Category: 2024

 10:27,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The first human patient has received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday and is recovering well, the company's billionaire founder Elon Musk said.

"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday.

Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body, Reuters reports.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans, a critical milestone in the startup's ambitions to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions.

In September, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial.

The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said previously, adding that its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.

The implants' "ultra-fine" threads help transmit signals in participants' brains, Neuralink has said.

The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy, Musk said in a separate post on X. It enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking. Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs, Musk said.

 10:30,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenian men’s national basketball team head coach Rex Kalamian has been appointed as assistant coach for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, the Basketball Federation of Armenia said in a statement.

Kalamian will maintain his position in Armenia.

On February 22, Armenia will play against Austria in the first-round qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

 10:50,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government carried out projects worth $223 million in Lori Province in 2018-2023.

In a press release, the government said that 377 kilometers of roads, 286 kilometers of lighting, 39 kilometers of gasification, 311,5 kilometers of water lines, 7 kindergartens and 7 schools were either built, reconstructed or repaired in 2018-2023 in Lori.

 12:38,

BRUSSELS, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has presented its Crossroads of Peace project at the Global Gateway Investors Forum in Brussels.

The project was presented by Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Armen Simonyan at the forum’s South Caucasus and Türkiye: the strong connectivity link between Central Asia and Europe panel discussion.

Simonyan highlighted that the main principle of Crossroads of Peace is that all infrastructures will function under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass.

“The latest geopolitical developments proved that the diversification of transport routes is a vital necessity for the continuity of supplying goods to regional markets,” the Armenian official said.

He added that Armenia estimates the project to ensure 4,7 million tons of cargo and 300,000 passenger transportation through regional countries during the first year of operation of Crossroads of Peace. By 2050 the volume of goods transported through regional countries by Armenian railway infrastructures will reach 10 million tons.

Simonyan then held meetings with his counterparts from various countries.

The Investors Forum takes forward the conclusions of the EU-commissioned Study on Sustainable Transport Corridors between the EU and Central Asia, and aims to translate the political commitments of the EU and the five countries in Central Asia to enhance and reinforce connectivity into tangible operational deliverables.

The Forum contributes to the long-term objective of making the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor a multimodal, modern, competitive, sustainable, predictable, smart and fast route linking Europe and Central Asia in 15 days or less. For this, the Forum aims to:

• send a strong and concrete signal to the five Central Asian countries of the EU’s political and operational commitment to strengthen connectivity with the region through the Global Gateway initiative
• kick-start the process for implementing and coordinating investments along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor by following up on specific actions identified in the Study, notably by mobilising investors on  projects, with concrete and realistic timelines and financial commitments
• commit key stakeholders for continued participation in the Forum as the main platform for implementing the projects identified in the Study

The event brings together high-level representatives from Central Asian countries, EU Member States, partner countries along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, EU Institutions, international and bilateral financial institutions, as well as representatives of the private sector and members of civil society.

The Crossroads of Peace project is designed to establish connections between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads.

The Crossroads of Peace project is about creating new infrastructures or improving the scope and quality of the existing ones.

 13:03,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Board of the Central Bank of Armenia has decided to reduce the refinancing rate by 0.5 pp, setting it at 8.75%, the Central Bank said in a press release.

The Lombard repo facility rate is at 10.25 % and the Deposit facility rate at 7.25 %.

 13:13,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) has condemned the decision by the Canadian government to lift its arms embargo on Turkey.

In a statement, the ANCC said the decision has ‘raised alarming concerns’ within the Armenian community of Canada because it compromises Canada’s ‘commitment to human rights, international security, and justice.’

Below is the full statement issued by the ANCC.

“The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) condemns the recent decision by the Government of Canada to lift its longstanding arms embargo on Turkey. This decision has raised alarming concerns within the Armenian-Canadian community, as it compromises Canada’s commitment to human rights, international security, and justice.

“Despite Global Affairs Canada imposing a moratorium on arms sales to Turkey in October 2019, the government allowed the export of L3Harris/WESCAM drone technology to Ankara in the spring of 2020. Following Azerbaijan’s declaration of war against the Republic of Artsakh in September 2020, substantial evidence confirmed Turkey’s illegal diversion of the equipment to Azerbaijan, in violation of its contractual obligations with Canada and resulting in the illegal use of Canadian-made WESCAM drone avionics by Azerbaijan against civilians in Artsakh. As a result of an internal investigation and parliamentary scrutiny, the government subsequently moved to cancel all relevant export permits to Turkey in April 2021.

“Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has consistently shown a disregard for human rights, democratic values, and the rule of law and has maintained a track record of violating contractual agreements. The lifting of the arms embargo not only contradicts Canada’s longstanding principles but also ignores the ongoing aggression and human rights violations perpetrated and supported by Turkey against various populations, including the Armenian people.

“The ANCC strongly urges the Government of Canada to reconsider this reckless decision and to adopt a principled stance against the belligerence of the Turkish government. By lifting the arms embargo, Canada will only embolden President Erdogan’s regime and once again risk complicity in crimes perpetrated and sponsored by the Turkish regime, endangering the lives of Armenians as well as other populations in the region. Such a move sends troubling messages to the international community and undermines Canada’s commitment to human rights, peace, and justice.”

“The Government of Canada must end the hypocrisy and prioritize human rights, international security, and justice over short-term political considerations. The ANCC calls on the government to heed the concerns of the Armenian-Canadian community, civil society organizations, and human rights advocates who have tirelessly advocated for justice and accountability.

“While we have taken note of the government’s decision to cancel or suspend permits, should credible evidence emerge of misuse by the Turkish side, we call on the Government of Canada to revoke its decision altogether and take a resolute stance against the Turkish government’s aggression, thereby reaffirming its commitment to the principles that define the Canadian people.”

 15:17,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos Karekin II has met with the Head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during his visit to the UK.

During the meeting Catholicos Karekin II and Archbishop Justin Welby discussed the issues facing the forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, the return of POWs, the preservation of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and the situation in the region, the Armenian Church said in a statement.

 13:48,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has held a meeting with the visiting Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong.

During the meeting Prime Minister Pashinyan attached importance to the cooperation with the IPU and described it as a good platform for the development of inter-parliamentary dialogue with partners from various countries, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

PM Pashinyan welcomed the organization of the upcoming IPU Young Parliamentarians Global Forum in Yerevan this September.

The Armenian Prime Minister and the IPU Secretary-General also discussed South Caucasus security and stability. In this context, the Prime Minister spoke about the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process and the opportunities for unblocking regional infrastructures, emphasizing Armenia’s key approaches and principles on this matter. Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.

 15:41,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. A Member of Parliament has drafted legislation seeking to introduce airtime restrictions for mafia films and series citing what he describes as 'negative impact' of such movies on children. 

Civil Contract Party MP Artur Hovhannisyan wants to ban the broadcasting of ‘films and series promoting criminal subculture” from 06:00 until 00:00.

At a committee hearing in parliament, the lawmaker argued that the broadcasting of such films must be restricted as much as the law allows it.

He said that such films have a “negative impact” on minors.

Such films, according to the MP, contain ‘vulgarity and profanity’ and reject moral norms and promote ‘indecent lifestyle, devalue the role of education and discipline’ and lead to the ‘glorification’ of criminal lifestyle.