Category: News

Russian military radio-electronic warfare specialists will conduct radio countermeasures against a simulated enemy during drills in Armenian mountains, the press-office of Russia’s Southern Military District reported Tuesday, Sputnik reports.

“The training of new specialists in radio-electronic warfare started at the Russian military base of the Southern Military District in the Republic of Armenia. During the drills, new recruits will exercise countermeasures against radio networks of a simulated enemy,” the report read.

During the three day exercise, participants will undergo a special course on Russian advanced military equipment, its capabilities and operating procedures in extreme conditions in the high mountain region, at an elevation of more than 2,000 meters above the sea level.

Servicemen will also conduct practical tasks, including deployment of radio jamming stations and analysis of gathered information. Finally, they will practice radio countermeasures to disrupt simulated enemy’s communication networks.

“During the drills, servicemen will search for over 2,000 cellular and satellite signals within a radius of 30 kilometers. They will have to locate and jam them with automatic jamming stations,” the district said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for enhanced economic and political relations between Iran and Armenia, saying that stronger bilateral ties would benefit both nations, according to the President’s official website.

Borussia Dortmund picked up another vital three points in their quest for European football next season with a 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

However, with Marco Reus out injured, the responsibility to guide Jurgen Klopp’s side through another tricky tie fell upon the shoulders of Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan. And he didn’t disappoint, the writes.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang misfiring of sorts at the moment, with just two goals in his last six Bundesliga games, as well as an out of form Shinji Kagawa and Kevin Kampl, it was Mkhitaryan who stood up and stood out in this rather temped front line.

Playing on the right side of the front three, the attacking midfielder was the go-to player for all things attacking for Klopp’s team on the day. Sure, Kagawa can make a pass and Kampl has heart, but it was Mkhitaryan who was constantly skipping past players and always in the right place at the right time.

This was best illustrated in the manner of Mkhitaryan’s passing which was seen across the pitch as he drifted from right to left and through the middle of the pitch. A number of his passes were directed straight at goal, with a number of short, completed passes on the edge of the Hertha box.

According to the author, “with Mkhitaryan in the team we see a little bit of creativity that certainly goes a long way.”

Another aspect of that vital creativity is in the way Mkhitaryan dribbles past players with such ease when he is at the top of his game. Unlike Kampl, Kevin Grosskreutz and Jakub Blaszczykowski, Mkhitaryan has lately shown exactly what he’s capable of in shaking things up in attack and offering something that Dortmund simply wouldn’t have without him.

A welcome sign for a player who Dortmund spent so much money on and entrusted so much hope in bringing them success. This season may well be something of a write-off for the whole squad, but with form like this Mkhitaryan may well be looking towards a very big campaign later this year.

Former Turkish President Kenan Evren died on Saturday at the age of 97, the BBC reports.

On 12 September 1980 General Evren launched a coup that overthrew the government. He went on to serve as president until 1989.

He was put on trial in his nineties and was handed a life sentence for the coup in 2014.

Some 600,000 people were detained and 50 executed by hanging in the coup. All political parties were banned, with left-wing activists heavily targeted.

The former president died at a hospital in Ankara.

He had been in ill health since 2012 and was unable to appear in court when convicted.

President Francois Hollande has become the first French leader to visit Cuba in more than a century, the BBC reports.

He is also the first Western leader to visit the Communist island since a diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the US was announced in December.

Mr Hollande is due to meet his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, later on Monday.

The French leader is travelling with a delegation of ministers and business executives.

is ranked 89th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report released by the World Economic Forum. Spain tops league of most tourist-friendly countries, followed by France and Germany.

Other countries in the region are placed as follows: Russia – 45^th, Turkey – 44^th, Azerbaijan – 84^th, Georgia – 71^st, Iran – 97^th.

The theme of year’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report is “Growing through Shocks.” The Report analyzes the performance of 141 economies through the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) and explores how the T&T sector has responded to economic, security and health shocks over recent decades. Understanding the nature and extent of the sector’s resilience to shocks is important, as a strong T&T sector is critical for job creation, economic growth and development in advanced and developing economies alike.

