Costa Concordia survivors mark 2nd anniversary of wreckJanuary 13, 2014 - 14:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Survivors of the Costa Concordia are commemorating the second anniversary of the deadly grounding off Tuscany with a candle-lit march and a moment of silence in the courtroom where the captain is on trial, the Associated Press reports. Judges and survivors alike stood in silence Monday, Jan 13, morning inside the theater-turned courtroom where Capt. Francesco Schettino stands accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the Concordia before all passengers had evacuated. He says he's innocent. The anniversary comes as residents of Giglio are finally seeing the end of the ordeal, with June set as the date to remove the wreck from the island's port. Giglio's commemorations include a Mass and evening candle-lit procession to mark the exact time that the Concordia slammed into a reef and capsized, killing 32 people. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |