Al-Qaida Leader Calls for Attacks Inside US

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Al-Qaida’s leader has marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by calling on Muslims to strike inside the United States, using any opportunity they can to “bleed” America financially.

In an audio message released a day after the 12th anniversary of the attacks, Ayman al-Zawahri claims America is not a “mythical power” and that the mujahedeen — Islamic holy warriors — can defeat it with attacks “on its own soil.”

He says al-Qaida fighters should stage small attacks or a “big strike,” similar to the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington, leaving America in “a state of tension” about when and where the next hit would come.

The message’s authenticity could not be independently confirmed. It was posted on a militant website commonly used by al-Qaida.

Russia: Deadly fire sweeps through psychiatric institution

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At least 12 people are dead and more than 20 missing after a fire tore through a psychiatric institution early Friday outside the central Russian city of Veliky Novgorod, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti cited local officials as saying.

A criminal case has been opened to look into the cause of the fire, according to a statement on Russia’s Investigative Committee’s website.

A total of 59 people were inside the building when the fire broke out, the Health Ministry said, according to RIA Novosti. The Emergencies Ministry said 23 people have been rescued, according to the news agency.

Police are searching the area for residents who may have fled the site, it said.

The fire has now been extinguished, the news agency said, and dozens of emergency personnel are working at the scene.

 

“Raoul Wallenberg 100 Anniversary” Medal award ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace

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 3765Today, at the Presidential Palace there took place the ceremony of awarding the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who is an honorary member of the Raoul Wallenberg International Foundation with the “Raoul Wallenberg 100th Anniversary” Medal. Raoul Wallenberg was a renowned Swedish diplomat who during the World War II saved thousands of Jews from death.

At the event, the Foundation also paid posthumous honors to doctor Harutyun Khatchatrian for his rescue activities during the Holocaust. He was also awarded the “Raoul Wallenberg 100th Anniversary” Medal, which was handed to his granddaughter Anna Khatchatrian.

In their remarks, the Founder of the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation Baruch Tenembaum and Vice President Daniel Rainer presented the history of creation of the Foundation, its mission and activities and underscored that the aim of this international foundation is to create educational programs and through the greater awareness to enroot values of civil valor and solidarity based on the examples of those who during the Holocaust were saving human lives.

The Foundation supports historical research, part of which is dedicated to the gathering and publication of the information about individuals saved by R. Wallenberg and other people who had manifested such bravery. The representatives of the Foundation expressed their gratitude to numerous Armenians who saved many human lives during the Holocaust. All of them will be paid tribute to; the history of their heroic lives will be studied meticulously and published.

President Serzh Sargsyan in his remarks attached the utmost importance to the mission of the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, expressed thanks for the award and spoke about Armenia’s policies aimed at the prevention and condemnation of the crimes of genocide and uniting efforts of the international community in the fight against the phenomena which cultivate them.

 

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Remarks by President Serzh Sargsyan at the “Raoul Wallenberg 100 Anniversary” Medal award ceremony

 

Distinguished Mr. Tenembaum and Mr. Eurnekian,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The “Raoul Wallenberg 100 Anniversary” Medal for me is not only a great honor but it also holds a special meaning. It embodies the noble values of humanity and courageous spirit which are professed by the Armenian people. The sons of the Armenian nation, who didn’t adapt to and didn’t tolerate the gravest crimes in the human history, were guided by these very values. They put their lives in peril to save many other peoples’ lives.

The history of Doctor Harutyun Khatchatrian is an example, an excellent one, but just one among many of saving human lives from the calamity of genocide. As a son of the nation which survived genocide, I have special feelings for each of such stories.

I attach the utmost importance to the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation’s mission to shed light on such heroic stories. The mission of broadcasting the stories such as Raoul Wallenberg’s and people like him and educating generations in that spirit has a special import not only for enrooting humanity and human courage and preserving the memory of the victims of genocides, but it also greatly helps in assessing the past impartially and thus supports efforts aimed at condemnation and prevention of such horrendous crimes against humanity.

My special thanks go to the Founder of the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation Baruch Tenembaum, the Chairman of the Foundation, our compatriot Eduardo Eurnekian and, of course, to the entire staff of the Foundation for their dedication, thank you.

