Kevin de Leon Officially Launches U.S. Senate Bid

Kevin de Leon during his campaign kick-off rally on Wednesday

LOS ANGELES—California Senate Pro-Tem Kevin de Leon officially launched his bid for the US Senate during a rally Wednesday at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, with hundreds of supporters and fellow legislators in attendance.

De Leon, who is challenging Senator Diane Feinstein, kicked off his speech with a direct jab at the Washington establishment, which he hopes to change as a young Democrat vying for office, which has been held by Feinstein since 1992.

“We are living in unique times, facing unprecedented challenges that require new ideas and new energy,” he told the crowd. “The D.C. playbook is obsolete.”

“Now is the time for a senator who is willing to stand up and be heard, not from the sidelines, but loud and proud from the front lines,” added de Leon, who has been at the forefront of the “Resistance” movement in California against President Donald Trump’s policies.

“We’re overdue for a real debate on the issues, priorities and leadership voters want from their senator,” De León told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. “I think California needs a senator not just fully resistant to Trump’s presidency, but who understands the issues most Californians face every day.”

Since his days in the California State Assembly and continuing during his tenure at the state Senate, de Leon has been an outspoken supporter of Armenian-American issues in the California legislature.

Aside from recognizing and commemorating the Armenian Genocide every year, de Leon was instrumental in garnering support for legislation that recognized the independence and right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh.

In 2014, de Leon was recognized by the Amrenian National Committee of America-Western Region with its “Legislator of the Year” award during the organization’s annual banquet. That same year, de Leon, who was elected to the California State Senate in 2010, was chosen to become Senate President Pro-Tempre, leading the upper house of the California legislature.

Prior to being elected to the California Senate, De León served four years as a State Assembly member for the 45th district that included Hollywood and more specifically the Little Armenia neighborhood, which is home to the St. Garabed Armeian Church, Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, the Armenian Youth Center of Hollywood and the headquarters of the Asbarez newspaper and Horizon Armenian Television.

Among his contributions to local community efforts, de Leon spearheaded the effort to erect signs on the 101 Freeway to direct drivers to Little Armenia. For years, he and his office have helped the Armenian Relief Society’s Hollywood Social Service center by providing assistance and gifts that are distributed during the holiday season. Most recently, through Senator de Leon’s efforts, famed international singer and musician Charles Aznavour received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bako Sahakyan approves government’s decision to adopt as a guidance and implement Artsakh Republic President’s 2017-2020 program

Category
Artsakh

On October 16 Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan approved the Ggovernment’s decision to adopt as a guidance and implement the Artsakh Republic President’s 2017-2020 program, press service of the President’s Office reported.

Members of the Artsakh Republic Cabinet, heads of state organs were tasked to ensure within the limits of their respective functions the development and implementation of actions enshrined in the Artsakh Republic President’s program, and submit to the President the corresponding reports on a periodical basis.

Armenia Has New Strategy to Help Terminally Ill

Gurgen G., who had a brain tumor, and his mother. Gurgen participated in a palliative care pilot project, which improved the quality of his remaining life. He died in August 2012, free from pain. (Photo: New Media Advocacy Project)

YEREVAN (Human Rights Watch) – About 8,000 people die from cancer in Armenia every year, many spending their last days in excruciating pain.

But Armenia has recently taken two important steps toward ending their suffering. In February, the government adopted a national strategy to introduce palliative care services, which focuses on pain relief and improving the quality of life, and in March, it registered two forms of liquid oral morphine, paving the way for their use in the public healthcare system.

The World Health Organization considers oral morphine, which is swallowed, the cornerstone of cancer pain treatment. Currently, only injectable morphine is available in Armenia.

The national strategy focuses on treating pain and other physical symptoms, and provides psychosocial support for people with life-threatening illnesses. It specifies reforms in policy, education, and medicines’ availability, and designates state institutions that will be responsible for carrying out these reforms.

In July 2015, Human Rights Watch published a report and video showing the impact of untreated pain and lack of support services on the lives of cancer patients and their families in Armenia. I interviewed many people who were dying – in horrible pain.

Lyudmila, a 61-year-old kindergarten teacher, told me, “The pain attacks start unexpectedly, and I start screaming and become a different person…. I can’t speak. I have pain attacks every night…. It’s … unbearable pain for a human being….”

Her experience was not an exception.

When treatment to cure cancer is no longer effective, patients with advanced cancer in Armenia are sent home, essentially abandoned by the health care system at arguably the most vulnerable time of their lives. They face pain, fear, and anguish without professional support. Some of the support they need is palliative care.

Morphine, the mainstay medication for treating severe pain, is inexpensive and easy to administer, but fewer than 3 percent of those who need morphine in Armenia get it. That’s because of the nearly insurmountable bureaucratic barriers around the prescribing and dispensing of morphine, which the new strategy should change.

