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Joseph Kittinger, who set longtime parachute record, dies

Retired Air Force Col. Joseph Kittinger, whose 1960 parachute jump from almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) above the Earth stood as a world record for more than 50 years, died Friday in Florida at the age of 94, according to AP.

His death was announced by former U.S. Rep. John Mica and other friends. The cause was lung cancer.

Kittinger, then an Air Force captain and pilot, gained worldwide fame when he completed three jumps over 10 months from a gondola that was hoisted into the stratosphere by large helium balloons. Project Excelsior was aimed at helping design ejection systems for military pilots flying high-altitude missions.

Wearing a pressure suit and 60 pounds of equipment, Kittinger almost died during the project’s first jump in November 1959 when his gear malfunctioned after he jumped from 14.5 miles (23 kilometers). He lost consciousness as he went into a spin that was 22 times the force of gravity. He was saved when his automatic chute opened.

Four weeks later, Kittinger made his second jump from just over 14 miles (22 kilometers) above the surface. This time, there were no problems.

Kittinger’s record jump came on Aug. 16, 1960, in the New Mexico desert. His pressure suit malfunctioned as he rose, failing to seal off his right hand, which swelled to twice normal size before he jumped from 102,800 feet — more than 19 miles (31.3 kilometers) above the surface.

Kittinger stayed in the Air Force after his jumps, serving three tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He was shot down over North Vietnam in May 1972, but ejected and parachuted to Earth. He was captured and spent 11 months in a Hanoi prisoner of war camp, undergoing torture.

He retired from the Air Force in 1978 and settled in the Orlando area, where he became a local icon. A park is named there is named after him.

He is survived by his wife, Sherri.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

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Russia vows to assist in securing peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan — envoy

Russia is ready to assist in every possible way in drafting a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a senior Russian diplomat said in an interview with TASS.

“We are ready to further assist in delimitating the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and drafting a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan, among other things, by hosting trilateral high-level meetings,” head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Fourth CIS Department Denis Gonchar said. “These processes which are extremely sensitive to both parties necessitate a search for mutually acceptable long-term decisions,” he added.

According to the Russian diplomat, “We are also making arrangements for next public and expert meetings in the two countries. These efforts should contribute to building an atmosphere of trust in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” The trilateral interparliamentary dialogue which was initiated at a summit in Sochi could add to this process, Gonchar said. “The timing for relevant meetings will be announced in due time,” he pledged.

Gonchar recalled that at a Sochi summit on October 31, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia had reaffirmed their commitment to strict compliance with trilateral agreements reached in November 2020, and in January and November 2021.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

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Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple – largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka, protected by UNESCO

Located in central Sri Lanka, the Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple is a living Buddhist site that is focused on a series of five cave shrines.

With its five sanctuaries Temple of Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka.

Inhabited by forest-dwelling Buddhist monks since the 3rd century BCE, these natural caves have been transformed continuously throughout the historical period into one of the largest and most outstanding Buddhist complexes in the Southern and South Eastern Asian region, showcasing innovative approaches to interior layout and decoration.

In keeping with a longstanding tradition associated with living Buddhist ritual practices and continuous royal patronage, the cave shrines underwent several renovation and refurbishing programmes before assuming their present interior forms in the 18th century.

The site is remarkable in the Buddhist world for its association with the continuous tradition of living Buddhist ritual practices and pilgrimage for more than two millennia.

The monastic ensemble of Dambulla is an outstanding example of the religious art and expression of Sri Lanka and South and Southeast Asia. The cave shrine, their painted surfaces, and statuary are unique in scale and degree of preservation. The monastery includes significant masterpieces of 18th-century art in the Sri Lankan school of Kandy.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, Dambulla is an important shrine in the Buddhist religion in Sri Lanka, remarkable for its association with the long-standing and wide-spread tradition of living Buddhist ritual practices and pilgrimage for more than two millennia.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

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Ambassador: Egypt and Azerbaijan have signed nearly 60 cooperation agreements so far

“Egypt and Azerbaijan have signed nearly 60 cooperation agreements so far,” said Egyptian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hisham Mohamed Nagy Abdel Hamid as he met with Chairman of Azerbaijan`s State Statistics Committee Tahir Budagov.

The ambassador touched upon the friendship and diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Egypt. He mentioned the importance of continuing such close relations in the future too.

Chairman Tahir Budagov highlighted the successful socio-economic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. The chairman hailed the existing relations between Azerbaijan and Egypt in political, cultural and other areas, emphasizing the importance of active international cooperation between the two countries.

Tahir Budagov also highlighted the activity of the State Statistics Committee, as well as the reforms aimed at improving the national statistics system in the country.

During the meeting, the sides also exchanged views on prospects for cooperation between the two countries’ statistics agencies.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

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Azerbaijan, Serbia discuss opportunities of electricity and gas exports

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov has met with Ambassador of Serbia to the country Dragan Vladisavljevic to discuss opportunities of electricity and gas exports.

Touching upon the friendship and strategic partnership relations between the two countries, the sides emphasized the importance of the visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Serbia, the signing of the joint statement and other important documents in the rapid development of relations between the two countries.

During the meeting, they also exchanged views on the existing cooperation in the field of energy and future strategic goals.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

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Russia imposes sanctions on 200 Canadian citizens

In response to Ottawa’s sanctions, Russia has blacklisted 200 Canadians, banning them from entering the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday, according to TASS.

“In response to the individual sanctions imposed by Ottawa against Russian public officials, service members, judges, law enforcement officers and public figures, entry is barred to 200 citizens of Canada in retaliation,” the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry published on its website the surnames of those individuals who have been placed on the Russian sanctions list permanently. Among them are high-ranking officials, retired and incumbent legislators, law enforcement officers and members of the expert community.

In total, the list of Canadian citizens who are permanently barred entry to the Russian Federation includes 1,204 names.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency