President Serzh Sargsyan visited military units dislocated in the central and southern parts of Artsakh

Posted on by
Reply

4622

 

In the framework of his working visit to Artsakh, President Serzh Sargsyan on November 14 together with the President of NKR Bako Sahanian, Heads of the Defense Ministries of the two Armenian Republics and the highest commanding staff visited a military unit of the Defense Army dislocated in the central part of Artsakh. After greeting the troops on the drill ground, the President conversed with the soldiers and officers. Later, he observed an exhibition exercise of a reconnaissance detachment.

The Presidents of RA and NKR paid tribute and laid a wreath at the memorial of fallen heroes erected on the territory of the military dislocation.

After the official opening of the army structures built here, Serzh Sargsyan and Bako Sahakian observed the preparatory exercises of the staff getting ready for combat duty and commended those who demonstrated the best results. The Presidents of the two Armenian states visited also a military unit dislocated in the southern part of Artsakh, where recently opened was a new service building furnished with every convenience. Here, the Presidents observed also exercises of the troops on overcoming the zone of artificial obstacles.

The three-day visit of the RA President Serzh Sargsyan to the NKR DA military units and frontline, conducted in the framework of cooperation of the two Armenian states, has concluded.

This morning in Stepanakert, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Bako Sahakian held a private meeting which was followed by the consultations in the extended format, with the participation of the delegation of the Republic of Armenia, the Prime Minister of NKR and members of the government.

Hungarian Capital Bans Homeless From Public Areas

Posted on by
Reply

Հունգարիա,Բուդապեշտ,անտուն

Budapest’s city council has banned the homeless from living in many public areas of the city, including playgrounds, train stations, cemeteries, and the Hungarian capital’s largest park.

The decision was made possible by a constitutional amendment adopted in March which allows municipalities to ban homeless from public places for security, health and other reasons. A similar law had been earlier declared anti-constitutional by Hungary’s highest court.

The ordinance passed Thursday allows the fining of homeless people living in the restricted areas. It was supported by councilors from the governing Fidesz party, its Christian Democrat allies and the far-right Jobbik party. Two left-wing parties voted against.

A protest by The City Is For All, an advocate group for the homeless, delayed the start of the city council session by several hours.

 

Prick your own fruit! Artist uses needle to create brilliant portraits on banana skins… and it’s so easy anyone can do it

Posted on by
Reply

Virgin Group, Richard Branson

 

40-year-old Japanese artist Daisuke Skagami from Toyko, who goes by the name of EndCape, creates astonishing pictures on bananas by artfully bruising them with a single pin pushed into the peel.

It’s a past-time known as banana tattooing, but technique-wise is similar to pointillism. This is where pictures are created using tiny dots of pure colour.

Cape’s creations take around five hours to make – sometimes longer – and include Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Mona Lisa and Virgin boss Richard Branson.
He’s also created jigsaw patterns, a banana ‘zip’, and a the face of Japanese actor Sei Hiraizumi.
Each banana lasts up to two days, at which point the artist eats his creations, but EndCape is now looking for ways to preserve his work.

His designs have been featured on Japanese TV and in art galleries in Toyko.

japanese-actor-sei-hiraizumi
mount-rushmore-national-memorial
nana-lisa
puzzling-design
virgin-group-richard-branson

McCartney writes letter to Vladimir Putin pleading with him to free Greenpeace protesters in time for Christmas

Posted on by
Reply

Պոլ ՄակարտիՓոլ

Let it be: Paul 

Sir Paul McCartney has written a personal letter to the Russian president calling for the release of Greenpeace activists arrested during a protest against drilling in the Arctic.

The former-Beatle told Vladimir Putin that the 28 campaigners and two freelance journalists, who have been in detention since September, should be reunited with their families.

The so-called Arctic 30, who were this week transferred from Murmansk to St Petersburg, face charges of hooliganism.

This morning, after releasing the letter on his website, he tweeted: ‘The Russian Ambassador kindly responded saying that their situation “is not properly represented in the world media”‘.

Sir Paul then tweeted: ‘It would be great if this misunderstanding could be resolved and the protesters can be home with their families in time for Christmas’ and finished by tweeting: ‘We live in hope. Paul McCartney.’

The letter said: ‘Vladimir, millions of people in dozens of countries would be hugely grateful if you were to intervene to bring about an end to this affair.

‘I understand of course that the Russian courts and the Russian Presidency are separate.

