Author: Albert Nalbandian

US President Donald Trump visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Monday.

Representatives of the Catholic, Armenian and Greek-Orthodox church met the president.

Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Nourhan Manougian, Custos of the Holy Land Fr. Francesco Patton, and Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III greeted President Trump.

President Donald Trump also paid his respects at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, AP reports.

Trump is on his first visit to Israel as president.

According to preliminary results, the Republican Party of Armenia claimed victory in the Yerevan City Council election.

With bulletins from 474 polling stations processed, the Republican Party has recieved71.25% of the votes, YelkBloc and Yerkir Tsirany Party  have collected 21% and 7.75% respectively.

345,226 citizens or 40.99% of eligible voters participated in the election.

Photo: Getty Images

 

US President Donald Trump has approved supplying weapons to Kurdish forces fighting so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria, the Pentagon says, the BBC reports.

Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would be equipped to help drive IS from its stronghold, Raqqa, a spokeswoman said.

The US was “keenly aware” of Turkey’s concerns about such a move, she added.

Turkey views the Kurdish rebels as terrorists and wants to stop them taking more territory in Syria.

The SDF, which comprises Kurdish and Arab militias, is already being supported by elite US forces and air strikes from a US-led coalition.

The group is currently battling IS for control of the city of Tabqa, an IS command centre just 50km (30 miles) from Raqqa.

Photo: EPA

 

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has decisively won the French presidential election, projected results say, the BBC reports.

Mr Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen by about 65.5% to 34.5% to become, at 39, the country’s youngest president, the results show.

Mr Macron will also become the first president from outside the two traditional main parties since the modern republic’s foundation in 1958.

He said that a “new chapter of hope and confidence is opening”.

Mr Macron’s supporters gathered to celebrate in central Paris after the bitterly fought election concluded on Sunday amid massive security.

The Macron team said that the new president had had a “cordial” telephone conversation with Ms Le Pen.

In a speech she thanked the 11 million people who had voted for her. She said the election had shown a division between “patriots and globalists” and called for the emergence of a new political force.

Private of the Artsakh Defense Army Narek Harutyunyan (born in 1997) was killed by Azerbaijani fire at about 17:50 on April 24, the Artsakh Defense Ministry reports.

Probe into the details of the incident is underway.

The Defense Army shares the sorrow of the heavy loss and expresses it support to the soldier’s family and friends.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire more than 50 times on April 24 and overnight, firing over 800 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The rival used sniper rifles in the southeastern and eastern sections of the line oc contact.

The Karabakh forces undertook retaliatory measures to pressure the activeness of the rival.

 – The municipality of the City of Buenos Aires during a session on April 20 declared “for the promotion and defense of human rights” the central act “for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Turkish State, to be held next April 24 under the slogan ‘Memory, Truth, Justice and Reparation.’”

The resolution–presented by Legislator Jose Campagnoli, president of the Commission on Human Rights, Guarantees and Antidiscrimination of the legislature, with the co-author of Carlos Tomada, second vice-president of the legislature– will be presented on Monday, April 24 in front of the residence of the Ambassador of Turkey, after a rally organized by the institutions of the Armenian community. In that sense, the legislature also approved, on the initiative of Legislator Javier Andrade, an adhesion to the activities that will be carried out that day.

An Armenian textile exhibit is now on display at the Lynn Museum. Museum’s Executive Director Drew Russo describes it as symbolic of an important story, one that perhaps is even more powerful given the current turbulent circumstances both nationwide and throughout the world, according to .

This April 24 marks the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a horrific event in which more than a million Armenians were killed and thousands more forcibly removed from their homeland during the reign of the Ottoman Empire in early 20th century Eastern Europe.

“The magnificent aspect of this display is that it represents the preservation of Armenian culture and traditions and how they were kept alive even after the genocide,” said Russo.

“It demonstrates the heroic efforts of those who were able to escape – how they made sure their traditions were preserved even after being forced to vacate their home,” he said.

The exhibit, entitled “Heartstrings: Embracing Armenian Needlelace, Embroidery and Rugs,” opened in February and is running through June at the museum. The show displays items from the collection of Mary Mooradian, which includes the work of former Lynn resident Abraham Megerdichian, who made “wonderful, artistic creations” using leftover scrap material brought home from his job at General Electric, according to Russo.

Just as Armenians worldwide commemorate the anniversary of the genocide in order to honor those lost, the Lynn exhibit will be further enhanced by the one-day appearance of a seldom-viewed and rare collection of Armenian inscribed rugs from the personal collection of Raffi Manjikian.

The Manjikian collection will be on display, Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. until noon.

“[The rugs] are devotional and memorial pieces with iconography that marks that period in history. They show the dates and names of people,” Manjikian explained. “As a person of Armenian descent, whose grandparents lost loved ones in the genocide, I belief objects like this that come into our hands have important stories to tell. So much can get lost in times of turmoil. We need to preserve what we can.”

Manjikian said this is a part of his collection that has not previously been showcased publicly.

