Author: Vatche Chakhmakhchian

Over 130 flights cancelled or delayed in Moscow airports

Vatche Chakhmakhchian

Over 130 flights cancelled or delayed in Moscow airports

Save

Share

11:35,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. 122 flights were delayed and 10 more were cancelled in Moscow’s airports due to fog, RIA Novosti reported.

25 flights were delayed in Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, 52 in Sheremetyevo and 45 in Domodedovo.

Fog is reported in Moscow at the moment.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenian American woman insists on completing citizenship ceremony despite labor pains

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
The Hill, DC
Aug 22 2019
 
 
Armenian American woman insists on completing citizenship ceremony despite labor pains
 
By Zack Budryk – 08/22/19 06:16 PM EDT
 
A pregnant Armenian American woman refused to leave a naturalization ceremony on Thursday until she had been sworn in as a U.S. citizen — despite experiencing contractions, according to reports.
 
U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney said the 31-year-old woman — who asked to be identified only by her first name, Tatev — began feeling contractions at a Los Angeles convention center where Carney was to preside over a naturalization ceremony for more than 3,000 people, Reuters reported.
 
Tatev, who had been scheduled for a cesarean section next week, would not leave until she was sworn in, according to Carney, who performed an improvised ceremony specifically for her ahead of the more formal one.
 
Tatev told Reuters that the contractions ended after she returned home and rested, and that she was determined to become a citizen due to concerns over the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
 
“I sped up this process because of the fact of the current president, because the immigration laws are under attack,” said Tatev, who already has a 2-year-old daughter.
 
President Trump has made hardline immigration policies a central aspect of his presidency.
 
The administration has in recent weeks announced a new proposed rule that would expand the types of public aid legal immigrants can receive before being deemed a “public charge,” which could lead to them being denied green cards.
 
Trump also said this week the administration was “looking at” ending birthright citizenship.
 
“I don’t want my kid to face these issues growing up in this country and having this be his home and not legally being part of this country,” Tatev, who has lived in the U.S. since the age of 14, told Reuters.
 
 
 
 
 

Armenian Government Cites Economic Benefits of Amulsar Gold Mining Project

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Basic Materials & Resources Monitor Worldwide
August 22, 2019 Thursday
Armenian Government Cites Economic Benefits of Amulsar Gold Mining Project
 
 
Mining operations at Amulsar gold deposit will speed up economic growth in Armenia, boost the countrys tax revenue and result in thousands of new jobs, a senior Armenian government official said on Tuesday.
 
A British-registered company, Lydian International, began building mining facilities there in August 2016. The construction process has been frozen since several dozen protesters began blocking all roads leading to Amulsar in June 2018. The protesters say that gold production there would inflict serious damage on the environment, a claim strongly denied by Lydian.
 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan indicated on Monday that his government will enable Lydian to restart the controversial project. Pashinyan cited the newly released findings of an environmental audit conducted by a Lebanese consultancy, ELARD. It essentially concluded that the project does not pose serious environmental risks.
 
According to Deputy Economy Minister Avag Avanesyan, Lydian has invested $350 million in Amulsar and will spend another $130 million before launching mining operations there. Citing his ministrys estimates, Avanesyan said the U.S.-headquartered company will initially produce $250 million worth of gold annually.
 
This means that the direct impact on GDP will amount to 1 percent, he told RFE/RLs Armenian service. The indirect impact will be close to 1.4 percent, according to our calculations.
 
The Amulsar mine, Avanesyan went on, will employ some 750 people. Another 3,000 or so jobs should be created by Armenian firms that will be linked to the mining operation in one way or another, said the official. He also stressed that Lydian is due to pay around $50 million in annual taxes.
 
Hayk Gevorgyan, a senior pro-government lawmaker, defended Pashinyans decision to give the green light for the project, while saying that our economy can develop even without growth in the mining sector. He said the government decided not to pull the plug on the project because it does not want to be taken to an international court of arbitration and risk at least several hundred million dollars in fines.
 
Pashinyan announced his position on the Amulsar issue hours after meeting with local government officials and environmental activists strongly opposed to the project. One of those activists, Anna Shahnazaryan, stormed out of the meeting in protest.
 
Shahnazaryan and another activist, Levon Galstyan, deplored Pashinyans stance when they spoke to RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Tuesday. They claimed that the prime minister was misled by his entourage and the Investigative Committee, a law-enforcement agency that commissioned the ELARD audit as part of a yearlong inquiry into the Amulsar project.
 
Shahnazaryan brushed aside Pashinyans argument that Lydian has pledged to take more than a dozen mitigating measures which ELARD believes would minimize environmental risks. She claimed that such measures would be too costly for the company headquartered in the U.S. state of Colorado.
 
