Author: John Hovhannisian

Vladimir Zeldin, who has been described as the world’s oldest working actor, has died aged 101.

Russian news agencies quoted his wife, Ivetta Kapralova, as saying he died in a Moscow hospital early on Monday.

Zeldin, whose career ranged from film parts in the 1940s to theatre appearances in recent years, had been due to appear on stage in early November.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative are partnering to fund a research program that will enable the IRC to provide vital assistance in the form of reliable and accountable cash distribution to those affected by the conflict in Syria.

With the US $100,000 support of Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, the IRC is chartering the development of a Cash First Roadmap—a yearlong campaign which will propose a methodology to identify the country-level barriers to wider cash transfer programming but also inform the means to address them.

The outcome will provide an established framework for the IRC and wider humanitarian community to follow.

“Every day, the number of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world steadily grows. Now is the time to redouble our efforts not just to raise the necessary resources, but to put in place the evidence-based programs that transform lives,” said David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC. “It is crucial that the humanitarian community continues to look toward and adopt the most cost-effective measures for providing relief, in order to maximize impact to the greatest number of beneficiaries.”

In contrast with other forms of humanitarian aid, which use donor funds to purchase and distribute relief items, cash transfer programming is a proven effective and efficient means to deliver assistance. Evidence shows that delivering cash is cheaper and faster than alternative forms of aid that require procurement, shipping, storing and distribution. Notably, cash transfer programming gives beneficiaries a greater degree of choice and dignity, allowing them to prioritize their own needs and become agents in their own recovery process. Additionally, evidence shows that the provision of cash to communities to spend on existing markets has a multiplier effect on the local economy.

“We’re glad to work with the IRC to further our shared goals of helping those who are most in need,” said Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Co-Founder Ruben Vardanyan. “Like those special few who intervened with courage on behalf of Armenians one hundred years ago, we are proud to continue in their spirit today by supporting organizations addressing today’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. We are pleased to support a more innovative means of delivering aid—one which provides faster assistance and greater satisfaction to recipients.”

The IRC, which currently deploys cash assistance to more than 113,000 beneficiaries in 19 countries, will use the Roadmap to further increase its capacity to implement cash programming, and shift focus away from the provision of less-effective, in-kind assistance.

The 2016 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine goes to Yoshinori Ohsumi of Japan for discoveries about autophagy – how the body breaks down and recycles old cellular components, the BBC reports.

Ohsumi’s work is important because it helps explain what goes wrong in a range of diseases, from cancer to Parkinson’s.

He studied baker’s yeast to find the genes that regulate this “self eating” process.

Last year’s prize was shared by three scientists who developed treatments for malaria and other tropical diseases.

Armenia is ranked 79th (up from 82nd last year) in the released by the World Economic Forum today.

Switzerland tops the ranking followed by Singapore and the United States. Armenia’s neighbors in the region are placed as follows: Georgia – 59h, Azerbaijan – 37th, Turkey 55th, Iran – 76th.

Armenia’s partners in the Eurasian Economic Union Russia and Kazakhstan are ranked 43rd and 53rd respectively. Kyrgyzstan is 111th, no data is available for Belarus.

The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017 assesses the competitiveness landscape of 138 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity.

This year’s edition highlights that declining openness is threatening growth and prosperity. It also highlights that monetary stimulus measures such as quantitative easing are not enough to sustain growth and must be accompanied by competitiveness reforms. Final key finding points to the fact that updated business practices and investment in innovation are now as important as infrastructure, skills and efficient markets.

Armenia’s Acting Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, James Warlick, Pierre Andrieu and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk on the sidelines of the General Assembly session in New York.

The interlocutors stressed the importance of implementing the agreements reached at Vienna and St. Petersburg summits for furthering the peace process.

Edward Nalbandian noted that “Azerbaijan has been turning down the agreements reached on the presidential level for several months now, thus preventing the creation of favorable conditions for the progress of the negotiation process.”

On September 18, political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran were held in Tehran. The Armenian and Iranian delegations were headed by Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, and Ebrahim Rahimpour, Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour of Iran, respectively.

A wide range of issues aimed at the further development of the Armenian-Iranian relations was discussed.

The sides emphasized the importance to maintain security and stability in the region.

A special attention was attached to the implementation of bilateral and multilateral economic projects. Issues related to the cooperation in the legal field, in cultural and humanitarian areas, as well as within international organizations were discussed.

Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, also had a meeting with Morteza Sarmadi, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran. During the meeting the sides summarized the negotiations on the issues of mutual interest and outlined the future steps.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has arrived in Armenia for an official visit. His delegation was welcomed at Zvarnots Airport by Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.

Following the official welcome ceremony the delegation headed by the Georgian PM headed for Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

“The construction of the radio station in Yerevan has been completed. The station will start operating in five days,” the “Soviet Armenia” newspaper informed on August 27, 1926.

The Voice of Yerevan was first heard on air on September 1, 1926. The Public Radio of Armenia celebrates the 90th anniversary today.

Yerevan is speaking… these words have been on the air for 90 years now, spreading the voice of the Armenian state worldwide. With a rich history, but always young, the Public Radio of Armenia celebrates the anniversary with a new season.

“We present more than 20 new programs, which aim to serve the public interests and enhance the legal awareness of the citizens,” says Arman Saghatelyan, Executive Director of Public Radio of Armenia.

“The schedule of the Public Radio will be enriched with new programs covering political, social, economic, healthcare and other spheres. New voices will be heard along the familiar ones, which, I’m confident, will become no less beloved in a short period of time,” he adds.

The respectable age and the glorious past of Public Radio of Armenia are both a source of inspiration and a great responsibility for its employees.

According to Arman Saghatelyan, the Public Radio of Armenia is not alone on the sphere. “On the contrary, it works in a competitive field and an environment where interests collide, where there are several factors needed to reinforce the success – effective governance, international experience and staff potential,” the Executive Director says.

He’s confident that the decades-long experience and the modern approaches of media governance are promising a brilliant outcome.

“The radio is moving forward with an aim of adding the socially-active segments of society to the list of its active and devoted listeners,” Saghatelyan says.

 

 

 

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan offered condolences over the death of Police Colonel Arthur Vanoyan after an armed attack on Erebuni police station in Yerevan.

Referring to the incident, the Prime Minister said: “A group of people undertook an armed attack on the premises of the patrol police regiment and took hostages. A Police Colonel was killed as a result. I express my condolences to Arthur Vanoyan’s family, relative and friends. What happened on the territory of the regiment is unacceptable and condemnable because it’s impossible to real achieve changes through violence. It’s a dangerous and short-sighted process.”

Hovik Abrahamyan described the situation as extremely worrisome and said “the authorities have been doing and will keep doing their best to reach a peaceful settlement.”

The Prime Minister is the first high-ranking official to refer to the events of past five days.