Man confesses to killing four membes of an Armenian family in Javakhk

A 24-year-old resident of the Vachian village in Javakhk, Georgia has been arrested on suspicion of having killed an Armenian family in the same village, jnews.ge reports.

According to the Georgian Ministry of Interior Affairs, the suspect, identified as Nodar A., entered one of the houses in the village of Vachian. The hostess and her children spotted the man and showed resistance. As a result, Nodar A. struck the 37-year-old woman and her two daughter aged 16 and 18 with a blunt object in the head, leaving them killed.

To conceal the crime the accused set the house on fire and escaped from the site. The fourth member of the family, a 5-year-old boy, died of strangulation, the Ministry said.

The law-enfocement bodies arrested Nodar A. the day after the crime was committed. Two mobile phones belonging to the victims were found close to the scene of the incident.

The Ministry says that the man has confessed to killing the four. Investigation has een launched under Article 109.1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (Premeditated murder under aggravating circumstance, premeditated murder of two or more persons).

Former Congresswoman faces fine for not reporting legal assistance from pro-Turkish group

Former Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt faces a $2,500 fine for not reporting legal assistance provided by a pro-Turkish group, C reports.

The Turkish Coalition of America Inc., which aided Schmidt in several legal disputes connected to her political career, will pay a $25,000 fine, the Federal Election Commission said in its letter to all parties in the matter.

The June 10 agreement with the FEC comes nearly five years after Schmidt political opponent David Krikorian leveled the accusation, part of a multi-front battle between the two over Schmidt’s support of Turkey in Congress and Krikorian’s characterizations about her support.

Neither Schmidt or Krikorian are in politics anymore, but the battle has continued, long after voters rejected them both. Schmidt beat Krikorian in 2008 to keep her 2nd Congressional District seat but later lost the 2012 Republican primary to now-Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Columbia Tusculum.

Schmidt reported she had repaid Turkish Coalition of America $42,812 in legal fees and expenses, but in fact, the TCA provided free legal services to Schmidt worth $651,244 in several cases from 2008 to 2011, the FEC said. Schmidt was represented by TCA’s legal arm, the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund.

“We are pleased that this matter was resolved in the manner that explains the mitigating circumstances and the ambiguous state of the law,” said David Saltzman, legal counsel for the Turkish Coalition of America. “Rather than litigate this matter, the Turkish Coalition of America agreed to settle on favorable terms and thereby keeps its focus on its programs that help foster understanding and cooperation across the globe.”

“With these actions, the FEC has finally delivered a small measure of justice,” said Krikorian in an emailed statement. “The Turkish Coalition of America should have its ‘charitable’ status revoked for its willful and egregious violations of campaign finance law.”

‘Sin’ to abandon attempts of Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s Man Utd move, says agent

The agent of Henrikh Mkhitaryan said it would be wrong to abandon attempts to get the Borussia Dortmund midfielder a move to Manchester United, the reports.

The Bundesliga club are refusing to let the 27-year-old leave following the departures of both Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundongan this summer.

“It would be a sin to stop talking,” said agent Mino Raiola.

“I am a positive guy. If I wasn’t confident of reaching some kind of conclusion, I wouldn’t try.”

The Armenian has a year left on his contract and has told Dortmund he will not sign another deal, with United his preferred option.

Raiola added: “I am very proud Manchester United want him and the talks are being held in a good atmosphere, but at the moment Dortmund are still saying no.”

New United manager Jose Mourinho is attempting to improve his squad after replacing Louis van Gaal.

“Manchester United is a great club, with a great coach,” said Raiola.

 

Turkey working on steps to counter Germany’s genocide resolution: Deputy PM

Ankara is working on potential steps in response to the German parliament passing a resolution declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, Turkish deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Monday, Reuters reports.

“It is not possible for us to remain indifferent to this,” Canikli told a press conference during a cabinet meeting. “Work on whether it would be possible to overturn this decision and what steps can be taken is still underway,” he said.

Paris river to peak at six meters

Photo: Reuters

 

Floodwaters in Paris are set to peak on Friday with the River Seine due to reach 6m above its normal level, the BBC reports.

The world-famous Louvre and Orsay museums have been shut so staff can move priceless artworks to safety.

At least 11 people have died in the past week – 10 in southern Germany, one in France. Thousands have been forced from their homes.

More downpours are forecast through the weekend across a band of central Europe from France to Ukraine.

As much as 50mm of rain is expected to fall in some regions in just a few hours.

Several towns in southern Germany have been devastated. Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Poland have also been affected.

NKR President meets with representatives of ARF Bureau

On 18 May Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received representative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsoutyun) Party Bureau Hrant Margaryan.

The meeting attended by member of the Artsakh Central Committee of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party David Ishkhanyan, addressed a range of issues related to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement, regional processes and inter-Armenian developments.

Only facts, no propaganda: Public Radio of Armenia launches Azerbaijani-language website

The Azerbaijani-language website of Public Radio of Armenia will present the facts as they are and will not engage into propaganda, says Arman Saghatelyan, Executive Director of

According to him, its one of the many existing information platforms aiming to present the developments, provide for plurality of views and collision of opinions.

“The target audience includes people reading in Azerbaijani and first of all, Azerbaijanis themselves,” Arman Saghatelyan says.

The newly launched website aims to present the events as they are, something Azerbaijanis are deprived of in their country, the Executive Director says.