Armenpress News Agency , Armenia September 7, 2017 Thursday George Clooney persuades spouse not to visit Azerbaijan for security risks YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. World famous Hollywood actor George Clooney admitted that he it was he who persuaded Amal Clooney not to visit Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports the actor told The Hollywood Reporter. “We had agreed with Amal that we will not allow any job to put us under risk”, George Clooney said. In September 2015, Amal went to the Maldives to try to get President Mohamed Nasheed out of jail, that's the former leader, imprisoned on terrorism charges that were deemed bogus by the U.S. State Department. "The Maldives has the highest per-capita rate of recruiting ISIS, so it was a very nerve-racking time, and as Amal was coming into town, her co-counsel [Mahfooz Saeed] was pulled off a motorcycle and stabbed in the head as a warning”, Clooney told. He admitted that he had to make a deal with her wife to keep her away from Azerbaijan. “When she finally got out of there, she had another client in jail in Azerbaijan," added Clooney, "and I said, 'I'll tell you what, let's make a deal: I won't go to South Sudan and you don't go to Azerbaijan. How is that?' And she said, 'For now, fine.' " Famous British lawyer Amal Clooney defended the interests of Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismailova who has been jailed in Baku for 7.5 years. Clooney took the case to the ECHR. She has also defended the interests of the Armenian side in Perinchek’s case.
Category: 2017
Harutyun Khachatryan leaves Golden Apricot
The press center of Golden Apricot reports that Harutyun Khachatryan, Director of Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival, quitted the post of the Director of Golden Apricot according to his own application and conditioned by the workload of shooting new film series.
According to the decision of the Festival’s founding Council, Susanna Harutyunyan, Artistic Director of the Festival, has been appointed the Director of Golden Apricot.
Fire in Jajur: firefighter gets scalds (video)
On September 7, at 11:37 am information was received that a fire broke out in the nearby hillsides of Jajur village, Lori marz.
Three firefighting crews and the operative group left for the scene.
The fire was isolated at 3:31 pm, extinguished at 3:47 pm. Vegetation is burnt down (nearly 50 hectares).
87 people from Jajur(52), Kamo(15), Jajuravan(10) and Krashen villages, the village heads, 15 employees of Akhuryan Police Department, 30 soldiers of N military unit, 9 employees of SNCO “Armenian Forestry”, 38 employees of Shirak regional rescue department, 3 fire-rescue cars and 1 S171 tractor, took part in firefighting activities.
One firefighting command was on duty at the fire scene.
Fire and rescue squad commander, Sub-captain G. Voskanyan, got 3rd degree burns in the wrist and head sections during firefighting work and was hospitalized to Gyumri MC.
The doctors assessed the victim’s health condition serious but stable.
Car accident in Georgia; RA citizens killed and injured
13:00 As a result of the RTA in Georgia passengers of Mercedes car, Lusine Minasyan (born in 1974) and Maxim Minasyan (born in 2010) died, and Alina Minasyan (born in 1993), Roman Karapetyan (born in 1980) and Anushik Malkhasyan (2005) were transferred to the hospital of Mtskheta.
11։49 According to the preliminary data of the RA Embassy in Georgia, as a result of the car accident on September 7 on Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Lars road, two Armenians have died, three citizens of the RA have been injured and transferred to the medical center of Mtskheta. The RA Embassy keeps in contact with the local authorities and additional information will be provided.
“We express our deepest condolences to the family and relatives of the killed and speedy recovery to the injured,” reads the MFA statement.
According to the preliminary data, the bus collided with Mercedes car.
Textbook on technological innovations with old technologies (video)
From the very cover of the informatics textbook for secondary schools it is already clear that the textbook is outdated. “Even the cover of the textbook depicts Internet Explorer, which Microsoft removed from exploitation in 2015. It means that as soon as pupils look at the book, they face an outdated vintage,” says the media expert Samvel Martirosyan.
He mentions that informatics is the only subject that sometimes pupils know better than the teacher. By the time the textbook printing process ends, the material already becomes obsolete. In the 21st century when every child has a phone or a tablet connected to the internet, the idea of an informatics textbook is already senseless. Hasmik Ayvazyan, a teacher of informatics with long-term experience of interaction with pupils, agrees that information in the textbook is obsolete. Following the curriculum, they leave the world behind.
“The curriculum of the informatics at schools was established 12 years ago when a school with several computers was considered to be technically well-armed. The textbook tender took place six years ago. By the way, only one book was submitted to the competition,” says the co-author of the textbook Seyran Avetisyan. He thinks that the textbook material must be regularly updated.
The National Institute of Education is aware of the issues. New project is being developed which is going to be submitted to the Parliament. They are assuring that all concerns are taken into account. They are planning to finish the case till the end of the year. “We have included cloud technologies, web tools, smart attachments in order children learn with pleasure,” says Ruzanna Stepanyan, Head of Informatics and IT Department of the National Institute of Education.