The private letter, written on October 14, added: ‘I am writing to assure you that the Greenpeace I know is most certainly not an anti-Russian organisation…And above all else they are peaceful. In my experience, non-violence is an essential part of who they are.’

Greenpeace said more than two million people have sent letters and emails calling for the Arctic 30 to be released.

 

U.S. to destroy tons of elephant ivory; offers $1 million bounty on traffickers

Posted on by
Reply

ԱՄՆ,փղոսկր

 

The message is simple: stop wildlife trafficking.

And to highlight it, the United States will destroy tons of elephant ivory it has seized over the years — and pay out $1 million to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Hours before the destruction of the stockpile in Colorado Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the reward money to help dismantle elephant and rhino trafficking syndicates.

It’s the first time the United States has offered such a reward, he said.

Profits from animal trafficking are between $8 billion to $10 billion a year, most of which are used to fund narcotics and human trafficking, according to Kerry.

Commercial ivory trade was banned in the United States in 1989. The crushing of the six-ton stockpile of elephant ivory near Denver is the first time the U.S. has destroyed such large quantities.

The illegal ivory trade has doubled worldwide since 2007, with the United States the second-largest retail market for illegally acquired ivory after China.

Other nations including the Philippines, Kenya and Gabon have destroyed large quantities of ivory in recent years.

 

President Serzh Sargsyan continues his visit to NKR

Posted on by
Reply

4578

 

On the second day of his working visit to the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, President Serzh Sargsyan together with President of NKR Bako Sahakian observed a “tank combination” competition conducted at the Tigranakert training ground. The competition revealed the best participant through the precise firing and other requirements. Later, at the same training ground the Presidents of the two Armenian Republics observed the two-sided tactical exercise titled “Preparing the assault force of the Defense Army for full combat readiness: organization of defense, conduct of defensive battle, organization of assault.” The most important elements of the exercise were the actions of the raiding detachment in the flanks and in the rear of the enemy. Military exercised were followed by the ceremony of awarding the personnel: the most active participants of the exercised received emoluments.In Artsakh, President Serzh Sargsyan familiarized also with the programs carried out in mining area and prospects of its development. President Sargsyan continues his working visit to the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

Madrid Council Issues Ultimatum on Trash Strike

Posted on by
Reply

spain-trash-strike

 

Madrid’s city council says it will tear up its municipal cleaning contracts with private companies, if they fail to end a trash collectors’ strike that has left piles of garbage in the Spanish capital’s streets.

The city’s trash cans and larger containers are stinking and overflowing after nine days of an open-ended strike.

Botella said the garbage is not a public health risk, but the situation had become “intolerable.”

She gave the companies 48 hours to strike an agreement with labor groups angered by layoffs and pay cuts. After that, she said, the city council will give the cleaning contracts to state-owned Tragsa.

 

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Kate Moss the Playboy Bunny: First glimpse of supermodel on her dare-to-bare 40th birthday shoot Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2504011/Kate-Moss-unveiled-Playboy-Bunny-40th-birthday-pictures.html#ixzz2kZpce8dM Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Posted on by
Reply

article-2504011-196257A900000578-223_634x347

Stretched out along the floor and casting a feline glance to the camera, Kate Moss makes her Playboy debut – bunny tail and all.

Although most women would hardly chose to celebrate their 40th birthday by stripping off, Kate, it hardly needs pointing out, has never been one for a sedate life.

And MailOnline has the first exclusive glimpse of the Brit supermodel’s dare-to-bare shoot.

With her delicate tattoos on show, Kate – who will turn the big 4-0 on January 16 – dons a pair of black satin bunny ears, the iconic Playboy bunny corset, French cuffs and collar all teamed with a pair of vertiginous black stilettos.

On display are the tiny crescent moon tattoo on Kate’s left ankle and the P on her hip – allegedly inked for ex-lover, druggy rocker Pete Doherty. Both have withstood the rigours of the air brusher.

The mother-of-one made it clear that she wants to celebrate her wild past by posing for the cover to celebrate Playboy’s 60th anniversary for its January/February edition – alongside a nude pictorial inside.

However, readers will get their first glimpse of Kate’s erotic shoot in the ‘Next Month’ section of Playboy’s December issue, out on Friday.

The blonde, who is married to musician Jamie Hince, is mother to 11-year-old Lila Grace, by her ex-partner Jefferson Hack.

