The Mesopotamian marshlands in southern Iraq were once the largest wetland ecosystem in Western Eurasia. But after years of drought and political turmoil, they’re in danger of disappearing.

A parched land

The Mesopotamian Marshes of southern Iraq are a rare area of wetland in a sea of desert, and are fed by the waters of the Tigris-Euphrates river system. Drought is often an issue in Iraq but a lack of rainfall, internal political strife and the damming of rivers further upstream in Turkey have combined to make the current situation even more dire.

Two Chinese fanciers battled it out in an online auction to buy the star racer, smashing the previous record of €376,000 ($425,000). New interest from Asian markets in recent years has given the flagging practice a lift.

Belgium’s best long-distance racing pigeon, Armando, was the subject of a bidding war between two anonymous Chinese buyers, putting enthusiasts into a spin on Sunday.

Armando was expected to break the previous record of €376,000 ($425,000), paid for a pigeon called Nadine by another Chinese buyer, but not by so much.

“No one expected that the magical cap of a million euros would be pulverized,” the Belgian enthusiast site Pigeon Paradise said, after the final bid of €1,252,000 was placed in the closing hour.

The site said the average price of €13,489 for the 178 pigeons sold in the auction was the second-most expensive stable it had seen sold.

Respected west Belgian breeder Joel Verschoot picked up a total of around €2 million through the auction, with the top bird expected to be used for breeding more stars.

Racing revived

Homing pigeons are thought to have been used as far back as 1200 BC to carry messages but their use in racing is said to date back to at least the 1800s. The pigeons are raised in a loft and then taken hundreds of kilometers away and released. The first pigeon that makes it back to the loft wins.

Racing pigeons can average speeds of above 80km/h (more than 50mph) over 1,000 kilometer distances and can go much faster over shorter distances.

The flagging sport has received a boost in recent years as wealthy Chinese buyers have become interested.

However, animal welfare activists have raised concerns about the high number of animals that don’t return to the coop.

Animal rights group PETA launched an investigation in 2013 that found millions of pigeons dead in the ocean in Taiwan after they had been forced to fly too far.

Enthusiasts, known as fanciers, have defended the practice, saying that when pigeons don’t return it is often due to natural predators, disorientation due to man-made radio signals and theft.

UNESCO had been considering giving the practice the status of intangible cultural heritage in Germany but rejected the application after activists complained.

ta/msh (AFP)

Authorities say several people have been injured and three were killed in a shooting on a tram in Utrecht. After a city-wide manhunt, police have said that a suspect has been detained.

A gunman opened fire on a tram in the central Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding five, said city Mayor Jan van Zanen.

“We sympathize with those close to the victims, the injured and all the people who were at the shooting incident this morning. We must embrace each other and support those who grieve,” van Zanen said.

Police then launched a city-wide manhunt for the assailant, who was detained around 6:30 pm local time (17:36 UTC), eight hours after the shooting.

Utrecht police had released a photo of the suspect earlier on Monday, naming him as Gökmen Tanis, a 37-year-old native of Turkey. 

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it “strongly” condemned the attack, which came six months after the two countries re-appointed ambassadors following a diplomatic spat.

The terrorism threat level had been raised to the maximum of five in the province of Utrecht, but dropped one notch to four after the arrest.

Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus urged the public to cease speculation about Tanis’ motives.

“It is important that now the independent investigation will thoroughly go through the evidence,” Grapperhaus said.

“Yes, the suspect was known within the justice department. He had a criminal record. That is indeed what we know. I can give no more details.” 

PM Rutte: ‘the Netherlands feels your deep pain’

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte issued a statement on Monday evening, speaking to the victims and their loved ones, saying “the Netherlands feels your deep pain.”

“The motives for the attack are still unclear. For now, we are overcome by a sense of horror and disbelief at the terrible events of today.”

He added his appreciation for the first responders, the police, and the work of the justice and defense departments. 

