Category: News

Photo: AFP

 

Syrian rebels have left the last areas they held in Aleppo’s old city, an activist monitoring group has said, the BBC reports.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the pull-back came after days of heavy fighting, as government forces moved to split the remains of the rebel enclave in Syria’s second city.

The rebels have held the area around the ancient citadel for four years.

The Syrian military now holds more than two-thirds of eastern Aleppo and is seeking to control the whole city.

Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in the last of the rebel-held districts.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has insisted that Manchester United are not yet willing to abandon hope in their Premier League campaign.

Jose Mourinho’s side are 13 points behind leaders Chelsea after only 14 matches and nine adrift of fourth-placed City, having won only two of their last nine games in the competition.

Mkhitaryan, however, says United are not willing to divert their focus away from the top flight in favour of their campaigns in the Europa League, the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

“We didn’t give up yet in the Premier League,” he told a news conference ahead of United’s clash with Zorya on Thursday. “We’re not yet saying we’re out of the competition.

“We are still in the competition, there are a lot of games to go, so we are trying to do our best to be in the top four.

“In Europe we’re going to try and go as far as we can. I feel that everybody is good with the conditions because we come here to win, we don’t want to lose this game. We want to do our best.”

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is happy to have proved his quality in recent games for Manchester United, after taking the chance given to him by manager Jose Mourinho.

After a two-month absence from the match squad, the Armenian summer signing has started three of the Reds’ last four games and was named Man of the Match in the victories over Feyenoord and West Ham United.

Now he’s hoping to be involved in Thursday’s crucial Europa League game against Zorya Luhansk in Ukraine, a country he knows well from his time at Shakhtar Donetsk, according to Manchester United’s official website.

Speaking at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference in Odessa, the 27-year-old said: “I started playing so I’m positive. I think positively and I am glad to have more playing time for the future because it’s something that is not predictable.

“You have to be ready for every situation. I was ready and I showed I am a top-level player. It doesn’t matter if I am going to play or not, I am always ready to help the team.”

While understandably reluctant to go into specific details, Mkhitaryan also touched upon what he had discussed with the boss when he was trying to break into the team.

“I don’t want to talk about that because it’s in the past already. But we have spoken a lot; first, when I came here and he told me what I have to improve. I think he saw I improved in that time and he gave me the next chance to play again.

“It was difficult to watch the games without me but I have proved that I can play with the main squad. Now I can repeat it and I can prove it again.”

Mkhitaryan spent four years with Shakhtar from 2010 to 2013 before moving to Borussia Dortmund, and local journalists were unsurprisingly keen to ask him about his return to Odessa, where he enjoyed a successful final outing as a Donetsk player against Chornomorets.

“It’s always a pleasure to be here in Ukraine,” the playmaker added. “I have very good memories of playing here. I had four amazing years playing in Ukraine and my last game in Odessa was a very good one because I scored my first hat-trick for Shakhtar, so I am pleased to be here again.”

The 14th Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Commission session, which aimed to boost bilateral trade turnover, came to an end on Monday in the Iranian capital of Tehran, reports. 

Photo: AP

 

In a speech hailing the work of Holocaust survivor and Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel, Barack Obama’s U.N. Envoy Samantha Power lamented the injustices that continue to this day. Among these, she listed: “Genocide denial against the Armenians.” Power didn’t elaborate, the Associated Press reports.

The term has long been taboo for U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama, who have instead talked of mass atrocity and historical tragedy. But Obama’s U.N. ambassador last week went further than her boss by describing the event as genocide.

According to AP, those five words risk infuriating Turkey, which has fiercely opposed any genocide reference and whose strategic role as a key American partner and NATO ally in an unstable part of the world has led U.S. officials to exercise extreme caution when referencing the century-old massacre. They’re also surprising given Power’s status as the nation’s second highest-ranked diplomat and what sounded like her implicit criticism of Obama.

When he first ran for president, Obama promised he would recognize the killings as genocide if elected. But he has repeatedly stopped short of doing so. Marking Armenian Remembrance Day in April, Obama called the killings the first mass atrocity of the 20th century and a tragedy that must not be repeated.

Before entering government, Power was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who wrote extensively about America’s responses to genocide. Officials say she has lobbied hard behind the scenes for Obama to formally recognize the Armenian killings as genocide.

