Category: News

Pope Francis, who is usually calm and accommodating with his admirers, clearly lost his temper with a person who pulled on him so hard that he fell onto a child on a wheel chair, Reuters reports.

Video footage showed that while the pope was walking at the edge of a crowd in an stadium, he stopped to greet children who were sitting.

Two arms reached out to grab him and the person would not let go, even after the pope lost his balance and his chest was pressing on the child’s head.

Aides and security men stopped the pope from falling to the ground.

After he returned to an upright position, his face turned angry.

He looked at the person, raised his voice and said twice in Spanish: “Don’t be selfish!”

It was not clear if the person who pulled the pope was a man or a woman.

Photo: Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS    

The Syrian army and self-defense forces have regained control over Tellet-Gazzalya heights and are advancing to the town of Kensaba – the last stronghold of gangs to the north of Latakia (in 320 kilometers from Damascus), reports.

Al-Manar TV channel reported on Wednesday that fighting has become especially brutal in this region. A Syrian officer taking part in the operation said that the enemy “is suffering losses in personnel and equipment.” On Tuesday government forces freed three settlements near Latakia – Ayn Basura, Shelef and Billah. People will be allowed to return there after roads are demined.

Syrian government forces also made a strategic gain to the east of Aleppo (360 kilometers from Damascus). The Syrian army and self-defense forces ousted militants from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization (banned in Russia) from the settlement of Abu Dana where a thermal power plant supplying electricity to Aleppo is located. Repair brigades were immediately sent to the facility.

Fighting with IS continues in 85 kilometers from Homs near Telyal Rawabi heights. Syrian government forces regained control over the highway leading to the town of El Karyateyn seized by terrorists. Army units are trying to shut off terrorists from the southern part of the highway and are advancing to Kabr Antara heights to encircle the enemy’s stronghold.

Bottles were thrown at Lokomotiv Moscow’s team bus and a Russian player sparked controversy on the pitch with a picture of Vladimir Putin on his vest in a game against Turkish side Fenerbahce on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

Turkish police detained three people after bottles were thrown as the bus headed for the Europa League match in Istanbul’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

Police said the three people were drunk and that one of the bus’ windows was slightly cracked.

Turkish media reported that those responsible were Fenerbahce fans.

Lokomotiv is almost certain to face disciplinary action from European soccer’s ruling body after its midfielder Dmitri Tarasov pulled off his shirt to reveal a portrait of Putin and a slogan supporting the Russian president on his vest.

Beneath the portrait of Putin, who is wearing a Russian navy cap in the picture, the vest read in Russian: “The most polite president.”

Political statements are not allowed by UEFA at its competitions.

Tarasov later defended his behavior, telling Russian agency R-Sport: “It’s my president. I respect him and decided to show that I’m always with him and prepared to give my support.

“What was written on that shirt was everything that I wanted to say.”

Late last year, UEFA rejected calls to separate Russia and Turkey in the draw for this summer’s European Championship – and also the two countries’ clubs in the Europa League draws.

Tuesday’s first leg match was in the Europa League’s Round of 32.

Lokomotiv lost the game 2-0.

Armenia has been included in the UN Honor Roll for paying the regular budget assessments in full.

In January 2016 the Armenian Government transferred $150,039 to the United Nations Regular Budget as 2016 annual membership fee.

The Honor roll includes the countries that have paid their regular budget assessments in full within the 30 day due period specified in Financial Regulation. Only 27 of the 193 UN states have made to the Honor Roll this year.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of a news conference on Tuesday after being questioned about his record in away matches this season, the BBC reports.

Ronaldo, 31, has scored 32 goals this season but has not netted away from the Bernabeu since 29 November.

“Who else has scored more goals away from home than me since I arrived in Spain?” said Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer in the Champions League.

“Name one player who has scored more than me. No answer? OK. Thank you.”

Ronaldo was speaking at a news conference before the first leg of Real’sChampions League last-16 tie against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.

In December, the Portuguese became the first player to score 10 goals in the competition’s group stage.

Eleven of his goals this season have come away from home, but he has not scored in his past four away games.

“It’s understandable that people have doubts,” said Ronaldo. “It’s like with a son when you give him everything and then when you take it away, he cries.

“I hope that I can keep this ‘bad form’ up until the season’s end.”

Photo: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Conflict in Syria may grow into military confrontation between the Middle East countries putting the security of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member-states in jeopardy, the post-Soviet security alliance’s chief, Nikolay Bordyuzha said on Tuesday, TASS reports.

“Turkey’s massive artillery shelling of Syrian territory, the statements of Ankara and Riyadh on plans to deploy ground operations in Syria threaten to switch the Syrian crisis to a qualitatively new and a very dangerous level: the direct military confrontation between the regional countries,” Bordyuzha said warning that it is difficult to predict the possible consequences.

The CSTO secretary-general stressed that in this context the fight against international terrorism and assistance to peaceful settlement in Syria is relegated to the back burner.

“Further instigation of hotbed of war in Syria’s territory in direct proximity from the zone of the CSTO’s responsibility is a threat to security of the organization’s member-states,” Bordyuzha said.

The CSTO is a regional security group comprising six post-Soviet countries — Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia.

On February 15 Armen Yeganian, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Canada, met Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada.

The sides outlined with satisfaction the intensification of political dialogue between the two countries. Ambassador Yeganian stated that during 2015 Yervand Zakharyan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Hranush Hakobyan, Minister of Diaspora, visited Canada; the official visit of Galust Sahakyan, Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, took place in May of 2015. At the same time, the Ambassador welcomed the visits of two Canadian official delegations to Armenia during last year, headed by Minister Chris Alexander and Minister Christian Paradis.

The progress achieved in bilateral trade and economic relations during the recent years was emphasized, and the visit of the first Canadian trade mission to Armenia in 2015 is the proof of that progress. The Ambassador mentioned that Canadian companies are interested in the different brunches of Armenian industry, especially in the mining sector.

Upon the request of Minister Dion, Ambassador Yeganian briefed on the commemoration events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, held in different countries, including Canada.

The sides also discussed the results of the 31st Ministerial Conference of the International Organization of La Francophonie, which took place last October in Yerevan.

They agreed to continue efforts towards the further enhancement of bilateral political dialogue and deepening of trade and economic ties.

During the meeting regional issues were discussed as well.

The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) has cut its key refinancing rate to 8.50 percent from 8.75 percent.

Annual deflation in Armenia was at 0.4 percent in January, down from 0.1 percent in December, according to CBA data. Monthly inflation in January was 2.2 percent, up from 1.7 percent inflation in December.

The government forecasts annual inflation within a range of 2.5-5.5 percent in 2016, the same as last year’s target.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says he does not consider the conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh and Transdniestria are “frozen.”

“They bring suffering to people year after year and hamper the development in the corresponding regions,” Mr. Steinmeier said in an interview with Interfax.

“We plan to strengthen the ceasefire regimes, reinforce trust and ease everyday life of the people in the conflict zones, e.g. through intensification of economic exchange,” the German Foreign Minister added.

“As for the Karabakh conflict, the military clashes at the line of contact and at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border are causes of concern. Germany stands for intensification of negotiations within the framework of the Minsk Group. Creation of a mechanism of investigation of border incidents would be an important step here,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.