Published every two years, the Report provides a strategic tool for both business and governments: it allows for cross-country comparison of the drivers of T&T competitiveness, for benchmarking countries’ policy progress and for making investment decisions related to business and industry development. It also offers an opportunity for the T&T industry to highlight to national policymakers the challenges to T&T competitiveness that require policy attention, and to generate multi-stakeholder dialogue on formulating appropriate policies and action.

Forces loyal to Libya’s internationally recognized government said on Monday they shelled a Turkish ship off the Libyan coast after it was warned not to approach, and one crew member was killed in what Turkey described as a “contemptible attack,” Reuters reports.

Libya is in a state of violent factional chaos with two rival governments backed by various armed groups vying for control of the oil-producing North African state including its ports, four years after rebels overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.

The dry cargo ship was targeted about 10 miles from the coast on Sunday after it was told not to break a ban on approaching the eastern city of Derna, Libyan military spokesman Mohamed Hejazi told Reuters.

The forces of Libya’s internationally recognized government have said they will hit any ships approaching Derna to stop supplies getting to Islamist militants based there.

The Turkish foreign ministry said the vessel was shelled as it approached the nearby Mediterranean port of Tobruk and then attacked from the air as it tried to leave the area.

The third officer on the Cook Islands-chartered Tuna-1 vessel died and other crew members were wounded in the attacks, according to the Turkish statement.

Lark Musical Society  continues its 100 commemorative events for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In April, UCLA and Lark premiered Ian Krouse’s Armenian Requiem at UCLA’s Royce Hall. It was a sold out, giant event. Just when you thought it doesn’t get bigger than that.

Lark Musical Society will now stage Anoush, the opera based on Hovhannes Tumanyan’s immortal ballad and set to beautiful music by Armen Tigranian. Led by Hasmik Papian and Shoushanik Barsoumian, the opera will be staged at the Ambassador Auditorium In Pasadena, California on May 23.

This opera is rightfully known as “the Armenian Romeo & Juliet”. It’s a tale of Armenian lovers caught up in the tumult of human impulses and social mores.  Anoush falls in love with her brother’s friend Saro, a shepherd. Mossi and Saro are at a wedding celebration and they are encouraged to have a friendly wrestle together. Mossi becomes enraged when Saro tries to impress Anoush by pinning Mossi during the match – violating the local code of honor and humiliating his friend. Mossi’s boundless rage ends when he shoots Saro. The heartbroken Anoush cannot live without her love, Saro. Her pain ends when she throws herself into the rivers which flow from the mountains where she met Saro.

On this commemorative centennial year, Lark brings Anoush Opera to help fuel the Armenians’ unbroken spirit to live, thrive, and create through the arts in Los Angeles.

On May 11 Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received Political Directors of the Foreign Ministries of Poland and Sweden Jarosław Bratkiewic and Torbjörn Sohlström, who have arrived in Armenia for political consultations ahead of the Riga Summit.

During the meeting the parties exchanged views on Armenia-EU relations, and the work towards working out new legal bases for them.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the preparation of the summit.

Minister Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s approach to develop and deepen the cooperation with the EU in different directions, taking into consideration Armenia’s commitments in other integration frameworks.

Reference was made to a number of regional issues and the ways of their resolution.

Minister Nalbandian briefed the European diplomats on the events dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide taking place in different countries of the world.

Armenia and Azerbaijan will discuss the Karabakh conflict on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga May 21-22, RIA Novosti reports, quoting an EU representative.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said either the Foreign Ministers, or the Presidents of the two countries will meet in Riga.

He reminded that negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh are taking place within the framework of the Minsk Group co-chaired by an EU member France, as well as Russia and the United States. “This in one of the few processes the EU does not participate in,” he said.

The official noted that the format of the conflict settlement does not change. “We are absolutely confident our Russia, American and French colleagues are doing their best. But, unfortunately, this is a very complex issue,” the source said.