Syrian govt denies blame for journalist deathsFebruary 23, 2012 - 16:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Syrian government has denied responsibility for the deaths of the two foreign journalists killed in Homs, as British Foreign Secretary William Hague ruled out the possibility of military intervention, Sky News reported. The Syrian foreign ministry said Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik, who were killed when a rocket struck the makeshift media centre in which they were staying, "sneaked" into the country, and were there illegally. "We reject statements holding Syria responsible for the deaths of journalists who sneaked into its territory at their own risk," said a ministry statement read out on state television. Activist Hadi Abdullah, a member of the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution, said it was clear the government was responsible. "We are sure that the centre was targeted, because 11 rockets struck in and around it," he said. "The regime forces intercepted a transmission signal," he added. Following the denial, the UN announced that Syria had committed crimes against humanity under orders from "the highest levels" of the army and government. The UN said the report also includes a confidential list of commanding officers and senior officials who appear responsible for international crimes. 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 | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |