Month: December 2016

Armenian Ombudsman’s Office, UN sign agreement

On 29 December 2016, The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Arman Tatoyan, and UNHCR Representative in Armenia, Mr. Christoph Bierwirth, signed a project agreement for 2017 titled “Enhancing the capacity of Human Rights Defender’s Office to monitor the situation of refugee and asylum-seekers in Armenia”. The signing ceremony took place at the UNHCR office in UN House in Yerevan.

U. researcher awarded for decades of study and care

The second desk drawer on the right in John Opitz ‘s study isn’t lined with the typical pens, pencils and Post-it notes: It’s lined with eggs. Twenty-two eggs, to be exact, laid by his bird, Darwin, who is just one of myriad animals that roam Opitz ‘s home, his love of zoology and biology brought to life.

Turkish committee clears draft expanding Erdogan’s powers

A Turkish parliamentary commission has cleared a set of draft constitutional amendments that would greatly expand the powers of the president. The constitutional commission approved the reforms that would turn the largely ceremonial presidency into one where the president enjoys full executive powers early on Friday.

Letter: U.S. veto an insult to Israel

Letter: U.S. veto an insult to Israel President Obama did not just “rebuke” Israel, but metaphorically spit in the face of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Check out this story on northjersey.com: http://northjersy.news/2iKOS85 When the United States abstained on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, President Barack Obama did not just “rebuke” Israel, but metaphorically spit in the face of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israelis and supporters of Israel everywhere.

Update on state project statuses

An update on the government’s progress over the past three months found delays have held back school capital works and crisis accommodation projects. Premier Will Hodgman provided the update on the state’s projects and their timeframes when he released the government’s Third Quarter update for October to December 2016.

Russian air strikes target IS around Syria’s al-Bab – Turkish military

ANKARA: Russian aircraft have carried out three air strikes on Islamic State around the Syrian town of al-Bab over the past 24 hours, the Turkish military said on Friday, in what appeared to be the first Russian support for Turkish army operations in the area. The strikes came as a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start at midnight.

Five killed, many trapped in Indian coal mine collapse – police

BHUBANESWAR, India: At least five Indian miners were killed and nearly two dozen trapped when mine waste collapsed at a mine run by state-owned Coal India Limited, police said on Friday. Several vehicles working at the mine were also trapped in the accident in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mines owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited , a subsidiary of the world’s largest miner.

Britain criticises focus on Israel settlements after Kerry speech

The British government on Thursday said peace between Israel and the Palestinians cannot be brokered by focusing solely on settlement construction, following a stern warning over the practice by US Secretary of State John Kerry. British Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesperson said Britain supports a two-state solution and believes the construction of settlements on Palestinian lands is illegal.

Iconic comedian Yoo Jae-suk wins top award, again

Comedian and TV host Yoo Jae-suk nabbed his 13th big accolade at the MBC Entertainment Awards on Thursday evening, further cementing his position as an icon of Korean onscreen entertainment. “The more prizes I receive, the more apologetic I feel,” Yoo, a 25-year comedy veteran, said in his acceptance speech upon receiving the Grand Prize at the awards ceremony held at the MBC Media Center in Sangam-dong, Seoul.

Three arrested in rosewood bust

Three Vietnamese nationals arrested for illegal transportation of Timber by Forestry Administration earlier this week and were sent to jail yesterday. Photo supplied Three Vietnamese nationals were charged and jailed yesterday for collecting and transporting more than 150kg of luxury rosewood in Preah Vihear province’s Chheb district.

Money for nothing in Siem Reap

In the tourist game, tuk-tuk drivers play an outsized role in their customers’ food and entertainment choices – and they expect to be paid. The practice of paying tuk-tuk drivers and concierges to push diners to your door is ubiquitous in Cambodia’s tourist capital, say frustrated restaurant owners, and doing no one any favours.

Chinese Muslims face further infringements of basic rights as authorities demand passports

Stand Up For Uyghur Rights Washington demonstration against Chinese President Xi Jinping visit to the US, September 25, 2015 A few weeks ago, the Uyghur Muslims experienced further discrimination, as the regional police ordered an arbitrary recall of their passports indefinitely, curtailing the citizens’ freedom to travel. Over 10 million Uyghurs in China will be affected by this policy, which had already been implemented in various counties across Xinjiang since last April.

