Author: Bedik Zaminian

The Azerbaijani side kept violating the ceasefire regime at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night.

The rival mainly used firearms of different calibers /550 shots/ and sniper rifles /33 shots/. The Azeri side also used a hand-held antitank grenade launcher in the eastern /Martuni/ direction.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army confidently continued with their military duty and ensured the reliable protection of the frontline.

“The situation is calm at this point and is under vigil control of the Armenian forces,” the NKR Defense Ministry said.

Covert Media has sold the Armenian disaster film “Earthquake” and fantasy thriller “The Night Watchmen” to multiple major international territories including Germany, Japan and Korea, has learned exclusively.

Sales were made through Covert’s recently launched Lexica Films label,which began operations ahead of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival with the aim to champion five to 10 foreign language titles per year. Senior VP of International Jim Harvey leads the sales for President of International Liz Kim Schwan.

“Earthquake,” which had its market premiere screening at the American Film Market, has been acquired by AT Entertainment for Japan and First Run Inc for South Korea as well as Movie Cloud for Taiwan, One World Movies for India, Moxienotion for Indonesia, Sahamongkol for Malaysia and Vietnam, and with Cine Star for Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. The film has been submitted as Armenia’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film for this season’s Golden Globes.

Konstantin Lavronenko stars in a fictional account of the devastating 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia.

“Earthquake” is directed by Sarik Andreasyan from a script by Aleksey Gravitskiy and Sergey Yudakov, with participation from Grant Barsegyan and Arsen Danielyan. The cast also includes Sabina Akhmedova and newcomer Viktor Stepanyan.

Nikolay Ryzhkov, Co-Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Armenian National Assembly and the Russian Federal Assembly, and members of the Commission visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial today, accompanied by Hermine Naghdalyan, Co-Chair of the Commission, MPs Volodya Badalyan and Levon Martirosyan.

The guests laid flowers at the Eternal Fire and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims with a minute of silence.

Noting that he has been familiar with the tragedy that befell the Armenian in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, Nikolay Ryzhkov said: “Centuries will pass, but the Armenian Genocide will not be forgotten. Four generations have changed in Turkey, but they keep denying the Armenian Genocide. It’s necessary to take steps towards reconciliation of the two peoples.”

“Unfortunately, the tragic events that befell the Armenians 100 years ago continue in Syria and other places today. Their prevention is the sacred mission for you and us,” Ryzhkov said.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the world famous French scientist, one of the forefathers of the Internet, Executive Director of Open-Root organization Louis Pouzin who has become the recipient of the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies for his global contribution to the IT area.

The President of Armenia welcomed the celebrated scientist and his spouse Chantal Lebrument in our country and underscored that the RA Presidential Award, which was bestowed on Mr. Pouzin, is the embodiment of the Armenian people’s gratitude and admiration for the individuals who are moving the world forward and whose talent allowed the West to achieve technological advantage compared to the East. “This award serves another purpose too: to invite the attention of our young people to the individuals and activities which have become successful, and is called to inspire them. We want to prove that knowledge can make someone world famous and allow to live a prosperous life and enjoy respect,” said the President of Armenia.

Louis Pouzin said that throughout his life he has been working with pleasure and has been happy to contact persons who are resolute in their steps. “I am confident that there are many such people in Armenia with whom it is possible to work and implement programs. My objective is to maintain a constant contact with them and thanks to that link even to develop new programs and carry out works,” said Louis Pouzin at the meeting with the President of Armenia.

After the meeting, at the Presidential Palace there took place the ceremony of the cancelling a special envelop dedicate to the recipients of the RA Presidential Award. This is a special philatelic product – a thematic envelop with two stamps produced in 2013 and is dedicated to the “RA Presidential Award for the global contribution in the area of Information Technologies” topic. This special edition envelop, which was printed in 500 copies, was cancelled with a special seal. The envelop depicts the recipient of the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies for year 2016, the French scientist, the inventor of datagram, one of the five forefathers of the internet Louis Pouzin and the six previous recipients of the Award.

In the evening, at the Presidential Palace there will be a reception in honor of the recipient of the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies for year 2016 Louis Pouzin and Mrs. Chantal Lebrument.

Additional information on the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the IT area

Mr. Louis Pouzin is the seventh recipient of the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the area of information Technologies. The first award was bestowed on the former President of the Board of Directors of Intel Corporation Greig Barrett in 2010, the second one was given in 2011 to Steve Wozniak – a co-founder of the Apple Computers corporation, the third one – in 2012 went to Federico Faggin – the Honorary President of the Synaptics Company, the fourth award went to Tsugio Makimoto, the President of Semiconductor Industry Association, President of the Techno Vision company, former CEO of the Hitachi Company, the fifth – to Chief Development Officer of Sysco Systems, Inc., Mario Mazzola, the sixth – to Director General of Kaspersky Lab Evgeni Kaspersky.

The RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the IT area was founded by President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree of July 6, 2009 and is aimed at the enhancement of the area’s development. The award is annual and is bestowed on the individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the area and whose input – technological, educational, organizational, financial or other has resulted in significant developments in the area of information technologies. The nomination program is carried out by the award committee designated by the President of Armenia and the international commission. The award represents a medal symbolizing Armenia and high technologies, a diploma and a souvenir.

Three Armenian companies are participating in the WTM 2016 international tourism fair in London November 7-9 with the support of the Development Foundation of Armenia.

The World Travel Market is the second largest tourism fair in the world, where the Armenian booth presents the country’s tourism opportunities, introduces the directions for pilgrimage to the first Christian nation.

The Armenian companies have left for London to meet partners, establish new ties and sign new contracts.

“By participating in international tourism exhibitions we help raise awareness about our country on the international market. In particular, the London fair will allow to present the attractive tourism destinations in Armenia and Artsakh to more than 180 tourism organizations of the world, agents and visitors,” Executive Director of the Armenian Development Foundation Karen Mkrtichian said.

The London travel show, held for  the 37th time, has brought together more than 5,000 companies and 50,000 visitors over the past years.

Parallel to implementing a wide range of infrastructure projects throughout 2016, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has built scores of homes for Artsakh families with five or more children. With proceeds from its 2015 Telethon as well as contributions from individual benefactors, the fund will continue to construct homes for large families in Artsakh.

To date, a total of 28 such homes have been built or are in the process of being constructed in cities, towns, and villages across Artsakh, including Martakert, Martuni, Vorotan, Avetaranots, Vank, Nor Haykajur, Chankatagh, Mushkapat, Chartar, Khandzadzor, Mets Tagher, Aknaberd, Charektar, Yeghegnut, Mirik, Berdik, Krasni, Chapar, Kusapat, Mariamadzor, Noragyugh, Varanda, and Vurgavand.

Nine of the homes were recently completed and fully furnished, and are ready for occupancy. Previously, six other brand-new and fully furnished homes were presented to as many families. The beneficiaries are the Harutyunyan, Shirinyan, Baghdasaryan, Movsesyan, Petrosyan and Sargsyan families, who moved into their new houses in Chartar, Krasni, Martakert and Chankatagh.

As determined by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Board of Trustees and worldwide affiliates at their most recent joint meeting, proceeds from the fund’s 2016 Thanksgiving Day Telethon, on November 24, will be allocated to initiatives for rebuilding war-ravaged communities in Artsakh, various measures to ensure the safety and security of the peaceful population of the republic, and the construction of many more homes for Artsakh families with multiple children. The meeting has also affirmed that the fund’s donors will continue to have the option of supporting special projects of their choosing.

Armenia and Iran have initialed a Memorandum of Understanding on the purchase and sale and transit of gas.

The document was signed during the visit of a delegation of the Armenian Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources to the Islamic Republic of Iran from October 31 to November 1.

The Armenian delegation led by Deputy Minister Hayk Harutyunyan had a number of meetings within the framework of the visit.

Issues related to the current cooperation between the two countries, the expansion of regional cooperation, namely the perspectives of transiting gas to third countries through Armenia’s territory were discussed at a meeting with Hamid Reza Araghi, Deputy Petroleum Minister for Gas Affairs & Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company.

During the meeting with Iran’s Deputy Minister of Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Houshang Falahatian the parties discussed issues of increasing the volumes of electricity exchange and the perspectives of expansion of regional cooperation.

Photo: AP

A curious college student in Portland, Ore., has discovered a 1599 Geneva Bible — the Bible of Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare — in the basement of his school’s library, reports.

The book — found at Lewis & Clark College’s Aubrey R. Watzek LIbrary — could have royal lineage, according to the local Oregonian newspaper. One page reads: “Imprinted at London, by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queenes most excellent Majestie.”

“It’s quite rare,” said Hannah Crummé, the archivist at Lewis & Clark College.

This edition of the Bible made the scriptures accessible through many elaborate woodcut illustrations. One, titled “The Situation of the Garden of Eden,” is a map of the ancient Middle East, showing “The Great Armenia,” “Mesopotamie,” “Babylone” and “The Golphe of the Persian Sea.”

The Bible is in good condition despite repairs that wouldn’t meet today’s book-conservation standards, the newspaper reported.

Crummé has traced its ownership to Francis Fry, a 19th-century Bible collector in England.

Student Sam Bussan was working in the special collections and archives on Sept. 27. As he was preparing to leave for the day, he spotted a label on a bottom shelf that read “Bibles.”

Intrigued, he opened the four boxes and “found all these incredible books,” including Bibles from the 17th through 19th centuries.

“To have that end up in such an unlikely place is very exciting and intriguing,” Bussan said. “The quality of printing is really amazing.”

According to the Oregonian, the 1599 Geneva Bible is the second-oldest book in the school’s collection, as they have one book that is about 500 years old.

According to government’s decision, Governor of Syunik Province Surik Khachatryan will be dismissed from the post.

According to another government decision, Vahe Hakobyan will be replace him as Syunik Governor.