The situation was tense in the Armenian-populated districts of Istanbul this night, reports quoting its sources in Turkey.
Turkish nationalist groups attacked Istanbul’s Sisli, Kurtuluş and Besiktas neighborhoods.
“We must turn these districts into Armenian and Kurdish cemeteries,” the nationalists were chanting.
According to the source, the violence is a consequence of the recent clashes between the Turkish army and the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK).
The appointment of Armenia’s new Justice Minister has caught the attention of world media.
A Lebanon based website has posted the photos of newly appointed Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan and presented details from her biography and work experience.
The website describes her as “the youngest and most beautiful Minister of Justice in the world.”
Within the framework of an official visit to the United Kingdom, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with Philip Hammond, UK Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs. The avenues for the expansion of cooperation in different spheres were discussed.
The Ministers referred to Armenia-EU relations, the steps toward creating new legal framework for cooperation.
The interlocutors exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, the Syrian crisis and the ways of its resolution, the international community’s fight against terrorism and the agreements on Iran’s nuclear program.
Minister Nalbandian briefed his British counterpart on the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In this context the Armenian FM expressed gratitude to for co-authoring the Resolution on the Prevention of Genocide submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in March.
Minister Nalbandin had a working dinner with UK’s Minister for Europe David Lidington. The parties referred to Armenian-British relations, Armenia-EU cooperation, the Ukrainian crisis and the ways of its settlement, and a number of other issues on international agenda.
The interlocutors discussed the ways of solving the regional conflicts. Minister Nalbandian presented the joint efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs toward the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. David Lidington assured of his country’s commitment to the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
Minister Nalbandian also gave an extended interview to the BBC.
Hungary’s army has begun exercises to prepare for a possible future role in guarding the southern border to try to stem the influx of migrants, the BBC reports.
Budapest plans to send soldiers to help police at the border where thousands of migrants arrive from Serbia every day.
A new razor-wire barrier is already being built along the frontier. MPs are expected to vote on stricter border controls later this month.
Authorities have been told to expect 40,000 more migrants by next week.
Many of them are fleeing conflicts in countries like Syria and Libya and are trying to travel through Hungary to Germany, Austria and Sweden – wealthier EU nations with more liberal asylum laws.
Asbarez – The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday approved funding for the Armenian Genocide Memorial Tree Project, spearheaded by Councilmember Paul Krekorian and with the aim of planting 100 pomegranate trees across city parks and in each pf the 15 council districts to mark the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
The first pomegranate tree was planted earlier this year at City Hall on April 23 during LA’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
“Los Angeles has unquestionably taken the lead in showing solidarity and standing on the side of justice and recognition for the Armenian people,” said Councilmember Krekorian. “This project will serve as a living genocide memorial and symbol of the Armenian people’s history as we commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.”
“Anyone who comes to City Hall or travels throughout our city will see the pomegranate trees, which will continue to flourish as the Armenian community has. It will stand as a sign of hope, rebirth, and survival,” added Kerkorian.
Krekorian, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, represents Council District 2, which includes North Hollywood, Studio City, Valley Village and other communities in the east San Fernando Valley. His website is cd2.lacity.org, where you can sign up for news updates.
Apple has unveiled a larger iPad tablet, a TV box with its own app store and new iPhones that can detect how firmly their screens are being pressed, the BBC reports.
The firm suggested the iPad Pro was suited to work tasks, video games and both editing and watching movies.
Sales of the company’s earlier iPads had been on the decline.
Apple said the “3D touch” feature of its new phones “transformed” the experience of using them by making it easier to use and switch between apps.
“The Eurasian Economic Union is a purely economic structure and has nothing to do with security. Therefore, no issue of border security can be discussed,” Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters today. He added that the issue will be raised at the forthcoming CSTO summit on September 15.
Does Armenia expect concrete actions from the CSTO? Shavarsh Kocharyan said that we “first and foremost rely upon ourselves on issue of our security and defense.”
