Month: August 2008

CSTO defense ministers’ council to meet in Yerevan on Aug 21

YEREVAN, August 16. /ARKA/. The Council of Defense Ministers of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is to hold a meeting in
Yerevan on August 21.

Colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan, Press Secretary of the RA Minister of
Defense, reported that the final stage of the Rubezh-2008 CPX, field
firing, is to be held at the Marshal Baghramyan training ground in
Armenia

The CSTO was formed in May 1992 and united Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. P.T. `0–

Georgian rail bridge blast hits Azeri oil exports
Sat Aug 16, 2008

BAKU (Reuters) – Azerbaijan suspended oil exports through ports in
western Georgia on Sunday after an explosion damaged a key rail bridge
there.

Georgia accused Russian troops of blowing up a railway bridge west of
the capital Tbilisi earlier in the day, saying its main east-west train
link had been severed. Russia strongly denied any involvement.

"Transportation of oil and oil products in the western direction by
railway has been suspended," Azerbaijan’s state railway company said in
a statement read out on television.

It gave the bridge explosion as the reason for the suspension. "The
last shipment made by this railway contained 15 tanks," it said.

Another 72 oil tanks had been due to be sent to next-door Armenia
before the railway link was cut off, it said.

The railway line runs from Tbilisi, through the Russian-occupied
Georgian town of Gori, before splitting in three and running to the
Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumi and southwest to just short of the
Turkish border.

Azerbaijan is emerging as an important oil supplier to the West and its
fast economic growth depends heavily on revenues from oil exports from
the land-locked Caspian Sea.

Last week it suspended crude shipments via its key, BP-operated (BP.L:
Quote, Profile, Research) Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan link to Turkey after a
fire damaged it.

Earlier this week BP closed the pipeline taking crude from Azerbaijan’s
Caspian port of Baku to the Georgian port of Supsa on the Black Sea,
citing fighting between Georgian and Russian troops.

A pipeline running from the Caspian Sea to Russia’s Black Sea port of
Novorossiisk currently remains Azerbaijan’s only oil export outlet.

(Reporting by Afet Mehteva; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by
Gerrard Raven)

Reuters South Africa, South Africa

Georgian bridge attack echoes beyond borders
Sat 16 Aug 2008, 19:53 GMT

By Margarita Antidze

KASPI, Georgia (Reuters) – The attack on Georgia’s East-West railway
lifeline was over in minutes, a small group of men in battle fatigues
laying explosives on a key bridge before fleeing into the hills to
detonate them.

Residents of the town of Kaspi, in their accounts of the action, said
the fighters were Russians, a charge the Russian General Staff
dismissed as Georgian propaganda.

Whoever was responsible for the action against such an important
economic target after nine days of conflict, its consequences will be
felt beyond Georgian borders in the volatile Caucasus region.

Georgia’s European Integration Minister, Georgy Baramidze, said the
bombing of the bridge was "an economic disaster".

"This is huge damage, not just for Georgia, but for Armenia and
Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries, which are shipping goods and
oil by Georgian railway."

"The Russians, these barbarians, want to destroy our country
economically," he told reporters in emotional language characteristic
of the conflict around the Russian-backed separatist regions of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The railways in Georgia are a potent symbol of Russia’s imperial
expansion and the consolidation of its power there in the 19th
century. They enabled Russia to strengthen its hold on the region
which it maintained until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Irregular pro-Russian militia groups based in South Ossetia have been
active on Georgian territory throughout the conflict. Foreign and
Georgian civilians have accused them of hijacking cars and
looting. Russia has said it will bring them to heel.

CEASEFIRE

A 50-metre span across the river at Kaspi had collapsed completely,
pitching slabs of rubble into the water and around its banks. Severed
lengths of rail pointing up at the sky, power cables hung from their
pylons.

"There was a jeep and two Ural trucks," one resident told Georgian
television, referring to the Russian-made heavy vehicles. "They took a
huge sack and put it on the bridge, then walked up the hill and there
was an explosion."

He said the blast damaged the roof of his house and smashed windows
far around.

Within hours Georgian trucks arrived by road and a maintenance train
by rail. Workers immediately began repairs.

The incident occurred hours before Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
signed a French-mediated ceasefire agreement already accepted by
Georgia.

The railway line runs from Tbilisi, through the now Russian-occupied
town of Gori, before splitting in three and running to the Black Sea
ports of Poti and Batumi and southwest down to just short of the
Turkish border.

On Friday, a Russian military convoy advanced to the Kaspi region from
Gori near breakaway South Ossetia, the deepest incursion into Georgia
proper in the confrontation.

Russia drove Georgian forces from South Ossetia last week, in a
massive counter-offensive after Tbilisi tried to retake the region
from pro-Moscow separatists.

