Category: News

Photo: AP

 

Turkish Public Prosecutor’s office released six relatives of Mevlut Mert Altintas who killed the Russian ambassador to the country, Sputnik reports.

On Monday, Andrey Karlov was killed by Turkish off-duty police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas at an art gallery exhibition opening in Ankara. Three more people were also injured in the attack. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it considered the attack a terrorist act.

Mevlut Mert Altintas’ father, mother, sister, two uncles and one of their wives have been released after testimony, the CNN Turk broadcaster cited law enforcement sources as saying. A farewell ceremony for the Russian ambassador is expected to take place on Thursday in the Russian capital, with President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend.

Armenia is ranked 86th (up from 87th last month) in FIFA World Ranking released today. Armenia’s 3-2 win against Montenegro helped the team jump the largest number of places in the ranking table last month.

Argentina will end the year on top of the world, leading the way in the final FIFA World Ranking of 2016 from neighbors Brazil in second.

In a recent interview President Barack Obama revealed an irrational fear of snowmen, the  reports. 

“There’s a whole kind of Chucky element to them. They’re a little creepy,” he told .

When First Lady Michelle joked about putting one in their bedroom Mr Obama said he would move out if he saw one there.

But that didn’t stop White House staff having a go at scaring him.

Official White House photographer Pete Souza explained the prank on his Instagram page.

“For the past three weeks, there have been four snowmen on display in the Rose Garden.

“We’ve been joking that we should move the snowmen a few feet closer to the Oval Office every day to see if anyone noticed.

“Then we realised the snowmen were too heavy to easily lift.

“But finally this morning before the president came to the office, some helpful staff – I won’t say who – moved all the snowmen so each one was peeking through a different window into the Oval.”

Once the figures had been moved a picture of a snowman looking over the president with the caption “do you want to build a snowman?” appeared on the official White House Instagram account.

Despite some suggesting the image is a bit sinister, Mr Obama apparently took the joke well with Pete Souza writing that “he enjoyed the prank”.

Armenian athletes have won 170 medals in European and World Championships in 2016, including four Olympic ones.

Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Alekasnyan won the first Olympic gold for Armenia after a break of 20 years. Greco-Roman wrestler Mihran Harutyunyan, weightlifters Simon Martirosyan and Gor Minasyan won silver medals.

The Armenian athletes have won 10 gold, 11 silver and 20 bronze medals in world championships.

37 gold, 46 silver and 42 bronze medals have been won at European championships. There are 7 athletes with disabilities among the medalists.

PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE

 

US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed economist Peter Navarro, an outspoken critic of China, as the head of a new national trade body, the BBC reports.

Mr Navarro will lead the new White House National Trade Council and serve as director of trade and industrial policy.

The academic was an adviser to Mr Trump during the election campaign.

His books include The Coming China Wars and Death by China, in which he is deeply critical of Chinese policy.

During the election, the president-elect made trade issues a core campaign issue, criticising some deals made with countries like China and Mexico.

Mr Trump has already angered China by speaking with the Taiwanese president by phone, in violation of the US’s decades-long “one China” policy.

He has also openly criticised China in outbursts on Twitter, recently accusing them of devaluing their currency to impede US competition, among other claims.

Photo: Reuters

 

The Berlin Christmas market where 12 people were killed on Monday by a suspected Islamist extremist who drove a truck into a crowd has reopened, the BBC reports.

Police have installed concrete barriers to prevent a repeat attack.

Meanwhile police have raided homes in the city of Dortmund, but prosecutors denied reports of arrests linked with the Tunisian suspect in the case.

Anis Amri’s residence permit was found in the lorry at the Breitscheidplatz, which killed 12 and injured 49 more.

The victims included at least six Germans and an Israeli tourist.

Asbarez  – The City of Glendale has hired Meridian Consultants to perform the environmental analysis for the proposed improvements to the Central Park block, including the potential construction of a new public parking garage, reconfiguration of existing public parking facilities, and development of the Armenian American Museum. These improvements are commonly referred to as the Central Park Block Project.

The Central Park block is located between Colorado Street to the South and Harvard Street to the North and Louise Street to the East and Parking Lot 10 to the West.

