Magnitude-7.5 Earthquake Shakes Mexican Capital

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A powerful earthquake shook central and southern Mexico on Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey calculated its magnitude at 7.5 and said it was centered near the Pacific resort of Acapulco, where many Mexicans are vacationing for the Easter holiday.

An Associated Press reporter said it was felt strongly in the resort city but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The quake shook Mexico City for at least 30 seconds, with buildings swaying as people fled high rises and took to the streets. Because of the Easter holiday, that city was less crowded than usual.

 

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Iran nuclear deal on track as country slashes highly- enriched uranium by 75% ahead of schedule UN watchdog has reveals

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Iran has slashed its nuclear stockpile by almost 75 percent the International Atomic Energy Committee has confirmed.

The IAEA has spent the past six months investigating whether the Tehran regime has complied with its international obligations.

In a report to the United Nations, the IAEA has confirmed that Iran halted aspects of its nuclear programme on January 20 opening the possibility of the easing of international sanctions.

As a result of Iran’s compliance with the international agreement it is now possible for Tehran to access foreign currency reserves frozen since the dispute arose.

It is understood that over the past three months Iran has diluted 155kg of its higher-grade uranium gas – less than the 250kg necessary to build a bomb.

 

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Dubai — long champion of all things biggest, longest and most expensive — will soon have some competition from neighboring Saudi Arabia.

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Saudi Arabia to build world’s tallest tower that will reach one kilometer into the sky

Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa — the world’s tallest building — could be stripped of its Guinness title if Saudi Arabia succeeds in its plans to construct the even larger Kingdom Tower in Jeddah — a prospect looking more likely as work begins next week, according to Construction Weekly.

Consultants Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS) have recently announced testing materials to build the 3,280-feet (one kilometer) skyscraper (the Burj Khalifa, by comparison, stands at a meeker 2,716-feet, or 827 meters).

The Kingdom Tower, estimated to cost $1.23 billion, would have 200 floors and overlook the Red Sea. Building it will require about 5.7 million square-feet of concrete, and 80,000 tons of steel, according to the Saudi Gazette.

 

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Argentine girl, 15, weighing THREE STONE rescued from garage where she was locked up FOR 12 YEARS with a monkey and a dog

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բուենոս այրես

 

Police in Argentina have rescued a 15-year-old girl from a garage where she had allegedly been locked up with a monkey and a dog from the age of three.

The teenager, who was said to have been fed the same as the animals by her captors, weighed just 3st 1lb when she was found.

Last night the unnamed youngster was in intensive care in hospital in Buenos Aires. Her carers, who were trying to adopt her, were being held in jail.

The teenager is said to have been given away by her poverty-stricken mum, who has six other children, because she was unable to look after her properly.

An older sister alerted police after turning 18 and finding the house where she believed her sibling was kept.

She is understood to have told her rescuers she was only allowed out of the garage twice in the last 12 years and was beaten regularly with a belt by her captors.

 

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President Serzh Sargsyan received Twitter Vice President Raffi Krikorian

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 Today, President Serzh Sargsyan received the member of Tumo’s Board of Advisers, the Vice President of Twitter Raffi Krikorian having arrived in Armenia on the invitation of Tumo, the center for creative technologies.

The President of Armenia welcomed the guest and stressed the importance of his visit which aims to familiarize with Tumo’s educational program, support in working on the center’s educational contents concerning computer programming, as well as to discuss with Armenian IT specialists world tendencies and challenges which are of concern to the Armenian IT community.

Underscoring that the development of IT field is one of the priorities of the Armenian economy, the president noticed that our compatriots’ gratifying successes in that field represent a guiding principle for the young generation. Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of promoting close cooperation with Armenian IT specialists, the exchange of experience and consultations.

Raffi Krikorian presented the president meetings held in the framework of his visit, including the meetings with IT specialists. According to him, they are very promising because there are inspiring examples pertaining to the field development which pave the way for the development of IT field.

Singer Chris Brown’s Bodyguard Goes on Trial in DC

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Քրիս Բրաուն

 

Singer Chris Brown’s bodyguard is going on trial on assault charges in Washington, a case that will be a preview for the musician’s own trial.