Dear Attendees,

Our fate has destined us to become the front fighters in the fight against genocides. Indeed, nations, which had gone through such a catastrophe, have a special mission in preventing it from happening again. The best formula for preventing crimes against humanity is the elucidation of those horrific pages of the human history and the evaluation of the past in the light of all-human values. I believe it is equally important to fight against the prerequisites which breed such crimes.

The Republic of Armenia is doing her best to prevent the crimes of genocide and to unite efforts of the international community in the fight against occurrences which feed them. For years, Armenia has been introducing in different international settings resolutions aimed at the prevention of genocides. It was also due to our efforts that the UN Human Rights Council in different years has adopted a number of resolutions aimed at the prevention of genocides. They are called upon to constantly hold in the center of the international community’s attention the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Genocide and to remind the states of their commitment to eliminated crimes against humanity.

It is no accident, that at the Ministerial Committee in the Council of Europe, Armenia has declared the fight against intolerance, discrimination and hate propaganda a priority of her presidency. We think it is shameful that in the contemporary world such occurrences not only continue to exist but are being promoted by certain forces, including on the state level. We must be determined to eradicate such manifestations in any corner of the world.

In conclusion, I once again address my words of appreciation to the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation for their mission of preserving memory. If we forget the Great Eghern, Holocaust and stop mentioning the victims of these sinister crimes, if we do not recall and pay tribute to all those who had been saving lives from the claws of genocide, we would be accomplices in the repetition of such appalling crimes. The American thinker of the Jewish descent Elie Wiesel put it precisely right: “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.”

We, Armenians are deeply convinced that the Holocaust could had been prevented if there had been memory of the first genocide of the 20th century perpetrated against Armenians, if it had been duly condemned and those guilty had their due punishment. With this regard, I express thanks to the Wallenberg Foundation for the efforts along with the Holocaust to gather information about the individuals and organizations which had been saving lives during the Armenian Genocide. This mission is particularly valuable on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Thank you.

 

Daredevil IT manager attempts to cross the Atlantic simply by clinging to helium BALLOONS… but winds could blow him anywhere from Iceland to Morocco

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 Jonathan Trappe takes to the air 3An aviator today began a world first attempt to cross the Atlantic ocean dangling from a massive cluster of balloons.

Jonathan Trappe, 39, achieved lift-off at 6.20 am (11.20am GMT) in heavy fog from Caribou, Maine, in the United States and is aiming for Europe.

Like a fairytale from the Disney movie ‘Up’, Trappe will attempt to make the 2,500-mile solo from 370 balloons filled with helium.

The journey is the first of its kind and a successful crossing will see Trappe fly into the history books as the first person ever to scale the ocean in a flight of this type.

Incredibly, winds could see him land anywhere between Iceland and Morocco after a journey expected to take between three and five days.

The latest weather reports before the launch suggested winds would take Trappe to western Europe.

‘Weather is absolutely the most dangerous factor,’ said Trappe speaking immediately before launch.

Trappe already holds the record for the longest ever cluster balloon flight of 14 hours.

He became the only person to have crossed the English Channel by cluster balloon in May 2010, and the Alps in September 2011.

Previous flights have seen him travel in a simple office chair suspended by the balloons. This time he’s elected to dangle inside a small yellow life boat in case he ditches into the ocean.

‘If I touch down on water then the attempt will be over as it will be impossible to take off again, but the boat will keep me alive.

‘It will be incredibly dangerous as I could be several days away from any rescue crew and it will mean surviving rough seas for a long time, alone.’

While Trappe is the first ever to attempt an Atlantic cluster balloon crossing, five people have died trying to cross the ocean in 12 total attempts using hot-air balloons or more conventional single gas balloons.

 

Slave known as Mr Fortune whose bones were boiled and preserved for medical science to finally get a full burial more than 200 years after he died

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skeleton-FortuneThe bones of a slave known as Mr Fortune will be laid to rest today 215 years after his death.

Steven R. Mullins, one of the organizers, said: ‘It’s a long overdue honor. We’re not just remembering one man. His body is representing all of the slaves that came over here and worked in this country.’

