Author: Lara Antonian

Colarusso Condemns Unprovoked Military Assaults Against Armenia

Lara Antonian
Patch
Sept 22 2022
Caroline Colarusso,Community Contributor

"This week, Armenian-American voters in the 5th Congressional District have brought to my attention what is happening in Armenia. I strongly, unequivocally condemn recent unprovoked military assaults by Azerbaijan upon the people and territory of the Republic of Armenia.

If you're a Christian in the U.S., you should be concerned. Acts of aggression have resulted in needless death, injuries, and destruction in Armenia. I call for an immediate end to U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan and their proxy, Turkey, and ask that the Biden administration, Secretary of State Blinken, and Congress immediately impose strict penalties, including economic sanctions, on Azerbaijan.

It is long past due for the United States to put its foot down and stop supporting and enabling the repressive, corrupt, and aggressive regime in Baku and their Turkish patrons."

German diplomat shocked by destruction in Armenia’s Jermuk as a result of Azerbaijani shelling

Lara Antonian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 17 2022
, 12:02

 1 minute read

Erik Tintrup, the new Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Armenia, was shocked by the images of destruction he had to see in Jermuk on Friday, the German Embassy in Armenia says.

He was one of about 50 diplomats who were invited to the briefing organized by the Armenian Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs in the city.

“Jermuk is a beautiful, peaceful resort located in beautiful nature. There were also German tourists here on Tuesday. The fact that none of the residents were killed is almost like a miracle, because the artillery shots were aimed at restaurants and cable cars located kilometers from the border, only a few hundred meters away from residential buildings and hotels full of tourists,” the Chargé d’Affaires said as he shared the impressions from the visit.

He said the explosions were so close that a German tourist was able to photograph the explosions from a hotel room.

“I am extremely concerned. We sympathize with the Armenian people,” Tintrup sums up.

Armenpress: Firefighters tackled various grassfires encompassing total of 628,5 ha territory

Lara Antonian

Firefighters tackled various grassfires encompassing total of 628,5 ha territory

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 11:03, 3 September 2022

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Firefighter-rescuers extinguished various grassfires encompassing a total of 628,5 ha territory in different parts of the country September 1-3, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a press release.

61 reports were called in to 911 on grassfires each encompassing at least 200 square meters up to 40 ha.

All fires were successfully extinguished.

Major educational reforms to give every child access to high-quality education even in remote settlements in Armenia

Lara Antonian

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 11:31, 1 September 2022

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Tens of thousands of children are deprived of the opportunity of receiving quality education in proper kindergartens, pre-schools and schools today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

“Educational facilities aren’t always accessible to learners and not always do they provide proper professional qualification. This results on one hand in unemployment, on the other hand there are more and more statements on the absence of qualified workforce in the country,” Pashinyan said.

According to the PM, no proper standards of universities are functioning in Armenia and having a university diploma doesn’t always mean having higher education.

“As a result of this we often hear baffled complaints that people with higher education, sometimes with two diplomas, are unable to find jobs and are living in poverty,” Pashinyan said.

He added that this situation is intolerable because this situation exists at the expense of the future and is a “landmine placed under Armenia’s future.”

“Thus, we’ve embarked on major educational reforms. Our program, stipulated in the Civil Contract Party’s campaigning program, on building, reconstructing or renovating 300 schools and 500 kindergartens by 2026 has launched. As a result of implementing this program, children will have the chance to attend high-quality kindergartens, pre-schools and schools even in remote settlements, which must become the key factor of the revival of villages,” Pashinyan said.

Russia records nearly 50,000 daily COVID-19 cases

Lara Antonian

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 15:34, 1 September 2022

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 49,761 over the past day to 19,445,581, TASS reported citing the Russian Anti-Coronavirus Crisis Center.

In absolute terms, the number of daily cases has been the highest since March 11. A day earlier, 46,321 daily cases were recorded.

As many as 4,128 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 2.5% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 37 regions, while in 46 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in two regions. A day earlier, 4,232 people were rushed to hospitals.

Moscow’s COVID-19 cases surged by 7,242 over the past day versus 8,518 cases a day earlier, reaching 3,036,347, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburg’s COVID-19 cases increased by 3,152 over the past day versus 3,247 a day earlier, reaching 1,661,577.

COVID-19 recoveries

Russia’s COVID-19 recoveries rose by 38,940 over the past day, reaching 18,635,574, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday.