Christopher Hollosy’s trial begins Thursday in Superior Court.

Both men were arrested in October after a man accused them of punching him outside a Washington hotel. Hollosy told police he punched the man after he tried to get on Brown’s tour bus. The man told police Brown and later Hollosy punched him after he tried to get in a photo Brown was taking with two women.

Court papers say the man’s nose was fractured.

Hollosy’s trial is expected to last one to two days. Brown’s trial will follow. Brown has denied punching the man.

 

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Chlorophytum

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Chlorophytum comosum is a perennial lily-like plant with tuberous roots, bearing spreading to recurved soft leaves from a central rosette and an elongated raceme with small white flowers. This is probably the most cultivated house plant in the world, especially the cultivars.

Description
Perennial evergreen herbs up to 1 m tall and 1 m in diameter from a decumbent (spreading horizontally at first but then growing upwards) rhizome up to 150 mm long, often covered in old leaf bases. Roots fleshy and tapering at both sides (fusiform), succulent, up to 10 mm in diameter. The linear leaves grow in a dense basal rosette, are bright green, smooth (glabrous) with a prominent mid-vein, and channelled, about 300 mm long and 20 mm broad, end in a soft point, and the margins are entire and sheathing at the base. The inflorescence is lax, longer than the leaves, spreading, arises from the centre of the rosette and is up to 1 m long. The peduncle (stalk of the inflorescence) is 2–4 mm in diameter and has linear-lanceolate bracts tapering to a point.

Flowers

The flowers are often replaced by vegetative leafy buds (propagules), which root and serve for vegetative reproduction. The flowers grow in axillary fascicles. The individual flowers are star-shaped (stellate), white and up to 20 mm in diameter with 6 stamens. The floral leaves (tepals) are oblong, up to 10 mm long, becoming reflexed. The style is smooth and small with a minute point (stigma). The fruit is a 3-angled capsule and its seeds are flattish, black and shiny.
Flowering period: During the summer months.

Chlorophytum comosum is one of 38 Chlorophytum species in South Africa (Archer 2003) and is easily distinguished by its spreading inflorescence bearing vegetative plantlets rooting when the inflorescence touches the ground.

PLantlets

Conservation status
Chlorophytum comosum is widespread and not threatened in its habitat. It was therefore not necessary to include it in the Red Data Book (Raimondo et al . 2009).

Distribution and habitat
Chlorophytum comosum is widely distributed from Swellendam in the Western Cape to the Soutpansberg in the Limpopo Province (Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces). It is found from sea level to elevations of more than 1 000 m. It occurs in the undergrowth of forested river valleys, mountainous regions and thickets, on steep embankments, flat terrain and cliffs.

Msikaba river - habitat

It grows on a variety of soils (volcanic or sedimentary) derived from sandstone, shale, dolorite or granite. The soils are usually slightly acidic. The climate varies from hot to cool during winter, and when frost occurs it is mild. Rainfall ranges between 500 and 2000 mm per annum and occurs mainly during spring and summer, however in the Western Cape it occurs also during winter.

Growing in habitat- Oribi Gorge

Derivation of name and historical aspects
The generic name Chlorophytum relates to the leaves of the plants and is derived from the Greek words chloros = yellow-green, and phyton = plant). Although this may be true for some species, the vegetative parts are green and not yellow-green in C. comosum. The specific epithet comosum also refers to the leaves. Coma, is derived from the Greek word kome , a tuft of hairs, and relates to the leaves arranged in a rosette.

Chlorophytum comosum was first collected by Carl Thunberg (known as the father of South African botany) on one of his expeditions to the eastern interior in the Langekloof near Uniondale and named by him in 1794.

Ecology
Chlorophytum comosum often grows in dominant stands in forested moist river valleys (Mucina & Rutherford 2006). This is due to the effective vegetative propagation by means of the plantlets rooting on the spreading inflorescence. The succulent roots enable the plant to cope during dry winter conditions. The small white flowers are rather insignificant and are pollinated by insects. The small flattish seeds are borne in capsules which ripen during summer and autumn. The ripe capsules are held in an erect position. The plant is variable with several local forms. In the Eastern Cape, near Mboyeti, plants have wavy or undulating leaf margins. At Kouga Dam, on the sheer cliffs, plants were encountered with leafy stems up to 300 mm long.

