Category: News

Photo: Raul Roa/Glendale News-Press

 

– Glendale educators will undergo additional training in order to better instruct students about the Armenian Genocide and other atrocities as part of the school district’s focus on genocide education.

In Glendale schools, students currently learn about genocide in their history classes in the seventh and 10th grades.

As part of an upcoming two-day workshop in January, school officials will bring genocide experts to work with about 25 teachers of history or literature courses.

The training will largely focus on the Ottoman Turks’ massacre of 1.5 million Armenians beginning in 1915.

The teachers will learn about the literature and oral history as it’s related to the Armenian Genocide, said Jacqueline Perez, assistant superintendent of Glendale Unified.

“This has very strong implications for our community, and we definitely want to be the leader in ensuring our teachers are well prepared to deliver this instruction,” Perez said.

Beginning in 2013, Glendale school officials have given both students and teachers the day off on April 24, the date recognized around the world to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

Earlier this year, Glendale school officials took a unanimous vote to designate April 24 on district calendars as “Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day.”

Armina Gharpetian, president of the Glendale Unified School Board, said the school district was the first in the country to both close school on April 24 and designate that day on the district’s calendars.

Now, it’s only fitting that the school district also take steps to provide training for teachers, she said.

“I think we should take the lead on this,” she said.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan called a consultative meeting to discuss ways of promoting exports and providing Armenian manufacturers access to new markets.

Per-sector investment packages were presented to the Prime Minister, covering transport, communications, information technology, energy and agriculture.

The meeting focused on those sectors strong with specific export potential. To make the steps more effective, Karen Karapetyan instructed to intensify contacts with the private sector.

Photo: AMC

A top UN envoy has warned the Syrian city of Aleppo risks becoming “one giant graveyard” as the government advances on rebel-held areas, the reports.

Stephen O’Brien pleaded with UN Security Council members to protect civilians “for the sake of humanity”.

At least 34 people died in the latest shelling of government and opposition-controlled areas, reports say.

Troops and militiamen have retaken more than a third of the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo since the weekend.

Stephen O’Brien, the UN’s humanitarian affairs chief, made the comments as the Security Council met for an emergency session to discuss the crisis in the city.

“For the sake of humanity we call on – we plead – with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard,” he told the council.

An estimated 25,000 people have been displaced, he added, while for those inside opposition-controlled areas some are so hungry they are reduced to scavenging.

In an apparent reference to the rebels themselves, he said there were reliable reports that “non-state actors” were preventing civilians fleeing.

Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan participated in the 71^st regular sitting of the Council of Defense Ministers of CIS participating states in Moscow.

A number of documents regulating the cooperation between the Defense Ministries of the CIS participating states were discussed, key directions of joint work were outlined at the meeting.

Issues related to the joint air defense system, development of communication systems, humanitarian mine clearance, training of military personnel and joint field exercises, implementation of joint educational programs were discussed.

Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan had meetings with his Russian and Belarusian counterparts.

The Defense Ministers of Armenia and Russia signed the agreement on Joint Group of Forces and approved the 2017 cooperation program.

According to the minister counselor at the Armenian Embassy in the US, Armenia will continue economic cooperation with the US during the next US Administration.

Economic cooperation between Armenia and the United States will continue during the next US Administration, Minister Counselor at the Armenian Embassy in the United States Hrachia Tashchian told .

“We do not see any reason that could stop or halt the economic cooperation between Armenia and the United States,” Tashchian said on the sidelines of the third annual “Doing Business With Eurasian Economic Union” Conference in Washington. Tashchian stressed that the United States was a key economic partner for Armenia. “US-Armenia Intergovernmental Joint Task Force is among the main tools fostering cooperation and discussion of a wide range of issues – from energy security to the technical assistance in implementing civil aviation and tax administration reforms”, Tashchian said.

Trade and Investment Framework Agreement – another important tool of cooperation – signed last year and tailored to help the parties identify areas conducive to the development of mutual trade and investments.

Tashchian noted that over the last two years there have been two major US investments in the energy and mining sectors of the Armenian economy. The diplomat also mentioned the large presence of US IT companies in Armenia. Information Technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Armenian economy, and the Government strongly supports its further growth, Tashchian concluded.

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to Giorgi Kvirikashvili on his re-appointment as Prime Minister of Georgia.

The President of Armenia expressed hope that the readiness of the two friendly countries to strengthen the existing potential of cooperation and partnership will allow to continuously develop the brotherly relations of the Armenian and Georgian peoples and will give a new impetus to the mutually beneficial cooperation.

On 29 November Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited the village of Talish and got acquainted with the process of implementation of his earlier instructions, NKR President’s Press Office reports.

Valérie Boyer, spokesman of François Fillon, was the guest of France 2 this Sunday November 27 to comment on the victory of his candidate at the primary of the right. The cross she wore attracted more attention than the speech she gave.

The deputy of Bouches-du-Rhône, known for her conservative positions, displayed an “Armenian cross,” a religious sign representing the “divine nature” of Christ, according to the .

“This is something I never take away, I always have it on me,” explained Valerie Boyer. According to her, “there is no comment to make, since it is not a symbol of.”

The cross was not seen as Valérie Boyer appeared on BFMTV a few hours later.

The cross raised a wave of criticism on social media, as under French legislation, the public display of religious symbols is prohibited in the country.

Tens of thousands of people have filled Revolution Square in the Cuban capital, Havana, for a rally honouring Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, the BBC reports.

Proceedings began with the national anthem and speeches were made by visiting dignitaries.

President Raul Castro closed the rally, referring to his brother Fidel as the leader of a revolution “for the humble, and by the humble”.

Fidel Castro, who came to power in 1959, died on Friday, aged 90.

Left-wing Latin American leaders were among those attending the event but other countries sent lower-ranking emissaries.

Opinion on Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century, remains divided.

Supporters say he returned Cuba to the people and praise him for some of his social programmes, such as public health and education.

But critics call him a dictator, who led a government that did not tolerate opposition and dissent.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Heads of delegations of the Customs agencies of the Eurasian Economic Union member states who have arrived in Armenia to participate at the 21st session of the Joint Board of the Customs agencies of the EEU member states, President’s Press Office reports.

The President of Armenia welcomed the guests and stressed the importance of the Board’s meeting held today in Tsakhkadzor. Stressing that customs services represent an important structure which interact on a daily basis with the business community of the EEU member states, Serzh Sargsyan noted that impressions regarding the EEU are also being shaped based on their work and cooperation; the improvement of business environment considerably depends on the activities of the customs agency of any country, as well as the formation and development of the goods, services, capitals and labor markets at the common economic area.

The President of Armenia expressed hope that current issues and decisions adopted during the meeting in Tsakhkadzor will promote the resolution of the mentioned issues and implementation of the objectives set by the members of the Union in the framework on the integration processes.

Heads of delegations of the Customs agencies of the Eurasian Economic Union member states presented to Serzh Sargsyan the results of the 21st session of the Joint Board and expressed thanks to the Armenian colleagues for organizing the meeting at a high level. They underscored that any union is based first and foremost on mutual trust, and the works of the Joint Board of the Customs agencies is aimed at strengthening that trust through the daily close cooperation. The participants of the meeting reported to the President on the works aimed at the improvement of the new Customs law, problems and challenges existing in the Customs area, and prospects of development.