“We should understand that if a country relies upon others, the outcome may be sad,” he said. He added, however, that “the role of any country is important to us, and this first of all refers to countries we have agreements with.”
The Deputy Foreign Minister stressed that the settlement of the Karabakh conflict proceeds within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. He said progress is absent because Azerbaijan puts the emphasis on issues favorable to itself. “There will be no progress unless Azerbaijan changes its behavior, while speaking about unilateral concessions is simply strange.”
Referring to reports on the expected visit of Crimean leader Sergey Aksenev to Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan declared that “the Armenian Foreign Ministry has not sent any official invitation to the leadership of Crimea, but added that “any person with a Russian passport is free to visit Armenia.”
Facebook founder snagged the top spot on Vanity Fair’s latest – the 21st annual ranking of the most powerful people in business and media, NBC reports.
The list is broken up into two categories: “Disrupters,” which ranks 50 people who are shaping the way we interact, work, play and consume, and the “Powers That Be,” which includes 25 visionaries in business and entertainment who have used their influence to impact cultural change.
Zuckerberg is the youngest person to ever top the New Establishment list.
25-year-old Taylor Swift, who made headlines this summer for prompting policy change at Apple, leads the “Powers That Be” ranking. Rapper Kanye West and reality star Kim Kardashian are ranked 12th in the list.
According to the Vanity Fair, “The West-Kardashian coupling represents a strong argument in favor of corporate synergy.” West gives Kardashian artistic legitimacy, and the reality star and spokesperson offers her acclaimed yet famously difficult rapper husband something bordering on broad appeal. Kardashian’s new book, Selfish, earned what seemed like genuine praise—at least in a Warholian way—from some book critics. West is currently recording his next album, under the working title Swish, which reportedly includes collaborations with Paul McCartney and Bruno Mars. It promises to be even more Spotify-friendly than his critically beloved Yeezus.
Kardashian and West also demonstrated a well-honed alacrity for entering new industries. Kardashian authorized her likeness to an app developer in a deal that could pay her up to $85 million. West, who is moving further into the fashion business, recently released his latest collaboration with Adidas, the Yeezy Boost 350, a limited edition that fetched up to $10,000 on eBay from eager sneakerheads.
Armenia ranks 43rd among 96 countries in the developed and constructed by HelpAge International.
The aim of the Index is both to capture the multidimensional nature of the quality of life and wellbeing of older people, and to provide a means by which to measure performance and promote improvements.
The HelpAge International has chosen 13 different indicators for the four key domains of Income security, Health status, Capability, and Enabling environment.
The best 10 countries to grow old are Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Iceland, Japan, United States, and United Kingdom. The worst countries are Mozambique, Malawi and Afghanistan.
Armenia’s neighbors Georgia and Turkey are ranked 29th and 75th respectively. Armenia’s partners in the Eurasian Economic union are placed as follows: Russia – 65th, Kyrgyzstan – 51st, Belarus – 64th.
Armenia ranks moderately on the Index, at 43 overall. It ranks highest in the capability domain (9). It also ranks high in the income security domain (32) with 100% pension income coverage. It ranks low in the enabling environment domain (73) with the lowest value in its region for the civic freedom indicator (42%). It ranks lowest in the health domain (74), with below average life expectancy at 60 compared to other countries in this region.
Seventeen members of the Tovmasyan family, who fled Kobane to Turkey after the Islamic State attack earlier this year, have found refuge in Armenia with the assistance of the Ministry of Diaspora.
Hovsep Tovmasyan, 43, was killed by ISIS in front of his 13-year-old son. Other members of the family (families of four Tovmasyan brothers including 11 children) managed to escape and lived in a school building in Turkey’s Suruc region for three months.
The family moved to Armenia thanks to financing from Raffi Ardhaljian, a US-based adviser to the Minister of Diaspora.
The family has been provided housing in Yerevan’s Silikian district.