‘She’s a worldwide celebrity and iconic and crosses the boundaries from sexual imagery to upscale modelling. It’s a natural for us 

The shoot was meant to be top secret, but in June it was reported that Kate’s hairstylist Oribe Canales had accidentally revealed she had already posed for fashion photographers Marcus Pigott and Mert Atlas, who have taken portraits of stars ranging from Lady Gaga to Jennifer Lopez and Madonna.

Kate’s shoot is bound to be ever so fashionable as W magazine’s Alex White has styled the pictures – and she even noted the date when the shoot was done in London on March 16 by tweeting a picture of non other than the Playboy bunny.

Princess Diana’s most ‘ornate and romantic’ dress set to fetch up to £80,000 at auction One of Princess Diana’s ornate dresses is set to fetch up to £80,000 at auction. The ballgown from the Emmanuel 1986 ‘Diaghilev’ collection has been described by Kerry Taylor Auction House, who are selling the ballgown, as ‘arguably one of the most ornate, romantic of all Princess Diana’s gowns’. Shimmering with gold sequins, crystals and pearl beads the dress was inspired by Leon Bakst’s designs for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and it comes with a matching headband, optional sleeve panels and petticoat. The Princess first caught sight of this dress, which will go under the hammer on December 3, at a Red Cross benefit fashion show in the summer of 1986. The standard size 10 dress fitted her perfectly and Diana chose to wear the gown on many occasions, wearing it with and without the petticoat, and with and without the sleeve panels but often choosing to wear a diamond tiara instead of the headband. Kerry Taylor Auctions are famed for selling historically important Royal garments ranging from King Charles I nightshirt, Kate Middleton’s see-through fashion show dress to Princess Diana’s couture velvet ‘Travolta’ gown, which she wore to dance at the White House.

Posted on by
Reply

Princess Diana’s dresses1One of Princess Diana’s ornate dresses is set to fetch up to £80,000 at auction.

The ballgown from the Emmanuel 1986 ‘Diaghilev’ collection has been described by Kerry Taylor Auction House, who are selling the ballgown, as ‘arguably one of the most ornate, romantic of all Princess Diana’s gowns’.

Shimmering with gold sequins, crystals and pearl beads the dress was inspired by Leon Bakst’s designs for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and it comes with a matching headband, optional sleeve panels and petticoat.

The Princess first caught sight of this dress, which will go under the hammer on December 3, at a Red Cross benefit fashion show in the summer of 1986.

The standard size 10 dress fitted her perfectly and Diana chose to wear the gown on many occasions, wearing it with and without the petticoat, and with and without the sleeve panels but often choosing to wear a diamond tiara instead of the headband.

Kerry Taylor Auctions are famed for selling historically important Royal garments ranging from King Charles I nightshirt, Kate Middleton’s see-through fashion show dress to Princess Diana’s couture velvet ‘Travolta’ gown, which she wore to dance at the White House.

1
2
3

Armenia Should Renounce Turkish Protocols Long Before Genocide Centennial

Posted on by
Reply

Հարութ Սասունյան

 

 

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

 

Expecting a public relations nightmare during the Armenian Genocide Centennial, Turkish officials are anxious to prevent further damage to their country’s already tarnished reputation.

 

Even though they have no intention to open the border with Armenia, Turkey’s leaders are pretending to do so by constantly issuing fake conciliatory statements. By falsely claiming that Turkey is in the process of patching up its differences with Armenia, Ankara’s hidden agenda is to discourage additional countries from recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

 

However, given Azerbaijan’s paranoid reaction to any talk of Turkey opening its border with Armenia, Turkish officials are forced to retreat by warning that the Armenia-Turkey border would remain closed, unless ‘progress’ is made on the Karabagh (Artsakh) issue.

 

Such contradictory Turkish statements have been issued countless times, ever since Armenia and Turkey signed Protocols in 2009 to open their mutual border and establish diplomatic relations. As recently as last week, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a closed session of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee that preparations are underway to open the border with Armenia. When confronted by an opposition parliamentarian about Turkey’s true intentions, Davutoglu quickly reversed himself, stating that Armenia must first withdraw from Karabagh before the border could be opened.

 

The Foreign Minister made similar remarks a month ago while visiting Switzerland, when he announced that Turkey was looking for “creative ideas” to improve its relations with Armenia. Davutoglu’s creative or rather clever ploy is to avoid looking like an obstructionist, while making excuses for his country’s refusal to ratify the Protocols.

