A blast occurred at the Alaverdi Copper and Molybdenum Combine late on Friday, correspondent reports from Lori.
Two employees were hospitalized as a result of the blast.
According to preliminary data, the explosion occurred on one of the ovens of the factory.
Photo: Getty Images
More than 180 people have been killed in flooding along the Yangtze River in China following torrential rain, officials say, the BBC reports.
Between 10cm and 50cm of rain has fallen in seven provinces, and storms stretching 1,600km are sweeping across central and southern China.
At least 45 people are missing and 33m have been affected, officials say.
The rain has also washed away railway lines and shut down road networks.
The dead included 23 people who were killed in a mudslide in Guizhou Province and eight who died in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province when a section of a wall collapsed, state media said.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue until Wednesday across parts of southern and western China, the South China Morning Post reported.
Pope Francis and Catholicos Karekin II, leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church on Sunday signed a common declaration giving thanks for the progress towards Christian unity and appealing for peace in the Middle East and other regions torn apart by conflict, terrorism and religious persecution.
Joint Declaration of His Holiness Francis and His Holiness Karekin II at Holy Etchmiadzin, Republic Of Armenia
Today in Holy Etchmiadzin, spiritual center of All Armenians, we, Pope Francis and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II raise our minds and hearts in thanksgiving to the Almighty for the continuing and growing closeness in faith and love between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church in their common witness to the Gospel message of salvation in a world torn by strife and yearning for comfort and hope. We praise the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for enabling us to come together in the biblical land of Ararat, which stands as a reminder that God will ever be our protection and salvation. We are spiritually gratified to remember that in 2001, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the religion of Armenia, Saint John Paul II visited Armenia and was a witness to a new page in warm and fraternal relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church. We are grateful that we had the grace of being together, at a solemn liturgy in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome on 12 April 2015, where we pledged our will to oppose every form of discrimination and violence, and commemorated the victims of what the Common Declaration of His Holiness John-Paul II and His Holiness Karekin II spoke of as “the extermination of a million and a half Armenian Christians, in what is generally referred to as the first genocide of the twentieth century” (27 September 2001).
We praise the Lord that today, the Christian faith is again a vibrant reality in Armenia, and that the Armenian Church carries on her mission with a spirit of fraternal collaboration between the Churches, sustaining the faithful in building a world of solidarity, justice and peace.
Sadly, though, we are witnessing an immense tragedy unfolding before our eyes, of countless innocent people being killed, displaced or forced into a painful and uncertain exile by continuing conflicts on ethnic, economic, political and religious grounds in the Middle East and other parts of the world. As a result, religious and ethnic minorities have become the target of persecution and cruel treatment, to the point that suffering for one’s religious belief has become a daily reality. The martyrs belong to all the Churches and their suffering is an “ecumenism of blood” which transcends the historical divisions between Christians, calling us all to promote the visible unity of Christ’s disciples. Together we pray, through the intercession of the holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, for a change of heart in all those who commit such crimes and those who are in a position to stop the violence. We implore the leaders of nations to listen to the plea of millions of human beings who long for peace and justice in the world, who demand respect for their God-given rights, who have urgent need of bread, not guns. Sadly, we are witnessing a presentation of religion and religious values in a fundamentalist way, which is used to justify the spread of hatred, discrimination and violence. The justification of such crimes on the basis of religious ideas is unacceptable, for “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (I Corinthians 14:33). Moreover, respect for religious difference is the necessary condition for the peaceful cohabitation of different ethnic and religious communities. Precisely because we are Christians, we are called to seek and implement paths towards reconciliation and peace. In this regard we also express our hope for a peaceful resolution of the issues surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.
Mindful of what Jesus taught his disciples when he said: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25: 35-36), we ask the faithful of our Churches to open their hearts and hands to the victims of war and terrorism, to refugees and their families. At issue is the very sense of our humanity, our solidarity, compassion and generosity, which can only be properly expressed in an immediate practical commitment of resources. We acknowledge all that is already being done, but we insist that much more is needed on the part of political leaders and the international community in order to ensure the right of all to live in peace and security, to uphold the rule of law, to protect religious and ethnic minorities, to combat human trafficking and smuggling.
