Monthly Archives: October 2013

Device Explodes in Spain Cathedral, No One Hurt

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An explosive device has caused a blast inside a large cathedral in the northeastern Spanish city of Zaragoza while parishioners were inside but no one was hurt.

A spokesman for the regional government in Zaragoza said the explosion happened at about 1:50 p.m. local time inside the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar and that people inside were evacuated over concerns that there might be more devices.

The spokesman says no group has taken responsibility. He could not immediately provide details on damage to the interior of the cathedral.

 

Hornet Attack Death Toll in China Reaches 41

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The death toll from a rare spate of hornet attacks in central China has reached 41 people, local authorities said Wednesday.

The Shaanxi provincial government said in a statement that the attacks had plagued not only the city of Ankang, where 19 died as reported by the official Xinhua News Agency, but had killed 22 others in two adjacent cities in the province’s south.

All told, more than 1,600 people have been injured, and 37 of them are in critical or serious condition in hospitals, the provincial government said.

It said it has mobilized a special medic team and trained more medical personnel to treat victims, and an Ankang official told Xinhua that firefighters have been removing hornet nests.

The provincial government said hornets are most aggressive in behavior when they mate and migrate in September and October. Local officials have also said drier and warmer weather this year has contributed to the ferocity of attacks.

 

73 rescued from Mexican house

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> on August 4, 2013 in Arriaga, Mexico.The trek for those traveling through northern Mexico remains dangerous: police rescued 73 people who were being held hostage in the border city of Reynosa.

The victims had been kidnapped from buses or bus terminals, and about half were Central Americans, police said. It is likely, though police did not say, that a majority of the victims were migrants on their way north to the United States.

Some of the kidnap victims were held for as long as four months, Mexico’s National Security Commission said in a statement.

Federal police on patrol Monday in Reynosa followed a car after its occupants tried to avoid them, the commission said. When the two men in the car pulled up to a house, so did the police.

Inside the house, police found 73 hostages: 37 Mexicans, 19 Hondurans, 14 Guatemalans, and three Salvadorans, it said.

Six minors were among those rescued, the commission said.

The alleged kidnappers made phone calls to the victims’ families, demanding ransom payments in exchange for their release, the commission said.

Police arrested the two men in the car who arrived at the house, and a third man who they allege worked as a lookout.

President Serzh Sargsyan in Paris met with the President of France François Hollande

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President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in the French Republic on a working visit today met with the President of France François Hollande. At the beginning of the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan thanked the President of France for the warm welcome and noted that he was greatly pleased to once again visit friendly France.

The President of Armenia noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-French relations, which are nourished by the close historical relations of the two nations, in last twenty years have been developing steadily, reaching the highest point in their history. According to the President, Armenian-French friendship is so deep, comprehensive and multifaceted that it would be difficult to define it in one or two sentences.

In Serzh Sargsyan’s words, such quality of relations was achieved by our countries thanks to a regular high-level dialogue, including the reciprocal visits of the Armenian and French Presidents, close interparliamentary cooperation, dynamic cultural, educational and scientific interaction, as well as through the regular contacts between the responsible officials from different areas.

The President noted that in recent years in the special Armenian-French relations there has been formed a wonderful tradition of maintaining that high-level dialogue – at least one annual meeting between the Presidents during which the parties discuss issues related to the Armenian-French, as well as Armenia-EU cooperation, urgent regional and global issues.

At today’s meeting too, the Presidents of Armenia and France also discussed in detail all the mentioned above problems.

With regard to the trade and economic relations, President Sargsyan noted with satisfaction the presence in Armenia of a large French business community with leading companies such as Carrefour, Pernod Richard, Orange, Credit Agricole, Alcatel, and Veolia which will soon be amplified by other companies.

The President stressed also the importance of the assistance programs launched this year by the French Development Agency. He underscored that decentralized cooperation is also developing successfully: Over 30 local authorities of Armenia and France have established close partnership relations. In that context, the President of France stressed, in particular, the importance of the Third Convention on Decentralized Cooperation to be held October 15-17 in Valence.

Speaking about interparliamentary ties, the Presidents of Armenia and France noted with satisfaction that friendship groups are working actively in the parliaments of the two countries. It’s been one year since Armenia joined the International Organization of Francophonie; the Armenian-French cultural and education relations are also developing successfully.

At the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan once again expressed thanks to François Hollande for the continued efforts of the French side aimed at the peaceful resolution of the NK conflict. The Presidents of Armenia and France reiterated that there is no alternative to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship. Serzh Sargsyan noted that Armenia attaches special importance to the personal involvement of the French President in the process.

The parties spoke in detail about the prospects of Armenia-EU cooperation. They agreed that maximum efforts should be made to maintain the tempo and quality of the cooperation, to continue the process of reformation in Armenia. President Sargsyan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to carry on. President François Hollande assured that France – as Armenia’s friend and one of the leaders of the European Union and major international player – will continue to assist Armenia in moving forward her European agenda.

