Category: News

On May 16, the Supreme Spiritual Council, which was convened in Moscow under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; reflected on the recurring provocations on the Artsakh – Azerbaijan border, the most recent incident which occured on May 15, and issued an announcement.

The announcement states in part: “After being informed about the provocative actions undertaken by the Azerbaijan armed forces on the Artsakh- Azerbaijan border on 15 May, we express our concern and strongly condemn the incident.

Azerbaijan has adopted a military resolution to the conflict in Artsak (Nagorno-Karabakh). The continuous escalation of the situation and resulting loss of human life, greatly endangers the move towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict; and the success of the negotiation process that has been initiated through the efforts of the international community.

Faithful to her mission, the Armenian Apostolic Church, will continue to exert every effort for the sake of the peaceful settlement of the conflict, and a safe and secure life for our children living in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh)”.

President Serzh Sargsyan has signed a decree appointing Karen Karapetyan as Prime Minister of Armenia.

The government stepped down earlier today. The Ministers will continue to perform their duties until a new government is formed.

Facebook has been fined 110m euros by the EU for providing “incorrect or misleading” information during its purchase of messaging service WhatsApp in 2014, the BBC reports.

The European Commission said Facebook had said it could not automatically match user accounts on its own platform and WhatsApp.

But two years later it launched a service that did just that.

Facebook said the errors it had made were not intentional.

In a statement, the Commission said: “The Commission has found that, contrary to Facebook’s statements in the 2014 merger review process, the technical possibility of automatically matching Facebook and WhatsApp users’ identities already existed in 2014, and that Facebook staff were aware of such a possibility.”

However, it added that the fine would not reverse its decision to clear the $19bn purchase of WhatsApp and was unrelated to separate investigations into data protection issues.

On 18 May, the European Commission published a reviewing the implementation of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The report detailed results following a new approach based on differentiation, joint ownership and flexibility.

The revised European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) reinvigorated the relations between the European Union and its neighbours to the East and South, with a greater focus on stabilisation, resilience and security. Today’s neighbourhood-wide Joint Report on the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy demonstrates that the new policy approach ensures stronger joint ownership and more flexibility by recognising different aspirations and diversity of each partner. The report is a follow-up to the European Neighbourhood review which was adopted in November 2015.

“The European Union has been investing a lot in economic development, resilience, security, democracy and the rule of law in our Eastern and Southern neighbours. One year and a half after the review of the European Neighborhood Policy, we have managed to build – in cooperation and full partnership – a tailor made approach with each and every country, to ensure it addresses the real needs and interests, for the sake of all our citizens.” said Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, upon publication of the joint report.

”We consulted widely before updating the Neighbourhood Policy – and this report shows how we are really putting into action the results of that consultation: a stronger focus on mutual interests, greater differentiation to reflect the diversity of our partners, a greater sense of shared ownership of the policy and more flexibility in how it is implemented,” added Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.

The reviewed ENP has mobilised significant support to reforms in four priority areas: good governance, democracy, rule of law and human rights; economic development for stabilisation; security; migration and mobility.

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, addressed the first session of the National Assembly of 6th convocation.

Your Excellency, Mr. President,
Honorable Members of Parliament,
Dear attendees,

We extend to you Our pontifical blessings and greetings, and congratulate the newly elected Members of Parliament on the occasion of the first session of the 6th National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.

From here on, the role of the National Assembly will essentially expand, as the result of recent constitutional amendments changing Armenia to a parliamentary state governance system. As the highest body vested with added jurisdiction and executive power, the National Assembly is assuming even greater responsibility in the life of our country and people as well as for our present and future.

On the path of the reinforcement of our statehood and transformation in our country, important steps have been undertaken to create legal foundations for a parliamentary republic, for the sake of civil society, and development of the economy, science, and culture in our country. Over the course of these years, efforts have been made to secure a sound environment for strengthening our spiritual and national-ecclesiastical life.

However, along with all the achievements, problems and difficulties have yet to be eliminated from our life. We must take a course of substantial actions, to build a prosperous life for our people, to secure peace on our borders, to protect the rights of our people, and to realize our national aspirations.