(Writing by Ralph Boulton; editing by Robin Pomeroy)

© Reuters 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Vegas Eye, NV

Armenians Take Over PURE

08.16.2008

It was an explosive evening on Friday night as reality show siren Kim
Kardashian made a very special appearance at Sin City’s sexiest spot,
the Pussycat Dolls Lounge inside of PURE Nightclub. After rocking the
red carpet alongside her mother and sisters, Kris, Kourtney and Khloe
Kardashian, the brunette beauty transformed into a burlesque bombshell
as she geared up to perform with the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls. As the
clock struck almost one A.M the lights dimmed, the anticipation
escalated inside the fan-filled lounge until the spotlight shone on
the reality starlet in a sparkling black, white and pink ensemble.
With a mic in one hand and a beach ball in the other, she welcomed the
crowd and explained that she was `feeling a bit dirty’ and in need of
a bath. The audience, along with her family and friends, then cheered
her on as she jumped into the lounge’s beautiful bath tub and
proceeded to splash around, alluring all with a seductive introduction
to the show. Later on after the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls wowed the
packed house, Kim reemerged center stage in a sultry sailor outfit and
announced that it was `ladies’ night for the Kardashian clan. No
boyfriends, no brothers, no nothing!’ Kim thanked the crowd for
coming and gave a few shout outs to her `sexy’ siblings and mother
before joining her family and friends to catch the remainder of the
show. Afterwards, she returned to the stage where the creator of the
Pussycat Dolls phenomenon, Robin Antin, thanked her for taking the
time to join the troupe. The Kardashian bunch then headed into PURE
where they enjoyed two luxurious, white leather VIP booths adjacent to
the DJ Booth on the main stage. After changing into a beautiful blue
strapless dress, Kim immediately paid a visit to the DJ booth where
she got on the mic and said hello to the sea of partiers. She then
requested that DJ Hollywood play `Gimme More’ by Britney Spears and
began dancing with sister Kourtney. The gorgeous group of girls soaked
in the excitement of the superclub until they left just before 3am.
Also in the crowd was John Dolmayan best known as the drummer for the
Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down

Earlier in the night, Audrina Patridge spent an evening with good
friends and good food at chic eatery Social House. Seated outside on
the restaurant’s patio, The Hills hottie and her friends savored
assorted sushi rolls, kobe sliders and sake as they soaked in a
stunning view of The Strip.

Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka

Sarkozy negotiates Georgia issue

By Daily Mail Reporter

Sunday, 17 August 2008

Russia and EU president Nicolas Sarkozy have negotiated conditions for
a ceasefire in Georgia, agreeing on a plan that calls for both Russian
and Georgian troops to move back to their original positions.

And Georgian president Saakashvili says he accepts the cease-fire
plan.

After several hours of talks French president Sarkozy said the EU
could send peacekeepers to Georgia if all parties agreed to the plan.

‘Could Europe be involved in a peacekeeping mission? Europe is
available to do that of course,’ he said.The peace plan endorsed by
Russian president Dmitri Medvedev and Sarkozy calls for an
international discussion on the future status of Georgia’s breakaway
provinces and ways to ensure their security. It demands Russia and
Georgia to immediately end all hostilities and allow free access to
the region for humanitarian assistance.

Medvedev said the residents of both breakaway provinces must be
allowed to decide whether they want to be part of Russia.

‘Ossetians and Abkhaz must respond to that question taking their
history into account, including what happened in the past few days,’
Medvedev said.

Sarkozy is now heading to Tbilisi to talk over the plan with Georgian
president Saakashvili.

Earlier today Russian forces shelled the Georgian town of Gori,
despite a Kremlin promise to bring fighting to an end.

As president Medvedev ordered a halt to the invasion, his army fired
on the area in an escalation of the fighting that has raged for five
days.

Gori is a town of 70,000 people, lying 15 miles south of the disputed
region of South Ossetia.

Russian PM Vladimir Putin

The attack appeared to be aimed at the town hall but flats were
damaged.

A Dutch journalist was killed and another wounded after a
fragmentation shell exploded outside a press centre.

Witnesses said one shell fell on a hospital, while journalists
reported seeing dead and injured people lying in the streets.

>From the Georgian capital Tbilisi, British citizens were evacuated in
coaches to Armenia as Georgian troops took up positions to repulse a
feared Russian attack. Russian-backed rebels also launched a new
offensive in Abkhazia, a second separatist region of Georgia, in an
attempt to drive Georgian forces out of the only remaining area of the
territory still in their control.

Earlier Mr Medvedev said: ‘I have decided to stop the operation to
force the Georgian authorities to peace.

The security of our peacekeepers and civilians has been restored.

‘The aggressor has been punished and suffered very significant
losses. Its armed forces have been disorganised.’

His intervention prompted international relief amid hopes it would
calm world oil markets which have been shaken by the potential risk to
the major pipeline running through Georgian territory which supplies
many Western countries.

