The Azerbaijani side used firearms of different calibers as it violated the ceasefire at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces 45 times last night.
The rival fired about 490 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions. It also used a grenade launcher in the northern direction of the frontline.
The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep full control of the situation at the line of contact and confidently continue with the reliable protection of the military positions.
By Harut Sassounian
The California Courier
Last November, Americans elected the unlikeliest presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump. He is not your typical politician. As a successful and prominent businessman, he is used to making off- the- cuff remarks and not subscribing to any particular direction. Given the controversial nature of the Trump Presidency, domestic and international relations may drastically change. President Trump has already revised his position on some major campaign promises: expelling illegal aliens, building a wall between Mexico and the United States, and not allowing immigrants from Islamic countries to visit the United States. President Trump has also altered his position regarding serious, international issues. President Trump may not be sure himself what positions he would take on a variety of foreign policy issues.
Here is a short list of major international decisions President Trump will have to make.
There is no guarantee that President Trump’s ideas will improve the previously negotiated agreements or if they be accepted by the rest of the world. Consequentially, there is a lot of uncertainty where the new world order is headed, and whether relations between various countries will improve. The entire world hopes that countries will get along better with each other and peaceful solutions will be found. Positive relations between Russia and the US will help recent challenges faced by the Armenian Republic.
Photo: AFP
The Iraqi army says it has recaptured all of eastern Mosul from the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, the BBC reports.
Counter-terror chief Talib Shaghati told reporters the army had taken control of the eastern bank of the Tigris river, which divides the city.
Government forces have made swift advances through eastern Mosul since launching their latest offensive there last month.
Some IS fighters are reportedly still holed up in north-eastern districts.
Mosul is Iraq’s second-largest city and the last urban stronghold IS has in the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Bartalla, a town east of Mosul, Mr Shaghati announced the “liberation” of the city’s east.
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.
Three strong earthquakes have been felt in central Italy, with people in Rome saying they experienced the tremors, local media say, Sky News reports.
The first quake measured a magnitude of 5.4 and was 60 miles north of Rome, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.
Two more of similar magnitude struck 50 minutes later around the same region and was felt in Rome, local media has reported.
The Metro in Rome has been evacuated, following the second quake after people reported feeling tremors there.
The quakes are the latest to hit the region after 300 people died in August when the town of Amatrice was flattened.
Two further quakes rattled the region in October, with the most powerful measuring 6.5 magnitude.
The latest follows 36 hours of continuous snowfall in areas close to Amatrice and another badly-hit mountain town, Norcia.
There were several important messages in Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s comments on Nagorno Karabakh, Spokesman for the NKR President David Babayan says.
“The most important is that Russia and other Minsk Group countries exclude the use of force and stress there is no alternative to a peaceful settlement,” David Babayan told Public Radio of Armenia.
Besides, David Babayn said, “we should remember that all issues will be settled only after the status of Nagorno Karabakh is determined.”
“Lavrov made it clear that the Karabakh issue is not an internal affair of Azerbaijan and its settlement does not depend on Baku’s will.”
As for the Russian Foreign Minister’s regret for the lack of consensus on the implementation of an investigation mechanism, Babayan said “Azerbaijan foil s any step in that direction, despite the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg.”
Speaking about Lavrov’s reference to the four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and the demand to “liberate the occupied territories,” the Spokesman said: “We have not occupied any territories. We have been forced to liberate some territories to form a buffer zone.”
“There cannot be a return to the borders of 1988 and 1991, because we’ll not be able to ensure our security having Azerbaijan as a neighbor,” David Babayan said.
The delegation headed by Lieutenant General Movses Hakobyan, Chief of the General Staff of RA Armed Forces, participated in the 176th Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense Session at NATO Headquarters on January 17.
Two sittings in the format of states involved in the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and the Interoperability Platform initiative were held within the framework of the session.
The first sitting was dedicated to the exchange of opinions on commitments of coalition countries.
Issues related to the development of operational compatibility between the armed forces of NATO member and partner countries were discussed at the second sitting.
On the sidelines of the session Lieutenant General Movses Hakobyan had a meeting with General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States. Issues related to the priorities of Armenian-American defense cooperation were discussed. Reference was made to the perspectives of their development, especially within the framework of international peacekeeping efforts.
The Orthodox Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, Nourhan Manougian, arrived Wednesday at Manager Square in Bethlehem, marking the start of Armenian Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany, reports.
Manougian’s procession started from the Armenian Patriarchate, located within the Monastery of St. James in the Old City of Jerusalem, and made its way to Manger Square via Jaffa Gate. It stopped at Mar Elias Monastery on the way to Bethlehem where he was greeted by the mayors of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour before proceeding to Bethlehem via a metal gate in the wall that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem.
Israel opens the gate for the Christmas processions to allow them quick access to Bethlehem, surrounded by a wall and Israeli settlements.
After reaching Bethlehem, Manougian was greeted by Bethlehem Governor Jebrin al-Bakri, Bethlehem Mayor Vera Baboun.
The Patriarch was also greeted upon his arrival by the Armenian community notables before making a solemn entry into the Basilica of the Nativity and St. Catherine’s Church.
President Mahmoud Abbas has already arrived in Bethlehem and is anticipated to attend the midnight mass.
Orthodox Armenian Christians in Palestine celebrate Christmas nearly two weeks after the majority of the Greek Orthodox Church and other Eastern Orthodox denominations, who marked the feast on January 7, and more than three weeks after Roman Catholic Christians, who celebrated it on December 25.
The differences in dates of Christmas feast are due to the use of different calendars. Roman Catholic Christians and other western denominations mark the feast using the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christians and most Armenian denominations celebrate the feast using the Julian calendar, while the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem marks Christmas and Epiphany together on January 19.
“We are always concerned with the issue of press freedom. That is something that we speak to almost every day,” Spokesperson for the US Department of State John Kirby told a daily briefing, when asked to comment on Azerbaijan’s demands to extradite Israeli-Russian blogger Alexander Lapshin.
“First, I’d say this is really something for the relevant countries to speak to, especially when you’re talking about extradition requests. That’s really for them to speak to. Obviously, press freedom is important to us, and we talk about it all the time. I don’t have any specific information with respect to this case, but I’d refer you to the relevant countries to speak to that,” the Spokesperson said.
“We are always concerned with the issue of press freedom. That is something that we speak to almost every day, sadly. We have to speak to it every day. So certainly, our concern over the freedom of journalists to do their jobs remains very robust, but I don’t have any specific information on this case,” Kirby said.
The Government of Belarus has arrested Israeli-Russian blogger Alexander Lapshin based on request from Azerbaijan. The Government of Azerbaijan accuses him of visiting Nagorno-Karabakh and also some public statements that were not favorable for the Azerbaijani Government – particularly, as they phrased it, because there were public calls against the state by Lapshin. Now the Government of Azerbaijan also demands the extradition of Lapshin.
Israeli Government resisted this. Russia’s Foreign Minister in his public statement. And the Committee to Protect Journalists from New York also called for unconditional release of the blogger.