The secularization of large sectors of society, its alienation from the spiritual and divine leads inevitably to a desacralized and materialistic vision of man and the human family. In this respect we are concerned about the crisis of the family in many countries. The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church share the same vision of the family, based on marriage, an act of freely given and faithful love between man and woman.
We gladly confirm that despite continuing divisions among Christians, we have come to realize more clearly that what unites us is much more than what divides us. This is the solid basis upon which the unity of Christ’s Church will be made manifest, in accordance with the Lord’s words, “that they all may be one” (John 17.21). Over the past decades the relationship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church has successfully entered a new phase, strengthened by our mutual prayers and joint efforts in overcoming contemporary challenges. Today we are convinced of the crucial importance of furthering this relationship, engaging in deeper and more decisive collaboration not only in the area of theology, but also in prayer and active cooperation on the level of the local communities, with a view to sharing full communion and concrete expressions of unity. We urge our faithful to work in harmony for the promotion in society of the Christian values which effectively contribute to building a civilization of justice, peace and human solidarity. The path of reconciliation and brotherhood lies open before us. May the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth (cf. John 16:13), sustain every genuine effort to build bridges of love and communion between us.
From Holy Etchmiadzin we call on all our faithful to join us in prayer, in the words of Saint Nerses the Gracious: “Glorified Lord, accept the supplications of Your servants, and graciously fulfil our petitions, through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God, John the Baptist, the first martyr Saint Stephen, Saint Gregory our Illuminator, the Holy Apostles, Prophets, Divines, Martyrs, Patriarchs, Hermits, Virgins and all Your saints in Heaven and on Earth. And unto You, O indivisible Holy Trinity, be glory and worship forever and ever. Amen”.
Holy Etchmiadzin, 26 June 2016
His Holiness Karekin II His Holiness Francis
Hamshen Armenian rock musician Yasar Kurt was 40, when he discovered his Armenian roots. The musician has now released a new album titled “Hamshen Highlands,” reports.
The album, released after a break of 5 years, reflects the musician’s Armenian roots and includes Black Sea melodies.
Speaking to Agos, the singer said he regrets no song in Hamshen Armenian dialect has been included in the album. “It’s a pity that the younger generation does not speak Armenian. Even those who know the Hamshen Armenian dialect, rarely use it,” he said.
Yasar Kurt hopes to release a new album in Armenian or Hamshen Armenian in cooperation with the “Vova” group and Aysenur Kolivarin the near future.
Germany has joined an ever-growing list of nations to officially recognise the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians by Turkey during World War 1, but New Zealand continues to stay silent, according to .
No New Zealand government has ever officially recognized the Armenian Genocide over fears Turkey would ban Kiwis from visiting the Gallipoli battlefields.
Auckland based genocide expert Maria Amoudian finds that perplexing.
“New Zealand is a really interesting case for political scientists like me, it’s a country that has always stood out as being ethically at the forefront, morally at the forefront, always for an underdog, and caring about issues like human rights,” she says.
“So it is a little bit baffling that on this one issue that it tends to shy away from even looking at it.”
The Government told Newshub that it considers historic issues between Armenia and Turkey are best left to those countries to work through.
The Greens are the only New Zealand political party that does recognize the Armenian genocide, and now they’re in a coalition opposition with Labor, political will on the issue here could be about to change.
No document will be signed during a new round of talks on Karabakh in June, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said during the discussions on the 2015 budget execution at the National Assembly.
“The agreements reached in Vienna refer to creation of an investigation mechanism, enlargement of the Office of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, and exclusion of new war,” Minister Nalbandian said.
“At this point we’re working to resume the negotiations. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs will hold separate meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the meetings we’ll probably continue discussions on the agreements reached in Vienna,” the Minister said.
He added, however, that speaking about the signing of any document is untimely and senseless.
