Category: News

Real Madrid has fired coach Rafa Benitez after seven months and replaced him with former player Zinedine Zidane, the Associated Press reports.

Club president Florentino Perez announced the decision at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Monday, a day after Madrid’s 2-2 draw at Valencia deepened a crisis that started with an embarrassing 4-0 home loss to rival Barcelona in November.

Madrid won seven of nine matches since that demoralizing defeat but fans continued to demand the departure of Benitez, whose Liverpool side won the Champions League in 2005.

Real Madrid is third in the Spanish league, four points behind leader Atletico Madrid and two behind Barcelona.

France soccer great Zidane, who was Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant in 2014 when Real Madrid won the Champions League, has been coaching Madrid’s “B” team in the third division.

Rafa Benitez is facing the sack just six months after taking over at Real Madrid.

Directors of the Spanish club have been consulting throughout Monday after Madrid failed to beat Valencia on Sunday evening.

Club president Florentino Perez has called a board meeting for Monday afternoon which will be followed by a press conference at 4.30pm.

The expectation is that Benitez will be dismissed with Zinedine Zidane stepping up from the B-team to take control of first team affairs until the end of the season.

Perez remains a huge fan of Jose Mourinho and the former Chelsea manager remains an option but the president is understood to prefer Zidane taking over with immediate effect.

Mourinho would remain an option for the Spanish giants at the end of the season if the Zidane experiment fails.

Benitez has been unable to win any of Madrid’s big away games so far this season with Villarreal, Sevilla and Barcelona all beating them and Atletico Madrid, Valencia and PSG all taking a point.

Photo: AP

 

Four chemical elements have been formally added to the periodic table, completing the scheme’s seventh row, the BBC reports.

They are the first to be included in the table since 2011, when elements 114 and 116 were added.

The first true iteration of the table was produced in 1869 by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev.

The new additions were formally verified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on 30 December 2015.

The body announced that a team of Russian and American researchers had provided sufficient evidence to claim the discovery of elements 115, 117 and 118.

IUPAC awarded credit for the discovery of element 113 to a Japanese team at the Riken Institute.

The teams responsible for the discoveries have been invited to come up with permanent names and chemical symbols for the now-confirmed elements.

“The chemistry community is eager to see its most cherished table finally being completed down to the seventh row. IUPAC has now initiated the process of formalising names and symbols for these elements,” said Prof Jan Reedijk, president of the inorganic chemistry division of IUPAC.

New elements can be named after a mythological concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist.

After the responsible IUPAC division accepts the new names and two-letter symbols, they will be presented for public review for five months.

The chemistry organisation’s council will then make a final decision.

Roberto Montella of Italy has begun service as Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
He assumes the post following two decades of work in international politics, including in the governmental and parliamentary sides of the OSCE.

“I have spent most of my career trying to build bridges between conflicting sides in South East Europe. I consider creating harmony and facilitating dialogue to be the central pillar of my approach,” Montella said.

“As Secretary General, I will strive to do the same. That means strengthening links, and forging new ones, between the Assembly and the OSCE’s governmental side and with other international organizations. This is not a goal in itself, but a way to help our parliamentarians deliver concrete results to the ‘end users’ of the OSCE’s products – namely, the citizens of OSCE area, and particularly those who live under difficult security situations.”

Montella has held various posts within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Secretariat, most recently serving as Director of Presidential Administration.

He previously held positions at OSCE field missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia and Montenegro, fulfilling a range of advisory, peace-building and management functions. He also served as Head of the OSCE South Serbia Regional Office and Head of the European Center for Minority Issues in Kosovo.

“I believe that in the face of the tremendous challenges affecting the OSCE area today, we need intensive, international parliamentary co-operation and dialogue more than ever before. The OSCE PA is one of the world’s vital forums for problem-solving and reinforcement of shared commitments. I will work every day to defend its health and facilitate the important work of its elected members,” the new Secretary General concluded.

OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) said: “I am confident in Roberto Montella’s ability to facilitate and help implement the wide-ranging work of our Assembly during this crucial juncture in the OSCE’s history. On behalf of my fellow parliamentarians, I look forward to our fruitful work together in the years ahead.”

Montella has taken part in nearly 40 election observation missions in the OSCE area and the Middle East, including as Co-ordinator of Long Term Election Observers for The Carter Center. He has served as political advisor to an Italian senator and PACE Vice-President, among other advisory roles. He also holds campaign-related and corporate experience.

In addition to his native Italian and French, Montella is fluent in English and Serbian.

The Secretary General holds general responsibility for managing the affairs of the OSCE PA; implementing the decisions of the Bureau, the Standing Committee and the Assembly; and overseeing the Secretariat’s offices in Copenhagen and Vienna. Along with the Treasurer, he is responsible for the management of the Assembly’s financial resources.

The Secretary General’s term is five years and may be renewed twice.

The OSCE PA Standing Committee voted in favor of Montella at 2015 Annual Session in Helsinki, following a unanimous vote by the Bureau.

He succeeds the Assembly’s first Secretary General, Spencer Oliver of the United States.

