Category: News

Matchups for the UEFA Champions League’s Round of 16 were set on Monday.

Chelsea will once again face Paris Saint-Germain, the team that knocked the Blues out of the Champions League last 16 last season, while Arsenal, which overcame a disastrous start to the group stage just to advance, will face even longer odds when it goes head-to-head with defending champion Barcelona.

Manchester City, which has had its own bad luck with Champions League group stage draws, caught a break with a matchup against Dynamo Kiev, the runner-up to Chelsea in Group G.

Here are all eight Round of 16 matchups, which will begin with first legs on February 16-17 and February 23-24 and conclude with the return legs on March 8-9 and March 15-16.

Photo: AP

Egyptian investigators say they have so far found no proof that terrorism caused a Russian jet to crash in the Sinai in October, killing 224 people, the BBC reports.

The plane came down en route to Russia from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

A group linked to so-called Islamic State (IS) said it bombed the plane. Nearly all the victims were Russians.

Russia has said a bomb brought down the Metrojet Airbus, after finding what it said were “traces of foreign explosives” on the debris.

It has vowed to “find and punish” the perpetrators. In response to Monday’s findings, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov re-iterated that “our experts concluded this was a terrorist attack”.

France’s far-right National Front (FN) has failed to win a single region in the second round of municipal elections.

The party was beaten into third place, despite leading in six of 13 regions in the first round of voting on 6 December.

Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right Republicans finished ahead of the ruling Socialists.

Acknowledging defeat, FN leader Marine Le Pen pledged to keep fighting.

And she blamed the outcome on the mainstream parties which had colluded to keep the FN from power, telling her supporters they had been “disenfranchised in the most indecent of ways by a campaign of lies and disinformation”.

Marine Le Pen stood as a regional presidential candidate in the northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, while her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen was the FN’s candidate in the race in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, in the south.

After both led with more than 40% of the vote in the first round on 6 November, the Socialist candidates in those regions pulled out so their voters could support Republican candidates against the FN in the second round.

Marine Le Pen secured 42.2% of the vote in the second round in her region against the centre-right’s 57.8%.

Marion Marechal-Le Pen took 45.2%, compared with 54.8% for her Republican rival.

Photo: AFP

A teacher has been attacked in a preschool class in Aubervilliers, a suburb of the French capital, Paris, by a man citing so-called Islamic State, the BBC reports.

The attacker shouted: “It’s Islamic State. It’s a warning”, stabbing the teacher with a box cutter or scissors before fleeing.

The life of the teacher, 45, who was alone in the room, is not in danger.

France remains on high alert after the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November that left 130 people dead.

About 280 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were registered at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan over the weekend, the NKR Ministry of Defense reports.

The rival used artillery weapons of different caliber, as well as 60, 82 and 120 mm mortars, HAN-17 and RPG-7 grenades as it fired more than 3,000 shots from weapons of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army confidently continue with their military duty and resort to retaliatory measures, if necessary.

Photo:  Sputnik/ Vasily Batanov

A Russian Coast Guard vessel and Black Sea Fleet cutter on Monday forced an unidentified vessel sailing under the Turkish flag to change its course after it had violated international law and hampered the movement of drilling rig equipment, reports.

Two drilling rigs owned by Chernomorneftegaz were moved from the Odesa gas field to the territorial waters of Russia because of the complex international situation.

The gas company said that the drilling rigs were being towed when “an unidentified cargo vessel under the Turkish flag” appeared.

“Acting in violation of international law on the warning of ships crashing in the sea and the overall norms of marine transportation, the Turkish vessel did not give way to the caravan on a cross course and made an attempt to stop in the course [of the caravan], which obviously would create an emergency situation. The Turkish vessel’s captain did not contact the [Russian] ships by radio, nor did he respond to calls,” the gas company said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy continues to monitor the recount proceedings of the constitutional referendum held on December 6.  We have previously noted our serious concern about credible allegations of irregularities in the referendum reported by non-partisan observers and various Armenian political parties.   We welcome the public commitment of Armenian Government officials, including the Prosecutor General and the Ombudsman for Human Rights, to fully report and investigate credible allegations.