Uses and cultural aspects
The plants have been used medicinally by the Nguni (Hutchings et al. 1996), especially for pregnant mothers and as a charm to protect the mother and child. The plant is placed in the room where the mother and child stay. The roots are dipped into a water bowl and mothers drink this daily as it is believed to protect the infant. The young baby is also administered an infusion, acting as a purgative.

Plants are very popular in cultivation due to their drought-tolerance and their relatively disease- and pest-free nature. In South Africa they are grown as pot plants, in hanging baskets or as ground cover under trees. The hanging plantlets on the extended inflorescences are very decorative. The species is also very effective on steep embankments to combat soil erosion.

Various cultivars have been named- see below. The first two are very popular and are grown worldwide. The third is relatively new to cultivation:

Chlorophytum comosum ‘ variegatum ‘. This popular form has leaves with white margins.

Chlorophytum comosum ‘ vittatum ‘. This popular form has leaves of which the centre portion adjacent to the midrib is white.

Mboyeti

Chlorophytum comosum ‘ Mboyeti ‘. This cultivar has undulating leaf margins. It was introduced from Mboyeti in the Eastern Cape.

  Growing Chlorophytum comosum

Chlorophytum comosum grows very well in cultivation. Its ornamental, gracefully ascending-spreading to recurved leaves in a central rosette make it so popular. The many ‘pups’ or vegetative plantlets are usually given away by the owners and this has resulted in the species being one of the most commonly used and popular house plants throughout the world. The white-striped cultivars are probably more often grown than the original plant. In the garden it grows best under trees or on shady embankments, especially in gardens in the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt. It is a fast grower. In other parts of the world it can also be grown out-of-doors, but is best cultivated in Mediterranean-type gardens where frost is not too severe (parts of California and the Mediterranean). The plant prefers partial shade, especially in hot dry climates. It should therefore be protected from full sun. Plants should reach flowering size within a year.

Propagation
Chlorophytum comosum is easily propagated by division or from the plantlets on the inflorescences. The plantlets can be transferred directly to small containers. It can also be grown from seed whichis best sown during spring or summer in a warm, shady position in a sandy slightly acidic soil. Cover with a thin layer of sand and keep moist. Germination is usually within 3 weeks. Seedlings grow fast and are best planted out as soon as they are big enough to handle. Plants react well to organic feeding (compost or any other liquid fertilizer). Chlorophytum comosum is best watered throughout the year.
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Happy New Year! Colourful powder, chariot pulling and sacrificial chickens mark the start of 2071 in Nepal

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Nepal- New Year

 

Their faces covered in colourful powder, this is how Nepalese revellers celebrate the New Year – marking the start of 2071.

The Bisket Jatra festival takes place over nine days in Bhaktapur, Nepal, with rituals and dancing – as well as symbolic offerings to god-like figures.

Նեպալում տոնում են 2071թ-ի սկիզբը

During the celebrations, a three-storey wooden chariot carrying the revered idol of Bhairab is pulled through the narrow streets by local men, before a huge tree trunk is erected – representing the union of man and woman.

The religious festival – which marks the year 2071 in the Bikram calendar – also sees locals sacrificing chickens for a statue of god-figure Lingam.

This year’s festivities will run from April 10 to 19.

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Erdogan Waves Finger at Obama During Heated White House Talk

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Հարութ Սասունյան

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

 

Pulitzer-prize winning American journalist Seymour Hersh, in a sensational article “The Red Line and the Rat Line,” published in the London Review of Books, discloses that the Turkish government had secretly orchestrated the August 21, 2013 sarin gas attack in Syria, killing hundreds of civilians. Prime Minister Recep Erdogan had hoped that the Syrian regime would be blamed for that chemical attack, leading to a retaliatory US strike on Syria, since Pres. Obama had warned Syrian leaders that using chemical weapons against rebel fighters would cross a ‘red line.’

