Category: News

Photo: AFP    

Kurdish forces backed by coalition air strikes have repulsed the most serious attack by Islamic State group in Iraq in five months, US officials say, the BBC reports.

IS militants mounted a co-ordinated assault on several locations near the northern city of Mosul on Wednesday.

About 180 IS fighters were killed in the strikes that continued until Thursday morning, the US officials said.

Mosul has been under the control of IS since last year.

Militants began attacking Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga positions late on Wednesday afternoon, using machine guns, car bombs, rockets and armoured bulldozers, Kurdish and US officials said.

 

 

Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy at the Armenian border and the line of contact with Artsakh, the periodic ceasefire violations drag out the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the National Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan told a press conference today.

Azerbaijan showed in 2015 that it’s not only uninterested in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, but is also taking certain steps to drag out its resolution.

Speaking about the expectations from the upcoming meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Safrastyan said: “Judging from the logic of Azerbaijan’s actions throughout 2015, the growing aggression at the Armenian border and the line of contact with Artsakh, the meeting will hardly produce real results. All through 2015, Azerbaijan’s policy has been aimed at frustrating the negotiation process,” Safrastyan said.

Turning to the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group, the political scientist said the only positive thing the Minsk Group Co-Chairs manage to do is to organize presidential meetings. “This gives some hope that the Azerbaijani leadership has not finally abandoned the peace process.”

Ruben Safeastyan added that “taking into consideration the developments in the Middle East, it becomes obvious that the military factor is strengthening in the region.” “This is the trend,” he said, adding, however, that the recent meeting between the US Secretary of State and the Russian leadership and the fact that Russia and the US presented a joint initiative of curbing funding of the Islamic State, is positive.

Asbarez – With a favorable jet stream speeding their way, dozens of Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) leaders and activists arrived in Washington, DC last week for a two-day Capitol Hill advocacy campaign in support of peace and freedom for Artsakh.

The cross country trip by so many ANCA-WR leaders and activists was inspired by the ANCA Fly-In For #NKPEACE initiative, which drew activists from more than a dozen states to the nation’s capital, where they met with the offices of over 30 U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives, consulted with a broad range of senior foreign policy staff, and attended the annual Congressional event marking Artsakh’s commitment to peace and democracy. The Capitol Hill program, which drew a standing room only crowd, featured powerful remarks by Members of Congress, an address by Armenia’s Ambassador, and a keynote speech by Artsakh’s Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan.

The ANCA Fly In For #NKPEACE initiative was organized in the wake of a Congressional letter spearheaded this Fall by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY), and cosigned by over 80 of their House colleagues, outlining three concrete steps to address Azerbaijan’s escalating aggression: Withdrawing snipers, adding observers, and deploying gunfire locator systems. Their letter was addressed to James Warlick, who serves as the U.S. Co-Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group and who was present at the event for Artsakh held on Capitol Hill on December 9, 2015.

“I am so proud of the smart and dedicated team of activists, and especially the youth and student leaders, who joined us on Capitol Hill last week to raise our collective voices – as American citizens – for the rights of the freedom loving people of Artsakh,” shared ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian. “With foreign governments like Azerbaijan and Turkey pumping millions of dollars into their lobbying efforts against Artsakh – it is essential for Armenian Americans of all ages to stand strong on Capitol Hill. We look forward to following up this ANCA Fly-In For #NKPEACE with additional targeted outreach that focus on key elected officials and advance our human rights agenda and to continuing to include the leaders of tomorrow in these efforts,” Hovsepian added.

The ANCA-WR leaders and activists who flew to Washington, DC spent two days meeting with a bi-partisan array of federal officials, including with the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce (R-CA), the Ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Intelligence – Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA),  Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) and senior aides for U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), among others.  The Capitol Hill meetings held by the ANCA-WR leaders and activists addressed a number of key issues – including the need for the U.S. Department of State to press the Aliyev regime in Baku to stop escalating violence and war rhetoric against the peaceful population of Artsakh and the need for the U.S. Government to support continued U.S. humanitarian and developmental assistance for Artsakh.

Among those joining the ANCA-WR delegation was Christine Dashdemirians, President of the CSUN Armenian Student Association. In 2014 Ms. Dashdemirians participated in the Armenian Youth Federation’s Youth Corps Summer Program, where she spent time teaching children in Armenia and Artaskh. “The ANCA Fly In For #NKPEACE was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had,” she commented. “As a college student that loves to be involved in the Armenian American community, my two days on Capitol Hill were a great way to convey the stories of my students and their families from my AYF Youth Corps experience to members of the House and Senate.  In order for Artsakh to receive more aid from the United States, we all need to get active and let our federal representatives know how we feel about this human rights issue.  It really is as simple as that,” Ms. Dashdemirians added.

