Category: News

Photo: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

– Investigative reporter Dawn Anahid MacKeen’s latest story is one her mother always wanted her to tell. It’s about her grandfather and how he survived the 1915 Armenian genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians living in modern-day Turkey were killed. (Turkey doesn’t recognize the slaughter as a genocide, but says they were the result of widespread conflict across the region.) In journals that became the seeds of MacKeen’s new book, The Hundred-Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey, her grandfather told the story of how he escaped a forced march through the desert.

Before she read those journals, MacKeen’s knowledge of her grandfather was limited to what her mother had shared. She tells NPR’s Ari Shapiro, “They were very sad stories of this man who was struggling across a desert and was just fighting for his survival and was so thirsty he had to drink his own urine, which is a very strange thing to hear as a child and it just sounded really gross. And of course it was history that I couldn’t comprehend until I was in my 30s and I could finally read his first-hand testimony.”

Interview Highlights

On her decision to retrace her grandfather’s steps through Turkey and the Syrian desert

I had to see the land that he wrote about. You know, the desert that he was driven across with his caravans, it became a prison to him because it was inhospitable and there weren’t many people around. And as I traveled from west to east and the land grew more stark — it was a hard moment to see that, to think of my grandfather outside in the elements. You know, at one point when he was in a makeshift camp in what is now Western Syria, a thousand people died from disease in just one month. So this was the kind of thing he was up against and he really had to summon heroic strength inside to have the courage to continue each day.

On visiting the Syrian city of Raqqa before it was controlled by ISIS and decades after her grandfather was there

My experience in Raqqa … was the complete opposite of what you’re hearing now from there. It was, in a way, a haven for me just like it was for my grandfather. … When I arrived there, I met this Bedouin sheikh and he took me into his home and gave me his daughter’s room and that night hosted this dinner on the Euphrates. And there were Armenians there, there were Bedouins, Arabs — everyone was around a table enjoying each other’s company. There wasn’t this religious divide or hatred that you see. And it just breaks my heart seeing what’s happening to Raqqa and also that many people are learning of Raqqa for the first time through this message of hate.

On finding the clan that had saved her grandfather in Raqqa

This sheikh also, when I met him, I told him about what happened to my grandfather. And the people in this region know what happened to the Armenians. These stories have been handed down in their families of, you know, the mass graves that have been in that area or the Armenians that were taken in by the different clans. And when I told this Bedouin sheikh in Raqqa that I wanted to find the clan that saved my grandfather’s life and it was somewhere in the region, this sheikh all of the sudden called someone else and this person came over and all of the sudden had two phone lines and started calling all over the region to try and find this clan. And it was an incredible moment for me to watch this happen because it was really a pipe dream to try to find this clan and all of the sudden they narrowed it down and they said, “We found them. Can you go tomorrow?” And I said, “Yes! Please, please, take me to them.”

On how the war in Syria has put that clan in the same position her grandfather was in

I do keep in touch with the clan that saved my grandfather’s life. And now, since the war began, communication has become really difficult but one of them has left the region and became a refugee just like my grandfather. … He made it to Europe and was part of the sea of refugees, you know, going … from Turkey to Greece. … And he’s trying to start his life anew there, just like my grandfather did when he came to [the U.S.] many years ago. …

I could never have predicted this. First of all, finding them was one of the most wonderful moments of my life. But then when the war broke out and one of them told me — dealing with famine and seeing corpses in the street — he said, “We now know what your grandfather went through.” … And it just — I don’t even know what to say. It’s heartbreaking because I don’t want anyone else to ever have to go through what my grandfather went through. … We have to stop having history repeat itself.

On what her grandfather did after the genocide

He came to New York with my mother and my aunt in 1930 and he opened a candy store on 133rd [Street] and Amsterdam [Avenue] and he worked around the clock. And then during World War II, he moved to Los Angeles and they kind of steadily started investing. He bought a few apartment buildings, and by the time he was in his 80s he was still climbing onto the roof and fixing things. … He achieved his dream in the United States and was always so happy to be here, he would play God Bless America on his accordion.