But there were clear warning signs that the conflict could continue as
Mr Medvedev said that Russian forces would still defend themselves and
crush any signs of Georgian resistance.

‘If there are any emerging hotbeds of resistance or any aggressive
actions, you should take steps to destroy them,’ he added.

The Georgian president responded by saying he would regard the
breakaway-regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupied territories.

Mikhail Saakashvili says Georgia will officially designate Russian
peacekeepers in the provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as
occupying forces.

His prime minister Lado Gurgenidze also said he wanted to see more
evidence of a Russian ceasefire and would remain ‘prepared for
everything’ until Moscow signed a formal peace deal.

Before the ceasefire order, today’s new attacks – which came on the
fifth day of fighting since the conflict was triggered by Georgia’s
attempt to seize control of South Ossetia – had raised fears that the
Georgian capital Tbilisi could come under threat.

On guard: Russian soldiers take cover as a tank convoy enters
Tskhinvali, capital of the Georgian breakaway enclave of South Ossetia
yesterday

Russia’s deputy prime minister has warned that it will be ‘decades’
before the South Ossetians might be ready to accept any Georgian
presence in their country and the Russian foreign minister Sergei
Lavrov today insisted that Georgia must sign a legally binding
document on the nonuse of force before any progress could be made.

He added that Moscow could not agree to any peace plan for South
Ossetia if it included Georgians in a future peacekeeping force
because they had attacked Russian colleagues during Tbilisi’s push to
recapture the breakaway region.

‘They can no longer remain. They brought shame upon themselves as
peacekeepers. They committed crimes,’ said Mr Lavrov.

Earlier today, the crisis, which has claimed several thousand lives,
widened when Russian-backed rebels in Abkhazia launched artillery
strikes in a bid to drive Georgia forces out of the territory-
Abkhazia’s self-styled foreign minister Sergei Shamba said his forces
were driving Georgian troops out of the Kodori Gorge – the last
remaining part of the territory held by Georgia.

He insisted that Russian soldiers were not involved despite Moscow’s
deployment of more than 9,000 troops to the area earlier this week.

‘The operation to liberate Kodori Gorge has started,’ Mr Shamba
said. ‘Our troops are making advances. We are hoping for success.’

That led to a defiant response from Mr Saakashvili, who told his
country to fight on. ‘Georgia will never surrender,’ he said.

‘They should know Georgia will never surrender. I directly accuse
Russia of ethnic cleansing.’

The president added that his country had now effectively been cut in
two by the Russia’s capture of the main eastwest highway close to the
key city of Gori.

Shortly after he spoke, Russian aircraft bombed Gori, injuring and
killing several civilians in the virtually deserted streets. A Dutch
TV cameraman was among those killed.

‘The bombs hit in front of us and beside us,’ a Reuters reporter
driving through Gori said.

‘Several people were wounded and lying in the street. We got straight
out of there.’ Georgian soldiers abandoned the town in disarray
yesterday.

The attack on Gori – coupled with Russia’s capture of two strategic
towns, Senaki and Zugdidi, inside Georgia yesterday – intensified the
growing international unease.

Georgia borders the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia and was ruled
by Moscow for most of the two centuries preceding the 1991 break-up of
the Soviet Union.

Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have run their own affairs without
international recognition since fighting to split from Georgia in the
early 1990s – and both have close ties with Moscow.

President Bush said today: ‘Russia has invaded a sovereign
neighbouring state and threatens a democratic government elected by
its people.

Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century.’

-Russia Times

Los Angeles Times, CA

Tasman Sea change in Medals Per Capita
12:51 PM, August 16, 2008

Suddenly, we’ve got a Trans-Tasman tussle in Medals Per Capita, and
anyone with any sense loves a good Trans-Tasman tussle now and then.

After a jaw-plummeting Olympic Saturday in Beijing, those wacky Tasman
Sea neighbors, Australia and New Zealand, sit a smidgen apart from
each other at No. 2 and No. 3 in the crucial Medals Per Capita table,
and you can almost feel the Southern Hemisphere seething.

Because these two nations can seem so unspeakably pleasant to a
visiting American, it’s reassuring to learn they get all sore and
chippy with each other over sporting events just like the rest of the
absurd human race.

They have a mutual and perfectly commendable loathing over rugby, and
of course, we all know they had that Underarm Bowling Incident of
1981, except that most of us probably don’t know about any Underarm
Bowling Incident, and those Americans who do know probably find this
Underarm Bowling Incident to be the rough equivalent of hieroglyphics.

Well, this Underarm Bowling Incident thing caused quite the ruckus,
sparking criticism even from the prime ministers of both countries. It
happened in February 1981 in Melbourne, when an Australian cricket
captain — get this — told his bowler to send the last ball underarm
and along the ground toward New Zealand batsman Bruce Edgar,
preventing any conceivable New Zealand rally.