Elly Award-winning playwright and director Aram Kouyoumdjian returns for the Sacramento premiere of his latest work Happy Armenians presented in a joint production with California Stage Theater Company and Vista Players, the reports.

Featuring the play’s original L.A. cast, the production will enjoy a special two weekend run February 19th-28th prior to its New York engagement.

A funny, imaginative, and poignant rumination on love, war, and the burdens of history, Happy Armenians upends the world order as we know it by casting Armenia as a modern empire in its parallel version of history. But when its king has only 30 more days to live, Levon, the unexpected (and unwilling) heir to the throne, must suddenly wrestle with the world’s most delicate geopolitical crises-a war against Switzerland, the colonization of Europe, and Africa’s control of the global economy-along with his budding love for the brilliant scientist, Siran.

Reviewers hailed the play’s L.A. world premiere this past October as “captivating” (Monica Astacio of El Vaquero) and “smart, fun, fresh & cleverly executed” by “an amazing technical and artistic team” (Lorenzo Marchessi). Happy Armenians boasts a stellar cast led by Daniel Hubbard as Levon and featuring the talents of Heather Lynn Smith, Tavis L. Baker, Jade Hykush, and Gregory DePetro. Kouyoumdjian’s “thrill ride across time and space” (Ishkhan Jinbashian of Asbarez) even garnered a Best Stage Play (Drama) nomination from the NoHo Fringe Festival.

Winner of Elly Awards for playwriting (The Farewells) and directing (Three Hotels), Aram Kouyoumdjian has been lauded for having “an adventurous artistic sensibility for intelligent productions” by the Sacramento Bee. His directing credits include Arcadia, Far Away, Marvin’s Room, The Play About the Baby, and Six Degrees of Separation, while his original plays and solo pieces have enraptured audiences from Los Angeles to London. His most recent productions include Ancient Gods with Garni Theatre Ensemble at the NoHo Arts Center (2014) and the open-air, site-specific performance i Go On at Grand Park (2015).

Vista Players is an award-winning theater ensemble devoted to staging contemporary plays of social relevance. Launched in Sacramento with its production of Six Degrees of Separation, the “acclaimed” troupe (Sacramento Bee) “set the standard by which others were judged” (Sacramento News & Review) for over six seasons. Vista Players is now L.A.-based, having made its Southern California debut with Happy Armenians.

Iran has held negotiations with Georgia on sending its gas to the Caucasian nation through Armenia, Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) Alireza Kameli says, reports. 

“Based on negotiations with Georgia, we are supposed to take gas to the Armenian border, for Georgia to receive it at its border with Armenia,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA on Monday.

“For signing a deal, however, the gas exports plan must be economical for Georgia,” Kameli said, without elaboration.

The plan is to transfer 300-500 million cubic feet a day of Iranian gas through a pipeline for use in power generation in Georgia, he added.

Iran is currently exporting gas to Armenia in exchange for electricity. There is a further swap arrangement in place with Azerbaijan.

Kameli stressed that the planned gas exports to Georgia were intended for domestic use and not for Europe.

“The issue of exports to Europe through a pipeline is out of question in our view and our priority is exports in LNG form (to Europe),” he said.

Saudi Arabia has given Iranian diplomats two days to leave the country, amid a row over the Saudi execution of a top Shia Muslim cleric, the BBC reports.

The Saudi government announced on Sunday that it had broken off diplomatic ties with Iran.

Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of stoking tension in the region.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are the major Sunni and Shia powers in the region respectively and back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

The US has appealed for calm, calling for continued diplomatic engagement.

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others were executed on Saturday after being convicted of terror-related offences.

Dear Compatriots,

In a few moments, we will bid farewell to year 2015. The passing year has been in fact full of evens and impressions. We commemorated the memory of the victims of the Great Eghern. Events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide had pan-Armenian and world-wide coverage. I believe that year 2015 will remain in the Armenian history first of all as the year of beatification of our innocent victims.

This year we all witnessed manifestations of the exceptional unity of the entire Armenian nation. Through our joint efforts and dignified stance, we have conveyed our message to the world. I am confident that next year too, all Armenian structures, individuals and entire Spyurk will continue to work side by side for the benefit of Armenia, for the benefit of Artsakh, for the benefit of all parts of the Armenian nation.

Today, the entire world is going through a difficult and intense period. Regrettably, year 2015 not only failed to decrease tension and freeze the existing wars, but in some cases intensified the existing tensions and flared up hotbeds of aggression. Inhumane acts of terror, which claimed lives of innocent people in different parts of the world, did not decrease in number. Against this backdrop and in this context, Armenia has lived another peaceful and stable year. We have preserved our rating as one of the safest countries in the world. We have carried on with the advancement of our country; we have built roads, housing, schools, and hospitals – always dreaming of doing more.

The passing year has been significant with yet another important state and political event. We have introduced changes to the Main Law of the land – Constitution. I have no doubt that together we have opened a door for the new opportunities for our political and economic development. We have opened a door towards becoming a more secure, more liberal, and more harmonious country.