Alina Sakissian, an alumni of the ANCA Leo Sarkisian internship program, remarked about the importance of participating in the ANCA Fly In For #NKPEACE initiative.  “This ANCA initiative in support of Artsakh was a remarkable effort because it allowed young people to make a real difference for the Armenian Cause,” Sarkissian remarked.   “I was able to witness firsthand the allies and adversaries we have on Capitol Hill.  It is not until you are sitting in an office at the United States Capitol, waiting for a member of Congress to discuss Artsakh issues, that you fully realize how necessary these meetings are in order to advance the Armenian Cause and how important the grassroots work of the ANCA is,” she added.

On the evening of December 9, 2015, ANCA-WR leaders and activists joined Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Robert Dold (R-IL) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) at an event marking Artsakh’s independence.  House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Royce, was joined at the event by House Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Dina Titus (D-NV), at the observance of Artsakh’s freedom.

AP Photo

At least 30 Iraqi soldeirs were killed and 20 others injured in US air strike, Hakim al-Zamili, the head of Iraqi parliament’s Security and Defense Committee said, Sputnik News reports.

The Azerbaijani side undertook infringement attempts in three directions to the east of the line of contract between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan last night.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army were quick to spot the advancement of the Azerbaijani special unites and force the rival to retreat, incurring losses.

While retreating, the rival left the weapons meant for the special operation.

The NKR Defense Army incurred no losses.

Pep Guardiola will next week announce he is to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, according to reports in the German media, reports.

The former Barcelona coach said earlier this week he would make an announcement on his future before Christmas, but German newspaper Bildclaims he has ‘already sorted out his future’.

Last month Barcelona daily Sport reported he had already given his word to former Barca colleagues Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City’s chief executive and director of football respectively, that he would join them at the Etihad next season.

“Everything points to his leaving,” said Bild, adding that the 44-year-old was aware of the dangers of ‘out-staying his welcome if he remained at Bayern’.

“He is someone who enjoys a challenge and that is why he joined Bayern Munich in 2013.”

Guardiola has won two titles and a German Cup since taking over at the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2013 following a year out of football. Prior to that he won the Champions League twice, three La Liga titles and two Copa del Reys in a four-year spell at the Nou Camp.

 

 Sputnik/ Grigory Sysoyev

 

President Vladimir Putin says that Russian military operation in Syria will continue until a political process starts. Putin said at a televised news conference that once the Syrians decide it’s time to stop fighting and launch talks, “we aren’t going to be more Syrian than the Syrians themselves,” and Moscow will wrap up its military action, the Associated Press reports.

He says that he was unsure whether Russia needs a permanent military base in Syria. He said new Russian weapons, such as sea- and air-launched cruise missiles, give Moscow enough punch to strike an enemy and there may be no need for a permanent base in Syria.

President Vladimir Putin says the Syrian people themselves must determine who rules the country.

Putin, who met U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry earlier this week, said at a news conference Thursday that Moscow supports a U.S. draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria. He says a new constitution for Syria must be drafted, and a new election prepared in which the Syrians themselves will determine its leadership.

He adds that Russia believes that a political settlement is the only way to end the Syrian crisis.

Putin says Russia and the U.S. agree on the need to ensure work on a new constitution and create mechanisms of control over future elections.

Photo: Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

The actions of the Turkish authorities with regard to the Russian Sukhoi Su-24M bomber were hostile, not just unfriendly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the annual press conference on Thursday.

The presidet said he was indignant at the fact that Turkish authorities complained to NATO instead of providing explanation about the incident.

According to Putin, Turkish people remain Russia’s partners, but it is impossible to come to agreement with the current Turkish leadership.

President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter, embroiled in a string of corruption scandals, should be given the Nobel Peace Prize.

“That is someone who should be given the Nobel Peace Prize,” Putin said of the FIFA boss who is facing corruption allegations over his management of the world footballing body.

“His contribution to the global humanitarian sphere is colossal,” the Russian leader said.

Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Acting Oil Minister Anas Al-Saleh stressed the importance of boosting economic and technical relations with the Armenian Republic, especially in the fields of transportation and tourism, Kuwaiti News Agecy reports.

Al-Saleh said on Thursday, as he headed the Kuwaiti side at the second edition of the Kuwaiti-Armenian joint ministerial committee for economic and technical cooperation, that all meetings between the two countries were “successful.” He added that the success of these discussions will lead to strengthen bilateral relations and develop cooperation.

On his part, Minister of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations of Republic of Armenia Armen Yeritsyan said that his country is looking forward for a “fruitful” cooperation in all domains with Kuwait, stressing that the joint committee meeting helped in converging of views in many economic and technical issues.

Yeritsyan called for establishing a direct air line between Armenia and Kuwait for a better closeness of ties.
In addition, he invited officials from Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) to visit Armenia to explore investment opportunities and to form strategic partnerships in several emerging economic sectors.

At the end of the meeting, the two parties signed two Memorandums of Understanding: the first, concerns cooperation in public health and medical sciences, and the second, focuses on cooperation in high education and scientific research for the years 2016-2020.