What all this means is actually indecipherable to the American ear
and, like many foreign languages, basically cannot be learned if not
taught before age 6, but the UBI became a beacon for poor
sportsmanship, lousy taste and the decline of Trans-Tasman
civilization.

Now, as an ever-looming T-Rex in Medals Per Capita, Australia has
spent the entire first week of Beijing 2008 in the top three,
stockpiling its medals to 25, racking up an MPC rating of 824,304 and
reveling in its measured population of 20,600,856, all of whom can
swim really fast.

Then, from completely off the charts in the zero zone, here on
Saturday came New Zealand, gorging on five sudden medals. It won the
women’s shot put (Valerie Vili) for its first track-and-field gold
since Montreal 1976. It won a bunch of rowing necklaces. It won an MPC
rating of 834,692 and a coveted No. 3 ranking given its enviable
population of 4,173,460.

Sure, neither can catch No. 1 Armenia just yet, but then, for the
fifth day in a row, nobody else could either.

In other Medals Per Capita minutiae:

— With just one medal each, severe MPC threats Estonia and Trinidad
and Tobago entered the charts with their intimidatingly low
populations at Nos. 8 and 5, respectively, with Estonia bringing along
crucial MPC experience after nibbling at No. 1 in Athens 2004 before
winding up a studly fourth.

— Medals Per Capita would like to welcome to the board No. 43 Canada,
our adored neighbors to the north, up from zero medals to three on
Saturday, and also would like to commend University of British
Columbia student and blogger Julian W. at NowPublic.com for this
outstanding line last week about Medals Per Capita: `Canada, with no
medals yet, is the undefined error you get on a calculator when you
try to divide a whole number by zero.’

— Flashing rarefied badminton prowess, Indonesia went from two medals
to four, and demographics experts in the crowd will sense the MPC
mania that followed. With a population of a staggering 237,512,355,
No. 4 on Earth, Indonesia’s additions lowered its MPC through the day
from 118,756,177 to 79,179,785 to 59,378,088. Not many countries can
improve their MPC by 59 million in a day, and yet, with so many
countries craving MPC recognition, Indonesia dropped from 53rd (out of
54) on Friday to 55th (out of 61) on Saturday.

The top 10 (medals in parentheses):

1. Armenia (5) – 593,717
2. Australia (25) – 824,034
3. New Zealand (5) – 834,692
4. Slovenia (2) – 1,003,856
5. Trinidad and Tobago (1) – 1,047,366
6. Norway (4) – 1,161,114
7. Belarus (8) – 1,210,721
8. Estonia (1) – 1,307,605
9. Slovakia (4) – 1,311,187
10. Cuba (8) – 1,427,994

Selected others:

11. Mongolia (2) – 1,498,041
18. South Korea (20) – 2,461,642
24. Jamaica (1) – 2,804,332
32. Ukraine (12) – 3,828,690
37. Serbia (2) – 5,079,523
38. United States (54) – 5,626,382
43. Canada (3) – 11,070,898
50. Colombia (2) – 22,506,837
52. China (47) – 28,298,821
61. India (1) – 1,147,995,898

— Chuck Culpepper

Culpepper is a contributor to The Times.

Photo: New Zealand’s Valerie Vili celebrates after winning the gold
medal in the women’s shot put during the Beijing Games on
Saturday. Credit: Kevin Frayer / Associated Press

Rocky Mountain News, CO

Olympic digest: Protest costs wrestler bronze

Associated Press
Originally published 12:43 p.m., August 16, 2008
Updated 03:16 p.m., August 16, 2008

BEIJING ‘ Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian was disqualified and
stripped of his bronze medal for dropping the prize in protest after a
disputed loss.

Abrahamian was punished by the International Olympic Committee for
violating the spirit of fair play during the medal ceremony, becoming
the fourth athlete kicked out of the Games and bringing the number of
medals removed to three.

Abrahamian became incensed when a disputed penalty call decided his
semifinal match against Italian Andrea Minguzzi, who went on to win
the gold in the Greco-Roman 84-kilogram division Thursday.

During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born Abrahamian, who also lost
a 2004 Olympic semifinal match on a disputed call, took the bronze
medal from around his neck and, angrily, dropped it on the mat as he
walked away. He didn’t take part in the rest of the medal ceremony.

The IOC executive board ruled Abrahamian’s actions amounted to a
political demonstration and a mark of disrespect to his fellow
athletes.

`It was felt that his behavior on the medal podium and during the
medal ceremony was not appropriate,’ IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies
said. `His behavior was not in the Olympic spirit of respect for his
fellow athletes. Whatever grievances you may have, this was not the
way to go about it.’

