Author: Talar Tumanian

An Armenian school will be opened in Alfortville, France on July 4 in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Armenia and France Hovik Abrahamian and Manuel Valls, VMTV reports.

This project was conducted by The APCAF (Association for the Promotion of Armenian Culture in France), in partnership with the Association of School and St. Mesrop Alfortville Municipality.

Arabian school is a private school under contract. It covers 1,585 square meters and is built along the Seine. It will open its doors in September 2015 with 300 students from elementary school with a view of opening a college in the future.

The school’s inauguration will be attended by many public and political figures, including French Prime Minister, Mr Manuel Valls, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan, the Senator-Mayor, Mr Luc Carvounas, the main sponsor of this project, Mr. Gevorg Arabian, Monsignor Norvan Zakarian, President of APCAF, Bishop Vahan Hovhannessian, Primate of the Diocese of France of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Deputy of Val-de-Marne, René Rouquet.

Over 1,000 people are expected for this event that will take place between 10:30 and 16:30 on the Komitas Street and around the Seine.

All donors whose donation exceeds € 2,000 will have their name or the name of their choice written on awall inside the establishment.

At least 27 people, mostly foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a beach near two tourist hotels in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse, according to the interior ministry, the BBC reports.

Officials say one gunman has been shot dead and another is being pursued.

Sousse is a popular tourist destination.

Tunisia has been on high alert since March when militants killed 22 people, mainly foreign tourists, in an attack on a museum in the capital Tunis.

Tamar Kaprelian‘s Eurovision 2016 collaboration, “The Otherside,” has  been released, bringing together the voices of Tamar, fellow Genealogy member Stephanie Topalian, Elina Born of Estonia, Elhaida Dani of Albania and Maria Elena Kyriakouof Greece.

Tamar Kaprelian represented Armenia at Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the “Genealogy”  band.

Belgian Prime Minister said that the tragic events committed between 1915-1917 in the Ottoman Empire should be “considered a genocide,” reports, quoting Belgian .

Prime Minister Charles Michel acknowledged Thursday on behalf of his government, the Armenian genocide a century ago committed by the Young Turk government.

“The relationship between history and the future are occasionally complicated. My position is well known, I am of the view that the tragic events should be labeled as genocide, and that is the position of the Belgian government,” Charles Michel declared in the Parliament today.

Welcoming this statement, MP Peter De Roover (N-VA) announced the filing of a resolution allowing to move forward on this issue.

I'm back in and look forward to meetings today and tomorrow to discuss .

— James Warlick (@AmbJamesWarlick)

US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick has arrived in Armenia to hold discussions on the Karabakh conflict settlement.

“I’m back in Yerevan and look forward to meetings today and tomorrow to discuss Nagorno Karabakh peace process,” Warlick said in a Twitter post.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Expatriates’ Affairs Hassan Qashqavi and the head of the Armenian foreign ministry’s consular department called for further efforts to promote consular relations between the two neighbors, Tasnim agency reports.

 

The Turkish Supreme Court has ruled that the construction of an 1,100-room palace by President Erdogan was illegal. The palace was constructed on protected land, reports.

Tuesday’s decision by Turkey’s Supreme Court revoked the building permit that had been issued to build President President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s palace after the fact because it had been illegally built on protected land.

The palace was inaugurated in October to coincide with Erdogan’s transition from head of government as Prime Minister to head of state as President. The building has had plenty of critics, many of whom focus on the construction costs of just over 500 million euros (well over $600 million) for the 1,100-room palace.

The presidential palace, popularly dubbed Ak Saray (“White Palace”) was built under controversial circumstances, in a wooded area within the Ataturk Forest Farm in Ankara. The construction went ahead despite environmental concerns and court orders, prompting its critics to instead call it Kacak Saray (“Illegal Palace”).

It appears now that they may be right with the moniker, however it remains unclear if the court decision will have any consequences for Erdogan or the completed palace.

Parliamentary elections in Turkey are approaching on June 7. As president, Erdogan is not allowed to partipate in any campaigning, but his recent speeches have carried a distinct undertone of support for the AKP, the party he previously led as prime minister. There is also increased support in Turkey for Erdogan’s plan of assigning more powers to his new role as president, currently seen as a largely ceremonial role.