Category: 2022

Iconic [Canadian-Armenian] Yousuf Karsh photo of Winston Churchill goes missing

Rose Khoyetsian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – Aug 24 2022
– 12:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - One of the most famous portraits of Winston Churchill is missing from the Château Laurier's Reading Lounge after apparently being replaced with a copy, but exactly how long ago it disappeared is a mystery, CBC reports.

A staff member at the storied downtown Ottawa hotel, just steps from Parliament Hill, discovered on August 26-27 that the portrait hanging on the wall was a replica, not the original that was installed in 1998.

Specifically, the employee noticed its frame wasn't hung quite right and didn't match those of the other five portraits in the lounge, which were also taken by Canadian-Armenian photographer Yousuf Karsh.

Karsh, one of the 20th century's most famous portrait photographers, took the photo in 1941 when the then-British prime minister was in Ottawa to address Parliament during the Second World War.

Jerry Fielder, who was hired by Karsh himself in 1979 and is now director of Karsh's estate, got a call from the Château Laurier's general manager on Saturday.

The work that was supposed to be hanging there was made from a negative and signed by Karsh, but when Fielder asked to be sent a copy of the signature, he knew instantly that it was a forgery.

"It wasn't his signature," Fielder said.

The hotel then contacted Ottawa police, who confirmed to CBC on Monday that they are investigating the potential theft.

"I couldn't believe that anyone would do this," Fielder told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on Tuesday. "It had been there for so long and had been such a part of the hotel. It was shocking and very saddening."

What happened to the original iconic image is unclear. Fielder said that the last time he saw it hanging in the hotel was in July 2019, and that "it was the real thing."

Minister: 75% of Karabakh’s arable lands, 85% of pastures under Azeri control

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – Aug 24 2022
– 14:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nearly 75% of Artsakh’s arable lands and 85% of pastures of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) have remained in territories currently under Azerbaijan's control, Minister of Finance and Economy of Artsakh Vahram Baghdasaryan has told Armenpress.

The 2020 war unleashed by Azerbaijan heavily affected the economic development of Artsakh, causing decline in virtually all branches. In 2021, the GDP dropped 12,7%, while industrial output declined 33,6% against 2020.

Most fertile grounds and nearly 90% of irrigated agricultural areas too are in territories that Azerbaijan captured in the Second Karabakh War.

Baghdasaryan said the number of livestock was reduced by over 50%, while agricultural output dropped 51,1% against 2020.

The Second Karabakh war lasted 44 days and ended when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev signed a ceasefire statement on November 9, 2020. Under the deal, the Armenian side returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.

Putin, Armenian PM focus on Nagorno-Karabakh during phone call — Kremlin

Alex Nanijanian
TASS, Russia
Aug 24 2022
Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan also touched on some relevant issues on further cultivating the strategic partnership and alliance between Moscow and Yerevan

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan by phone, with the conversation taking place at the initiative of the Armenian side, the Kremlin press service reported on Wednesday.

"The discussion on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh continued. The importance of the consistent implementation of the trilateral agreements reached by the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021, was confirmed. The role of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in ensuring stability in the region was also noted," the press service said.

Putin and Pashinyan also touched on some relevant issues on further cultivating the strategic partnership and alliance between Moscow and Yerevan.

In early August, Pashinyan noted that a number of events that have taken place in Nagorno-Karabakh since 2020 raise questions among the Armenian public about the content and nature of the peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. In this context, he pointed out, there is an urgent need to agree on the details of the peacekeeping operation. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the situation in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh was deteriorating. According to the ministry, the ceasefire regime was violated by Azerbaijani Armed Forces near Sarybaba heights. The peacekeeping command, together with representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides, are taking measures to stabilize the situation.

The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27, 2020. On November 9, 2020, Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the full cessation of hostilities. The sides stopped at their positions at that moment, a number of districts went under Baku’s control, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed at the contact line and at the so-called Lachin corridor.

Sports: World Championship: Bids for Armenian national teams are announced

Alex Jidarian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 24 2022
The International Wrestling Federation (UWW) has published the applications of teams who will participate in the World Championships in Belgrade. 

Freestyle Wrestling

Manvel Khndzrtsyan (57kg), Arsen Harutyunyan (61kg), Vazgen Tevanyan (65kg), Arman Andreasyan (70kg), Hrayr Alikhanyan (74kg), Arman Avagyan (79kg).

Greco-Roman wrestling

Rudik Mkrtchyan (55kg), Gevorg Gharibyan (60kg), Hrachya Poghosyan (63kg), Slavik Galstyan (67kg), Malkhas Amoyan (77kg), Karapet Chalyan (82kg), Artur Alexanyan (97kg), David Ovasapyan (130kg).

World Championships will be held from 10th to 18th of September.


Sports: Opponents claim IBA did not have all information when awarding Congress to Armenia

Emma Jilavian
Aug 23 2022
  • By Michael Houston

Opponents are continuing to call on the International Boxing Association (IBA) to move the upcoming Extraordinary Congress from Armenia, claiming the Board of Directors did not have "complete and accurate information" from an investigation at a competition in the country.

