Author: Badalian Vardan

Widow of dead businessman accuses mother-in-low and state bodies of Armenia

news.am
March 03, 2012 | 00:04

Widow of Armenian dead businessman, former owner of Aray Company
Tatyana Chadenkova accuses relatives of her husband and state bodies
of Armenia.

She wrote to the Armenian News-NEWS.am that she has been struggling
for two years to return her 5 year-old daughter back, whom she brought
up till 3 years, while her former husband’s family took the child
illegally in 2009 cowardly and brutally.

`Understanding that they will not return my child back willingly, I
came to Armenia last December. I found out that my former
mother-in-law Karine Sukiasyan cheated the authorities by telling as
if she did not know my whereabouts and took the custody of my
daughter,’ she stated in the letter.

Chadenkova also claims that her mother-in-law and sister-in-law have
been discrediting her in the society since she tries to return her
daughter back.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley-Education Committee
6252 Honolulu Ave.
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: 818 303-5566
Email: [email protected]

La Crescenta, CA.- Dr. Kenell Touryan, a noted scholar, scientist, a
public servant and a man of faith, will be the honorary guest speaker
on ” God and the Cosmos: Chance, Necessity or Design?” at the Armenian
Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley, located at Western Prelacy’s ”
Dikran and Zarouhi Der Ghazarian ” Hall, at 6252 Honolulu Ave., in La
Crescenta, California on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 1pm, following the
church service which starts at 11.

Science continually raises philosophical questions that go beyond the
competence or purview of science. The recent debate in intelligent
design versus evolutionary processes based on natural laws alone, has
indeed raised questions that require a broader perspective to deal
with them.

These questions touch upon ultimate issues that include: the origin of
the universe; the origin of life on earth through purely random
processes; the appearance of homo-sapiens, and the quantity and
quality of complex information processed by living organism.

A close examination of these critical issues point to the inevitable
conclusion that an intelligent Creator is indeed the source of all
these phenomena. The lecture will address these issues from the
Judeo-Christian perspective, demonstrating that God’s fingerprints are
visible in the cosmos and in nature, if one is willing to approach the
evidence with an open mind.

Born in Beirut-Lebanon, Dr. Touryan graduated with a Ph.D from
Princeton in Aerospace and Mechanical Science with a minor in Physics.
He has managed the Fluid and Plasma Physics Department at Sandia
National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Department of
Energy projects in former Soviet Union countries. He is the Director
of National Renewable Energy Laboratory and a Senior analyst in
technology transfer. He has spent ten years in private industry
helping commercialize several renewable energy technologies and is the
author of over 90 publications in Scientific Journals, inventor of 3
patents and has 2 published books. He is the Vice President of
Research and Development at the American University of Armenia (an
affiliate of UC Berkeley , and a member of American Scientific
Affiliation where he served as President from 2003-2004. He has
received several awards for his work in energy technologies, with
special emphasis on renewable energy. He has used his scientific
background to hold seminars and training sessions internationally on ”
Science and Christian Faith ” and has served on the board of Colorado
Christian University and World Vision US and Polytechnic Institute of
Armenia. Dr. Touryan and his wife live in Indian Hills, Colorado and
have three married children and 7 grand children.

The general public and the youth in particular are invited to this
soul searching, informative and very interesting lecture. The speaker
will speak in Armenian with English video-slide presentation. Salpi
Edgarian will introduce the speaker and Norik Edgarian will play on
piano for the audience. This special and unique event which is
organized by Crescenta Valley Armenian Apostolic Church ( CV Church )
and CV Church Education Committee is sponsored by family members of
the late Lusik Vartanian ( age 106 ), herself, a devoted member of the
Armenian Community and a true believer in God.

The event is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcomed to
attend. There will be a reception before the start of the program at
the completion of the Divine Liturgy.

Dink murder convict ready to testify if gendarmes stand trial

March 3, 2012 – 18:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Yasin Hayal, who received a life sentence for his
involvement in the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink,
has said some gendarmerie officers in Trabzon should stand trial for
their involvement in the murder of Dink and added that he is ready to
testify whenever needed, Today’s Zaman reports.

Hayal, who claims that he received the instructions to murder Dink
from Erhan Tuncel, has said that gendarmerie officers in Trabzon
insistently told him to stay in contact with Tuncel, who they called a
good man.

Tuncel, the controversial Trabzon police informant who was sentenced
to 10 years for his role in the 2004 bombing of a McDonald’s in
Trabzon, was acquitted of all charges regarding the Dink murder,
including the prosecutors’ claim that he was the one who gave orders
to Hayal.

