Category: News

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Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has resigned after suffering a heavy defeat in a referendum over his plan to reform the constitution, the BBC reports.

In a late-night news conference, he said he took responsibility for the outcome, and said the No camp must now make clear proposals.

With most ballots counted, the No vote leads with 60% against 40% for Yes.

The turnout was nearly 70%, in a vote that was seen as a chance to register discontent with the prime minister.

“Good luck to us all,” Mr Renzi told reporters. He said he would tell a Cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon that he was resigning, then tender his resignation to the Italian president.

 

 

 

Thousands of Diaspora Armenians have joined the “Justice Within Armenia” initiative launched on September 21, famous Canadian Armenian actress Arsine Khanjyan told reporters in Yerevan today.

The Diaspora Armenians have set up an observervation mission for the sake of democracy, justice and transparent elections. The group will have a practical participation in the parliamentary elections next year.

“Armenia’s independence was an important achievement, gift and a dream come true for Diaspora Armenians, but we, as individuals, were unable to make our contribution at the time,” Arsine Khanjyan said.

“However, we have always lived with the consciousness to support Armenia, to help the country rise not only in the cultural field, but also develop as an independent, sovereign and democratic state,” she added.

She noted, however, that the situation is getting more and more troublesome, and this has caused concern among Diaspora Armenians and served as a basis for the “Justice Within Armenia” initiative.

“Our young soldiers’ endless love for the Motherland made us reassess our views and steps. The present and future of Armenia is now measured by the life of those guys, the state they defended should be worth their endless love,” Khanjyan said.

According to her, the July events (the seizure of a police headquarters) alerted that urgent changed are needed and signaled that Diasporas Armenians should have a practical participation.

Actor Hrant Tokhatyan has joined the initiative from Armenia. Speaking to reporters today, he said “the unity of concerned individuals will always benefit Armenia.”

Speaking through Skype, System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian expressed concern over the split among Diaspora Armenians and the Motherland.”

According to Canadian Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, the Diaspora should realize its responsibility and the role it can play in Armenia. “This year’s events showed that the Diaspora should have a practical participation, e.g. on justice-related issues, including elections,” he said.

The Diaspora Armenians plan to arrive in Armenia next spring to observe the parliamentary elections in the country.

The European Union Delegation to Armenia and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) have signed a Contract to the EUR 2 million grant that marks the beginning of a three-year project aimed at facilitating development of the civil society sector in Armenia.

AGBU Armenia is actively undertaking a new strategic direction to engage more closely with civil society in the country and through this grant will take its first steps forward.

The Civil Society Facilitation project will be implemented by AGBU Armenia together with the Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF). The project will build the capacity of local CSOs and harness their networks. A special focus will be put on establishing direct ties between experts from Diaspora and local CSOs and facilitating skills and knowledge exchange as well as more active involvement of Diaspora in a day-to-day life of the Armenian civil society.

The project will complement the currently run EU-funded capacity building project which focuses on internal and external capacity building of around 100 CSOs in Armenia (STRONG Civil Society Organisations for Stronger Armenia) and other ongoing actions supported by the European Union (e.g. Community Development through Social Entrepreneurship – CODE-SE project- Social Response to Labour Migration in Armenia (Together4Armenia.am)). The action is completely in line with the priorities identified in the EU Country Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society (2014-2017) and Annual Action Programme 2015 in favour of the Republic of Armenia.

In the evening of December 4, President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the gala-dinner organized on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the Armenian General Benevolent Union which took place at the Tigran Mets Hall of Armenia Marriott Hotel. The President of Armenia made a statement and addressed words of gratitude to the members of the AGBU and all participants of the event.

“Commencing its activities at the beginning of the previous century, the Armenian General Benevolent Union through its 150 local bodies for 110 years has been, and I am sure will be carrying out its indispensable activities. It would be redundant of me to name one by one all programs of the Union and the works it has accomplished. The “indispensable” I believe is the word which characterizes precisely the work of a group of people which they were able to accomplish just in time, finding the only proper way which contributed to the preservation of the Armenian nation as well as to the independent Armenia and the physical existence of the Armenian nation in general.

What makes the AGBU different from all other structures? I believe first of all it is the people – members of the Central Board, or just regular members – benefactors, who have never had any expectation and moved forward true to very simple rules of benevolence: they never expected that someone would ever thank them for their charity and never intended to use charity for their personal ends. They have never looked for any reason, any cause to limit their work which has been vital for us. They have never had any problem with any of the authorities, and it is a very important factor,” said President Sargsyan in his remarks.

Serzh Sargsyan underscored that the Armenian General Benevolent Union is a dedicated benefactor, and that with this very approach the Union implements its programs aimed at the development of Armenia and the Armenian nation. The President wished the AGBU the abundance of donors, generosity, and scores of members. The President of Armenia expressed wish that the Armenian General Benevolent Union always be necessary and always be able to fulfill its mission.