 

Erdogan’s plot almost worked! In the aftermath of the sarin attack, Pres. Obama began planning a massive US strike on dozens of Syrian targets, even though British intelligence had informed the US joint chiefs of staff that samples of the sarin gas obtained from the site of the attack did not match the chemical weapons in Syria’s possession. A former US intelligence official told Hersh that “Erdogan was known to be supporting the al-Nusra Front, a jihadist faction among the rebel opposition, as well as other Islamist rebel groups.” Hersh revealed that the US Defense Intelligence Agency had issued “a highly classified” document on June 20, 2013, confirming that “Turkey and Saudi-based chemical facilitators were attempting to obtain sarin precursors in bulk, tens of kilograms, likely for the anticipated large scale production effort in Syria.”

 

Last May, several members of the al-Nusra Front were arrested in Turkey with two kilograms of sarin. A Turkish court accused the group of planning to acquire other related materials to launch a chemical attack in Syria. Five of the arrestees were freed shortly, while the rest were released pending trial. They were not seen again!

 

After a special UN mission went to Syria to investigate two earlier chemical attacks in Spring 2013, a person with close knowledge of UN’s activity told Hersh that “there was evidence linking the Syrian opposition to the first gas attack, on March 19 in Khan al-Assal, a village near Aleppo…. It was clear that the rebels used the gas.”

 

Just before launching the joint US, British, and French attack on Syria in September 2013, Pres. Obama suddenly decided to postpone the strike, using the excuse that he needed congressional approval. The real reason for the delay was the President’s discovery that he was being set up by Turkey for an ‘unjustified’ attack on Syria, but did not want to publicly acknowledge his near blunder with potentially catastrophic consequences for the entire Middle East. Ironically, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was the one who rescued Pres. Obama from embarrassment by securing Syria’s agreement to hand over its chemical stockpile, thus providing the President a cover for canceling his threatened attack.

 

Investigative journalist Hersh further revealed that the chemical weapons had reached the Syrian rebels through a CIA operation code named ‘rat line’ — a secret Turkish-US agreement in 2012 to funnel weapons and ammunition from Libya to Syria through Turkey. After the terrorist attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the hub of this clandestine activity, the US pulled out of this covert arrangement, yet Turkey continued to supply Libyan weapons to the Syrian rebels.

 

By the end of 2012, as the rebels were losing the battle against the Assad regime, a former US intelligence official told Hersh that “Erdogan was pissed,” leading him to concoct a scheme to have the rebels use sarin gas and falsely blame the Syrian government, thus instigating an attack by the United States on Syria.

 

To personally plead his case for a US attack on Syria to save the rebels from defeat, Turkey’s Prime Minister flew to Washington. On May 16, 2013, Erdogan, along with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and head of intelligence Hakan Fidan, had a working dinner at the White House, with Pres. Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon. Infuriated by Obama’s unwillingness to take military action against Syria, Erdogan “fucking waved his finger at the president inside the White House,” Donilon recounted the shocking episode to a foreign policy expert who reported it to Hersh. “The American decision to end CIA support of the weapons shipments into Syria left Erdogan exposed politically and militarily,” Hersh explained. “Without US military support for the rebels, the former intelligence official said, ‘Erdogan’s dream of having a client state in Syria is evaporating and he thinks we’re the reason why. When Syria wins the war, he knows the rebels are just as likely to turn on him — where else can they go? So now he will have thousands of radicals in his backyard.’”

 

After the August  2013 sarin attack near Damascus, a former intelligence official told Hersh: “We now know it was a covert action planned by Erdogan’s people to push Obama over the red line…. The deal was to do something spectacular…. The sarin was supplied through Turkey.” Another indication of Turkish officials’ complicity was Hersh’s report that phone calls intercepted by the US revealed their joy with the success of their orchestrated chemical attack!

