Democrat Mike Gatto and Republican Sunder Ramani will face off in a special June runoff election for the 43rd Assembly District to finish off the term for the seat left vacant by Paul Krekorian after his win in the LA City Council race last fall.

Armenians are great believers in national unity. Actually, they are obsessed with it. Yet, despite all the talk about unifying the Armenian people, writing fiery poems and singing patriotic songs about the benefits of unity, this most cherished dream remains elusive. Examples of failed attempts at unity are aplenty. Even in perilous times, Armenians have remained at odds and marched to the beat of different drummers.

The Armenian Professional Society (APS) will present a Green Symposium featuring a special presentation on California’s Green Initiative by Lisa Kalustian, Chief Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The presentation will be held at the monthly APS dinner meeting on Friday, February 26, at 7:30 pm at the Brandview Collection in Glendale.

The United States hopes that President Serzh Sarkisian will visit Turkey in October to continue the so-called “soccer diplomacy” with Ankara, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza said

Senior officials from Turkey, Iraq and the United States will meet in Ankara on Tuesday to discuss closer cooperation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a Turkish government official said, AFP reported.

It was my usual Thursday afternoon. I was at work about to go home when I received a text message from my sister inviting me to attend Vahe Berberian’s one-man show titled ‘Sաgաyn’. At this point I knew very little about Berberian; just the occasional YouTube clip promoting one of his plays or a friend mentioning his name in passing. In spite of this, I decided to attend the show and see what all the excitement was about. At the show, I was blown away with his hilarious monologue. His fresh and unique perspective on society, life, and the Armenian community captivated the sold-out audience and filled the venue with laughter.

On Thursday, January 22, Armenian Revolutionary Federation leader and activist Mgrdich Mdrdichian passed away, leaving a great legacy for future generation and lifetime of memories for those who knew him. He was laid to rest on Saturday, January 31 at Memorial Mass, officiated by Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, at St. Mary’s Church in Glendale [...]

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Yerevan State University will soon establish a new department for Diaspora Studies, Armenian Diaspora Minister Hran’sh Hakobyan announced Friday.
The news came during a press conference Friday in which Hakobyan revealed that her Ministry had signed protocols of cooperation with the University, the Armenian Academy of Sciences and the Armenian Writers Union.
Hakobyan said the [...]

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–International mediators have reported an ‘improved mood’ in the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh, but said the parties are “not there yet” for an ultimate peace accord.
The United States, Russian and French cochairmen of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group spoke at a press conference in Yerevan Monday [...]

This week we present the conclusion of an interview with traditional medicine healer Dr. Aram Akopyan, whose new wellness clinic opened on June 27 in Glendale.

What is Qi?
A.Y. Does the concept of qi (pronounced chi), or something similar to it, exist within the Armenian tradition?
A.A.: Well, I think that it’s first important to establish a [...]

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe toned down its initial, largely positive, assessment of Armenia’s recent presidential election on Friday, citing serious irregularities that were witnessed by its observers after the closure of the polls. In its final election report, the OSCE observer mission in Armenia’said the freedom and fairness of [...]

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian thanked observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Tuesday for their positive evaluation of his governments handling of Armenia’s parliamentary elections which his Republican Party won. I think that with these elections we solved an important issue, and I agree that a new standard was thereby [...]

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–President Robert Kocharian congratulated Armenia’s Monday saying that Saturdays Parliamentary Elections were free and fair and marked another major step towards democracy. [The elections] were free, fair, and transparent, which is certified by the Central Election Commission, law-enforcement bodies, as well as local and international observers, he said in a written address to [...]

STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)–Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Arkady Ghoukasian Monday welcomed the newly appointed defense minister of Armenia Mikael Harutunian. A Karabakh presidential spokesperson said Ghoukasian congratulated Harutunian on his appointment and wished him success in his endeavors. Issues related to the cooperation of the armed forces of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and maintenance of the cease-fire protocols at [...]