President Sargsyan spoke also about the tasks before the AGBU and noted that he would love to see the Armenian General Benevolent Union much more Armenia-centered which will benefit the Union and all its beneficiaries alike. President Sargsyan also expressed desire for the Union to keep the bulk of its funds in Armenia, which has a stable financial structure since it will allow to increase the volume of charity. “I wish that our wishes are coherent. I wish that after working hours we dispute about the development possibilities. I wish that we all, regardless of being President, officials, entrepreneurs or donors, we all believe that it is our service, it is our thanks and gratitude to our nation which created us,” said President Sargsyan and wished the AGBU to celebrate gloriously its 200th anniversary and the subsequent jubilees.

AP Photo/Hassan Ammar    

Militants shelled a mobile Russian hospital in Aleppo, killing a female paramedic and wounding two doctors, the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday, Sputnik  reports.

“Today during an appointment of local residents, militants attacked with artillery the Defense Ministry medical facility’s mobile hospital in Aleppo. As a result of a direct mine hit, one Russian military paramedic was killed and two staff workers were badly wounded. Locals rushed to help and were also hurt,” he said.

The spokesman underscored that militants of the Syrian “opposition” were “undoubtedly” behind the attack.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian briefed President Serzh Sargsyan on the Foreign Ministry’s activity towards ensuring Armenia’s active involvement in international organizations. Minister Nalabndian presented the achievements and future plans, the chairmanship of the International Organization of the Francophonie, the organization’s reference to Nagorno Karabakh in its recent statement.

Minister Nalbandian reported on a number of meetings to be held within the framework of international organizations – the priorities of Armenia at the meeting of Foreign Ministers in Vienna dedicated to nuclear security, the “Support to Armenia” mission within the framework of NATO, the Open Government Partnership Global Summit in Paris, the OSCE Ministerial meeting in Gamburg.

President Sargsyan called Minister Nalabndian’s attention to the directives to be given to diplomats during the traditional meeting with Armenian Ambassadors expected in Paris.

Serzh Sargsyan instructed to hold the next meeting with diplomats in Armenia. The President presented his views on intensification of economic diplomacy.

In a revealing article in , Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan has opened up on why his late father Hamlet continues to be his inspiration.

The Armenia captain tragically lost his dad when only seven years old due to a brain tumour and it naturally had a profound effect on his childhood. By somehow summoning up the strength to follow in his father’s footsteps, he has not only emulated Hamlet’s achievement of representing his country but is now appearing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“When you walk onto the pitch at Old Trafford, it is not just a pitch, it is a stage,” the attacking midfielder said. “If my father could see me on that stage, I think he would be very proud.

“I was always kind of chasing him and I think, even though he’s not here, he helped me to get to this place. If he was still alive, maybe I would be a lawyer or a doctor right now. Instead, I am a footballer.

“The year after my father died, I started football training,” he added. “He was the drive for me, he was my idol. I said to myself, I have to run just like him. I have to shoot just like him.

“By the time I was 10 years old, my entire life was football. Training, reading, watching, even playing football on PlayStation. I was totally focused on it. I especially loved the creative players — the maestros. I always wanted to play like [Zinedine] Zidane, Kaká and Hamlet. (Pretty good company for my father).”

The decision to head to Brazil as a 13-year-old to train with Sao Paulo for four months must have been an extraordinarily difficult one to take but it helped broaden the youngster’s horizons and develop his playing style.

“That was one of the most interesting times of my life, because I was a very shy kid from Armenia who didn’t speak any Portuguese,” he admitted. “But I didn’t care at all because, to me, I was getting to go to football paradise.

“I dreamed of being like Kaká, and Brazil was the home of that creative style, which the Brazilians call ginga. That time was very important to me, because it shaped my style as a player. When I returned to Armenia after four months in Brazil, I was still quite skinny and weak, but I had technique and skill. I was feeling very free on the pitch. I was feeling like the Armenian Ronaldinho. (Ha ha ha ha. No, I’m joking).”

Thankfully, United’s fans are now able to enjoy the ‘Armenian Ronaldinho’ after narrowly failing to sign the Brazilian star during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time in charge. The Old Trafford faithful have had to be patient but are clearly now falling in love with the summer signing from Borussia Dortmund.

“I knew it would be a challenge to leave a good situation at Dortmund and succeed at United,” he said. “But I did not want to sit in my chair as an old man and have any regrets. I was ready to move.

“When the deal was done and dusted, I sat down to sign the contract with United and that’s when it hit me. That’s when I realised that this big move to the Premier League was really happening.

“I will never forget that moment, nor will I forget the time I put on the red Manchester United shirt before my first training session with the club. It made me feel so happy and proud about what I had achieved in my career.

“At the beginning of this season at United, I suffered an injury and have not had many chances to play. It would be fair to say that the start of my life in Manchester was not perfect. But there have been many other times when I’ve had setbacks, and I have never given up. I will continue working every day so that I can help the team succeed.”

