Category: News

Photo: Tim Berger / Glendale News-Press

Not long following the city of Glendale’s week commemorating the Armenian Genocide, the City Council moved to support a resolution asking the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize and reaffirm the atrocity, the reports.

The combined resolution and motion by the council will show support for Rep. Adam Schiff’s House Resolution 220 from March 22, the congressman’s latest bipartisan attempt toward Armenian Genocide recognition.

HR 220 asks the House to commemorate and condemn past genocides — including the one committed by Ottoman Turks against Armenians — as a way to bolster the nation’s stance on preventing modern-day genocides.

“This resolution has removed some of the language on Turkey, and references the Ottoman Empire, and includes a broader range of genocides,” said Christine Powers, a program supervisor with the city. “This is to appeal to representatives in other parts of the country who may not be attuned to the history of Armenians and the Armenian Genocide.”

This is not Schiff’s first resolution aimed at Armenian Genocide recognition and affirmation to the House, but the Glendale City Council has supported several of them in the past, including resolutions in 2005, 2007 and 2011, according to city documents.

The council will also send a letter signed by all current members to show support for HR 220. Council members will also send a five-signature letter directly to President Trump that urges him to “recognize and reaffirm” the Armenian Genocide.

The United States government has not officially acknowledged the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as a genocide in over 30 years. The last president to describe the events as a genocide was Ronald Reagan in 1981. Turkey, an American ally in a sensitive region, strongly disputes the term “genocide,” and the U.S. has been reluctant to anger its leadership.

The Glendale move comes from a letter sent to the city by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis about actions being considered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Barger made a motion Tuesday to the board to consider supporting HR 220.

“We’ve just been through our week of remembrance with some very important events that occurred during the week, and I think it’s time for us to stand up and speak about the genocide as well and to reinforce what the supervisors are doing,” said Councilwoman Paula Devine.

Along with the letters, the council will adopt an official city position that supports “legislation and administration action that recognizes and reaffirms the Armenian Genocide by the United States Government.”

Today, on the occasion of Europe Day, President Serzh Sargsyan visited the delegation of the European Union in Armenia. The President of Armenia congratulated the Head of the EU mission, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski, the entire staff and in their person the large EU family on the occasion of Europe Day, and wished them all the best.

“Quite recently, the leaders of the European states celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties. Implementation of the provisions of these Treaties allowed the European states and first of all the people of Europe, to achieve success in the honorable task of protecting human rights, dignity, democracy, dissemination and implementation of shared ideas.

A further strengthening of the EU emanates also from the interests of small countries, such as Armenia. We are confident that challenges, which the EU has been encountering recently, will most certainly be defeated by the European countries.

I am very glad that lately we have registered remarkable success in the development of our relations with the European Union, and I wish that success to be continuous.

We are grateful to the European Union, to the delegation and personally you, Ambassador Świtalski, for this cooperation and assistance provided to Armenia,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.

On behalf of the EU delegation in Armenia and his own behalf, Ambassador Świtalski thanked President Sargsyan for the visit and warm words of congratulations.

“Your visit is very important and has a symbolic meaning for the entire EU delegation; it encourages us to work more thoroughly to develop our cooperation.

This year has been full of events: we already have the initialed agreements, agreed priorities for cooperation, and have also reached agreement on the single support framework.

Mr. President, your visit to Brussels was a success, and it has given additional arguments to the European Union to be engaged in Armenia more and with greater dedication. We have received very important signals from the leadership of Armenia and from the European Union which is very important for us; it will enable us to do our job with greater enthusiasm.

Mr. President, we are grateful for your constant assistance to the activities of the EU delegation in Armenia,” the Head of the EU mission, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski said.

The parties underscored that Armenia and the European Union are open and ready to continue to develop cooperation and expressed confidence that through the implementation of the provisions of the new Agreement, it would become possible to expand the mutually beneficial Armenia-EU cooperation in all possible areas, elevating it to a qualitatively new level.

The family of a prominent Armenian folk singer who died following routine gallbladder surgery accused her surgeon of missing obvious signs of infection after the operation in a medical malpractice trial currently underway in California state court,  reports.

An attorney for Flora Martirosian’s adult children accused Dr. Mardiros Mihranian of failing to prescribe adequate antibiotics and discharging their mother from Glendale Memorial Hospital despite her running a fever after surgery. During her opening statement on April 28, Amanda McClintock of Girardi & Keese LLP told jurors that these errors resulted in Martirosian’s unnecessary death.

“If the defendants had been practicing according to the standard of care, they would have kept Mrs. Martirosian in the hospital,” she said.

Martirosian was a well-known folk musician in Armenia who later developed a loyal following in the United States, going on to perform with headliners like Stevie Wonder. She underwent emergency gallbladder surgery in 2012 and died days later of sepsis at the age of 55.

McClintock told jurors that infection is one of the most common complications from this type of surgery, and that Dr. Mihranian should have determined the cause of the fever Martirosian presented the morning she was discharged. She said infection should have been even more of a concern due to Martirosian’s weight and the presence of a lap band in her abdomen, two factors that make infection even more of a risk.

When Martirosian returned to Glendale in respiratory distress after being discharged, Bradford said she was treated by a team of doctors that didn’t include Mihranian, and that everyone agrees the original surgery was done correctly.

