A Back-to-School Celebration Banquet of Holy Martyrs Marie Cabayan and Ferrahian High School took place on Saturday, October 2 at the school’s Avedissian Hall, where more than $60,000 in donation was raised for the school.

During her recent visit to Los Angeles, the US Ambassador to Armenia, Marie Yovanovitch, expressed interest in discussing US policy in Armenia with Asbarez. Overall, her visit to the Western Region communities were met with skepticism, given that she generally reiterated previous positions articulated by the State Department. Asbarez’s Allen Yekikian sat down with Yovanovitch at the Glendale Public Library on October 14 to discuss Washington’s position on Armenian-American issues and the State Department’s approach to Armenia and surrounding neighbors. Below is the interview in its entirety.

The second annual Tour de Fresno charity bike ride organized by the ATG / Bike for Hope was a tremendous success. This year’s event shattered all expectations with 729 riders and volunteers gathered at the Chukchansi Baseball Park to take part in the tour; a huge leap from the 162 riders that participated in 2009! The ride was the ninth annual fund raising bike a thon organized by the Armenian Technology Group, Inc./Bike for Hope.

The Armenian Weekly published this week the full text of the comments given by Prof. Alfred de Zayas (Geneva School of Diplomacy) via videoconference on Oct. 23 at the UCLA conference titled ‘Genocide and Then What? The Law, Ethics, and Politics of Making Amends,’ hosted by the International Human Rights Law Association.

There’s always a time in one’s life, when a mentor comes along—someone who inspired you, motivated you and made you a better individual. So far, so good! My parents inspired and encouraged me and provided all the resources necessary to become an outstanding citizen and strong Armenian.

The November 2 congressional elections are expected to have a tidal wave effect on America’s political landscape. Campaign ads and political commentaries have flooded the airwaves and everyone is anxiously following the polls to see if their favorite candidate or party is going to prevail or get tossed out.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, though in this case, it’s probably a journey of a thousand parsecs. This journey is the one that will get reparations due us from Turkey and our occupied lands returned. It’s going to be a long tough effort, and seemingly impossible, but the re-independence of Armenia following the collapse of the Soviet Union is the perfect example of what can happen.

The US Embassy in Armenia emailed a statement to reporters Friday afternoon clarifying a recent YouTube video showing Vice President Joe Biden telling an Armenian-American activist that Armenia’s president asked the Obama Administration to refrain from recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Directed by Ara Soudjian and narrated by Serj Tankian, this sneak preview is a glimpse into into a powerful new book by Vahe and Ara Oshagan that brings to life the rugged, human-and-history-laden landscape of the mountainous Nagorno–Karabakh Republic through a poetic and personal journey.

The United States on Friday welcomed an agreement reached between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan earlier this week regarding the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of people killed as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley told a press briefing.

Armenia will abide by the agreement reached with Azerbaijan regarding the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of people killed as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to the country’s Defense Ministry.

Two Turkish minority party leaders were asked to leave Armenia on Friday after being questioned by the country’s security services over their border crossing claims.

An opposition faction in the Armenian National Assembly has delayed the vote on its proposed legislation obliging Yerevan to formally recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic after the parliament’s political majority warned to opt out of the procedure.

Armenia views the latest round of Karabakh talks with Azerbaijan as “useful and important”, according to its foreign minister Edward Nalbandian.