Fortune was owned by Dr Preserved Porter on a farm in Waterbury, Connecticut, and died of a suspected broken neck in 1798.

After his death Dr Porter, a bone specialist, had his skeleton boiled in order to preserve and study it.

The remains were donated to a Waterbury museum in 1933 by a descendent of Dr Porter who referred to the skeleton as ‘Larry’.

Since then the bones have been studied by scientists keen to learn more about Fortune and his life.

So far scientists have established that Fortune was 5ft 5in tall and died aged roughly 55.

Though the results have ruled out hanging as a cause of death, nobody knows exactly how Fortune broke his neck.

He was never buried in case technology allowed more information to be extracted from his remians in the future, but now a CT scan of the bones has been taken meaning they can be studied without the need to keep them.

 

The fake baby bump used by a Canadian social worker, 28, to smuggle two kilos of cocaine out of Colombia

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A Toronto woman who simulated pregnancy to try to smuggle 2 kilograms of cocaine was arrested today at Bogota airport by Colombian police.

Col. Esteban Arias says 28-year-old Tabitha Leah Ritchie was stopped while trying to board an Air Canada flight in Bogota after an inspector noted that her belly was unusually cold and hard.

He says police discovered a false belly made of latex taped to her body and they found 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of cocaine.

Police say Ritchie arrived in Colombia on Aug. 6 and he identified her as a social worker.

The Canadian Embassy did not respond to requests for details.

Colombian officials say 874 foreigners are held in the country’s lockups, most on drug charges.

 

Terrified tourists attacked with spears and machetes and two guides hacked to death in horror attack in Papua New Guinea

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group of tourists 1A group of western tourists trekking through a remote jungle track in Papua New Guinea have been injured in a savage attack in which their guides were hacked to death.

The attack happened on the popular Black Cat trail, near the town of Wau in Marobe province, when the tour group was ambushed by bandits wielding machetes, knives and spears.

The Western tourists, believed to include eight Australians and a New Zealander, are understood to have sustained injuries that include cuts and minor head injuries.

The gang of six men that attacked the tourists on the Black Cat track has disappeared into the jungle and police are hunting them.

Trek leader Christie King, the only woman among the travellers, led some of the tourists through the bush to find assistance after the attack.

They are now said to be making their way back to the capital Port Moresby.

Stanley Komunt of the Morobe Mining Joint Venture project who co-ordinated the group’s rescue said that they initially thought that only one guide had been killed but found two bodies when they arrived at the scene of the attack.

It has not been established whether the attack was just to steal the tourists’ possessions – everything they had was taken by the bandits – or whether it was because a gang of locals objected to porters from another district bringing visitors to their area and benefiting from the tourist’s fees.

Shocked local villagers have banded together to hunt for the attackers.

All of the surviving porters have knife wounds, some of them serious.

 

Iraq Officials Say Blasts at Shiite Mosque Kill 35

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iraqA suicide attacker staged a double bombing near a Shiite mosque in northern Baghdad as worshippers were leaving after evening prayers on Wednesday, killing at least 35 in the latest deadly episode of violence to rock the country, according to Iraqi authorities.

A suicide bomber made his way to the gate of the mosque and then blew himself up. Shortly afterward, a car he apparently arrived in exploded nearby, police said.

At least 52 people were wounded, according to police and hospital officials, who confirmed the casualty numbers. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Suicide and car bombings targeting Shiites are frequently the work of al-Qaida’s branch in Iraq, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

 

