Are fish having sex keeping part of a city awake? Amorous animals could be behind mystery humming that starts at 10pm and goes on all night

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Amorous fish could be responsible for a mysterious humming noise keeping people awake at night.

Residents in a part of Southampton, Hamsphire, have been struggling to get to sleep because of the puzzling noise, which starts at 10pm and drones on all night.

Some people have even moved away from the affected area around Hythe and are sleeping on friends’ sofas to escape the nightmare.

Now scientists are studying whether the noise could be being caused by fish having sex in an estuary nearby.

Midshipman male fish let out a distinctive drone to let females know they are searching for a mate.

The noise can go on for hours and often increases in volume as competing males attempt to out-hum each other.

Incredibly, scientists say the sound can be amplified by bouncing off buildings and ships.

The National Oceanography Centre in Southampton was unable to shed any light on the mystery.

However, the Scottish Association for Marine Science claimed fish could be responsible for the bizarre buzzing sound.

The din has so far sparked dozens of complaints from residents suffering sleepless nights, who have come up with a number of other theories themselves.

New Forest District Council has now received more than 30 complaints about the irritating hum.

A spokesman said noise monitoring equipment had been installed in several properties in a bid to track down the origin of the sound.

 

 

North Korea to Return 6 Detained South Koreans

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North Korea plans to allow six detained South Koreans to return home, officials in Seoul said Thursday.

Pyongyang’s Red Cross sent a letter to the South saying the South Koreans will cross over the heavily armed border at the so-called truce village of Panmunjom on Friday, according to a short statement from the South’s Unification Ministry, which is responsible for cross-border ties.

The statement says Seoul plans to accept the South Koreans and investigate how they entered North Korea. Seoul provided only scant details, saying they were men ranging in age from 27 to 67.

North Korea said in 2010 that it was investigating four South Koreans for allegedly illegally entering the country; it wasn’t immediately clear whether any of them are among the six people being released Friday. Seoul says it has repeatedly asked Pyongyang to confirm the four citizens’ identities but has received no reply.

South Koreans visiting North Korea without government approval can be punished by up to 10 years in prison under South Korea’s National Security Law.

 

Air Communications To Be Liberalized In Armenia

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A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

The government first approved a program to ensure competitive and continued provision of air transport services, established a project implementation task force and endorsed its composition.

After assessing several draft projects, it turned out that the policy of open skies will have the greatest positive impact on the economy, leading to jobs and growth in the number of passengers, as well as to reduced flight tariffs. The meeting set up a task force was set up, headed by the Minister of Economy and approved its composition.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan reminded that there have been heated discussions over this issue and there were many contradictory approaches, from strict regulation up to the option of maximum liberalization.

“In order to take the best decision over this issue of strategic importance, the President ordered the National Competitiveness Council to sign a contract with one of the world’s most famous companies McKinsey. The latter hired the best professionals in this sector in order to develop a strategy for the Republic of Armenia.

The strategy was twice discussed with the President of the Republic of Armenia. McKinsey presented detailed reports and analyses, their experts visited Armenia several times and the result was a concept which is now submitted to your judgment.

According to the world’s best experts in this field, Armenia should go along the path of liberalization to promote GDP growth, create new jobs and make passenger traffic more comfortable and less expensive.

These are those basic principles reflected in our strategy, which specifies steps, measures and the timing of how these reforms should be carried out in the Republic of Armenia. We still have 5 days to work with the professionals of McKinsey in order to localize this paper to the maximum possible extent and make it feasible for our country. I am therefore asking all the stakeholders to continue working with the Minister of Economy. McKinsey experts will be available to provide all-out assistance, additional explanations and advice.”

The government passed a dozen decisions to amend relevant decrees adopted in 2002-2012 concerning the licensing process, the procedure for free granting of repatriation certificates, the approval of Dilijan International School program and a list of project implementation entities.

The Government approved a set of draft amendments to the Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia and 8 other laws to create a new independent and self-governing judicial body – the Council of Judges, introduce a more efficient system of distribution of cases among judges, enact the principle of mandatory reporting by courts and judges, as well as to appoint court presidents for a limited period of time.