Esteemed members of Parliament, within this foremost legislative body you are called to serve the sacred, great, and responsible mission of serving our country and faithful people. The laws that are going to be adopted at this highest branch of government should reinforce and bring prosperity to our society, they should mirror our own identity and values, to express the aspirations of our people, and strengthen solidarity and unity of our nation. The Parliament is also an important platform where diverse opinions and multiplicity of thoughts and initiatives, born of the same spirit of patriotism and dedication, shall further expand the perspectives of the development of our nation. However, the difference of views and opinions should never become a reason for contrarity and intolerance which would affect the successful mission of the National Assembly. It is apt to remember the message of St. Nerses Shnorhali (Graceful): “Unity in important matters, freedom in the secondary matters and love in everything”. You should loyally follow the message of the Patriarch, keep unity in the important matters, freedom in the secondary, and love in everything.

It is our wish that through jointly responsible activities you may combine your efforts and dedication for the sake of our homeland, and a peaceful, bright and thriving life of our people. We pray that God may strengthen you with a patriotic spirit, and grant you zeal and passion to achieve long-lasting successes in your highly responsible mission. We beseech for you all, the graces of the resurrected Lord, the protection of the victorious Holy Cross and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Indian film director Shekhar Kapur will direct Three Apples Fell From Heaven, a film based on the Micheline Aharonian Marcom novel adapted by Motorcycle Diaries writer José Rivera, reports.

The film is set in 1915-1917 as Turks slaughtered Armenians, and revolves around a young female refugee taken in by Turkish neighbors after the death of her parents. Her childhood shattered, she now views the remains of her world through a Muslim veil, as several tragic characters circle around her.

While the Armenian genocide is a century old, there is an eerie parallel to the refugee crisis, beyond Kapur’s memory of his own family forced to flee Delhi as refugees during the partition of India. The filmmakers made available a clip of the young women Kapur has auditioned to play the lead role; they are refugees from Aleppo whose descendants fled there to escape the Armenian genocide and who’ve come back to escape the violence that has devastated Syria.

The clip is a sad reminder of how little the world has really reformed for refugees. This becomes the first film from a new social justice storytelling production company, Disruptive Narrative, which will launch at Cannes as part of Sunday’s Refugee Voices In Film day, presented by IEFTA, the UNHCR and Marché du Film. The company is founded by leading human rights lawyer, Jen Robinson, of Doughty St Chambers , and Syrian-Armenian actress/writer/producer, Sona Tatoyan.

U.S. musician Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of Soundgarden and later Audioslave, died on Wednesday in Detroit, his representative said, Reuters reports. 

Cornell’s family would be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause, representative Brian Bumbery said in a statement.

“His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing,” Bumbery said. “They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”

Seattle-born Cornell was the lead singer of Soundgarden, one of the leading bands in the grunge music movement in the ’80s and ’90s. In 1991, the band released platinum album “Badmotorfinger.”

Three years later, Soundgarden released “Superunknown,” a mainstream music scene success that earned the band two Grammys after it reached the top of music lists.

The band’s “wild soundscapes combined visceral punk attitude with artistic depth,” his bio said on his website.

He was last pictured by the press was a little over a month ago, at a screening of The Promise in New York with his two daughters. Cornell’s latest single, also called The Promise, had been written for the Christian Bale film.

Photo: Reuters    

The ex-chairman and founder of Fox News Roger Ailes has died aged 77, his family says, the BBC reports.

A statement from his wife Elizabeth said she was “profoundly sad and heartbroken”, calling him a “patriot”.

Mr Ailes ran Fox News for two decades and is credited with transforming it into arguably the most powerful voice in conservative media.

But he stepped down last year after a number of female employees accused him of sexual harassment.

At the time he said he was resigning because he had become a “distraction”.

Mrs Ailes’ statement said: “During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions.

“And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life.”

Before joining Fox, he served as adviser to several US presidents, from Richard Nixon to George Bush Senior.