Venezuela’s exclusion from trade summit underscores growing isolation in Latin America

It was a stark illustration of how far Venezuela’s stock has fallen in the neighborhood as its leftist government deals with economic calamity and political instability. In an incident that generated headlines here, uninvited Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez tried to crash a major trade summit at the Argentine Foreign Ministry building this month, scuffling with security personnel and threatening at one point to come in through a window if she was blocked.

China leads efforts to realize climate pact

A Moroccan policeman stands guard outside the COP22 village during the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Marrakech, Morocco, on Nov 15, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] As Confucius taught us, there are three methods to gaining wisdom.

Chinese soccer’s rising riches yet to bode well for the game

Chinese supporter cheers for their team before the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Preliminary Joint Qualification soccer match Qatar vs China at the Al Sadd Stadium in Doha, Qatar, October 8, 2015. [Photo/IC] A host of teams in the Chinese Super League, the country’s top soccer league, have witnessed big changes in their major shareholders as well as squads after this season.

Shrine visit unmasks Abe Cabinet’s true sentiments

US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lay wreaths at the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii on Tuesday. [Photo/Agencies] Shinzo Abe did indeed make history, of sorts, by becoming the first Japanese leader to visit the memorial above the wreckage of the USS Arizona in Hawaii and offering his “sincere and everlasting condolences” to those who died 75 years ago when Japan launched its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Relations between Obama and Netanyahu administrations hit new low

It took eight years of backbiting and pretending they got along for relations between President Barack Obama ‘s administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s government to finally hit rock bottom. Though they’ve clashed bitterly before, mostly notably over Iran, the two governments seemed further apart than ever after a speech Wednesday by Secretary of State John Kerry and last week’s United Nations resolution.

Cease-fire begins in war-ravaged Syria

A Syrian shopkeeper waits for customers next to paintings of of President Bashar Assad, and Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, center, at the Souk Tawil market in Damascus, Syria. BEIRUT – A cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey went into effect in war-ravaged Syria tonight, a potential breakthrough in the six years of fighting that have left more than a quarter-million people dead and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.

Garbage trucks part of Times Square security

Heavily armed counterterrorism officers take shelter from the rain beneath an overhang in Times Square on Thursday in New York, as the New York Police department began ramping up security for the city’s massive New Year’s Eve celebration. Heavily armed counterterrorism officers take shelter from the rain as they stand against the front of a watch store in Times Square on Thursday in New York.

Fate of Syria Cease-fire Unclear

Osama Abu Zaid, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army rebel alliance, shows the text of the agreement about a cease-fire between Syrian opposition groups and the Syrian government during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, Dec. 29, 2016. Much remains unclear about the nationwide Syrian cease-fire Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday – a truce that Moscow says can pave the way for Russian-brokered talks on a settlement of the five-year-long war.

Love, loss on display at failed-relationships museum

After her husband asked for a divorce, Amber Clisura gave back her engagement ring, kicked him out of the house and tossed everything that reminded her of the ruined marriage. Except for one item: a polished steel barbecue smoker that her future ex-husband had fashioned for her from an old oil drum.

Ita s Not Over!Exclusive: Obama, Palestinians Plotting More Anti-Israel Action

The Palestinian Authority has been in contact with the Obama administration and European countries about the possibility of taking more UN action on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before President Obama leaves office next month, a senior PA official told Breitbart Jerusalem. The official said the UN action could come in the form of declarations by UN bodies, including the General Assembly; UN sessions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; or even another United Nations Security Council resolution.

De Blasio isn’t jumping to defend Israel after UN vote :0

Mayor de Blasio – who has repeatedly cast himself as a fierce defender of Israel – refused Thursday to take a position on the UN resolution condemning the Jewish State for expanding its settlements . “I don’t really know what I think about the details of the resolution,” the mayor said at an unrelated press conference in Times Square.

Kremlin says Assad is ready to observe ceasefire in Syria

Dec 29 Syrian President Bashar al Assad told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he was ready to observe a ceasefire agreement in Syria, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Putin and Assad spoke on the phone and agreed that the opening of Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan would be “an important step towards the ultimate resolution of the crisis,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Chilean marines on trial for alleged sexual snooping

” Chile’s navy is holding a court martial for eight marines accused of making and distributing video images of female colleagues in their dormitory aboard a frigate. Defense Minister Jose Antonio Gomez says the marines would be expelled from the military if convicted and could face up to five years in prison.