State Department Sharply Criticizes Baku

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170844Using unusually direct and decidedly undiplomatic language, the U.S. Department of State has sharply criticized Baku for a surprise move blocking a U.S. observer mission from visiting Azerbaijan to review electoral preparations being made for its October 9th presidential election. According to RFE/RL, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Baku said the pre-election visit, which was to have been led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Melia, was abruptly cancelled at the request of the Azerbaijani government. No reason was given. Read RFE/RL coverage here:http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-us-visit-cancellation/25099969.html In a sign that the State Department may be edging away from its flawed practice of artificial even-handedness in public statements about Armenia and Azerbaijan, U.S. diplomats have begun specifically “laundry-listing” Baku’s many democratic shortcomings and corruption-based problems. Responding to an inquiry by H1 Television Washington correspondent Haykaram Nahapetyan, the State Department issued the following statement, addressing many of these issues directly. The State Department’s response is offered in full below: “The U.S. regrets that the government of Azerbaijan has objected to the composition of a U.S. delegation that was to make an official pre-election visit to Azerbaijan. As a result, the visit will not take place.” “The Azerbaijani government’s actions raise questions about the environment leading up to the October 9 presidential election. ” “We call on the government of Azerbaijan to ensure a free and fair electoral process that reflects the will of the people. ” “We urge Azerbaijani authorities to respect the freedoms of assembly, association, and speech as well as the rule of law and due process before, during, and after the presidential contest. We also urge the authorities to facilitate the important work of domestic as well as international election monitors.”  

ANC OF MERRIMACK VALLEY MEETS WITH REP. NIKI TSONGAS IN LOWELL

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Tsongas 9.9.13Lowell, MA — The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Merrimack Valley took issues of importance to Armenians in the 3rd Congressional district of Massachusetts to the office steps of Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA-3) on Monday, September 9, 2013.

The group included longtime ANCA activists Ara Jeknavorian, Aram Jeknavorian, Tom Vartabedian and Stephen Dulgarian. ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director Michelle Hagopian accompanied the group to the meeting Monday morning.

The visit comes on the heels of a Washington, DC meeting with the Congresswoman and Hagopian. Tsongas has been a steadfast supporter of Armenian American concerns, consistently cosponsoring legislation and attending Armenian events both in the district and on Capitol Hill.

“Rep. Tsongas has always been very attentive to our issues and our cause. We’re glad she’s trying to become an even stronger advocate for Armenians, and this meeting was a reminder of that,” said Ara Jeknavorian, ANC of Merrimack Valley co-chairman.

Much of the discussion centered on the situation in Syria and the ANCA’s stance to oppose air strikes by the United States. The ANC leaders expressed their dire concern about the region and about Armenians living there and those who have fled. Rep. Tsongas was receptive and also deeply concerned about the entire situation, and she informed the group she would keep the local ANC abreast about what plays out in Congress this week.

Rep. Tsongas, a member of the Armed Services Committee, was informed about Syrian rebels targeting Armenians prior to that committee’s hearing on Syria on Tuesday, September 10.

Besides Syria, Rep. Tsongas heard concerns of the local ANC on issues such as House Resolution 227 (the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution), foreign aid to Armenia and Massachusetts’ 3rd district Armenian community. She said she is always happy meeting with constituents as she “is only as good as the stories I hear.”

“The ANCA Eastern Region is very lucky to have such a strong voice for Armenians in our corner with Rep. Tsongas. She has made her presence known both locally and nationally, whether by attending April 24 commemorations or signing on to Dear Colleague letters over the years,” stated Hagopian.

The ANC of Merrimack Valley also brought up the dedication of a new Armenian Genocide monument that will be erected on public land in front of Lowell City Hall in April 2014. Both Jeknavorians, Dulgarian and Vartabedian all serve on the Merrimack Valley Armenian Genocide Monument Committee and encouraged Rep. Tsongas to attend the event next spring.

The meeting follows a busy month in August for the ANCA Eastern Region that saw many local ANCs meeting with representatives in their districts while Congress was in recess.

 

Millions Watch Popular Egyptian Talk Show on the Armenian Genocide

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By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Ever since Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi was removed from office, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been harshly critical of the new government, strongly advocating his fellow Islamist Morsi’s return to power.

Given Erdogan’s unwelcome meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs, millions of Egyptians have expressed anger and resentment against Turkey and its prime minister. Egyptian newspapers have been replete with anti-Turkish reports and commentaries. Dozens of articles have been published condemning Turkish denials of the Armenian Genocide and urging Egypt’s new leaders to recognize it. There have also been calls for erecting a monument for the Armenian Genocide in Cairo and demands that Turkey pay restitution for the Armenian victims. In an unprecedented move, attorney Muhammad Saad Khairallah, head of the Institute of the Popular Front in Egypt, filed a lawsuit accusing Turkey of committing genocide against Armenians.

On Sept. 4, Khairallah and Dr. Ayman Salama, Professor of International Law at Cairo University, appeared on Lilian Daoud’s highly popular talk show, Al-Soura al-Kamila (The Complete Picture) on ONtv, watched by millions in Egypt and throughout the Arab world. Participating in the show by phone were Resul Tosun, former Turkish Parliament member from Erdogan’s Islamist AK Party, and Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California Courier. The 36-minute TV program was conducted in Arabic, a language I have rarely used since childhood.

Prof. Salama informed the audience that the Turkish Military Tribunal in 1919 indicted the criminals responsible for the Armenian Genocide. Seventeen Turkish officials were found guilty, and three were hanged. Dr. Salama indicated that France, Great Britain and Russia had issued a joint Declaration in 1915, warning that they would hold Turkish leaders responsible for massacring Armenians and committing “crimes against humanity and civilization.”

Attorney Khairallah insisted that raising the Armenian Genocide issue in Egypt is long overdue and does not have any political undertones. He hoped that his lawsuit will force Egypt, “the largest Sunni country in the Middle East,” to serve as an example for other Arab countries to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Khairallah announced that his lawsuit will be considered by the Egyptian Court on November 5. He hoped that the Court would make a historic decision regarding this critical “human rights issue.”

When the hostess of the TV show asked for my opinion on the Egyptian lawsuit, I expressed my great satisfaction, hoping for a positive verdict on the eve of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, and looking forward to its recognition by the Egyptian government.

I also commented that Erdogan had anointed himself as the new Sultan of the Middle East, and sole defender of all Muslims, Arabs and Palestinians. However, Erdogan’s misrepresentation was finally exposed when the Arab world realized that he was simply trying to dominate the region, pursuing Turkey’s self-interest rather than that of Arabs and Muslims.

Former Turkish parliament member Resul Tosun, joining the show by phone, quickly antagonized the viewers by claiming that “the current Egyptian government that came to power after the military coup is not legitimate, therefore, the filed lawsuit cannot be considered legitimate.” Tosun then went on to parrot his Turkish bosses’ baseless denials of the Armenian Genocide.

Prof. Salama, incensed by Tosun’s remarks, called Erdogan “the successor of the Ottoman butchers who committed the Armenian Genocide.”

The TV hostess then asked for my reaction to Tosun’s perverted views on the Armenian Genocide. I reminded the viewers that Kemal Ataturk, in an interview published in the ‘Los Angeles Examiner’ on August 1, 1926, had demanded that the Young Turks be “made to account for the lives of millions of our Christian subjects who were ruthlessly driven en masse and massacred.” I also recalled that the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, leader of the globally preeminent center of Islamic studies in Cairo, had issued a Fatwa (religious decree) in 1909 chastising Turkish officials for massacring 30,000 Armenians in Adana, Cilicia.

At the end of the show, attorney Khairallah announced that public rallies will be held shortly to demonstrate that his group’s lawsuit emanates from a popular demand — Egyptians asking their government “to recognize that Armenians were massacred at the hands of Turkish criminals.”

So far, Lebanon is the only Arab country to have recognized the Armenian Genocide. If Egypt follows suit, can Syria and the rest of the Arab world be far behind?

 

Here is the link to the talk show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teAKr6Psyl0&sns=em

‘Did the doctor send you? Man, you are eye candy’: Heart-melting video of dazed husband waking up from surgery and not realizing woman by bed was his wife

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Everyone relishes that spark of falling in love for the first time.

But, much as they try, few married couples get to feel it all over again. Unlike gobsmacked Jason Mortensen.

Dosed up on morphine for a hernia operation, the love-struck American couldn’t believe his eyes when he caught sight of the woman by his bed.

Gawping, he had a million questions: ‘Did the doctor send you? Man you are eye candy! Woah. You’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.

‘Are you a model? Who are you? What’s your name?’

The answer blew his mind.

‘I’m your wife,’ she giggled.

In a video that has now amassed more than 240,000 views, Mr Mortensen’s jaw drops. And he’s got a fair few more questions to ask.

‘You’re my wife?!’ the former missionary gasps, ‘Holy sh**! Dang. How long?’