Minister Nalbandian said that the development and conclusion of any deal will be impossible without the participation of Nagorno Karabakh. He noted that Armenia always raises the issue of Artsakh’s involvement in the talks and the matter is included in all working documents that have been discussed up until now.
As for the agreement on mutual military assistance between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Edward Nalbandian said “the steps in that direction have not been clarified. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been tasked with preparing the document, but the next steps will depend on the future developments,” he said.
Liverpool suffered a dramatic second-half collapse as Sevilla claimed the Europa League for the third season in succession with a superb comeback, the BBC reports.
Jurgen Klopp’s side looked on course to secure the prize of Champions League football – on offer to the winners of the competition – when Daniel Sturridge’s magnificent strike with the outside of his left foot gave them the interval lead.
The good work was wrecked in the first 17 seconds of the second half when Kevin Gameiro turned in Mariano Ferreira’s cross to put Sevilla level.
Liverpool, who were denied a clear first-half penalty when Sevilla’s Daniel Carrico clearly handled as Roberto Firmino tried to weave past him, never recovered.
Coke’s fine 64th-minute finish confirmed Sevilla’s superiority and he added a contentious third from close range, which was initially disallowed but was then given as Liverpool slumped to their second final defeat this season after losing to Manchester City in the Capital One Cup.
Armenia Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with his French counterpart French Jean-Marc Ayraul in Paris.
The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and France discussed issues related to the political and economic, humanitarian cooperation on the state, parliamentary and decentralized level.
Ministers Nalbandian and Ayraul hailed the high level of bilateral relations. They referred to the perspectives of further development and expansion of cooperation. Minister Nalabndian stressed that there are about 160 companies with French capital are operating in Armenia, and noted that our country welcomes the growth of French investments and new initiatives in that direction.
The process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict was high on the agenda of the meeting.
Minister Nalbandian briefed his French counterpart on the situation created as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggressive actions against Nagorno Karabakh, and stressed the importance of the consistent efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards excluding the reoccurrence of events that happened in early April and solving the conflict exceptionally in a peaceful way.
The interlocutors agreed that the use of force is unacceptable, and there is no alternative to peaceful settlement. They emphasized the importance of the 1994 and 1995 agreements on ceasefire and stressed the need for their full implementation.
In this context they attached importance to the creation of the mechanism of investigation of ceasefire violations and border incidents and the extension of liabilities of the team of eth Personal representative of the OPSCE Chairman-in-Office.
Minister Nalbandian reiterated that if favorable conditions are created, Armenia will continue to work jointly with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards solving the issue through negotiations.
Edward Nalbandian invited Jean-Marc Ayraul to Armenia.
A new exhibit opening in Glendale is designed to offer the public a greater insight into the history of the Armenian people, according to
“Armenia: An open wound,” is presented by the Armenian American Museum and the city of Glendale and is curated by the Museo Memoria Y Tolerancia in Mexico City.
The images span decades, from the New World to the Old and from happiness to despair – including the Armenian Genocide in the early years of the 20th century.
“You will definitely get a great experience here about the Armenian culture, but you will also witness what happened during the Genocide period as well as the aftermath of the Genocide period to see how different countries, different people responded,” said Berdj Karapetian, chairman of the Armenian American Museum.
The exhibit includes a re-creation of a desert many Armenians were forced to migrate to and gives a sense of the desolation and the desperation they endured.
A hundred years later many still feel the pain of what happened. And they are hoping everyone can learn from it through the images and words on the walls.
The is free and open to the public. It runs through June 11 at the Brand Library & Art Center, 1601 West Mountain St., Glendale.
Moscow confirms its readiness to assist in the negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia as this issue is high on the agenda, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday, TASS reports.
“We have stressed on many occasions that the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh should be settled through negotiations,” the Russian diplomat said.
“We’re confirming our readiness as an international mediator to provide all assistance together with the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group to the sides in implementing this goal,” Zakharova said.
“This theme does not get away anywhere from the agenda of the foreign ministry and contacts at the level of the ministry’s leadership and priority attention is paid to it at the current time interval,” the spokeswoman said.