Galstyan, for his part, dismissed as a gossip Pashinyans claim that the environmentalists vocal campaign against Lydian has been sponsored by other mining companies operating in Armenia.
 
Without naming names, the premier suggested that those companies want to thwart the Amulsar project in order to prevent the government from enforcing stricter environmental standards in Armenias entire mining industry. The industrys environment protection record is notoriously poor.
 
In July 2018, Lydian released a short video that purportedly showed the driver of a car belonging to Armenias largest mining enterprise, the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), delivering food to the protesters blockading Amulsar. Lydian accused Vahe Hakobyan, a former government official linked to ZCMC, of involvement in the disruption of its operations in Armenia. Hakobyan denied that, saying that the car was driven by a ZCMC employee who accidentally met one of his relatives on a highway near the under-construction mine. 2019 Global Data Point.
 
 

Արտակ Դավթյանը մասնակցել է ԶՈՒ ԳՇ պետերի կոմիտեի նիստին

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
  • 23.08.2019

    •  

  • Հայաստան

    •  

  • arm

 95

Օգոստոսի 23-ին ՀՀ զինված ուժերի գլխավոր շտաբի պետ, գեներալ-լեյտենանտ Արտակ Դավթյանի գլխավորած պատվիրակությունը մասնակցել է Դուշանբեում անցկացված ԱՊՀ անդամ պետությունների զինված ուժերի գլխավոր շտաբերի պետերի կոմիտեի հերթական նիստին:


Այս մասին հայտնում են ՊՆ-ի մամուլի ծառայությունից:

EU envoy to Armenia opens new Legends Trail in Syunik Province

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
News.am, Armenia
Aug 25 2019
EU envoy to Armenia opens new Legends Trail in Syunik Province (PHOTOS) EU envoy to Armenia opens new Legends Trail in Syunik Province (PHOTOS)

14:11, 25.08.2019
                  

YEREVAN. – Ambassador Piotr Świtalski, head of the European Union (EU ) Delegation to Armenia, on Saturday opened the new Legends Trail in Tandzaver village of Syunik Province—and which connects Goris and Kapan towns. Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned this from the office of the EU Ambassador.

Guests tested 5km of this 300km trail, which took them through a new Magical Forest, also supported by the “EU4Tourism: Outdoor adventures on the historic trails in Syunik” project.

Świtalski noted, in particular, that community development is one of the EU’s top priorities, and his personal focus is on promoting initiatives that enable Armenian citizens and tourists to enjoy the beauty of this country while leading an active lifestyle.

Firefighters continue extinguishing works in “Khosrov” Forest State Reserve

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Panorama, Armenia
Aug 24 2019
Society 13:07 24/08/2019 Armenia

Armenia’s ministry of emergency situations repots that fire burst out on a road leading to “Khosrov” Forest State Reserve, near “Meghraqar” area, adding the respective emergency call was received  on August 23 at 12:07. According to the source, extinguishing works are currently underway.

According to the source, 74 firefighters, units of the MES operative response group and the emergency response group of the regional Crisis Management Center left for the scene.
As of morning August 24, a grass area of 17 hectares is under fire.

The extinguishing works are controlled my Minister of Emergency Situations Felix Tsolakyan.

“Khosrov”-Forest-State-Reserve/2157408

Warner Music’s ADA Signs Global Distribution Deal with Music Education Non-Profit Nvak

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Billboard
Aug 23 2019
 
 
Warner Music's ADA Signs Global Distribution Deal with Music Education Non-Profit Nvak
 
8/23/2019 by Chris Eggertsen
 
     
The company has also inked a worldwide sales and distribution agreement with rock band Incubus.
 
Nvak — a non-profit organization that nurtures artists who live in countries experiencing social, political and/or cultural turmoil — has signed a global deal with Warner Music’s Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) to distribute music by artists in those regions, the company announced Friday (Aug. 23). The first release under the deal is “Love the Way You Feel,” a single written and recorded by 18-year-old Armenian singer, songwriter and producer Brunette.
 
“I want young girls in Armenia to listen to my songs and to feel confident and empowered that they can also have a free voice,” said Brunette in a statement. “The songs that I’m writing come from life experience and my goal is to share my story and for other people who have gone through similar difficulties to feel like they are not alone.”
 
She added, “There isn’t a huge music business here and there are limited opportunities for young artists to be able to express themselves through their art. Nvak is a space where you can be free to express you.”
 
READ MORE
 
Warner Music Group's ADA Names John Franck Executive VP Commercial & Marketing
 
“Love the Way You Feel” is part of a nine-song collection recorded and produced by Armenian and Israeli artists alongside collaborators including songwriter-producer Big Taste, Capital Cities vocalist and keyboardist Sebu Simonian and songwriter-producer Nico Stadi, who produced “Love the Way You Feel."
 