Kurtis Cooper, Power’s spokesman, said the genocide reference came in the context of honoring Wiesel’s life and were meant to “convince others to stand up, rather than stand by, in the face of systemic injustice, mass atrocities and genocide like the one he was forced to endure.” He said they don’t reflect a change in administration policy.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said there has been no change in U.S. policy.

“The president and other senior administration officials have repeatedly mourned and acknowledged as historical fact that 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, and stated that a full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts is in all our interests,” Toner said.

President Ronald Reagan in 1981 did refer to the “genocide of the Armenians.” But presidents since have avoided such language.

President Jimmy Carter came close to saying genocide in 1978 by describing a “concerted effort made to eliminate all the Armenian people” and calling it “probably one of the greatest tragedies that ever befell any group.” He noted that unlike after the Holocaust, no justice occurred akin to the Nuremberg trials of top Nazi officials.

As a campaign surrogate eight years ago, Power released a video imploring Armenian-Americans to vote for Obama, saying he would follow through on his promise to talk frankly about what happened.

The  tunnel that will cross the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, is set to be named after a perpetrator of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian genocides, or someone responsible for the death of thousands of Armenians and Bulgarians.

The competing names according toare between Kemal Ataturk, the first President of the Turkish Republic, and Abdul Hamid, the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire,  reports.

CNN Turk have also revealed that Ataturk is winning the poll so far.

Ataturk was partially responsible for the genocide of millions of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians that began during the First World War.

Abdul Hamid, who struggled to maintain a fracturing empire, saw a pogrom against thousands of Armenians and Bulgarians.

Iran’s Minister of Industries, Mines and Trade Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh said on Monday that Iran will contribute to construction and operation of Meghri Free Zone in Armenia, reports.

Nematzadeh made the remarks in a meeting with Armenian Minister of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Ashot Manukyan.

Nematzadeh said that Iran has good experience in setting up free zones and is ready to share experience with Armenia to help set up Free Trade Zone.

‘Iran and Armenia enjoy potential for expansion of economic and industrial relations and their level of exchanges should be upgraded.’

The minister said Iranian and Armenian private sectors are interested in promotion of trade and economic relations.

‘We should use the potential of the private sector for upgrading trade by removal of banking and insurance hurdles.’

The official said Iranian banking system and Export Guarantee Fund is ready to remove commercial barriers.

‘Holding joint meetings within framework of commission and visit of officials can serve as an effective factor to identify problems and barriers to go ahead with commercial, industrial and mineral cooperation.’

He said Iranian technical and engineering service companies are capable enough to contribute to designing industrial and commercial infrastructural projects in Armenia. ‘As for mineral exploration and exploitation, especially copper, iron ore and gold and designing steel production projects , Iran is also ready to put its technical and engineering potential at the disposal of Armenia.’

Iran is ready to sign preferential tariff deal with Eurasian union, said Nematzadeh, adding, ‘Regarding membership of Armenia in the Union, we expect its support to conclude the deal.’

The Iranian minister said that Iran has distinguished scientific status, especially in the nano-technology, bio-technology, information technology and telecommunications.

He called for signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for transfer of technology and knowledge with Armenia.

The Armenian Minister welcomed contribution of Iranian investors to Armenian projects, especially its mineral projects.

‘For construction of free zone we will use Iran’s experience and expansion of the relations can further provide the ground for Iran’s membership in Eurasia.’

He said that Iran and Armenia have firm political ties based on good neighborly friendship and that economic and commercial relations between the two countries should be upgraded in pace with their friendly and political ties.

‘Iran’s insurance coverage to the industries can help development of the industry in Armenia.’

He said that his country specially and fully supports conclusion of a preferential trade agreement and Iran’s membership in Eurasia.

The Armenian minister said Iran’s help to set up Meghri free zone will serve as first step to that end. ‘Although the membership and conclusion of the agreement can lead to expansion of commercial and economic relations, the two-way ties should further expand irrespective of the issues.’

He noted that elimination of custom barriers is one of the most important barriers to promotion of bilateral commercial relations.

‘Armenian government pays special attention to elimination of barriers and problems facing the private sector and entrepreneurs and not only supports Iran’s stances but also considers it as partner of its interests.’

He said a deal on nano-technology had been signed during his recent visit to Iran.