Today, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt Tarek Ibrahim Muhammad Maati presented his credential to President Serzh Sargsyan.

The President congratulated the Ambassador on the commencement of his diplomatic mission in our country and expressed hope that during his tenure he will use his experience and knowledge for furthering and strengthening relations of the two friendly states. Serzh Sargsyan noted with satisfaction that in recent years the Armenian-Egyptian relations have entered a new phase and underscored that the existing great potential in the cooperation of the two countries should be utilized to the fullest, which can be considerably boosted by the reciprocal high-level visits, active political dialogue, frequent contacts and cooperation at the intergovernmental and interparliamentary levels.

Ambassador Tarek Maati assured that he would do his best to strengthen the relations between the two states and to develop cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. He said that he has already had discussions with the Armenian colleagues on the possibility of restarting the work of the Armenian-Egyptian intergovernmental commission this year and added that he is hopeful that the activities of the commission will invigorate the trade and economic relations. The Ambassador concurred with the President of Armenia on the issue regarding the necessity to strengthen relations between the legislatures of the two countries and creation of the friendship groups in both Parliaments.

The parties underscored the special role of the Armenian diaspora of Egypt in strengthening the friendly relations between Armenia and Egypt.

The President of Armenia wished success to the newly appointed Ambassador of Egypt throughout his tenure.

The Azerbaijani side used artillery weapons of different caliber, HAN-17 and RPG-7 grenades as it fired about 600 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions last night.

The special forces of the Azerbaijani army also undertook an incursion attempt in the eastern direction of the line of contact.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army were quick to spot the advancement of the rival and took relevant retaliatory measures, leaving at least to Azeri servicemen killed.

The NKR Defense Army has incurred no losses as a result of the exchange of fire.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep full control of the situation at the line of contact and confidently perform their military task.

Twelve academics in Turkey have been arrested for denouncing military operations against Kurdish rebels in the south-east, while more than 130 academics face criminal charges just days after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed the signatories for making “terrorist propaganda,” the Hurrieyt Daily News reports.

Universities and prosecutor’s offices across the country started to launch probes against some of the 1,128 local and international academics and intellectuals that fall within the state’s jurisdiction, arguing the contents of the petition were beyond the limits of academic freedoms.

In a dawn operation in the northwestern province of Kocaeli on Jan. 15, police raided the houses of 19 academics and detained 14 who were at their declared addresses.

Two more will be detained once they arrive in the city while five others are being sought by police, Provincial Police Head Levent Yarımel told the press.

On 15 January Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan partook at the meeting of the Defense Army’s Military Council dedicated to summing up the results of 2015 and the 2016 action plan, NKR Presidents’ Press Office reports.

In his speech the President touched upon the process of army building, outlined the accomplishments and existing problems. The President evaluated satisfactory the activities implemented in 2015.

Bako Sahakyan qualified geopolitical situation in the region and the world as a complicated and tense one, which generated new tasks of strategic nature.

The President highlighted that the Defense Army had always been and would remain the most important guarantor of independence, security and natural development of the Artsakh Republic, fulfilling its high mission with utmost responsibility under any conditions.

The Head of the State gave concrete instructions to the defense minister and the supreme command staff of the Defense Army towards solving on a proper level the issues the Armed Forces faced.

The Republic of Armenia defense minister of Seyran Ohanyan, head of the General Staff of the RA Armed forces, colonel-general Yuri Khachaturov and other officials partook at the consultation.

Photo: AFP    

A clinical trial of a new drug in France has left one person brain-dead and another five people in hospital, the health minister says, the BBC reports.

The oral trial was being conducted by a private laboratory in the north-western city of Rennes, Marisol Touraine said.

