Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 15.08.2019:
· A Ural Airlines passenger airplane, which was en route from Moscow to Simferopol, has made an emergency landing on a cornfield in the outskirts of Zhukovskiy city in Moscow Oblast, Russia.
Shortly after takeoff a bird fell into the engine of this aircraft, the engine caught fire, the brakes of the wheels broke, and the plane landed on its “belly.”
There were 234 people, including seven crew members, on board.
The passengers were evacuated by evacuation slides.
And the passengers’ list, which Komsomolskaya Pravda has made public, shows that there were 11 Armenians on board this aircraft.
· The Investigative Committee of Armenia on Wednesday publicized the final conclusion on the Amulsar gold mine examination. According to it, the contaminated waters of the Amulsar mine are very unlikely to have an impact on the Jermuk springs, since there are no paths to transfer the groundwater flow and the contamination.
The Armenian Environmental Front initiative has issued a statement, according to which Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) Lebanese consultancy firm has not submitted a conclusion with respect to the Amulsar gold mine, but rather just studied the documents presented by Lydian Armenia which operates this mine.
According to a study, there are numerous shortcomings in the project.
As per the statement which Lydian has released, it has always stressed that it operates in Armenia in accordance with its mining permits, which were granted based on a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment approval process. Nevertheless, Lydian’s Amulsar Project has been subject to three full-scale environmental audits since July last year. Lydian has fully cooperated with all audits.
· U.S. Congressman John Yarmuth became the 109th U.S. Representative to co-sponsor the Armenian Genocide Resolution, the Armenian National Committee of America reported.
The resolution has been spearheaded by Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Gus Bilirakis.
· Artak O., 37, a contract serviceman of the Armed Forces of Armenia, on Tuesday sustained a gunshot wound in Gegharkunik Province, and from the shots fired from Azerbaijan.
Armenak Melkumyan, Director of Chambarak Health Center, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the soldier underwent surgery at the center. The soldier is in critical condition.
According to Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense (MOD), the soldier on Tuesday was transferred to the MOD Central Clinical Military Hospital in capital city Yerevan.
· The US Department of Commerce blacklisted two Armenian entities, said in a document published on the website of the US Federal Register.
According to the document, the decision to impose restrictions on Markel Closed Joint Stock Company (Markel CJSC) and Yerevan Telecommunications Research Institute (YETRI) Closed Joint Stock Company (CJSC) was made because “YETRI CJSC has obtained CCL items that were reexported without the required BIS licenses, and the person who is both Executive Director of YETRI CJSC and President of Markel CJSC has been engaged in a business relationship with a sanctioned Iranian organization.”
· The Consulate General of Uruguay will open in Yerevan on August 16, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in a joint press conference with his Uruguayan counterpart Rodolfo Nin Novoa, who is in Yerevan on an official visit.
The Armenian Foreign Minister noted the ongoing dynamic dialogue between the two countries.
Uruguay FM, in his turn, noted that Uruguay is ready to share its experience with Armenia in such areas as agriculture, climate change, renewable energy, and healthcare.
· Armenia’s Grandmaster (GM) Levon Aronian has won the 2019 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT).
In doing so, Aronian, who plays first board for the three-time World Chess Olympiad champions and former World Team Chess champions Armenia, garnered 22 points out of a possible 36 points.
This is his second time winning the competition.
