Category: News

David De Gea’s  move from Manchester United to Real Madrid has collapsed because the necessary paperwork was not submitted in time, the BBC reports.

No official announcement has yet been made by either club.

As part of the deal to sell De Gea to Real, United were planning to bring Keylor Navas in the opposite direction.

There is no precedent for Spanish clubs being given additional time to conclude transfers as there is in England.

Blame for the failure to complete the deal is already being apportioned.

“The 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide marks a new start in the process of recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said as he lectured at the Yerevan State University today.

“The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an irreversible process that proceeds on different levels and in different directions,” he added.

Speaking about the Karabakh conflict, the Minister noted that “despite the provocative and non-constructive policy of Azerbaijan, Armenia will continue to work jointly with the OSCE Minsk Group to solve the conflict exclusively through peaceful means.”

The Foreign Minister also referred to Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, the allied relations between Armenia and Russia, Armenia’s cooperation with the United States, the European Union and the neighboring countries.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) announces the launch of Im Armenia [My Armenia], a new travel app that takes children on a virtual journey through Yerevan and its surroundings. Im Armenia is the first travel guide to introduce children to the sites of Armenia in a fun and interactive way.

Im Armenia teaches basic vocabulary words in Eastern Armenian, offers easy-to-navigate maps and colorful graphics of some of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, including Holy Etchmiadzin, Matenadaran, Sardarapat, Cascade and many more. Users can take their own pictures, select photos from the gallery and write their thoughts in a journal at each location.

The app can be used by children of all ages to prepare them for their trip to Armenia, to keep them engaged on their trip and to spark curiosity about the country. “We just took our kids to Armenia for the first time and they loved using Im Armenia! They loved setting up their profile and reading about each site before getting there. It was fun and exciting for them to find some of the hidden symbols at each site,” said Maria Stepanian, a mother of children ages 11 and 14.

Designed for both iPhone and iPad, Im Armenia is available for download through the App Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android devices. The app is currently available in English and plans are in the works to develop versions in French, Spanish and other languages of the diaspora. “This beautifully illustrated app offers many ways to learn about Yerevan. We have plans to expand outside of the city and into the diverse regions of Armenia with future versions,” said Natalie Gabrelian, Director of Scholarships and Alternative Education at AGBU.

Im Armenia is part of AGBU Education Innovation, a series of quality Armenian e-products for children, parents and teachers that strives to make educational apps, e-books and online language courses readily available to all. Earlier this year, AGBU Education Innovation released Exploring Yerevan: A Look Inside the City’s Past & Present, the second in its series of interactive e-books by the Armenian Virtual College (AVC).

The pioneering multimedia e-book series is designed to offer historical, social and demographic information to readers interested in visiting Yerevan or learning about the city. The e-book offers a variety of information, ranging from city tours and hikes to cultural and social events. Videos, interactive maps, virtual visits, picture galleries, 3D and panoramic images and puzzles are used to introduce readers to the city and its surrounding areas.

“With a groundbreaking presentation and a fresh wave of information, the Exploring Yerevan e-book is a perfect resource for anyone who wants to make the most out of their visit to Yerevan and learn about one of the oldest cities in the world. I am sure this book will acquire a broad readership and will contribute to making Yerevan one of the best touristic destinations in the world,” said Dr. Yervant Zorian, AVC founder and president.

The English version of the e-book will be accompanied by Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian, Russian, French, Spanish and Turkish translations. Exploring Yerevan is preceded by the first AGBU AVC e-book, The Armenian Highland, released in 2014. Both books are available for free download and online browsing on computers and mobile devices through the Apple iBook store, the AVC website and AGBU online bookstore.

A court in Baku on September 1, 2015, convicted the investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova on spurious charges of tax evasion and other economic crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.

Ismayilova was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison after a politically motivated prosecution, flawed trial, and campaign to discredit her. She was acquitted on an additional charge of inciting someone to commit suicide. The Azerbaijani authorities should immediately move to set aside the conviction and release her.

“The outrageous verdict against Khadija Ismayilova shows the Azerbaijani authorities’ willingness to subvert the law to exact revenge against critics,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Her conviction and sentence should be immediately set aside.”

Ismayilova is a 2015 recipient of Human Rights Watch’s Alison Des Forges award for extraordinary activism, in recognition of her exemplary courage as a journalist and human rights activist in the face of the unprecedented crackdown on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.

The trial against Ismayilova fell far short of international standards. The authorities appeared to rush the proceedings, denying nearly all of the defense’s petitions, including to introduce evidence in her defense or to challenge the prosecution’s assertions against her. Prosecutors claimed the motions were Ismayilova’s attempts to delay the trial. The authorities also denied Ismayilova’s requests for additional time to meet with her lawyers to discuss her defense, granting her only a few hours during the trial to meet with her lawyers.

The authorities prevented most independent observers and Ismayilova’s supporters from attending the proceedings, and, according to numerous news reports, often apparently filled the courtroom with “proxy” observers, so that Ismayilova’s relatives and supporters could not attend. Her mother and sister and some representatives from foreign embassies were unable to access some hearings though able to attend others. A Human Rights Watch representative was allowed to attend the proceedings on August 13, but was not allowed to attend on August 14.