 

Back in 2009, the Turkish government appeared eager to ratify the Protocols which included various extraneous matters, including the formation of a committee of historians to study archival documents on the Armenian Genocide. When Azerbaijan vehemently objected to Turkish plans to open the border with Armenia, Turkey announced that it could no longer ratify the Protocols, even though it was clearly in its national interest to do so. Thus, despite its claims of being a major regional power, Turkey caved in to Azerbaijan’s veto. During his remarks in the Turkish Parliament on November 6, Davutoglu sheepishly reiterated that his country would open its border with Armenia only after obtaining Azerbaijan’s permission.

 

Clearly embarrassed by this leak to the press, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman denied that Davutoglu had made such a statement. This is not a credible denial as Turkish officials have made similar statements many times before. One plausible explanation for reviving the prospect of opening the border and railway link to Armenia could be Turkey’s intent to pressure the newly-elected President of Georgia who refuses to support the long-planned Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway which was expected to circumvent Armenia.

 

To put an end to continuous Turkish exploitation of the Protocols, Pres. Serzh Sargsyan should carry out his promise of three years ago, when he warned that unless Turkey ‘shortly’ ratifies the Protocols, he would reconsider his position on this issue, implying that Armenia would withdraw from this agreement. Since the Protocols are still not ratified four years after they were signed, Pres. Sargsyan should declare them null and void.

 

Understandably, Armenian officials are reluctant to take such a drastic step, as they are concerned that the major powers would blame them for the Protocols’ failure. Armenia would prefer that the Turkish side be the first to withdraw from the Protocols, and thereby bear the blame for their collapse. Turkish officials could be playing the same blame game, by waiting for Armenia to be the first to withdraw.

 

In my view, Armenia can no longer afford to wait. With the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide less than 18 months away, Armenia’s President should do what he promised three years ago and withdraw his government’s signature from the ill-fated Protocols. Armenia could not be blamed for this action, as Turkish officials have repeatedly announced that they have no intention of ratifying the Protocols.

 

Not surprisingly, Davutoglu also declared last week that Turkish efforts to counter Armenian plans for the 100th anniversary of the genocide are moving forward ‘at full speed.’ In order not to allow Turkey to undermine worldwide Armenian commemorations for the Genocide Centennial, Armenia’s leaders must renounce the Protocols long before April 24, 2015.

 

Furthermore, given the Turkish government’s century-old intransigence to acknowledge its culpability for the Genocide and refusal to make appropriate amends, Armenian officials should announce that they plan to seek justice, at long last, by applying to local, regional and international courts.

 

 

The boyfriends you can buy! Chinese website offers men by the hour to women ashamed of their single status

Posted on by
Reply

 

Չինաստան,«վարձու զուգընկեր» Meeting someone new isn’t always the easiest of tasks, so spare a thought for China’s young women who face intense parental pressure to find the right man.

As a result, women terrified of returning home without a handsome other half resort to hiring ‘boyfriends’ for the duration of their visit.

Now a shopping website, Taobao, has launched a new rent-a-boyfriend service which allows would-be fake other halves to advertise their services – complete with price lists.

According to Chinese newspaper, the People’s Daily, rent-a-boyfriends must be hired for a minimum of three days and offer a range of services including dinner (50 yuan, approximately £5) and shopping trips (30 yuan, approximately £3), on top of their 30 yuan hourly fee.

Other services include seeing a film, although you will have to pay double if the movie is a thriller, and a 50 yuan peck on the lips, although hand-holding and a goodbye kiss on the cheek or forehead are free.

Chinese women in particular still face enormous parental pressure to meet a suitable man and rather than face a barrage of questions from nosy relatives, hire their men instead.

Typically, the pair will exchange photos and will have a rehearsal before going ahead with the rental.

Despite the detailed list of services and attempts – on both sides – to keep relations professional, some of the rent-a-boyfriends admit that it can, at times, be difficult.

‘It all depends on how you look at it,’ says another fake boyfriend, 26-year-old Xu Li from Yancheng City.

‘If you look at it as a business, then it’s much easier.’

 

Cambridge University students go from straight As to rock bottom as they pose for Rear of the Year competition

Posted on by
Reply

article-0-19598D4B00000578-667_306x423

They are the cream of Britain’s academic crop.

But when it comes to extracurricular activities, these Cambridge University students appear to have hit rock bottom.

