Category: News

Member of the Turkish Parliament representing HDP Party Garo Paylan has filed a criminal complaint over “Armenian bastards” slogan, which audience shouted during President Erdogan’s speech in Trabzon, reports.

HDP Istanbul MP Garo Paylan filed a criminal complaint against “Armenian bastards” slogan, which audience shouted during President Erdogan’s speech in Trabzon on October 15. Paylan appealed to Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Law that bans “inciting hatred and hostility among peoples and denigration”.

In the complaint, Garo Paylan stated: “On October 15, there was a rally in Trabzon, where President Erdogan gave a speech. The audience, which is claimed to be AKP members, repeatedly shouted ‘Armenian bastards cannot discourage us.’ The president, ministers and member of organization committee didn’t do anything to prevent people from shouting that slogan. This slogan, apart from the fact that it insults Armenian people who have been living on these lands for centuries, is considered as hate speech under the international laws to which Turkey is a party and the practices of ECHR. Unfortunately, such expressions about Armenian people are nothing new. It is self-evident that hate speech has the power of leading to public indignation and constitutes a danger to safety of life and property of Armenian citizens, for this fact has been a part of the rulings of national and international judicial authorities. Especially the silence of the president, who is supposed to treat equally to all citizens, increases the power of hate discourse and facilitates the targeting of Armenians. In addition, by constituting an obstacle to the practice of living together peacefully, this slogan incited hatred and hostility against a section of the population on the basis of their racial difference and denigrated Armenian people.”

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today French Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier.

Stressing the special friendly nature of the Armenian-French relations, the Prime Minister praised the rich and comprehensive agenda of bilateral cooperation in different spheres and attached importance to the intensification of joint economic projects.

In this respect, Karen Karapetyan emphasized the significance of the second conference on Armenian-French decentralized cooperation to be held in Yerevan in December.

Jean-Francois Charpentier voiced his willingness to cooperate with the Armenian Government towards implementation of joint programs, further development of bilateral relations and expansion of economic ties.

The Ambassador said the French Development Agency will maintain support for the improvement of infrastructures and is going to invest about $40 mln for that purpose. He also stressed the willingness of a number of French companies to launch activity in Armenia.

The parties pointed to the fields of agriculture, information technologies, tourism as promising spheres of cooperation.

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 last king of Rwanda has died in the US aged 80 years old, the BBC reports.

Born Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa, King Kigeli V came to power in 1959 but was only king of Rwanda until 1961, when the monarchy was abolished and he was forced into exile.

He eventually settled in the US where he set up a charity helping Rwandan refugees and orphans.

A 2013 profile in Washingtonian magazine found him living off food stamps in subsidised housing.

His death was announced on his website on Sunday.

“He was a devout and dedicated believer and the last anointed African Roman Catholic king to reign over a full country,” it said.

It addd theat “the heir to the Royal throne of Rwanda” will be “announced in good order”.

At least 25 inmates have been killed in clashes between two rival factions in an overcrowded prison in northern Brazil, the BBC reports, quoting local media.

Seven of the dead were beheaded and six others burned to death, a police official reportedly said.

The incident in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, happened during visiting hours.

Some 100 visitors who were taken as hostages have been freed and the riot has ended, the reports added.

The state government said it was waiting for a prisoner count to confirm the death toll.

The violence started when inmates broke into another section of the prison where members of a different faction were being held.

Reports say there are 1,400 inmates currently in the prison, which has a capacity of up to 740.

Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has applied to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, the European Ombudsman Institute, the International Ombudsman Institute and the leaders of the International Committee of the Red Cross with a request to ensure the safety of Armenians in Syria and provide them with assistance.

In a letter to international structures, the Ombudsman has expressed deep concern over the casualties among Armenians as a result of shelling over the past months and has asked for a practical support on the part of the above-mentioned international bodies.

Photo: AP

 

Pope Francis on Sunday canonized seven new Saints including Argentina’s “gaucho priest” Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, reports.

Know as “Cura Brochero”, the Argentinian who made it his mission to take the Gospel message of salvation to the peripheries, was proclaimed a Saint together with six others in a Mass in St. Peter’s Square.”

During his homily the Pope said “saints are men and women who enter fully into the mystery of prayer. Men and women who struggle with prayer, letting the Holy Spirit pray and struggle in them.”

The others to be canonized were  two Italians, two from France, a Spaniard and a young Mexican martyr, José Sanchez del Rio who died during the Cristero struggle upholding his faith.

Some 80,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square for the occasion, including many flag-waving Argentinians who had made the journey to Rome to see Brochero elevated to sainthood.

Amongst them was also Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his family.

