Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

“GDP growth in Armenia accelerated to 4.0% in the first half of 2015 from 2.6% in the same period in 2014 and to 3.5% for all of 2014. All major sectors contributed to growth, but a 4.2% slump in trade slowed growth in services to 1.8% from 3.7% a year earlier,” the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a new “Asian Development Outlook 2015” report.

Agriculture saw double-digit growth at 15.5%, and industry including construction expanded by 3.7%. On the demand side, private consumption and investment declined, while public consumption showed only modest gains. The drag from the deficit in external trade and services moderated significantly, as exports fell much less than imports.

Despite strong growth in the first half, the growth forecasts are trimmed for 2015 and 2016, as problems in Armenia’s major trading partners continue to reduce trade, remittances, and investments and so depress economic growth.

Agriculture is still foreseen as the primary driver of growth, along with a modest contribution from industry and services. On the demand side, the pattern of growth is expected to continue for the rest of the year, with a larger deficit in external trade and services, along with weaker investment and private consumption. The lagged pass-through of currency depreciation at the end of 2014 caused average annual inflation to accelerate to 5.0% in the first 7 months of 2015 from 3.4% in the same period in 2014 and 3.0% in all of 2014.

The 12-month inflation rate of 4.2% in July remained within the central bank’s target band of 2.5%–5.5%. Despite these developments, inflation forecasts remain unchanged for 2015 and 2016, as strong growth in agricultural supply, weak domestic demand, and tight monetary policy should cause inflation to recede in the months ahead.

The current account deficit narrowed to 7.3% of GDP in 2014 from 7.6% in 2013. A slight improvement in the goods and services trade deficit was partly offset by a larger deficit for primary and secondary income, reflecting the drop in remittances. In line with this improvement, the projections for the current account deficit are narrowed for 2015 but kept unchanged for 2016.

A problem with Skype’s status system has meant many people are currently unable to use the service, the BBC reports.

In a statement, Skype-owner Microsoft said it had “detected an issue with the status settings” on Skype that show if someone is online or not.

The problem locked many people’s status as offline – stopping them making calls even though they were connected.

In addition, said Microsoft, all the contacts of affected users would show as offline meaning they would not be able to call those people.

Skype support staff acknowledged the issue in a tweet and said the firm was working on a “quick fix”.

In a lengthier statement put on its blog, it said: “The status issue also doesn’t affect Skype for web, which can be used to make calls and send instant messages.”

It also apologised for the inconvenience being caused.

 

It was not the only deadly incident attributable to the fast-moving water. In Zion National Park’s Keyhole Canyon, four people who were canyoneering were killed and three are missing, National Park Service officials said.

At least six children and three women died in the vehicles that were swept away in the border area, according to Utah officials in the city of Hildale and with Washington County Emergency Services.

Three people survived Monday’s flood, including a boy who was found walking around a creek, said Hildale Mayor Philip Barlow.

Two survived by escaping from their vehicle, he said. The youngest fatality was a child about age 4, said Hildale Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Barlow.

The two vehicles carried a total of 16 women and children after a visit to a park, the mayor said.

A court in Baku on September 1, 2015, convicted the investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova on spurious charges of tax evasion and other economic crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.

Ismayilova was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison after a politically motivated prosecution, flawed trial, and campaign to discredit her. She was acquitted on an additional charge of inciting someone to commit suicide. The Azerbaijani authorities should immediately move to set aside the conviction and release her.

“The outrageous verdict against Khadija Ismayilova shows the Azerbaijani authorities’ willingness to subvert the law to exact revenge against critics,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Her conviction and sentence should be immediately set aside.”

Ismayilova is a 2015 recipient of Human Rights Watch’s Alison Des Forges award for extraordinary activism, in recognition of her exemplary courage as a journalist and human rights activist in the face of the unprecedented crackdown on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.

The trial against Ismayilova fell far short of international standards. The authorities appeared to rush the proceedings, denying nearly all of the defense’s petitions, including to introduce evidence in her defense or to challenge the prosecution’s assertions against her. Prosecutors claimed the motions were Ismayilova’s attempts to delay the trial. The authorities also denied Ismayilova’s requests for additional time to meet with her lawyers to discuss her defense, granting her only a few hours during the trial to meet with her lawyers.

The authorities prevented most independent observers and Ismayilova’s supporters from attending the proceedings, and, according to numerous news reports, often apparently filled the courtroom with “proxy” observers, so that Ismayilova’s relatives and supporters could not attend. Her mother and sister and some representatives from foreign embassies were unable to access some hearings though able to attend others. A Human Rights Watch representative was allowed to attend the proceedings on August 13, but was not allowed to attend on August 14.