The meeting agenda comprised some 60 items altogether.

Large Oil Reserves Discovered in Brazil

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Oil Platforms Off The Coast of Brazil

 

Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency says large reserves of oil are located off the coast of the northeastern state of Sergipe, representing a new frontier in petroleum development in Latin America’s biggest country.

Agency director Magda Chambriard said Wednesday that numbers on how much oil is in the reserves would not be announced before 2016.

Most of the country’s oil production is concentrated in southeastern Brazil, where over the past several years billions of barrels of oil have been discovered in offshore reserves, mostly in deep, pre-salt fields.

On Monday, a consortium including Shell, Total, two Chinese firms and Brazil’s state-run petroleum company Petrobras won the right to develop a field off the cost of Rio de Janeiro that could hold up to 12 billion barrels of oil.

 

Farmer set to become a millionaire after two ‘very significant’ DINOSAUR skeletons discovered on his land go up for auction

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Տիրանոզավր

 

A farmer is set to become an overnight millionaire after stumbling across the 70-million-year-old bones of two dinosaurs on his land.

The enormous 38ft long Tyrannosaurus rex was discovered just a few miles from the 26ft Triceratops – and together they are set to fetch more than two million pounds.

Experts have described the incredible finds as ‘very significant, very impressive and very valuable’.

The T-rex skeleton is so significant that it is said to be among the top 20 ever found in the world, as it boasts around 40 per cent of its original bones.

The rest of the skeleton is made up of cast bones from other T-rex finds.

The Triceratops, a herbivore known for having two large horns on its head and a smaller one on its nose, is 70 per cent original.

The bones of the gigantic beasts were found on a 20 square mile ranch in Hell Creek in the U.S. state of Montana before being excavated by dinosaur fossil hunters.

They have since been prepared and mounted ready for sale.

T-rex is tipped to fetch £1.4 million, while the Triceratops could fetch £560,000.

The world record for the most expensive dinosaur fossil was set in 1997 when ‘Sue’, a Tyrannosaurus rex, sold for £5.4 million.

The auction will take place at Bonhams in New York on November 19.

 

The answer of Deputy Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan to the question of News.am agency

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շավարշ քոչարյան

Question: The European Parliament today adopted a resolution of “the Eastern Partnership”, which because of the doubtful efforts of some of the parliamentarians of the European Parliament, contains wording on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. How would you comment that?
Answer: In the EP resolution on “Eastern Partnership” the wording on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is in contradiction to the European Union’s official position, as well as to the positions of internationally mandated format of mediation – the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, USA and France.
Despite the fact that the above mentioned resolution is non-binding, nonetheless independent of the motivations of the authors of that wording, they should understand that they bear responsibility for its possibly negative impact on the negotiation process and undermining of the efforts of the Co-Chairs aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Chinese man climbs high voltage pylon and spends five hours up there after being overwhelmed by pressure of debt

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չինացին սյան վրա

A Chinese man spent five hours on top of a high voltage pylon after the pressure of being in debt became too much.

Peng Hsieh, 21, had reportedly cracked after borrowing money from several local people including his family to fund his education and then finding he was unable to get a job and couldn’t pay it back.

The young man had climbed up 24-metre high voltage tower in Foshan, in Guangdong province, in southeast China.

He was spotted by a local who raised the alarm with the electricity officials who cut off the power supply.

In total he remained at the top of the pylon for five hours doing his gymnastic performances and singing popular Chinese songs, ignoring requests from family and friends to come down.

Only towards the end after having stripped off his shirt and his shoes did he finally agreed to come down when some of his creditors confirmed they would no longer pursue him so rigorously to get the money back.

His father Yang said: ‘If he kills himself nobody will get anything back, they just need to be patient.’

Peng Hsieh is likely to be fined though for the stunt so they may have to wait a while longer than was planned.

chinese man-high voltage pylon

չինացին բարձր լարման սյան վրա

Russia Drops Piracy Claims Vs Greenpeace Activists

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r Greenpeace,Ռուսաստան

 

Russia’s main investigative agency said Wednesday that it has dropped piracy charges against jailed Greenpeace activists and charged them instead with hooliganism.

Piracy is punishable by a prison term of up to 15 years in prison. Hooliganism charges can carry up to seven years in prison.

The Investigative Committee’s statement follows a comment by President Vladimir Putin, who said last month that he doesn’t think that the Greenpeace activists were pirates.

A group of 28 Greenpeace activists, a Russian photographer and a British videographer have been held since their ship, the “Arctic Sunrise” was seized by the Russian coast guard after protesting outside a Gazprom-owned oil rig Sept. 18.

There was no immediate comment from the Greenpeace on the latest move by Russian investigators.

 

Maneuvers of the NKR rescue service and the Armenia’s ministry for emergency situations

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Բակո Սահակյան

On 23 October President Bako Sahakyan partook in a final stage of the joint command staff maneuvers with the participation of the Artsakh rescue service and the Armenia’s ministry for emergency situations units in the town of Shoushi.
The Head of the State underlined in his speech that the events have shown high level of readiness, technical equipment of the two Armenian republics’ corresponding structures as well as the existence of close cooperation between them.
Bako Sahakyan considered important to hold such maneuvers periodically noting their usefulness for both Artsakh and Armenia.
President Sahakyan handed in awards and valuable gifts to the a group of representatives of the NKR rescue service, the RA ministry for emergency situations and other structures distinguished in the course of maneuvers.

 

 

 

Villagers in South China Turn on Police; 27 Hurt

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china-protesters

 

Villagers in southern China attacked policemen who were seeking a pair of suspects, injuring 27 officers, state media said Wednesday.

The injured officers were hospitalized in the Yunnan provincial capital of Kunming, including one in critical condition, the Xinhua News Agency said.

The violence took place after police traveled to the province’s Jincheng township on Tuesday looking for two people suspected of illegal detention and intentional injury, Xinhua said.

As the officers were leaving the area, about 200 residents blocked the highway in the village of Guangji, surrounding 11 officers and three police vehicles and preventing them from leaving.

Xinhua said the last 13 officers held were unable to leave the village until Wednesday afternoon. It said no injuries among villagers were reported and made no mention of arrests.

It wasn’t clear why the villagers were angered or what was behind the alleged crimes the two suspects were being sought for.

 

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL — MESSAGE ON UNITED NATIONS DAY

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Dear friends,

 

United Nations Day is a chance to recognize how much this invaluable Organization contributes to peace and common progress.

 

It is a time to reflect on what more we can do to realize our vision for a better world.

 

The fighting in Syria is our biggest security challenge.

 

Millions of people depend on UN humanitarian personnel for life-saving assistance.

 

UN experts are working hand-in-hand with the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to destroy Syria’s stockpiles.

 

And we are pushing for a diplomatic solution to end suffering that has gone on far too long.

 

Our most urgent development challenge is to make sustainability a reality.

 

The Millennium Development Goals have cut poverty in half.

 

Now we must maintain the momentum, craft an equally inspiring post-2015 development agenda and reach an agreement on climate change.

This year again, we saw the United Nations come together on armed conflict, human rights, the environment and many other issues.

 

We continue to show what collective action can do.  We can do even more.

 

In a world that is more connected, we must be more united.

 

On United Nations Day, let us pledge to live up to our founding ideals and work together for peace, development and human rights.

President received Yuri Fedotov, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

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Սերժ Սարգսյան, ՄԱԿ,Յուրի Ֆեդոտով

 President Serzh Sargsyan received today Yuri Fedotov, UN Under-Secretary General the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna (UNODC).

Noting that fight against crime and drugs is among the most significant current challenges and is a priority for Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of cooperation with the specialized agencies for reaching sufficient results in that area. He also underscored the import of cooperation with international structures and conducting in Armenia of various events, particularly mentioning Canal-Caucasus local operative preventive event held in Yerevan in the framework of fight against drug trafficking.

