Author: Badalian Vardan

Panorama.am

18:41 15/08/2008

EXTRAORDINARY MUSIC: JAZZ & ROCK ENSEMBLE

On 19 August Armenian-French jazz-rock concert is to take place in
Yerevan with the participation of guitarist Marcello Cordova, pianist
Wensan Buig, percussion instruments Ando Parseghyan and Armenian
musician guitarist Boris Andreasyan, said Boris Andreasyan in a press
conference.

`The concert is separated into several parts. Jazz and rock will be
presented ensemble, which is an extraordinary thing,’ he said.

The musicians said that they have had two experimental meetings but
they have felt they understand each other though they do have a
language problem.

Source: Panorama.am

KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IS A SECONDARY TYPE OF ACTIVITY FOR MATTHEW BRYZA, ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT THINKS

arminfo
2008-08-15 11:46:00

ArmInfo. Karabakh conflict settlement is a secondary type of
activity for the American co-chair of the OSCE MG Matthew Bryza,
Armenian political expert Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan told ArmInfo
correspondent. ‘The main direction of Bryza’s activity is to supervise
oil and gas pipelines running from region to region; and the main task
is to do everything for the pipelines to bypass Russia’, – he said.

At the same the political expert did not rule out that in his priority
activity Bryza might gain serious success, but in the inter-ethnic
American co-chair "failed" and one cannot say he is a serious expert.

‘I have repeatedly said that M. Bryza acts as cowboy that throws a
lasso. If he succeeds, it is good. If he didn’t, he will pretend
like not throwing it at all. Geopolitical power of the state he
represents at OSCE MG gives him confidence in it. M.Bryza is not a
serious politician and apparently it seems to him that if he states
something in Baku, they in Yerevan will not know about it and vice
versa’, L. Melik-Shakhnazaryan said. To recall, earlier M. Bryza
stated that the residents of Nagorny Karabakh will decide if the
country will be transferred under jurisdiction of Azerbaijan or it
will get independence. Karabakh residents will determine their will
at a referendum, he told media. Later Bryza refuted his statement.

OLYMPICS SCOREBOARD: FIRST EDITION

Winston-Salem Journal
The Associated Press
August 13, 2008
NC

Synchronized 10-m Platform

Women’s final

1. China (Wang Xin; Chen Ruolin), 363.54. 2. Australia (Briony
Cole; Melissa Wu), 335.16. 3. Mexico (Paola Espinosa; Tatiana
Ortiz), 330.06. 4. Germany (Annett Gamm; Nora Subschinski),
310.29. 5. United States (Mary Beth Dunnichay, Indianapolis; Haley
Ishimatsu, Indianapolis), 309.12. 6. North Korea (Choe Kum Hui; Kim
Un Hyang), 308.10. 7. Canada (Meaghan Benfeito; Roseline Filion),
305.91. 8. Britain (Tonia Couch; Stacie Powell), 303.48.

Equestrian

Eventing

Individual Final Ranking

1. Hinrich Romeike (MARIUS), Germany (7, 37.40; 3, 12.80; 19, 4.00; 1,
0.00), 54.20. 2. Gina Miles (MCKINLAIGH), Creston, Calif. (10, 39.30;
12, 16.80; 1, 0.00; 1, 0.00), 56.10. 3. Kristina Cook (MINERS FROLIC),
Britain (13, 40.20; 13, 17.20; 1, 0.00; 1, 0.00), 57.40. 4. Megan Jones
(IRISH JESTER), Australia (4, 35.40; 9, 15.60; 19, 4.00; 11, 4.00),
59.00. 5. Ingrid Klimke (ABRAXXAS), Germany (3, 33.50; 13, 17.20;
19, 4.00; 18, 5.00), 59.70. 6. Didier Dhennin (ISMENE DU TEMPLE),
France (17, 42.80; 8, 14.00; 18, 3.00; 1, 0.00), 59.80. 7. Clayton
Fredericks (BEN ALONG TIME), Australia (6, 37.00; 11, 16.40; 19,
4.00; 11, 4.00), 61.40. 8. Andreas Dibowski (BUTTS LEON), Germany
(11, 39.60; 16, 17.60; 1, 0.00; 19, 8.00), 65.20.

