Category: News

Every year the stage design is one of the most anticipated elements of the Eurovision Song Contest alongside the theme artwork and of course the songs. Swedish broadcaster SVT has revealed the stage design for 2016 which is described as powerful and brave. The set has been designed by Frida Arvidsson and Viktor Brattström who also produced the stage for the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, according to .

The set designers have used light as a strong component to create depth. “We want to do something that makes people wonder if it’s even possible”, says Viktor Brattström. Plans also include an innovative LED wall which allows the artists to move inside it. “Normally an LED wall is a flat background wall at the very end of the stage. We have broken up the wall and made it possible for people to move inside it” he added.

“We focused on a softer expression with no pixels and projections”, says Frida Arvidsson. “We are trying to play with the room and create optical illusions”, she added.

Producer, Sven Stojanovic, is very impressed with the design plans; “It’s really a great looking stage, giving us something that we haven’t seen before. In a way the stage gives us almost unlimited possibilities but at the same time forcing us to think in a new way. Creatively it’s both challenging and inspiring”.

Photograph provided by Bill and Jadwiga Smith

 

Hundreds of letters and photographs that tell the story of Pope John Paul II’s close relationship with a married woman, which lasted more than 30 years, have been shown to the .

The letters to Polish-born American philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka had been kept away from public view in the National Library of Poland for years.

The documents reveal a rarely seen side of the pontiff, who died in 2005.

There is no suggestion the Pope broke his vow of celibacy.

The friendship began in 1973 when Ms Tymieniecka contacted the future Pope, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, then Archbishop of Krakow, about a book on philosophy that he had written.

The then 50-year-old travelled from the US to Poland to discuss the work.

Shortly afterwards, the pair began to correspond. At first the cardinal’s letters were formal, but as their friendship grew, they become more intimate.

The pair decided to work on an expanded version of the cardinal’s book, The Acting Person. They met many times – sometimes with his secretary present, sometimes alone – and corresponded frequently.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

During the meeting the parties continued discussions on the process of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Referring to the negotiation process, Minister Nalbandian noted: “Ignoring the targeted messages of the international community, Azerbaijan continues to severely violate the trilateral agreements on establishment and reinforcement of ceasefire, turns down the proposal to create a mechanism of investigation of border incidents, attempts to take the discussions on the settlement of the issue to other formats and criticizes the Minsk Group co-chairmanship format. This comes to prove that Baku is doing its best to frustrate the settlement process. Furthermore, these actions of the Azerbaijani side and the refusal to meet with the Co-Chairs contribute to the maintenance of the status quo, something Armenia and the co-chairing countries have always stood against.”

Edward Nalbandian reiterated that Armenia would continue to work together with the Co-Chairs towards an exceptionally peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s second-half goal sealed Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 win over Hanover 96 on Saturday to trim Bayern Munich’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga to five points.

Dortmund were without injured star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who missed his first league match of the season after netting 20 goals in as many Bundesliga games.

In his absence, Mkhitaryan displayed superb individual skill to score the winner at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park.

With Marcel Schmelzer screaming up in support on his left, Mkhitaryan cut back inside and curled his right-footed shot around Hanover’s Germany goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler on 57 minutes.

“That really looked like hard work out there today,” said Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel.

“We started well but didn’t create the high-carat chances, then it became tough and tenacious.

“In terms of performance, there is much room for improvement, but of course we’re happy to take the three points.”

“It was a nice goal. I got the ball from Marco Reus and actually wanted to play a one-two with him, but then I saw a defender was behind him so I ran past him. I was aiming for the far post with my shot, and luckily that’s where it went,” Henrikh Mkhitaryan said after the match.

On February 13, in Munich Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with Victoria Nuland, the US Assistant Secretary of State.

The sides expressed satisfaction with the high-level of bilateral relations, attached importance to the steps undertaken in recent years towards the consolidation of friendly partnership between Armenia and the United States. Edward Nalbandian and Victoria Nuland exchanged views on the ways of further development of cooperation in various fields.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia and the US Assistant Secretary of State touched upon pressing regional and international issues

Edward Nalbandian and Victoria Nuland discussed the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

This week, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) submitted written testimony to the Helsinki Commission’s hearing entitled: “Update on the OSCE: Religious Freedom, Anti-Semitism, and Rule of Law,” citing Azerbaijan’s escalating and deadly cease-fire violations and urging additional action.

“As the Commission is aware, the Assembly remains deeply concerned about the authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan, its jailing of journalists and abandonment of democratic values, particularly for America’s ally Armenia,” Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny’s testimony stated.

Chairman Smith opened the hearing by stating his concern for human rights crises in Europe and Eurasia. Smith described repression in Azerbaijan as “rife,” especially in regards to freedom of the press. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Azerbaijan is the leading nation in Eurasia for jailing journalists. The Human Rights Watch 2016 World Report states that “the [Azerbaijan] government’s unrelenting crackdown decimated independent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and media,” resulting in imprisonment, criminal investigations, harassment, or travel bans.