During her trial, Ismayilova accused the government of trying to stop her investigative reporting, especially into President Ilham Aliyev’s family’s businesses.

The European Union and its member states in particular should mount a strong, unified response to the appalling state of human rights in Azerbaijan, Human Rights Watch said. Such a response should include freezing negotiations on a new Strategic Partnership Agreement with Baku and taking action in other multilateral bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council, to censor Azerbaijan over its atrocious human rights record. A common position among all member states and EU institutions vis-à-vis Azerbaijan is acutely needed to challenge Baku’s calculation that its outrageous behavior comes at no price, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch said the voting rights of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should be suspended.

Authorities arrested Ismayilova on December 5, 2014.

Ismayilova has reported extensively on government corruption, including exposing the business interests of members of the ruling family, and the government has made a concerted effort to silence her. In February 2014, police questioned Ismayilova as a witness in an investigation into the alleged leaking of state secrets only days after pro-government media claimed she had given files on Azerbaijani opposition politicians to United States government officials working as intelligence agents, a claim the US embassy denied.

“Ismayilova’s unwavering commitment to transparency and justice in her country should be a source of pride to Azerbaijan, not reason for punishment, persecution, and prison,” Roth said.

 

 

 

The Azerbaijani side has undertaken several acts of sabotage over the past days, all of which have been successfully averted, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told reporters today.

“Our people can be assured the Armenian Army keeps the situation under control,” the Minister said.

US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick has said the mediators are planning a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in the fall.

Speaking of the expectations from the meeting, Ohanyan said: “We expect all types of shooting and assaults to stop thanks to every meeting within the framework of the negotiation process.”

Azerbaijan has blacklisted Gianluca Marcianò, conductor of the 24/04 international orchestra and artistic director of the Al Bustan International Festival, press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported.

Today Gianluca Marcianò will be present at the premiere of Verdi’s “Requiem in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh. He has been invited by Armenia’s First Lady Rita Sargsyan.

“The project scheduled for September 1 speaks about peace through culture, and I’m glad to be part of that event,” the Maestro told reporters in Armenia before his departure for Artsakh.

“No political issues can hold me back. This is a cultural program that calls to open the borders, to leave in peace. Therefore, no artist will refuse to participate in such an event,” he said.

Gianluca Marcianò has posted photos of his visit to Artsakh on his .

Over 120 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were reported overnight.

The rival fired more than 1,200 shots from weapons of different caliber (including 60, 82 and 120mm mortars) in the direction of the Armenian positions, the NKR Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The activeness of the rival was pressured as a result of the retaliatory measures taken by the front divisions of the NKR Defense Army.

Turkey’s newly appointed envoy to to the European Union (EU) said Tuesday that genocide was committed against Armenians in Turkey during the First World War, reports.

Ali Haydar Konca, a parliamentarian with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), was recently appointed as Minister of European Union Affairs by the Turkish interim cabinet. His comments contradict the long-held position of the Turkish government.

“The fact that genocide happened is explicit and clear and everybody accepts that. Right now, the issue is what it should be called. We will make a decision in our party about that,” Konca told the press.

This is the first time that a Turkish authority has admitted Turkey committed genocide against Armenians.

Kate Winslet is set to play Polish-Armenian Joanna Hoffman — one of Apple’s earliest employees who was known for standing up to Steve Jobs — in the new movie about the legendary Apple cofounder’s life.

The movie, which includes a star-studded cast that features Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs and Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak, is set to debut on Oct. 9, according to Business Insider. 

In a recent interview with , Winslet explained how she landed the role. The actress was interested in the role as soon as she heard about the film from her hair-and-makeup artist, who was set to work on the movie after she had finished working with Winslet on “The Dressmaker.” The fact that the film was written by Andrew Sorkin was enough to draw Winslet in, but she was also intrigued by the movie’s three-act format.

Winslet decided to move on the opportunity right away, but there was one hurdle: she looks nothing like Hoffman, the Polish-Armenian immigrant that served as the only marketing person on the original Mac team for more than a year.

So, to audition for the role, she sent her husband out to purchase dark brown wigs in varying lengths. She took photos of herself in the wigs and sent them over to Scott Rudin, the film’s producer.

“I  wanted to please her [Joanna Hoffman] as much as I could. How she sounds, and her accent, is fairly complicated. She grew up largely in Armenia, spent some time in Poland, and has Russians in her family, so she has all three accents, but she’s been in America since she was a teenager, so she had American rhythms,” Winslet said.

 

FAIR, French Armenian International Network, aims to promote economic
synergies between the business entrepreneurs of the Rhone-Alpes region and their
counterparts in Armenia for the creation of a regional hub providing access to the region’s
markets, such as Georgia, Iran, and other CIS countries.

The worldwide networking of FAIR, which is a recently created business association, shall
definitely include the still-untapped economic potential of the Armenian diaspora, from the
Middle-East countries to the Americas, as well as the countries of Eastern Europe and the
former Soviet Union.

The Rhône-Alpes Regional Parliament is set to host the official launching of FAIR in a
special ceremony on Wednesday, September 23, 2015.

The event is organized under the sponsorship of Raffi Haladjian, inventor of NABAZTAG
and a pioneer in the field of connected items and other state-of-the-art technologies.