Category: News

Businessman German Sterligov has been detained at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, TASS reports.

“He arrived in Moscow from Yerevan at 5 p.m. on Monday and was detained upon crossing the state border,” Sterligov’s lawyer Artur Airapetov said.

He explained that Sterligov might have been detained because his name was on the inter-state wanted list.

The border guards detained the businessman when he was crossing the Russian state border, a police source told TASS.

As it became known on July 28, Azerbaijan asked Interpol to put Sterligov on its international wanted list for the businessman’s activities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan has initiated criminal proceedings against Sterligov on charges of making open anti-government calls and for illegal crossing of Azerbaijan’s state border (articles 281.2 and 318.2 of the Azerbaijani Penal Code, respectively).

On August 23, Airapetov said Interpol had stopped searching for Sterligov following a request from his defense lawyers and recognized that the businessman’s prosecution by Azerbaijan was politicized.

Ultra-nationalist Turkish terrorist group is the key suspect in bombing after arrest of reported Turkish national in Thai capital, reports. 

Armenian businessman and benefactor Vahak Hovnanian passed away today aged 83.  The Hovnanian International confirmed the news to Panorama.am.

Vahak Stephan Hovnanian was a successful businessman, real estate developer and philanthropist. His companies have developed over 5000 homes and several commercial properties throughout the United States.

In 1959 Mr. Hovnanian and his brothers formed the Hovnanian Brothers Corporation. Together, they developed thousands of homes in New Jersey, until going their respective ways ten years later. In 1969, Mr. Hovnanian organized his own real estate development company, Hovbilt, Inc., which in the ensuing years has developed many successful and award-winning residential communities. With growth came diversification and the formation of several affiliated companies under the name of V.S. Hovnanian Group, Inc. which included Adelphia Water Company, Adelphia Sewer Company, Hovnanian Realty, Clear Title Agency, and Grandview Cable. In 1985, Vahak and his son Shant pioneered a multi-faceted broadband telecommunications company by establishing CellularVision, Inc., which has become later SpeedUS, Inc.

A lover of “all things Armenian,” Mr. Hovnanian  dedicated himself to supporting and preserving Armenian culture and heritage, and revitalizing the independent Republic of Armenia. Mr. Hovnanian together with his wife Hasmig played prominent role in promoting educational, religious and cultural needs of the Armenian community in the Northeastern United States. The couple has also been heavily involved in charity work.

During 1960s, Mr. Hovnanian served as the President of the Board of Trustees for St. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Ridgefield, NJ. He initiated the celebration of Armenian holidays on their precise day rather than on the closest Sunday, designating St. Vartanantz one of the first Armenian churches in the United States to follow this tradition.

In 1969 Vahak and Hasmig Hovnanians were honored for their efforts with a Knighthood in the Order of the Great House of Cilicia and as a Lady of the Great House of Cilicia respectively, by His Holiness Khoren I, Catholicos of Cilicia. In further service to the Armenian Church, Mr. Hovnanian served as an Executive Member of the Board of Directors for the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America from 1973-1977. During that period he also served as a U.S. National Delegate to the World Council of the Armenian Church’s Cilician Catholicosate in Lebanon.

One of the greatest achievements of Mr. and Mrs. Hovnanian was the founding of the Armenian School in New Milford, NJ, in 1976 which has been renamed in 1984 into Hovnanian School in their honor. On the occasion of the school’s tenth anniversary, Mr. Hovnanian was named Prince of the Armenian Apostolic Church by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, in Antelias Lebanon (later His Holiness Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin).

In keeping with his commitment to education, Mr. Hovnanian raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in the aftermath of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia which he contributed to His Holiness Vasken I Catholicos of All Armenians to build a new school in the earthquake zone of Spitak. Since 1992, he and his wife have been major benefactors of the Hovnanian School’s sister school in Armenia – the Anania Shirakatsy Gemaran in Nork Massif.

Mr. Hovnanian  received numerous awards throughout his career, which serve to highlight his commitment to the Armenian community.

Believing that tourism would boost Armenia’s economy, Mr. Hovnanian insisted on considering tourism development a top priority and successfully lobbied the U.S. Government to contribute to it. In May 2000, the RA Government chartered the Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA), which was funded by USAID, Mr. Hovnanian himself, and the Armenian Government. ATDA has raised international awareness about Armenia as a world class tourism destination.

In 1995, the Hovnanians endorsed Armenia’s participation in the Venice Biennale and initiated fundraising for the first Armenian Pavilion. They organized and chaired an international Ball held in Venice where over 250 Armenians from around the world gathered to support Armenia’s entry into the international arts scene. While planning this event, they initiated the Kantz Foundation to support young Armenian aspiring artists. Through the Kantz Foundation and the Vahak and Hasmig Hovnanian Foundation, they have supported over 100 young artists from Armenia and outside in their pursuit of prominent careers in the fine and performing arts.

In May 2000, Mr. Hovnanian founded the Sayat Nova Award to stimulate and provide financial support to the songwriters and composers of Armenia. In May 2002, The Vahakni Award was initiated to inspire and support other artists in fine and performing arts.