“These are pieces I usually share only with close friends but Mary asked if I’d be willing to display them at this exhibit,” he said. “I’m an enthusiastic collector and I’m fortunate to have these items in my collection. It’s part of an immigrant story, really, and it reinforces the importance of highlighting and showcasing works from people of all cultures.”

Russo said the exhibit is a way of keeping memories and history alive – a powerful reminder to never forget.

“I think the exhibit has an important story to share, a story we need to be reminded of, especially at a time like this in our history,” he said. “There’s so much richness and hope yet so much tragedy wrapped up in the work [on display]. We’ve been fortunate to be able to work with Mary and Raffi to help bring this story to life.”

Photo: REX FEATURES

 

Actor Clifton James, who appeared as Sheriff JW Pepper in two James Bond films, has died at the age of 96, the BBC reports.

He died close to his childhood home in Gladstone, Oregon, on Saturday due to complications from diabetes.

James was best known for appearing alongside Sir Roger Moore in the Bond films Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun during the 1970s.

His daughter Lynn said: “He was the most outgoing person, beloved by everybody.”

She added: “I don’t think the man had an enemy. We were incredibly blessed to have had him in our lives.”

“Armenia’s turnover with the EAEU countries grew by more than 15%, and the export of the Armenian goods to the Eurasian market grew by 65% in 2016,” Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at the session of the Eurasian Supreme Economic Council in Bishkek.

“The shaping of our common economic area and its development for the second year in a row is taking place in a complex global economic situation which is manifested in the decreasing tempo of the global economic growth and geopolitical convulsions. All this on one hand creates certain problems for the full-fledged functioning of our Union, on the other hand it opens new opportunities for a closer cooperation of our countries,” he said.

“Under these conditions, the concerted steps taken by our countries allowed the member state to stabilize to some extent the situation, to achieve the macroeconomic stability through the assistance to some areas and branches, which has translated into the tendency of growth in some countries in the areas of industrial and agricultural production. In particular, in 2016 the gross domestic product indicators in Armenia showed positive dynamics; there was registered the increase of activities in the production, agricultural, and service areas. Armenia’s turnover with the EAEU countries grew by more than 15%, and the export of the Armenian goods to the Eurasian market grew by 65%. Turnover with third countries has also increased,” President Sargsyan noted.

“Our countries have similar goals for development which we, in particular, see in the introduction of industrial innovations, high technologies in the area of agriculture, digitalized economy, and renewable sources of energy. It is also important to make concerted efforts aimed at the implementation of the mutually beneficial cooperation programs. We have two main objectives: First, to fortify the Union from within, further liberalize our common economic area through the elimination of the barriers, reduce exemptions related to the free move of goods, services, capital, and labor. Second objective is the amplification of the EAEU’s international engagement. These two objectives complement each other and affect the efficiency and international standing of the Organization,” the President said.

“From the viewpoint of further strengthening of the international standing of our integration union, we attach great importance to the invigoration of the EAEU cooperation with the third countries which are ready for a true partnership, and with pivotal integration units. In 2016, issues of cooperation with Iran, China, India, Egypt and some other countries were discussed in a constructive spirit. Armenia is interested in securing these agreements legally, particularly with the Islamic Republic of Iran with which we have pragmatic, mutually beneficial, and good neighborly relations,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

“From this point of view, we assess positively the cooperation process between the Eurasian Economic Commission and European Commission as an important factor for the promotion of a dialogue between the two integration unions which will be conducive for the exchange of experience, exploration of the avenues for integration and cooperation, and a harmonious, complementary and mutually beneficial development,” he added.

“The efficiency of the EAEU is also dependent on the smooth and coordinated works of the state bodies of the member states, Eurasian Economic Commission, and business circles. With this regard, we expect that the Eurasian Economic Commission, within the scope of its authority, will provide proposals on the resolution of the problems facing the Union. We also view as important the creation and publishing by the Eurasian Economic Commission in cooperation with the state bodies of the member states of the so called White Book which will present by consent of the parties 60 barriers existing within the Union’s market. I hope that the road map for their elimination with the proper timetable will be created soon,” President Sargsyan said.

“Armenia will continue to implement the preset programs aimed at thwarting the negative tendencies present in the global economy, promoting sustainable development, including through the utilization of the integration potential of the Union,” the President concluded.

Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES    

Two adults and a child have been killed in a shooting in a classroom of a primary school in San Bernardino, California, police say, the BBC reports.

The suspect shot and killed his estranged wife, a teacher, and wounded two children who were behind her, one of whom died of his wounds.

He then turned the gun on himself, police said.

Police chief Jarrod Burguan described the incident as a suspected “murder-suicide” attempt.

The shooting happened at 10:30 local time (17:30 GMT) at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino county, 96km east of Los Angeles.

The gunman, named as 53-year-old Cedric Anderson, had gained entry to the school as a visitor and kept his weapon concealed until he opened fire in the classroom where 15 children with special needs were being taught, authorities said.

He killed his wife Karen Elaine Smith and fatally wounded eight-year-old Jonathan Martinez, who was airlifted to hospital but later died.

In December 2015, 14 people were killed and 21 others wounded when a couple entered a disabled service centre in San Bernardino and began firing at a group of county health workers.