U.S. Finishers: 42. Becky Holder (COURAGEOUS COMET), Mendota Heights,
Minn. (5, 35.70; 58, 82.00; 32, 8.00), 125.70. 44. Karen O’Connor
(MANDIBA), The Plains, Va. (16, 41.90; 59, 84.80; 30, 5.00),
131.70. NR. Amy Tryon (POGGIO II), Redmond, Wash. (24, 46.50; , EL),
EL. NR. Phillip Dutton (CONNAUGHT), Avondale, Pa. (14, 40.60; 20,
19.60; 32, 8.00), DQ.

Team Final Ranking

1. Germany (Hinrich Romeike; Ingrid Klimke; Andreas Dibowski;
Frank Ostholt; Peter Thomsen), 166.10. 2. Australia (Megan Jones;
Clayton Fredericks; Sonja Johnson; Lucinda Fredericks; Shane Rose),
171.20. 3. Britain (Kristina Cook; Mary King; William Fox-Pitt; Daisy
Dick; Sharon Hunt), 185.70. 4. Sweden (Linda Algotsson; Katrin Norling;
Dag Albert; Viktoria Carlerback; Magnus Gallerdal), 230.50. 5. New
Zealand (Caroline Powell; Mark Todd; Joe Meyer; Heelan Tompkins; Andrew
Nicholson), 240.90. 6. Italy (Vittoria Panizzon; Susanna Bordone;
Roberto Rotatori; Stefano Brecciaroli; Fabio Magni), 246.40. 7. United
States (Gina Miles, Creston, Calif.; Phillip Dutton, Avondale, Pa.;
Becky Holder, Mendota Heights, Minn.; Karen O’Connor, The Plains,
Va.; Amy Tryon, Redmond, Wash.), 250.00. 8. Ireland (Austin O’Connor;
Geoffrey Curran; Louise Lyons; Niall Griffin; Patricia Ryan), 276.10.

Fencing

Men’s Individual Sabre

Bronze Medal: Mihai Covaliu, Romania, def. Julien Pillet, France,
15-11.

Gold Medal: Zhong Man, China, def. Nicolas Lopez, France, 15-9.

Gymnastics

Men’s Team

Final Ranking

1. China (Chen Yibing; Huang Xu; Li Xiaopeng; Xiao Qin; Yang Wei;
Zou Kai), 286.125. 2. Japan (Takehiro Kashima; Takuya Nakase;
Makoto Okiguchi; Koki Sakamoto; Hiroyuki Tomita; Kohei Uchimura),
278.875. 3. United States (Sasha Artemev, Highlands Ranch, Colo.;
Raj Bhavsar, Houston; Joey Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M.; Jonathan
Horton, Houston; Justin Spring, Burke, Va.; Kevin Tan, Fremont,
Calif.), 275.850. 4. Germany (Thomas Andergassen; Philipp Boy;
Fabian Hambuechen; Robert Juckel; Marcel Nguyen; Evgenij Spiridonov),
274.600. 5. South Korea (Kim Daeeun; Kim Jihoon; Kim Seungil; Kim
Soomyun; Yang Taeyoung; Yoo Wonchul), 274.375. 6. Russia (Maxim
Devyatovskiy; Anton Golotsutskov; Sergey Khorokhordin; Nikolay
Kryukov; Konstantin Pluzhnikov; Yury Ryazanov), 274.300. 7. Romania
(Adrian Bucur; Marian Dragulescu; Flavius Koczi; Daniel Popescu;
Razvan Selariu; Robert Stanescu), 274.175. 8. France (Thomas Bouhail;
Benoit Caranobe; Yann Cucherat; Dimitri Karbanenko; Danny Pinheiro
Rodrigues; Hamilton Sabot), 272.875.

