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Russian border guards in Armenia detain 2nd trespasser within 1 week at Turkey boundary

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Russian border guards in Armenia have apprehended another trespasser at border with Turkey.

The Russian frontier guards at the Artashat border guard detachment division have detained a person who had illegally crossed the Armenian-Turkish border along the Araks River, informed the press service of the Russian Border Guard Department in Armenia.

It was found out that this intruder is a Bangladeshi citizen.

He was handed over to Armenian law enforcement agencies.

The circumstances behind this incident are being investigated.

The previous border trespassing in Armenia was recorded last week.

Russian border guards in Armenia apprehend Turkey spy

 

New Zealand: Armenian National Committee officially launches Armenian Genocide awareness

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The Armenian National Committee of New Zealand (ANC-NZ) has formally launched to coincide with events in capital Wellington and Auckland, which will raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide and the century-long battle for justice.

ANC-NZ’s inaugural Chairperson will be Hoory Yeldizian, who announced her newly-formed organisation’s goals at the New Zealand Parliament, where an international delegation is visiting, which includes Boston-based Professor Taner Akcam and her colleagues from the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), including Executive Director Haig Kayserian.

“Our primary objectives are to advocate for the interests and concerns of the Armenian-New Zealander community to the New Zealand Government and its agencies, including in relation to local community issues, fostering closer cultural and trade relations between New Zealand and the Republic of Armenia, as well as public awareness in support of a independent Armenia and its security, to advance the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the New Zealand Government, for the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh, and to represent the collective Armenian-New Zealander viewpoint on matters of public policy,” Yeldizian said.

She added: “We are very grateful to our colleagues across the ditch at the Armenian National Committee of Australia for helping us join the international family of ANCs, and we look forward to working closely with them. And this couldn’t have been achieved without the support of the Armenian Society of New Zealand and the Armenian Society of Wellington, who we look forward to working alongside to achieve tangible outcomes for the greater Armenian good.”

Kayserian, who was present at the inaugural events on behalf of ANC-AU along with Administrator Olivia Dilanchian, congratulated the new ANC-NZ team.

“We very much welcome and are beyond delighted at the formation of ANC in New Zealand, which is made up passionate Armenian-New Zealanders with outstanding resumes, ready to do their community proud,” Kayserian said.

An ANC-ANZ Council is also being established to help coordinate closer cooperation and resources between ANC-AU and ANC-NZ, and for their Trans-Tasman activities.

Joining Yeldizian, who is a solicitor, on the inaugural Committee is Politics lecturer, Dr. Maria Armoudian, forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Yvette Kelly and digital marketing consultant, Alex Yeldizian. Further additions are expected to be announced in coming months.

German Federal police evacuate part of a terminal at Frankfurt Airport following security alert

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Frankfurt Airport security alert

Two areas in Terminal 1 of Frankfurt airport are being evacuated by German Federal police, sparking fears amongst passengers who are seeking information from authorities.

Police said on Twitter that the evacuation is due to a security alert and all boarding has been suspended on Level 2 and Level 3.The airport warned passengers that flight disruptions can be expected as a result of the measure and people are being advised to check the status of their flight.

The Federal police said that the alert was sparked because at least one person gained unauthorized access to the security area. Frankfurter Allgemeine is reporting that the man, who is accompanied by a child, bypassed security controls when the guards were distracted.

The alert sparked concern for some passengers and several social media users contacted the airport, urging it to provide more information.

Frankfurt is the busiest airport in Germany and the fourth busiest in Europe. Lufthansa has been prompted to create a new flight plan due to the alert.

Last month a similar incident at Munich Airport led to the cancellation of around 300 flights. Approximately 30,000 passengers were affected on that occasion.

Harut Sassounian, Armenia Artsakh Fund Tuesday Live 9:PM on GagruleLive

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GagruleLive Conversation with Harut Sassounian, Armenia Artsakh Fund Tuesday 9:PM,

Harut Sassounian is an Armenian-American writer, public activist and publisher of The California Courier which is known for Sassounian’s weekly opinion column. Sassounian has an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

He publishes The California Courier, an English-language Armenian weekly newspaper in Glendale, California, since 1983.

