TENNIS – FRENCH OPEN
Nalbandian downs dogged Monfils
Friday, June 1, 2007
Argentina’s David Nalbandian overcame a bold challenge from home favourite
Gael Monfils in the third round of the French Open on Friday, holding off
the fighting Frenchman to take victory in the fourth set, 7-6 5-7 6-4 7-6.
A SUICIDE BOMBER WHO WAS GOING TO GET IN A PLANE FLYING TO IRAN DETAINED IN ANKARA AIRPORT
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.05.2007 17:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A suicide bomber has been detained in the Ankara
International Airport. The suspect was trying to get into a plane,
which would fly to Iran.
During customs inspection a certain Ahmed Yazici fell under suspicion
and customs officers seized his "Nokia" cell phone stuffed with
explosives.
Representatives of Special Services of the Turkish capital after
examining the cell phone and establishing the identity of the suspect
decided to arrest him. Fears that the suicide bomber was trying to
pass a hidden explosive in a cell phone confirmed after examining
the suspect. Currently an investigation is on the way. Investigators
also check up the "psychological state" of the potential terrorist,
"Vesti" reports.
ARMENIA NOT TO ENRICH URANIUM – PRESIDENT
Television of Armenia, Yerevan
30 May 07
Armenia has no plans of uranium enrichment, Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said at the ninth sitting of the Armenian Nuclear Power
Security Council on 30 May.
Reporting the event on the same day, Public TV showed him saying:
"It is preferable for us to integrate into the idea of creating
international centres that would provide services of nuclear heating
cycle under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency
[IAEA]. An agreement, exactly in this context, has been reached
with Russia."
Arminfo news agency quoted Kocharyan as saying that in the next two
months the Armenian Energy Ministry will submit to the government
the strategy of ceasing the operation of the Armenian Nuclear Power
Plant (NPP). He said that government was still planning to develop
nuclear energy.
"Amendments to the law on energy are manifestation of our intention to
preserve and develop nuclear energy. The law has abolished restrictions
on the involvement of foreign and private capital in the nuclear
energy sector," Kocharyan said.
"The issue of raising the security level of the exploitation of the
operational block of the NPP, including the termination of the plant’s
operation, has been and remains one of the most priority issues for
the government of the country and for the president personally. This
is why we assess highly the initiative of the IAEA on the coordination
of international technical assistance and all the work directed at
the implementation of the programme," Public TV showed Kocharyan
telling the participants in the meeting.
Kocharyan stressed the importance of changes in the energy
field. Arminfo news agency quoted him as saying that currently
Armenia actively continues the construction of the second part of
the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. He also said that modernization of
nine power substations had been completed.
The president also spoke about the changes in Armenian economy since
the previous sitting in 2005. Public TV quoted Kocharyan as saying
that that economy has grown twice since then. "The republic has
‘closed’ the 2005 and 2006 with doubled figures of economic growth,"
the president said in his remarks shown by the TV.
ARMENIA’S MILITARY DOCTRINE TO BE READY BY LATE 2008, GENERAL SAYS
Mediamax news agency
29 May 07
Yerevan, 29 May: An inter-agency commission tasked with working out a
draft of the republic’s military doctrine, Maj-Gen Mikayel Melkonyan,
the head of the Defence Ministry’s department for international
military cooperation and defence programmes, has said.
He made the remarks today [29 May] when speaking at a news conference
dedicated to international Peacekeepers’ Day, marked on 29 May,
at the NATO Information Centre in Yerevan.
Melkonyan said that according to the Individual Partnership Actions
Plan (IPAP) between Armenia and NATO, the doctrine should be adopted
by the end of 2008.
"However, we are ahead of the schedule in several IPAP components,
and I think that the military doctrine will be adopted in late 2007,"
he said.
He said that Armenia’s National Security Strategy too was adopted ahead
of the schedule: under the IPAP, this document was to be adopted only
in the end of this year.
Melkonyan said that the IPAP is being implemented "very
successfully". He said that the success is due to the fact that "this
is exactly the programme needed for reforming and modernizing our army,
there is nothing artificial or imposed in it".
He said that the issue of establishing the institute of ombudsman in
the Armenian Armed Forces is almost settled.
