On 19 January NKR President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree on putting the new Artsakh Republic Constitution project on a referendum, NKR President’s Press Office reports.
According to the decree, based on the consent given by the NKR National Assembly to the NKR President’s initiative for putting the draft Constitution on a referendum, the referendum has been scheduled for February 20, 2017.
The Parliament of Denmark is holding a debate on the Armenian Genocide. The issue has been brought to the agenda by Nick Hækkerup (S) , Søren Espersen (DF) , Michael Aastrup Jensen (V) , Henrik Dahl (LA) , Martin Lidegaard (RV) and Naser Khader (KF).
Addressing the Parliament, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen has said he opposes the bill and urged to leave the issue to historians, President of the National Press Club Narine Mkrtchyan reports from Copenhagen.
The Parliament is proposed to adopt the following text:
“The Parliament confirms its decision no. V 54 of 19 May 2015 on the tragic and bloody events that took place in eastern Anatolia in the period 1915-1923. The Danish Parliament finds that the best path to reconciliation will be an open dialogue about the story on the basis of a free and uncensored history research, including the release of all official documents from the period. The Parliament regrets that Turkish law prohibits citizens and media to use the term “genocide” about the events, and considers this to be an unreasonable restriction of both academic freedom as freedom of expression relates to the use of this term. Parliament maintains its parliamentary tradition not to issue judgments about historical events.”
Manchester United generated the most revenue of any football club in the world last season, according to a report published by Deloitte, the BBC reports.
United dethrone Real Madrid – who held top spot for 11 years – after accumulating a record revenue of 689m euros (£515m) during the 2015-16 term.
The Premier League club saw commercial revenue grow by 100m euros (£71m).
Combined revenue for the top 20 clubs during the 2015-16 season grew 12% to 7.4bn euros (£6.41bn) – a new record.
It is the first time Manchester United have topped the annual Deloitte Football Money League since the 2003-04 season.
Real drop down to third, behind Spanish rivals Barcelona, who remain in second spot.
German giants Bayern Munich move up a position to fourth and Manchester City also climb a spot to fifth – having generated 524.9 euros (£392.6m) – up from 463.5 euros (£352.6m) during the previous season.
Deloitte Money League Table 2015-16 season – the top 10
1 Manchester United
2 Barcelona
3 Real Madrid
4 Bayern Munich
5 Manchester City
6 Paris St-Germain
7 Arsenal
8 Chelsea
9 Liverpool
10 Juventus
Photos: Tasnim News Agency/Reuters
AP – A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring some 75 people, state media reported.
The disaster struck the Plasco building, an iconic structure in central Tehran just north of the capital’s sprawling bazaar.
Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse. Police tried to keep out shopkeepers and others wanting to rush back in to collect their valuables.
The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene. A side of the building came down first, tumbling perilously close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.
A thick plume of brown smoke rose over the site after the collapse. Onlookers wailed in grief.
Jalal Maleki, a fire department spokesman, earlier told Iranian state television that 10 firehouses responded to the blaze, which was first reported around 8 a.m.
The Iranian military sent units to help with the disaster, state television reported.
The Plasco building was an iconic presence on the Tehran skyline.
The 17-story tower was built in the early 1960s by Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian and named after his plastics manufacturing company. It was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.
Elghanian was tried on charges that included espionage and executed in the months after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current ruling system to power – a move that prompted many members of the country’s longstanding Jewish community to flee.
The tower is attached to a multistory shopping mall featuring a sky-lit atrium and a series of turquoise-colored fountains. It wasn’t immediately clear if the mall was damaged.
Today (Jan. 19, 2017) marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Dink was shot dead by a young Turkish ultranationalist outside the office of the Agos newspaper, where he was editor-in-chief.
Ten years have passed and the investigation into the killing drags slowly on, but Dink’s shining legacy remains undimmed despite seismic shocks in Turkey in the years since.
Born in the Anatolian city of Malatya – which once had a large Armenian population but now almost none – Dink moved to Istanbul and in 1996 sprung to prominence by founding Agos. Agos was not the first or only Armenian newspaper in Turkey but it was the first to be published in Turkish as well as Armenian, allowing a debate of issues that had long remained taboo.
Dink’s death became a symbol of the peril of such moves. The photograph of his corpse covered by a sheet, with just the soles of his shoes complete with a hole showing, underlined the tragedy. And although his assassin, just 17 at the time, was rapidly arrested and sentenced, the trial into the killing still grinds on with Dink’s supporters losing confidence on its ability to shed light on the plot.
Dink’s assassin, Ogun Samast, is still behind bars but the trial into dozens of police accused of covering up the plot rumbles on.
According to preliminary results, there are no Armenians among the victims of the building collapse in Tehran, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Twitter post.
A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring some 75 people.
Armenia’s Ambassador to the US Grigor Hovhannisyan will attend Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on January 20.
“Armenia is usually represented by Ambassadors at the inauguration ceremonies of UIS Presidents,” Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters today.
Asked about the expectations connected with the Karabakh issue and Armenian Genocide recognition after Trump takes office, Shavarsh Kocharyan said: “The US is an established country with all its institutions.”
“Of course, much depends on the President, but it’s hard to expect radical changes,” he said, adding that “there will certainly be certain corrections, particularly in the foreign policy field.
Armenia and the United Arab Emirates will eliminate the visa regime. The Armenian government approved the proposal to sign an agreement on the elimination of visa requirements for citizens of the two countries at a sitting today.
The signing of the document corresponds to Armenia’s foreign policy and international commitments, the government said.
A Nigerian military jet has mistakenly bombed a camp for displaced people in the north-east, killing at least 52 people and injuring many more, the BBC reprts.
Aid workers are among the dead in Rann, with the Red Cross saying six of its employees were killed.
The MSF aid agency said that over 200 people had been injured and appealed for help with medical evacuations.
President Muhammadu Buhari, whose army is fighting Boko Haram militants, expressed dismay and urged calm.
The attack took place near the border with Cameroon, where the military is engaged in what it calls its final push against Boko Haram.
It is thought to be the first time Nigeria’s military has admitted to making such a mistake.
Aurora Humanitarian Initiative’s 2016 Opinion Audit is concluded and results reveal the degree to which a global audience is aware of Armenia, Armenians and the Aurora Prize.
The research, conducted by London-based New Place Consultancy with consultations by Brussels-based TNS Opinion, Kantar Group, shows that attitude towards the Aurora Prize is overwhelmingly favorable among those who have heard of it. Among reasons cited for the favorable attitude is that the prize recognizes people whose work wouldn’t be recognized otherwise, and, in the process, it promotes a positive image of Armenians.
The Opinion Audit explores global awareness and knowledge of Armenia and Armenians, as well. Responses show that the general public mostly knows about Armenian communities, Armenian food and history.
The survey also tracks similar metrics – knowledge, awareness, familiarity, engagement — within the global Armenian Diaspora. Responses show that there are certain similarities between how Armenians see themselves and how the general public perceives Armenians. The most frequently mentioned positive attributes are “proud, friendly and respectful.”
Interestingly, while almost a third of respondents think Armenian communities are important in their countries – whether at the national or local level – most respondents find that Armenian communities play little role in the life of their country. Rather, Armenian communities are seen to have the biggest impact in the intellectual, cultural, social and economic spheres. Kim Kardashian and Cher top the list of most recognized celebrities, and celebrities who are most recognized as Armenians, both among the general public and among Armenian respondents.
Questions about the Republic of Armenia generated a fair amount of interest in Armenia as a country and as a travel destination. However, among the general public, that interest does not translate into interest in the country as a place to do business. Armenians, on the other hand, are quite eager to learn more about Armenia as a place to do business. One in seven general public respondents, and one in two Armenians say they are likely to visit Armenia in the future.
The survey was carried out in two waves in March, 2016 and June-July, 2016, in 10 countries — the US, Canada, Australia, France, Argentina, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Germany and Russia.
This animated infographic highlights a few of the main findings.