Author: Arpi Talalian

Armenian Genocide Museum acquires original photo of the heroic battle of Van

Arpi Talalian

The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI) has acquired an exceptional original photo of the heroic battle of Van, AGMI Director Hayk Demoyan informs in a Facebook post.

The photo presents the participants of the battle of April 2015 and the cannons confiscated from the Turkish regular army on these days 101 years ago.

The photo taken by an American missionary doctor in Van was once published in the American press, but the original photo had long been considered lost.

 

Royal Mail issues stamp on Queen’s 90th birthday

Arpi Talalian

Today, the Royal Mail celebrates The Queen’s 90th birthday with the release of a photograph featuring four generations of the Royal Family. The image will appear on a special commemorative Stamp Sheet.

The Royal Mail celebrates its own special birthday this year: its 500th anniversary. The Queen will mark the anniversary with a visit to the Royal Mail Windsor delivery office this morning, the first of this year’s 90th birthday events.

Armenian MP brings ISIS-style actions of Azerbaijan to the attention of PACE

Arpi Talalian

Addressing the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, head of the Armenian delegation to PACE Hermine Naghdalyan referred to the worrying signs of ISIS expanding to other regions, namely the South Caucasus.

Speaking about the Turkey-EU deal on migrants, Naghdalyan stressed that “reached under almost open blackmail of Turkey, this agreement is being heavily criticized for various reasons.”

“The country receives billions of dollars to manage migration flows, which are generated, in part, by the acts of the Islamic State. On the other hand, according to media reports, there are claims that Turkey is financially supporting the Islamic State by purchasing oil from the terrorist group at low prices,” the Armenian lawmaker said.

She quoted the Daily Mail as saying in August 2014 that many foreigners joined the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, travelling through Turkey and that the country is the hub of the terrorist organization.

“Today the Islamic State is declining in Syria. This is encouraging. However, there are worrying signs that ISIS would aim to destabilize other region, including the South Caucasus,” Hermine Naghdalyan said.

“On April 2 Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale aggression against Nagorno Karabakh. Many media outlets have reported about the participation of ISIS fighters in the ranks of Azerbaijani armed forces. Maybe this could explain the barbaric acts of violence committed by Azeri forces during four days of war. The list of war crimes includes bombardment of civilian objects, schools with use of heavy rocket launchers, killing and mutilating civilians – children and elderly people, committing ISIS-style beheading of already dead soldiers and showing the heads to cheering public,” she added.

“The bloodshed in Nagorno Karabakh was stopped due to the courage of the people of Nagorno Karabakh. However, credible fears remain on the possible expansion of ISIS to new regions that will definitely lead to new wars and tragedies,” the Armenian MP stressed.

“I add my voice to those calling to combine efforts in fighting terrorism in all its form, to take further measures, deal with radicalization and hate speech and make it clear that war is not an option, tolerance is the attribute of the strong,” Naghdalyan concluded.

Ukraine parliament approves Volodymyr Groysman for PM

Arpi Talalian

Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday approved Volodymyr Groysman for the post of prime minister, paving the way for a new government in the biggest shake-up since a 2014 uprising brought in a pro-Western leadership, Reuters reports.

“I will show you what leading a country really means,” Groysman said ahead of the vote, which also finalised the resignation of Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk.

Groysman’s nomination was backed by 257 MPs, comfortably over the minimum 226 needed.

ISIS blocks Armenians, other Christians from leaving Syrian city of Raqqa

Arpi Talalian

The handful of Christian families remaining in ISIS’ Syrian stronghold of Raqqa have been forbidden from fleeing the city, according to a tweet from a secret group that reports from inside the caliphate, reports.

The activist group Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered said the black-clad terrorist army issued a decree that any Christians or Armenians still within city limits may not leave. It is believed that there are just more than 40 Christian families left in the city, and that they have been forced to register with the extremist group and to pay a “jizya,” or a minority tax in exchange for being unharmed.

“Any Christian living within Syria or Iraq is in a very dangerous and precarious position,” David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA, a Christian advocacy organization, told FoxNews.com. ‘We want to see the Christian church survive in the Middle East, especially in the areas occupied by the Islamic State.”

Raqqa first fell into rebel control in March 2013 after a battle between Al Qaeda-linked jihadi group Al Nusra and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s regime, becoming the first provincial capital under rebel control. ISIS has since used the city as a launching point to increase their caliphate.

According to Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered, there are about 43 Christian families left in the city.

Armenian, Russian PMs discuss bilateral cooperation, upcoming EEU meeting

Arpi Talalian

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan had a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev today.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to Medvedev;s upcoming official visit to Armenia and the sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council to be held in Armenia.

Hovik Abrahamyan and Dmitry Medvedev referred to the agenda of the Armenian-Russian allied relations and trade-economic cooperation.