At the meeting, the President of Armenia once again expressed gratitude for France’s significant contribution to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

To ensure the continuation of the high-level political dialogue established between the two countries, Serzh Sargsyan reiterated the invitation extended to the President of France to conduct a state visit to the Republic of Armenia.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN IN PARIS MET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE

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4016President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in the French Republic on a working visit today met with the President of France François Hollande. At the beginning of the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan thanked the President of France for the warm welcome and noted that he was greatly pleased to once again visit friendly France.

The President of Armenia noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-French relations, which are nourished by the close historical relations of the two nations, in last twenty years have been developing steadily, reaching the highest point in their history. According to the President, Armenian-French friendship is so deep, comprehensive and multifaceted that it would be difficult to define it in one or two sentences.

In Serzh Sargsyan’s words, such quality of relations was achieved by our countries thanks to a regular high-level dialogue, including the reciprocal visits of the Armenian and French Presidents, close interparliamentary cooperation, dynamic cultural, educational and scientific interaction, as well as through the regular contacts between the responsible officials from different areas.

The President noted that in recent years in the special Armenian-French relations there has been formed a wonderful tradition of maintaining that high-level dialogue – at least one annual meeting between the Presidents during which the parties discuss issues related to the Armenian-French, as well as Armenia-EU cooperation, urgent regional and global issues.

At today’s meeting too, the Presidents of Armenia and France also discussed in detail all the mentioned above problems.

With regard to the trade and economic relations, President Sargsyan noted with satisfaction the presence in Armenia of a large French business community with leading companies such as Carrefour, Pernod Richard, Orange, Credit Agricole, Alcatel, and Veolia which will soon be amplified by other companies.

The President stressed also the importance of the assistance programs launched this year by the French Development Agency. He underscored that decentralized cooperation is also developing successfully: Over 30 local authorities of Armenia and France have established close partnership relations. In that context, the President of France stressed, in particular, the importance of the Third Convention on Decentralized Cooperation to be held October 15-17 in Valence.

Speaking about interparliamentary ties, the Presidents of Armenia and France noted with satisfaction that friendship groups are working actively in the parliaments of the two countries. It’s been one year since Armenia joined the International Organization of Francophonie; the Armenian-French cultural and education relations are also developing successfully.

At the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan once again expressed thanks to François Hollande for the continued efforts of the French side aimed at the peaceful resolution of the NK conflict. The Presidents of Armenia and France reiterated that there is no alternative to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship. Serzh Sargsyan noted that Armenia attaches special importance to the personal involvement of the French President in the process.

The parties spoke in detail about the prospects of Armenia-EU cooperation. They agreed that maximum efforts should be made to maintain the tempo and quality of the cooperation, to continue the process of reformation in Armenia. President Sargsyan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to carry on. President François Hollande assured that France – as Armenia’s friend and one of the leaders of the European Union and major international player – will continue to assist Armenia in moving forward her European agenda.

At the meeting, the President of Armenia once again expressed gratitude for France’s significant contribution to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

To ensure the continuation of the high-level political dialogue established between the two countries, Serzh Sargsyan reiterated the invitation extended to the President of France to conduct a state visit to the Republic of Armenia.

3 Miners Missing After Accident in Germany

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Three miners have been reported missing after a controlled detonation at a potassium mine in eastern Germany led to a gas leak there.

The German news agency dpa quoted an unidentified official at the mining company, K + S GmbH, as saying that carbon dioxide was released by the detonation Tuesday in the mine in Unterbreizbach in the state of Thuringia.

The official said two mines and the shaft installations above ground had to be evacuated, and that the gas leak led to a large release of dust inside the mine where the detonation occurred and above ground.

Dpa said seven miners were initially trapped but four of them quickly rescued without injuries. Rescue personnel were searching for the three missing miners about 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) below ground.

 

Anastacia undergoes double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time

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AnastaciaAnastacia has undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.

The I’m Outta Love singer, 45, announced the news as she updated her fans on her recovery as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Anastasia, who said she underwent a double mastectomy with Latissimus Dorsi flap surgical procedure, was first diagnosed with the disease in 2003.

She then announced in February this year that she had been diagnosed with the disease again, and was forced to cancel her planned European tour.

Speaking previously about her successful battle against breast cancer, Anastacia blamed the stress of being a world-famous singer for her contracting the disease, as there was no history of breast cancer in her family.

In addition to battling cancer, Anastacia also suffers from a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia – in which the heart can have episodes of beating more than three times as fast as average – and has to take a daily pill to regulate it.

She also has Crohn’s Disease – an inflammatory bowel condition that causes a range of distressing symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, fevers and severe cramps.

But speaking recently about her health struggles, Anastacia said that her illnesses have helped shape her into the woman she is today.

 

Press Conference Devoted to the International Day of Older Persons:

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Asulis 3By 2050 Almost One Third of Armenia’s Population will be Over 60, Projections Show

UNFPA Armenia and RA Ministry of Labor and Social Issues presented current and future issues regarding older persons and possible solutions to them.