In 2009 Sassounian was awarded the ‘Legacy Award’ by the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region, in 2016 Sassounian was awarded by Armenia’s Union of Journalists the prestigious Golden Pen award, the highest prize given to the top Armenian journalist once every three years.

Watch Live on https://facebook.com/gagrulepage Tuesday 9:PM

 

Greece sacks police and fire services chiefs after deadly wildfires

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The firing comes amid a public outcry over the government’s handling of the wildfires that killed 90 people near Athens. The minister responsible for the country’s police has already put in his papers.

The Greek government replaced the chiefs of its police force and fire service on Sunday after facing flak for its handling of the devastating fires last month.

The sacking came two days after the resignation of public order minister, Nikos Toskas.

The heads of both emergency services were replaced with their deputies, a statement from the office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said.

The statement made no direct mention of the July 23 wildfires that killed at least 90 people near Athens, with the resort town of Mati among the worst affected areas.

Greek authorities say they suspect arson was behind the deadly forest fires and blame haphazard and unlicensed building for the high number of casualties in Mati.

Conflicting reports

But opposition parties have criticized the government for failing to provide adequate warning and to evacuate people from Mati, which has seen wildfires in the past.

Both the police and the fire departments have put out conflicting reports on what went wrong.

Earlier this week, one police union said officers had not been promptly notified by the fire department of the fire’s exact location in order to set up diversions in the area. This resulted in many drivers being mistakenly diverted into the path of the fire.

ap/jm (AP, Reuters, AFP)

Assassination attempt and protest send warning to Azerbaijan’s rulers

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Assassination attempt Azerbaijan’s rulers

An assassination attempt and protest in Azerbaijan’s second city have sent a warning to the ruling elite that discontent is simmering in the tightly controlled, oil-producing state.

According to Reuters, police have arrested a local man over the attack in which Elmar Veliyev, mayor of the northwestern city of Gyanja, was shot and wounded in front of his office on July 3.

Interior Ministry officials say the suspect, Yunis Safarov, has ties to a militant group that wants to establish Islamist rule in Azerbaijan, a secular state where most people are Shi’ite Muslims, and that he trained with militants in Syria. They have cited no sources for the information.

But some Gyanja residents challenge the ministry’s version of events. They suggest Safarov was motivated by revenge for what they see as Veliyev’s mistreatment of Gyanja residents and disrespect for their religious views.In a rare outbreak of violence against officialdom in the South Caucasus nation, two police officers were stabbed to death in clashes when a protest over Safarov’s arrest and unofficial reports that he was beaten in custody turned violent on July 10. A third, Samir Bayramov, was wounded.

Azerbaijan, a majority Muslim country of about 10 million, has grown wealthy from oil and natural gas since it declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Protests are rare and are put down quickly.

But while money has flowed into sprucing up Baku, opponents of President Ilham Aliyev say few have seen major benefits from the oil wealth, especially people outside the capital, and accuse his government of suppressing human rights and stifling democracy.

Drawing parallels with Aliyev, they accuse Veliyev, 57, of treating Gyanja like a personal fief, showing no regard for the city’s poor and being high-handed with anyone who stands in his way.

Martirosyan: Armenia ‘plunging into crisis’ after revolution – opinion

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Armenia is facing a political crisis after the “Velvet Revolution”, a political analyst said today, commenting upon the power transition processes that followed Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation as the country’s prime minister.

Hayk Martirosyan called particularly for active steps towards finalizing the timeframes of snap parliamentary elections, considering the winter or spring of 2019 as the most reasonable period.

“The logic behind this revolution implied the National Assembly’s immediate dissolution in Republican Square [the protest site]. The Constitution too, should have been suspended right there. After all, Nikol Pashinyan [who was leading the protests] sought and gained his preliminary legitimacy resource in that square which, at the time, represented the entire Armenian nation, an unlimited power capable of doing practically anything.

That’s the classical example of a revolution,” he said.

Martirosyan described the current political situation as a kind of democratic bacchanalia, noting that members of the former ruling Republican Party “still continue their anti-political activity as before”. “They have given liberties to [political] forces which are deeply anti-democratic and deeply anti-revolutionary,” the analyst added.