"We have decided to choose the best option and establish a post of
deputy Armenian ombudsman for the armed forces. The government has
already allotted necessary funding, and very soon a person will be
appointed to that position," he said.
OSCE SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CO-OPERATION ON ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
ArmRadio.am
30.05.2007 10:15
Ecological challenges faced by cities in mountainous regions is the
topic of a two-day international youth conference that started in
Yerevan on May 29.
More than 100 young academics from 32 research and education
institutions of Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan, Norway,
Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan gathered to discuss environmental
instability of mountainous regions, to share experiences, and
to join forces in finding common comprehensive solutions. The 47
reports to be presented at the conference address problems, such as
the geochemistry of the environment in cities, the geomorphology of
cities and landscape planning, and geoinformation technologies used
in researching ecosystems in cities.
"Fostering networking and partnership among scientific and research
institutions and young academicians is part of what the OSCE is
about. This is especially important for confronting the rising threats
and challenges of modern times, one of which is ecological security,"
said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
"Young academics’ contribution to the development of science is
vital. This conference proves once again that science does not
recognize borders and that there is a unified scientific space, in
which scientists can exchange information about their achievements,"
added Emil Gabrielyan, Vice President of the Armenian National Academy
of Sciences.
The event is organized by the Centre for Ecological-Noospheric Research
of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, with support from the
OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Moscow UNESCO Office.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICE AWARDS GRANT FOR AZERBAIJAN MINE ACTION
TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 30 2007
Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov / The Office of Weapons
Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of
Political-Military Affairs has awarded a total of $187,084 to support
mine victims in Azerbaijan.
The funds will be transferred to the International Eurasia Press Fund
to support the Tartar Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association and establish
regional branches in the Aghstafa and Fizuly regions of Azerbaijan.
According to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA),
over 400mln sq m of Azerbaijani territory is mined or has unexploded
mines. Since September 2001, 53 people died and 122 received injuries
as a result of 83 mine explosions.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 due
to the territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and seven Districts of the country surrounding it. Since
1992 to the present time, these territories have been under the
occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities
ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA)
are presently holding peaceful negotiations.
The United States has launched another effort to strengthen peace and
post-conflict recovery. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in
the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
has awarded a total of more than $2.2 million to 23 non-governmental
organizations to clean up former battle areas.
Pyunik change alerts Armenia
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
by Khachik Chakhoyan
FC Pyunik’s six-year reign as Armenia’s top team could
yet be under threat following the appointment of
inexperienced coach Armen Gjulbidagyants.
Inexperienced replacement
The eight-team league has been unusually competitive
so far, even though Pyunik won the title by a clear 16
points last season. To muddy the waters, defeat in the
Armenian Cup semi-finals at the start of May saw
Samvel Petrosyan dismissed as Pyunik coach, and his
greenhorn replacement Gjulbidagyants may not be able
to resist some stern competition from the chasing
pack.
MIKA change
While FC Kilikia and FC Ulis Yerevan are already
sinking to the bottom of the table, the remaining six
sides seem relatively evenly matched at the moment. FC
Banants, FC MIKA – who recently hired Arakdij
Andreasyan to replace coach Armen Adamyan – and FC
Ararat Yerevan are all within three points of the
leaders, while FC Gandzasar Kapan and FC Shirak are no
pushovers.
Banants resurgent
Banants made a drab start to the league season but
their spirits are soaring following their 3-1 win
against Ararat in the Armenian Cup final on 9 May.
They have won all three of their subsequent league
games to move up to second. The captain is Yegishe
Melikyan although fellow defender Ararat Arakelyan has
been impressive too, earning a national team call-up.
Ararat rally
By contrast, the disappointment of missing out in the
cup final – and losing the accompanying UEFA Cup first
qualifying round place – knocked Ararat off their
stride momentarily. However, following defeat by
Banants in the league, experienced coach Varuzhan
Sukiasyan has rallied his men, and after two 2-0 wins
in a row, they are back on song in fourth place.
In freefall
Buoyed by a number of foreign stars, MIKA are third
although their form has been changeable. At the foot
of the table, meanwhile, Ulis and Kilikia are heading
into freefall. Kilikia have conceded eight goals
without reply in their last two games while Ulis have
scored none and conceded eleven in their three most
recent fixtures. The break for UEFA EURO 2008′ action
has come at a good time for both.