 

Some 100 were wounded in the clashes near the Ukrainian parliament building, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry told RIA Novosti.

Meanwhile, Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko told reporters that he had information about several casualties among the law enforcers. Ukraine’s National Guard does not confirm the information.

“”We do not confirm this information. There are those wounded and severely wounded, but there are no dead,” the National Guard press service said.

According to the Ukrainian Internal Ministry’s press service, 10 law enforcement officers are in grave condition. The number of injured protesters is not yet known.

Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tigran Balyan has commented on the reports that Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be denied a visa to Azerbaijan.

“This ridiculous approach of Azerbaijan is not new to us, since they ban anyone with an Armenian surname. This fully fits into this country’s policy of propaganda of hatred for Armenians,” Balayan said in comments to Armenpress.

“It’s clear that the visit to Artakh has nothing to do here,” he added.

“The situation has grown so ridiculous that last year a Turkish man with a Turkish citizenship was not allows into Azerbaijan because of a surname ending in ‘yan’,” the Spokesman concluded.

Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan could miss the UEFA Europa League match against Azerbaijan’s set for October 22.

According to reports in Azeri media, Borussia Dortmund’s #10 may be denied a visa because of his visit to Nagorno Karabakh in 2011.

“We hope that this is not true,” BVB spokesman Sascha Fligge told the German SPORT1. “At the moment Henrikh is a super important player for us, who has shown brilliant achievements for weeks.”

 

 

 

The past summer was significant from the point of view of regional developments, says Ara Papian, Head of the Modus Vivendi Center. He considers the current conditions in the region are most favorable for Armenia, but doubts we’ll be able to draw benefits.

“What’s happening in the region today is advantageous to Armenia,” Papian told a press conference today. Among the benefits Papian noted the situation in Turkey (with the Kurdish movement and the perspective of creation of a new state), the elimination of sanctions against Iran and its access to the international market.

“Leaving aside the joint programs Armenia and Iran can implement in the future, the decreased oil prices are already favorable. Azerbaijan will be finally smashed, if the price per barrel goes below $20.  “Less money, less weapons,” Ara Papian said. He also predicted serious economic and political problems for the neighboring country.

Along with the decreased oil revenues, Azerbaijan is aware that it has time until yearend to solve issues by force, the expert said, adding, however, that resumption of war is unlikely.

“Azerbaijan is almost confident it won’t succeed, while the losses may exceed the expectations,” he said.

“We have a favorable geopolitical situation, one that Armenia has not seen for decades, but my concern is that we’re not going to draw benefits from it due to domestic political issues and because we are not ready,” Papian concluded.

Papian soothed all those worried about the activity of the Islamic State. “ISIS will hardly reach the borders of Armenia. There are a number of interested states and nations along that route struggling against the group.”

Clashes erupted outside parliament in Kiev on Monday as lawmakers gave initial approval to consitutional changes granting more autonomy to separatists in eastern Ukraine, AFP reports.

A blast was also heard outside parliament, although the cause was not immediately known, the agency said. About a dozen people were reportedly injured.

A total of 265 lawmakers voted in favour of the reforms at a stormy session of parliament in Kiev, with protests both inside and outside the buidling.

 Photo: Reuters

Six men are facing charges of “battery and other violence” after they allegedly broke into a dolphin aquarium, got into a brawl with security guards and demanded the mammals be set free in Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city Batumi, reports.

Batumi Dolphinarium’s Public Relations manager Berdia Kutubidze said the men forcefully reached the area only meant for staff and obstructed the working process earlier last night.

The men claimed the dolphins were “locked in prison” and they needed to be released.

Kutubidze told journalists the “offenders” also used tear gas against the security guards.

Head of the Georgian Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals, Temur Lachkepiani, said he and nine other animal rights defenders from different countries were protesting against the imprisonment of animals when they were “beaten by security guards”.

Lachkepiani also said one of the activists had pepper spray for “self-defence” purposes only.

He said the activists were from different countries including Georgia, Belarus, Turkey, Russia and Iran.

The Dolphinarium Administration said several visitors including minors, were frightened and “stressed” following the aggression from the “vandals”.

Georgia’s Interior Ministry said an investigation has been launched into the case.

The Azerbaijani side undertook a fresh infringement attempt in the eastern direction of the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan at 01:40, August 28.

The front troops of the NKR Defense Army averted the advancement of a 20-25-member group and forced the rival to retreat, incurring losses. No casualties are reported on the Armenian side.

The Azerbaijani side also violated the ceasefire regime 110 times overnight, firing 2,000 shots from weapons of different caliber, including 60, 82 and 120 mm mortars.

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

The Armenian forces keep control of the situation all along the line of contact.

“We look forward to bringing the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan together at the UN General Assembly in September,” US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick told APA.

He said the Minsk Group Co-Chairs are planning to visit the region in the fall, although no specific dates are set.

“We look forward to bringing the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan together at the UN General Assembly in September and exchange views on the way forward on a negotiated settlement.  We need a renewed commitment at the highest level to finding a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” said James Warlick.