The Assembly, for its part, highlighted Azerbaijan’s continued ceasefire violations in 2014 and 2015, which have been marked by an unprecedented increase in civilian casualties, including the targeting of a kindergarten in Armenia’s Tavush region. There have been over 54,000 cease-fire violations committed by Azerbaijan on the line of contact from 2014 through 2015, with an estimated total of nearly 1 million shots fired.

“These violations constitute a clear disregard for the rule of law and pose a direct threat to fundamental freedoms,” Ardouny said.

During the hearing, Chairman Smith noted that members of the Commission recently traveled to Baku twice, where they met with President Aliyev in rather lengthy meetings on human rights issues on both occasions. As a result of these discussions, Chairman Smith introduced the Azerbaijan Democracy Act of 2015. Chairman Smith said the reaction by the Aliyev government and parliament was “startling.”  “They claimed the Armenians put me, Chris Smith, up to it. The Armenians had absolutely no input, advance notice, or anything else about the bill,” according to Smith. “So when I hear this coming from the parliament, and coming from major media and presidential spokesmen, I wonder about their credibility on other things,” he said.

 

The Assembly also welcomed the Royce-Engel initiative to U.S. Ambassador James Warlick, U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, calling for: (1) an agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact; (2) the placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact; and (3) the deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

“We strongly urge the Commission to support this important initiative by convening a special hearing to examine the scope and nature of these violations as well as review steps needed to bring about a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” stated Ardouny.

Below is the full text of Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny’s testimony, which was submitted to the Helsinki Commission on February 11, 2016.

Testimony before the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
“Update on the OSCE: Religious Freedom, Anti-Semitism, and Rule of Law”

Submitted by Bryan Ardouny

Executive Director of the Armenian Assembly of America

February 11, 2016

Chairman Smith, Co-Chairman Wicker, distinguished Commissioners, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) welcomes today’s important hearing. We share the concerns of the Commission with respect to threats to religious freedom and the rule of law as well as the specter of anti-Semitism, whether in Europe or beyond.

The Assembly especially appreciates the Commission’s ongoing vigilance in shining a bright light on human rights violations in an effort to bring about much needed change and to protect religious and minority communities. In particular, we remain deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of Christians and other minorities at risk in the Middle East and elsewhere. As ISIS continues its brutal targeting of innocent civilians, images of which evoke the horrors of the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and other crimes against humanity, it reminds us all about the urgent challenges before us and the need to redouble our efforts to prevent atrocities from occurring.

We also appreciate the work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), as well as the OSCE Minsk Group which seeks to find a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We welcome the introduction of the Azerbaijan Democracy Act of 2015 by Chairman Smith, which sends a strong message that the United States takes the defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms seriously.

As the Commission is aware, the Assembly remains deeply concerned about the authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan, its jailing of journalists and abandonment of democratic values, and the impact it has on the region, particularly for America’s ally Armenia. Unfortunately, these authoritarian trends have spilled over into the OSCE-mediated Nagorno Karabakh peace process wherein the Azerbaijani government continues to violate the 1994 cease-fire agreement at an alarming rate and with more powerful weaponry.

According to reports filed with the United Nations (UN) and the OSCE, there were over 11,500 cross-border violations committed by Azerbaijan against Armenia from 2014 through 2015, constituting an estimate of more than 200,000 shots fired. In Armenia’s Tavush region, a kindergarten has been the repeated target of sniper fire. This is an outrageous violation. The targeting of innocent civilians and children must end.

With respect to the line of contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, there have been over 54,000 cease-fire violations committed by Azerbaijan during the same period. These violations constitute an estimated total of nearly 1 million shots fired.

Some of the weapons used by Azerbaijan in its attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh in 2014-2015 include: grenade launchers, large caliber machine guns, large caliber sniper weapons, mortars, and howitzers. Not surprisingly 2014 and 2015 have been marked by increased civilian deaths and casualties. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in a Joint Statement in December 2015 said “there is no justification for the death and injury of innocent civilians.” “We especially condemn the use of mortars and other heavy weaponry,” the joint statement highlighted “and regret deeply the civilian casualties these weapons have caused.”

These violations constitute a clear disregard for the rule of law and pose a direct threat to fundamental freedoms. Given these egregious violations, the Assembly welcomed last year’s initiative by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel to address the dramatic increase of deadly cease-fire violations. In their letter to Ambassador James Warlick, U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, they called for three concrete steps to be taken. These include: (1) an agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact; (2) the placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact; and (3) the deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations. The letter was signed by 85 Members of Congress.