Shooting

Men’s Double Trap

Final

1. Glenn Eller, Katy, Texas (145, 45), 190. 2. Francesco D Aniello,
Italy (141, 46), 187. 3. Hu Binyuan, China (138, 46), 184. 4. Jeff
Holguin, Yorba Linda, Calif. (140, 42), 182. 5. Russell Mark, Australia
(136, 45), 181. 6. Richard Faulds, Britain (137, 43), 180. 7. Ahmed
Almaktoum, United Arab Emirates (136), 136. 8. William Chetcuti,
Malta (136), 136.

Tennis

U.S. Men’s results

Second-round singles: James Blake (8), Tampa, Fla., def. Dominik
Hrbaty, Slovakia, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3.

First-round doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (1), Wesley Chapel,
Fla., def. Mark Knowles and Devin Mullings, Bahamas, 6-2, 6-1.

U.S. Women’s results

Second-round singles: Serena Williams (4), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.,
def. Samantha Stosur, Australia, 6-2, 6-0. Venus Williams (7), Palm
Beach Gardens, Fla., def. Iveta Benesova, Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-4.

First-round doubles: Lindsay Davenport and Liezel Huber (5), Newport
Beach, Calif., def. Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska, Poland, 6-2,
6-1. Serena Williams and Venus Williams (2), Palm Beach Gardens,
Fla. def. Iveta Benesova and Nicole Vaidisova, Czech Republic, 4-6,
7-5, 6-1.

Weightlifting

Men’s 69kg

Final

1. Liao Hui, China (1, 158-347.6; 1, 190-418), 348 kg.-765.6
pounds. 2. Vencelas Dabaya-Tientcheu, France (5, 151-332.2; 2,
187-411.4), 338-743.6. 3. Tigran Gevorg Martirosyan, Armenia (3,
153-336.6; 3, 185-407), 338-743.6. 4. Yordanis Borrero, Cuba (6,
148-325.6; 6, 180-396), 328-721.6. 5. Turan Mirzayev, Azerbaijan (9,
146-321.2; 4, 181-398.2), 327-719.4. 6. Kim Chol Jin, North Korea
(8, 146-321.2; 5, 180-396), 326-717.2. 7. Afgan Bayramov, Azerbaijan
(10, 145-319; 7, 175-385), 320-704. 8. Sitthisak Suphalak, Thailand
(7, 147-323.4; 12, 171-376.2), 318-699.6.

Women’s 63kg

Final

1. Pak Hyon Suk, North Korea (2, 106-233.2; 1, 135-297), 241
kg.-530.2 pounds. 2. Irina Nekrassova, Kazakhstan (1, 110-242;
2, 130-286), 240-528. 3. Lu Ying-Chi, Taiwan (3, 104-228.8; 3,
127-279.4), 231-508.2. 4. Christine Girard, Canada (6, 102-224.4; 5,
126-277.2), 228-501.6. 5. Thi Thiet Nguyen, Vietnam (7, 100-220; 6,
125-275), 225-495.

Wrestling

Greco-Roman

Men’s Under 55g

Bronze Medal Final 1: Roman Amoyan, Armenia, def. Yagnier Hernandez,
Cuba, 3-0, 5-0.

Bronze Medal Final 2: Park Eunchol, South Korea, def. Hamid Soryan,
Iran, 1-1, 2-2.

Gold Medal Final: Nazyr Mankiev, Russia, def. Rovshan Bayramov,
Azerbaijan, 4-3, 2-2.

Men’s Under 60kg

Bronze Medal Final 1: Ruslan Tiumenbaev, Kyrgyzstan, def. Roberto
Monzon, Cuba, 8-0, 1-0.

Bronze Medal Final 2: Nurbakyt Tengizbayev, Kazakhstan, def. Sheng
Jiang, China, 4-1, 1-2, 3-0.

Gold Medal Final: Islam-Beka Albiev, Russia, def. Vitaliy Rahimov,
Azerbaijan, 2-0, 4-0.