The Common Cause Alliance (CCA) – a group of boxing administrators saying their goal is to keep the sport in the Olympic Games – have sent another letter to the IBA, relating to the Richard McLaren investigation into the Men's European Boxing Championships.

It said the event should not have been awarded to the country when the Armenian Boxing Federation (ABF) and European Boxing Confederation (EUBC) Board of Directors are subject to an ongoing investigation.

Boris van der Vorst, the Dutch Boxing Federation (NBB) President and IBA Presidential challenger to incumbent Umar Kremlev, is part of this group of critics; although he did not sign the letter.

Jeroen van den Berg, vice-president of the NBB, did sign the letter.

ABF is one of the National Federations (NFs) alleged to have influenced referees and judges at the European Championships, as well as intrusions on the field of play.

It also said the EUBC worked outside of their Constitutional Authority by overriding the direct authority of competition officials.

The CCA also called for the IBA Board of Directors to vote by email to approve the minutes of its meeting in Algiers on July 15, where discussions were held over Yerevan becoming the host of the Extraordinary Congress.

Previously the IBA said the European Championships investigation was "not connected with the host city of Yerevan, but with the officials who worked at the competition", stating it would not affect the running of the Congress.

CCA called this "inaccurate and misleading", saying the ABF and the EUBC were under investigation.

Host nations usually organise events through their NFs.

The IBA declined to comment on the most-recent letter from the CCA when approached by insidethegames.

The IBA Extraordinary Congress is scheduled to take place in Yerevan on September 25, with this being arranged after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found that van der Vorst and three Board candidates should have been deemed eligible to stand for election.

They were sanctioned on the eve of the first Extraordinary Congress in Istanbul in May by the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit, meaning Kremlev stood unopposed for re-election.

When the CAS made its ruling, the IBA announced another Congress would take place for the Presidency.

Van der Vorst had previously called for the event to take place in Lausanne, but this request has not been repeated in the latest letter.

The IBA stated it would not move from Yerevan as preparations were already fully underway for staging the Congress in the Armenian capital.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1127271/iba-boxing-extraordinary-congress

18 foreign nationals among participants of Prime Minister’s Cup Swimming Tournament in Sevan

Aram Torosian

Save

Share

 16:03,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. Over 133 participants are competing in the Prime Minister’s Cup Swimming Tournament in Lake Sevan.

Photos by Hayk Manukyan

An 82-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman are the eldest participants.

Participants include 18 foreign nationals (6 women and 12 men).

Lifeguards from the Ministry of Emergency Situations are on patrol on 6 boats to ensure safety.

4 winners in the two age groups of the men’s and women’s divisions will receive 1,000,000 dram prize each. The runner-ups will receive 600,000, while those finishing 3rd will be awarded 400,000.

150,000 dram prize is envisaged for the 4th place, 100,000 for the 5th place and 75,000 for the 6-10 places.

The tournament features 2 age groups:

I) Women aged 18-35 and Men aged 18-40;

II) Women above 35 and Men above 41;

The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Karen Giloyan said in remarks that the purpose of the Prime Minister’s Cup is to “promote healthy lifestyle and sports in Armenia.”

The lengths of the lanes are 1000 and 1500 meters for women and men respectively.




Armenian President, French University Rector exchange views on development of a number of fields

Ani Basmajian

Save

Share

 16:27,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. President Vahagn Khachaturyan received Rector of the French University of Armenia Bertrand Venard, the Presidential Office said.

During the conversation Bertrand Venard said that his term in office ends soon, adding that during this period he has tried not only to contribute to the fulfillment of the goal of providing students with quality education, but also to support the further development and deepening of the Armenian-French friendly relations. He introduced the President on the activities being carried out by the University in Armenia, the new educational programs and future projects.

The President thanked for the productive work, particularly highlighting the programs in informatics and applied mathematics being implemented in the University. Vahagn Khachaturyan expressed hope that the work done by the Rector of the French University in Armenia will continue with the same spirit.

Views were exchanged also on the potential and prospects of development of education, science and high technologies in Armenia.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 23-08-22

Janet Ekmekjian

Save

Share

 17:25,

YEREVAN, 23 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 23 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.53 drams to 404.93 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 4.10 drams to 401.85 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.05 drams to 6.76 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.49 drams to 476.32 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 257.66 drams to 22564.84 drams. Silver price down by 4.69 drams to 245.99 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

Armenpress: Russian Investigative Committee says other people might be involved in Darya Dugina’s murder

Kevo Kalantarian

Russian Investigative Committee says other people might be involved in Darya Dugina’s murder

Save

Share

 20:18,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. The investigators of the Russian Federation do not rule out that other persons, except the Ukrainian Natalia Vovk, may be involved in the murder of journalist Darya Dugina, ARMENPRESS reports, citing "RIA Novosti", the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said.

"The investigation plans to declare Natalia Vovk wanted. Other persons involved in the crime are being identified," the Russian Investigative Committee informed.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has confirmed that Ukrainian Natalia Vovk rented an apartment in the building where the murdered woman used to live to track her movement.

"A search is being carried out in that apartment in order to find important objects for the investigation. Also, the garage rented by Vovk has been found, and a search is being conducted there as well," said the Russian Investigative Committee.