WORKING VISIT OF PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN TO ARARAT AND VAYOTS DZOR MARZES

3938In Ararat marz, President Sargsyan visited the newly constructed two-story kindergarten in Ayntap community, familiarized with the conditions of this pre-school institution which can accommodate up to 144 children and accomplished construction works.

The largest rural community of Ararat marz, which has 8700 inhabitants, never before had a kindergarten and for years children from Ayntap were compelled to attend the pre-school institutions of Yerevan’s Noragavit community and in Masis town. In accordance with the instructions given by the President, construction works commenced in 2011 and now the community has a newly constructed kindergarten. At the moment, there take place works for the beautification of its territory.

Afterwards, the President visited the Cultural Home of Vedi town where reconstruction works have been completed recently. Serzh Sargsyan attended the opening of the Cultural Home. He was informed that the structure, which was built back in 1937-1938 and closed down in 1988 because of its shabby condition, after renovation which was ordered by the President, now has become a two-story building which comprises a comfortable hall for 280 customers where different interest groups may function. During the tour of the Cultural Home in Vedi, the President observed also the exhibition of the works by the artists of Vedi.

From Ararat, Serzh Sargsyan arrived to Vayots Dzor marz. Here he familiarized with the process of excavation which is performed by the specialists from the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the RA Academy of Sciences, Yerevan State University, Cork University (Ireland), Cotsen Institute of Archeology of the University of California (USA) at the Areni-1 cave and the results obtained so far. The experts underscored that excavations at the Areni-1 cave, which is located in the valley of Arpa river, are important for the examination and evaluation of the initial stages of the civilization formation at the Armenian Plateau as well as within the Near East.

Putin: Greenpeace Activists Aren’t Pirates

RUSSIA-GREENPEACE_Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Greenpeace activists apprehended after trying to scale an offshore oil platform aren’t pirates, but defended the detention saying Coast Guard officers had no way of knowing who they were.

Two members of the group were detained Sept. 18 in their attempt to scale the Arctic platform. The Coast Guard seized Greenpeace’s ship the next day and towed it with 30 activists aboard, to Murmansk, where they are being questioned by investigators considering piracy charges.

It was unclear whether Putin’s comments might foreshadow leniency for the activists, who could face 10-15 years in prison if convicted of piracy.

The detained activists are from 18 countries, including Russia, and a long detention or trials could draw unwelcome international attention to Russia’s tough policy against protests.

Greenpeace insisted that under international law Russia had no right to board its ship and has no grounds to charge its activists with piracy.

Thieves steal £1m of gold bars from Air France flight weeks after airline was used to smuggle £170m worth of pure cocaine

gold-France-thievesThieves have taken £1million worth of gold bars from an Air France plane leading to accusations of an inside job.

The solid gold ingots were part of a multi-million pound cargo of nine cases containing 300 kilograms of gold.

Detectives said that 44 kilos of gold ingots were taken from a plane travelling from the French capital to Zurich last Thursday.

They were being handled by the American Brink’s secure transportation company, which regularly transfers valuables on the same route.

The nine cases set off from Charles de Gaulle airport but only seven cases reached the tarmac on the other side, police said.

The news comes just two weeks after £170million worth of pure cocaine was found being shipped from South America to Paris on board another Air France aircraft.

 

Thieves steal £1m of gold bars from Air France flight weeks after airline was used to smuggle £170m worth of pure cocaine

gold-France-thievesThieves have taken £1million worth of gold bars from an Air France plane leading to accusations of an inside job.

The solid gold ingots were part of a multi-million pound cargo of nine cases containing 300 kilograms of gold.

Detectives said that 44 kilos of gold ingots were taken from a plane travelling from the French capital to Zurich last Thursday.

They were being handled by the American Brink’s secure transportation company, which regularly transfers valuables on the same route.

The nine cases set off from Charles de Gaulle airport but only seven cases reached the tarmac on the other side, police said.

The news comes just two weeks after £170million worth of pure cocaine was found being shipped from South America to Paris on board another Air France aircraft.

Floods Force 15,000 to Evacuate in Western India

floods-indiaMassive flooding has forced 15,000 people to evacuate villages in the west Indian state of Gujarat, where heavy rains and swollen rivers have inundated cities and closed off roads and railway lines.

Officials say two people have died in flood-related incidents.

Schools across the districts of Bharuch, Vadodara and Surat remained closed Wednesday, while fire brigades, police and disaster response teams were working to rescue people.

In the city of Vadodara, animal activists say at least four crocodiles have been recovered from roads and courtyards.

The floods followed heavy rains that caused rivers including the Vishwamitri and the Narmada to swell above levels considered safe.

Italian long-distance runner ‘used fake penis filled with uncontaminated urine to beat doping test’

Italy-Devis Licciardi,An Italian long distance runner is facing disciplinary proceedings for allegedly using a fake penis to beat a dope test.

Devis Licciardi, 27, is said to have used a realistic-looking prosthetic containing uncontaminated urine to give a sample following a 10km road race.

Licciardi, who is an athlete for the Italian Air Force team, was said to have been spotted by marshals at the event using the fake penis.

Officials at the country’s Olympic Committee were immediately informed and he is due to face a disciplinary hearing in Rome tomorrow and faces a potential lengthy ban.

The investigation into Licciardi was launched at the weekend after he ran in a race at Molfetta near Bari in southern Italy.