Category: News

Armenian Ambassador Arshak Poladyan had a meeting with the Chairman of Syria’s People’s Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Laham.

The Ambassador hailed Mr. Jihad al-Laham’s participation in the events in Yerevan marking the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and handed him a letter of gratitude from Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

The Ambassador added that Armenia values the efforts of the Chairman of the Syrian People’s Assembly towards the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

During the meeting Amb. Poladyan and Jihad al-Laham discussed issues on bilateral cooperation agenda and referred to regional questions.

A bomb fell from an Iraqi Sukhoi warplane and exploded in eastern Baghdad Monday because of a “technical problem,” killing at least seven people, security and medical officials said, Agence Prance-Presse reports.

“One of the bombs became stuck because of a technical problem, and during its (the aircraft’s) return to base it fell on three houses in Baghdad Jadida,” security spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said in a statement.

The jet was coming back from a bombing run when the accident occurred, Maan said.

Officials said that the blast, which occurred near the Rasheed air base, also wounded at least 11 people.

The Police today restored the traffic on Baghramyan Avenue, which had been a site for round-the-clock protests against electricity price hike for almost two weeks.

The Police earlier removed the barricades after the protesters refused to do it themselves at about 12:30.

A number of people were detained, but the Police say they will be released within three hours.

The protests were sparked by the decision of the regulatory body to increase the price of electricity from August 1, 2015.

Princess Charlotte has been christened at a church in Sandringham after the Cambridges made their first public outing as a family of four, the BBC reports.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pushed the princess in a pram the Queen used for two of her own children.

Several thousand well wishers greeted the royals, while Prince George delighted the crowds on foot.

The royal couple announced ahead of the christening that they had chosen five godparents for the princess.

The christening was held at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, and attended by guests including the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

Other attendees included Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Catherine’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton and her two siblings, Pippa and James.

The baptism, conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Justin Welby, was held in private.

Two bomb attacks on the central Nigerian city of Jos have left at least 44 people dead, the authorities say, the BBC reports.

A restaurant and a mosque were targeted on Sunday night.

No-one has claimed responsibility but militant group Boko Haram has attacked Jos before, even though it is not in north-east Nigeria where the Islamists normally operate.

The blasts are the latest in the series of deadly attacks in recent days which have seen more than 200 people killed.

From the 44 dead, 23 were killed at the restaurant and 21 at the mosque, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) says.

There are also 47 people being treated for injuries, but emergency officials are still gathering information, so the figures may rise.

Legal troubles appear to be catching up with Egypt’s most celebrated belly dancer, Safinaz, after a local court upheld a six- month prison term against her on charges of insulting the national flag during a performance, reports.

The Cairo Appeals Misdemeanour Court arrived at its decision on Saturday during a session in which Safinaz was conspicuous by her absence.

Safinaz’s lawyer said she was unable to appear before the court since she was abroad and added that he would appeal afresh against the verdict.

Authorities have placed Safinaz, an Armenian citizen, on a watchlist and plan to arrest her on her arrival in the country, security sources said.

In May, a lower court sentenced Safinaz to six months in jail and imposed a fine of 15,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh7,500). The court also asked her to pay up an extra 10,000 pounds to secure bail.

The 30-year-old dancer has repeatedly said she had meant no offence when she performed wearing a costume fashioned after the Egyptian flag.

The case is related to Safinaz’ performance at a concert at a resort outside Cairo in July 2014.

In TV interviews, Safinaz, who is married to an Egyptian, accused unnamed rivals of seeking to damage her reputation.

“It was a message of love to Egypt and its people,” she said in one interview, referring to her controversial outfit printed with the red, white and black colours of the Egyptian flag.

Last year, Egyptian authorities issued a law that makes showing disrespect to the national flag or the national anthem an offence punishable by up to a year in prison and a maximum fine of 30,000 pounds.

Safinaz has become a dancing sensation in Egypt in recent years.

With a surge in Islamist political spin in Egypt in recent years, most Egyptian belly dancers quit the profession, bringing in a stream of foreigners.

In September last year, a private Egyptian TV station cancelled a belly-dance talent hunt contest after the country’s top Islamic body condemned the show as a “corruption of morals”.

The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO has added cultural sites in Diyarbakir Turkey to its World Heritage List, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The Diyarbakir Fortress and the city’s Hevsel Gardens were inaugurated into the list during the 39th session of the Committee, held in the German city of Bonn late on July 4.

The site was chosen by a unanimous vote of 20 delegates after a Diyarbakir presentation of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

“All of the 20 members took the floor in favor of Diyarbakırand stressed that both the conservation plan and the heritage are vital for the humanity, so Diyarbakir was approved for the list with assent and applause,” Prof. Öcal Oğuz, president of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO, told Anadolu Agency.

On 26 June 2015 the Executive Committee of the AGBU London Chapter organised an evening, “Living Memory” at the Chelsea Old Town Hall  dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide and  the rebirth of the Armenian nation.

