Catalonia separatist groups win absolute majority

December 22, 2017 By administrator

Catalonia win absolute majority

A coalition of secessionist parties has won an absolute majority in the Catalan regional parliament. The single party with the most seats, however, was the pro-Madrid Citizens party.

Ousted regional President Carles Puigdemont is set to regain power in Catalonia after his Together for Catalonia (Junts per Catalonia) party captured 34 seats in Thursday’s election. Together with the 36 seats of the two other pro-independence parties, the separatists are headed for an absolute majority in the 135-seat regional parliament.

Puigdemont’s bloc had fared slightly better in the last regional elections in 2015, however, when the pro-independence parties earned 72 seats.

The secessionist parties garnered only 48 percent of the popular vote. The pro-Madrid Citizens party won the most seats outright with 37, but will not be able to form as substantial a coalition as the secessionists.

Speaking from exile in Brussels, Puigdemont called the election a victory for the “Catalan Republic” as well as a “slap in the face” to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

“I think we have earned the right to be listened to,” he added.

Hollywood Armenian “Mariam’s Day of” win best Short Film 2017 Arpa IFF Video

November 8, 2017 By administrator

Hollywood Armenian “Mariam’s Day of” win best Short Film 2017 Arpa Arpa International Film festival

2017 Arpa IFF NOMINEE for Best Short Film

Director: Arshak Amirbekyan
Writer: Arshak Amirbekyan
Producers: Arshak Amirbekyan
Cast: Ruzan Vit Mesropyan, Ashot Adamyan, Kristina Zaminyan, Ara Sargsyan, Anna Gevorgyan

A young prostitute meets an artist in the park, gets invited to a modeling session and finds herself in a rather new and exciting world of artists; but when night falls, she has to return to her regular life in the park.

Notable screenings, awards and mentions:
World Fest Houston, Silver Remi award, 2017
Maine International Film Festival, Audience Favorite Award 3rd place, 2017
Long Island International Film Expo, Best Foreign Language Film Short, 2017

Vartan Asatryan scores TKO win over Azeri opponent, waves Karabakh flag

February 24, 2017 By administrator

During the semifinals of the Grand Prix Fight Nights of Flyweight division held in Khimki City near Moscow, Russia, Vartan Asatryan representing Russia, claimed technical knockout win over Azerbaijani Elnar Ibrahimov.

55 seconds before the end of the first round the referee stopped the bout, as after Asatryan’s strike, the Azerbaijani athlete ended up in helpless state. After his victory, Asatryan took the Karabakh flag to the ring waving it over his head.

“We have no right to lose. We must realize this and do our best to claim a victory,” after the boat the Armenian athlete said meantime inviting the promoter of the tournament to Armenia to watch the final bout.

To note, in October 2016 Asatryan again waved the Artsakh flag, after which the Azerbaijani delegation applied to the organizers of the tournament urging to impose punishments against the Armenian athlete.

Australia ruling conservatives win tight election

July 9, 2016 By administrator

Mr Turnbull is still short of a majority

Australia’s ruling conservatives have been confirmed winners in last week’s general election, after opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten conceded.

Mr Shorten said it was clear PM Malcolm Turnbull’s coalition had won, adding that he had already congratulated him.

Votes are still being counted, but the government is expected to win just enough seats for a majority.

However, a strong swing against it has left doubts about its agenda and Mr Turnbull’s leadership.

The Liberal-National coalition still remains short of the 76 seats it needs to claim a majority in the lower house, the House of Representatives.

But it should secure at least 74, and also has the support of three independent and minor party politicians – Cathy McGowan, Andrew Wilkie and Bob Katter – guaranteeing budget supply and confidence.

Labor is currently on 66 seats, with five still in doubt.

“It is clear that Mr Turnbull and his coalition will form a government,” Mr Shorten said.

“So I have spoken to Mr Turnbull earlier this afternoon to congratulate him

and [his wife] Lucy and to wish them my very best.”

Analysis – Shaun Davies, Australia Editor, BBC News Online

Malcolm Turnbull has his majority, but he is beset on all sides.

Inside his party he faces a restless right wing that disapproves of his small-l liberal leanings.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten is taunting Mr Turnbull at every opportunity and predicting a return to the polls within a year.

The Senate promises to be unruly – several senators elect are already bickering. With Australia’s AAA credit rating under a cloud, Mr Turnbull will need to corral populist senators into passing budget cuts.

The prime minister has his party’s support for now, but his enemies are watching closely.

Former Australian leader Paul Keating once said Mr Turnbull was brilliant and fearless, but had no judgment. The prime minister can’t afford to put a foot wrong now.

Stringent requirements for verifying votes meant the count progressed slowly after the 2 July poll.

Postal votes, which are counted after votes received on polling day, heavily favoured the coalition and helped them across the line in a number of closely run electorates.

The tight result is likely to put pressure on the government’s agenda, particularly in the Senate, where many independent and minor party candidates are set to take office.