 

Hersh concludes his exposé by relaying a most worrisome observation from a former US intelligence official: “I asked my colleagues if there was any way to stop Erdogan’s continued support for the rebels, especially now that it’s going so wrong, the answer was: ‘We’re screwed.’ We could go public if it was somebody other than Erdogan, but Turkey is a special case. They are a NATO ally. The Turks don’t trust the West. They can’t live with us if we take any active role against Turkish interests. If we went public with what we know about Erdogan’s role with the gas, it’d be disastrous. The Turks would say: ‘We hate you for telling us what we can and can’t do.’”

 

For almost a century, successive US governments have failed to understand a fundamental geostrategic truth — Turkey needs the US much more than the United States will ever need Turkey. There is indeed something terribly wrong when the tail wags the dog!

 

[Part 2 of last week’s article on the Turkish deportation of Jewish settlers from Palestine will be published at a later date]

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Jordan’s ambassador to Libya is kidnapped in Tripoli

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Jordan’s ambassador to Libya was kidnapped Tuesday in central Tripoli, the foreign ministries of both nations said.

Ambassador Fawaz al-Aytan and members of his security detail were abducted and his driver was injured, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said.

A spokesman for the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said masked gunmen in two vehicles ambushed the ambassador’s convoy and whisked away al-Aytan.

Militia groups have routinely targeted and intimidated officials in the fractured nation.

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Ukraine Asks for UN Peacekeepers in Restive East

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Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov on Monday called for the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping troops in the east of the country, where pro-Russian insurgents have occupied buildings in nearly 10 cities.

In a telephone conversation with Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Turchynov suggested that an “anti-terrorist operation” could be conducted jointly by Ukrainian security forces and U.N. peacekeepers, according to the presidential web site.

Peacekeepers would have to be authorized by the U.N. Security Council, in which Russia holds a veto.

The request comes from a government that has proved powerless to reign in separatists in the Russian-speaking east of the country, where insurgents have been occupying government offices in cities for the past week. A deadline for the insurgents to give up weapons and vacate the brigands, set by Turchynov, passed Monday morning without any visible action.

 

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Unstung hero: Chinese ‘bee-bearder’ covers himself in a suit made of 460,000 insects as a stunt to promote his honey

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beekeeper-chinaA Chinese beekeeper covered his semi-naked body with more than 460,000 bees for a publicity stunt aimed at selling more of his honey, using a technique known as ‘bee bearding’.

She Ping, a 34-year-old honey merchant from the southwestern Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, covered himself in bees that collectively weighed more than 100 pounds.

‘To be honest I felt very nervous, but I do it to promote my honey,’ She said, adding: ‘I’m used to dealing with bees… and started these activities when I was about 22.’

‘It hurt but I didn’t dare to move,’ he said, adding that he was stung more than 20 times during the 40-minute stunt.

China is one of the world’s major producers of honey, though its exports have been banned in several countries due to fears of counterfeiting.

 

Colombia seizes 7 tons of cocaine bound for Europe worth $250 million in biggest haul since 2005

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seized packages of cocaineColombian police intercepted 7 tons of cocaine headed to the Dutch port of Rotterdam in one of the biggest such busts in years.

The narcotics have a street value of at least $250 million and were found stashed in 6,900 tiny packages in a container in this Caribbean port city along with bottles of pineapple conserves.

Rodolfo Palomino is the head of Colombia’s national police and said it was the biggest seizure since 15 tons were found along the Pacific coast in 2005. Colombia is one of the world’s largest producers of cocaine.

The minister said the drug was discovered by the local authorities as the ship was to leave the port on the northern Caribbean coast for the Netherlands. It was camouflaged among pineapple pulp.

Colombian police have already seized a total of 25 tons of drugs this year.

Swiss Say Palestinians Can Join Geneva Conventions

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Palestinian President Mahmoud AbbasTwenty-five years after making their first bid for membership, the Palestinians can join the Geneva Conventions governing the rules of war and military occupations, the Swiss government said Friday.

Israel had opposed the move, arguing that there is no universally recognized Palestinian state and that it would complicate peace talks.

On Thursday, the United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accepted Palestinian applications to join 13 other U.N. conventions.

Switzerland, as the depositary of the Geneva Conventions, said “the state of Palestine” acceded to the conventions effective April 2.

