Category: News

The US Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination for attorney general, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, by a vote of 52 to 47.

The confirmation follows a series of divisive hearings during which Democrats attacked Mr Sessions’ record on civil rights.

Democrat Elizabeth Warren was silenced after recalling historic allegations of racism against Mr Sessions.

The Alabama senator’s nomination was among Mr Trump’s most controversial.

The vote largely followed party lines, with just one Democrat senator – Joe Manchin of West Virginia – voting for Mr Sessions.

Mr Sessions’ Republican colleagues in the chamber applauded him as their majority carried him over the line. He will now take charge of the Justice Department and its 113,000 employees, including 93 US attorneys.

The Global Cinema Film Festival of Boston (GCFF) in partnership with WCF studios/films and under the direction of multiple award-winning Documentarian Raouf J. Jacob and award-winning Executive Producer Lara M. Moreno are committed to bringing the best of global cinematography to Boston. Their mission is to give filmmakers an opportunity to spotlight stories that deserve global attention

Their event this year which runs from March 9-12, includes more than 28 independent films, including “The Simon’s Way” on March 12 at 5:15 PM, which is being co-presented by the Armenian Museum of America.

Since 1993, the border between Armenia and Turkey is closed. The countries have no diplomatic or economic relations. But on the two sides of tightly closed borders, there are relatives living on each end who manage to communicate with each other through the power of hope. “The Simon’s Way,” which won the 2017 Armenian Film Academy Award for Best Short Film, is a story about the influence of politics on human destiny.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s decisive run and finish in the Emirates FA Cup fourth-round win over Wigan Athletic has been voted Manchester United’s Goal of the Month for January – the second successive month he has topped the poll, accordig to the club’sofficial website.

Mkhitaryan’s driving run kick-started a brilliant counter-attack that the Armenian finished following good work by Anthony Martial, putting the Reds three goals to the good in the 4-0 triumph over the Latics.

The breakaway goal received 52 per cent of fans’ votes in the poll to take the prize ahead of Wayne Rooney’s landmark free-kick against Stoke City, which attracted 43 per cent of the vote, and Bastian Schweinsteiger’s instinctive hooked finish in the tie against Wigan (3 per cent).

Mkhitaryan also for his outrageous ‘scorpion kick’ against Middlesbrough. And while, by his own admission, that Boxing Day strike was the best goal he’d ever scored, the swift move against Wigan is another addition to his growing list of eye-catching efforts for the Reds.

Eight companies from different countries and one consortium have applied for participation in an international tender for construction of an overhead power line between Armenia and Georgia and substations, Press Service of the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources reports.

The Chinese Sinohydro Corporation, the German Siemens AG companies and the Swedish-Spanish ABB AB-COBRA consortium have bid for construction of the high voltage DC converter station in Ayrum and substations.

The bidders for construction of the overhead power line include: Sinohydro Corporation LTD (China), Isolux Ingeneria (Spain), Dalekovod JSC (Croatia), Kaskad-Energo (Russia), KEC International limited (India) and Kaplataru Power Transmission limited (India).

The project to be implemented with the support of the German KfW Bank aims to unite the energy systems of the two countries. As a result, the capacity of electricity exchange will increase from 200 MW to 350 MW in the first stage and will reach 700 MW in the second. The capacity may reach 1,050 MW in the final stage, depending on demand.

The project will also promote the development of regional cooperation in Russia-Georgia-Armenia-Iran format. The construction works are expected to start this year.

Photo: Reuters

President Vladimir Put
in has sent condolences after a Russian air strike accidentally killed three Turkish soldiers in northern Syria, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, Sputnik reports.

Peskov said that Russia and Turkey will jointly investigate the deadly incident. The Kremlin spokesman said that Putin told Erdogan that Turkish soldiers had died as a result of lack of coordination regarding coordinates during Russian military jets’ strikes in Syria.

Russia and Turkey will improve coordination of activities in Syria after the unintentional strike, Peskov said.

The Russian and Turkish presidents held a phone conversation earlier on Thursday. Putin expressed condolences to Erdogan over the deaths of Turkish soldiers near Syria’s al-Bab, the Kremlin said earlier. They to expand military coordination during the operation against militants from Daesh and other extremist groups in Syria.

Earlier in the day, the Turkish General Staff said that an accidental Russian airstrike killed three Turkish soldiers and wounded 11 others in northern Syria.

Photo: Reuters

 

Reuters – An explosion occurred at French utility EDF’s Flamanville nuclear plant on Thursday (Feb 9) in which there may have been some injuries, but there was no nuclear risk, French newspaper Ouest France reported on its web site, citing local police.

