Category: News

Photo: EPA

 

At least 20 people have died after a fire broke out in a hospital in eastern India, local police say, the BBC report.

They say the fire started in an intensive care unit (ICU) of the SUM hospital, a private facility in the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa state.

Dozens of patients were taken to other medical facilities in the city.

About 120 firefighters were mobilised to tackle the blaze, which was later brought under control. PM Narendra Modi said he was “anguished” by the fire.

Most of the victims reportedly died from smoke inhalation.

Many of the injured are in a critical condition. Earlier reports had put the death toll at 23.

Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman has labeled Azerbaijani President’s statements on Nagorno Karabakh settlement as “an attempt to turn the truth upside down.”

Speaking to RIA Novosti today, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said “reasonable compromise on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is possible,” and suggested that “the region could become an autonomous republic.”

“The statement of the Azerbaijani leader can be judged as yet another unsuccessful attempt to turn the truth upside down and distort the negotiation process,” MFA Spokesman Tigran Balayan said in comments to Radio Liberty.

“It is clearly enshrined in the statements of the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries Aliyev refers to that the status of Nagorno Karabakh should be determined by a legally binding expression of will of the people of Nagorno Karabakh,” Balayan reminded.

“It would be better for the leadership of Azerbaijan to cease deluding itself and misleading its own public. A week ago the leader of Azerbaijan publicly confessed the real essence of negotiations, stating that Baku was being urged to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Spokesperson stated.

Speaking to Public Radio of Armenia earlier today Spokesman for the NKR President

Photos:  Armenian National Committee of Canada

 

Asbarez – In partnership with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), the Armenian National Committee of Canada co-organized the premiere of the museum’s new film about the Armenian Genocide, “Acts of Conscience: Armin T. Wegner and the Armenian Genocide” on October 13th, 2016.

The event took place at the Armenian Youth Centre of Toronto and attracted hundreds of community members and supporters of the ANCC and CMHR. The event was also attended by Peter Farenholtz, Consul General of Germany in Canada, MP Arnold Chan. Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt and Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group, Councilor Jim Karygiannis, Toronto City Councilor, TDSB Trustees and a large number of activists.

After the screening of the documentary, the event featured a discussion with renowned Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, who narrated the short documentary which will play in the Museum’s “Breaking the Silence” gallery.

Subsequently, remarks were delivered by CMHR president and CEO, John Young, MP Arnold Chan – who also read a statement from The Right Hon. Justin Trudeau – and Councilor Jim Karygiannis, Toronto city councilor. Closing remarks were delivered by ANCC president, Shahen Mirakian. In his remarks, Mirakian said that it is only through our concerted efforts that we can stay true to our commitment and carry on the legacy of Wegner by standing up against any forms of injustice towards humanity.

The film “Acts of Conscience” looks at the genocide through the lens of Armin T. Wegner, a German war medic who photographed and documented atrocities against the Armenian-Christian minority that were occurring around him in the Ottoman Empire during the first World War – including forced “death marches” through the desert. In the 1930s, Wegner also voiced his opposition to the anti-Semitic policies of the Nazis and authored an impassioned plea to Hitler on behalf of the Jews of Germany.

Compelled by his conscience to take action despite great personal risk, Wegner’s story epitomizes the importance of efforts to combat the denial and minimization that often surround gross human rights violations.

An exhibit at the CMHR explores the efforts for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Wegner and others. In 2004, the Canadian Parliament voted to officially acknowledge and condemn the Armenian Genocide.

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues and works to eliminate abuses of human rights throughout Canada and the world.

Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan received the delegation headed by Major-General Nasrollah Kalantari, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Support.

The parties discussed issues related to Armenian-Iranian bilateral cooperation, regional problems and settlement of conflicts. The interlocutors attached importance to the intensification of military-political contacts.

The same day the delegations of the two countries held a meeting in an extended format to discuss issues related to continued cooperation in the fields of logistics, education, etc.

Photo: AFP    

Iraqi forces are “ahead of schedule”, the Pentagon says, as they begin the second day of the battle to retake Mosul from so-called IS fighters, the BBC eports.

But Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook warned it “could take some time” as it remained to be seen whether Islamic State (IS) would “stand and fight”.

Fighting continued overnight, with IS militants attacking Iraqi army tanks.

IS seized Mosul, then Iraq’s second-largest city, in June 2014.

The extremists’ leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi then chose Mosul as the place to announce the forming of a caliphate, so retaking the city would be “symbolic”, according to Mr Cook.

Mr Cook told reporters in Washington: “Early indications are that Iraqi forces have met their objectives so far, and that they are ahead of schedule for this first day. This is going according to the Iraqi plan – but again, it’s early, and the enemy gets a vote here. We will see whether ISIL [IS] stands and fights.