The IOC said no athlete will receive Abrahamian’s medal because his
disqualification wasn’t connected to the competition itself, meaning
there will be only one bronze medalist, Nazmi Avluca of
Turkey. Normally, there are two at each weight class.

The 28-year-old Abrahamian had to be restrained from going after
matside officials after his loss to Minguzzi. He stormed from the area
where interviews are conducted and slammed a door tothe dressing rooms
so hard it shook an entire wall. He weighed whether to skip the bronze
medal match, only to have friends talk him into competing.

Elsewhere, Saori Yoshida of Japan has won her second successive
Olympic women’s wrestling gold medal at 55 kilograms, pinning Chinese
teenager Xu Li. Yoshida has lost only one match in her international
career, to American Marcie Van Dusen earlier this year. She bounced
back from that loss with a series of easy victories in Beijing to
become the first women’s wrestler to win two Olympic golds.

Xu, who doesn’t turn 19 until December, would have been the youngest
Olympic wrestling gold medalist in any discipline. She lost the first
period 2-0, then was pinned by Yoshida 43 seconds into the second.

Winning the bronze medals were Tonya Verbeek, who earned Canada’s
second wrestling medal of the games, and Jackeline Renteria of
Colombia. Carol Huynh of Canada earlier won the gold at 48 kg.

Van Dusen did not place.

Badminton: Top-seeded Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia
have won the gold in men’s doubles, beating China’s Cai Yun and Fu
Haifeng in three sets.

Kido and Setiawan recovered from a shaky start on their way to a win
against the second-seeded Chinese at Beijing University of Technology
Gymnasium.

Defending champion Zhang Ning of China won the gold in women’s
singles, beating top-seeded compatriot Xie Xingfang in three
sets. Second-seeded Zhang defended the title she won in Athens.

Indonesia’s Maria Kristin Yulianti has won the bronze, beating China’s
Lu Lan.

Beach volleyball: Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal have advanced to the
quarterfinals with a victory against Spain. The victory against Pablo
Herrera Allepuz and Raul Mesa kept the U.S. on track for an
All-American final.

Cycling: Spain’s Joan Llaneras won the men’s points race, adding that
gold to the one he claimed in the event at Sydney, Australia, in 2000
and the silver won in Athens four years ago.

Llaneras finished with 60 points, ahead of Germany’s Roger Kluge, who
wound up with 58 for the silver. Britain’s Chris Newton won the
bronze, with 56 points.

The points race is a complex 160-lap event where riders seek points
awarded in sprints every 10th time around the velodrome.

Fencing: Russia won the gold in women’s foil fencing with an easy
28-11 win against the U.S. team. Russia’s team of Evgenia Lamonova,
Victoria Nikichina and Svetlana Boyko simply outdid Americans Emily
Cross, Hannah Thompson and Erinn Smart through most of the final late
Saturday.

Italy beat Hungary 32-23 for the bronze. The U.S. beat Hungary 35-33
to advance.

Rowing: Britain continued its dominance in men’s four rowing and won
gold for the third straight Olympics, holding off Australia to win in
6 minutes, 6.57 seconds.

Tom James, Steve Williams, Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge used a
fantastic sprint over the final 500 meters to make sure that the gold
medal will stay in Britain for another four years.

Julien Despres, Benjamin Rondeau, Germain Chardin and Dorian
Mortelette of France are the bronze medalists after crossing the line
in 6:09.31.

Elsewhere, David Crawshay and Scott Brennan of Australia won the gold
in men’s double sculls rowing, leading all the way to win in 6
minutes, 27.77 seconds.

Tonu Endrekson and Juri Jaanson of Estonia won the silver
medal. Britain’s Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham are the bronze
medalists.

Also, Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell of New Zealand won the gold
in women’s double sculls, defending their Athens triumph by
one-hundredth of a second.

The twin sisters won in a thrilling finish, nipping Germany’s
Annekatrin Thiele and Christiane Huth at the line. The crowd, which
was roaring for the final 500 meters, was silent while waiting for the
result to be posted.

Drew Ginn and Duncan Free of Australia earned the gold in men’s pair
rowing, using their outstanding technical precision to win by more
than 2 seconds. David Calder and Scott Frandsen brought Canada its
first medal of the Games with the silver. New Zealand’s Nathan Twaddle
and George Bridgewater were the bronze medalists.

Georgeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu of Romania won gold medal in
women’s pair rowing, bringing their combined career Olympic gold medal
haul to a nine.

China won the silver and Belarus the bronze.

Olaf Tufte of Norway won the gold in men’s single sculls, successfully
defending his first-place finish four years ago in Athens. Tufte
trailed at the 1,500-meter mark Saturday, only to finish strong down
the stretch ahead of Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. New Zealand’s
Mahe Drysdale was the bronze medalist.

Drysdale complained of illness earlier this week and was carried off
the water on a stretcher.

Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria won the women’s single sculls, pulling
ahead late to win her first gold medal in the event.

American Michelle Guerette won the silver medal and Ekaterina Karsten
of Belarus won the bronze.

Track: Fani Halkia, the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s
400-meter hurdles, told reporters she was `shocked’ to learn she had
tested positive for the banned substance methyltrienolone and would be
unable to defend her gold medal.

Halkia spoke to Greek journalists early Sunday morning at a central
Beijing hotel. She said she was summoned by the head of Greece’s
Olympic delegation and told of the results of the first sample she
gave to World Anti-Doping Agency doctors.

`I am shocked,’ she said, according to Greek media reports. `I have
undergone more testing than anyone else.’

Halkia was tested a few days before the Games, in Japan, where
Greece’s track and field team had been training. She said she had
volunteered to take part in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s pilot
program in which athletes submit themselves voluntarily to regular
testing.

Halkia, who has moved out of the Olympic Village, said she was sorry
she couldn’t take part in the Games and that she had expected to make
the 400-meter hurdles final.

Preliminaries in that event were scheduled to begin Sunday afternoon.

Halkia said she didn’t know how the banned substance was found in her
sample, but she didn’t reply to questions about Dimitrios Regas, a
400-meter runner who shares the same coach with Halkia and who tested
positive for methyltrienolone before the Olympics.

Fifteen Greek athletes, including Halkia, have tested positive for
methyltrienolone. They include 11 weightlifters, swimmer Yannis
Drymonakos, Regas and sprinter Tassos Gousis, who was sent home a few
days before the Olympics. The IOC also has barred sprinter Katerina
Thanou from the Games for her role in a drug-testing scandal at the
Athens Games four years ago.

Weightlifting: Super heavyweight Jang Mi-ran has broken three world
records to claim South Korea’s second weightlifting gold in Beijing
and the unofficial title of the world’s strongest woman.

Jang set world records Saturday in the snatch as well as the clean and
jerk. Her total score of 326 kilograms (718.7 pounds) beat the
previous world record by 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds).

European champion Olha Korobka of Ukraine won the silver, and Mariya
Grabovetskaya of Kazakhstan took the bronze.

Jang, who has dominated the weight class in recent years, snatched 140
kg (308.6 pounds) and heaved 186 kg (410.1 pounds) in the clean and
jerk.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Albert Lea Tribune, MN

Olympic wrestler’s tantrum upstaged winner’s moment

Nathan Cooper, Beijing Olympics

Originally published 01:13 p.m., August 16, 2008
Updated 01:22 p.m., August 16, 2008

Nathan Cooper
BEIJING ‘ Memo to Ara Abrahamian: Please apologize to your country,
your teammates and the International Olympic Committee
immediately. And especially to the 185-pound Olympic wrestling
champion. You let your personal beef with a set of FILA (the
sanctioning body of international wrestling) officials cloud an
Olympic champion’s greatest athletic achievement.

To be fair, Abrahamian didn’t make much of a scene at the medal
presentation. Some headlines have made references to the
Armenian-turned-Swedish wrestler `throwing down his medal’ his protest
of his semifinal round loss. That wasn’t the case. He simply accepted
the first of two bronze medals, shook the presenter’s hand and turned
to congratulate the second bronze medalist.

He then stepped off the podium, removed the bronze and placed it in
the center of the mat nearest to him before walking away.

As a witness to the event, it didn’t cause much of a stir at China
Agricultural University Gymnasium.

Plenty of people knew something was up before Abrahamian made his
sort-of dramatic exit. After the semifinals, of the final bouts of the
morning session, Abrahamian tore through a line of reporters
repeatedly pounding the drywall and metal barricades that separated
the fuming grappler from the media.

I’m all for a little cool-off period. So fine. Be mad.

He apparently cooled off before the wrestleback portion of the
competition, where he put himself in position for a third-place tie
(for reasons I still don’t comprehend, wrestling awards two bronze
medals in each class).

That’s as much as I’ll defend him.

At 33, he’s obviously one of the elite wrestlers in his class, even
though he’s past his prime. In Sydney, he earned a bronze. He added a
silver medal in Athens four years later. Combine those results with a
pair of world championships in 2001 and 2002, the man really had one
feat left to accomplish on the mat.

And he didn’t do it. He should have begrudgingly taken the bronze.

Abrahamian isn’t the first one to think he got jobbed by the
officials, and won’t be the last to protest the result of a sporting
event. Remember, it wasn’t just one official that decided his fate,
either. Even so, the loser launched a one-man protest that would have
made Lou Piniella proud. Starting on the mat and continuing into the
media zone, the frenzy continued until he disappeared behind a door
that leads to the locker rooms.