Yuri Fedotov hailed Armenia’s persistent work in her fight against crime and drug trafficking and presented works conducted by his structure and its ongoing programs. Y. Fedotov noted, in particular, that his visit is of informative nature and expressed confidence that cooperation with the Republic of Armenia will be continuous.

Assessing cooperation between Armenia and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime as efficient, the interlocutors at the same time looked into the possibility of establishing in Armenia of the Office of this structure. According to them, it would be important from the viewpoint of considerably expanding and developing cooperation.

 

President Serzh Sargsyan conducted a working visit to Tavush marz

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Սերժ Սարգսյան,Կոտայքի մարզ

 President Serzh Sargsyan conducted today a working visit to Tavush marz. The President of Armenia visited an apartment building (64 apartments with the total area of 63002m) constructed for the employees of the RA Central Bank (CB) Educational and Research Center in Dilijan. He familiarized with the living conditions, conversed with the employees of the CB who have moved to Dilijan and members of their families.

Serzh Sargsyan visited the day-care center for children at the first floor built in compliance with international standards which is being attended by 15 children of the CB employees aged 2-6. The children’s center will also accommodate children from Dilijan and neighboring settlements.

In Dilijan, the President familiarized also with the dwelling spaces built for the CB employees where along with cottages there will be the infrastructure for sporting events, trade and services, outdoors and indoors swimming pools.

At the CB Dilijan Educational and Research Compound, President Sargsyan visited also the Center for the implementation of the joint programs together with the American University of Armenia and familiarized with its activities. The President of Armenia was informed about the main objective of the Center and its ongoing activities. It was noted that the creation of the center equipped with modern devices and technological solutions will facilitate implementation of regional and international educational programs in the area of economy and finance which will fully correspond to international requirements. It will also allow to conduct retraining of the CB employees. Currently, the Center employs 58 workers who have moved from Yerevan to Dilijan with their families.

It was also noted that there are areas in the Center allocated for commercial banks, ArCa processing center, for ARCA credit and APPA bureaus with the option of creating back-up database reserve servers. There is also a regional cash register center which will allow to service regional financial organizations. In addition, the Central Bank Board is conducting here its meetings.

A special area is allocated for the educational programs conducted jointly with the American University of Armenia. The Master of Economy program, which is based on the requirements of the Central Bank, was launched in September 2013.

According to the responsible officials, together with Ayb high school, Dilijan will have a new school building, construction of which is to be concluded by the beginning of the next academic year. Currently, the school is functioning at the premise of the Center, where 45 children of the CB employees and Dilijan residents are studying together.

The President visited also the Dilijan International School, where he was briefed on the process of the construction works. It was noted that as of October 2013, the school construction involved 730 workers with the average salary of AMD 310.000.

In June-October 2013, according to the responsible officials, large-scale works have been conducted in the construction of the educational, sporting, design and technology sections of the Center, medical unit, technical facilities and dormitory. Works on heating, sewage, water supply, gasification and cable network are nearing the end. It was underscored that the Dilijan International School will open its doors in September 2014. In the first academic year, it will accept 90 students, while in 2023 their number will reach 650 students from 60 countries of the world.

The President was informed also about the forthcoming programs of the Dilijan International School Fund: the Fund is working on a technical justification for announcing an international tender for the development of the concept for the master plan of Dilijan town. The Fund is planning also to renovate the Park in Dilijan so that it becomes a suitable venue for the organization of cultural and other events.

 
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Serge Samoniantz Honored for 35 Years of Service to Journalism

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By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

This column is devoted to Serge Samoniantz, former English editor of Asbarez newspaper for 10 years, and current editor of The California Courier for the last 25 years.

Serge is a modest person who has worked quietly most of his life, shunning any attention to himself. When I told him last Sunday night that he was about to be honored by Asbarez, Serge whimsically replied in his typical self-deprecating style: “Did they run out of people to honor?”

The occasion for honoring Serge was the banquet celebrating the 105th anniversary of Asbarez, one of the world’s oldest Armenian newspapers. Asbarez began publication in 1908 in Fresno, California, and moved to Los Angeles in the 1970’s.

