Henrikh Mkhitaryan has claimed the Carling Goal of the Month for December, according to the Premier League’s official website.
The Manchester United midfielder’s acrobatic scorpion kick helped his side earn a 3-1 victory over Sunderland on Boxing Day.
It was chosen as the best from a shortlist of eight goals from the combined votes of a panel of experts and the public, who picked their favourite via the Carling Tap and website.
President Barack Obama has awarded an emotional and surprised Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honour, the BBC reports.
Mr Obama praised his vice-president for his “faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country and your lifetime of service”.
The award comes as both men prepare to leave office when Donald Trump is inaugurated on 20 January.
Mr Biden has said he plans to stay active in Democratic Party politics.
The medal was awarded with distinction, according to the New York Times.
That additional honour has been reserved in recent administrations for just a handful of recipients, including Pope John Paul II.
Mr Obama joked that the internet would have one last chance to mock the pair’s “bromance”.
The Armenian airports report 10.4 percent growth in passenger flow in 2016.
The passenger flow reached 2,105,540 people in January-December 2016, which means a 12% growth as compared to 2015.
According to the data of the General Department of Civil Aviation, 1,057,387 passengers left Armenia in due period, while 1,057,387 arrived in the country.
Zvartnots International Airport reported 90.4 percent growths in the cargo shipments last year. Besides, 2.8 percent growth was registered in the number of flights and landings.
“Shirak” Airport in Armenia’s second city of Gyumri was reopened after a break of eight months. The passenger flow here reached 12,421, the cargo shipment exceeded 4.2 tones.
Turkey is preparing to turn a new page in its history by fulfilling Erdogan’s long-time dream of establishing a presidential system in the country. Expert of Turkish studies Mushegh Khudaverdyan says “Turkey is thus making a step backward.”
“Turkey is returning to the model of governance of the Ottoman Sultans,” Khudaverdyan told a press conference today.
Speaking about the possible influence of the constitutional changes on the Armenian community, editor-in-chief of the Marmara daily Rober Hatechian “the changes fall in the orbit of the conflict between the authorities and the opposition.” “They are not related torelated to national minorities,” Hatechian told Public Radio of Armenia.
Commenting on the rumors on Turkey’s plans to build a wall at the Armenian border, Khudaverdyan said “the information is being checked.”
“Turkey is situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and suffers from threats of contraband and terrorist attacks. The intention to build a wall may well fit into this logic. The intention could also be a continuation of the plans to build a wall at the border with Iran rather than a step targeted against the Republic of Armenia,” the expert said.
Mushegh Khudaverdyan added, however, that he does not see perspectives of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations in the foreseeable future.
Gazprom Export and Georgia have reached an agreement on the terms of Russian gas transit to Armenia through Georgia. In particular the parties agreed on shifting to currency transactions when paying for gas transit services, Gazprom said in a statement today.
In accordance with the reached agreement, the Russian side guarantees paying for services of transiting Russian gas through the Georgian territory to Armenia in 2017-2018 in the volume of 2.0 — 2.2 billion cubic meters per year as well as supplying Georgia with natural gas on flexible terms at the price which is by $30 per 1000 cubic meters lower than in 2016.
“As a result of series of meetings and longstanding negotiations, together with our Georgian partners we have managed to find commercial conditions which are optimal for both sides, and to reach an agreement on the terms of gas transit,”Director General of Gazprom Export LLC Elena Burmistrova said.
Gas transit from Russia to Armenia is carried out via the territory of Georgia. Earlier the services of transiting gas via the territory of Georgia were paid in kind, by physical supplies equivalent to 10% of natural gas transported through Georgia to Georgian consumers
In the global gas trade the practice of paying for transit with commodity has not been used for many years already. The Russian side offered its Georgian partners to shift to cash transactions based on rates which are used in the EU countries.
– Poet and teacher Arto Vaun studied literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and for the past three years the Watertown native has been living in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where he’s been launching the Center for Creative Writing at the American University of Armenia.