Relatives: Shooter motivated by ‘family reasons’

On Monday afternoon, despite earlier comments from authorities that they were probing the possibility of terrorism, relatives indicated that Tanis may have been motivated by relationship problems.

“It could also have been a relationship crime,” police spokesman Bernard Jens told Dutch radio broadcaster NOS.

People related to the suspect told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency that he had fired on a relative in the tram for “family reasons.”

They said he shot at a woman on the tram and then attacked people who tried to help the victim.

Utrecht on lockdown

Schools were told to shut their doors, while paramilitary police boosted security at airports and other key buildings. Utrecht City Council warned residents to stay inside.

Later, police lifted the lockdown.

In neighboring Germany, meanwhile, police carried out checks on trains from the Netherlands and manning highways as well as minor border crossings. “We ramped up our search efforts after we were informed

,” a police spokesman told German news agency DPA.

The incident took place in western Utrecht at the 24 Oktoberplein tram stop at about 10:45 a.m. (0945 UTC). Heavily armed officers flooded the area, while emergency services cordoned off streets around the busy intersection and urged the public to steer clear.

Witnesses reported seeing a man flee the scene in a car. Local broadcaster RTV Utrecht quoted a witness as saying he had seen a woman lying on the ground and several men running from the tram.

The Armenian Government is currently negotiating with the United States over plans to attract 89 investment projects worth a total of $2.7 billion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday.

In his third big press conference since election to office, the chief of Armenia’s cabinet also pointed out to a general increase in foreign investors’ interest in Armenia. “Forty-two of [the US investment] projects, worth $774 million, are currently at different stages of implementation, with the rest still being actively considered,” he said.

The premier also praised the positive dynamics in the mortgage loans, which he said increased by 100% as of February. He said that the mortgage loans lent as part of different government programs revealed a 145% growth in the reporting period.

“That promises a demand for development activities which will boost job creation not only in the development sector but also in the manufacturing of building materials, and services. That’s a very important indicator in terms of reducing unemployment,” he added.

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Dashgin Shikarov has reportedly appropriated 10 jars of caviar intended as a gift from the Azerbaijani government to Ruler of Abu Dhabi Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In addition, a special commission has been set up at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Abu Dhabi to probe the disappearance of half a million dollars, suspected to have been seized, Azerbaijan media reported.

Shikarov is a highly experienced diplomat. Previously, he headed the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He began serving as Azerbaijani ambassador to the UAE in January 2016.

After this discovery, the Azerbaijani president is said to have recalled the ambassador.

The case once again comes to prove that Azerbaijan proceeds with its ‘caviar diplomacy.’

Source Panorama.am

TORONTO, March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lydian International Limited (TSX:LYD) (“Lydian” or the “Company”)  today announced that the Republic of Armenia Government has commenced its third-party assessment (“Third Audit”)  of the Amulsar Gold Project’s environmental impact on water resources, geology, biodiversity and water quality.

In September 2018, an assessment was ordered by the Armenian government to study possible impacts of the Amulsar Gold Project on water resources. The scope of work will now also include a review of the Company’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (“ESIA”) and Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”). This is despite the fact that the Company’s EIA was previously approved by Armenian authorities in accordance with Armenian law before Lydian began constructing the Amulsar Gold Project. Earth Link and Advanced Resources Development (“ELARD”) has been selected by the Armenian government as the consulting firm to perform the assessment, which is expected to last approximately 12 to 16 weeks. In February 2019, the Armenian government allocated USD$396,900 to fund the Third Audit and announced earlier today that the Third Audit has commenced.

João Carrêlo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lydian, stated, “We have cooperated fully with the two previous government ordered audits since inception of the blockades in June 2018 and we will collaborate with ELARD in what we have been told by the government will be the final audit. In the meantime, we continue to engage with the Armenian government to enforce the rule of law in order to provide access to the Amulsar project site and allow Lydian to resume construction and environmental activities concurrently with the Third Audit. Despite all our efforts to date and notwithstanding the current government’s intolerance of other illegal blockades in country, Lydian has been prevented from restarting construction activities. The Armenian government’s actions and inactions form part of an ongoing campaign targeting Lydian’s investments in Armenia. No other company in Armenia has been subjected to three audits since June 2018 and been unable to continue its operations.”