While my weekly columns receive considerable attention by being published in dozens of newspapers worldwide and posted on hundreds websites in half dozen languages, Serge quietly prepares The California Courier for publication each week. He is in charge of everything from news gathering to editing, layout, and advertising.

The management of Asbarez should be commended for honoring Serge. Even though he hasn’t worked for Asbarez since 1988, the newspaper’s current Armenian and English editors, Apo Boghigian and Ara Khachatourian, had not forgotten their former colleague and wished to express their appreciation for his good work a quarter century later. It is not very often that Armenian organizations remember their employees and organize banquets in their honor.

While it is proper to recognize those who donate considerable sums to Armenian institutions, since not much can be accomplished without their generous contributions, it is just as important to honor humble servants of the nation, who have devoted their entire lives to the community, such as teachers, journalists, and clergymen.

Making the celebration truly memorable was the surprise announcement that His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, had bestowed upon Mr. Samoniantz the Mesrob Mashdots Medal. His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, read the special encyclical prepared by the Catholicosate, as he pinned the Medal of Honor on Mr. Samoniantz.

I was asked to introduce Serge at the October 20th banquet, held at the Baghramian Hall in Montebello. Here are my introductory remarks which include a short biography of Mr. Samoniantz:

Serge was born in 1943 in Marseilles, France, where he lived until age 9. His family moved to San Paolo, Brazil, in 1952 and then to Massachusetts in 1961. He joined the Armenian Youth Federation and then the ARF Keri Gomideh in 1966, after moving to Montebello, California.

In 1964, Serge enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as sergeant in 1970. After completing his military service, Serge attended California State University at Los Angeles, graduating with a degree in History. He later received a Certificate from UCLA in Public Relations.

Starting in 1973, Serge assumed the editorship of the English edition of Asbarez for seven years. He then served as Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee, Western U.S., from 1983 to 1984. He then resumed his previous post as the English editor of Asbarez from 1985 to 1988.

In 1985, Serge and I were part of the ANC delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, successfully lobbying for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United Nations.

In 1988, Serge joined the California Courier as editor where he has been employed for 25 years. He is a consummate journalist and a top notch professional. It has been a great honor and pleasure for me to work with him both as a close friend and colleague for a quarter century!

Serge is a quiet man and tireless worker. He has been a life-long activist in various social and political issues and a staunch defender of the Armenian Cause.

Sharing the joy of Serge’s honor was his family, including his wife Mariam, sister-in-law Laura Manukian, his son Raffi and wife Nano, and their two children, Emilly and Sebouh.

Congratulations to Serge Samoniantz for his unwavering dedication to Armenian journalism for the past 35 years and congratulations to the staff of Asbarez for their hard work and commitment to continue the legacy of those who founded the newspaper 105 years ago!

 

Honored for 35 Years of Service to Journalism

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SamoniantzBy Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

 

This column is devoted to Serge Samoniantz, former English editor of Asbarez newspaper for 10 years, and current editor of The California Courier for the last 25 years.

 

Serge is a modest person who has worked quietly most of his life, shunning any attention to himself. When I told him last Sunday night that he was about to be honored by Asbarez, Serge whimsically replied in his typical self-deprecating style: “Did they run out of people to honor?”

 

The occasion for honoring Serge was the banquet celebrating the 105th anniversary of Asbarez, one of the world’s oldest Armenian newspapers. Asbarez began publication in 1908 in Fresno, California, and moved to Los Angeles in the 1970’s.

 

While my weekly columns receive considerable attention by being published in dozens of newspapers worldwide and posted hundreds websites in half dozen languages, Serge quietly prepares The California Courier for publication each week. He is in charge of everything from news gathering to editing, layout, and advertising.

 

The management of Asbarez should be commended for honoring Serge. Even though he hasn’t worked for Asbarez since 1988, the newspaper’s current Armenian and English editors, Apo Boghigian and Ara Khachatourian, had not forgotten their former colleague and wished to express their appreciation for his good work a quarter century later. It is not very often that Armenian organizations remember their employees and organize banquets in their honor.

