Arthur Petrosyan will head the Armenian national team from November 1, 2016, the Football Federation of Armenia said after completing talks on the appointment of the head coach.
Arthur Petrosyan previously played for the Armenian national team and is currently coaching the Swiss “Zurich-2.”
Varuzhan Sukiasyan quit as head coach after the unsuccessful start of the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign.
President Serzh Sargsyan received today students and schoolchildren – recipients of the RA Presidential Educational Awards for year 2016 in the area of information technologies (IT). At the award ceremony, which took place at the Presidential Palace, Serzh Sargsyan handed the awards received in different nominations. Together with each certificate, the young people received also souvenirs and monetary awards.
This year, the annual Presidential Award was bestowed on 28 students and 15 schoolchildren from 5 higher education institutions and 8 high schools. Until now, the RA Presidential Award in the IT area in different nominations has been given to 409 students and schoolchildren.
At the award ceremony President Serzh Sargsyan congratulated the students and schoolchildren who excelled in their studies and received Presidential Awards for year 2016 and wished them success.
President Serzh Sargsyan’s message at the ceremony of handing Presidential Educational Awards in the area of Information Technologies
Dear Students and Schoolchildren,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to once again congratulate you on receiving the RA Presidential Educational Award in the area of information technologies. One of the pleasing duties for President is to hand over awards but for me it’s a double pleasure because first of all, the awards are given to young people who will be shaping Armenia’s tomorrow, also because this is the area which is extremely important and prospective for Armenia. I am happy not only for you; and I am also happy for your teachers, your professors, your families, for our entire society because this proves in a way that we are moving along the right way. The Armenia of tomorrow must be better educated, moving in step with the time, in the hands of knowledgeable and creative citizens. The Armenia of tomorrow must be in the realm of the information-wise developed world. We have no other way to go. It’s a well-charted road. Throughout the millennia our people recognized, took in and accepted the progressive, made it their and thanks to that very ability have been able to exist, and we have to continue to go down this road.
Dear young people,
Your success inspires us with optimism and joy. Be more proactive, very daring in your initiatives and diligent in your studies. The 21st century is developing rapidly; we are living in a rapidly developing world. When we were your age, we didn’t know what would be the professions in the age of developed technologies, in the age of internet. The same will happen 20 or 30 years later. We need to be ready for that, and I am confident that you will be ready.
I once again congratulate you and express gratitude for your service, and service it is. Be assured that good performance in studies is a service to your country. I would like to thank the organizers of this event, thank you. And certainly I thank the award commission.
About 35 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were registered at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night.
The rival used firearms of different calibers as it fired over 6,100 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.
The Azerbaijani side used DShK large-caliber machine guns (1,160 shots) in the southern direction.
The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army resorted to response actions to pressure the activeness of the rival and confidently continued with their military duty.
A plane transporting members of Fenerbahce was forced to make an emergency landing in Hungary on Oct. 19 after a crack appeared in the front window, according to the club’s official Twitter said.
The club said in a statement that the plane made an emergency landing after it collided with a bird, adding that the situation was not worrying, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
A second plane meanwhile took off from Istanbul to take the team to Manchester.
The team is scheduled to play against English giants Manchester United at Old Trafford on Oct. 20 in the Europa League.
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan hosted His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to His Holiness for visiting the government and noted that “he highly values the state-church cooperation.”
The Catholicos wished success and effective activity to the Prime Minister and the newly-appointed Ministers for the sake of prosperity of the country, overcoming of difficulties and reinforcement of achievements.
PM Karen Karapetyan and His Holiness Karekin II discussed a number of issues related to the further reinforcement of church-state ties and other questions.
Jose Mourinho and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were snapped leaving the Lowry Hotel this morning after Manchester United’s stalemate with Liverpool last night, reports.
Manchester United were held to a goalless draw at Anfield and Mourinho looked a little worse for wear the morning after.
The Old Trafford boss was seen getting into a waiting car complete with a personalised ‘JM’ backpack before being whisked away to Manchester United’s Carrington training ground.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was also snapped leaving the Lowry as he too headed off to training sporting a white BALR hoodie, dark jeans and black wash bag.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative are partnering to fund a research program that will enable the IRC to provide vital assistance in the form of reliable and accountable cash distribution to those affected by the conflict in Syria.
With the US $100,000 support of Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, the IRC is chartering the development of a Cash First Roadmap—a yearlong campaign which will propose a methodology to identify the country-level barriers to wider cash transfer programming but also inform the means to address them.
The outcome will provide an established framework for the IRC and wider humanitarian community to follow.
“Every day, the number of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world steadily grows. Now is the time to redouble our efforts not just to raise the necessary resources, but to put in place the evidence-based programs that transform lives,” said David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC. “It is crucial that the humanitarian community continues to look toward and adopt the most cost-effective measures for providing relief, in order to maximize impact to the greatest number of beneficiaries.”