The Company does not accept the need or legal basis for the Third Audit, since the Armenian government already confirmed that the Amulsar Gold Project complied with Armenian environmental requirements when it approved the EIA, and that Lydian relied on this approval when investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Armenia.

About Lydian International Limited

Lydian is a gold developer focused on construction at its 100%-owned Amulsar Gold Project, located in south-central Armenia. However, illegal blockades have prevented access to Amulsar since late June 2018. Amulsar is expected to be a large-scale, low-cost operation with production targeted to average approximately 225,000 ounces annually over an initial 10-year mine life. Estimated mineral resources contain 3.5 million measured and indicated gold ounces and 1.3 million inferred gold ounces as outlined in the Q1 2017 Technical Report. Existing mineral resources beyond current reserves and open extensions provide opportunities to improve average annual production and extend the mine life. Lydian is committed to good international industry practices in all aspects of its operations including production, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. For more information and to directly contact us, please visit www.lydianinternational.co.uk.

Doug Tobler, Chief Financial Officer +1 720-307-5087

Pamela Solly, Vice President of Investor Relations +1 720-464-5649

Or: [email protected]

Caution regarding forward-looking information

Certain information contained in this news release is “forward looking”. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur are “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “intends”, “anticipates” or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “will”, “would”, “should”, or “occur” or the negative or other variations of such terms. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements with respect to: the Company’s intention to collaborate with ELARD; the Company’s engagement with the Armenian government; and the resumption of construction and environmental activities at the Amulsar project site. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered when the property is developed.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation: changes in gold and silver prices; adverse general economic, political, market or business conditions; failure to achieve the objectives of the future exploration and drilling programs; regulatory changes; as well as “Risk Factors” included in the disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/03/19/1756836/0/en/Armenian-Government-Commences-the-Third-Audit.html

A decision to grant Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) the status of an Armenian region should be left absolutely to its people’s discretion, a founding member of the radical opposition party Sasna Tsrer said today, warning of the Abkhazian precedent.

According to Zhirayr Sefilyan, such decision should receive backing by the majority of the country’s population, especially in the light of recent geopolitical developments.

“The threat of ‘Abkhazianation’ is looming over Artsakh, so we must avert that within the shortest possible timeframes. We are hopeful the incumbent authorities in Yerevan will also assist in the process, ” he said.

Sasna Tsrer had earlier launched a petition in Artsakh, proposing the idea of granting suffrage to the country’s population in the parliamentary elections and referendums in Armenia.

Sefilyan said he does not make any distinction between citizens of Artsakh and citizens of the Republic of Armenia. “There is no such thing as citizenship of Artsakh. The Artsakh Armenians hold Armenian passports, the only difference dealing with the registration data. So this petition has attracted the citizens who are registered in Artsakh and who, for so many years, have been deprived of the right to vote in the [nationwide] elections in Armenia,” he added.

Amalya Arakelyan

A new restaurant offering a fly dining experience will open in Armenia’s capital Yerevan in April. As the founder of “Invest in Armenia” project Hovsep Patvakayan wrote on his Facebook page the new restaurant will be similar to Dubai Dine Sky.

According to him, a deck with a dining table in the middle and 22 chairs around will go up 50 meters in the air, lifted by a crane with the visitors offered to dine with a unique aerial view of downtown in Yerevan. The guests will be able to rotate chairs at 180 degrees, recline the seats back and lie down.

As the founder wrote, the restaurant will be three times affordable to compare with similar restaurants abroad and will cost around 45 USD, the food inclusive. The visitors will be offered to order the menu in advance that will comprise starters, the main dish and dessert.

The restaurant will be available all season long, including in winter with a deck designated for 16 people.