Yesterday’s team scores

BASKETBALL (Men)

Lithuania 99, Iran 67

Croatia 85, Russia 78

Greece 87, Germany 64

Spain 85, China 75, OT

United States 97, Angola 76

Argentina 85, Australia 68

BASKETBALL (Women)

Russia 71, Belarus 65

Spain vs. Czech Republic, late

FIELD HOCKEY (Women)

Argentina 2, Britain 2, tie

Australia 6, Spain 1

United States 1, Japan 1, tie

China 3, South Africa 0

Netherlands 3, South Korea 2

Germany 2, New Zealand 1

FIELD HOCKEY (Men)

Australia 10, South Africa 0

China vs. South Korea, late

SOCCER (Women)

Germany 1, North Korea 0

Brazil 3, Nigeria 1

China 2, Argentina 0

Sweden 2, Canada 1

United States 4, New Zealand 0

Japan 5, Norway 1

SOFTBALL

Canada 6, Taiwan 1

United States 11, Venezuela 0 (5)

China 10, Netherlands 2

Japan 4, Australia 3

China vs. Venezuela, late

TEAM HANDBALL (Men)

Croatia 33, Brazil 14

Russia 28, Egypt 27

France 33, China 19

Spain 30, Poland 29

South Korea 31, Denmark 30

Iceland 33, Germany 29

TEAM HANDBALL (Women)

Russia 28, Brazil 19

Romania vs. France, late

VOLLEYBALL (Men)

Russia 3, Germany 2 (25-27, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 16-14)

United States 3, Italy 1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21)

Poland 3, Egypt 0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-10)

Brazil 3, Serbia 1 (25-27, 25-20, 25-17, 25-21)

China 3, Venezuela 2 (25-21, 21-25, 16-25, 25-21, 16-14)

Bulgaria 3, Japan 1 (27-29, 25-23, 21-25, 19-25)

WATER POLO (Men)

Montenegro 12, Canada 0

Spain 9, Australia 8

United States 12, Italy 11

Hungary 17, Greece 6

Croatia 11, Serbia 8

Germany 6, China 5

WATER POLO (Women)

Italy vs. Algeria, late

Medals

(Through 53 medal events)

Country G S B Tot

United States 7 7 8 22

China 13 3 4 20

South Korea 5 6 1 12

Australia 3 2 5 10

Italy 3 4 2 9

Russia 2 4 3 9

France 0 7 2 9

North Korea 1 2 4 7

Germany 4 1 1 6

Japan 3 1 2 6

Britain 2 1 3 6

Netherlands 1 1 2 4

Azerbaijan 1 2 0 3

Brazil 0 0 3 3

Czech Republic 2 0 0 2

Slovakia 1 1 0 2

Finland 1 0 1 2

Romania 1 0 1 2

Spain 1 0 1 2

Zimbabwe 0 2 0 2

Austria 0 1 1 2

Cuba 0 1 1 2

Kazakhstan 0 1 1 2

Armenia 0 0 2 2

Indonesia 0 0 2 2

Taiwan 0 0 2 2

India 1 0 0 1

Thailand 1 0 0 1

Colombia 0 1 0 1

Hungary 0 1 0 1

Norway 0 1 0 1

Sweden 0 1 0 1

Turkey 0 1 0 1

Vietnam 0 1 0 1

Algeria 0 0 1 1

Argentina 0 0 1 1

Belarus 0 0 1 1

Croatia 0 0 1 1

Georgia 0 0 1 1

Kyrgyzstan 0 0 1 1

Mexico 0 0 1 1

Switzerland 0 0 1 1

Tajikistan 0 0 1 1

Togo 0 0 1 1

Ukraine 0 0 1 1

Uzbekistan 0 0 1 1

HAFIZ PASHAYEV: "GEORGIA HAS A RIGHT TO SETTLE THE ISSUE OF ITS CIS WALKOUT INDEPENDENTLY"

Today.Az
13 August 2008
Azerbaijan

Decision to leave CIS is Georgia’s own business, said deputy
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Hafiz Pashayev, according to
Interfax-Azerbaijan.