We hope that these recommendations are implemented to help ensure the safety and security of the people of Armenia and Karabakh. Further, we strongly urge the Commission to support this important initiative by convening a special hearing to examine the scope and nature of these violations as well as review steps needed to bring about a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The United States has a vested interest in advancing peace and bringing stability to the region – and a key to stability is respect and adherence to the fundamental tenets of the rule of law and human rights.

Chairman Smith and Co-Chairman Wicker, we commend you for holding this hearing and look forward to working with the Helsinki Commission on these and other pressing issues as we pursue shared values in promoting democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.

World Radio Day on 13 February brings attention to the role of radio in managing disasters and recovery in their aftermath.

The theme of the UNESCO day this year is Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster, in short, as the World Radio Day website so simply puts it, ‘Radio saves lives’.   It can also enhance them.

Radio is recognized as a low-cost medium, specifically suited to reach remote communities and is especially effective in reaching people affected by disasters when other means of communication are disrupted. Terrestrial radio broadcasts are effective in providing timely, relevant and practical information to people who are confused and demoralised by the impact of a crisis. Broadcast information is particularly useful in situations where physical access is difficult and aid responders may take several days or weeks to reach affected communities.

Recent natural and man-made disasters are a major cause for concern to the global community. “In times of crisis and emergency, radio can be a lifeline,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “For people in shattered societies, or caught in catastrophe, or desperately seeking news, radio brings lifesaving information. This year, as we start carrying out the Sustainable Development Goals, let us resolve to use radio for human progress. On this World Radio Day, let us resolve to prove that radio saves lives.”

“Radio plays a very significant part of all our lives.  On average, we will listen to nine years of radio in a lifetime – more than any activity except breathing and sleeping!   However, statistics anonymize the audiences.  The human stories behind the figures are moving and compelling.   In difficult circumstances, audiences can receive advice about their personal safety, and counter loss and isolation.   It can amuse and inform us, as a convenient, flexible way to encounter new ideas, new music and new ways of thinking.    Nine years of listening in an average lifetime is indeed an impressive figure, but the real personal impact of radio cannot be quantified.  World Radio Day provides a great opportunity to reflect on the power of radio,” said Graham Dixon, Head of Radio, European Broadcasting Union.

Listen to Radio Day congratulations from our colleagues all over the world”

Greece

Germany

Romania

Ukraine

Slovenia

Slovakia

Serbia

Italy

Japan

Poland

Hungary

Malta

Lithuania

Finland

EBU Geneva

Czech Republic

Cyprus

Croatia

Catalonia, Spain

Canada

Bulgaria

Belgium

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has issued the following statement on World Radio Day:

In times of crisis and emergency, radio can be a lifeline.

For people in shattered societies, or caught in catastrophe, or desperately seeking news, radio brings lifesaving information.

Radio can help in emergency response operations – and it can assist with rebuilding.

Through community radio, local people can raise their voices and be heard.

This year, as we start carrying out the Sustainable Development Goals, let us resolve to use radio for human progress.

In the lead-up to the World Humanitarian Summit this May, let us find ways for radio to do even more to help people in emergencies.

On this World Radio Day, let us resolve to prove that radio saves lives.

Photos: REUTERS/MAX ROSSI    

Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed on Friday in a historic meeting nearly 1,000 years after the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity split apart, Reuters reports.

“Finally,” Francis said as he and Kirill entered through doors on opposite sides of a room at Havana airport to begin private talks. “We are brothers.”

The two religious leaders, guests of a Communist government, are addressing ways of healing the rift between their Churches as well as their concerns over the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

They were expected to speak about territorial disputes between the two Churches after the fall of the Soviet Union, and issue a joint declaration following the meeting.

Francis, dressed in white with a skullcap, and Kirill, wearing a tall, domed hat that dangled a white stole over black robes, joined arms and kissed on both cheeks.

“It is very clear that this is the will of God,” Francis said.

“Yes, things are much easier now,” Kirill said. Both men spoke through interpreters and were accompanied by their top aides in the quest for Christian unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch and Russian Metropolitan Hilarion.

Their meeting, announced just a week ago, also carried political overtones, coming at a time of Russian disagreements with the West over Syria and Ukraine.

Cuban President Raul Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the Catholic Church’s highest representative in Cuba, greeted the pope as he got off the plane.

 

On February 12, within the framework of the Munich Security Conference Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, met Miroslav Lajčák, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

The Foreign Ministers attached importance to the regular high-level meetings in ensuring dynamic development of relations between the two friendly countries.

Within this context deepening of political dialogue, expansion of legal framework, strengthening of cooperation within international organizations, intensification of trade and economic relations were highlighted.

Edward Nalbandian and Miroslav Lajčák exchanged views on the Armenia-EU relations, as well as the ongoing cooperation within that format.

The sides touched upon pressing international and regional issues.

Edward Nalbandian presented to his counterpart the joint efforts exerted by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.