“No matter how the Ministry hurries, it will not be able to reach the technology development pace,” says Samvel Martirosyan. He can see only one way: pupils should learn informatics through video materials.
Government to return exporter VAT faster
Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan tasked relevant authorities regarding the time periods for VAT returns for viticulture and winemaking exporters.
During today’s Cabinet meeting, the PM said that according to the current regulations VAT return for exported production is carried out within a 90-day period and the government is strictly supervising the rules.
“During a meeting with brandy and wine producing companies in the government, the issue of the time period for VAT returns of their exports was raised, in some cases financial difficulties might be caused for them”, the PM said.
The PM tasked the State Revenue Commission to study and submit proposals within 2 days regarding cutting the time period short.
The Agriculture ministry was tasked with cooperating with the State Revenue Commission on the matter.
Student Organizations Issue Statement on Termination of DACA
From left the emblems of AYF, ARF “Shant” and All-ASA
GLENDALE – The ARF Shant Student Association, Armenian Youth Federation-Western United States (AYF-WUS), and All-Armenian Student Association would like to express their dismay and disapproval of the Trump administration’s recent announcement that the federal government will effectively end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This regressive move is a broken promise to youths who rightfully call America home. The Armenian youth organizations stand in solidarity with students who face fear and uncertainty in light of the President’s misguided decision.
The DACA program offers young undocumented immigrants, typically brought to the United States as children, a two-year renewable reprieve from deportation and a work permit. Since the DACA program was established in 2012, more than three-quarters of a million young immigrants have pursued a college education. These students have enriched our university communities and our society as a whole. Unless Congress acts to keep the program intact, DACA beneficiaries will begin to lose protection on March 6, 2018, losing their eligibility for employment and rendering them deportable.
We urge Congress to act quickly to pass bipartisan legislation that would protect undocumented students and secure their future in the United States. Our legislature must work to chart a secure pathway toward citizenship and allow Dreamers to continue to live, work, and serve the only country that most of them know as home. We encourage our community to reach out to their elected representatives to add their voice to those calling for legislation that will allow DACA beneficiaries to live and work without fear of deportation from the United States.
At this trying time, we look to our education institutions to provide resources for undocumented students as well as support for various programs that aid these communities. Further, we urge the administrators and officials at our colleges and university campuses to use their influences and agencies to advocate for affected students. We commend the university officials who have already issued strong statements against the current decision on DACA and encourage others to follow suit.
Our organizations, which are comprised in large part by descendants of victims of crimes against humanity, civil wars, and economic hardship, firmly believe in the American values of equality and opportunity. This decision is fundamentally incongruent with those ideals.
We believe that our nation must be a vibrant and diverse setting fostering all human progress. The individual must have the broadest set of opportunities for intellectual and moral development, interaction and personal growth. DACA has brought countless young people out of the shadows, allowing them to live without fear, obtain an education, and contribute to the prosperity of our society.
Although this decision is deeply disappointing, it provides an opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to the struggle for diversity and inclusion in the United States of America.
House Approves Funding for Artsakh De-Mining
ANCA Backed Life-Saving Measure Overwhelmingly Adopted by Legislators
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House today adopted an amendment by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) backing continued Congressional appropriations for the HALO Trust’s life-saving de-mining across the interior farmlands and villages of the Artsakh Republic. The decisive move was welcomed by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), which spearheaded the launch of Artsakh aid in the 1990s and has, over the past two decades, secured tens of millions of dollars in life-saving U.S. assistance to the independent republic.
The Valadao Amendment was approved by voice vote, as part of the FY 2018 foreign aid appropriation, which, in turn, is part of a broader spending measure (H.R. 3354), which will be voted on as early as Friday, September 8th. Congressman David Valadao (R-CA), who serves as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, was joined in supporting this bipartisan measure by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), House Intelligence Committee Ranking Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA), and his fellow Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA). Rep. Valadao introduced his measure on the House floor, as part of an en bloc series of amendments, and spoke passionately in support of its adoption.
“Progress for Artsakh. The Valadao Amendment’s overwhelming adoption by the full U.S. House of Representatives powerfully affirms, over Aliyev’s relentless opposition, America’s enduring support for Artsakh’s safety and security,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “We join with friends from Fresno, across America, and from as far away as Artsakh in thanking Congressman Valadao and all his colleagues for his leadership in the victory of this pro-peace, life-saving legislation.”
Immediately following his amendment’s passage, Rep. Valadao shared with the ANCA that: “It is a grave reality that families in Nagorno Karabakh live under the very real threat of landmine accidents each and every day. However, with the funding secured in my amendment today, I am optimistic significant strides will be made to ensure the region is landmine free by 2020, restoring these communities so they may live without fear of mine-related accidents.”