Yerevan, 01 October 2013 – Today, at Henaran Press Club, UNFPA Armenia and RA Ministry of Labor and Social Issues (MLSI) held a joint press conference devoted to the 2013 International Day of Older Persons. Mr. Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA Armenia Assistant Representative, and Ms. Anahit Gevorgyan, Head of RA MLSI Division for Elderly Issues spoke at the press conference.

According to the speakers, Armenia is among the countries with rapidly growing share of elderly population. Around 14.4 per cent of the country’s population is already over 60. Fertility decline and migration of economically and reproductively active population contribute to aging; however, aging is also supported by the prolonged life expectancy that is partly due to the achievements of the modern medicine. According to the projections of the recent UNFPA expert analysis, by 2050 almost one third, 31.5 per cent, of Armenia’s population will be over 60.

“Such a growing share of elderly people among in the population structure implies a significant additional burden for the state, and it is very important to develop and implement appropriate policies beforehand. One of the solutions could be implementation of the concept of Active Aging according to which elderly people stay active members of the society, their own communities and families for as long as possible”, said Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA.

Ms. Anahit Gevorgyan, Head of RA MLSI Division for Elderly Issues, presented the state policies regarding elderly people, as well as the current and future measures to tackle problems of older part of the population.

Aging of a considerable portion of Armenian population would also mean worsening of the support ratio or the number of working population aged 15-63 per one 63+ person. As the UNFPA analysis shows, this ratio could mostly benefit of the combined growth in fertility and employment. However, whereas overcoming the unemployment seems to be a relatively achievable task, it is very difficult to increase the fertility because it is a rather expensive task, and also taking into account the natural growth of Armenia’s population that is expected to become negative soon.

23 Killed in Thailand’s Floods as More Storms Loom

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Thai authorities say floods have killed more than 20 people and affected areas across the country in the past two weeks, while concern is growing there could be a repeat of the devastating floods in 2011.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department says 32 out of 77 provinces have seen flooding since mid-September and 23 people have been killed.

Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi says Thailand is not at risk from the remnants of Typhoon Wutip, which reached the northeast Tuesday. However, he says the country should be ready for other storms.

In 2011, Thailand saw its worst flooding in half a century. More than 800 people were killed and agricultural, industrial and residential lands were devastated over a wide swathe of the country.

 

Preparing for the Autumn-Winter Period

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ЮКЖД призывает граждан соблюдать правила безопасности на железной дороге

SCR is 

 

South Caucasus Railway conducts work on training the production units and workers for the autumn -winter period. A set of measures are aimed at ensuring the stable operation of the railway in the autumn and winter focusing on snow fighting facilities, repair work, HR trainings.

Meanwhile preparation of production units of infrastructure and rolling stock will be held as a part of the autumn commission inspection. As part of the autumn inspection railway roadbed and structures, devices, energy and communications will be tested in the period up to November 15. Also a program on emergency, security, workers’ winter clothing and footwear, track improvement will be implemented.

Up to November 25 the commission  is going to inspect locomotives and motor- wagon rolling stock of SCR. A particular attention is paid to the fire safety systems, devices and equipment for ensuring safety of trains.

The process of inspections is discussed at the weekly conference calls.

 

 

 

ANCA HOLDS ROUNDTABLE ON EVE OF U.S.-ARMENIA ECONOMIC TALKS

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ancaroundtableWASHINGTON, DC – On the eve of the upcoming annual meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Economic Task Force, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) hosted a roundtable talk on the future of U.S.-Armenian relations.
The discussion, held in the ANCA’s Aramian Conference Room, featured a far-ranging and constructive exchange among a broad cross-section of stakeholders with a diverse set of experiences dealing with various aspects of America’s relationship with Armenia, Artsakh, and her own citizens among the Armenian American community.
“We were pleased to host an open exploration of the present state and future direction of U.S.-Armenian relations that was characterized by both a constructive exchange between those holding a diverse set of viewpoints and also a core consensus on shared national and democratic aspirations,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “We want to thank each and every person who participated, not only for the wisdom and vision they shared, but also for the very practical advice and suggestions that they brought to the table.”
Photos from the event are posted on the ANCA Facebook page at:
The U.S.-Armenia Economic Task Force meeting is set to address a broad range of issues impacting this bilateral relationship, with a special focus on growing the trade and investment levels between these two nations.  “This October, we’re looking to the U.S. leadership of this bilateral platform to build on more than a decade of largely aid-related discussions by bringing to the table a set of concrete deliverables: increased trade, new investments, and good jobs that will foster hope and opportunity in both nations,” added Hamparian, following the roundtable.
The ANCA has, against the backdrop of the downward trend in overall foreign aid levels, long advocated greater U.S. prioritization of the growth of economic ties with Armenia, in order to create jobs, reinforce the enduring friendship between the American and Armenian peoples, help offset the crushing impact of dual Turkish-Azerbaijani blockades, and – very significantly – provide Armenia with strategic options in terms of its economic and security relations with regional powers.