“We are confident no matter what, however, that the Iraqis have the capabilities to get this job done, and we stand ready to support them, along with the rest of the coalition.”

A coalition of 30,000 Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Sunni tribal fighters began their advance on lS’s last major stronghold in the country after months of planning on Monday.

Five days after Bob Dylan was named the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, no one knows how he feels about the prestigious award — not even the Nobel judges, the Associated Press reports.

The Swedish Academy, which bestows the annual honour, says it hasn’t been able to reach Dylan since the award was announced last Thursday.

Permanent Secretary Sara Danius told Swedish Radio she’s been in contact with a close associate of Dylan, but not the laureate himself.

“I am not worried at all. I have a feeling that he will get in touch,” she said.

Danius said the academy isn’t making further efforts to reach him, but hopes he will accept the invitation to collect his award at the annual Nobel ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10.

“If he doesn’t want to come then he doesn’t want to come,” she said. “It will be a big and nice party anyway.”

Only two people have declined a Nobel Prize in literature. Boris Pasternak did so under pressure from Soviet authorities in 1958 and Jean-Paul Sartre, who declined all official honours, turned it down in 1964.

Dylan, who is currently on tour in the U.S., hasn’t mentioned the Nobel Prize during his concerts since the announcement.

As of Tuesday, his official webpage made no mention of the prize except in the “books” section, where a post dated Oct. 17 about his lyrics collection The Lyrics: 1961-2012 noted in all caps that he was a Nobel Prize winner.

Member of the Turkish Parliament representing HDP Party Garo Paylan has filed a criminal complaint over “Armenian bastards” slogan, which audience shouted during President Erdogan’s speech in Trabzon, reports.

HDP Istanbul MP Garo Paylan filed a criminal complaint against “Armenian bastards” slogan, which audience shouted during President Erdogan’s speech in Trabzon on October 15. Paylan appealed to Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Law that bans “inciting hatred and hostility among peoples and denigration”.

In the complaint, Garo Paylan stated: “On October 15, there was a rally in Trabzon, where President Erdogan gave a speech. The audience, which is claimed to be AKP members, repeatedly shouted ‘Armenian bastards cannot discourage us.’ The president, ministers and member of organization committee didn’t do anything to prevent people from shouting that slogan. This slogan, apart from the fact that it insults Armenian people who have been living on these lands for centuries, is considered as hate speech under the international laws to which Turkey is a party and the practices of ECHR. Unfortunately, such expressions about Armenian people are nothing new. It is self-evident that hate speech has the power of leading to public indignation and constitutes a danger to safety of life and property of Armenian citizens, for this fact has been a part of the rulings of national and international judicial authorities. Especially the silence of the president, who is supposed to treat equally to all citizens, increases the power of hate discourse and facilitates the targeting of Armenians. In addition, by constituting an obstacle to the practice of living together peacefully, this slogan incited hatred and hostility against a section of the population on the basis of their racial difference and denigrated Armenian people.”

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today French Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier.

Stressing the special friendly nature of the Armenian-French relations, the Prime Minister praised the rich and comprehensive agenda of bilateral cooperation in different spheres and attached importance to the intensification of joint economic projects.

In this respect, Karen Karapetyan emphasized the significance of the second conference on Armenian-French decentralized cooperation to be held in Yerevan in December.

Jean-Francois Charpentier voiced his willingness to cooperate with the Armenian Government towards implementation of joint programs, further development of bilateral relations and expansion of economic ties.

The Ambassador said the French Development Agency will maintain support for the improvement of infrastructures and is going to invest about $40 mln for that purpose. He also stressed the willingness of a number of French companies to launch activity in Armenia.

The parties pointed to the fields of agriculture, information technologies, tourism as promising spheres of cooperation.

Jose Mourinho and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were snapped leaving the Lowry Hotel this morning after Manchester United’s stalemate with Liverpool last night, reports.

Manchester United were held to a goalless draw at Anfield and Mourinho looked a little worse for wear the morning after.

The Old Trafford boss was seen getting into a waiting car complete with a personalised ‘JM’ backpack before being whisked away to Manchester United’s Carrington training ground.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was also snapped leaving the Lowry as he too headed off to training sporting a white BALR hoodie, dark jeans and black wash bag.

The last king of Rwanda has died in the US aged 80 years old, the BBC reports.

Born Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa, King Kigeli V came to power in 1959 but was only king of Rwanda until 1961, when the monarchy was abolished and he was forced into exile.

He eventually settled in the US where he set up a charity helping Rwandan refugees and orphans.

A 2013 profile in Washingtonian magazine found him living off food stamps in subsidised housing.

His death was announced on his website on Sunday.

“He was a devout and dedicated believer and the last anointed African Roman Catholic king to reign over a full country,” it said.

It addd theat “the heir to the Royal throne of Rwanda” will be “announced in good order”.