Daily Archives: June 20, 2013

President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the EPP’s Summit in Vienna

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President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the EPP’s Summit in Vienna

President Serzh Sargsyan conducted today a working visit to Austria. In Vienna, the President of Armenia participated at the Summit of the European Peoples Party (EPP). At the Summit, discussed was a wide range of issues related to the EU economy, political developments, and current international problems. In particular, the agenda of the Summit includes issues pertinent to the economic growth, creation of jobs, increased competitiveness of the economy, and development of a closer economic and monetary union within the European Union. The participants of the Summit will exchange views on the implementation of structural changes at the national level and reflect on the results of the EU semi-annual activities for 2013. They will also discuss regional issues and the EU Eastern Partnership program.

Bolshoi Ballet acid victim is now almost completely blind after 18 operations fail to save his sight

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Sergei Filin2The artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet is now almost completely blind after 18 operations failed to save his sight following an acid attack earlier this year.

Sergei Filin, 42,  was left with severe burns to his eyes and face when a masked attacker threw a jar of sulphuric acid in his face as he was returning home late on January 17.

He flew to Germany from Moscow for treatment in March, but despite initial optimistic reports, he has now lost 95 per cent of his vision and is totally blind in his right eye.

A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi told The Times yesterday: ‘He is now blind in his right eye. The problem is that it is acid and it continues to cause damage. He has had 18 operations and I understand that some of them were very difficult.’
She said that his facial burns had almost completely healed and his hair had grown back.

The spokeswoman also said that he continues to speak regularly on company business to Galina Stepanenko, who has been standing in for him.

The Bolshoi, one of Russia’s best-known cultural symbols, filed two reprimands against Tsiskaridze for giving unauthorised interviews after the attack on Mr Filin.

When he arrived at Aachen University Clinic, Mr Filin said he was ‘full of strength and faith’ that he will eventually see well enough to return to work at the famed Moscow theatre.

But it appears his progress has now stalled and the prognosis for his sight is now bleak.

 

Obama’s own Berlin Wall! US President issues warning to austerity Europe from behind bulletproof glass

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Nearly 50 years after John F Kennedy’s historic Cold War speech in Berlin, Barack Obama yesterday called for the United States and Russia to cut their nuclear arsenals as he visited the same city.

Speaking at the Brandenberg Gate from behind a wall of bullet-proof glass, the US president used the occasion to suggest a one-third reduction of American and Russian nuclear stockpiles.

He also issued a warning to the eurozone over the wisdom of austerity policies, saying the need to balance budgets should not distract from the ultimate economic goal of improving people’s lives.
His comment seemed particularly aimed at his German hosts and its pressure on southern eurozone neighbours such as Greece and Spain to slash government spending.

Mr Obama was confident Europe would pull through but said leaders would have to moderate their cost-cutting if youth unemployment went too high, to ‘ensure that we don’t just lose a generation’.

Mr Obama gave a more cautious speech than his usual soaring rhetoric – perhaps aware of comparisons with President Kennedy’s historic denunciation of communism with the phrase: ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’

 

Indian court rules that any couple who have sex are legally married… and would need to divorce if they want to sleep with someone else

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indian couplesIf an unmarried couple have sex they are considered husband and wife – and would have to ‘divorce’ if they split, an Indian court has ruled.

When two people of legal age, 18 for a woman and 21 for a man, ‘indulge in sexual gratification’ this should be seen as a ‘an act of total commitment’ and marriage by law, a judge at Madras High Court said.

The court said that the registering of a marriage as well as a wedding ceremony were only formalities to gain society’s approval.

It also said that once two people have sex this ‘becomes a total commitment with adherence to all consequences that may follow’, including needing a decree of divorce should they want to sleep with someone else.

Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion

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Դ և Գ A Milan court on Wednesday convicted the designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of tax evasion. They were found guilty of failing to declare 200 million euros ($268 million) through a Luxembourg company to authorities and given a one year and eight months suspended jail sentence. They were ordered to pay a penalty of 500,000 euros (about $670,000) to tax authorities. The court, however, acquitted them of misrepresenting income of 416 million euros (around $560 million) each, even though the statute of limitations had expired on the charge. The designers have denied the charges.

Bollywood star sparks controversy in India after it is revealed surrogate mother is pregnant with his son… as gender testing is illegal in the country

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Khan and his wifeA Bollywood superstar and his wife are under investigation by health officials in India following reports that the couple know the sex of a baby they are having through a surrogate mother.

A complaint to India’s health authorities has alleged that Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri know they are expecting a boy.

Sex determination tests are banned in India to stop the practice of aborting female fetuses due to a preference for sons.

India’s Health Ministry has now launched an investigation. The Press Trust of India reported that Khan was not at home when authorities tried to question him about the reports that the surrogate mother had the test.

Khan – who has a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter – has so far not commentated.

Speaking to CNN, Dr Jignesh Thakkar of the Indian Radiological & Imaging Association, said that the health ministry investigated the case at its request.

‘We wanted to know how this apparently had been leaked out because it’s confidential information that only a doctor and not even a patient knows,’ he said

‘Action should be taken against doctors and patients who are not following this law.’

India’s 2011 census showed that the country had 914 girls for every 1,000 boys under age 6, a gender ratio mainly attributed to sex-selective abortions despite the ban on prenatal gender tests.

As well as being banned in India, sex determination tests are also banned throughout Asia because of a traditional preference for sons.

Doctors found to have provided information to parents about the sex of an unborn child could face three years in jail. They could also have their medical license suspended for five years.

Parents could also face five years in jail.