‘The information technology exhibition will be held in Armenia in June 2017 with presence of well-credited international companies and active presence of Iranian companies in the expo is welcomed.’

The 14th Iran-Armenia Joint Commission session opened in Tehran on Monday morning co-chaired by Iranian Minister of Energy Hamid Chitchian and Armenian Minister of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Ashot Manukyan.

HDP MP Garo Paylan tabled a parliamentary question about Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş’s “Giaour” statement, reports.

On December 3, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said, “For us, independence means to stand against the giaours and to be able to call them giaours.” Garo Paylan tables a parliamentary question about this statement and requested answer from Kurtulmuş himself.

Paylan asked the following questions to Deputy Prime Minister Kurtulmuş:

1. According to Turkish Language Association (TDK), giaour means “(1) a nonbeliever person, (2) non-Muslim”. According to linguist Sevan Nişanyan, it means “(1) Zoroastrian, fire-worshiper, (2) non-Muslim, heretic.” Do you think that you insulted the Christians and non-Muslim peoples of Turkey by using the word of “giaour”, which is used in a pejorative way in many Turkish idioms and proverbs and which people often use to insult or defame certain groups or individuals?

2. Given that hate speech is defined as “speaking in an insulting or threatening manner on the basis of attributes such as gender, ethnic origin, religion, race, disability or sexual orientation”, do you think that your statement is a form of hate speech?
3. Regarding the fact that such statements often lead to hate crimes, do you think that your statement may cause hate crimes?

Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan met with Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanayee to discuss the ways of creating a free trade zone between Iran and the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), reports.

Tigran Sargsyan thanked Mehdi Sanayee for the opportunity to discuss trade cooperation and noted that the issue of the free trade zone remains a crucial aspect of the constructive dialogue between the Eurasian integration association and Iran. According to the Chairman of the EEC Board, Iran is one of the priority countries for the EEU to set up a free trade zone with. The Presidents of the EEU member states have repeatedly spoken in favor of strengthening relations between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran. “We believe that our mutual relations have a big potential for economic growth,” the Chairman of the EEC Board said.

Mehdi Sanayee, for his part, emphasized the seriousness of Iran’s intention in setting up a free trade zone with the EEU countries and reaffirmed his country’s interest in speeding up the process. “Iran maintains good trade and economic relations with all the EEU member states. We have every chance for efficient cooperation,” the Ambassador said.

Mehdi Sanayee also suggested gathering scientists and businessmen for a conference in Iran to talk over the operation of the EEC and the EEU, as well as the prospects of economic cooperation between Iran and the EEU states.

Photo: Reuters

 

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has been named as prime minister, replacing Manuel Valls, who resigned in order to make a bid for the presidency next year, the BBC reports.

Mr Valls presented his resignation to President Francois Hollande on Tuesday.

Mr Cazeneuve will be in charge of the Socialist government until June’s parliamentary elections.

He has played a key role in managing France’s security since the jihadist terror attacks in Paris last year.

Mr Valls will face other contenders in the Socialist primary next month.

Russia and China have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Syrian Aleppo. The document was supported by 11 countries members of the Security Council, while Russia, China and Venezuela voted against. Angola abstained, TASS reports.

The draft resolution was not passed as two permanent members voted against, Security Council President Roman Marchesi (Spain) said. To have a UN Security Council document approved, it must be supported by nine countries on condition that none of the permanent members – Russia, the UK, China, the US and France – votes against.

The resolution drafted by Egypt, Spain and New Zealand demands a truce in Syrian Aleppo for at least seven days. Under their plan, this pause in warfare would make it possible to deliver aid to the embattled city and create conditions for restarting negotiations on a political settlement of the Syrian conflict.

Prior to the voting, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said putting the resolution to vote was in violation of Council rule of procedure, under which the vote should take place no earlier than 24 hours after the final version of a draft is submitted to the Security Council.

‘The vote cannot take place before 11 a.m. local time tomorrow (19:00 Moscow time),” he said.

He said additional time could let the UN Security Council members “to take account of certain new circumstances and arrive at a consensus resolution” that would help to improve the humanitarian situation in Syria in practice.

He said the co-authors of the resolution had come under pressure from the US, the UK and France. The UN ambassador said such actions were provocative and undermining international efforts towards a peaceful settlement in Syria.