A little background on how the results are determined: Each Olympic
wrestling bout is officiated by three judges ‘ beginning with a
referee on the mat. If a second official, seated matside agrees with
the referee, the points are awarded. If not, the mat chairman, seated
alongside the official, breaks the tie. If the mat controller
disagrees with that decision, the match can be stopped and the
officials huddle for an instant replay.

Even if he would have been awarded the win in the second period,
Abrahamian had still lost the first period and would have had to win
the third to go on.

A protest lodged immediately after the match was fine. Debating on
whether to continue the competition was fine.

Abrahamian went on not for himself, he said, but for his
teammates. Again, fine logic, if he had in fact kept the medal or
presented it to the Swedish Olympic Committee.

Abrahamian instead won a medal he didn’t want so he could make a
scene. And then blamed it on his teammates.

`I decided that I had come this far and didn’t want to let them down,
so I wrestled,’ Abrahamian said as he recapped the events. `I don’t
care about this medal,’ he said. He ended the interview by announcing
his retirement.

Let’s recap. Abrahamian’s best international performances were more
than six years ago. He earned seventh-place in the 2007 world
championships, and third in the last European competition. His best
world-showing was four years ago, and last world title came in 2002.

After a controversy, he wrestled for a medal because his fellow Swedes
wanted him to keep going. Abrahamian won it, then gave it back,
apparently a decision he made alone. Then he stole the spotlight from
a fellow competitor who toppled a Russian great and dominated the
silver medalist en route to Olympic gold.

Remember that gold medalist? The one who just achieved Olympic
greatness by knocking off the odds-on favorite, Aleksy Mishin from
Russia and dominated silver medalist Zoltan Fodor? While protesting he
thought was an unfair finish, Abrahamian effectively returned the
injustice to the champ, Andrea Minguzzi.

Abrahamian didn’t have any problem accepting the silver in Athens or
the gold medals at the world championships.

Now, FILA ‘ the organization Abrahamian called `corrupt,’ and the same
one that awarded him each of his previous championships ‘ keeps the
medal, the IOC will punish the Olympic delegation from Sweden and the
gold medal ceremony will be remembered as the one where he gave back
the medal, not the one where Minguzzi finally got his.

This is where the Olympic spirit lives. After the dust settled on this
Olympics controversy, Abrahamain is still only one complaining.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE YOUTH CONFERENCE IS LAUNCHED IN BIKFAYYA

"The meaning of the church cannot be explained in its sanctity only, but in
the realization of its mission, in which our youth should participate"

SAYS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

The youth conference organized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s Youth
Department was officially launched in the Saint Mary Monastery in Bikfaya on
August 14. The conference convenes under the theme "The Armenian Youth in
the face of the challenges of the 21st century."

The conference is held under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I, who also
presided over the opening ceremony and addressed the young delegates
participating the conference from Armenian communities worldwide. The
conference brought together over 100 young Armenians from the Eastern and
Western prelacies of North America, Istanbul, Cyprus, Kuwait, the Arab Gulf
countries, Tehran and Isfahan, Syria and Lebanon. The prelacies of Greece
and Azerbaijan in Iran did not send representatives.

In his opening remarks the director of the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s Youth
Department, Rev. Sahag Yemishian, underlined the unique character of the
conference and its promising prospects. He wished that the conference
participants would appropriately discuss the ideas and proposals expressed
during the sessions with a view to plan new projects that would improve the
lives of young Armenians.

The opening ceremony became all the more exciting with the encouraging words
of His Holiness Aram I- a hearty Pontifical message spoken to the Armenian
youth. The young participants intently listened to the wise words of the
Catholicos who, fully aware of present circumstances, inspired them to face
all the challenges they encounter.

His Holiness welcomed the young Armenians that had come to Bikfaya from
around the world and presented a thorough analysis of the difficulties that
the Armenian youth face both at the global and national levels. Referring to
the characteristics relevant to a person’s adolescent life, he underlined
the importance of Christian formation and a purpose-goal life. His Holiness
considered that the Church, as a source of morality, is a compass, a path
leading to Christ, an institution that organizes social life based mutual
respect of the laws governing society.

"In the life of present-day society, religion has started becoming an
existential presence. In the past, particularly in the West, religion was an
individual matter. Today, it is a matter of public concern. Inter-faith
meetings are held today with utmost seriousness and uninterrupted
continuity- a non-existing phenomenon in the past. The youth cannot remain
indifferent towards this. However, where is the youth in all this?" wondered
His Holiness.

In his message, the Pontiff stressed the importance of participation. "The
youth and passivity are opposing concepts. The youth should be present in
our collective life. Its role is not marginal; it is important, it is
central. Look at today’s world and you will see that those occupying
important position are mostly the youth. This is so because it is through
your work that our life flourishes and develops. Otherwise, our collective
life will become immobile like a swamp. Our church needs your fresh forces
and minds," he said.