"Each country has a right to take a decision independently", said
Pashayev Wednesday, commenting on the decision of President Mikhail
Saakashvili to leave CIS.

According to the diplomat, such a decision is adopted on the basis
of discussions on the high political level and "probably Georgia’s
decision should also be approved by the parliament".

Commenting on the recent developments around South Ossetia, Pashayev
confirmed Azerbaijan’s support to territorial integrity of Georgia.

"As it was announced earlier, we support the territorial integrity of
Georgia. We have always considered this principle the most important
and we are confident that it should be the key one in the international
relations", noted the Deputy Minister.

The diplomat noted that events in South Ossetia should underline for
the world society the need for the soonest resolution of all conflicts
in the region, including Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

It should be noted that an international conference "Azerbaijanis
and Americans, as we see each others" opened in the capital of
Azerbaijan. It is organized by the diplomatic academy of Azerbaijan,
led by H.Pashayev. Events in Georgia are one of the main topics of
discussions at the conference.

BOXER RATNAYAKE BEATEN, VIDANAGE FINISHES 16TH
Dinesh Weerawansa

Ceylon Daily News
13 August 2008
Sri Lanka

Boxer Anuruddha Ratnayake shattered Sri Lanak’s hopes when he went
down to Latin American silver medallist Robenilson Vieira in their
men’s 51kg flyweight category first round bout of the XX1X Olympic
Games here in Beijing today.

The Brazilian, making the full use of his height and long arms, took an
upper hand from the first round of the bout worked off at the Workers’
Gymnasium ring under lights. It was a blank point sheet during the
first minute of the round one before Robenilson came to the picture
with two calculated punches to lead 2-0 at the end of the first round.

Robenilson had a big advantage with his height in evading punches
from relatively small-made Sri Lankan.

The Brazilian kept his cool and boxed to his original strategy and
extended his lead to six points to one at the end of round two. Two
powerful left hooks by the Latin American Games fly weight silver
medallist saw Ratnayake trailing 2-9 at the end of round three.

It was a tall order if Ratnayake was to make any comeback in the fourth
round, which he opened with a seven-point deficit. Though the tussle
looked even during the first one minute of the fourth round, at least
three vital punches from Ratnayake went unnoticed. If the Lankan had
caught the attention of the judges during his most aggressive moments,
he would have got into a psychologically important position.

Nevertheless, the Brazilian was far superior and deserved to win on
points 13-3. Ratnayake was not at his brilliant best and looked off
colour. The Lankan did not get the ideal start he was expecting and
that put Robenilson in the driving seat from round two.

"It was sad that I could not play my normal game. I should have
done better. Unfortunately things did not go in the manner which I
expected," Ratnayake said after his first round debacle.

He said the height and long arms of the Brazilian gave his opponent
a distinct advantage.

"He made use of his height and arms to stretch fully and escape when
I was charging.

But that is no excuse. I did not box well," Ratnayake added.

But Ratnayake said his presence at the Olympic ring under the Lion
flag should open a new era in Sri Lankan boxing. "I think my journey to
the Olympic boxing ring should be an inspiration to all Lankan boxers
and all those who intend to take to the ring sport. I am ever thankful
to all Sri Lankans who wholeheartedly supported my journey," he added.

Young Ratnayake said the battle is not lost altogether. "This is a
good beginning and I will survive to fight for another day. I will
make use of this experience and plan my strategy to work towards the
2012 Olympic Games," a determined Ratnayake said.

Chef-de-Mission of the Sri Lanka contingent and ABASL President Dian
Gomes was a dejected man after Ratnayake’s defeat.

But a determined Gomes said Raynayake’s Olympic journey should open a
new era in Lankan boxing. "He did not play well today and was beaten
by a better opponent. We have no complaints. But this should be an
inspiration to all and I would like to see a few more Ratnayakes
making it to the 2012 Olympics," Gomes said.

Minister of Sports and Public Recreation and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to
China Karunatillaka Amunugama were amongst the VVIPs at the Workers’
Gymnasium to see the Lankan boxer in action. Minister Lokuge is due
to return home tomorrow.

