20:27 • 21.07.12

Russia officially joins World Trade Organization

The measure making Russia the 156th WTO member will become law within 30 days, after the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, approved it on July 10 and the upper house...

 

20:12 • 21.07.12

North Korean says his dog has given birth to a cat!

'It's quite true,' 63-year-old Jeong Pyong-bong told the Korea Herald as he showed off mother and offspring at his home. 'This is a miracle...'

 

20:05 • 21.07.12

Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia concerned over situation in Syria

Aram I voiced his wish to depart for Syria to support the Armenian community, the press release of the Great House reports...

 

19:14 • 21.07.12

Asteroid nearly a mile wide will sail past Earth this Sunday

The asteroid is estimated to be 2,000 to 4,500ft wide, and qualifies as a 'near Earth object', The Daily Mail reports. NEA (near-Earth asteroid) 2002 AM31 is described as 'the size of a city block'...

 

18:20 • 21.07.12

Armenian soldier dies of stomach ulcer

The serviceman was drafted a year ago, after graduating from Vanadzor State Pedagogical University. Sardaryan was serving in Berd military unit...

 

18:00 • 21.07.12

Gyumri mayor resigns from heading Republican party’s Shirak regional branch

Ghukasyan will be replaced by Shirak Governor’s office Education department head Sahak Minasyan. The decision was made at the session of the RPA Shirak branch chaired by the RPA Vice Chairman...

 

16:54 • 21.07.12

Syrian-Armenia community should be preserved, expert says

“The efforts of all should be addressed to the preservation of the Syrian Armenian community as this community is our presence in the Middle East, Syria,” he said...

 

16:49 • 21.07.12

Karabakh elections justified all expectations, political analyst says

He said the 1/3d of votes opposition candidate Viktor Balasanyan has polled is an unprecedented figure and a proof of formation of political system in Karabakh...

 

16:10 • 21.07.12

Artsakh hero meets Diaspora Armenian young people

Speaking to the young people, Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan said they should be proud of having strong and protected Homeland. He told them they are the guarantors of the future security of Armenia...

 

15:52 • 21.07.12

Military activities in Syria to intensify, expert say

Armen Petrosyan said the recent activities will intensify the military actions. “Assad and his associates will be tougher while the so called opposition...

 

15:25 • 21.07.12

Two prominent scientists to get Victor Hambardzumyan 2012 international award

First class scientist of Byurakan Observatory Areg Mikayelyan said the award committee has thoroughly analyzed all the scientific works choosing the ones of the above mentioned professors...

 

14:38 • 21.07.12

Azerbaijani side violates ceasefire 300 times during past week

The Azerbaijani side fired 1500 shots from weapons of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions...

 

14:20 • 21.07.12

Yerevan mayor, HSBC Armenia CEO discuss cooperation issues

Presenting the program of reforms the Yerevan City Hall is implementing in the capital, the mayor said he rates high cooperation with the private sector while carrying out the programs...

 

13:55 • 21.07.12

Pakistan blast 'kills nine' in Kurram

Pakistan's military has been carrying out operations against militant groups in the tribal regions for months. Three children were among the dead, tribal police officials told the Associated Press...

 

13:44 • 21.07.12

Karabakh president meets primate of the Artsakh Diocese of Armenian Church

The Artsakh religious leader wished success to the Karabakh president in the process of implementing the planned projects...

 

13:05 • 21.07.12

Ethnic Armenian killed in Damascus

A 48-year-old ethnic Armenian Andranik Arzvaljyan is reported to be killed in Syria’s capital Damascus...

 

13:04 • 21.07.12

Syrian forces fight back after rebel surge into capital

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group which monitors the violence in the country, said 240 people had been killed across Syria on Friday, including 43 soldiers...

 

12:42 • 21.07.12

Armenian FM to attend Ministerial meeting in Brussels

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will depart for Belgium to attend the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Eastern Partnership countries...

 

12:29 • 21.07.12

ANC activists’ conviction – political order, ANC rep says

“The court failed to be above of this order. It was a made-up case. I regret that we still have the tradition of having political prisoners, tradition set up by Serzh Sargsyan’s regime,” he said...

 

11:23 • 21.07.12

Batman cinema shooting: US mourns Aurora victims

In a briefing at the end of the day in Colorado, an emotional Governor John Hickenlooper confirmed that the casualty figure had been revised down one, to 70 people killed or injured...

 

10:59 • 21.07.12

Brunei helicopter crash kills 10

Two people are still missing and another two are injured, the ministry said. No reason has yet been given for the crash...

 

10:48 • 21.07.12

Armenian PM congratulates re-elected Karabakh president

Once again, the people of Artsakh entrusted to you its future security and stability, its development and strengthening...