We reiterate that the results of the investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for any irregularities must be transparent and public in order for the Armenian people to have confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.  Full and transparent investigations, as well as the resulting public reports, even if they do not lead to criminal prosecutions, can help the Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, and civil society identify possible improvements to current electoral procedures.

In accordance with the U.S. commitment to fight corruption worldwide, the U.S. Embassy can also draw upon the information contained in such reports to help assess whether any individuals who directly interfered in the integrity of the December 6 electoral process can participate in Embassy programs or activities.  Looking ahead, we renew our call for the Armenian government and Parliament to adopt a new electoral code in line with OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations, and urge that reform of the new code be carried out in accordance with international standards, in order to increase the integrity of electoral processes in Armenia.

Armenia, the first Christian nation in the world, could be a good holiday destination this winter for those who want to savor the old world charm along with modernity, the writes.

“Tucked away in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, this mountainous country is eagerly waiting to welcome you with its rich platter of heritage, culture, hospitality, breathtaking landscapes and feel-at-home ambience. From Mt Ararat (the traditional site of landing of Noah’s Arc which is now in Turkey) to the world’s largest mountain lake (Sevan), Armenia promises a thrilling and wholesome vacation,” the author writes.

Armenia’s culture trek will be a journey from the Khor Virap monastery in the Ararat plain where St Gregory, the Illuminator, was imprisoned for 14 years by Armenian King Tiridates III, a pagan. A 40-minute drive from Yerevan will lead to this historical place overlooking Mt Ararat. Later, St Gregory became the king’s mentor and they led proselytizing activity in the country. The place could be the first port of call in Yerevan for visitors.

The next day, the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, founded by Gregory the Illuminator, could be on the top of the tour list. Considered the oldest cathedral in the world, this structure replaced a pre-existing temple, symbolizing the conversion of paganism to Christianity. The cathedral in Vagharsapat city was listed as a World Heritage Site by the Unesco in 2000.

Etchmiadzin is the seat of the Catholicos, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The altar is built over an ancient pagan fire worshipping pit. The surrounding grounds have gardens and khachkars (cross stones). There is a bookstore inside the compound selling gifts, crosses and jewelry.

Capital Yerevan or Erebuni, has a lot to offer to tourists. From the dancing fountains at the Republic Square, The State Opera House to the Cascade Complex, visitors are spoilt for choice. A walk around the capital at night is an absolute delight. After a hard day’s work, people from all walks of life hang out at the Republic Square to see the colorful fountains.

For shoppers, a visit to the open-air ‘Vernissage’ market is a must. From vintage meat, old guns, knives, semi-precious stones, jewelry, traditional carpets, medallions to pets, it is an amazing place, which was set up by Armenian artists in the Eighties to display their works. Buyers should have adequate bargaining skills and prices can come down dramatically.

A must visit is Garni, the only pagan temple in the country believed to be built by King Tiridates 1 in the first century AD for sun god Mihr. It was converted into a royal summer house for the sister of Tiridates 3 after Armenia converted to Christianity. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1679 and was reconstructed later. The temple boasts 24 columns resting on an elevated podium, and unlike other Greco-Roman temples, it is made of basalt.

A trip to this country is incomplete without a visit to the genocide memorial. Genocide is not just any term for Armenians, it is what defines the country and stirs emotions. It is estimated that 1.5 million people lost their lives in the Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of Armenians inside their historic homeland, which lies within the territory constituting the present-day Republic of Turkey. However, Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies it.

The photographs and accounts of survivors at the memorial hark back to the country’s dark past. A melancholic tune is played at the place all the time in memory of those who lost their lives.

Photo: Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy

The Syrian army, backed by local militia forces, has regained control over the Mardj-al-Sultan military airbase outside Damascus, a source in the militia told RIA Novosti Monday.

The violations registered during the Constitutional referendum held in Armenia last Sunday have not affected the outcome of the vote and can in no way question the legitimacy of the referendum, First Deputy Chief of Police Hunan Poghosyan told reporters today.

The Police received 452 reports from media, NGOs and citizens during and after the referendum; 17 criminal cases were launched, he said.

A hot line had been launched at RA Police on December 5 and 6 to address all reports on fraud. The service was meant for foreign observers, as well, and was available in Armenian, Russian, English and French.