Vidanage finishes 16th There was a little bright spot for Sri Lanka in
the Olympic arena when star weightlifter Chinthana Vidanage finished
16th in the men’s 69kg category. Vidanage, who topped the Group C
with a total lift of 293kg yesterday, was overshadowed by 15 others
who competed under Group A and B in the men’s 69kg event today.

Having established three new Sri Lanka records to head Group C,
Vidanage was looking for a place within the top 20 lifters in
his weight category. Today, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist
fulfilled that dream when he secured the 16th place in the final
standings after the A and B group lifts.

China’s Hui Liao bagged the weightlifting gold of men’s 69kg event with
a total lift of 348kg, 55kg more than the Lankan lad from Polonnaruwa.

Last year’s World champion Liao had a snatch lift of 158kg and a clean
and jerk lift of 190kg. Vencelas Dabaya-Tientcheu of France (338kg)
and Itgran Gevorg Martirosyan of Armenia (338kg) bagged the silver
and bronze medals of this weight category.

"I felt very nervous at the very first attempt of both Snatch and Clean
and Jerk." said Liao, referring to his fail in these two attempts.

"There were unnecessary mistakes, fortunately I survived. Eventually
I got the gold medal,"

he said after his memorable feat. Favorite Lee Baeyoung of South
Korea, who took silver at Athens 2004, suffered cramps in both legs
in the Clean and Jerk and failed in all three attempts. China’s Shi
Zhiyong, defending champion in the Men’s 62kg Weightlifting category,
was another favorite who failed to make the podium.

Meanwhile, Russian Islam-Beka Albiev dominated Vitaliy Rahimov of
Azerbaijan in the final of the Men’s Greco-Roman 60kg wrestling event.

Albiev took the first period by 2-0. He then went on to win the
second period 4-0, leaving no room for Rahimov to respond. Albiev’s
best personal achievement in senior competition before this gold was
a bronze medal in the 2007 World Cup.

China’s Zhong Man claimed the gold medal in a 15-9 two-round bout in
the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Men’s Individual Sabre at
the Fencing Hall. Nicholas Lopez of France took home the silver. Thus,
Zhong became the first Chinese fencer in Olympic history to win
this event.

Hosts China continued to head the latest medals standings of the
Beijing Olympics. At the time of writing, China headed the latest
medals standings with 13 golds, three silver and four bronze medals.

USA is placed second with only seven gold, six silver and eight bronze
medals. In the third place is South Korea with five gold medals,
six silver and a bronze medal.

None of the Lankan Olympians will be seen in action on day five of
the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.

But at the Water Cube on Thursday, Sri Lanka’s Daniel Lee will swim
in men’s 50m free style first round heats.

G. GHARIBDJANIAN: MILITARY EXPERTS DID NOT ARRIVE IN ARMENIA VIA AIRPLANES

Panorama.am
20:53 12/08/2008

According to rumors spread by the mass media an airplane with American
military experts arrived in "Zvartnots" airport, Armenia.

Gegham Gharibdjanian, the Deputy Foreign Minister, said to "Interfax"
news agency, "In these days a few special flights have been conducted
in the airports of Gyumri and Yerevan to transfer foreign citizens
from Georgia. Not a single airplane directed from Romania has made
a landing in Yerevan," said the Deputy Foreign Minister.

ARMROSGASPROM INVESTIGATING REASONS FOR RUSSIAN GAS SUPPLY REDUCTION IN ARMENIA

ARKA
Aug 12, 2008

YEREVAN, August 12. /ARKA/. ArmRosGasProm, subsidiary of the Russian
gas export monopoly Gazprom, is investigating the reasons for the
reduction of gas exports through the territory of Georgia to Armenia.

"We want to find out why the natural gas supplies to Armenia have
considerably reduced," ArmRosGasProm Press Secretary Shushan Sardaryan
said.

Russia daily supplies Armenia with 5mln cubic meters of natural
gas. "We do not know exactly how much gas is currently being exported
to Armenia," Sardaryan added.

