Author: Vatche Chakhmakhchian

On 30 August Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan partook in Stepanakert at a solemn opening ceremony of a new sports hall, NKR President’s Press Office reports.

The President expressed gratitude to the “Border Community Development” fund for the realization of this program considering important widening the network of sports halls in the capital and the republic and noting that this process would be of an ongoing nature.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, premier Arayik Haroutyunyan and other officials were present at the event.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire 19 times at the line of contact with Karabakh forces last night.

The rival fired more than 320 shots from weapons of different calibers in the direction of Armenian positions.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army refrained from response actions and confidently continued with their military duty.

One policeman and the ambulance driver have been released from police premises in Yerevan, where gunmen still hold several hostages, the National Security Service (NSS) reports.

The armed group refuses to release the rest of the hostages, including high-ranking police officers, to lay down arms and surrender to the authorities. The life and health of the people illegally held hostage is still endangered, the NSS said.

“The terrorists, who have already committed sever crimes and possess a large quantity of weapons and ammunition pose an apparent threat not only to the hostages, but also the society, as a whole,” the statement reads.

The law-enforcement bodies of Armenia take all possible measures to settle the situation peacefully, but this may turn insufficient under the current conditions.

The National Security Service reiterates its call to the members of the armed group to refrain from actions that could lead to new victims and grave consequences and to stop the armed resistance. “There is still time and possibility for this,” NSS said in a statement.

The situation was relatively calm at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan last night, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

The rival mostly used firearms as it fired more than 200 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions.

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

A museum of statues of famous Turkish political and public figures has been opened in the yard of the ancient Armenian Church of Holy Trinity in the city of Sivrihisar in Turkey’s Eskesehir Province, Akunq.net reports, quoting Turkish sources.

The idea of such a museum was born back in 2011 and the project was proposed by then Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Gunay.

The statues of anti-Armenian politicians Ataturk and Kazim Karabekir are among more than 100 monuments installed in the yard.

The Holy Trinity Church  is a historical Armenian Apostolic temple in the former Armenian quarter of Sivrihisar in the Western Turkish province of Eskishehir. It was used as a store after the Armenians of the town had been deported and killed during theArmenian Genocide.

It was built in the year 1650 but set under fire in 1876. In 1881, the Holy Trinity Church was rebuilt by the architect Mintes Panoyat under patriarch Nerses II. After the Armenian Genocide in 1915, the church stood empty. A restoration plan was given up in 2001, but reconstruction of the dome started in 2010. The church at the stage of building reopened.

The Holy Trinity Church itself is a rectangular basilica. The old frescoes and Armenian inscriptions inside the church are almost completely destroyed.

Armenia’s leading chess player Levon Aronian is ranked 5th in FIDE’s July ranking. World Champion Magnus Carlsen is on top of the list followed by Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) and Fabiano Caruana (USA).

Other Armenian Grandmasters are ranked as follows: Gabriel Sargissian – 56^th, Vladimir Akopian – 62^nd, Sergei Movsessian -76^th.

Photo: SPL

Researchers say they have found the first clear evidence that the thinning in the ozone layer above Antarctica is starting to heal, the BBC reports.

The scientists said that in September 2015 the hole was around 4 million sq km smaller than it was in the year 2000 – an area roughly the size of India.

The gains have been credited to the long term phasing out of ozone-destroying chemicals.

The study also sheds new light on the role of volcanoes in making the problem worse.

Portugal are the first team into the Euro 2016 semi-finals after a penalty shoot-out win over Poland in Marseille, with the game ending 1-1 after extra-time, Reuters reports.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewandowski scored the opening spot-kicks for each side and Portugal were leading 4-3 when Jakub Blaszczykowski saw his spot-kick pushed around the post.

That left it to Ricardo Quaresma to send Portugal into the last four, where they will face Wales or Belgium, and he found the roof of the net in style.

Robert Lewandowski notched his first goal of the tournament after less than two minutes to put Poland in front, converting smartly from Kamil Grosicki’s cut-back from the left.

However, his new Bayern Munich team-mate Renato Sanches, handed his first international start at the age of 18, pulled Portugal back level on 32 minutes when a deflection helped his rifled effort find the corner of the net.

Ronaldo missed a golden opportunity with five minutes remaining when he swung and missed a lovely lofted ball over the top from Joao Moutinho, ensuring the match would go into extra time.

The Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, on Tuesday briefed journalists on Pope Francis’ 3-day visit to Armenia taking place from 24-26th of June. He said the papal visit underlines the Pope’s desire to show his closeness to the entire nation of Armenia, whose people who have suffered so much during their long history and who shares their desire for peace, reports.

Father Lombardi noted that the Pope’s visit to Armenia should be considered as the first part of a trip that will take him to three nations in the Caucus region in 2016. The second leg will take place from September 30th to October 2nd when the Pope will travel to Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Ecumenism is a key focus of the Pope’s journey to Armenia that follows a visit to the Vatican in April 2015 by Catholicos, Karekin II, the Patriarch of All Armenia, during which a Mass was celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the centenary of the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman troops in 1915.

During his trip to Armenia, the Pope will meet descendants of those killed during that massacre when he travels to a memorial complex in the city of Tsitzernakaberd situated in the south of the nation, according to Radio Vatican.

Father Lombardi also revealed that among the journalists travelling to Armenia for the papal visit is Evangelina Himitian, the daughter of an Armenian evangelical pastor in Argentina and a friend of the then Cardinal Bergoglio during his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. The journalist’s grandparents were witnesses and victims of the Ottoman persecution of Armenians and their lives were saved through the help of some Turkish peasants who offered them protection.

Other highlights of the Pope’s programme during his visit to Armenia include the Pope’s meeting with the civil and religious authorities including the Catholicos and other representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Pope will also visit, Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, where he will hold an open-air Mass before returning to the capital to attend an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace.

On his final day, the Pope will visit the Khor Virap monastery near the Turkish border where he will release doves in the direction of Mount Arafat. The monastery is revered as the site where St. Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of Christianity in Armenia, was imprisoned.

Photo: AFP

 

A court in Turkey has charged three people with “terrorist propaganda”, including a representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

It ordered the arrest of RSF representative Erol Onderoglu, journalist Ahmet Nesin and academic Sebnem Korur Fincanci.

RSF said it was “an unbelievable low for press freedom in Turkey”.

The arrests come despite the EU pressuring Ankara to stop prosecuting academics and journalists.

The three had reportedly participated in a solidarity campaign in support of Ozgur Gundem, a pro-Kurdish newspaper.

Turkish media say they each acted as chief editor for a day.