 

While it is proper to recognize those who donate considerable sums to Armenian institutions, since not much can be accomplished without their generous contributions, it is just as important to honor humble servants of the nation, who have devoted their entire lives to the community, such as teachers, journalists, and clergymen.

 

Making the celebration truly memorable was the surprise announcement that His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, had bestowed upon Mr. Samoniantz the Mesrob Mashdots Medal. His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the ArmenianApostolicChurch, read the special encyclical prepared by the Catholicosate, as he pinned the Medal of Honor on Mr. Samoniantz.

 

I was asked to introduce Serge at the October 20th banquet, held at the Baghramian Hall in Montebello. Here are my introductory remarks which include a short biography of Mr. Samoniantz:

 

Serge was born in 1943 in Marseilles, France, where he lived until age 9. His family moved to San Paolo, Brazil, in 1952 and then to Massachusetts in 1961. He joined the Armenian Youth Federation and then the ARF Keri Gomideh in 1966, after moving to Montebello, California.

 

In 1964, Serge enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as sergeant in 1970. After completing his military service, Serge attended CaliforniaStateUniversity at Los Angeles, graduating with a degree in History. He later received a Certificate from UCLA in Public Relations.

 

Starting in 1973, Serge assumed the editorship of the English edition of Asbarez for seven years. He then served as Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee, Western U.S., from 1983 to 1984. He then resumed his previous post as the English editor of Asbarez from 1985 to 1988.

 

In 1985, Serge and I were part of the ANC delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, successfully lobbying for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United Nations.

 

In 1988, Serge joined the California Courier as editor where he has been employed for 25 years. He is a consummate journalist and a top notch professional. It has been a great honor and pleasure for me to work with him both as a close friend and colleague for a quarter century!

 

Serge is a quiet man and tireless worker. He has been a life-long activist in various social and political issues and a staunch defender of the Armenian Cause.

 

Sharing the joy of Serge’s honor was his family, including his wife Mariam, sister-in-law Laura Manukian, his son Raffi and wife Nano, and their two children, Emilly and Sebouh.

 

Congratulations to Serge Samoniantz for his unwavering dedication to Armenian journalism for the past 35 years and congratulations to the staff of Asbarez for their hard work and commitment to continue the legacy of those who founded the newspaper 105 years ago!

 

Saudi Clerics Protest Women Driving, Blame US

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Սաուդյան Արաբիա,կանայք

 

Around 150 clerics and religious scholars have rallied outside the Saudi king’s palace, protesting against women seeking the right to drive.

The senior religious leaders said the United States was behind a campaign calling for women to drive on Oct. 26 that claims to have garnered 16,000 signatures.

Since the campaign launched last month, Saudi women have been uploading videos of themselves driving.

Though no law bans women from driving, women are not issued licenses in the ultraconservative kingdom. No women have been arrested trying to drive in recent weeks. However, in years past, women were charged with disturbing public order.

The scholars who protested Tuesday in the Red Sea city of Jiddah were quoted in official local media saying that Saudi rulers are doing nothing to stop the campaign.

 

Kimye forever: Kim Kardashian, Kanye West get engaged

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Քիմ Քարդաշյանը և Քանյե Ուեստը նշանվել են

 

Let the extravagant wedding planning begin.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are now engaged, according to E! News, the network that airs Kardashian’s reality show. West popped the question Monday, Kardashian’s 33rd birthday.

The couple’s friends and family were on hand for the event, which was topped off by fireworks and a 50-piece orchestra, E! said. Kardashian got a 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz ring.

Kardashian’s old engagement ring reportedly fetches $749,000

The couple are the parents of 4-month-old North West, who was born just days after Kardashian’s divorce from NBA player Kris Humphries was finalized. That marriage lasted 72 days.

 

EU Resumes Membership Talks With Turkey

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The European Union is resuming its long-running membership talks with Turkey.

Foreign ministers from the bloc’s 28 member nations on Tuesday decided at a meeting in Luxembourg to open a new chapter in the negotiations on Turkey’s EU accession.

Some EU states in June blocked the opening of new talks to protest Turkey’s heavy-handed response to the country’s protests.