He further stressed the urgent need of undertaking of tougher measures, considering the constitution “extremely unrealistic”. “There is now a specific process which I personally support. I have the right to have my disagreements but I support our current government’s work. I do not have specific obligations either as I am not a member of a political team to be part of this government,” he added.

Armenia court judge gets 7-year sentence for taking bribe

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Judge Ishkhan Barseghyan, who is charged with taking bribe, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

An Armenian capital city Yerevan court on Monday issued its respective verdict, according to which Barseghyan was found guilty of bribe-taking and was given a seven-year sentence.

Also, the court decided to fine—with 120 thousand drams (approx. $250)—attorney Elza Zakaryan, the other defendant in the case.

A criminal charge was filed against Barseghyan for taking bribe, and a criminal case was brought against Zakaryan for mediation in this bribery.

According to a statement which the National Security Service (SIS) issued, Judge Barseghyan had demanded $1,000 for making a decision in favor of a party in a civil suit, and he personally had received this amount at a pedestrian underpass in Yerevan.

The bribe money, however, was given under the oversight of SIS officers.

 

What Does Kyankus Mean? Khloe Kardashian Posts Pic of Baby True With Armenian Caption

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Khloe Kardashian posted a new photo of her daughter, True Thompson, and captioned the image with the word “Kyankus.” Kardashian also included two emojis; a red heart and the Armenian flag. A few minutes after she uploaded the picture, however, she edited the caption to display the meaning of the word “Kyankus” in English.

The Armenian word means “my life.” In Armenian, you might hear someone say “Kyankus Serus,” which means “My life, my love.” You may also see the word spelled “Giakes” or “Im kyank’y.”

As you can see in Kardashian’s Instagram post below, she edited the caption to read, “Kyankus” with the Armenian flag emoji followed by the words “my life.”

This is one of only a few photos that Kardashian has shared of her daughter that wasn’t heavily filtered. Although she has posted pictures and videos of baby True, Kardashian is very careful with what she posts when it comes to her daughter. It didn’t take fans long to notice the caption and wanted to find out what the word “Kyankus” meant, despite Kardashian’s quick edit.

The Kardashians have been very vocal about their Armenian culture and even got an opportunity to travel to Armenia back in 2015. Khloe Kardashian and her sister, Kim, traveled with their cousins, Kim’s daughter North, and her husband, Kanye West, to Armenia. The trip, which was documented on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, was very moving for the family.

“Visiting the Mother Armenia statue in the capital city of Yerevan, Khloe wrote that the memorial ‘symbolizes peace through strength,’ adding that ‘it can remind viewers of some of the prominent female figures in Armenian history. Who took up arms to help their husbands in their clashes with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars,’” People Magazine reported at the time.

Robert Kardashian, father of Khloe, Kim, Kourtney, and Rob, passed away in 2003. His grandparents on both sides moved to America in the early 1900s, hoping to give their respective families a better life.

The new season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians airs tonight on E!. It is unknown if Kardashian’s newborn daughter will be on the show.

True was born back in April. “Our little girl, True Thompson, has completely stolen our hearts and we are overwhelmed with LOVE. Such a blessing to welcome this angel into the family! Mommy and Daddy loooooove you True,” Khloe wrote on Instagram after giving birth.

Source: https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/08/kyankus-definition-english-armenian/

Armenian Embassy in Russia launches hotline over accumulations in Upper Lars checkpoint

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Armenia’s Consul General in Rostov-on-Don Vardan Asoyan has departed for Upper Lars border checkpoint to get acquainted with the situation, the Armenian Embassy in Russia said on Facebook, reports Armenpress.

“We also inform that the Embassy has set a hotline + 7 (495) 628 55 56 in connection with the situation in the Upper Lars checkpoint. You can also send information about the situation to the following e-mail: info@armem.ru”, the Embassy said in a statement.

Since August 5 the Armenian trucks are stuck in traffic jam at the Lars border checkpoint. Most of the trucks transport perishable fruits-vegetables. The businessmen and drivers urge the respective authorities to quickly solve the problem as their losses double every hour.