In the last part of his speech, the Pontiff spoke about the dangers
threatening the life of the youth. "We are becoming witness to mentalities
and lifestyles that do not correspond to our traditions and are based on
morally different perceptions. The youth is quickly affected by such
phenomena. It is true that in the current world we cannot build up walls
around ourselves or live in isolation. However, with the guidance of the
Church the youth can find its true path, renewing the church in its mission
and service. The meaning of the church cannot be explained in its sanctity
only, but in the realization of its mission, in which our youth should
participate," His Holiness stressed.

The Pontiff’s message became a guideline for the conference. During the
following session, Garo Hovhannessian delivered a presentation entitles:
"Where is the Armenian youth in face of the challenges of the 21st century
and how does he overcome them?" Hovhannessian stressed the concepts of
national identity and the need for an understanding of national belonging
among the youth. He made a call for reviewing the concept of "culture" and
underlined the importance of preserving the Armenian Language for the
preservation of Armenian identity. Referring to the contribution expected
from the youth, he said: "In our history we have not had a period when we’ve
had so many of our youngsters enrolled in universities. However, we feel the
lack of man force everywhere today. Degrees have no meaning if they do not
contribute to our highest national interests and to the realization of our
primary goals."

Following the lecture, the participants were divided into workshops to
discuss more deeply the issues at hand and prepare brief reports of the
ideas and thoughts expressed. The workshops became serious discussions,
healthy criticism, fiery debates and attempts to reach the truth through the
exchange of viewpoints.

One of the sessions was dedicated to the exchange of information on the
experiences of the youth living in different geographic locations and
communities. The session was also rich in relevant topics with young
Armenians providing information about their respective communities and
environments, explaining their concerns and the obstacles they face. The
dangers threatening the life of the youth were also discussed with a view to
seek preventive measures.

The conference started with the morning service, at the end of which
spiritual contemplation was performed by Rev. Magar Ashkarian. After the
day-long sessions, the participants attended the Evening Mass in the St.
Mary Monastery.

##
View the photos here:
c/Photos/Photos298.htm
http://www.armenianorthodox church.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos299.htm

*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the youth
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

KIM KARDASHIAN: MY BUTT’S TOO BIG

Dayton Daily News
August 15, 2008, 03:03 PM
OH

Celebrity worship

Hot on the heels of Ali Lohan’s breast implant rumors, Kim Kardashian’s
going the opposite direction. She is so OVER her big butt.

"I love that I’m curvy, but I’m on this major kick to try and lose
weight, especially in my butt," she tells Radar magazine. "I’m just so
over it! When you’re posing on the red carpet and the paparazzi shout,
‘Turn around! Turn around!’ — it gets a little offensive." Why does
she keep turning around, then?

Kardashian, 27, denies rumors that she’s had butt implants.

"I’ve seen magazines where plastic surgeons are saying, ‘If you want a
butt like this it has to be fake,’" she says. "I’m just like, ‘Dude,
have you ever seen an Armenian girl before?’"

Continue reading for some other kewt Kardashian kwotes about O.J.,
alcohol, and Paris Hilton from the Radar piece.

Radar: Your childhood friend Paris Hilton said that your butt "reminds
[her] of cottage cheese inside a big trash bag."

Kim: That’s so nasty! Wasn’t that nasty? She called and apologized,
and I accepted her apology. She said she was joking. I kind of laugh it
off, like, "You know, I’ve never denied having cellulite." Everyone’s
entitled to their own opinion. If she thinks my butt looks like that,
I don’t really care. At least I have a butt.

Q: Why don’t you drink?

A: I’ve always hated the taste. If there was a drink that I liked I
would probably drink all the time. But it’s disgusting to me. I’m a
lot more boring than people think. I have a boyfriend (New Orleans
Saints running back Reggie Bush), and date nights are bowling and
cooking. Like, last night I made tacos. I already did all my craziness,
so there’s really none left. (Editor’s note: Try my Appletini, Kim.)

Q: Your biological father, Robert Kardashian, was O.J. Simpson’s
lawyer!

A: My dad and O.J. were best friends since college. My mom was
buddies with Nicole, and we all went on a family vacation with her a
week before she was murdered. So the relationship was really way more
intimate than people think. To me they were Uncle O.J. and Nicole. When
we kids were at my dad’s house we were pro-O.J., and at my mom’s house
we were anti-O.J. So it was definitely a lot harder than just my dad
being his attorney.

Q: Do you think O.J. was guilty?

A: This has caused a lot of turmoil for my family, so some things are
best left unsaid. I remember going to the trial with (my older sister)
Kourtney, and we would sit near my dad and look over and see my mom
and Bruce (stepdad Bruce Jenner) sitting next to the Brown family.

At the time we felt like we had to take sides, and we chose my
dad’s. Mostly because my mom was newly married to Bruce.