Officials at EDF’s Paris headquarters had no immediate comment and local officials at the plant in western France could not be immediately reached for comment.

French President Francois Hollande had an annual dinner with the Coordinating Council of the Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF).

In his last dinner with CCAF in the capacity of the President of France, Francois Hollande referred to the decision of the Constitutional Council to revoke certain amendments to the Equality and Citizenship Act, including those related to the criminalization of genocide denial, Nouvelles d’Armenie reports.

“To deny the massacres of yesterday is to authorize the massacres of today,” Hollande said. “I welcome the quality of the work of Jean-Paul Costa, which was the basis for an amendment during the debate on the Equality and Citizenship Act,” said Francois Hollande, and stressed that “it is necessary to continue to act.” He described it as “a fight for truth, not for a cause.”

He then announced that a mission was launched last October by education minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem and chaired by Vincent Duclert to look for measures to “institute a day of National commemoration of all genocides, war crimes and thus the Armenian genocide.”

Francois Hollande said Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will visit Paris next month. “2017 marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Armenia. I invited President Sargsyan to pay an official visit to Paris. It will take place on March 8, Women’s Day. It will provide an opportunity to discuss economic, cultural and academic co-operation, to hold discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, because France has a special responsibility.”

Lastly, he stressed the contribution of the French Armenians to the Republic. “We are here to talk about the best of France. Because you are the best of France,” he told Armenians.

“Even beyond the month of May, I will always be at your side, as I have always been. I will not have the same responsibility, but I will have the same conviction,” Francois Hollande concluded.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović has expressed concern over the treatment of blogger Alexander Lapshin in Azerbaijan

“Dismayed: A blogger/journalists taken to prison as a dangerous criminal,” Mijatović said in a Twitter post.

“Free speech must prevail in the OSCE region,” she added.

Dismayed: A blogger/journalists taken to prison as a dangerous criminal must prevail in the region!

— Dunja Mijatovic (@Dunja_Mijatovic)

Arman Tatoyan, Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Armenia had a meeting with representatives of about 30 human rights organizations in Brussels. The meeting was organized with support from the European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA).

Mr. Tatoyan gave a briefing followed by a lively debate about the human rights situation in Armenia. He explained the new tools given to his institution, such as immunity for his members of staff, the Ombudsman’s permanent representative in the Armenian Parliament, and the new forms of NGO involvement in his work.

“The institution of the Ombudsman in Armenia is now strong and legally protected like no other in Eastern Europe”, Mr Tatoyan said, adding that especially the enhanced cooperation with NGOs in Armenia helps the effectiveness of his work. Key fields of activities are torture prevention, fighting domestic violence, supporting freedom of speech and the legal framework surrounding the upcoming elections.

Arman Tatoyan spoke about the involvement of Artsakh’s Ombudsman in international meetings and presented the latter’s report on Azerbaijani atrocities.

The Ombudsman said he ready to hold meetings on any Armenia-related issues, but added that the participation of Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender in Karabakh-related issues is a must, since human rights issues are in no way related to politics.

He stressed that human rights recognize no borders and said that “the public and democratic institutions of Artskah should be involved in all international meetings.

Arman Tatoyan attached importance to the work of journalists in Artsakh, stressing the need to boost the visits to Nagorno Karabakh.

Photo: TASS

 

Russia continues to follow he fate of blogger Alexander Lapshin extradited to Azerbaijan, Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova told reporters today.

“We’ll keep following the fate of the Russian citizen,” Zakharova said, reminding that the Foreign Ministry had earlier expressed its stance on the extradition in a statement.

“This issue and all other issues in bilateral relations should be solved in due course no matter which countries we are talking about,” Zakharova said.

“All issues connected with the fate of Russian nationals are a priority for the Russian Federation,” she stressed.

Alexander Lapshin, who holds Russian, Israeli and Ukrainian citizenship, was handed over to Baku on February 7 and escorted out of the airport by law enforcement agents.

On December 15, 2016, police in Belarus detained Alexander Lapshin, a popular travel blogger, for his prior visits to Nagorno Karabakh and for his criticism of the Aliyev regime.

On 20 January 2017 the General Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus decided to have Lapshin extradited to Azerbaijan.  An appeal to the ruling was denied by Minsk City Court.

The Supreme Court of Belarus ruled to leave the decision of the Prosecutor General’s office on Lapshin’s extradition to Azerbaijan in force.