In contrast with other forms of humanitarian aid, which use donor funds to purchase and distribute relief items, cash transfer programming is a proven effective and efficient means to deliver assistance. Evidence shows that delivering cash is cheaper and faster than alternative forms of aid that require procurement, shipping, storing and distribution. Notably, cash transfer programming gives beneficiaries a greater degree of choice and dignity, allowing them to prioritize their own needs and become agents in their own recovery process. Additionally, evidence shows that the provision of cash to communities to spend on existing markets has a multiplier effect on the local economy.
“We’re glad to work with the IRC to further our shared goals of helping those who are most in need,” said Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Co-Founder Ruben Vardanyan. “Like those special few who intervened with courage on behalf of Armenians one hundred years ago, we are proud to continue in their spirit today by supporting organizations addressing today’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. We are pleased to support a more innovative means of delivering aid—one which provides faster assistance and greater satisfaction to recipients.”
The IRC, which currently deploys cash assistance to more than 113,000 beneficiaries in 19 countries, will use the Roadmap to further increase its capacity to implement cash programming, and shift focus away from the provision of less-effective, in-kind assistance.
Photo: EPA/THOMAS RASSLOFF
Russian and Syrian aircraft have stopped airstrikes in Aleppo area from 10 a.m. (07:00 GMT) Tuesday to introduce a humanitarian pause on October 20, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday, TASS reports.
“The airstrikes of Russia’s Aerospace Forces and Syria’s Air Force stop in the Aleppo area from 10 a.m.,” the minister said. “The long-term suspension of airstrikes is necessary to introduce a “humanitarian pause” on October 20,” he said.
This will allow “guaranteeing security of exit via six corridors for civilians and preparing for evacuation of those ill and wounded from the eastern part of Aleppo,” he said.
“We turn to the leadership of the countries having influence on the armed units in the eastern part of Aleppo with a proposal to convince their leaders to stop combat actions and leave the city,” Shoigu said.
“By the start of a “humanitarian pause” the Syrian forces will be withdrawn to the distances allowing militants to freely leave eastern Aleppo with arms via two specially created corridors: the first on the Castello road and the second in the area of market Souq al Hai,” he added.
Russia’s military announced plans to organize a “humanitarian pause” in Aleppo on Monday. Thus, the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian army will stop delivering strikes from 08:00 a.m. to 16:00 Moscow time on October 20, Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi, the chief of the main operations directorate of the Russian General Staff, said.
Azerbaijani President’s statements on provision of autonomy to Nagorno Karabakh are absurd and cannot be taken seriously, Spokesman for the NKR President David Babayan said in an interview with .
“This is a provocative statement. Autonomy means return to the past. How can Artsakh refuse from independence and become a colony, a concentration camp within Azerbaijan?” the Spokesman said. He deemed the statements “ridiculous” and added that “it’s not a matter of discussion.”
The comments come after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with RIA Novosti that “reasonable compromise on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is possible,” and suggested that “the region could become an autonomous republic,”
According to Aliyev, there can be no compromise on the “territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” as Baku would “never agree” to the Nagorno-Karabakh independence. “But there can be compromise on the issues of local self-government… in the future, if we manage to agree, it [Karabakh] may become an autonomous republic,” Aliyev said.
David Babayan said “the statement means Azerbaijan is not ready for a comprehensive settlement. He added that Azerbaijan should first think about provision of autonomy to other nations living on its territory – Talyshs, Lezgins and others. “There is no alternative to provision of self-governance to those peoples, because if the pressures continue, new conflicts could emerge,” David Babyan noted.
The Spokesman, however, notices a positive dynamic in Aliyev’s statements. “In the past he was speaking exceptionally about the destruction of Karabakh, today he’s speaking about the willingness to provide autonomy. One day he may come to the understanding that Artsakh should be garnted independence, while the other nations should get autonomy within Azerbaijan,” he noted.
As for the visit of the OSCE Misnk Group Co-Chairs to Nagorno Karabakh, David Babayan said “they always visit Artsakh during regional visits, provided that the weather conditions are good. There are exceptions, when the visit is aimed at organizing meetings between the Presidents or the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“Thus, we expect the Co-Chairs to visit the Nagorno Karabakh Republic at the end of the week and we hope the weather will not create any difficulties,” David Babayan concluded.
Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan discussed the issue of Syrian Armenian refugees with Christoph Bierwirth, Representative for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia.
During the meeting special reference was made to issues related to UN assistance in ensuring housing for the refugees that have fled Syria and settled here in Armenia.
Arman Tatoyan prioritized the solution of issues connected with the housing of Syrian Armenians and provision of legal advice. Issues related to the provision of financial assistance by UNHCR Office in case of a new flow of refugees in the futurewere discussed.
Christoph Bierwirth expressed willingness to support the Syrian Armenian families within the framework of the mandate and capacities of the UNHCR Office, noting that relevant work in that direction is under way.
At the end of the meeting the Ombudsman hailed the efforts of the UNHCR Office in Armenia aimed at providing assistance to Syrian Armenians.
The parties attached importance to the frequent meetings and discussions on the matter.