Category: News

Photo: REUTERS/ Mohammad Ismail

Two explosions rocked the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday, killing at least 24 people and injuring 90. According to local media reports, the devices were detonated by suicide bombers, reports.

Police have confirmed that a police chief and a high-ranking Defense Ministry offials were among those killed in the blasts.

Initial reports earlier suggested that the bombing targeted Defense Ministry personnel.

According to the sourse, Taliban is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The second blast reportedly targeted first responders as they rushed to the scene. Afghan law enforcement officers confirmed at least 30 people have been injured in the attack.

The Defense Ministry is located in the centre of Kabul, right next to the Presidential Palace and not far away from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) HQ and the US Embassy.

– A dramatized recreation of one of the Soviet Union’s most devastating natural disasters — the Spitak earthquake in northern Armenia in December 1988 — has been chosen as Armenia’s submission for best foreign-language film Oscar consideration.

The $3 million disaster movie Earthquake (Zemletryasenie) was directed by Sarik Andreasyan and produced by Moscow-based Mars Media, headed by Ruben Dishdishyan, who founded Russia’s top independent production company Central Partnership in 1995 before stepping down five years ago.

Earthquake tells the story of the massive quake that destroyed more than 300 communities and killed 25,000 people. Focused around the story of two young men, Andrey Berezhnov and Robert Melkonyan, whose fates were already intertwined by an earlier tragedy — a car crash caused by Andrey that killed Robert’s parents — the film brings them together in the same rescue squad as they struggle to cope with a disaster that eclipses their own personal stories.

Shot in Armenia and in Moscow on specially built sets — to spare the people of Gyumri (formerly Leninakan) the distress of recreating earthquake damage in a city where memories after nearly 30 years remain raw — the film, long tipped as this year’s Oscar entry from Armenia, beat two other shortlisted films in a secret ballot of the National Film Academy of Armenia.

In comments posted on , Dishdishyan wrote: “This is amazing news! Thank you very much to the [National Film Academy members] for their trust! We will try to justify it. We’ve still got a long way to go, but it’s a start. Thank you to all the filmmakers and participants in the movie and especially the director, Sarik Andreasyan.”

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received today the delegation headed by his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The Prime Ministers of the two countries hailed the political and economic relations established between the two countries and referred to the perspectives of their development.

The face-to-face meeting was followed by negotiations featuring the delegations of the two countries.

Hovik Abrahamyan and Giorgi Kvirikashvili discussed a wide range of issues related to the Armenian-Georgian cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, energy, transport, tourism, education, etc.

The parties attached importance to the development of energy cooperation both in bilateral and multilateral formats. They welcomed the meetings between Armenian, Georgian, Russian and Iranian energy officials in Yerevan in December 2015 and April 2016, which will allow to initiate and realize programs of regional importance. Reference was made to the construction of the Armenia-Georgia power line.

The parties exchanged views on the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism and education. They attached importance to the efforts towards reinforcement of stability and security in the region.

Hovik Abrahamyan said the Georgian PM’s visit could serve an additional impetus to the further deepening and development of relations.

Armenia began the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with an away loss against Denmark.

Christian Eriksen  netted the only goal in Copenhagen in the 17th minute, though the Tottenham midfielder failed to convert a penalty in the second half when Armenia ‘keeper Arsen Beglaryan saved his spot kick.

Armenia will next host Romania.

PHOTO: EPA/CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL

The meeting of Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama went off well and lasted longer than planned. The Syrian issue and Ukraine were discussed first and foremost, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters following talks on Monday, TASS reports.

“The meeting lasted longer than planned. (The two presidents) discussed, above all, Syria and Ukraine. After that Obama and Putin held a one-on-one meeting behind closed doors,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

He added that the meeting went off well. “The work will continue,” Peskov said.

The Associated Press quotes a senior Obama administration official as saying that “President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to keep up negotiations over a cease-fire agreement for Syria.”

The official says Obama and Putin met for 90 minutes on Monday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in Hangzhou, China.

The official says Obama and Putin clarified the remaining gaps in the talks, which largely involve how the deal would be implemented.

The official says the two leaders directed their teams to meet again quickly, possible as soon as later this week.

On 5 September Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received philanthropist Arthur Varzhapetyan, NKR President’s Press Service reports.

Issues related to the realization of various programs in our republic were on the discussion agenda.

For the assistance shown to the Motherland in the realization of significant socioeconomic projects and in connection with the 25^th anniversary of the NKR proclamation Bako Sahakyan handed in the “Mesrop Mashtots” order to Arthur Varzhapetyan.

Thereafter President Sahakyan and Arthur Varzhapetyan partook in the Stepanakert’s Renaissance square at a solemn ceremony of handing over keys from the cars donated by the philanthropist to a number of NKR state structures.

President Serzh Sargsyan attended today the opening ceremony of the totally renovated P. Tchaikovsky Secondary Musical School. The President of Armenia accompanied by the Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghossian, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margarian, representatives of the Hayastan Fund and the School toured the premise, familiarized with the conditions, conversed with the teaching staff and schoolchildren after which at the newly renovated hall was present at the performance of the talented children – laureates of the Armenian and international competitions.

After the conclusion of the large-scale works carried out through the funding of the Hayastan Fund’s US East Coast local bodies, on the occasion of the opening statements were made by the Headmaster of the School Martun Kostandian, Executive Director of the Hayastan Fund Ara Vardanian and the Chairman of the Fund’s East Coast chapter Khoren Bandazian who noted with satisfaction that the renovation has elevated the School’s status to a new level and now there exists the opportunity to organize schooling of the gifted and talented children from the distant regions of Armenia, Artsakh, and abroad, to improve the learning process and achieve new results. Currently, there are over 600 children studying at the School who along with the high-level musical education acquire here also general education.

Photo: Reuters

 

At least 40 people have been killed in four bombings in government-held areas of Syria and one in a city dominated by Kurdish forces, state media report, the BBC reports.

The attacks took place between 08:00 and 09:00 (05:00-06:00 GMT) around Damascus, Homs, Tartous and Hassakeh. It was not clear if they were linked.

The deadliest incident was outside Tartous, on the Mediterranean coast.

Tartous, which hosts a Russian naval base, is a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect.

A news agency affiliated to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) said it was behind the Hassakeh attack, which allegedly targeted Kurdish militiamen.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial today to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

The Prime Minister laid a wreath at the memorial, toured the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and left a note in the guest book.

Giorgi Kvirikkashvili also planted a fir tree at the Memory Alley.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has arrived in Armenia for an official visit. His delegation was welcomed at Zvarnots Airport by Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.

Following the official welcome ceremony the delegation headed by the Georgian PM headed for Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.