She pointed out that the company has no information about the current
situation in the gas main.

Monopolist in Armenia’s gas supply market, the ArmRosgasprom CJSC
was established in 1997. The company’s capital amounts $580mln. Its
shareholders are the Gasprom OJCS (57.59% of shares), the RA Ministry
of Energy (34.7%) and the Itera Oil and Gas Company (7.71%).

IRAN, ARMENIA TO HOLD GAS TALKS

press tv
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:59:16 GMT

Tehran and Yerevan are scheduled to hold talks in a bid to remove
obstacles in the way of natural gas exports from Iran to Armenia.

Head of the gas export operation office of the National Iranian Gas
Company (NIGC), Rasoul Salmani, said on Monday that the talks would
take place in Armenia on August 20, 2008.

Tehran and Yerevan are currently constructing a 140-km pipeline to
carry natural gas from gas-abundant Iran to Armenia.

Once completed, the 220-million-dollar pipeline would provide Armenia
with an alternative to the gas it now imports from Russia. For each
cubic meter of Iranian gas, Armenia will return 3 kilowatt hours of
electricity to Iran.

In June, Armenia’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Armen
Movsisyan, said that Russian energy giant Gazprom would invest more
than 200 million dollars in the construction of the pipeline.

BLESSING OF THE GRAPES IN THE VALLEY

CBS 47
Aug 11, 2008
CA

Valley farmers take to the fields for this year’s grape harvest. Hoping
the weather stays on their side; one local church looks above for help.

Saint Paul Armenian Church held its annual Blessing of the Grapes
Festival on Sunday in Fresno. The event takes place each year on the
grounds of the California Armenian Home.

Jeff Markarian with St. Paul Armenian Church said, "We bless the
grapes that are used in the Devine Linergy service and bless all the
crops of the news years harvest too. And as part of that, we have a
picnic and it’s a special social event- chance to share our culture
with the community as well."

Close to a thousand people were on hand for traditional Armenian food
and dance.

A similar blessing will be held next Sunday at the California Armenian
home. The Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church will be holding
its annual grape blessing service and picnic and it too is open to
the public.

Sun-Sentinel.com, FL

August 11, 2008

Errol Flynn was missing character in novel set in Jamaica

Chauncey Mabe | Book Editor August 10, 2008

Errol Flynn invited himself into Margaret Cezair-Thompson’s life.

The author of a well-regarded first novel, The True History of
Paradise (1999), Cezair-Thompson was in the process of planning her
second, set in Port Antonio on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, when
she remembered the golden-age movie star had lived there during the
1940s.

"I had the setting and several of the characters in mind, especially
Ida, the mother, and May, the daughter," Cezair-Thompson says by phone
from Massachusetts, where she teaches at Wellesley College. "Then
Errol Flynn popped into my head."

Taking a closer look at Flynn’s life in Jamaica, she read books,
including his autobiography. She talked with people in Jamaica who had
known him. "He began to loom larger and larger until he seemed the
right father for May," she says.

The resulting novel, The Pirate’s Daughter ‘ Flynn played glamorous
pirates in Hollywood movies of the ’30s ‘ proved to be
Cezair-Thompson’s breakout book, reaching No. 3 on Amazon.com.uk after
being featured on Richard & Judy, a popular British afternoon talk
show. It didn’t sell quite so well in the United States, but it did
receive positive reviews in Publisher’s Weekly, Vogue, People magazine
and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, among others, when it first came
out last fall.

"I think the book has gone beyond people’s expectations," says
Cezair-Thompson, now touring in support of the softcover
edition. "It’s had an interesting journey. I can’t say enough about my
publisher, Unbridled Books. They’re a great group of people who have
great relationships with booksellers."

The story of May, the illegitimate child of the rakish (and sometimes
dastardly) Flynn and a teenage Jamaican beauty, The Pirate’s Daughter
is set against the historic changes that shook the island nation from
the late colonial times of the 1940s through independence in the 1960s
and into the social violence of the 1970s. May is abandoned first by
Flynn, who never acknowledges paternity, and then by her mother, who
leaves the island to seek fortune in New York.