The Armenian government has long recognized the need for palliative care, yet took more than three years to develop and adopt the strategy and action plan and ensure that oral morphine is registered. The strategy recognizes the need to amend regulations restricting access to pain relief medications, and the government plans to review them in 2018. Armenia’s thousands of cancer patients have waited long enough.

Turkish Press: Turkish court releases 5 suspects in Dink case

Anadolu Agency (AA), Turkey
October 6, 2017 Friday


Turkish court releases 5 suspects in Dink case


By Hanife Sevinc and Mustafa Hatipoglu

ISTANBUL

A Turkish court on Friday released five suspects with alleged links to
the killing of prominent Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink in
2007.

Former police officers Metin Balta and Ahmet Cetiner from the police
department of the Black Sea province of Samsun, and Gazi Gunay, Ergun
Yorulmaz and Huseyin Yilmaz from the provincial gendarmerie command of
Trabzon province had been remanded in custody over the murder of Hrant
Dink.

Sixteen others are still in jail awaiting trial.

Other suspects in the case include leader of Fetullah Terrorist
Organization (FETO) Fetullah Gulen, former FETO-linked prosecutor
Zekeriya Oz, the former editor-in-chief of the Zaman newspaper Ekrem
Dumanli as well as journalists Adem Yavuz Arslan, Faruk Mercan and
Ercan Gun.

They are all charged with "intentional killing" and "attempting to
upend the constitutional order".

Dink, editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos, was
killed outside his office on Jan. 19, 2007 in a case that has stirred
intrigue and conspiracy theories.

Ogun Samast was jailed for 23 years in 2011 for the killing. Samast,
who was aged 17 at the time of the shooting, claimed he killed Dink
for "insulting Turkishness".

Although Samast is the only person to be jailed for the murder,
speculation on the involvement of others has persisted.

In April, FETO -- which Turkey accuses of having plotted last year's
deadly defeated coup of July 15 -- was officially tied to the case.

A 120-page indictment said soldiers and police involved in the Dink
murder later played an active role in the defeated coup.

The next hearings will be on Dec. 4,5,7, and 8.

ՀՀ սփյուռքի նախարար Հրանուշ Հակոբյանն ընդունեց մի խումբ բրազիլացի լրագրողների

Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.

Sincerely,
Media and PR Department
(+374 10) 585601, internal 805

----------------------
Հարգանքով`
Մամուլի և հասարակայնության հետ կապերի վարչություն

(+374 10) 585601, ներքին 805


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Azerbaijani Press: High time for revising OSCE Minsk Group’s composition

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2017

By Rashid Shirinov

The OSCE Minsk Group, created back in 1994 to find a peaceful resolution for the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has failed to make a considerable progress in the peace process, while the conflict continues to threaten regional stability and security.

Despite more than two decades of negotiations, the OSCE mediation appears to be a failure amid the daily ceasefire breaches and murders of Azerbaijani civilians lining on the frontline areas. Of course the OSCE is making certain efforts towards reaching a peaceful settlement, but shortcomings and double standards prevent the peace process.

Experts, even political scientists say the time has come for changes in the OSCE Minsk Group composition for making effective steps to end the conflict.

Kristian Vigenin, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on the South Caucasus, has also touched upon this issue.  During his visit to Baku, Vigenin noted that the composition of the OSCE Minsk Group may be reconsidered.

“We understand the dissatisfaction of the Azerbaijani side with the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, since no actual progress in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has been achieved,” he said at the meeting. “Next year the OSCE Minsk Group marks its 25-year anniversary, and its composition may be revised in this connection.”

Political analyst Ilgar Velizade, talking to Echo.az, noted that Azerbaijan has repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction with the Minsk Group’s activities.

However, Velizade believes, the revision of the MG’s format will remain in name only, and no action will follow.

The expert reminded that the Minsk Group consists not only of the co-chairing countries, which include the U.S., Russia and France, but also of other states.

“Therefore, if we assume that the format will be changed, there are many options. For example, all member states of the OSCE Minsk Group can alternately play the role of the co-chairs,” Velizade said. “Maybe, these countries will have the opportunity to become moderators of the negotiation process.”

The OSCE Minsk Group has a co-chairmanship institution, comprised of Russian, the US and French co-chairs, which began operating in 1996.    The Group’s members include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belarus, Finland and Sweden.

Velizade stressed that the issue of changing the Minsk Group’s composition as a whole can also be raised.  “Azerbaijan is the country most interested in the issue of the MG’s format changing, and other countries agree on what there is today,” he added.

Speaking about the possibility of Turkey’s joining the MG co-chairs, Velizade said that Azerbaijan wouldn’t mind Turkey’s involvement in the ranks of the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs.

“However, the Armenian side considers this country to be biased. A similar bias has also been demonstrated by France, which is considered pro-Armenian, but it remains among the co-chairs,” said the analyst.

Velizade noted that it would be also good to involve Spain in the new format of the OSCE MG, as the country knows the specifics of the work, it experienced problems with separatism in practice, so it will be able to provide due support Azerbaijan.