The trial before Judge Brian Currey is still underway and expected to continue through at least May 9.

Asbarez –  The “Friends of Maria Jacobsen” committee has organized a special memorial service in commemoration of the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The ceremony will be held at the courtyard of the Bethania Lutheran Church (where Maria Jacobsen’s bust stands), 603 Atterdag Rd., Solvang, California on May 14, following the church worship service at 11 a.m.

Armenian community representatives will lay a wreath in honor and memory of 1.5 million Armenian martyrs as well as Danish humanitarian/missionary Maria Jacobsen (1882-1960) whose entire life was dedicated to serving orphaned Armenian children both in the Ottoman Empire and in Lebanon and was a key witness of the Armenian Genocide. “We are honoring Maria Jacobsen’s memory on Mother’s Day”, said Dr. Garbis Der-Yeghiayan, chairman of the Committee, “she is known as the beloved ‘Mama” by her grateful former orphan children.”

On October 23, 2016, Jacobsen’s bust was unveiled in the courtyard of the Bethania Luthern Church in the presence of hundreds of her admirers, including her former orphans.

The Committee will make an important announcement at the conclusion of the memorial ceremony: Student Essay Contest in Honor and Memory of Maria Jacobsen. The theme of the essay contest is: In the more than 100 years that have passed since the first Genocide of the 20th century – the Armenian Genocide of bigotry, prejudice, intolerance, persecution, deportations, and heinous plans to annihilate a nation – what you believe your generation can do to make NEVER AGAIN a reality? The essay contest is open to all students attending Armenian, public or private high schools in Southern California and all high school students living in Solvang, California.

The Mother See of holy Etchmiadzin will donate a four-room apartment to the family that welcomed quintuplets earlier this week.  Fr. Vahram Melikyan, Director of Information Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has confirmed the news.

“The church always keeps the issues of large families in the spotlight, trying to support them both spiritually and materially to the extent of its capacities,” he said.

“Upon learning the news, Catholicos Karekin II decided to support the family to help ensure a peaceful childhood to the newborns,” Fr. Vahram said.

Lusine Poghosyan, 23, gave birth to naturally conceived quintuplets (four girls and a boy) at Erebuni Medical Center on May 3.

The US Missio to the OSCE has expressed regret over the closure of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

“The United States regrets the impending closure of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. We lament the loss of the last OSCE field operation in the South Caucasus,” Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Kate M. Byrnes told the Permanent Council.

The statement reads:

Field operations provide invaluable support to their host countries by helping to strengthen adherence to OSCE principles and commitments, providing early warning and crisis management, and promoting dialogue between government and civil society.

We appreciate the determined effort of both the German and Austrian Chairmanships to resolve the impasse over the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. We regret that Azerbaijan refused to agree to extend the mandate unless the Office ended its humanitarian demining-related activities. Armenia, in the spirit of compromise, agreed that the Office in Yerevan would end these activities. Despite months of effort by the Chairmanship, it could not find language satisfactory to all participating States regarding a Permanent Council decision extending the mandate of the Office.

We recognize the Armenian government’s cooperation with the OSCE. The Office in Yerevan has played an important role in supporting the host country with implementation of its OSCE commitments in all three dimensions. The Office’s promotion of community policing; assistance with tax and regulatory reform; and support for human rights defenders, women’s equality and media freedom, were bringing about positive results.

The United States encourages the OSCE to continue cooperation with the Republic of Armenia – with both the government and civil society. We call on the Chairmanship and the Secretary General to explore new ways of maintaining an OSCE presence in Armenia, and throughout the South Caucasus.

Finally, the United States would also like to thank Ambassador Avakov and his staff for their outstanding work and dedication, particularly during the past months of uncertainty over the future of the Office. We wish them the best in their future endeavors.

Chairman of the Central Electoral Committee Tigran Mukuchyan today handed the mandates to the newly elected members of the National Assembly of sixth convocation.

Four forces will be represented in the Pa
rliament. The Republican Party of Armenia will have 58 representatives in the 105-member Parliament, Tsarukyan Alliance will have 31 MPs. Yelk bloc and ARF Dashnaktsutyun will hol d 9 and 7 seats respectively.

The delegation led by St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko visited the Tsitsernakaberd memorial today to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

The Governor was accompanied by Deputy Mayors of Yerevan Kamo Areyan and David Ohanyan.

December, January, February and now April – four out of the last five Goal of the Month awards for ! ????

— Manchester United (@ManUtd)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has won yet another Goal of the Month accolade at Manchester United, following his strike at Sunderland in April, the club’s official website informs. 

The Armenian’s solo goal helped the Reds earn a 3-0 win at the Stadium of Light and it finished above closest rivals Marcus Rashford (against Anderlecht – 17%) and Matthew Olosunde (against Real Salt Lake – 14%) in our poll, by amassing 32 per cent of the vote. Zak Dearnley and Callum Gribbin were also nominated.

Remarkably, it means Mkhitaryan has landed the prize for the fourth time in the last five months. His scorpion kick, also against Sunderland, won in December; a breakaway effort in the Emirates FA Cup triumph over Wigan Athletic came out on top in January and, in February, his belter past Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel was voted best goal.