Meridian Consultants is a leader in the fields of community, environmental, and natural resource planning. The Meridian Consultants team will be using its extensive experience in land use planning and environmental compliance to analyze the Downtown Glendale site and prepare environmental documentation for the proposed improvements.

The study will help the Armenian American Museum and City of Glendale determine the optimal scope and size for the public parking garage, open space, and educational and cultural center. The Museum will neighbor the Central Library, Americana at Brand, Museum of Neon Arts, and Adult Recreation Center in the heart of Glendale’s Arts and Entertainment District.

The vision for the Museum is a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity and speak out against prejudice. The proposed Museum’s exhibition galleries will house permanent exhibitions on the Armenian American experience and traveling exhibitions on diverse cultures and subject matters that will engage broad audiences. The center will also feature a theater, research center, learning center, demonstration kitchen, and archive space.

Museum and City officials are on schedule to complete the concept design, traffic, parking, economic, and environmental studies in time for the consideration of the ground lease agreement by the Glendale City Council during the first quarter of 2017.

Earlier this month the Armenian American Museum unveiled its concept design at a gathering of more than 400 community members. The iconic design incorporates the rock formations and mountain range found in Armenia with the San Gabriel Mountains rising to the north of Glendale. Museum officials will be organizing community events and meetings to invite feedback on the design and location from the public.

The Armenian Government approved today the decision on establishment of a Center for Strategic Initiatives Foundation and appointment of its Director General. The statute of the foundation was also confirmed.

The foundation aims to collect, develop, analyze, review, support and control the implementation of long-term strategic programs for Armenia’s economic development.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan attached importance to the creation of the Center. “It is the platform, where our perspectives, our vision of development of different spheres of economy will be shaped,” the Prime Minister said.

With support from Argentinean-Armenian donors, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has launched the third phase of its increasingly popular greenhouse program in 10 communities of Armenia’s Tavush Region.

Metal framed greenhouses, each measuring 100 square meters and covered with high-quality polycarbonate and polyethylene, will be built for 57 farming families in the villages of Voskevan, Artsvaberd, Koti, Nerkin Tsaghkavan, Berdavan, Aygehovit, Koghb, Zorakan, Ditavan, and Kirants. Two additional greenhouses will be constructed in the village of Khachardzan, with the financial support of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s Australian affiliate. As part of the project, the beneficiary families will also receive seedlings and be provided with technical consultation at the initial phase of the greenhouse growing.

Maraim Zenjirjian, the project’s coordinator, says that beneficiaries are selected through a lottery process and must assume a portion of the greenhouse-construction cost. The selection of the communities has been made considering the List of the Border Villages defined by the Government of Armenia. After announcing the launch of the program’s third phase the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has received 100 applications for construction of 59 greenhouses. Each greenhouse costs US $5,400 equal AMD, of which 200,000 AMD is covered by the beneficiary. “Year by year, the number of greenhouse owners increases considerably in the region reaching from 10 to 102. Hopefully, the new tariff of electricity fixed from 2017 will ease the financial burden of the greenhouse farmers.” Zenjirjian says.

Greenhouses have helped significantly boost farming throughout Tavush while providing families with a stable source of income. As a result of the first and second phases of the program carried out through 2013 to 2015, 43 households in the villages of Ditavan, Kirants, Baghanis, Aygehovit, Vazashen, Gandzakar, and Khachardzan now own and operate their own greenhouses.

 

 

 

The idea of creating an All-Armenian Orchestra is materializing with the first concert set to be held on April 24, 2017.  The orchestra plans to perform abroad, as well.

The issue of our unity lies in the basis of the idea of creation of the All-Armenian Symphony Orchestra. “It aims to unite world-spread Armenians around music, around one orchestra,” Armenian Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan told a press conference today.

Armenian musicians from about 20 countries have already been invited to play with the orchestra.

“It’s hard to bring together Armenian musicians living in different countries in a short period of time, because any of them has his/her own plans,” said Ruzanna Simonyan, Director of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra.

The orchestra will be led by three conductors – Edward Topchyan, Sergey Smbatyan and Karen Durgazyan.

“The concert program will include works by Armenian composers – Aram Khachatryan, Avet Terteryan, Edward Mirzoyan and others.  Tigran Mansuryan will compose a work dedicated to the heroes of the April war,” Armen Amiryan said.