A technical delegation from the Turkish oil and gas company Botas plans to arrive in St. Petersburg in the coming days to discuss the implementation of the gas hub project
Day: December 1, 2023
The American Armenian Rose Float Association will present “Armenian Melodies,” for its appearance in the 135th Tournament of Roses. Inspired by the strength of Armenian matriarchs throughout history, “Armenian Melodies” will feature dynamic Armenian mother and daughter figures dressed in vibrant, traditional garb, surrounded by important symbols within Armenian heritage and culture. Tying in perfectly with the 135th Tournament of Roses theme, Celebrating a World of Music, “Armenian Melodies” will showcase several musical instruments endemic to Armenia, on January 1, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. PT.
Marking its sixth year participating in the Tournament of Roses, AARFA’s “Armenian Melodies” captures the heroism of Armenian mothers as exemplars of determination, resilience and fortitude in the face of centuries of upheaval. Through their steadfast support, Armenian mothers inspire their families and communities to persevere, even through turbulent times.
Armenian birds play a major role on the float, with the crane, chukar and little ringed plover, which are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands, nestled around the mother and daughter, adding depth and character to the rich tableau. Armenian instruments also feature heavily in “Armenian Melodies,” as the name suggests. Traditional wind instruments native to Armenia, including the duduk, shvi, blul and parkapzuk adorn the float, while percussion instruments, the dhol and nagara round out the floral orchestra adding to the spirited tapestry.
Adding to the float’s colorful and meaningful scene, symbolic objects are sprinkled throughout. Besides AARFA’s tricolor Armenian logo, a bushel of pomegranates, which represent good fortune and abundance, perch alongside the mother and daughter. With deep roots in Armenian music and culture, apricots can be found at the front of the float, along with the aforementioned duduk, which is made with apricot wood. Intricate and historic Armenian patterns are highlighted on the mother’s dress, while the “arevakhatch” or sun cross, symbolizing eternal life round out the design of “Armenian Melodies.”
Senate Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin is upping pressure on Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a new letter urging that the Secretary get tougher on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over Baku’s “brazen campaign of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh,” POLITICO reports.
The letter sent Wednesday marks the first time Cardin, known for human rights advocacy, is publicly confronting Blinken since he took over the gavel from Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in September. The Maryland Democrat will not seek reelection at the end of his third term in 2024 and may be in a unique position to criticize the Biden administration.
The new letter comes amid diplomatic friction between Washington and Baku after U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien criticized Azerbaijan’s actions in the Karabakh region during congressional testimony this month.
In a Monday call with Aliyev, Blinken agreed to lift a ban on senior Azerbaijani officials visiting the United States. But Aliyev also warned Blinken in that conversation that U.S. diplomatic support for Armenia is risking the U.S.-Azerbaijani relationship.
Cardin said it’s Aliyev who should be on the backfoot after his seizure last month of the largely ethnic Armenian-populated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Cardin made clear he wanted repercussions since Baku’s assault “reportedly involved heinous atrocities,” while killing and wounding Armenian civilians, and driving 100,000 Armenians from their homes — all in breach of a November 2020 ceasefire.
Cardin voiced fears Nagorno-Karabakh may erupt again, echoing warnings from civil society leaders.
National Endowment for Democracy CEO Damon ilson argued Cardin’s letter is not a clash with Blinken, but leverage for him to address those concerns. Not only are there still Azerbaijani troops on Armenian territory but Baku is, internally, cracking down on its critics.
“That’s an important factor when we want to see Azerbaijan not overplay its hand and encroach on Armenian sovereignty and stand down,” Wilson said of Cardin’s letter. “Those are things that Baku has to hear directly from Washington on.”
The Israeli military announced an end to the truce with Hamas, blaming it for violating the terms of the deal after a rocket was reportedly launched from Gaza and intercepted by Israel, the BBC reports.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who’s currently on a visit to the Middle East, said yesterday that Israeli officials had told him they intended to resume military operations at some point.
But in doing so, Blinken urged Israel to do put into place “humanitarian civilian protection plans” before going back to war, avoid “further significant displacement of civilians,” avoid damaging critical infrastructure – hospitals, power stations and water facilities.
The truce was initially set to last for four days and extended twice.
As of Thursday, 110 hostages held in Gaza have been released since the truce started on 24 November, while Israel has released 240 Palestinian prisoners.
The Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October killed 1,200 people. Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,800 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory campaign, including about 6,000 children.