Adding that he went to the Trabzon Gendarmerie Command many times
after the murder, Hayal said he would testify if prosecutors
investigate the gendarmes. `The court has asked for the gendarmerie
command’s guest book to see whether or not I went there, and they
could not see my name in the book; this is because I was allowed to
move freely about the post, and officers told me that I didn’t need to
sign the book.’

Explaining his relations with the gendarmes before the murder, Hayal
says a high-level gendarmerie officer named Nazım gave orders to
privates in the office to pay great respect to Hayal. `When someone in
his 20s gets praised like that all time, he would blindly do anything
for a person of such rank. They used to provide everything for me,
including food and clothing,’ he added.

Hayal says he previously provided evidence of gendarmes’ involvement
in the murder case but that the court has not investigated the
documents he provided.

The late editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Dink was
shot and killed in broad daylihgt on Jan 19, 2007 by ultranationalist
Ogun Samast outside the offices of his newspaper in Istanbul.

Despite certain decrease of cash remittance volume in 2011, this year
Areximbank-Gasprombank Group expects growth of transfers by 20%

arminfo
Saturday, March 3, 18:34

Despite certain decrease of cash remittance volume in 2011, this year
Areximbank-Gasprombank Group expects growth of remittance by 20%,
deputy director general of Areximbank-Gasprombank Group, Ruben
Khachatryan, told Arminfo correspondent.

“Since the beginning of the crisis in the banking system of Armenia
the noticeable decrease of the cash remittance has been noted. This
may be explained by the two key factors: first, the world financial
crisis, and second, harsh competition among the banks”, – Khachatryan
said. He also added that at present almost all the banks offer their
customers international cash remittance service practically on equal
conditions. “The market is full of proposals. For this reason, the
demand has decreased. Similar situation happened in our bank in 2011.
If compared with the results of 2010, the volume of the cash
remittance of individual persons dropped by 20% and amounted to 5 bln
drams versus 6.2 bln drams in 2010. As for the remittance of the legal
persons, they dropped by 11%. Nevertheless, in 2011 positive dynamics
of increasing of the cash remittance volume was noticed in all the
banking system of Armenia in general, by about 11-15 %, he said. “The
improvement of the situation makes us hope for the growth of the cash
remittance volume by about 20% in 2012. Of course, I have already
said that the competition is harsh at the market, they have been
fighting for every customer and only the bank which offers high
quality service wins. For this reason, the bank should always raise
effectiveness of work, extend the specter of services and widen
partnership with different international payment systems”, –
Khachatryan said.

Secretary of Security Council: They will start fighting sects in Armenia

arminfo
Saturday, March 3, 18:30

Armenian National Security Council has started drawing out the
national strategy to fight destructive sects. We are going to resolve
this problem using the best experience of the European Union,
Secretary of Armenian National Security Council, Artur Bagdasaryan,
told journalists today when presenting the results of the Council’s
session held on 1 March.

“I would like to emphasize that I don’t mean discrediting of citizens
on the basis of religion. I mean only the destructive sect movements.
Taking into consideration that their activity is dangerous and truly
threats the national security of Armenia, drawing out of such a
strategy is still extremely relevant today”, –
Bagdasaryan said.

The total of 67 religious sects and 100 non-official religious
organizations have been officially registered in Armenia. There are
more than 100 thsd people in these sects.

At the same time, Bagdasaryan added that international partners
offered Armenia during the next three months to draw out the programme
of events within the frames of the National strategy for fighting
terrorism.

Vahan Hovannisyan advises prime minister of Armenia not to frighten
community by international experts

arminfo
Saturday, March 3, 18:28

The prime minister of Armenia should not frighten us by international
experts, the head of the ARF Dashnaktiutyun parliamentary faction,
Vahan Hovannisyan, said over today’s briefing in the parliament when
commenting on the fact that Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said that
the bill “On legal regime of the state of emergency” was discussed
with international experts which positively assessed it.

“We understand that when the debates were held on transition to the
100% proportional electoral system, the authorities of Armenia were
referring to the samples and experience of other countries and trying
to prove that the system offered by us is dangerous. But the point is
that international experts, deputies and politicians do not know what
takes place in our country during the elections. There are not aware
of the rules reigning here. For instance, I cannot explain a Swiss
deputy what is a principle of “merry-go-round” voting at the
elections, as he simply cannot understand it”, – Hovannisyan said.

He also added that very often representatives of European structures,
when giving their assessment to legislative changes in Armenia, cannot
be aware of consequences of these changes, for this reason, they
positively assess them. “But as I am aware, I am against this bill. At
the same time, I don’t think that the bill “On legal regime of the
state of emergency” would be acceptable by the international experts.
Certainly, I cannot cast doubt upon the words of the prime minister,
but at the same time I can present viewpoints of other experts which
are very much professional. So, one should not frighten us by
international experts”, – Hovannisyan concluded.