On this festive night, we traditionally raise our glasses for our military. We live behind their infallible shield. We entrusted them things that are most precious to us all; and they are the most precious thing to us. The enemy is perfidious, nothing new here. But the Armed Forces of Armenia are strong – always. Today, the combat readiness and technical capabilities of the Armenian Army are exceptionally high, as never before. Let us wish our servicemen a safe term of duty. Let us wish peace to our country and the entire world.

Very soon, we will step into year 2016. In 2016, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Armenia. It’s been a quarter of a century that we live as a free and independent country. It’s hard to recall when our country had a period of twenty-five years of independence. It means that we have a new and bright generation of those who are twenty or twenty-five years old, who have no idea what it means not to have an independent state, who are free and uninhibited both psychologically and politically.

This is a new and young Armenia, which is open to the world, which is ready to accept new ideas, to accept a new culture of work and lifestyle, which will live and advance in step with the contemporary world. We are entering the New Year with a new political structure, with new vigor and new dreams, convinced that we are building our own home and we build it on a right foundation. Armenia, which is 25 years old, is not yet the Armenia of our dreams, but it is an essential and forceful milestone on that road.

Dear Compatriots,

I wish you happiness and all the best in year 2016!
Happy New Year and Holly Christmas!

NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II
SUPREME PATRIARCH AND CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
December 31, 2015

Dear Faithful in the Homeland and the Diaspora,

It is the festive day of New Year. We extend Our Pontifical love and blessings from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to you dear faithful people of Armenia.

We leave the year 2015 with a grateful wish, new hopes, and expectations. The past year was a sacred year for us because of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Through the efforts of our Church and people, commemorative events were organized in all corners of the world. The “Pan-Armenian Declaration” to promote our virtuous case and path to justice was announced at Tsitsernakaberd. In the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, we held the Canonization of the Holy Martyrs and the Blessing of the Holy Muron. The commemorative events brought new spiritual strength and vigor to our life, becoming an occasion for national unity, strengthening of faith and love in our hearts, and reinforcing the conviction of our people to achieve justice.

Though we recorded successes and achievements, we also had difficulties and troubles in the passing year, and also fears and painful losses. With dignity, a brave heart and unified efforts, our people withstood all the challenges; defending this country’s borders and peace in our lives was acquired at a high price. Dear ones, let’s celebrate the year 2016 with intensified spirit and optimism. In 2016, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the restoration of our independent statehood in Armenia and Artsakh. Supporting each other in Armenia and the Diaspora, let us invest in every possibility to make our country more prosperous, make our life beneficial, and make our future bright.

On this New Year’s Day, on the eve of the feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Jesus Christ, let us join in prayer for the world, our country, and the peaceful and safe life of our people. Let us remember the needy, the sick, and those in sorrow; our brothers and sisters bearing the trials of war in the Middle East; and our nation’s children living in the border areas; offering to them our hand of support and assistance.

We raise a prayer for our children who died heroically in battles, our brave soldiers defending the borders of our countries and the commanders.

We extend our prayers to the Almighty for new achievements for our national authorities, the clergy, and all the nations’ sons and daughters. We pray for safety for the families; glorious and good service to the soldiers of our Army; heavenly grace and love to our infants and young children, and blessings to the lives of all Armenians. Happy New Year!

Dear compatriots,

We wrote and now close together one more page of our history with the resoluteness of passing to the next one, convinced that it will be better and more successful.

The passing year was a year of ordeal both for the whole world and the Republic of Armenia, a year of political and economic trial , ordea l for peace and spirit. We confronted with dignity those trials, accepting the difficulties as an impetus forself- encourag ement , more solidarity and further activ ity . Unfortunately, we also confronted at the price of the li ves of the soldiers defending our peace and ensuring our security. They obligate those who live to be more tolerant and well-disposed towards each other, more caring and tender-hearted towards the Motherland, and strengthen all that with new achievements and victories.

In 2015 , on the occasion of the Armenian Genocide Centennial we once again documented that keeping in memory the tear and pain, we have sought and reached, we reach and we’ll reach theresult which will give us victory and tears for those, who try to cause pain and wound to us.

Dear compatriots,

The year 2016 sees the 25^th anniversary of our statehood. The Armenian Parliament stands at the sources of that process. And in the passing year the parliament, in the name of the National Assembly, became the decisive participant in one more key process in the life of the state – the Constitutional A mendments. Armenia turns into the parliamentary system of government.

The year of 2016 is a pre-electoral year. The period preceding the elections supposes more active dialogue between the politicians and voters. It is extremely important and necessary that it be useful and effective for the state and society.

Stepping into a space of the next year, we should not forget that we achieved the independence at high price, and today our duty is to actively continue building a developed state with international greater weight, where the people will live and work better both today and tomorrow. That is the best tribute to those, who built the independence, who died for it.

Dear compatriots,

On the threshold of New Year let us share our kind thoughts and wishes not only with our families, close relatives, but also with the people, who due to different circumstances are deprived of home and family warmth, who at this moment ensure our security and peace, who keep high the authority of our state abroad as peacekeepers, with our compatriots, who live or temporarily stay in foreign countries.

Let the good mood of New Year be with you during the whole year, and let there always be warmth, love and solidarity in your homes.

Happy New Year and Holy Nativity!