Two of the new Saints are martyrs:  José Sánchez del Río, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1928 in Mexico during the “Cristero” struggle which opposed the government’s anti-Catholic and anticlerical policies. Under torture José refused to disown his faith; a handwritten note addressed to his mother and found on his dead body read: “I promise that in heaven I will prepare a place for all of you. Your José dies defending the Catholic faith for the love of Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe”.

The first martyr belonging to the La Salle Order, killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. His name is Salomone Leclercq; he too chose to die in the defense of his faith.

Then there is “Cura Brochero” (José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero), an Argentinean priest “’who smelt of sheep’ and travelled enormous distances on the back of a mule during the 19th century to bring consolation and Jesus’ message of salvation to the poorest of the poor.

The Spanish Bishop of Palencia Manuel González García, founder of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, the Disciples of Saint John, and the Children of Reparation.  He was known for his strong devotion to the Eucharist and became known as the “Bishop of the Tabernacle”. He died in 1940.

Father Lodovico Pavoni of the Italian city of Brescia, founder of the religious congregation ‘Sons of Mary Immaculate’ or ‘Pavonians’. During the industrial revolution of the 19th century he set up an Oratory for Christian education and together with his ‘labourer brothers’ he taught the poor and the marginalized trades and religious education in the belief that improving social conditions would  improve the spiritual life, and improving the spiritual life would improve social conditions..

Alfonso Maria Fusco, a priest from the southern Italian city of Salerno, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as Baptistine Sisters. Their mission was to evangelize, educate and promote youth, especially those who were most poor, abandoned and at risk. He was particularly close to the impoverished and neglected farmers of the South of Italy after the unification of Italy in 1861.

Finally the French Discalced Carmelite mystic and writer Elizabeth of the Trinity who died aged just 26 in 1906 from Addison’s disease, which in the early 20th century had no treatment with which to cure or allieviate the suffering of its victims. Even though her death was painful, Elizabeth gratefully accepted her suffering as a gift from God. Her last words were: “I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!”

“Turkey has no place in and should be kept away from the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation process,” Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has said.

“The only positive impact Ankara could have on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is the opening of the border with Armenia and ceasing of encouraging Azerbaijan’s provocative and destructive steps,” Kocharyan said in comments to News.am.

The remarks come after some media reports quoting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying that “Turkey could play a positive role in the Karabakh conflict settlement.

“The statement on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh issue, adopted by the Presidents of the CSTO member-countries in Yerevan on October 14, expresses its support to the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg aimed at the prevention of escalation of situation in the conflict zone, stabilization of situation and creation of conditions for the advancement of peace process. The exclusively peaceful settlement should be based on the three well-known principles of International Law – non use of force or threat of force, the territorial integrity of states and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples,” Shavarsh Kocharyan added.

“The position of the Russian Federation on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is expressed by the abovementioned statement, not through the distortion of Sergey Lavrov’s words by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey as presented in the Azerbaijani media: a qualification, which previously was ascribed to the Azerbaijani side for its misrepresentation of the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation process,” the Deputy Foreign Minister stated.

Photo: AFP

 

An Iraqi operation to recapture the city of Mosul, the last stronghold of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in the country, has started.

Artillery began firing on the city early on Monday, in a long-awaited assault from Kurdish Peshmerga, Iraqi government and allied forces.

Tanks are now moving towards the city, which has been held by IS since 2014.

The UN has expressed “extreme concern” for the safety of up to 1.5 million people in the area.

The solemn opening of the fourth international conference of Armenian libraries was held at Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Depository (Matenadaran) at the Mother See of Hoply Etchmiadzin today.

The conference titled “Preserving the past for the sake of future” is dedicated to the 350^th anniversary of publishing of the first Armenian Bible.

The event has been organized by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian Ministry of Culture and the National Library.

The opening ceremony was attended by His Holiness Karenin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan.

“The anniversary of  publishing of the Armenian Holy Book is a remarkable opportunity for the Armenian people to once again value their written legacy and the tireless efforts and dedication our devotees have demonstrated to create this heritage. Printing is one of the greatest achievements of mankind, which made it possible for the achievements of human brain to disseminate and reach all layers of society. Printing became one of the favorable conditions shaping the modern civilization,” His Holiness Karekin II said in his opening remarks.

Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan voiced hope that the conference would serve its goals – to support the centers of Armenology, to help libraries register the Armenian printed heritage, to contribute to the long-term maintenance and popularization of the Armenian legacy.

“I hope new routes of cooperation will be found as a result of discussions, new models of digitization and preservation will be offered,” Armen Amiryan said.