Category: News

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been criss-crossing America in a final push for votes before election day, the BBC reports.

Both have been holding rallies in the battleground states of North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Mrs Clinton urged voters to back a “hopeful, inclusive, big-hearted America” while Mr Trump told supporters they had a “magnificent chance to beat the corrupt system”.

Polls give Democrat Mrs Clinton a four-point lead over Republican Mr Trump.

A record number of Americans – more than 46m – have voted early by post or at polling stations.

There are signs of a high turnout among Hispanic voters, which is believed to favour Mrs Clinton.

Famous French scientist, one of the forefathers of the internet, Executive Director of Open-Root organization Louis Pouzin received the Armenian Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies.

Mr. Louis Pouzin is the seventh recipient of the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the area of information Technologies. The first award was bestowed on the former President of the Board of Directors of Intel Corporation Greig Barrett in 2010, the second one was given in 2011 to Steve Wozniak – a co-founder of the Apple Computers corporation, the third one – in 2012 went to Federico Faggin – the Honorary President of the Synaptics Company, the fourth award went to Tsugio Makimoto, the President of Semiconductor Industry Association, President of the Techno Vision company, former CEO of the Hitachi Company, the fifth – to Chief Development Officer of Sysco Systems, Inc., Mario Mazzola, the sixth – to Director General of Kaspersky Lab Evgeni Kaspersky.

The RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the IT area was founded by President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree of July 6, 2009 and is aimed at the enhancement of the area’s development. The award is annual and is bestowed on the individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the area and whose input – technological, educational, organizational, financial or other has resulted in significant developments in the area of information technologies. The nomination program is carried out by the award committee designated by the President of Armenia and the international commission. The award represents a medal symbolizing Armenia and high technologies, a diploma and a souvenir.

Photo: EPA/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI

Italy plans to focus on frozen conflicts during its chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2017, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Monday after talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, TASS reports.

“In the period of its chairmanship in the OSCE and non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council, we will focus on frozen conflicts,” he told a news conference. In his words, Italy can make a contribution to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Mammadyarov, in turn, said that the meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian top diplomats is scheduled for early December in Germany’s Hamburg within the framework of an OSCE Ministerial Council meeting. “The Azerbaijani side gave its consent for this meeting,” he said.

Australia’s former Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon has risen in Federal Parliament and urged the Australian government to stop “playing word games” about the Armenian Genocide while paying tribute to Armenia on the occasion of the Republic’s 25th Anniversary, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia).

Fitzgibbon, currently the Shadow Minister for Agriculture, told the House of Representatives: “I have come to the conclusion our community of nation spends too much time playing word games, arguing about whether what the Armenian people suffered in 1915 was or was not genocide. Rather, we should collectively spend more time recognising that between 1915 and 1923 hundreds of thousands of Armenians had their lives cut short for no other reason than their ethnicity.”

Congratulating Armenia on 25 years of Independence, the Member for Hunter added: “The Armenian genocide and seven decades of Soviet rule would be enough to break the spirit of any culture or community, but Armenians are resilient and tough. They are also smart, sophisticated and enterprising. They hold a deep commitment to the wellbeing of their fellow man. Today I pay tribute to them and celebrate their anniversary with them.”

Fitzgibbon also paid tribute to all Armenian-Australians, including former Treasurer of Australia, Joe Hockey and Honorary Chairman of ANC Australia, Greg Soghomonian.

He said: “I honour all Australians of Armenian descent. The contributions of Australian Armenians to our country have been significant. I think of our own Joe Hockey—not of my political party but a significant achiever and contributor. I think of Greg Soghomonian, chair of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, who has been recognised for his leadership in diaspora communities. To mark the 25th anniversary Mr Soghomonian was awarded the Medal of Gratitude by the President of the republic at an awards ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital.”

ANC Australia is currently in Canberra as part of its annual Advocacy Week, meeting Members of Parliament and Senators, including Fitzgibbon, with their international guest of honour, ANC America Chairman Raffi Hamparian.

Managing Director of ANC Australia, Vache Kahramanian remarked: “Mr. Fitzgibbon has been a long-time supporter of Armenian Genocide recognition and a close friend of the Armenian-Australian community. We thank him for his statement in Federal Parliament and look forward to working with him and his fellow Parliamentarians on securing Armenian Genocide recognition by the Commonwealth government of Australia.”

