Category: 2022

U.S. to evacuate its embassy in Ukraine – AP

 10:34,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The United States is set to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Associated Press reports.

U.S. officials said the State Department plans to announce early Saturday that virtually all American staff at the Kyiv embassy will be required to leave.

A small number of officials may remain in Kyiv but the vast majority of the almost 200 Americans at the embassy will be sent out or relocated to Ukraine’s far west, near the Polish border, so the U.S. can retain a diplomatic presence in the country.

The State Department had earlier ordered families of U.S. embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave. But it had left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart. The new move comes as Washington has ratcheted up its warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Associated Press.

 10:58,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Ethnic Armenian lawmaker of the Turkey parliament, member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Garo Paylan visited the St. Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir to get acquainted with the ongoing renovation works.

“I visited the St. Giragos Church in Diyarbakir to observe the ongoing restoration works”, the lawmaker said on Facebook.

The St. Giragos Church has been built in 1376 and is one of the biggest Armenian churches in the Middle East. The first church ceremony after 32 years of pause was held in November 2012. The renovation works of the Church have been carried out by the financial support of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul. The Diyarbakir Municipality also provided assistance. In 2015 the local churches of Diyarbakir greatly suffered due to the Turkish-Kurdish clashes.

 11:11,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. 2402 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, the ministry of health reported.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 404,805.

The COVID-19 recoveries rose by 4610 in a day, bringing the total to 370,272.

The death toll has risen to 8157 (12 death cases in past day).

7249 COVID-19 tests were conducted on February 11. 

The number of active cases is 24,807.

 11:47,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his US and French counterparts, Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron, on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, reports TASS.

In his words, the Putin-Biden talk is expected to take place on Saturday evening, Moscow time. The conversation was requested by Washington, and “the request was preceded by a letter from the US side,” he said.

The last time Putin and Biden held a phone conversation was at the end of last year. Before that, on December 7, they held a video conference. The first face-to-face meeting of Putin and Biden as the heads of state took place in Geneva in June 2021.

 12:07,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. More than a year has passed since the 44-Day War, but the terrible cases of war crimes of Azerbaijan continue to be revealed, Member of Parliament of Armenia, Chairwoman of the standing committee on protection of human rights and public affairs Taguhi Tovmasyan said on social media.

“On the sidelines of the criminal case launched in a respective department of the Investigative Committee, facts were obtained about the killing of prisoners of war Artur Jivani in conditions of torture of servicemen captured on November 16, 2021, illegal treatment against them, causing deliberate sufferings, leaving the wounded soldier without help and not providing the necessary medical care.

I am alarming the international structures, requesting to take immediate measures within their powers to prevent Azerbaijan’s impermissible and criminal acts and strongly condemn this and post-war terror acts. Azerbaijan still not only is not returning the POWs, but also politicizes their return issue and pushes forward new preconditions”, she said. “The international community must condemn Azerbaijan’s gross violations of international humanitarian law and take practical steps to protect the internationally guaranteed rights of POWs. Responsibility mechanisms should be applied. As long as the persons who committed crime have not been held accountable, the danger of such crimes will be maintained, and they will continue to be a serious challenge to the international humanitarian law”.

She recalled the 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of the Prisoners of War, according to which “prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention. In particular, no prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest. Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity. Prisoners of war are entitled in all circumstances to respect for their persons and their honour”.

“Dear international colleagues, before your eyes Azerbaijan is violating the international humanitarian law. Don’t be silent. Act until it’s too late”, the lawmaker said.

 12:18,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is planning to hold a phone talk on February 12 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, reports TASS.

“I am planning to underscore the unity and resolve of [allies]”, Blinken said.

Last time Blinken and Lavrov held a phone talk on February 1.

 13:27,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Hollywood actor Johnny Depp will receive the Gold Medal of Merit of the Republic of Serbia for his exceptional contribution to Serbia’s efforts aimed at expanding and advancing the local artistic community, Serbian National Tanjug News Agency reported citing the New Media Team public relations agency.

The honour will be presented to Depp in Belgrade on February 15, Serbia’s Statehood Day.

Depp visited Belgrade in autumn to promote the Puffins Impossible animated series, created in Serbia and produced by Archangel Digital Studios, owned by Serbian actor Milos Bikovic.

 13:46,

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. 223 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Artsakh over the past day, the ministry of health said.

497 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the Republic on February 11.

1 patient has died from the disease in the past 24 hours.

Currently, 47 infected people receive treatment in hospitals.

 14:46,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. No precipitation is expected in Armenia in the daytime of February 12, on February 13 and 15-17, the ministry of emergency situations reports.

Air temperature will gradually rise by 3-5 degrees in the daytime of February 12-13.

No precipitation is expected in Yerevan in the daytime of February 12 and on February 13-17.