Author: Sonya Jalatian

The Armenian woman killed in Nice attack saved her baby by covering the carriage with her body, witness to the attack Susan Mkhitaryan (Davtyan) told .

She said almost the whole city gathers to watch the fireworks on National Day. “The lorry ploughed into the crowd immediately after the fireworks. The Police were shooting to stop it. We managed to drop in at the nearest restaurant and hide there,” Susan said.

According to her, the driver ploughed on for 2km, leaving dozens killed. “It was a horrific scene, the situation in the city is terrible,” she said.

Susan said she he heard a lot of Armenian exclamations during the incident.

The vast majority of the Armenian National Committee of Australia’s (ANC Australia) endorsed candidates won their seats in the Federal Parliament in Saturday’s Election, despite the fact that the overall result of the poll remains unclear.

Headlining the list of victors for Armenian-Australians is Tim Wilson (LIB), who won the seat of Goldstein in Victoria to ensure he becomes the second-ever Federal Parliamentarian of Armenian descent, after Joe Hockey (now retired from Federal politics).

The other Armenian-Australian contesting the poll was former ANC Australia National Board member, Hovig Melkonian (ALP), who unfortunately lost his seat of Casey, despite outstandingly clawing back the margin against his challenger, the incumbent Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tony Smith (LIB).

The most Armenian-populated seat in Australia, Bennelong in NSW, was won for a third time by John Alexander (LIB), who is the incumbent Chair of the Armenia-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group, and an outspoken advocate on Armenian Genocide recognition and the rights to self-determination for the Armenians of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

The most Armenian-populated seat in Victoria, Bruce was won by Julian Hill (ALP), who has promised to advocate for Armenian-Australian issues of concern in the next Parliamentary term.

In the Senate, where results are also not yet clear, it seems likely that there will be stronger representation for the Nick Xenophon Team, whose leader Nick Xenophon is a strong advocate for Armenian Genocide recognition. The Greens will also likely end up with at least nine Senators and Rev. Fred Nile’s Christian Democratic Party (CDP) is projected to win one seat. The Greens and the CDP are both on the record to ANC Australia as supporters of Armenian Genocide recognition.

Generally speaking, the Liberal/National Coalition (LIB) and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) are in a neck-and-neck race to try and gain a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. As absentee votes and postal votes are still being counted, either party needs to reach the number of 76 in order to officially be in government – either on their own accord, or via negotiations with the cross-benches.

The result should be clearer by the end of this week.

Prior to the election, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) met with candidates in key seats for Armenian-Australians, and produced a report card reviewing the key candidates.

Turkish police have carried out raids against suspected militants from so-called Islamic State after the deadly attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, the BBC reports.

At least 13 suspects were detained in raids in Istanbul and the western coastal city of Izmir.

Turkey believes IS was behind Tuesday’s suicide gun and bomb attack that left 42 people dead and more than 230 injured.

More details of the victims have emerged, many of them airport workers.

On 22 June President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan arrived in Artsakh.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan, Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan and NKR second President Arkady Ghoukasyan visited a number of borderline sections in the republic’s southern wing, got acquainted  with the course of military service and the current situation.

On the same day Presidents of the two Armenian states held in capital Stepanakert a consultation with the supreme command staff of the NKR Defense Army and discussed a wide range of issues concerning to the army building.

Today’s meetings with the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will help to build trust between the parties, US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said in a Twitter post.

“Today’s meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Aliyev build trust between the parties, accelerate confidence-building, and create conditions for a framework document on peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict,” Warlick said.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated their Russian counterparts Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin on the National Day of Russia despite the ongoing tensions between the countries, Turkish broadcaster CNN Türk reported, citing government sources. Yildirim and Erdogan sent letters to their counterparts for Russia’s national day celebrated on June 12, according to reports.

“On behalf of Turkish people, I celebrate the National Day of Russian people. Moreover, I hope that the relations between Russia and Turkey reach the level that it deserves in the near future,” Erdogan wrote in the letter to the Russian President, while Yildirim voiced a similar wish in his letter to Medvedev.

“I hope that the cooperation and relations between our countries reach the level necessary for the common goals of our people soon. I wish health and prosperity to all the Russians,” Yildirim said.

Photo: AFP

 

A huge monument has been discovered buried under the sands at the Petra World Heritage site in southern Jordan, the reports.

Archaeologists used satellite images, drone photography and ground surveys to locate the find, according to the study published in the American Schools of Oriental Research.

The large platform is about as long as an Olympic swimming pool and twice as wide.

Researchers say it is unlike any other structure at the ancient site.

The study, by Sarah Parcak of the University of Birmingham, and Christopher Tuttle, executive director of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, describes the find as “hiding in plain sight”.

Petra dates back to the fourth century BC, when it was founded by the Nabataean civilization, who inhibited parts of what is now Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Surface pottery suggests the platform was built in the mid-second century BC, when Petra was at its peak.

It is thought the structure may have had a ceremonial purpose.

The survey also revealed a smaller platform was contained inside the larger one, which was once lined with columns on one side with a vast staircase on the other.

Iran’s Telecommunication Infrastructure Company has provided bandwidth transit from Iraq to Armenia (Pilote) with the capacity of 200Gbps under a project called ‘Ouj,’ reports. 

On a visit to Tehran, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with Iran’s Vice-President, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the development of bilateral relations and exchanged views on urgent international issues.

Ali Akbar Salehi briefed Minister Nalbandian on the implementation of the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

The same day Minister Nalabndian had a meeting with Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.

The joint steps towards the further deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation and the process of implementation of the agreements reached on the highest level were discussed.

The Armenian Foreign Minister briefed Mr. Shamkhani on the efforts towards elimination of consequences of the large scale-military actions Azerbaijan unleashed against Nagorno Karabakh in April. The interlocutors agreed that there is no alternative to the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

During the meeting reference was made to urgent international and regional issues and the efforts towards their settlement.

Jose Mourinho has been officially confirmed as Manchester United manager and has signed a three-year contract, the BBC reports.

He replaces Dutchman Louis van Van Gaal, who was dismissed on Monday, two days after the club’s FA Cup win.

“Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today,” said United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Mourinho, 53, said: “To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game. It is a club known and admired throughout the world.”

He said he had always “felt an affinity with Old Trafford” and claimed he has “always enjoyed a rapport with the United fans”.

He added: “I’m looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years.

“There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match.”

Mourinho has been out of work since being sacked as boss of Premier League rivals Chelsea in December.