Edward Nalbandian’s Statement on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide

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Էդվարդ Նալբանդյան We welcome the adoption of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee 410 Resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

We commend the principled stance of the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Robert Menendez and other members of the Committee who supported the resolution.

On the eve of the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide the adoption by the Senate Committee of Resolution 410 is an important step on the way to restoration of historical truth and prevention of crimes against humanity.

 

RA President Held Consultations with Representatives of RA National Assembly Parliamentary Factions

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After having discussions with the Executive Body of the leading political force Republican Party of Armenia and with its various layers the President of Armenia today held procedural consultations preceding the formation of the RA Government with the representatives of the RA National Assembly parliamentary factions. The leaders of the political forces represented in the parliament whose representatives took part in the meeting with the president also attended the consultations.

 

 

Սերժ,ԲՀԿ

From the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Representative of the Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Hrant Margaryan, the leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Faction Armen Rustamyan, the Deputy of the National Assembly Aghvan Vardanyan took part in the meeting with the President of Armenia.

 

 

սերժ, օրինաց

From the Prosperous Armenia Party, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party and the Prosperous Armenia Parliamentary Faction Gagik Tsarukyan, the Deputies of the National Assembly Stepan Margaryan and Vartan Oskanian participated in the consultation with the President of Armenia.

From the Rule of Law Party, the leader of that political force Artur Baghdasaryan, the leader of the Rule of Law Parliamentary Faction Heghine Bisharyan, the Deputy of the National Assembly Hovhannes Margaryan took part in the meeting.

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Draft of Concept Paper on RA Constitutional Amendments Was Presented to RA President

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սերժ սարգսյան, սահմանադարական

Today, the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the members of the Specialized Commission for Constitutional Amendments adjunct to the RA President. At the meeting, the Chairman of the Commission and the President of the Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan informed the President of Armenia that the preliminary version of the Draft of the Concept Paper on RA Constitutional Amendments was ready and was put in the official website of the RA Ministry of Justice. The Chairman of the Commission introduced the main provisions of the Concept Paper and the ways to deal with the pivotal issues touched upon there.

Taking into account the fact that the Draft of the Concept Paper is preliminary and should enter a mandatory public discussion period, Gagik Harutyunyan mentioned that in this period they did not intend to form common and final points of view on all the issues. Particularly, the issues regarding the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the functional and institutional effectiveness of the judicial system, as well as the form of government and the conduct of elections were underlined.

The President of Armenia thanked the Chairman of the Commission and its members for doing a large-scale work and presented his position on some pivotal issues.

Remarks by the President of the Republic of Armenia at the Meeting with Members of the Specialized Commission for Constitutional Amendments
I thank you, Mr. Harutyunyan, and all the Commission members, for doing this large-scale work. I am convinced that the Commission members’ high professional qualities have allowed highlighting and working on all the most important issues, which are of concern to our state and society today. I am also convinced that the Commission possesses both scientific and practical justifications concerning the issues of purely legal nature. I have no doubts about it.

Touching upon the separate set of problems raised by you, I think that all important issues related to the judiciary, all pros and cons should be discussed by engaging the very representatives of that system. Our decisions will be based on your conclusions.

As far as the form of government is concerned, my point of view on this question is well known and I have had an opportunity to speak up on that matter stating that the present form of government for our country, at least for this period, is the most acceptable one. In any case, that is my view of it.

However, I think that the issue raised by the Specialized Commission, should become, inter alia, a matter of public discussions. Yet, it is important to take into account the fact that the positions of our country’s political forces should not be ignored or unappreciated while assessing the issues of political importance.

For this matter it is important to hold public discussions and to ensure the active and effective participation of specialists, the representatives of civil society and political parties in those discussions in order to make balanced decisions. Those decisions should be targeted at ensuring the sustainable development of the state instead of pursuing the narrow interests of separate groups.

Together we should be able to establish solutions, which are not circumstantial and are beyond the interests of any person or any political force since they might be about our country’s development process and its future. People, political forces and today’s passing interests are all short-lived; the Constitution is for generations.