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the world famous French scientist, one of the forefathers of the Internet, Executive Director of Open-Root organization Louis Pouzin who has become the recipient of the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies for his global contribution to the IT area.

The President of Armenia welcomed the celebrated scientist and his spouse Chantal Lebrument in our country and underscored that the RA Presidential Award, which was bestowed on Mr. Pouzin, is the embodiment of the Armenian people’s gratitude and admiration for the individuals who are moving the world forward and whose talent allowed the West to achieve technological advantage compared to the East. “This award serves another purpose too: to invite the attention of our young people to the individuals and activities which have become successful, and is called to inspire them. We want to prove that knowledge can make someone world famous and allow to live a prosperous life and enjoy respect,” said the President of Armenia.

Louis Pouzin said that throughout his life he has been working with pleasure and has been happy to contact persons who are resolute in their steps. “I am confident that there are many such people in Armenia with whom it is possible to work and implement programs. My objective is to maintain a constant contact with them and thanks to that link even to develop new programs and carry out works,” said Louis Pouzin at the meeting with the President of Armenia.

After the meeting, at the Presidential Palace there took place the ceremony of the cancelling a special envelop dedicate to the recipients of the RA Presidential Award. This is a special philatelic product – a thematic envelop with two stamps produced in 2013 and is dedicated to the “RA Presidential Award for the global contribution in the area of Information Technologies” topic. This special edition envelop, which was printed in 500 copies, was cancelled with a special seal. The envelop depicts the recipient of the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies for year 2016, the French scientist, the inventor of datagram, one of the five forefathers of the internet Louis Pouzin and the six previous recipients of the Award.

In the evening, at the Presidential Palace there will be a reception in honor of the recipient of the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies for year 2016 Louis Pouzin and Mrs. Chantal Lebrument.

Additional information on the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the IT area

Mr. Louis Pouzin is the seventh recipient of the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the area of information Technologies. The first award was bestowed on the former President of the Board of Directors of Intel Corporation Greig Barrett in 2010, the second one was given in 2011 to Steve Wozniak – a co-founder of the Apple Computers corporation, the third one – in 2012 went to Federico Faggin – the Honorary President of the Synaptics Company, the fourth award went to Tsugio Makimoto, the President of Semiconductor Industry Association, President of the Techno Vision company, former CEO of the Hitachi Company, the fifth – to Chief Development Officer of Sysco Systems, Inc., Mario Mazzola, the sixth – to Director General of Kaspersky Lab Evgeni Kaspersky.

The RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the IT area was founded by President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree of July 6, 2009 and is aimed at the enhancement of the area’s development. The award is annual and is bestowed on the individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the area and whose input – technological, educational, organizational, financial or other has resulted in significant developments in the area of information technologies. The nomination program is carried out by the award committee designated by the President of Armenia and the international commission. The award represents a medal symbolizing Armenia and high technologies, a diploma and a souvenir.

PHOTO: KYODO/REUTERS

 

A giant sinkhole swallowed a five-lane street in the centre of one of Japan’s biggest cities on Tuesday morning, the reports.

The collapse began at around 05:00 local time (20:00 GMT Monday) near Hakata Station, the busiest in Fukuoka city in the southern island of Kyushu.

It began with two smaller holes that grew steadily until they formed one huge depression around 30m (98ft) wide.

There were no reports of serious injuries but it disrupted power, water, gas and transport links in the area.

Broadcaster NHK reported that an elderly lady slipped on some stairs because of the power cut.

Engineering work to extend a nearby underground train line may be related to the sinkhole’s sudden appearance, city officials said.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

The President noted that the Armenian-Italian relations, which date back to the depth of centuries, are full of a number of friendly expressions that have served a basis for the consistent development of interstate ties ever since Armenia gained independence in 1991.

Serzh Sargsyan voiced hope that Minister Gentiloni’s visit would serve as a new impetus for the political dialogue and contribute to the further deepening of cooperation in different spheres.

The interlocutors referred to issues of enhancing the bilateral economic ties.