The trial has been suspended and the firm is recalling the volunteers. It is unclear how many people are involved.

Media reports that the drug is a cannabis-based painkiller have been denied by the health ministry.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said an investigation had been opened.

Astronomers have seen what could be the most powerful supernova ever detected, the BBC reported.

The exploding star was first observed back in June last year but is still radiating vast amounts of energy.

At its peak, the event was 200 times more powerful than a typical supernova, making it shine with 570 billion times the brightness of our Sun.

Researchers think the explosion and ongoing activity have been boosted by a very dense, highly magnetised, remnant object called a magnetar.

This object, created as the supernova got going, is probably no bigger than a major city, such as London, and is likely spinning at a fantastic rate – perhaps a thousand times a second.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have each been handed a transfer ban by Fifa, prohibiting the two clubs from registering players in the next two windows, Goal.com reports.

The Spanish sides were found to have broken the organisation’s rules in relation to international transfers of players under 18 years of age. The suspension is similar to that which world football’s governing body handed Barcelona.

Atletico were fined €820,000, while their city rivals must pay €330,000. The two clubs will be permitted to sign and register players in the current transfer period, which closes at the end of January, but will then be unable to bring in new additions until the summer of 2017.

Read the Fifa Disciplinary Committee’s statement below:

“The Fifa Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned Spanish clubs Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions.

Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the “Regulations”). The transfer ban, which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole – with the exception of the women’s, futsal and beach soccer teams – and does not prevent the release of players.

Additionally, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid have been fined CHF 900,000 and CHF 360,000 respectively, while both clubs have been issued with a reprimand and given 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.

The decisions, which were notified to the parties concerned today, were made based on the specific elements of each case. They follow investigations initially conducted by Fifa Transfer Matching System GmbH (Fifa TMS) and subsequently by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee as part of disciplinary proceedings. The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 (Atlético de Madrid) and between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid).

Fifa works hard to protect the rights of players under the age of 18 – whether male or female, amateur or professional. This is done through the enforcement of regulations prohibiting the international transfer of minors, or the first registration of minors in a country other than their own, except in specific circumstances (cf. art. 19 of the Regulations) that must be approved by the sub-committee appointed by the Players’ Status Committee. As such, the provisions relating to the protection of minors need to be strictly applied. This has been confirmed on various occasions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Opening up the door to exceptions beyond those carefully drafted and included in the Regulations would unavoidably lead to cases of circumvention of the rationale for these provisions.

Photo: AFP

 

There are no Armenians among the victims of the terrorist acts in Jakarta, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports, quoting the Armenian Embassy in Indonesia.

A series of bomb blasts has rocked the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, with gun battles on the streets.

The blasts were centered around Thamrin Street, a major shopping and business district close to foreign embassies and the United Nations offices.

Police say the situation is now under control, with five suspected attackers among at least seven people killed.

It is not yet clear which group was behind the assault, which President Joko Widodo called an “act of terror.”

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan received today Charles Kupchan, Special Assistant to the U.S. President and National Security Council Senior Director for Europe.

President Sargsyan hailed the reciprocal high-level visits, which, he said, have a positive impact on the development of inter-state relations in all aspects.

Serzh Sargsyan stressed that the Armenian-American ties have been steadily developing ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations. He expressed gratitude to the United States for support to Armenia, which has resulted in achievements in different fields.

President Sargsyan attached importance to the continuous efforts of the US to contribute to Armenia’s economic development, implementation of reforms, advancement of democracy and civil society, as well as establishment of stability in the region.

During the meeting reference was made to the cooperation in the field of security, Armenia-NATO relations, Armenia’s participation in peacekeeping missions, urgent international issues, the situation in the region, negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the perspectives of development of Armenia-EU relations, other issues of reciprocal interest.

Charles Kupchan noted that the United States value Armenia’s commitment to contributing to global peace and security and praised the country’s willingness to contribute to the efforts of NATO and other organizations.