The massive scale of Australia’s election

Australia’s new powerbroker

Cartoon: Planet of Forbidden Prime Ministers

While final Senate results may not be known until August, anti-immigration politician Pauline Hanson is likely to hold at least three seats.

South Australia’s Senator Nick Xenophon and his newly formed Nick Xenophon Team are also likely to hold three spots, while former shock jock Derryn Hinch has secured a seat.

Conflicting agendas and strong personalities could make it difficult for Mr Turnbull to pass legislation through the Senate.

Uncertain future

Mr Turnbull has come under pressure both internally and externally since the worse-than-expected election result became clear on 2 July.

Senator Cory Bernardi, one of the coalition’s most vocal right-wingers, called the election “a disaster” and has since made moves to establish his own conservative movement, although he denies plans to defect from the Liberal party.

Mr Shorten has repeatedly called on Mr Turnbull to stand down, saying he has lost his mandate.

On Thursday ratings agency Standard & Poor’s lowered Australia’s credit rating outlook from stable to negative, warning the country could lose its AAA rating unless it undertook budget repair.

Treasurer Scott Morrison described the downgrade as “sobering” and said the government’s budget savings needed to be implemented.

But shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said the opposition would campaign against any spending cuts that would hurt Australians on low incomes.

Doubts have been raised over the passage of government’s Australian Building and Construction Commission bill, which aims to re-establish a watchdog that monitors union activity in Australia’s building industry.

The bill’s non-passage provided Mr Turnbull with the trigger to call an early “double-dissolution” election where all 76 Senate seats were up for grabs, rather than the usual half.

Independent MP Bob Katter has already indicated that he will withdraw his support from the government if it engages in what he sees as “union bashing”.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36757307

Karabakh boy dedicates international tournament win to his father who fell in 4-day war

April 28, 2016 By administrator

default arstach Grigori Hajyan from the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), who captured first place in an international wushu tournament, devoted his victory to his father who had died during the four-day war which Azerbaijan unleashed in early April.

“I dedicate this victory of mine to the bright memory of my father, who fell during the defense of Artsakh,” Grigori said, according to Artsakhpress news agency. “I want to become world champion—and I will—, so I can wave Artsakh’s triumphant flag everywhere.”

Grigori’s father, Norayr Hajyan, had fallen in the early morning hours on April 5, during the self-defense battle in NKR Talish village.

National teams from Armenia, NKR, Georgia, and Iran competed in the aforementioned tournament, which was held in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan.

Armenian grandmaster wins European Rapid Chess Championship silver

December 21, 2015 By administrator

202671 Belarusian capital hosted the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on December 17-20.

Armenian grandmaster Hrant Melkumyan finished second at the European Rapid Chess Championship, gaining 9.5 points out of 11 possible, ArmSport.am reports.

Russia’s Ivan Popov beat the Armenian chess player by only half a point to score the 1st place, with Ukraine’s Vadim Razin (9 points) taking the third spot.

At the European Blitz Championship, Melkumyan ranked sixth.

Other Armenian players also participated in the championships: Tigran L. Petrosyan finished 7th in the Blitz and 6th in the Rapid, Zaven Andreasyan – 5th and 19th respectively, Sergei Movsesian – 22th and 12th, Gevorg Harutyunyan – 64th and 57th, David S. Gevorgyan – 187th and 357th.

New parties win big in Spain election, ruling conservatives lose majority

December 20, 2015 By administrator

Spain’s left-wing block is set to win an absolute majority in the Spanish Parliament, with 99 percent of votes counted. The Socialist Party is projected to win 91 seats, while the anti-austerity party, Podemos, is to get 42. The ruling People’s Party is at 122 seats.

The leader of Podemos party Pablo Iglesias told his supporters that this is a “historic” day for Spain, as it ushers in a new political era.

“Today is a historic day for Spain… We are starting a new political era in our country,” Iglesias said. “Spain is not going to be the same anymore.”

Prime Minster Mariano Rajoy’s conservative Partido Popular (PP) party will still take the largest share of the votes, though it will lose its parliamentary majority when the results of its left-wing rivals are combined. It was earlier projected to win 26.8 percent of the vote, according to an exit poll conducted by the state broadcaster RTVE.

“PP is the strongest force and the one chosen by the Spanish people,” said its spokesman at a press conference, as the exit polls were announced. The party captured 44 percent of the vote in the last election in 2011.

RTVE said the established Socialist party gained 20.5 percent of the vote, and the anti-austerity Podemos, established less than two years ago, garnered 21.7 percent. Due to the structure of the voting system, pollsters predicted that the Socialists would capture several more seats than Podemos.

The year-old Cuidadanos, considered a reformist, pro-business party, came in fourth place, with an estimated 15.2 percent.

“The two-party political system is over and we are entering a new era in our country,” said Podemos’s deputy Inigo Errejon.

RTVE obtained its results through 180,000 face-to-face interviews outside polling stations.

But Cuidadanos and Podemos have both painted themselves as protest parties, unwilling to be a part of the old political order, with its baggage of corruption and economic hardship. Spanish wages have still not recovered to 2008 levels despite years of austerity implemented by both the Socialists and PP. Unemployment is at 21.6 percent – gradually falling, but still the second-highest in the EU after Greece.