The first part of the event (4-7 P.M.) was an impressive exhibition, “The memory is still alive”, dedicated to the works of the young painter Nairi Afrikian. The visitors watched the exhibits of this very talented artist with great interest and admiration. Some of the works were a combination of painting and sculpture, manifesting a style which uniquely belongs to Nairi Afrikian. It should be noted that the exhibition was dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide.

The second part of the evening was opened by Assadour Guzelian, who welcomed the honorary guests attending the function, such as Baroness Caroline Cox, Ex-Mayor of Chelsea Councillor Condon Semmondz, Honorary Alderman Mushtaq Lasharie and Counsellor of the Armenian Embassy Tigran Galstyan, as well as the audience. After making a short reference to the Armenian Genocide, Guzelian read the following passage from Winston Churchill’s book, “The Aftermath” regarding the extermination of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish Government during WWI. “There is no reasonable doubt that this crime was planned and executed for political reasons. The opportunity presented itself to clearing Turkish soil of a Christian race.” Guzelian then read the letter he received from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in response to his Open Letter written in February to P. M. Cameron, President Obama and President Netanyahu about recognising the Armenian Genocide. The letter confirmed that the British Government had not altered its position. Guzelian pointed out that “powerful governments like USA and Great Britain can bury JUSTICE, but they should always remember that TRUTH has never had a grave in history. One cannot bury the truth.”

The founder-director of the Komitas Institute Ara Sarafian, a historian specialising in late Ottoman and modern Armenian history, delivered a lecture entitled “Let us remember the Armenians living in Turkey today”.  He referred to his meetings with the Turkish and Kurdish intellectuals, representatives of various organisations, public figures, ordinary citizens and peasants in different provinces of Turkey, illustrating his talk with maps and pictures. In his very interesting lecture Sarafian pointed out that compared to the undemocratic and dictatorial regime of two decades ago, the situation has improved considerably in present day Turkey. Many issues, which were considered taboo and could not be publically referred to then, including the Armenian Genocide, can now be openly discussed, and as a result many hidden Islamised Armenians are returning to their roots. Sarafian emphasised that for the pursuit and peaceful solution of the Armenian question, we must ensure the cooperation of Turkish and Kurdish intellectuals, public figures and organisations. A reputed specialist in his subject, Ara Sarafian’s lecture had a great impact on the audience.

One of the greatest friends of Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian people, Baroness Caroline Cox delivered an excellent speech full of emotion, entitled “The spirit of Armenia: Beauty from the ashes of destruction”. After a short reference to the Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration event on April 24 at the Tsitsernagapert in Armenia, Baroness Cox spoke about the atrocities perpetrated by Azerbaijan on Armenians of Artsakh during the war. She condemned barbaric crimes committed by Azerbaijan and praised the Armenians of Artsakh for their Christian spirit and patriotism. She narrated many moving stories related to her 82 humanitarian visits to Armenia and Artsakh.

According to Baroness Cox, during the Azerbaijan-Artsakh war, the Azeris launched 400 Grad rockets every day on Stepanagerd. Hundreds of missiles and rockets were launched, amongst other sites on historic Gantsassar Church. Only one bomb fell on the church, but did not explode!  Baroness Cox attributed this to Divine intervention. She spoke from her heart and that is why her moving stories made some members of the audience cry! Baroness Cox ended her speech by reading the English translation of a poem written by Gegham, a ten year old Armenian boy from Artsakh.

Dear compatriots,

The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia was adopted twenty years ago, on 5 July 1995. The Supreme Law is the pillar of each country’s statehood-building, the bright symbol of statehood formation, and the guiding landmark for social development.

The adoption of the Constitution in the newest stage of our history brilliantly epitomized Armenians’ ages-old dream to establish an independent state, became the testimony of our legal equality in the international family of states, and the key guarantee for the establishment of a sovereign, democratic, social state governed by the rule of law.

The constitution of 1995 played a fundamental role in the establishment of democracy in Armenia, the strengthening of foundations for a law-governed state, enshrining constitutional guarantees for protection of human rights and in the gradual improvement of state institutions.

At the same time, the progress in public life requires adequate constitutional developments. They ought to take us to a destination when it will be possible to finally state that democracy stands firm on the ground, human rights are reliably protected and an effective system of government has taken root.

Life has demonstrated that constitutional developments are an objective necessity. It was true in 2005, and it is true today.

Nevertheless, the irrefutable fact is that it is man who must be at the core of constructional relations, with his unbreakable dignity, inalienable and immediate rights and freedoms.

Dear compatriots,

I cordially congratulate us all on the occasion of Constitution Day. I am confident that regardless of difficulties we may face on our future path, we will achieve the desired results through national coherence, tolerance, a deep understanding of our place and role in history and through our responsibility towards the nation, people and generations, and that our new generation of independence will become the crucial bedrock developing our country through the establishment of constitutionalism.

The visit took place on June 30, Ilaha Huseynova, head of Communication Department of the ICRC Baku Office told APA.

The Armenian was delivered a message from his family and his family will be informed about his conditions.

Azerbaijan’s court sentenced Arsen Bagdasaryan to 15-year imprisonment.