To launch our movement on this path, I would like to make the first step of my own to set up the discussion on the constitutional amendments in a free vein. Before kicking the discussion off I declare that I, Serzh Sargsyan, will never more seek nomination for the position of the President of the Republic of Armenia.

If the concluding discussions would result in a path to be chosen not coinciding with my own vision, and by this I refer to the parliamentary model of government, I will neither display any claim on the position of Prime Minister. I strongly believe that one person should not pretend on the helm of the state in Armenia for more than two times in his lifetime. I am the leader of Armenia’s largest political force – the Republican Party of Armenia – and whatever the constitutional arrangements we adopt, the Republican Party of Armenia will abide to play by those rules remaining a decisive and vital actor in Armenia. By all means, that is the road we confidently embark upon. I state this since I am very well aware of the Constitution’s role and importance of the democratic traditions for our country. That is much more important than all possible speculations, which simply pertain to the genre of light-mindedness. I state this today in order to guarantee you both your freedom in carrying out the process of amending the Constitution and in general to act freely.

As a matter of principle, I certainly agree with your proposal to extend the period of public discussions on the Concept Paper. I think that as an author of this document the very Commission should accomplish the complex and responsible mission of initiating proper discussions and summing up their results.

 

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SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE ADOPTS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

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— Chairman Menendez: “I just don’t think you can pick and choose your genocides.  Genocide is genocide.”
WASHINGTON, DC – For the first time in nearly a quarter century, a U.S. Senate committee today adopted an Armenian Genocide Resolution, calling upon the Senate to commemorate this crime and encouraging the President to ensure that America’s foreign policy reflects and reinforces the lessons, documented in the U.S. record, of this still-unpunished genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“Today’s vote affirms America’s commitment to truth, deals a serious setback to Turkey’s campaign of genocide denial, and sends a clear message to President Obama that he must end his Administration’s complicity in Ankara’s cover-up of this crime,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.  “We thank Chairman Menendez for his powerful leadership and express our thanks to each of the Senators who cast their votes for this human rights measure.”
With a vote of 12 to 5, the Committee voted to condemn and commemorate the Armenian Genocide.  Those who joined Senator Menendez in supporting the measure were Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ed Markey (D-MA), John McCain (R-AZ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tom Udall (D-NM).  Those opposing the measure were Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Bob Corker (R-TN), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Risch (R-ID).  Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) did not vote.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) spearheaded the effort to have this influential foreign policy panel take a strong stand regarding the Ottoman Turkish Government’s centrally planned and systematically carried out campaign of genocide from 1915-1923, which resulted in the deaths of over 1.5 million men, women and children, and the exile of a nation from its historic homeland.
Senator Menendez announced the vote at the Armenian Genocide Observance on Capitol Hill yesterday evening, where he told his colleagues and attendees, “To me, to all men and women of good will, I would think there is a simple statement – genocide is genocide, and you cannot call it anything else but that and you need to have a recognition of that. Next year when we mark a century – a hundred years ago that the Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turkey, it seems to me that with most of the survivors gone – but with a few left – it is incredibly important for us to lead globally at this time.”
During Committee discussion of the measure, Chairman Menendez told his committee colleagues, “I think the Armenian Genocide is a horrifying factual reality that can never be denied.  I just don’t think you can pick and choose your genocides.  Genocide is genocide.”  Commenting on U.S. complicity in Turkey’s genocide denial, Chairman Menendez explained, “I am chagrined when I hear that some country will act in a certain way and therefore we here in the United States Senate, the Congress of the United States, that we should refrain from acting simply because someone will be upset.”
Though Ranking Republican Corker voted against the measure, arguing that “I don’t think it’s a good time to bring this type of resolution up,” he did affirm that, “I agree with scholars that a genocide took place.  It’s a terrible tragedy.”
Chairman Menendez was joined by Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) in introducing S.Res.410, the underlying Armenian Genocide legislation which was amended and adopted today.  Joining Chairman Menendez and Senator Kirk as cosponsors of S.Res.410 are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Senate Assistant Majority Leader Durbin, Senate Environment Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Senators Ed Markey, Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
State Department Stops Short of Public Attack Against Armenian Genocide Resolution
Earlier in the day, journalists questioned State Department Press Spokesperson Jen Psaki regarding the Obama Administration’s position on the Senate Armenian Genocide Resolution and pending Committee consideration.  Psaki explained, “Well, our position has long been that we acknowledge – clearly acknowledge as historical fact and mourn the loss of 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. These horrific events resulted in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century, and the United States recognizes that they remain a great source of pain for the people of Armenia and of Armenian descent, as they do for all of us who share basic universal values. Beyond that, I don’t have any other comment for you.”  Despite repeated queries, Psaki stopped short of the State Department’s traditional practice of openly arguing against the adoption of Armenian Genocide legislation.
Video from the State Department press briefing is available at:
According to news reports, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry the night before the Committee vote in opposition to the measure.
Senators and Representatives Welcome Committee Passage of Armenian Genocide Resolution
Following the successful passage of the resolution, Senator Markey, who chairs the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, explained, “It is long overdue for the United States to join the many other nations who have formally recognized the Armenian Genocide. That is why today’s passage by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of the genocide resolution in advance of the ninety-ninth anniversary is so historic. I was proud to vote for this important resolution today in Committee, and I will keep fighting to ensure its passage by the full Senate. I will continue to work with the Armenian-American community to build a prosperous and bright future for the Armenian people.”
Following the vote, House Armenian Genocide Resolution lead co-author, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) noted that, “Today’s vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to send the Armenian Genocide Resolution to the full Senate is a welcome milestone on the long journey towards official U.S.  recognition of the first genocide of the 20th Century.  It’s my hope that the full Senate will soon take up this resolution, and that my colleagues in the House will be inspired by their example.  Next year will mark a century since the beginning of the killings and death marches that claimed 1.5 million Armenians and the centennial must not be allowed to pass without recognition by both Congress and the Administration.”
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) concurred, stating, “Today’s vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is an important chapter in the effort for official recognition by the U.S. government of the Armenian Genocide.  The leadership of Senator Menendez is evident in the strong support the resolution received and I commended him for his dedication to the pursuit of official recognition of the Armenian Genocide.  It is now time for the House to act on H. Res. 227, calling on the President to acknowledge the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide.”
His Eminence Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, who had spent the day at the Capitol to engage legislators on this key human rights measure, shared his thoughts on Committee passage, video of which is available at: http://youtu.be/2YNG70ADsJ8
For more information regarding the historic vote, visit the ANCA Facebook page at http://www.anca.org/Facebook or the ANCA website at www.anca.org

