https://www.facebook.com/742081112519182/

Akoonk Media, Glendale, CA (2026)

01/09/2026

was named one of the top travel destinations for 2025 by The New York Times, ranking 20th on their annual list of 52 places to visit.

01/09/2026

Today marks the birthday of legendary filmmaker Sergei Parajanov, and we celebrate his enduring legacy and artistic influence.

-Lady Gaga, Parajanov’s Film “The Color of Pomegranate,” and the Armenian Designer

The source of inspiration for Lady Gaga’s “911” music video was Sergei Parajanov’s film “The Color of Pomegranate,” with Lady Gaga imitating Sofiko Chiaureli in some episodes. The author of the characters’ style in the “911” video is Nicola Formichetti, who has been working with Lady Gaga for many years. Some of the characters were created by Armenian artist and designer Karina Hakobyan.

-Sergei Parajanov’s Film “The Color of Pomegranate” in Top Ten of Korean Box Office

Sergei Parajanov’s film “The Color of Pomegranate” continues its international success, this time being included in the top ten of the South Korean box office.

Interest in the film has also received great response on cultural and public platforms. In particular, Kim Namjoon (RM), a member of the world-famous Korean group BTS, noted on his Weverse page that he had watched “The Color of Pomegranate,” once again emphasizing its influence on modern culture.

The film was re-released in South Korea at the end of November and is currently being shown in major cinemas across the country. “The Color of Pomegranate” has earned more than $36,000 in revenue.

The film was restored in cooperation with the Armenian Film Foundation and The Film Foundation World Cinema Project.

01/09/2026

Californians can now use a government website to request that certain companies stop selling their personal information online. The Drop website, which stands for “Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform,” launched on New Year’s Day as part of a state law aimed at enhancing data privacy.

The Drop tool sends a mass deletion request to 500 data brokers, the term for companies that collect and sell personal information gleaned from public records, phone data, online web browsing, and a host of other activities. The information, which can be highly detailed and obtained without user consent, is widely available for purchase on data brokers’ sites.

California’s Drop program aims to reduce the typically time-consuming and expensive process of individually identifying and contacting data brokers to seek deletion. Although some private companies offer services to mass-delete personal data, California’s government claims the platform is the first of its kind in the world.

While Drop is now open to all 40 million residents of California, data brokers do not have to start processing the requests until August 1. The state touts that the eventual result will be that Californians have greater control over their personal data and fewer unsolicited messages from companies and individuals that purchase their contact information.

“When your data stops getting sold, you’ll have less unwanted texts, calls or emails,” the site states.

Drop emerged from a 2023 privacy law called the Delete Act, which called for creating a single mechanism for residents to seek removal of their data. Californians must verify they live in the state to use the tool, then create a profile and submit a request to the 500 data brokers registered in the state.

Data broker firms are part of an opaque, multibillion-dollar industry that hoovers up immense amounts of personal data for sale to businesses, government agencies, and sometimes scammers. The information is often used for personalized marketing and targeting potential customers based on their habits.

01/09/2026

The 5th Real American Freestyle (RAF) Wrestling League tournament will take place in Sunrise, CA on January 11.

One of the key events of the evening will be the fight between UFC lightweight champion Arman Tsarukyan and former PFL fighter Lance Palmer.

In addition to Tsarukyan, other famous martial arts stars will participate in the tournament, including:

-Luke Rockhold
-Colby Covington
-Bo Nickel
-Yoel Romero
-Magomedhabib Kadimagomedov

RAF 5 will be broadcast live at 05:00 Yerevan time. The tournament will be available on FOX Nation.

01/09/2026

“You must torment people with your artistic delight, scaring mother and grandmother in the middle of the night.”
- Sergei Parajanov

01/08/2026

Russian tennis player Daniil Sargsyan will represent Armenia, the press service of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) reports. The 19-year-old athlete has officially changed his sports citizenship.

Daniil Sargsyan was born in Perm. At the age of 16, he moved to Spain and trained at the academy of legendary Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Sargsyan is currently ranked 1,094th in the ATP rankings. During his career, he has earned approximately $11,000 in prize money. He has played in the finals of ITF tournaments twice.

01/08/2026

The woman fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, has been identified as Renee Nicole Good, 37, a U.S. citizen, poet, writer, and mother of three children.

The incident occurred during a large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities area, amid heightened tensions over ICE activities. According to federal officials, the agent fired in self-defense after Good allegedly attempted to run over officers with her vehicle. However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other local leaders have strongly disputed this account, citing video evidence that they say shows the shooting was reckless and unnecessary, with Frey demanding ICE leave the city.

The shooting has sparked widespread protests, vigils, and outrage in Minneapolis, with an FBI investigation underway.

01/08/2026

The Armenian Apostolic Church in Aleppo has canceled the Memorial Day (Merelots) service dedicated to the remembrance of the deceased, citing security concerns.

Clashes resumed in the city on January 6 between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The fighting spread to areas near Armenian-populated neighborhoods, with reports of gunfire and artillery shelling.

According to Kantsasar, the church has called on the faithful to pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased at home.

The security situation in and around the affected districts remains tense.

01/08/2026

On January 8, another batch of petroleum products will be sent from Azerbaijan to Armenia from the Guzdek railway station and the Baku cargo station, APA agency reports.

According to APA, 1,000 tons of A92 gasoline and diesel fuel are planned to be sent to Armenia. Additionally, 1,800 tons of A95 gasoline will be delivered to Armenia.

“The delivery of petroleum products from Azerbaijan to Armenia is exclusively commercial in nature. The fuel is sold at international market prices,” APA notes.

On December 19 of last year, a train with 22 wagons loaded with approximately 1,300 tons of gasoline from the Azerbaijani company SOCAR arrived in Armenia from Azerbaijan via Georgia.

01/07/2026

Levon is in the top three in terms of prize money earned during the year. Last year, Levon Aronian earned $751,881 by participating in various tournaments.

The former leader of the Armenian team, Levon Aronian, was included in the list of the top three chess players in terms of prize money earned during the year. Aronian earned $751,881 in various tournaments during the year.

The leader in terms of prize money earned is the world rapid and blitz chess champion, the 16th world champion Magnus Carlsen ($1,455,276). In second place is the former contender for the world chess crown, American Fabiano Caruana ($889,598).

Recently, Levon Aronian took second place in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour series of chess tournaments. It should be noted that the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is a series of tournaments held in the Fischer Random chess format, consisting of five “Grand Slam” rounds. In the last tournament held in Cape Town, Levon Aronian won, defeating the 16th world champion Magnus Carlsen in the final.

01/06/2026

President Donald shared on his Social platform showing government assistance rates among immigrant communities in the U.S.

According to the unsourced data, 60.3% of immigrant households receive government aid—the highest rate among former Soviet states on the list. Azerbaijani households were listed at 37.8%.

The list was topped by immigrants from Bhutan (81.4%), Yemen (75.2%), and Somalia (71.9%). The post appears aimed at criticizing Somali immigrants in Minnesota over welfare usage.

01/06/2026

Armenian Armed Forces Band delivers festive performance

Akoonk Media

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

01/08/2026

01/08/2026

01/08/2026

01/08/2026

01/07/2026

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category