Author: Jack Hunanian

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has one quality that the Premier League’s top No.10s lack, according to Jamie Carragher, the Daily Star reports.

The ex-Liverpool defender believes Manchester United star Mkhitaryan has pace to burn unlike team-mate Juan Mata, Arsenal ace Mesut Ozil and Manchester City’s David Silva.

Mkhitaryan impressed in the role as United eased past reigning champions Leicester to move within striking distance of the top four.

The Red Devils made a sluggish start at the King Power Stadium, prompting Jose Mourinho to move Mkhitaryan from the wing to a more central position.

And the Armenia international wreaked havoc, opening the scoring after racing behind Leicester’s defence to fire past Kasper Schmeichel before half time.

“Great technicians but they don’t have that pace.

“I think that was vital in the first goal.”

Jose Mourinho has admitted he simply cannot leave Henrikh Mkhitaryan out of the team following his starring role in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup, according to Manchester United’s official website.

The Armenia captain was named Man of the Match by TV broadcasters after a fine display and an excellent counter-attack goal as the Reds eased to a comfortable victory at Old Trafford.

“Do you want me to leave Micki out after him being Man of the Match and playing so well as he did?” asked Mourinho at a press conference to preview United’s Premier League match against Hull City.

“I can’t! I think the players pick themselves, I’m just here to analyse what they do and to try to be fair with them. After such a good performance, Micki has to play. It’s simple.”

Mkhitaryan linked up with Anthony Martial for his goal against Wigan and Mourinho has encouraged the Frenchman to continue to build on that performance against the Latics.

“He has to perform better than the others that are competing with him for the same positions,” the boss said. “His position is where we have lots of options.”

According to preliminary results, there are no Armenians among the victims of the building collapse in Tehran, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Twitter post.

A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring some 75 people.

The World Cup will be expanded to host 48 teams, up from 32, FIFA has decided, the BBC reports.

An initial stage of 16 groups of three teams will precede a knockout stage for the remaining 32 when the change is made for the 2026 tournament.

The sport’s world governing body voted unanimously in favour of the change at a meeting in Zurich on Tuesday.

The number of tournament matches will rise to 80, from 64, but the eventual winners will still play only seven games.

The tournament will be completed within 32 days – a measure to appease powerful European clubs, who objected to reform because of a crowded international schedule.

The changes mark the first World Cup expansion since 1998.

Photo: Sputnik/ Ali Hassan

The Syrian government has suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from eastern Aleppo, accusing rebels of breaking terms of the deal, the BBC reports.

Government sources said rebels had blocked the evacuation of civilians from two pro-government towns elsewhere in Syria, agreed under the truce.

A report said militias had fired on buses leaving Aleppo.

At least 6,000 people have left the city since Thursday, but the UN says at least 50,000 are still trapped.

Syria’s army, backed by Russia, has taken nearly all rebel-held districts.

AP – The European Union and Cuba signed a first-ever agreement on closer ties on Monday, and vowed that the arrival in office of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump would not impact on their future relations.

“This is a historic day, we’ve turned a page. Today we’re starting to write together a new chapter,” said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini as the 28-nation EU’s top diplomats and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez signed the pact in Brussels.

The accord, aimed at supporting economic development and promoting democracy and human rights on the island, will form the legal platform for future ties between Brussels and Havana. The EU’s official stance toward Cuba dates from 1996.

Rodriguez said the priority would be to develop the Cuban economy, but he noted “one major obstacle to trade relations between the EU and Cuba” – the U.S. economic and financial blockade.

“We’ll have to see how things develop. But we very much hope that relations between the European Union and Cuba will continue to grow and enrich both sides,” he said, adding that ties “between the EU and Cuba do not go by Washington.”

Mogherini said the agreement is the result of a long process and that Trump’s inauguration in January “will not affect in any way relations between the European Union and Cuba.”

She also underlined that “the European Union has raised concerns about the extraterritorial effect of U.S. sanctions on Cuba. We will continue to do so because we believe that this is not only in the interest of the island and its people – all of them – but most of all in our case, it’s in the interest of Europeans to tackle this issue.”