Nvak was founded in 2015 by singer-songwriter Tamar Kaprelian, who came up with the concept during a visit to her parents' native Armenia.
 
“While I was there, I noticed a vibrant, talented population who had little to no opportunity or encouragement to create original music and showcase their talent,” added Kaprelian. “Moreover, due in part to years of political corruption, there was no way for young talent to get their music heard outside of the country’s borders.”
 
Today, Nvak has a community of over 500 young musicians in Armenia and Israel and is set to launch in Malawi next month. The non-profit holds annual summer intensives in each country, during which notable songwriters and producers teach collaborative songwriting, music production and music business in an effort to foster local talent. Focusing its mission on young women and girls, Nvak also offers year-round programming, mentorship and workshops.
  
Also on Friday, ADA announced an exclusive worldwide partnership with multi-platinum rock band Incubus to support the group’s new record label of the same name with global sales and distribution, along with a full suite of label services in the U.S. including radio promotion, marketing, publicity, digital strategy, and sync licensing. The first release on the label is the band's single “Into The Summer,” which went live today along with an official music video. Incubus kicks off a nationwide tour next month.
 

«Զվարթնոց» օդանավակայանում ուղևորի ուղեբեռում հայտնաբերվել է լիցքավորված ատրճանակ

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
  • 09.08.2019

    •  

  • Հայաստան

    •  

  • arm

 72

«Զվարթնոց» օդանավակայանի անվտանգության աշխատակիցները ուղեբեռում հայտնաբերել են լիցքավորված ատրճանակ։


Oդանավակայանի անվտանգության աշխատակիցների կողմից 2019թ. օգոստոսի 8-ին ժամը 08։05-ի սահմաններում, Երևան-Փարիզ 1061 թռիչքով մեկնող ուղևորի ուղեբեռի զննման ժամանակ հայտնաբերվել է «EKOL Special 99, 99մմ․ EU-1520760» տեսակի 6 փամփուշտներով լիցքավորված ատրճանակ։


Համաձայն սահմանված ընթացակարգի կազմվել է համապատասխան արձանագրություն և ուղևորն ու հայտնաբերված ատրճանակը հանձնվել են «Զվարթնոցի» գծային բաժնի ոստիկանությանը։


Օդանավակայանը շնորհակալություն է հայտնում «Զվարթնոցի» անվտանգության աշխատակիցներին՝ պրոֆեսիոնալ աշխատանքի և ուղևորների անվտանգությունն ամենաբարձր մակարդակով ապահովելու համար։

Armenpress: Ex-head of Union of Journalists of Armenia charged with forgery

Vatche Chakhmakhchian

Ex-head of Union of Journalists of Armenia charged with forgery

Save

Share

10:47, 9 August, 2019

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. Authorities have brought forward criminal charges against former President of the Union of Journalists of Armenia Astghik Gevorgyan, the Investigative Committee told ARMENPRESS.

Gevorgyan, 86, has been charged under Paragraph 1, Article 325 of the Criminal Code – falsification, use or selling of “licenses reserving rights or exempting from liability or other official documents”. A signature bond has been applied against her as a measure of restraint.

She was President of the Union of Journalists from 1992 until 2017.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan.

Lieutenant Governor: California will continue its consistent efforts towards international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Arminfo, Armenia
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo. California will continue its consistent efforts towards international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. On July 31, Eleni Kunalakis, Vice Governor of California, stated this at a  press conference in Yerevan.  She also recalled that state colleges  include the history of the Armenian Genocide among the subjects  taught. She also stated that California is one of 9 states of the  United States that recognized the independence of Artsakh.

The Vice Governor of California stressed the importance of this visit  to Armenia and stated the fruitfulness of the meetings held. She  stated that they had meetings with the authorities of the country,  visited the memorial complex of the Armenian Genocide victims,  planted a spruce tree in the Memory Alley on behalf of the state,  visited an American university, visited the Tumo creative  technologies center and were impressed and pleased that the center  exists through the investments of Armenians of America .  In turn,  Colorado legislator Danea Escar also welcomed the visit to Yerevan  and stressed that they are keen to explore the possibility of  bilateral cooperation, especially in the field of agriculture. She  also expressed her admiration for the processes that took place in  Armenia last year, pointing out that the velvet revolution took place  without a drop of blood.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles representative Kathryn Bargo noted that she  would like to return to Armenia again. She also recalled the  initiation of construction of the Armenian-American Museum in  Glendale, and noted that the city council of Los Angeles is  allocating $ 1 million for construction, and another $ 5 million for  the state of California. "The process of documentation is now being  completed, and we hope that in 5 years the museum will be built. We  believe that this will be an important step towards strengthening our  cooperation," she concluded.