The ten undergraduates – five female and five male – have taken risque photographs of their behinds in a bid to be crowned ‘Rear of the Year’.

article-0-19598D4B00000578-667_306x423

They can be seen posing naked in a range of locations around the institution – including a library, a laundry room and university halls.

They have submitted the photos – using only their first names – to independent student website The Tab as part of its ‘Rear of the Year’ competition.

One girl called Pam, a student of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, is depicted in what appears to be her room in Lucy Cavendish College.

While Amber, who is reading Geography at Trinity Hall, is pictured with a ‘Keep off the grass’ sign – and not much else – in the university grounds.

Another entrant called Dave, from Christ’s College, can be seen standing naked in front of one of the institution’s historic doors. 

All of the undergraduates are completely naked from the waist down – with the exception of Gwendoline who is pictured in a pair of pink knickers.

An ‘interesting fact’ accompanies each photo on the website – with Amber’s comment claiming she wrote her entire dissertation in the nude.

The competition has been split into ‘male’ and ‘female’ individual contests – with all entrants posing naked ‘voluntarily’.

Organisers are encouraging other students at the prestigious academic institution to vote for their favourite rears. 

The winners will gain free entry to the Cambridge Museum of Technology, worth a paltry £2.  

However, not everyone is supportive of the competition, which is being run for the second time despite strong opposition from women’s groups last year.

Lauren Steele, Women’s Officer at Cambridge University Students’ Union, has condemned the online poll as ‘irresponsible’.

In a joint statement with Anija Dokter, from Cambridge Feminist Society, she said: ‘This is an example of immature, blind and irresponsible behaviour on the part of The Tab editors.

‘I sincerely hope they will take responsibility for the harm caused, not only to the women depicted but also to the broader community, for reinforcing sexism and exclusion.

‘The Tab should immediately remove the photos, publish an apology and mandate that all future publications cannot include the misuse and appropriation of women’s and other minorities’ bodies.’

However, one female student involved in the stunt – who wishes to remain unnamed – has spoken out in support of the competition.

‘My bum is in its prime, it’s only downhill from here,’ she said. ‘It was now or never really.”

A male contender for the ‘Rear of the Year’ title added: ‘I’ll be very upset if I don’t win.’

The Tab has declined to comment on the poll, while Cambridge University officials have said they will not be speaking to the website’s editors about the competition.

Spanish Pianist Might Face Jail for Practicing

Posted on by
Reply

Spanish prosecutors want to send a young pianist to jail for over seven years after a neighbor accused him of causing psychological damage and noise pollution.

The plaintiff — identified only as Sonia B — claims she suffered from noise contamination between 2003 and 2007 owing to the five-days-a-week, eight-hour practice sessions by Laia Martin, who lived below her in the northeastern town of Puigcerda.

Martin, 27, now a professional concert pianist, denies she played at home that often as she took regular classes in other towns.

El Pais newspaper said Sonia B. told the court Monday she now hated pianos and eventually moved house.

A Catalonia Justice Tribunal spokeswoman said the trial continued Tuesday and ends Nov. 15. She spoke on condition of anonymity because of tribunal regulations.

 

Obese Saudi Arabian man sheds more than 300 pounds

Posted on by
Reply

A morbidly obese Saudi Arabian man has lost 330 pounds (150 kilograms) since the Saudi king ordered him hospitalized three months ago, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

In August, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia ordered Khalid bin Mohsen Shaari, who then weighed 1,345 pounds (610 kilograms), to undergo treatment in the capital, Riyadh. Shaari, estimated to be in his late teens, was unable to move by himself and was transferred from Jazan in southern Saudi Arabia.

His weight loss followed an intense nutritional and surgical treatment program a team of 21 specialists developed at the King Fahd Medical City, the agency said.

“The patient is responding well to treatment and is continuing to improve, especially the psychological aspect, ” Dr. Aa’ed al-Qahtani, head of the medical team, told the news agency.

Shaari’s most serious health issues are being managed, including heart and lung problems, diabetes and swelling and lack of mobility in the legs, according to al-Qahtani.

Al-Qahtani told the agency that Shaari is scheduled for one more “surgical phase” after which, if successful, he could return to normal life.

Statement by H.E. Mr. Edward NALBANDIAN Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, 37th session of UNESCO General Conference

Posted on by
Reply

Էդուարդ Նալբանդյան,ՅՈՒՆԵՍԿՕ

 

Mr. President, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all I would like to join the previous speakers in congratulating Mr. Hao Ping, Vice Minister for Education of China on his election as the President of the 37th Session of the UNESCO General Conference and extend our thanks to the outgoing President Ms. Katalin Bogyay.