The Armenian President and the Italian Foreign Minister exchanged views on regional issues and challenges, including the Karabakh conflict settlement process, the priorities of the Italian Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2018.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) has issued a statement condemning the arrests of opposition MPs in Turkey:

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) condemns in the strongest terms the illegal and targeted arrest of Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (Halklarin Demokratik Partisi, HDP) deputies, including the co-chairs of the party, Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, Turkish president Erdogan and his party, the AKP, have embarked on a very dangerous path, dragging Turkey into polarization and ethnic and social divisions.

Since the Turkish parliamentary elections of June 2015, where HDP was trusted by a large segment of voters in Turkey and abroad and went ahead to win  80 seats, Erdogan and his circle started political and military persecutions against all those opposing AKP’s authoritarian grip on power.

European Armenian Federation is deeply concerned with what’s happening in Turkey, and continues following the proceedings very closely and as long as Turkey refuses to accept its past and continues to try to be mono-ethnically governed, these issues will continue to deepen. Minorities and all segments of society shall have their rights respected and accepted.

“The International and European partners of Turkey must stop treating Erdogan as the democratically elected president of Turkey and face him as he really is: the authoritarian ruler of a country, playing with fire and endangering a whole, already volatile region,” said Karampetian.

“We welcome the Brussels court decision to recognize that a war is going on in Turkey and that the allegations of the Turkish state, that Kurds are terrorists, is false. In this context, it is about time, that the European Union and NATO see Erdogan’s Turkey in face value, a state sponsoring terrorism at home and abroad,” concluded Karampetian.

Earlier in the day, a representation from the Armenian National Committee of Belgium and European Armenian Federation partook in the demonstration held in Brussels, in front of the European Parliament, organized by Kurdish organizations in Belgium.

The Armenian side is ready to meet with Azeri counterparts, but will be waiting for development until December, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a joint press conference with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni in Yerevan.

The Foreign Minister said he will meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council session in Hamburg December 8-9, but did not confirm the meeting with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

“Of course, we are ready to participate in meetings, but everything will depend on the developments before Hamburg, because, as a rule, Azerbaijan aggravates the situation in the conflict zone before meetings, and has now declared about large-scale military actions that will involve the whole potential of the Armed Forces – 60 thousand troops, tanks, missiles, aviation, etc. This is an obvious violation of the Vienna document,” Minister Nalbandian said.

The Foreign Minister described it as a “provocative step” ahead of the Ministerial Council session in Hamburg.  Besides, he said, the intensity of the ceasefire violations by the Azerbaijani side has also increased.

Edward Nalbandian reminded about the numerous statements of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs that the conflict should be solved on the basis of the three principles of international law – non-use of force or the threat of force, the right of peoples to self-determination and territorial integrity. “Any attempt to separate the principles will make the settlement of the conflict impossible. Baku should decide whether it really wants to continue the negotiations in this format. On one hand, they say ready to participate in meetings, on the other hand, they speak against the Co-Chairs’ proposals, which form the basis of settlement,” Minister Nalbandian stated.

Otherwise, he said, the simple participation in becoming an imitation on the part of Azerbaijan. “Vivid examples of this are the meetings in Vienna and St. Petersburg. They participated in the summits, but it gave nothing.”

“Baku has been refusing to call the agreements reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits to life. Moreover, it has been doing the utmost to prevent their implementation. Those who had doubts that Azerbaijan can resort to an abrupt aggravation of the situation, got clear proofs in early April, when Azerbaijan unleashed large-scale military actions,” Minister Nalabndian said.

On 8 November President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan watched military exercises of the Defense Army conducted in the republic’s central section.

In his speech the President underlined that the Defense Army is the greatest achievement of our independent statehood, pivotal guarantee of our country’s independence, sovereignty and our people’s security, one of the most influential factors of maintaining peace and stability in the region.

“All of us, all Armenians  are proud of our brave soldiers, who due to their daily humble and courageous behavior fulfill the Motherland defender’s sacred mission with dignity, always ready to rebuff any encroachment of the enemy”, noted President Sahakyan.

According to Bako Sahakyan the highest command staff of the Defense Army and all the command units would make the necessary conclusions and carry out appropriate work for consistent increase of the Defense Army’s combat efficiency.

President Sahakyan handed in valuable gifts to a group of servicemen who had registered high results during the maneuvers.