To recall, parliament of Armenia passed the first reading of the Bill
On the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency by 67 votes “for”, 1
vote “against” and 25 abstentions on March 1. The Bill stipulates
that the state of emergency in the republic may be introduced only in
case of circumstances, which are directly dangerous for the
Constitutional regime of Armenia, or in case of an attempt to change
by force or overthrow the constitutional regime or the power. The bill
allows involvement of army into “liquidation of consequences of the
state of emergency”.

“Cultural Genocide” in Turkish way: 98% of Armenian monuments in
Western Armenia destroyed

arminfo
Saturday, March 3, 18:27

Almost 98% of the Armenian monuments in Turkey have been destroyed,
Director of the Research on Armenian Architecture NGO Samvel
Karapetyan said in an interview to ArmInfo.

He said that the Armenian Genocide of 1915 was followed by the
genocide of the Armenian cultural heritage in Turkey.

“There still are a few monuments the Turks have not dared to destroy,
one of them being Ani, but their efforts to restore them may prove
even more dangerous. For example, after such a recovery the 1,000-year
old Arakelots Church in Kars has been turned into a mosque. The
others, like Narekavank and Msho Sub karapet monasteries, have been
razed to the ground,” Karapetyan said.

He said that the Turks continue their “cultural genocide.” “For
example, when restoring the Surb Khach Church, they destroyed a nearby
1,000-year old Armenian monastery. We are failing to save them. In the
last 100 years we did nothing to preserve our cultural heritage in
Western Armenia,” Karapetyan said.

First round works of construction of North-South highway to launch this year

15:38, 3 March, 2012

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS: The first round works of construction of
North-South highway will launch this year, Prime Minister of Armenia
Tigran Sargsyan told in Meghri today at the meeting with the local
members of the Republican Party of Armenia, active public figures. “In
the first round the construction of Yerevan-Gyumri-Georgia border
sector will be implemented. The projects are already ready. The Asian
Development Bank provided 180 million AMD with the first tranche,”
Tigran Sargsyan said. In his word’s the construction of the second
round is intended to start from Syunik province where in high
mountainous conditions bridges and tunnels will be built.

“The construction of the North-South highway is being implemented in
cooperation with the Asian Development Bank which will provide 500
million USD for it. For the first time in Armenia a contemporary
speedy road will be built which will allow cutting the period of
reaching from Meghri to Yerevan twice,” Tigran Sargsyan said. He said
the North-South highway program has been valued 1.5 billion U.S.
dollars.

The PM said the equal development of provinces is agreed with the road
construction. The road construction is a target direction in the
pre-electoral program of the Republican Party of Armenia and the state
will stage by stage provide funds for it.

Armenia successfully develops its military industry – university head

NEWS.AM
March 03, 2012 | 13:19

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Armed Forces are not only the guarantors of the
country’s security, but also a factor for regional stability and
balance, Yerevan State Medical University Rector Derenik Dumanyan on
Saturday noted during the University’s conference, on military medical
service in Armenia, which is devoted to the 20th anniversary of the
country’s Armed Forces

Noting that, the establishment of the military medical service is one
of Armenia’s accomplishments after its independence, Dumanyan added
that the country is not only an international consumer, but it also
partakes in international peacekeeping missions.

`We commenced the [Karabakh] War, which was imposed upon us, with
hunting rifles and Soviet-era weapons. [But] Now, our country
successfully develops its military industry,’ Derenik Dumanyan
recalled.

French Cultural in Boston to host Armenian soirée

March 3, 2012 – 10:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian Library and Museum of America and the
French Cultural Center will hold an Armenian Soirée at the French
Cultural Center in Boston.

According to a press release, France and Armenia have been close for
centuries, despite their geographic distance. From the Armenian
alphabet Denis Diderot published in 1765, to numerous French
personalities of Armenian descent (singers Charles Aznavour and Sylvie
Vartan, film director Francis Veber, former prime minister Edouard
Balladur), the two cultures have shared a rich history.

In honor of this exchange, ALMA has teamed up with the French Cultural
Center to organize an Armenian soirée as part of 2012’s Francophone
Celebration in New England.

This event will feature a one-night-only exhibition of the French
Cultural Center’s collection of photographs by Yousuf Karsh and a
small traveling exhibit produced by ALMA, “Armenie, Mon Amie: The
French-Armenian Connection”, which includes an original Armenian
alphabet from the French Encyclopedia and some beautiful examples of
Armenian laces.

Armenian hors-d’oeuvres and French wine will be served throughout the
evening along with musical entertainment.