Vaun says his primary goal is to help reinvigorate the cultural potency of the struggling former Soviet republic. “We need to champion public intellectuals,” he said. “We need to be reinvesting in and re-emphasizing the high level of literary discourse, intellectual discourse, and public discourse” in a country that, because of its size, economic woes, and isolation, has been stagnating.
In the process of developing the new program, Vaun discovered there wasn’t a high-quality English literary journal in that part of the world, so he started one. The first issue of the recently launched Locomotive (which will be available at Harvard Book Store) showcases work by writers from Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, the UK, as well as by a few local poets including Stephen Burt and Gail Mazur.
The journal’s mission is clear: “to showcase innovative writing from established and emerging global voices and eventually connect those voices with the vibrant but isolated literary community of Armenia.” It dovetails nicely with Vaun’s views “that art can change the world. Literature can change the world. Because it does that all the time.”
A seven-member family was killed in Gyumri on this day two years ago. Soldier Valry Permyakov from the Russian military base #102 in Gyumri entered Avetisyans’ house and killed six. The youngest member of the family, Seryozha Avetisyan succumbed to injuries days later.
On August 23, a court in Armenia sentenced Permyakov to life in prison. He was found guilty on all accounts including murder, assault related to robbery and attempt to cross the border illegally.
The family, including a six-month-old baby, was killed as a result of an armed assault on January 12, 2015. Valery Permyakov, a soldier at a Russian base in the Armenian town of Gyumri, was arrested and later charged with the murder of two or more persons under the Armenian Criminal Code.
On August 12, 2015, Permyakov was found guilty of desertion, theft of weapons and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The murder case was singled out for considering it in a separate procedure and passed to the Armenian authorities.
On October 13, 2015, Permyakov was found sane despite certain deviations. According to experts, he was not in the heat of passion while committing the crime and could recognize the consequences of his actions.
On October 16, he was additionally charged with armed assault, home-invasion robbery and attempted border crossing.
The Armenian government has approved the President’s draft degree on the opening of a Consulate General in Dubai, considering the progress in the relations and multilateral cooperation between Armenia and the countries of the Gulf.
Dubai is currently one of the most important commercial-economic centers of the world.
According to estimates, about 2,500-3,000 citizens of the Republic of Armenia currently reside in the United Arab Emirates.
Along with the diplomatic services, the opening of the Consulate General will allow to launch activity targeted at the deepening and development of trade-economic ties and investment projects.
Manchester United have triggered a clause in Marouane Fellaini’s contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2018, the BBC reports.
Fellaini signed a four-year deal with the option of a further year when he joined from Everton for £27.5m in 2013.
United boss Jose Mourinho has activated the option despite uncertainty over the 29-year-old midfielder’s future.
Fellaini was booed by his own fans last month but scored in the EFL Cup semi-final win against Hull on Tuesday.
The Belgium international ran to Mourinho to celebrate his goal in what seemed to be a show of recognition for the faith shown in him after a difficult period, which included giving away a costly penalty at Everton on 4 December.
Speaking after Tuesday’s victory, Mourinho said: “He has a very strong mentality and has coped well.
“He knows he is a very important player for me.”
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received a delegation led by Coca-Cola Hellenic Regional Director Keith Sanders. Stressing the importance of Coca-Cola Hellenic’s activity in Armenia, the Prime Minister expressed willingness to discuss their future plans, questions and problems of interest to the Company.
Keith Sanders said to be aware of the Armenian government’s special attitude toward the business community and added that his company attaches great importance to Coca-Cola Hellenic’s Armenia activities.
Mr. Sanders revealed plans to implement new investment projects in Armenia, saying “there are significant opportunities for it, especially as the business community has a reliable partner in the face of the Government.”
Noting that they are ready to present Armenia as a desirable destination for foreign investors, the Regional Director of Coca-Cola Hellenic said his company’s social and educational programs would be continued ahead.
Prime Minister Karapetyan welcomed Coca-Cola Hellenic’s initiative to expand activities and noted that his government is ready to support their implementation. The interlocutors took the opportunity to touch upon the legislative initiatives aimed at improving the business environment and discuss issues relating to antitrust policy.