 

10:22 • 21.07.12

Haykakan Zhamanak: Armenian businessmen form anti-PM coalition

As a warning the businessmen decided to fail the authorities’ plan on ensuring 7% economic growth. The plan was voiced at the first cabinet sitting on June 18 by President Serzh Sargsyan...

 

10:02 • 21.07.12

Haykakan Zhamanak: Robert Kocharyan, Armenian businessmen MPs to meet in Marseille

The paper says besides MPs, representatives of ruling circles, whose carrier started during Kocharyan’s presidency, are said to attend the meeting...

 

10:01 • 21.07.12

Haykakan Zhamanak: Yerevan police chief not to return to his post after holiday

The paper has earlier reported about the possible removal of Nazaryan from the office and the holiday is just a prelude...

 

Armenia

Heritage party leader not surprised with Tsarukyan’s statement
Asked why he has not voiced about it, Heritage party leader said it was a private meeting and the question should be forwarded to Tsarukyan...

Armenia’s DM spokesperson should reveal names of human right advocates who visited murdered conscript’s family – Arthur Sakunts
“The statement of the DM spokesman is at least strange for me. He has to make a clear statement and tell the names,” Head of Helsinki Civil Association Vanadzor office Arthur Sakunts said...

Region

Russia ready to develop long-range air defense system with Turkey
Turkey launched a tender for the purchase of long-range air defense systems long ago but no winner has been announced to this day...

Iran hangs two men for spying for Israel and US
Kourosh Ahmadi was convicted of providing intelligence to the CIA, Tehran's prosecutor's office said...

Press digest

Haykakan Zhamanak: Armenia gives up new nuke plant plan?
That’s especially interesting in the light of President Serzh Sargsyan’s 2008 statement that “Armenia is beginning the construction ...

Zhoghovurd: Circle around Karabakh conflict getting tight
“It isn’t known yet what losses Armenia will suffer as a result of such agreements, but that we will be deprived at least some of the liberated lands ...

World

Syria army 'storms' rebel town Qusair
Syrian government forces have surrounded the rebel stronghold of Qusair and are storming it from several directions, says Syrian state TV...

Conference on Syria settlement to take place ‘very soon’ – UN Chief
After consultations with UN Security Council permanent members, a conference on the Syrian settlement will take place “very soon,” possibly, at the beginning of June, UN Secretary General...

Business

Google accused of running 'scandalous' tax avoidance scheme
Barney Jones, who worked for Google from 2002 until 2006, said the company has 'pulled the wool over the eyes of HMRC and the British population'...

EBRD awards Armenia’s most active issuing bank
The honorable award, which adds to the numerous prizes from different international organizations and authoritative banks, is yet another evidence of Ameriabank's ...

Event

'Briton' held in France over deaths of two children
The bodies of the children, aged five and 10, were discovered on Saturday afternoon in a flat in Saint-Priest, a suburb of Lyon...

China Premier Li Keqiang in India for first foreign trip
Border tensions and trade ties are expected to be among the issues discussed by the two men. The neighbours are the world's two most populous countries...

Science/tech

Asteroid nine times the size of the QE2 to pass Earth
Luckily, the giant space rock will get no closer than 3.6 million miles, or 15 times the distance between the Earth and the moon, The Telegraph reports...

Meteor slams into moon causing explosion
About 300 lunar impacts have been logged over the years but this latest impact, from March 17, is considered much ...

Culture

John Lennon's guitar sells for $408,000
After playing the guitar, Lennon gave it as a 25th birthday present to Alexis "Magic Alex" Mardas, a member of The Beatles' inner circle in the 1960s...

Russian cult film director Alexei Balabanov dies
Alexei Balabanov, the Russian director whose gritty crime films caught the wildness of Russia's early post-Soviet years, has died at the age of 54...

Sports

Rafael Nadal hammers Roger Federer in Italian Open final
In the 30th career meeting between the pair, who share 28 Grand Slam singles titles, the Spaniard raced to a 6-1 6-3 victory at Rome's Foro Italico...

David Beckham: Tearful midfielder signs off with win in Paris
Paris St-Germain's game against Brest was briefly halted as Beckham, captain for the night, was substituted after 81 minutes, his team-mates congregating in the middle of the pitch to applaud him...

Lifestyle

'Daring' Doris Long's 99th birthday abseil record bid
A great-great-grandmother has abseiled down a Hampshire building to celebrate her 99th birthday...

Beyonce ‘expecting second child’
Suspicions were first sparked by the careful camouflage of the Givenchy gown the singer, 31, wore to attend the Met Ball in New York ...