 


Swiss pensioner flying around the world in plane he built himself is forced to land by Indonesian fighter jet and arrested at gunpoint after entering their airspace

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A retired Swiss airline pilot flying around the world for the last two years in a plane he built himself has been arrested after straying into Indonesian airspace.

Heinz Peier, 65, was forced to land by Indonesian fighter jets today before being surrounded by armed soldiers at Soewondo Air Base where he was arrested.

 

Swiss pensioner- flying around the world1

According to his blog, Peier was due to travel from Sri Lanka to the Philippines when the arrest happened, and was not planning to stop in Indonesia.

Peier began his travels in February 2012 when he flew to Belize, South America, using a red Swearingen SX300 aircraft he constructed himself.
Since then he has travelled almost non-stop for two years, taking in six continents – including Antarctica – visiting around 30 countries, and stopping in more than 100 cities.

 

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Cops: Child Bride Forced to Marry Kills Groom With Poison

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Police say a child bride forced into marriage in Nigeria prepared a poisoned meal that has killed her groom and three of his friends.

They quote 14-year-old Wasila Umaru as saying she used rat poison in the food because she was forced to marry a man she did not love.

The couple was married last week. The 35-year-old groom had invited a dozen friends to celebrate at his village 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the north Nigerian city of Kano over the weekend.

Child marriage is common in Nigeria and especially in the mainly Muslim north.

Assistant police superintendent Musa Magaji Majia said Thursday that the teenage suspect is cooperating with police and probably will be charged with culpable homicide.

 

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