It is possible that Podemos and the Socialists will unite to form a left-wing coalition, though Rajoy said he would attempt to prevent this at all costs.

California: Armenian candidates overwhelmingly win local races in U.S.

November 5, 2015 By administrator

In Montebello, current mayor and incumbent city council candidate Jack Hadjinian won his re-election bid for a second term in office, while in Rolling Hills Estates, Frank Zerounian won his re-election bid to city council, Asbarez reports.

In San Francisco, Aaron Peskin won his bit for the 3rd Supervisor District.

“The Armenian National Committee of America-San Francisco Chapter congratulates all of the candidates on running successful campaigns in the elections. We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Aaron Peskin as the new Supervisor of San Francisco’s District 3. We look forward to working with each of them on issues important to the Armenian Community and wish you all the best for your noble future endeavors,” said chairman of the ANCA-Bay Area Chapter Coordinator Arsen Markarov.

In South Pasadena, two Armenian-American candidates won elections, both endorsed by the ANCA Pasadena chapter.

Marina Khubesrian won the race for city council, while Suzie Abajian won her race for the South Pasadena Unified School District. Another ANCA Pasadena-endorsed candidate, Tom Selinske who was vying for the Pasadena Area 2 Community College Governing Board also won his race.

Over in Maine, the Armenian-American community saw one of its own win a city council seat in the town of Westbrook.

At a young age, Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, along with her family escaped the horrors of Azerbaijani pogroms of Armenians in Baku. She has since been a vocal advocate for refugee rights and has discussed the anti-Armenian pogroms in Congress and in academic circles.

On Tuesday, she became the first Armenian to win a seat in the Westbrook, Maine City Council.

Syriza wins Greek election as Samaras congratulates Tsipras – live updates

January 25, 2015 By administrator

PM Samaras concedes defeat
Prime minister Antonis Samaras has conceded defeat. The New Democracy leader called Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras to congratulate him.

Punching the air, Tsipras told the crowd: “Today the Greek people has written history, Hope has written history … Greece is turning a page. Greece is leaving the austerity of catastrophe and fear … there are no losers and winners. Those who have been defeated are the elite and oligarchs … we are regaining our dignity, our sovereignty again.”

Tsipras adds: “Today was a defeat for the Greece of the elites and the oligarchs. The Greece that works and hopes won.” He promises a way of the “vicious cycle” of debt. “The new Greek government will prove all the Cassandras of the world wrong,” he says. He promises to restore popular sovereignty and a clash with corruption. “We regain hope, optimism and dignity,” Tsipras says.

The massive vote for Syriza in Greece is genuinely inspiring – and necessary – and requires our real solidarity and support.

— Ken Livingstone (@ken4london) January 25, 2015

The geography of the vote: Syriza in red, New Democracy in blue pic.twitter.com/cP424UEoAc

— Stathis Kalyvas (@SKalyvas) January 25, 2015

Germany and Syriza are about to enter a high stakes poker game, writes Louise Osborne in Berlin.

Julian Rappold, a political analyst at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), says the German government would not have wished for such a strong result for Syriza and now faces possible renegotiation while also having to appease the German public.

“A haircut is non-negotiable from the German side, first and foremost because of the strong public opinion against the haircut, so I don’t think Germany is likely to give that concession,” he said. “If the result of the negotiations is presented in the German public as something which is broadly in line with German interests, I think it won’t be a problem, but if the concessions are considered to be high, it will be detrimental to the conservatives.”

Rappold added that both sides – Berlin and Syriza – would have to work quickly to establish communication channels. “A poker game is starting where both sides will try to figure out where the common ground is and which demands each can hope for.”

Scot-Free-No Scots vote ‘no’ in independence referendum

September 19, 2014 By administrator

Scotland stepped back from the brink of ending the 307-year-old union with England and Wales and was on track to remain part of the United Kingdom by a comfortable margin, the Guardian reports.

With more than half of Scotland’s local authorities having declared including the major cities of Glasgow and Aberdeen, an estimated 55% of voters were expected to reject the prospectus for independence.

But the yes campaign scored a handful of notable successes, succeeding in the largest city of Glasgow by 53% to 47%, winning 54% in West Dunbartonshire and a convincing 57% win in Dundee.

Prime Minister David Cameron and the Queen will both move to calm tensions when they deliver statements on Friday. The prime minister will seek early in the day, in the words of one cabinet minister, to “cement in” the no vote by outlining how he will deliver the deepening of Scotland’s devolution settlement, the Guardian says.

The Queen, who has monitored the referendum with interest, will make a written statement on Friday afternoon. It is understood that her remarks will focus on reconciliation.

Labor’s exit polling in 30 out of Scotland’s 32 councils suggested they were on course to win by 55% to 45% – a finding that the early results appeared to confirm.

Some 4,283,392 people had registered to vote in the busiest day in Scottish electoral history. Across the board turnouts were high, often well over 80%, although it dropped to 75% in Glasgow.