "Vicky Cornell and all the people paying tribute to Chris Cornell's tremendous legacy are helping to ensure that the law school will extend and strengthen its commitment to our students and to the pursuit of justice," UCLA Law Dean Jennifer Mnookin adds. "Through the work of the Promise Institute and the scholarships that this fund will support, Chris Cornell's influence will be felt at UCLA Law and beyond for generations to come." Last month (Nov17), Cornell was posthumously honoured with the inaugural Promise Award by officials at the Los Angeles Committee of Human Rights Watch for his efforts to raise awareness about the plight of refugees by writing the The Promise theme tune. Following Cornell's suicide in May (17), celebrity activists including Cher, Elton John, Pharrell Williams, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, and The Promise stars Bale and Oscar Isaac pledged to continue his legacy with refugee advocacy by taking part in a campaign video.
Greco-Roman wrestler, Olympic Champion (2016) and bronze medalist (2012), a three-time World Champion (2014, 2015, 2017), and a three-time European Champion (2012, 2013, 2014)
Artur Aleksanyan was named Armenia’s best athlete of 2017, according to a vote by the Republican Federation of Sports Journalists of Armenia.
As the Federation reported in a statement, in 2017, the 26-year-old secured his third gold medal at the World Championship and a bronze medal of the European Championship.
Aleksanyan secured 200 points based on the vote by 21 reporters, securing the first spot, thus winning the award for the third consecutive year.
Other Armenian athletes who made it to the top 10 are Greco-Roman wrestler, World champion Mihran Harutyunyan, the leader of the Armenian chess team GM Levon Aronian, who won the FIDE World Cup 2017, weightlifter Simon Martirosyan, Boxer Hovhannes Bachkov, weightlifter Hovhannes Minasyan, sambo fighter Tigran Kirakosyan, skier Sergey Mikayelyan, gymnast Artur Tovmasyan, and weightlifter Andranik Karapetyan.
To note, in total 25 Armenian athletes were contending for this’s year award, Armenia’s leading football player, Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan among them.
Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire December 15, 2017 Friday 1:07 PM MSK Armenia, Azerbaijan not discussing Karabakh settlement details - Sargsyan YEREVAN. Dec 15 Armenia and Azerbaijan have not been discussing the technicalities of the Karabakh settlement process at their meetings over the past two years, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview on the television channel Armenia on Thursday. "The negotiations do not address practical issues, but this is only natural, considering the events of the past two years. It is necessary to de-escalate tension and create investigative mechanisms before looking at the documents' intricacies," Sargsyan said. It is impossible "to negotiate on the one hand, while shooting, on the other," he said. "There should be no shooting during talks, as such events make consensus impossible. Gunfire is always a hindrance," Sargsyan said. The contact line should be quiet, Sargsyan said. "There should be no casualties. The ongoing hunt for people should stop. That will create a certain atmosphere and build trust," he said. He added that no Azerbaijani acts of sabotage are allowed to happen on the contact line. "Armenia has put in place special programs which rule out sabotage and other hostile activity on the contact line. Special equipment does not allow acts of sabotage to happen. Azerbaijan made several attempts at sabotaging but suffered heavy casualties and failed. I'd rather not go into detail, but I assure you that we have concrete programs, which will rule out other kinds of hostile activity," Sargsyan said. As to whether Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had proposed anything new for the Karabakh settlement process during his recent visit to the region, Sargsyan said, "The Armenian-Russian agenda is so packed that we go beyond the Karabakh problem during visits of high-ranking officials." "Lavrov said all he had to say about Karabakh at his press conference. He is sure that the OSCE Minsk Group can resolve the conflict; this opportunity is provided by the principles proposed," he said.
After Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, US state institutions in various parts of the world have begun to use additional security measures. As the State Department states, these institutions may be temporarily shut down or periodically terminated by public services. In these cases, US embassies and consulates will work to provide services to US citizens in case of emergencies.
The Foreign Office also urges Americans around the world to carefully follow the emerging developments and, if necessary, contact with embassies and consulates.
December, 02, 2017 – 18:30
Alternatively known as Qareh Klise (meaning black church), the property presents important vestiges of Armenian culture in the region.
Together with St. Stepanos Monastery and the Chapel of Dzordzor, Qareh Klise was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 under the name “Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran”.
All the three sites are located in West Azarbaijan Province and are of high significance from both historical and cultural perspectives. They bear credible testimony to interchanges with the ancient regional societies in particular the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian.
UNESCO experts say these edifices are examples of outstanding universal value of the Armenian architectural and decorative traditions.
Narratives say Qareh Klise was built as a memorial to Judas Thaddeus, who traveled to Mesopotamia and Persia as one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.
Splendid outside, yet quite plain indoor, the monastery shows off elaborate bas-reliefs of flowers, animals and human figures on its façade and exterior walls. It bears verses of Old and New Testament in Armenian calligraphy as well.
The church has largely been underwent stages of renovation projects, notably following an earthquake in 1319 CE, and later in the early 19th century upon the order of Qajar prince Abbas Mirza.
St. Thaddeus has always been a place of high spiritual value for Christians and other inhabitants in the region. Every summer, it hosts gatherings of pilgrims coming from Iran and Armenia to observe special religious ceremonies such as Holy Communion and baptism.
Source: Tehran Times