Cuba puts the total cost of the 55-year-old embargo at $125.9 billion, including $4.6 billion last year.

The new pact must now be ratified by national and regional parliaments in all EU member states before it can enter completely into force, although the bloc has decided to provisionally apply parts of it immediately.

Photo: Sputnik/ Michael Alaeddin

Russian Colonel Ruslan Galitsly was killed in Aleppo, Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday, Sputnik reports.

Russian military adviser died of wounds sustained in an attack of the so-called moderate Syrian opposition on a residential district in Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

“Col. Ruslan Galitsky died in the hospital as a result of a serious wound. Russian combat medics fought for his life for several days. The officer was wounded in a shelling of militants of the so-called opposition of a residential district of western Aleppo,” the statement read.

Galitsky received a state award posthumously, the ministry said.

Armenia and the European Union will start talks on comprehensive air transport agreement. The negotiating groups will be formed in the near future.

“Under the planned agreement, Armenia will join the European Common Aviation Area. As a result, the parties will liberalize their markets, thus providing air companies with access to routes without restrictions, and therefore, use the capacities of the 500 mln market under unbiased and equal conditions,” the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia said in statement today.

On 1 December 2016 the Council adopted a mandate that will allow the Commission to start negotiations on a comprehensive air transport agreement with Armenia.

Comprehensive EU-level aviation agreements aim to increase Europe’s international connectivity, ensure a high-quality service and more choice for the passengers, and boost the international competitiveness of the EU’s aviation industry.

The agreement with Armenia will take the form of a Common Aviation Area Agreement, since Armenia is one of the countries with which the EU is creating closer ties under its neighbourhood policy.

On the anniversary of the murder of Tahir Elci, Friends of Hrant demanded justice for the Kurdish lawyer, reports.

“The first step in the investigation on Dink murder was taken 9 years after the murder. We shouldn’t let something like this happen in investigation on Tahir Elçi murder,” the group said.

Jaklin Celik read the press statement on behalf of Friends of Hrant and reminded that Diyarbakir Bar Association Chair and human rights defender Tahir Elci was murdered a year ago: “There are many similarities between the murders of these two peace envoys, these two doves. The state has been trying to conceal both of these murders.”

Here is the statement of Friends of Hrant:

“We gathered here for another hearing of Dink murder case exactly one year after the murder of dear Tahir Elci. There are many similarities between the murders of these two peace envoys, these two doves. The state has been trying to conceal both of these murders.

Dink murder remained concealed for many years, though the evidence was staring in our face. They wanted to conceal the murder and abuse it for their political interests. This is still true. The public officials who have a hand in this crime started to stand trial 9 years after the murder. However, we know that the instigators haven’t been punished as they deserve. Just like Hrant Dink, Tahir Elci was also targeted by the dark forces of this country, which always manage to remain in power. He was shot to death in Diyarbakir that he loved very much; just like Hrant Dink was shot to death in front of Agos. They want to conceal the murder of Tahir Elci as well. Though it’s been a year since the murder, which was committed for all the world to see, still there is no suspect or concrete progress.

Here, some police chiefs will stand trial once again; they were so powerful once. Probably, they will try to put the blame on each other, just like they did in previous hearings. We will watch them. And we continue to demand justice until every one who had an hand in this murder is punished. The first step in the investigation on Dink murder was taken 9 years after the murder. We shouldn’t let something like this happen in investigation on Tahir Elci murder. We cannot let it happen.

We continue to call to account for these two doves of peace.

This case won’t be over, until we say it is over.”

Chaired by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, the government held today another discussion on information and communication technology (ICT) sector. During the discussion projects related to the reform of vocational education and ICT sector workforce development were presented to the Prime Minister.

In this context, the meeting focused on the formation of an environment conducive to a technological university, educational incubators, and other issues related to current and prospective engineering educational programs.

The Prime Minister instructed the responsible ministers to work with the representatives of the ICT sector and submit program proposals with applicable results.