Mr. President,

Every two years we come together to reaffirm the founding vision of this institution: the pursuit of the ideas of peace and humanity through the education, science and sustainable development, intercultural and interreligious dialogues.

Last year Armenia marked 20th anniversary of its UNESCO membership. Since then Armenia, as a dedicated member, has been increasingly engaged in the Organization’s activities and programs, promoting its principles and values.

Mr. President,

 

Armenia expresses its support to the initiative of the UN Secretary General “Education first”, in which the UNESCO plays a key role. In this regard it has been both an honor and a responsibility for us to be in the Council of the International Bureau of Education.

 

We welcome UNESCO’s focus on inclusive social development and intercultural dialogue reflected in its new Mid Term strategy objectives. It is difficult to imagine modern development without international cooperation in the fields of education, science, technology and culture. UNESCO plays a crucial role in promoting such cooperation through global networks, including the UNESCO Chairs and the “Associated schools networks”, in which Armenia is actively involved. We consider the programs mutually beneficial for UNESCO and its member countries and we would encourage enhancement of the programs by further improvement of communication and cooperation with the networks on the ground and better utilization of their potential.

 

Mr. President,

 

The past year was memorable for Armenia as Yerevan became the twelfth World Book Capital. Throughout the year Yerevan was a meeting place for several well-known writers, journalists, publishers, librarians and booklovers from all over the world.

 

This significant event coincided with another major celebration – 500th anniversary of the Armenian book-printing. Armenians were among the first in the world to make use of Guttenberg’s invention and starting from 1512 founded Armenian printing houses around the world. The first Armenian book was printed in Venice in 1512, and the first Armenian printed magazine – in Madras in 1794.

 

The year-long events presenting Armenia’s rich cultural heritage to the world was truly “crowned” by inscription of over thousand-year-old Armenian epic “David of Sassoun” on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 

The celebrations of the 300th anniversary of great Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova were included in the UNESCO list of anniversaries for 2012-2013. Sayat-Nova made a considerable contribution not only to the Armenian, but also to the cultural heritage of our region.

 

Inscription of Aram Khachaturian’s compositions on the Memory of the World International Register this June was a wonderful tribute to the composer’s legacy on the occasion of his 110th anniversary in 2013.

 

Mr. President,

 

We highly appreciate UNESCO’s goal of promoting intercultural dialogue, understanding and tolerance in the world.

 

Since last May Armenia has assumed the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe making fight against xenophobia, hate-speech and intolerance its key priorities.

In an era when the protection and promotion of human rights are considered to be the underpinning concept for the civilized world, intolerance towards the values of civilization belonging to others, damaging or destroying cultural or religious heritage intentionally, consistently, repeatedly, must be condemned with the same resolve and determination as violence against people.

The destruction by Azerbaijanis in Nakhijevan of thousands of delicately carved cross stones by the Armenian masters, dating from the 9th to the 16th centuries, is a vivid manifestation of such crime.

Several thousands of these giant medieval sculptures were bulldozed under the Azerbaijani government’s watchful eyes and this area was turned into a military ground in a government sanctioned operation. The 16th International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) General Assembly resolution regretfully stated with regard to this vandalism: “this heritage that once enjoyed its worthy place among the treasures of the world’s heritage can no longer be transmitted today to future generations.”

Our numerous calls for sending international fact-finding missions to Nakhijevan, as well as attempts by a number of international organizations and countries have been either ignored or rejected by the Azerbaijani side.

 

Mr. President,

 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education state that “Education shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups”. Taking into consideration UNESCO’s unique role in the sphere of education, we call upon the Organization to create within its educational programs some sort of an overview mechanism that will examine and evaluate the textbooks of the member-states, especially history and social sciences textbooks, with a special emphasis on exclusion of racism or xenophobia. The Armenian heritage, culture and history, after lasting continuously for more than thirty centuries are nowadays being distorted and altered in Azerbaijan. In this country the rewriting of its history is continued by means of misappropriation or annihilation of the traces of other cultures on their territory, or even more, by privatizing the cultural heritage of the neighboring nations. A country that appeared on the political map of the world less than a hundred years ago has territorial and cultural claims towards a country and a people the several millenniums’ history of which is recorded from the ancient times.

