Category: News

President Serzh Sargsyan today sent a letter of condolence to President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on an accident with a cruise ship which sank into the Yangtze River in China’s Hubei province. The accident left multiple people dead.

“On behalf of the Armenian people and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest sympathy to you and the friendly people of China.

Sharing your grief, I wish steadfastness and strength of spirit to the victims’ families and the Chinese people.

I am confident that the PRC government will try its best to save as much people as possible” reads the RA president’s condolence letter.

A Kurdish businessman, who has previously failed in bids to purchase Liverpool and Vicenza football clubs, is attempting to take control of a Spanish team for the next football season, reports.

Syrian Kurd Yahya Kurdi has declined to reveal the name of the club saying, “The negotiations continue and we have agreed not to reveal the name of the club until the deal is done.

“My lawyers are working on the legal process now, and if I fail to purchase the club completely, I hope to own a majority share.”

Kurdi looks to models of successful ownership in the English Premier League for inspiration. “Manchester City F.C is a good example and the owner of the club, Mansour bin Zayed, has been successful in developing his club; not only with good players, but also wise management to better the team.”

Explaining his failure to purchase Liverpool F.C, Kurdi said that the club owed over £300 million which caused the negotiations to break down.

Kurdi now lives in Canada. He is the son of a Kurdish Muslim father and an Armenian Christian mother, and played football in various Arab leagues.

 

 

 

The actions of the Islamic State in the north of Syria are a matter of serious concern for the world, expert of Arabic studies Sargis Grigoryan told a press conference today. He did not exclude the possibility of land operation by the coalition forces.

The ongoing dangerous developments raise concerns about the fate of Armenians in Syria. According to Hakob Avetikyan, editor-in-chief of “Azg” daily, May was the hardest month especially for the Aleppo Armenians. He said an estimated 7 thousand Armenians out of 35 thousand, still live in Aleppo.

“They have stayed for different reasons. Some live there because of their homes, shops, etc., which they fear will be robbed if they are out. Others have stayed because their children serve in the Syrian army,” said Avetikyan.

Despite the past ten days have been relatively peaceful, some consider it’s like “calm before the storm.” Hakob Avetikyan considers “it’s correct on the part of the Armenian authorities to be cautious.

According to Sargis Grigoryan, Armenia has a serious and far-reaching work to do with regard to Syrian Armenians. He considers it was the right time for the Armenian Foreign Minister to visit Syria and hold meetings there.

On Tuesday, June 2^nd, the Brazilian Senate voted to approve the motion recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The decision is posted on the Senate’s

Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ivica Dačić, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s support for the Brazilian Senate’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

“This was yet another important step in favor of the efforts of the international community targeted at the prevention of new genocides and crimes against humanity,” he added.

The resolution expresses its “solidarity with the Armenian people during the course of the centenary of the campaign of extermination of its population” and states that “the Senate recognizes the Armenian Genocide, whose centenary was marked on April 24, 2015.”

In addition, it denounces the “systematic denial, pressure and intimidation against those who try to reconstruct historical events.”

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is being investigated by US officials as part of their inquiry into corruption at the world football body, the BBC reports.

The news came hours after Mr Blatter, 79, announced that he was stepping down from his role.

US prosecutors launched a criminal inquiry last week, with seven FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland, part of a group of 14 people indicted.

Two days after the arrests, Mr Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA.

However, he said on Tuesday that it appeared the mandate he had been given “does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world”.

Mr Blatter said: “FIFA needs profound restructuring.” He said he would continue in post until an extraordinary congress is called to elect a new president.

No dates have been set, but it is expected to take place between December 2015 and March 2016.

“Azerbaijan has so far demonstrated a non-constructive and unrealistic approach towards the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a joint press conference with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić.

The comment comes after Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov declared yesterday that “Azerbaijan is ready for a breakthrough in the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict.

“Azerbaijan’s non-constructive approach was last demonstrated at the Riga Summit, which had brought together the leaders of 28 EU member states and the Eastern Partnership countries. All these countries, excluding Azerbaijan, agreed to a formulation on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict that was included in the Riga Declaration. It was a general statement about the support of all the countries to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the famous five statements made by the leaders of the co-chairing countries. Azerbaijan protested this position, thus demonstrating that there has been no change in its stance on the issue,” Minister Nalbandian said.

The Armenian Foreign Minister said progress is possible if Baku intends to cgange its position and adopt a more constructive policy.

On Monday morning, His Holiness Aram I, accompanied by Archbishop Oshagan and the other members of his delegation, went to meet the students and faculty of St. Stephen School. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Rev. Antanik Baljian, members of the School Board, Mrs Houri Boyamian, director of the school, and the faculty.

After thanking Catholicos Aram I for his visit, Mrs Boyamian described His Holiness as a spiritual leader, who also champions the Armenian cause and the struggle for human rights. During breakfast, the students presented Armenian songs and poetry, and they shared their impressions of their recent school trip to Armenia.

His Holiness thanked the board, the director, the faculty and the parents for their efforts and told the students to love the Armenian language and learn it well, because of its central role in building community.

Catholicos Aram I ended his visit by touring the school building, talking to the students, and discussing the content of the curriculum and its contribution to Armenian studies and Christian education with the school leadership.

The Armenian delegation headed by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan had a meeting with the President of the Czech Senate Milan Štěch.

Milan Štěch attached great importance to the visit of the Armenian Prime Minister to the Czech Republic and expressed confidence that it would contribute to the reinforcement of warm and friendly relations and promote the development of Armenian-Czech cooperation in different directions.