During her trial, Ismayilova accused the government of trying to stop her investigative reporting, especially into President Ilham Aliyev’s family’s businesses.

The European Union and its member states in particular should mount a strong, unified response to the appalling state of human rights in Azerbaijan, Human Rights Watch said. Such a response should include freezing negotiations on a new Strategic Partnership Agreement with Baku and taking action in other multilateral bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council, to censor Azerbaijan over its atrocious human rights record. A common position among all member states and EU institutions vis-à-vis Azerbaijan is acutely needed to challenge Baku’s calculation that its outrageous behavior comes at no price, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch said the voting rights of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should be suspended.

Authorities arrested Ismayilova on December 5, 2014.

Ismayilova has reported extensively on government corruption, including exposing the business interests of members of the ruling family, and the government has made a concerted effort to silence her. In February 2014, police questioned Ismayilova as a witness in an investigation into the alleged leaking of state secrets only days after pro-government media claimed she had given files on Azerbaijani opposition politicians to United States government officials working as intelligence agents, a claim the US embassy denied.

“Ismayilova’s unwavering commitment to transparency and justice in her country should be a source of pride to Azerbaijan, not reason for punishment, persecution, and prison,” Roth said.

President Serzh Sargsyan has sent a telegram of condolences to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan  connected with the blast in the province of Sanliurfa, which claimed the lives of tens, and left many injured. The letter reads:

“Your Excellency,

It was with deep sorrow that I learnt about the blast in  Sanliurfa Province, which claimed the lives of tens of people.

We strongly condemn all expressions of terrorism.

 

Pease, accept my condolences over the incident.  I wish steadfastness and strength of spirit to the families of the victims and a speedy recovery to those injured.”

President Serzh Sargsyan met with the guests and participants of the Golden Apricot 12th International Film Festival.

The President welcomed their participation in the traditional annual Golden Apricot Film Festival, which helps present the best samples of world cinematography to the Armenian audience.

President Sargsyan also emphasized the fact that every year outstanding representatives of world cinematography, who arrive in Yerevan within the framework of the Festival, get to know about Armenia, the Armenian people, its centuries-long history and rich cultural heritage.

Serzh Sargsyan wished success to the Golden Apricot 12th International Film Festival.

The Police today restored the traffic on Baghramyan Avenue, which had been a site for round-the-clock protests against electricity price hike for almost two weeks.

The Police earlier removed the barricades after the protesters refused to do it themselves at about 12:30.

A number of people were detained, but the Police say they will be released within three hours.

The protests were sparked by the decision of the regulatory body to increase the price of electricity from August 1, 2015.

Two bomb attacks on the central Nigerian city of Jos have left at least 44 people dead, the authorities say, the BBC reports.

A restaurant and a mosque were targeted on Sunday night.

No-one has claimed responsibility but militant group Boko Haram has attacked Jos before, even though it is not in north-east Nigeria where the Islamists normally operate.

The blasts are the latest in the series of deadly attacks in recent days which have seen more than 200 people killed.

From the 44 dead, 23 were killed at the restaurant and 21 at the mosque, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) says.

There are also 47 people being treated for injuries, but emergency officials are still gathering information, so the figures may rise.

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received today Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov.

The parties praised the level of Armenian-Russian friendly relations and attached importance to the deepening and expansion of bilateral economic-commercial relations.

The interlocutors referred to the activity of the Armenian-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

A number of issues related to the deepening and intensification of bilateral ties were discussed.

The Islamic State fighters have destroyed two ancient Muslim mausoleums in the historic Syrian city of Palmyra, the country’s antiquities director said June 23, AFP reports.
Maamoun Abdulkarim said ISIS jihadists blew up the tombs of Mohammed bin Ali, a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed’s cousin, and Nizar Abu Bahaaeddine, a religious figure from Palmyra, three days ago.
Bin Ali’s burial place is located in a mountainous region four kilometres north of Palmyra, in central Syria.

Abu Bahaaeddine’s tomb, nestled in a leafy oasis about 500 metres (yards) from Palmyra’s ancient ruins, is said to be more than five centuries old.

ISIS has destroyed at least 50 mausoleums dating between 100-200 years old in the regions under its control in north and east Syria, the antiquities director said.

“They consider these Islamic mausoleums to be against their beliefs, and they ban all visits to these sites,” Abulkarim said.