Author: Mike Maghakian

The Azerbaijani side started heavy shelling of the NKR Defense Army positions all along the line of contact from 17:00 today, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

More intensive firing was reported in the northeastern (Martakert) and northern (Talish) directions of the line of contact. The rival fired 116 shells from 82 mm mortars.

“The Azerbaijani side rushed to lay the blame for destabilizing the situation at the line of contact on the Karabakh side, but this does not correspond to reality,” the Ministry said.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense mostly remain committed to the agreement on ceasefire and resort to response actions only in case of extreme necessitytargeting the firing ranges of the rival.

The Azerbaijani side kept violating the agreement on ceasefire at the line of contact with Karabakh forces last night, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

The rival used artillery weapons of different calibers, also as 60 and 82 mm mortars and hand-held antitank grenade launchers.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep control of the operational situation and confidently continue with their military duty.

“Armenia and Artsakh are  not against the step-by-step solution of theteh Karabaakh conflict,” Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

The comments come after Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar mammadyarov’s stateemnt regarding the step-by-step solution.

Shavarsh Kocharyan stressed, that “within that framework Azerbaijan should first of all recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, return the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh and start negotiations with the NKR on the clarification of borders.”

Investigators have found a SIM-card at the scene of the bus blast that occurred in Yerevan late on April 25, the Investigate Committee said in a statement. The owner of the card has been identified as a twice-convicted citizen of the Republic of Armenia.

TNT explosive material (trotyl), explosive devises (detonators) and electrical equipment has been found as a result of search at his apartment.

Traces of TNT have been detected on samples taken from the scene of the explosion. Nine of the ten people in the bus, including the driver, the seven injured passengers and one victim, have been identified. All of them are citizens of the Republic of Armenia.

The apartments of all of them have been searched as part of the investigation, no items of interest for the criminal case have been found, their involvement in the explosion has been rejected.

The second victim of the blast is yet to be identified. The body is unrecognizable, and DNA test is needed. Probe is under way to find out whether the second victim was the subscriber of the phone number.

The initial investigation has not revealed any facts that would support the version of terrorism. Investigation into the causes of the explosion is under way.

George Clooney, Co-Chair of the ‪‎Aurora Prize‬ Selection Committee,  visited the Ararat Legendary Armenian Brandy factory today together with 100 LIVES Co-Founder Ruben Vardanyan.

In the evening of April 24, Armenian Genocide Memorial Day, Aurora Prize Selection Committee Co-Chair, George Clooney, will present the $100,000 grant to the inaugural Aurora Prize Laureate.

The Laureate will then invite his or her nominated organization(s) to the stage to receive the $1 million award.

On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide, and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Prize celebrates the strength of the human spirit that compels action is the face of adversity.

The Aurora Prize will be awarded annually on April 24 of each year in Yerevan, Armenia.

Some recent reports in Russian media claim the negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh settlement are going to enter a more intensive stage with a focus on territories and the status of Nagorno Karabakh.

Spokesman for the NKR President David Babayan says the “publications pursue no geopolitical objective.” “The media outlets are thus trying to make a sensation, to publish information of great interest to the society, taking into consideration  the existence of large Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in Russia and the importance of the South Caucasus region.”

“What the Russian press writes about is not new. They just present the Madrid Principles and try to manipulate the issue by discussing unrealistic scenarios,” David Babayan told .

The Spokesman reminded that “the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries are mediators, not judges; therefore, they cannot impose any decision.”

As for the Madrid Principles, Babayan said “it’s just a working document, where the suggestions of the parties are being taken into consideration. The only issue Azerbaijan is interested in is territories, that’s why they have to make such offers, and the mediators have to include them in the working document. The Armenian side also makes proposals, which the co-chairs take note of. This is not an ultimatum, a final deal,” the Spokesman said.

He reminded the consensus principle, according to which “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

“What final resolution can we talk about, when the war is just over? Today the efforts are focused on maintaining peace and stability,” Babayan said.

Speaking about the exchange of territories for status, the Spokesperson said “it’s not realistic today.” According to him, the two issues are on different levels. “Let’s assume we give territories in return for status. What if Azerbaijan refuses to recognize the status of independent Artsakh? Will we then be able to regain any land?” Babayan said, adding that “there can be no return to the borders of 1988, Karabakh will never be an enclave.”

He stressed that even if Artsakh is granted the status of an independent state, there are no guarantees that Azerbaijan, which glorifies an axe-murderer, tortures 95-year-old civilians and beheads soldiers, will not unleashnew  aggression.”

“Therefore, exchange of territories for status is impossible. There are a number of security, humanitarian, geopolitical issues, which are not easy to solve,” David Babayan concluded.

Analysis of a windfall of data from inside Islamic State shows fighters of more than 70 nationalities joined the ruthless jihadist group, researchers said after examining thousands of records, AFP reports.

The analysis conducted by the provided not only a composite picture of the fighters but also an insight into how IS is “attempting to vet new members, manage talent effectively… and deal with a diverse pool of recruits,” said the report, which is available on the CTC website.

The recruits ranged in age from 12 to nearly 70, although the average age was 26 or 27.

Only 400 were under 18 upon entering the self-declared IS “caliphate.”

The leading nationality with 579 new fighters, was Saudi, followed by Tunisian (559), Moroccan (240), Turkish (212), Egyptian (151) and Russian (141).

There were 49 from France, 38 from Germany, 30 from Lebanon, 26 from Britain, 11 from Australia and seven from Canada, but none from the United States.

Azerbaijan is 11^th in the list with 122 fighters. According to the study, fighters have joined the Islamic State from Georgia, 1 – from Armenia.

Thirty percent said they were married, while 61 percent were single, with another eight percent unknown.

Some 1,371 said they had finished high school while 1,028 said they had attended university.

Many people are feared to have drowned after a boat carrying up to 400 mainly Somali migrants capsized in the Mediterranean off the coast of Egypt the BBC reports.

A senior Somali diplomat in Egypt confirmed the reports, after social media posts from some of the migrants’ families were shared widely on Sunday.

Some of the survivors have reportedly been taken to one of the Greek islands.

The UN says 180,000 people have attempted to reach Europe by sea this year, with nearly 800 lives lost.

The sitting of the Eurasian Intergovenmental Council will be held in Moscow next week. The Prime Ministers of Armenia and Russia Hovik Abrahamyan and Dmitry Medvedev discussed the  change of the venue in a phone conversation today, Russian Government’s Press Service reports.

The meeting was initially planned to be held in Yerevan, Armenia.

Dmitry Medvedev confirmed he would visit Armenia on April 7-8 as planned.

The Russian Prime Minister expressed serious concern over the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact.

He stressed the need to ensure the strict implementation of the ceasefire regime as well as the importance of resumption of the process of political settlement.

Photo: AP

 

At least 14 people have been killed after a bus carrying foreign exchange students crashed on a motorway between the cities of Barcelona and Valencia, the BBC reports.

Most of the 57 people on board the bus were students on the Erasmus programme who were returning to Barcelona after a trip to a fireworks festival.

Photographs from the scene show a white roofed coach lying on its side, surrounded by emergency vehicles.

The accident occurred near Freginals, some 150km south of Barcelona.