The new chapter focuses on regional policy, one of 35 chapters aspiring members must address.

The EU started negotiations with NATO member Turkey in 2005 despite skepticism among some of its member states about a big Muslim nation joining the predominantly Christian bloc of around 500 million people.

Still, the talks have made relatively little progress because of Turkey’s territorial dispute with EU member Cyprus.

 

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin

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սարգսյան-պուտին

 

 President Serzh Sargsyan sent today a letter of condolences to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on a terrorist act which took place in Volgograd and claimed lives of innocent people.

The President of Armenia asked to convey his condolences and words of support to the families and friends of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured during that tragedy.

ANCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARAM HAMPARI AN FEATURED AT ANC OF ILLINOIS LOCAL FUNDRAISER

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ARAM HAMPARIANGlenview, IL — A crowd of supporters of the Armenian National Committee of Illinois (ANC-IL) gathered at the home of Dr. Khachig and Lena Ishkhan on Sunday, October 6, 2013, to hear about recent developments in Hai Tahd at the local, regional and national level.

The featured speaker of the event was ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. The long-time director of the ANCA’s Washington, DC office discussed the various phases that Armenian political activity has passed through. He described how Armenian political activity began nearly a century ago with efforts were centered around fostering sympathy, especially with regard to securing aid for victims of the genocide and for Armenia’s fledgling republic. He stated that, with the Soviet takeover of the republic, the community entered a stage of partisanship, which peaked during the Cold War, where different elements aligned themselves with the different poles.

Hamparian discussed how in the 1960s and 70s, the community began to take a more outward focus, organizing protests and becoming more forceful in our demands. In the 1980s and 90s, the community began to become much active in lobbying efforts and trying to influence the decision makers within our government structures. More recently, the ANCA has tried to expand the community’s reach by helping young Armenian Americans actually become the part of the government structures and eventually become the decision makers.

He also described how the ANCA’s palette of issues has expanded beyond human rights and the genocide to demands for reparations, support for Armenia, Karabakh and Javakhk, and support for Armenian communities in Iraq, Syria and other areas in turmoil.  He talked about the transition of Armenia’s relationship with the US from one that is aid-based, which began with earthquake relief, to one that is trade-based in order to help fuel economic growth.

Earlier, ANC of Illinois Chair Claude Ohanesian opened the program by thanking everyone for attending.  He then called hosts Khachig and Lena Ishkhan forward to thank them for their gracious hospitality, presenting them with a gift of a signed copy of the newly published book by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian, “one church, one nation.”

Reviewing some of the many activities of the ANC of Illinois, Ohanesian spoke about the ANC’s continuing efforts to raise awareness about Armenian issues with local, state, and federal officials, mentioning meetings with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Cong. Michael Grimm, Congressman Brad Schneider, members of the Illinois State Assembly, and others.

Ohanesian spoke about the ANC’s 2013 Armenian Genocide commemoration, which featured noted author Peter Balakian and which was co-hosted by the Illinois Holocaust Museum. He also discussed continuing efforts with the Museum to mark the Centennial of Armenian Genocide.  He then introduced Illinois State Holocaust and Genocide Commission member and long-time ANC activist Greg Bedian to provide an update on the Commission and other outreach activities.

Bedian, who was appointed to the Commission by Gov. Quinn, described the newly organized Commission’s efforts to raise genocide awareness. He spoke about how the Commission was working to encourage the various communities impacted by genocide to work more closely together and learn from each other, and how the ANC had hosted a meeting of the Commission at the Armenian Community Center in March. He also discussed the importance of an international academic conference, held in May that the ANC co-organized with the Assyrian and Greek communities, and held at the Illinois Holocaust Museum, which was the first major conference ever held devoted to the three genocides committed by the Ottoman Turks.

Upon conclusion of the program, attendees were given copies of the book “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,” which was written by Samantha Power, the current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

The Armenian National Committee of Illinois is a grassroots public affairs organization which works in coordination with a nationwide network of offices, affiliated organizations and supporters to inform, educate, and actively advance the concerns of the Armenian American community on broad range of issues.

 

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