Booksellers gave The Pirate’s Daughter a big boost, Cezair-Thompson
says, recommending it to their customers in this country. So did book
groups, who found the novel’s mix of literary and pop-fiction elements
appealing.

"I wanted to write something that people from all walks of life would
be able to enjoy," she says. "I never want to write a book that has to
be taught in the classroom to be understood."

Cezair-Thompson should know. At 51, she’s a well-established academic
who teaches those kinds of writers ‘ James Joyce, William Faulkner,
Virginia Woolf ‘ for a living.

Growing up in Jamaica, her ambitions lay with theater, not literature,
though she was an avid reader. At 19 she left for the United States,
where she studied drama until her senior year of college. Then she
came under the influence of Marjorie Housepian-Dobkin, an
Armenian-American novelist and historian who had best-selling books in
the 1950s.

"I took the class for fun," she says. "She thought I had something
original to say, and encouraged me. She was a great teacher in that
way teachers can sometimes be wonderful."

Turned down for graduate programs in both drama and creative writing,
Cezair-Thompson went instead for a master’s degree in literature ‘ a
choice she now says helped make her a better writer.

"I’m very happy I moved in an academic direction," she says. "It made
me a better reader, and a better writer. I have a confident sense of
what makes for good writing. You can start to see the flaws of even
great writers, and the challenges they faced. They’re not just figures
on pedestals. It’s very inspiring."

Readers often ask Cezair-Thompson if The Pirate’s Daughter is
autobiographical. She is of the same generation as May and lived
through the same Jamaican upheavals. But she says The True History of
Paradise is her autobiographical novel. In fact, she worked hard not
to repeat material from that book.

"In terms of the characters being completely made up, this book is not
at all autobiographical," Cezair-Thompson says. "But May wants to
write. She is growing up with all these literary interests she doesn’t
know what to do with. We didn’t have a lot of Caribbean literature on
the island. You grow up with the great English writers, and copy them
until you find your own voice. I drew on my own experience there."

Many readers, especially in book clubs, also demand to know why
Cezair-Thompson isn’t harder on Flynn, who, after all, was a notorious
libertine tried (and acquitted) for statutory rape after being accused
of seducing a 13-year-old girl. In some ways, Cezair-Thompson says,
she found it easier to sympathize with Flynn than with May.

"I was moved by the fact he really loved Jamaica," she says. "I felt
it was important to penetrate the tabloid bad-boy image, to show him
from [an] angle not seen before, to show an Errol Flynn who was tired,
fearful and troubled, and worried about aging. What came through my
research was a man not entirely happy with himself. I feel it’s up to
the reader to judge his actions."

Getting into the mind of a child proved a tougher challenge, says
Cezair-Thompson, the divorced single mother of a son.

"I have lots of close male friends," she says. "I wasn’t daunted by
writing in a male inner voice. But I can’t quite remember being a
little girl. And May is a boyish little girl. I studied the children
around me, especially my goddaughter, who was growing up as I wrote."

As a Jamaican-born novelist of rising stature, Cezair-Thompson says
she is always aware of her responsibility as a voice of her people.

"Really good fiction cannot be didactic, and I always try to stick to
the rules of good writing," she says. "I don’t want to offend
Jamaicans, but I also feel it’s important not to misrepresent the
country and its history. The violence of the ’70s, seeing Jamaicans
become fearful in their own country, is a hurtful memory for me. It’s
important to remember that and talk about it."

So far, she’s gotten little negative reaction.

"Jamaicans are a very vocal and down-to-earth people," Cezair-Thompson
says. "If I wrote things misrepresenting the country, they’d let me
know about it."

Chauncey Mabe can be reached at [email protected] or
954-356-4710.

IF YOU GO
Margaret Cezair-Thompson will read and discuss her novel of midcentury
Jamaica, The Pirate’s Daughter, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Books &
Books, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave. Free; 305-864-4241 or
booksandbooks.com.