 

Mr. President,

 

Only through coordinated efforts the international community can pursue the ideas of peace and humanity through education, science and sustainable development, intercultural and interreligious dialogues.

Armenia is strongly committed to the ideals and goals of UNESCO and will continue expanding its involvement in the UNESCO initiatives and programs.   

Thank you.

 

President Serzh Sargsyan received the Secretary General of CSTO Nikolay Bordyuzha

Posted on by
Reply

Նախագահ Սերժ Սարգսյան, ՀԱՊԿ,Նիկոլայ Բորդյուժա

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolay Bordyuzha who has arrived to Armenia on a working visit.

At the meeting, the parties discussed issues related to the cooperation in the framework of CSTO. In this context, they spoke about the issues pertinent to the works conducted since the adoption of the decision to open the CSTO Academy in Yerevan. The President of Armenia and Secretary General of CSTO discussed also the course of implementation of the agreements reached during the CSTO session held on September 23 in Sochi.

 

Clashes between police, foreign workers leave 2 dead in Saudi Arabia

Posted on by
Reply

Սաուդյան Արաբիա

 

Two people were killed and 68 others injured in clashes between police and foreign workers following a visa crackdown in Saudi Arabia, the official news agency reported.

Police arrested 561 people Saturday in the capital of Riyadh, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The arrests came after “unidentified” people barricaded themselves in narrow streets, where they threw stones at residents and vandalized shops and cars, according to a police statement posted on the news agency’s website.

In the aftermath of Saturday’s clashes, a police spokesman urged workers without proper documents to surrender at a shelter in the capital until they could be deported.

Most of the workers impacted by recent police raids are African migrants.

Saudi Arabia launched a “security campaign” this month to crack down on workers violating visa rules.

 

Despicable: Sheep used to graze in church GRAVEYARD to keep grass cut

Posted on by
Reply

o_847410

A church is using Sheep to graze in its GRAVEYARD as a cheap way to keep the grass cut.

The move has sparked fury among families who have relatives buried there with the animals being allowed to roam over graves and destroy mementoes which are left.

They say the graveyard looks like it has been “vandalised” but leaders at Holy Trinity Church in Grazeley say there is no money to pay for gardeners and grazing sheep is a traditional and cheap way of keeping the grass short.

Nicola Millard, 39, from Woodley, discovered the sheep when she went to visit the graves of her grandparents.

She said: “The area they have put the sheep is where people still tend the graves.

“There is a little turnstile I go in rather than the main gates and I arrived to see four of them stood on my nan’s grave. I was so heartbroken.”

Report: 3 Russians Get Life for Airport Attack

Posted on by
Reply

A Russian court on Monday jailed for life three men from Ingushetia over their role in the 2011 bombing of a Moscow airport that killed 37 people, a news agency reported.

The court found the men guilty of facilitating the bomber’s travel to Moscow and providing him with explosives, the Interfax news agency said. The bomber’s brother, who said he knew nothing about the attack, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, it said.

The January 2011 attack on Moscow’s Domodedovo airport also wounded 180 people. Doku Umarov, the rebel leader from the Muslim-dominated region of Chechnya, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Russia has bolstered its security efforts ahead of the Winter Olympic Games in the southern city of Sochi. Umarov has urged militants to target the Games.

Russian performance artist nails himself to Red Square cobblestone by his TESTICLES in protest at Kremlin’s crackdown on rights

Posted on by
Reply

A Russian performance artist stripped naked and nailed his testicles to a Red Square cobblestone in protest against the Kremlin’s crackdown on political rights.

Eye-watering footage shows artist Pyotr Pavlensky sitting naked outside Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow, Russia, before police covered him with a blanket.

The state-run RIA Novosti news agency said Pavlensky was taken to a police station after being treated in a central Moscow clinic.

The Saint Petersburg-based artist said in a statement posted on the Grani.ru website that he was trying to draw attention to Russian society’s development into a ‘police state’.

Russia marked its annual Police Day holiday on Sunday.

It is not the first time the 29-year-old has resorted to dramatic methods of protest.

He has previously sewn his lips together to demonstrate against the jailing of two female members of the Pussy Riot punk band who staged an anti-Kremlin performance inside Moscow’s main cathedral in 2011.

He was also arrested after wrapping his naked body in barbed wire outside a Saint Petersburg government building in May.

 

  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 42
  5. 43
  6. 44
  7. 45
  8. 46
  9. 47
  10. 48
  11. ...
  12. 95