A day earlier, some 39,054 patients recovered.

COVID-19 death toll

Russia’s COVID-19 death toll rose by 95 over the past day, reaching 384,441, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday.

A day earlier, 92 COVID-19 deaths were registered.

Sports: Alashkert beat CSKA [4:2]

Lara Antonian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 26 2022
In the 5th round of the Armenian championship, CSKA suffered a 2-4 home defeat at the hands of Alashkert.

Alashkert top the standings with 13 points. CSKA are in the ninth place with 3 points.

Armenian Championship, 5th round

CSKA vs Alashkert – 2:4

Zhirayr Shaghoyan, 7, 70 – Artak Yedigaryan, 33, Bladimir Diaz, 53, 89, Tiago Galvao, 86 


Ombudsman: Citizens of Artsakh have the right to be aware of developments taking place in the republic and around it

Lara Antonian
ARMINFO
Armenia – Aug 25 2022
Alexandr Avanesov

ArmInfo. The citizens of the Republic of Artsakh have the right and the moral necessity to be aware of the developments taking place in the republic and around it.  Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan wrote about this on  his Facebook page.

"Article 51 of the Constitution of Artsakh establishes the right of  everyone to receive information about the activities of state bodies  and local self-government bodies and officials. In order to ensure  this right, legal acts that have lesser legal force also provide for  the obligation of various state bodies to act publicly within  limits. The citizens of the Republic of Artsakh have  the right and the moral necessity to be aware of the developments  taking place in and around Artsakh.  This right also applies to such  events, which are upcoming projects and are directly related to  certain processes of organizing personal and public life (building  roads and changing routes, providing the Internet, supplying energy  and gas, conducting other means of communication, etc.)," Stepanyan  noted.

He added that the inaction or passivity of the authorities in such  matters increases the feeling of uncertainty among the population,  causing additional anxiety and worry.

CivilNet: Tentative dialogue between Armenia and Turkey: A view from Istanbul

Lara Antonian
CIVILNET.AM

19 Aug, 2022 06:08

After the 2020 Karabakh war, the international community and the countries of the region began talking about steps to establish peace in the South Caucasus. Turkey, which had supported Azerbaijan in the war, called on Armenia to learn lessons from the conflict.

Last December, Armenia and Turkey appointed special envoys for normalizing relations. As of August, Armenian and Turkish envoys Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kılıç have already met four times. Following their most recent meeting, Armenia and Turkey agreed to open their border to citizens of third countries “at the earliest date possible,” in the biggest breakthrough in normalization efforts in many years.

CivilNet’s team traveled to Istanbul to learn more about what Armenians in Turkey think about the developments and to speak with Turkish political experts.

Yerevan explosion: There were flammable materials also at upper floors of building, Rescue Service head says

Lara Antonian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 19 2022
11:50, 19.08.2022

It would not be correct to set a date for the end of the search operations, as they take a long time to remove every reinforced concrete structure hanging from the three-story building. Armen Gasparyan, Director of the Rescue Service of Armenia, told reporters about this on Friday.

"Since the missing citizen was at the epicenter of the explosion, and a high-temperature fire broke out after the explosion, it will be very difficult for us. We use sophisticated equipment in order for us to be able to work in these conditions. First, we must ensure the safety of our rescuers. There is always a risk in the case of this three-story building because it is in a dilapidated state and can collapse at any moment," Gasparyan said.

According to him, the more the work continues, the more the fire pits under the rubble, which may seem extinguished at first glance, emit smoke during the cleaning work, which is why cooling is done regularly.

Asked whether there may have been flammable materials inside the building, too, on its upper floors Gasparyan responded: "According to our information, there were flammable materials on the upper floors, too; there was a warehouse [there]. The investigation will give the answer to the rest of the questions."

There were 4 tons of explosive materials in the area of "Surmalu" before the explosion – preliminary data

Lara Antonian

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 21:04,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The rescuers continue the search and rescue operations of the citizens in the area of the "Surmalu" shopping center that did not collapse, ARMENPRESS reports Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Pambukhchyan told the journalists.

According to Armen Pambukhchyan, after the end of the search and rescue work, the issue of dismantling the remaining part of the building will be discussed.

When asked whether there may still be explosive materials in the basement, storage areas, the minister said that 50-60 percent of the area has already been cleared and if there were such materials, they would have been found by now.

"According to preliminary estimates, there were 4 tons before the explosion," added the minister.