PM Hovik Abrahamyan said, in turn, that the visit was of great significance for the development of bilateral relations.

The interlocutors emphasized the need to intensify the economic ties, deepen the inter-parliamentary coopetaion and propmote cooperation on the international arena.

Reference was to regional issues, incluring the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and deepening of Armenia-EU relations.

ANCA Seeks $5 Million in Aid to NKR; Zero Military Aid to Azerbaijan as House Appropriations Subcommittee Casts Initial Vote on FY2016 Foreign Aid Bill

Armenian American foreign aid priorities will be among a broad range of US assistance issues addressed this week by members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations, as they start drafting their Fiscal Year 2016 (FY2016) bill, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

The Subcommittee’s consideration of the FY2016 foreign aid bill will be  on Wednesday, June 3rd at 10:30am EST.
As in the past, the specific text of the measure will not be made available until after the Subcommittee’s consideration. The ANCA will be sharing details on issues of concern to Armenian Americans as they become available.

In the run up to this Wednesday’s vote, the ANCA is urging friends of Armenia across America to reach out to their legislators by urging them to support these aid priorities:

1. At least $5 million in U.S. developmental aid to Nagorno Karabakh.

2. Zero-out U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan until it agrees with OSCE Minsk Group calls to pull back its snipers, ceases its aggression, renounces violence, and commits to a purely peaceful resolution of regional conflicts.

3. At least $40 million in U.S. economic assistance to Armenia.

4. A special focus on addressing the difficulties in providing humanitarian and resettlement aid to Armenian, Assyrian and other at-risk minorities in Syria, as well as targeted aid to help Armenia settle thousands fleeing from Syria.

5. At least 10% of U.S. assistance to Georgia to be used for job creation programs in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of that country.

6. Language strengthening Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan.

“Please join with us in asking Congress to send a strong message of support for Artsakh, by increasing direct aid to Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, zeroing-out military aid to Azerbaijan, prioritizing assistance to Javakhk, and supporting our at-risk communities in the Middle East,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “U.S. foreign aid policy represents a vital tool both for promoting regional peace and also for complementing U.S. efforts – such as the recently signed U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement or the long overdue new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty – to expand U.S.-Armenia economic cooperation.”

Earlier this year, the ANCA’s Kate Nahapetian testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee, outlining the Armenian American community’s foreign aid priorities.

In February, the Obama-Biden Administration released its FY2016 budget which calls for yet another reduction in U.S. economic assistance to both Armenia and Azerbaijan, while maintaining parity in appropriated military aid to these two countries.

The President’s proposal of $18,360,000 in Economic Support Funds for Armenia in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 would, if approved by Congress, represent a record low in such aid since Armenia’s independence. The White House’s proposal for Armenia is over $2 million less than FY 2014’s actual economic aid allocation, and less than half of the $40 million requested in a Congressional Armenian Caucus letter and ANCA Congressional testimony submitted last year.

Season 10 of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” is taking a midseason break. After a drama-filled season so far – including a special documentary on Bruce Jenner’s transition – the Kardashian-Jenner clan will be away until the fall. But a preview trailer gives a sneak peek on what to expect, according to the

Armenia Trip

Khloe and Kim Kardashian are joined by Kim’s husband Kanye West and their daughter North on a trip to Armenia. The sisters are descended from Armenian immigrants on their father’s side and have always wanted to visit their ancestral lands. They finally made the trip earlier this year. The warm welcome they received and their emotional homecoming will be shown when the season returns.

Caitlyn Jenner’s Debut

Bruce Jenner has undergone facial feminization surgery. In the trailer, Kim tells Khloe that she has seen their stepfather as his female self. Vanity Fair has just revealed that she is now to be called Caitlyn Jenner. “She’s really, really pretty,” says Kim. Khloe could be seen with her mouth open and completely speechless. It remains to be seen if Caitlyn will now take the place of Bruce in the reality show.

Growing Up Jenner

In the trailer, Khloe and youngest sister Kylie are discussing birth control pills. When their mom Kris walks in, she inquires about what they are doing. Khloe explains that they are switching up Kylie’s birth control. Kris asks if Kylie is taking the pills for her skin and Khloe simply asks if Kris thinks that Kylie is knitting sweaters all day. Kris looks at the girls and is clearly lost for words.

Khloe And Lamar

Kim catches Khloe flirting on the phone and asks her if she’s talking to Lamar Odom. Khloe filed for divorce from Lamar in December 2013 but they still haven’t finalized the documents. Khloe admits that it’s her ex-husband on the phone and Kim asks if she’s calling off her divorce. Kim says that she can’t take it and Khloe simply says, “Good, you don’t have to.” It remains unclear what she means by that and if she is actually trying to get back together with her ex.

Kim Kardashian’s Pregnancy

The first half of the season dealt with Kim’s struggle with infertility. She has been going through various treatments just to get pregnant. Earlier in the season she revealed how exhausted she is from trying to get pregnant. She even had a minor surgery to correct a small problem with her uterus. At the end of the trailer, Kim is shown talking to her sister Khloe. “I just got the blood test back and I am pregnant,” she says. Khloe is ecstatic. The next half of the season is set to reveal more about Kim’s second pregnancy and all the other changes in the family’s life.

Season 10 of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” is set to return this fall only on E!. The new spin-off series “DASH Dolls” is also set to air this fall.