Author: Aris Ekmekjian

A group of non-governmental organisations in Azerbaijan have appealed to the international community regarding to the continued mine terror by the Republic of Armenia against Azerbaijani civilians. The appeal made on 29 april 2023 reads: Dear all, It is not the first time we, the non-governmental organizations of Azerbaijan are appealing to the world because of the tragedy unfolding in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Time and again we asked for your solidarity, support and compassion in facing the deadly threat mines and ERWs pose to innocent civilians. However, despite all our efforts, the only thing that is changing is…

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited Armenia April 18–19 — his first visit to the country as an Apostle. Elder Rasband was accompanied by his wife, Melanie, during the two-day ministry in Yerevan, during which he met with missionaries and Church members. The Apostle’s visit to Armenia was part of a ministry trip to Europe that included stops in France and Germany. “Sister Rasband and I have loved every minute being in these countries,” said Elder Rasband. “This is a really unique and special visit…

Ukrainian troops, on the defensive for months, will soon counterattack as Russia’s offensive looks to be faltering, a commander said, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that without a faster supply of arms the war could last years. Zelenskyy said Europe must increase and speed up its supply of weapons, again calling for long-range missiles, ammunition and modern aircraft, and impose additional sanctions on Russia. “If Europe waits, the evil may have time to regroup and prepare for years of war,” a clearly frustrated Zelenskyy said on Thursday (23 March) in a video address to European Union leaders, delivered from a train. At…

The government’s drive to secure the right to censor – and even shut down – the internet during martial law worries IT experts and human rights defenders. Armenian authorities are moving to codify their legal ability to censor online content, block media outlets and even curb internet access under martial law. The prospect of the government seizing emergency wartime powers is not a theoretical one for Armenia, which was defeated in the Second Karabakh War with Azerbaijan in 2020 and constantly faces the threat of renewed hostilities. Indeed, the stated aim of a relevant bill drawn up by the Justice Ministry in…

Glasgow based cycling charity Bike For Good faces a immediate funding crisis. “We need £15,000 by the end of January to survive the winter and keep our communities cycling.” says Gregory Kinsman-Chauvet, Founder and Cycling Enthusiast Officer (CEO) at Bike for Good. The charity exists to teach cycle mechanic skills, provide cycle training, sell and service refurbished bikes, and deliver community programmes. The finding crisis directly impacts capability to deliver it work, and finds the organisation under critical threat as its cash flow is plummeting, and its reserves are at an all-time low. As a result, the charity has launched a £15…

If the Europeans end up securing relative peace for Armenia and corroborate Azerbaijan’s border encroachments, it will be undeniable that Russia is not the only force Yerevan can rely on. The international presence in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict zone is once again expanding, with an EU monitoring mission set to join Russian peacekeepers there. Since the Europeans were invited by Armenia, they will only be able to work on the Armenian side of the border: they won’t be permitted to enter Azerbaijan, including the Armenian-controlled part of the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. But following the hostilities of 2020, the internationally recognized Armenia-Azerbaijan…

What is discussed today in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia – a daily review of local media. February, Armenia ● “The term “Nagorno-Karabakh” exists: under the document where it appears, you can find signature of the head of Azerbaijan” – Pashinyan and Aliyev take part in a panel discussion in Munich. ●The campaign “Read in Armenian” was held in Yerevan on Book Donation Day. People gathered together in the park, read their favourite works, and various publishing houses sold books in Armenian at a discount. ●To mark the 154th anniversary of the great Armenian writer and poet Hovhannes Tumanyan, a guard of honour took up his post…

China’s economy will be “on fire” in the second half of 2023 as the economic performance of East and West diverges, according to Standard Chartered Chairman José Viñals. The reopening of the Chinese economy following several years of strict “zero-Covid” measures has buoyed sentiment among economists that the global growth and inflation picture may be less bleak than initially feared this year. OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann earlier this week said the reopening was “overwhelmingly positive” in the global fight to tackle sky-high inflation. Chinese GDP grew by just 3% in 2022, official figures revealed earlier this week, its second-slowest growth rate since 1976 and…

Although 2023 is shaping up as a more normal year for travel after three abnormal ones, we can’t pretend travel will cease being complicated. Flight disruptions, labour shortages, high energy and food prices, disruptions due to climate and a global economic downturn are factors weighing heavily on the travel industry. Yet if the past three years have proven anything, it’s that a love of travel remains undimmed for a vast majority of Australians. In 2023 we just want to do it differently. More thoughtfully, certainly, but also with more flexibility and economic savvy as global upheavals continue to present shocks…

The US has secured access to four additional military bases in the Philippines – a key bit of real estate which would offer a front seat to monitor the Chinese in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. With the deal, Washington has stitched the gap in the arc of US alliances stretching from South Korea and Japan in the north to Australia in the south. The missing link had been the Philippines, which borders two of the biggest potential flashpoints – Taiwan and the South China Sea. The deal, which in part reverses the US’ departure from their former…