©uefa.com 1998-2007.
Evangelical Society sponsors summer holiday of 1220 children
26-05-2007 13:36:18 – KarabakhOpen
400 children will spend their holiday at the Karkar summer camp of
Stepanakert from June 8 in two shifts. The summer camps of Stepanakert
and Shushi for children have been sponsored by the Armenian
Evangelical Society for many years now.
The children attending the activities of the Society, schoolchildren,
as well as children of the killed soldiers from Stepanakert, Shushi
and Askeran will spend their holiday in Karkar.
>From July 2 to August 2 600 children and teenagers from Karabakh and
Armenia will have a holiday in Shushi. Arsen Manasyan, the head of the
Stepanakert office of the Armenian Evangelical Society, told the
Karabakh Open 70 percent of children will be from Karabakh.
According to Arsen Manasyan, the Society intends to hold five-day
courtyard camps in Shushi and Askeran and involve 220 children.
The Armenian Evangelical Society organizes the summer holiday of 1220
children.
"THERE’S NO BARRIER BETWEEN PEOPLE AND AUTHORITIES IN KARABAKH"
Panorama.am
19:05 25/05/2007
There’s no barrier between the Karabakh people and authorities,
"Caucasus" analytical center expert Manvel Sargsyan expressed his
opinion today. "With that relationship Karabakh compares favorably
to Armenia, where the barrier is quite noticeable", – he stressed.
In Sargsyan’s opinion the mentioned situation gives Karabakh
opportunity to hold high-level elections. The fair and free elections
in their turn will make it possible for the nominees to win with
51% index instead of previous 90%. "Carrying out fair presidential
elections is of high importance for Karabakh, primarily from the
point of republic security and Karabakh conflict settlement", – M.
Sargsyan is sure. He also noted that international community considers
Karabakh an unrecognized republic, and it’s moreover important that
the Karabakh president gets the real support of the people.
PERSECUTION AGAINST OPPOSITION PRESS CONTINUES IN AZERBAIJAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2007 15:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ From May 18, 2007 bank accounts of Azeri opposition
"Baky-Kheber" newspaper are under arrest. Today press spreader
companies refused to pay to "Baky-Kheber" means from realizing the
newspaper, they explained their decision by the court’s verdict,
"Baky-Kheber" editor-in-chief Aydyn Guliev stated.
Guliev said judge Gurban Abasov from the Appeal Court annulled the
May 5, 2005 verdict of Sabail District Court on paying a 20 000 old
manat fine (4 000 new manats) part by part.
The verdict went into effect several days ago. All financial means of
the newspaper are frozen. The editor-in-chief noted the workers of the
"Baky-Kheber" will hold a meeting in near future to make decision
on the further activity of the newspaper. "Azerbaijan" publishing
house also demands from "Baky-Kheber" to pay debts, which creates
difficulties for activities of the newspaper.
Most recently Azeri opposition newspapers "Real Azerbaijan and
Gundalik Azerbaijan were forced to move from the building they
occupied. Ministry of Emergency Situations initiated that move,
Chief editor of "Gundalik Azerbaijan" newspaper Shahveled Chobanoglu
informed.
"Representatives of the ministry say that the lower stories of
this newly-built building are in breakdown situation and need
repair. Following the logic, if the lower stories are in breakdown
situation, it means that all residents of apartments in this building
must also be evacuated. But naturally, nothing similar will happen. We
are just forced to move from the territory we have rented and have
prepaid till December 1, 2007.
And still it is unknown if we will be able to receive back our
money. And we also do not know if we will be able to launch publication
of our newspaper," Chobanoglu said. Editor of Gundalik Azerbaijan
Uzeir Djafarov is going to ask for political asylum abroad as a
sign of protest against the attack on him, which took place in the
evening of April 20, and actions towards his newspaper. Stressing
that under the current situation it is impossible to work and live
in Azerbaijan, Djafarov added he is ready to return the country as
soon as the situation normalizes. Djafarov informed he wants to ask
for asylum in Canada, Norway, Austria and Finland and is going to
turn to diplomatic mission of those countries tomorrow. He said,
five more Gundalik Azerbaijan workers are going to follow his example.