Candice Mortensen, the blonde beauty behind the lens, tries to encourage her husband of six years to eat a cracker as he recovers in an unidentified hospital.

But he is too distracted.

‘It’s hard baby, it’s hard… Do we call each other baby?’

Dumbfounded, he clutches his head: ‘Man I hit the jackpot!’

Now recovered, Mr Mortensen, Vice President of sales at Oltuse Pharmaceuticals in Orem, Utah, is sticking to his every word.

Commenters flooded to praise the ‘husband of the year’ on YouTube after the video was posted on August 30.

Mother mummifies her dead son’s body in alcohol for 18 years ‘so HIS son can see what sort of a man he was’

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Tsiuri Kvaratskhelia keeps Joni's body entombed in a wooden coffin2A mother whose son died 18 years ago pickled him in alcohol and stashed his corpse in the basement where she has cared for him ever since… all so his son can learn to love him.

Tsiuri Kvaratskhelia keeps Joni Bakaradze’s body entombed in a wooden coffin beneath the family home in Georgia, eastern Europe.

But despite having died in 1995, the 22-year-old has remained almost perfectly mummified, thanks to his mother’s constant love and attention.

And every year on his birthday she has even given him a change of clothes – until four years ago when decay finally made the feat impossible.

There is also a little viewing window in the basement so family, friends and passers by can see how he’s getting on.

Mrs Kvaratskhelia has learned more than a few tricks to keep her son presentable.

‘One night I had a dream when a voice told me to treat Joni by rubbing alcohol so from then on I’ve being using wet sheets dipped in alcohol to preserve the body,’ she said. ‘You must not leave the body without the sheets overnight as the skin will turn black as charcoal.’

But now Joni, whose cause of death remains unknown, is finally beginning to decompose since illness prevented Mrs Kvaratskhelia from giving him the daily care he needs.

‘My son is handsome. When I use the sheets his skin will be white again and everything will be normal.’

 

Would you sign up to die on MARS? 200,000 people around the the world apply for a one-way ticket to the red planet

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The colony as it is expected to look in 2015A one-way ticket to a barren, hostile landscape, where temperatures can drop as low as -150°C, might not sound like everyone’s dream destination.

But as of the application deadline a week ago, more than 200,000 people from 140 different countries have applied to be among the first colonists on Mars.

The applicants have agreed to stay on the red planet for the rest of their lives – and be filmed for a reality TV programme, said the company behind the mission, Mars One.

They added that landing systems will be tested eight times before they are used to transport humans – a move that Mars One said will make the trips ‘much safer than moon missions’.

From the 200,000 applications, between 24 and 40 candidates will be selected to participate in a seven-year training program that would start in 2015.

The group said it aims to have a human settlement on Mars within a decade.

But Dr Veronica Bray of the University of Arizona has expressed concerns about the project.

 

President attended the opening ceremony of the Armenian National Engineering Laboratories at the Engineering University

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 3735Today, at the RA State Engineering University, President Serzh Sargsyan was present at the ceremony of opening of the Armenian National Engineering Laboratories. The necessity and importance of creating modern educational laboratories of regional importance was underscored by the President of Armenia back in 2011 at the meeting with the Founder, President and Chief Executive Director of the National Instruments Company James Truchard.

During today’s tour of the University, Serzh Sargsyan familiarized with the investment projects, conditions created in compliance with the program, capacities of the laboratories and prospects of the program. The creation of the Armenian National Engineering Laboratories is aimed at the enforcement of the educational capacities and research potential in the area of engineering in Armenia through the development of technologies and innovations, modernizing the educational and research structures of the Engineering University in accordance with international standards. During the tour, the President was informed that the laboratories will service students of 24 specialties from six departments of the University (nearly 2000 students each year), who will have the opportunities to combine technical courses and research work.

It was noted that through the efforts of the partners and co-sponsors of the project – the Government of Armenia, Engineering University, USAID and the world’s largest engineering National Instruments Company and as a result of the state-private sector-international organizations link there will be created a contemporary scientific, educational and research base. According to those responsible for the program, it is a groundbreaking project in the area of technical education and has been the largest and most significant investment for the improvement of the infrastructure of the higher education establishments and laboratory bases.