Following passage of his amendment, Rep. Valadao told the ANCA that “with the funding secured in my amendment today, I am optimistic significant strides will be made to ensure the region is landmine free by 2020″
Rep. Pallone concurred, noting that “I was proud to work with my colleagues to extend aid to Nagorno Karabakh. U.S. aid especially towards demining efforts in Nagorno Karabakh has helped the HALO Trust to clear mines, cluster munitions, and other explosive remnants of war since 2000. This aid will help HALO Trust to complete this important work by their 2020 deadline and I will continue to work to support efforts relating to Nagorno Karabakh in the future.”
Rep. Speier thanked her colleagues for “providing critically needed funding for the ongoing effort to remove deadly landmines from Artsakh. Given the danger posed to the people of this Republic – an area that suffers the highest per capita incidence of landmine accidents in the world, with a third of these casualties involving children – this modest $1.5 million amendment is destined to have a major impact on the physical and mental health of the people of Artsakh. It is also shows our government’s strong and abiding commitment to securing peace and prosperity for Artsakh, which has achieved great progress and has an even brighter future on its horizon.
ANCA Chair Raffi Hamparian, National Board member Aida Dimejian and ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian discussing efforts to expand US aid to Artsakh and Armenia with House Appropriations Committee member David Valadao (R-Calif.).
The Valadao Amendment represents the first time in four years that the full U.S. House has gone on record affirming its official support for the Artsakh assistance program. The Senate has traditionally been more consistent in its support in this area. The Executive Branch is responsive to Congressional intent, as reflected in legislative and report language, particularly on appropriation priorities.
Thanks to the efforts of the ANCA and the leadership of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), former Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone and former Republican Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and many others – the U.S. has provided millions in funding to The HALO Trust, which has successfully demined approximately 97% of Artsakh. Over the last 16 years, the HALO Trust has destroyed over 8,733 anti-personnel mines, 2,584 anti-tank landmines, 180,858 small arms ammunition, 12,423 cluster bombs and 48,572 other explosive items.
The HALO Trust’s infographic shows the incredible progress made toward a mine-free Artsakh by 2020
The ANCA’s efforts to secure direct U.S. assistance to Artsakh date back to May of 1997, when Congressman Brad Sherman first offered an authorization amendment, as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to the Foreign Policy Reform Act, to authorize direct U.S. funding for Artsakh. This effort lead to subsequent support, later that same year, by appropriators, notably then-senior Congressman Joe Knollenberg of Michigan, who successfully worked to ensure that the House Appropriations Committee approved a Foreign Aid bill (Public Law 105-118) that ultimately led to the allocation of an initial $12 million FY 1998 allocation for Artsakh.
Senate Appropriations Committee Calls for Continued Aid to Artsakh and Armenia; Slams Turkey and Azerbaijan For Human Rights Abuses
Parallel to House passage of H.R. 3354, the Senate Appropriations Committee today adopted its version of the FY 2018 foreign aid calling for continued assistance to Artsakh at current levels and allocating assistance to Armenia as follows: $17.633 million in economic assistance, $1.5 million for battling narcotics trafficking, $600,000 in for international military education and training and $1 million in foreign military financing. The Senate maintained parity in military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In addition, the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted three ANCA-backed amendments including one, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Committee Vice-Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) opposing the use of US funds to facilitate the sale of arms to Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail; as second amendment by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) denying U.S. visas to Turkish officials involved in the unlawful imprisonment of U.S. citizens; and, the third by Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) denying U.S. visas to Azerbaijani government officials connected to the improper jailing of the editor of the independent Turan News Agency.
Additional coverage of the Senate’s fiscal year 2018 foreign aid bill will follow.
Government improves payment procedure of military pension
The Armenian government is optimizing the payment procedure of military pensions.
The government adopted the relevant decision during today’s Cabinet meeting.
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan said that previously the pensions for the military were calculated and paid through a separate database.
“Now they will be calculated in the general pension system and will be paid through HayPost national post operators”, he said.
Minister urges travelers to refrain from using charter bus services following fatal Georgia crash
Armenia’s minister of transportation, communication and information technologies Vahan Martirosyan commented on the deadly car crash in Georgia which involved an Armenian passenger bus overnight.
“According to initial information, the crash wasn’t caused by the driver of the Armenian bus”, the minister told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. He added that the bus was carrying out charter transportation.
“Back in August this company was fined, but after this it continued to carry out charter passenger transportations. Experience shows that all recent accidents happen as result of charter transportations”, Martirosyan said.
The minister urged all citizens to use regular transportations only, legally.
“They must embark from bus stops, buy tickets from ticket offices, because the vehicles are checked there, regular transportation companies have 2-3 drivers, who substitute each other from time to time”, he said.