Having overcome incredible adversity in the past, there is every reason to expect Mkhitaryan to continue achieving his goals and become a firm favourite at United.

For the full, extensive must-read interview with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on his upbringing and football career so far, visit .

On December 2, 2016, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr. and Armenian Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan unveiled in Gyumri the newly restored mural “In the Mountains” created by famed Armenian artist Hakob Hakobyan.  The U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) funded the restoration of this mural.

With the funding, the mural was removed from an abandoned factory building in Gyumri, repaired and conserved, and installed safely in the city’s Achemyan State Drama Theater where it is once again accessible to the public on the second floor.

“For the past several years the mural we are here to celebrate was hidden away in an abandoned factory. It was crumbling into dust,” Ambassador Mills said during the unveiling ceremony. “But thanks to the U.S. State Department’s Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation it now has new life.  Now the eyes of the next generation of artists, community leaders, and innovators will see Hakobyan’s work, perhaps here of his story, and find in it inspiration to create future works of art that capture the spirit of Armenia.”

The mural was created by Hakob Hakobyan (1923-2013), an Armenian artist whose works are considered national treasures. His murals are included on the official list of historical and cultural treasures of Shirak province.

The restoration work done on “In the Mountains” was carried out by the Minas Avetisyan Cultural Foundation with the participation of Fabrizio Iacopini, a renowned restorer from the Restoration Institute in Florence, Italy.  The Minas Avetisyan Cultural Foundation was established in 2003 by Arman Avetisyan, the son of prominent Armenian artist Minas Avetisyan, to preserve his and other artists’ murals, removing them from abandoned industrial buildings in Gyumri and moving them to safe locations.

“The restorer’s work is a labor of love, of respect for artists and their works.  And their passion and dedication is clearly on display today,” Ambassador Mills said.

This is not the first time the U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation has worked on rescuing a mural in Gyumri.  Last year, another project preserved Rafayel Atoyan’s “On the Way to the Watermill” mural, moving it from an abandoned factory to Gyumri’s newly-renovated Youth Palace.

The U.S. State Department established the U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2000 to celebrate mankind’s shared cultural heritage and to bring countries and peoples together. Through the AFCP, the U.S. State Department each year funds a number of projects around the globe that protect unique cultural heritage sites.

The AFCP has been providing support for Armenian cultural sites since 2005, funding projects such as preserving the archeological finds at Areni cave, protecting the Dashtadem Fortress, mapping and cataloging items found at the Noratus medieval cemetery and its collection of khachkars, preservation of a medieval masonry bridge in the Garni Gorge, and documentation of traditional Armenian music and dance.  Earlier this fall, the AFCP awarded a $450,000 grant to preserve and restore the historic St. Hovhannes Church in  Meghri.

“Culture, art, traditions – these help celebrate the uniqueness of Armenia.  This love of culture is shared by Americans.  And by preserving these Armenian treasures, we not only help bring our two people together, but save a unique treasure for generations to come,” Ambassador Mills said.

Covert Media has sold the Armenian disaster film “Earthquake” and fantasy thriller “The Night Watchmen” to multiple major international territories including Germany, Japan and Korea, has learned exclusively.

Sales were made through Covert’s recently launched Lexica Films label,which began operations ahead of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival with the aim to champion five to 10 foreign language titles per year. Senior VP of International Jim Harvey leads the sales for President of International Liz Kim Schwan.

“Earthquake,” which had its market premiere screening at the American Film Market, has been acquired by AT Entertainment for Japan and First Run Inc for South Korea as well as Movie Cloud for Taiwan, One World Movies for India, Moxienotion for Indonesia, Sahamongkol for Malaysia and Vietnam, and with Cine Star for Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. The film has been submitted as Armenia’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film for this season’s Golden Globes.

Konstantin Lavronenko stars in a fictional account of the devastating 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia.

“Earthquake” is directed by Sarik Andreasyan from a script by Aleksey Gravitskiy and Sergey Yudakov, with participation from Grant Barsegyan and Arsen Danielyan. The cast also includes Sabina Akhmedova and newcomer Viktor Stepanyan.

Today, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Armenia Maria Pavlova Tsosorkova-Kaymaktchieva presented her credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan, President’s Press Office reports.

The President of Armenia congratulated the ambassador on her appointment and wished every success. Serzh Sargsyan noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-Bulgarian interstate relations have a strong base anchored in the cultural similarities and centuries-long friendship and dynamically developing political and economic dialogue. All this, according to the President, create an excellent foundation for further strengthening and deepening of the relations between Armenia and Bulgaria. Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that the newly appointed ambassador will promote these relations through her active work, contributing to the opening and development of the entire potential for cooperation in different areas.

Ambassador Maria Pavlova Tsosorkova-Kaymaktchieva concurred with the President’s assessment of the interstate relations and stressed the importance of the full utilization of the existing legal field, which comprises over five dozen documents, and expansion of cooperation.

The parties exchanged also views on the NK peace process and challenges existing in the region.