Official: at Least 30 Dead in Guatemala Bus Crash

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guatemalaA rescue worker says at least 30 people died when a bus plunged into a deep canyon in northwest Guatemala Monday morning.

Volunteer firefighter Juan Pablo Ucla tells The Associated Press that the bus fell into a river at the bottom of the 600-foot (200-meter) canyon around 8:15 a.m. He says rescuers have pulled at least 40 injured people from the bus, and expect the death toll to grow.

The area around the municipality of San Martín Jilotepeque has mostly dirt roads that wind through steep mountains without guardrails or other safety measures.

 

Tokyo to host 2020 Olympic Games

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olympics-rogge-announcementTokyo has been chosen by the International Olympic Committee to host the 2020 Summer Games.

In voting Saturday in Buenos Aires, the committee picked Tokyo over the two other contenders, Madrid and Istanbul.

Tokyo previously hosted the Summer Games in 1964.

Japan’s bid for 2020 billed the city as the safe choice — despite radiation leaking from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe personally made a presentation to the committee and promised an effective cleanup.

“A safe and secure Olympic Games will be staged by us — I think that was another hope for their support. I would like to pledge that we will be discharging this responsibility.”

Abe said Tokyo would try to stage a successful Games to thank the world for its support after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan.

Tokyo’s bid came in at $5 billion to $6 billion, compared to $19 billion pledged by Istanbul, said Ed Hula, editor and founder of aroundtherings.com, which covers the business and politics of the Olympic movement.

Turkey would have been the first Muslim country to host the Games, and with a median age of less than 30 years, one of the youngest. However, it missed out for the fifth time.

On Sunday, the three sports competing to be added to the 2020 roster will know their fate.

Squash is hoping to be included for the first time, but is up against a combined baseball/softball bid and wrestling — which is seeking to be reinstated.

The 2016 Summer Olympics will be in Brazil. The Winter Olympics will be held in Russia in 2014 and South Korea in 2018.

 

Putin: Foreign Nations Try to Destabilize Caucasus

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putinPresident Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian security agencies to act more harshly to fend off foreign attempts to destabilize the restive North Caucasus region ahead of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

Addressing Monday’s meeting of the presidential Security Council, Putin said unspecified “foreign countries and public and international organizations under their control keep seeing the North Caucasus as a foothold for destabilizing Russia as a whole.”

Putin added that “neutralizing the terrorist and criminal threats is particularly important in connection with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.”

The North Caucasus region has been engulfed by an Islamist insurgency following two separatist wars in Chechnya.

 

World’s happiest nations are…

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Those looking for greater happiness and satisfaction in life should head to northern Europe, but steer clear of Egypt and countries worst hit by the eurozone crisis, according to the 2013 World Happiness Report released Monday by Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden are the world’s happiest countries, according to the survey of 156 countries. Rwanda, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Benin and Togo — all nations in Sub-Saharan Africa — are the least satisfied with their lives, the report said.

The United States came in at number 17 in the world in terms of overall happiness, but it still lags behind Canada (6), Australia (10), Israel (11) the United Arab Emirates (14) and Mexico (16), according to the Earth Institute.

The report ranks the United Kingdom as the 22nd happiest country in the world. Other major nations included Germany (26), Japan (43), Russia (68) and China (93).

Governments seeking to improve the happiness of their populations should spend a higher proportion of their health budgets on mental illness, which is the single biggest “determinant of misery” in countries assessed, the study authors said.

“If we want a happier world, we need a completely new deal on mental health.”

 

UN Team Could Submit Syria Report Next Week

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UN teamA German newspaper is reporting that a team of United Nations chemical weapons inspectors could submit initial findings from its tests of samples collected in Syria by the end of next week.

The respected weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung says the interim report to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will likely contain details on the gas, ammunition and delivery systems used in the attack that killed hundreds of people in a suburb of Damscus on Aug. 21.

The newspaper said Saturday its report was based on information provided by two unnamed persons close to the inspection team.

The paper reported that the inspectors collected almost 100 samples from the site of the attack, including pieces of rubble and ammunitions remains, as well as hair, tissue, blood and urine samples from humans and animals.

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