Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ANAHIT BAKHSHYAN PRAYS THAT GOD GRANTS RAFFI WISDOM
Grisha Balasanyan

17:05, February 21, 2013

Heritage Party member Anahit Bakhshyan called on supporters of Raffi
Hovannisian calling for “immediate” action to have patience and wait
for his address to the people tomorrow at 5pm at Freedom square.

“We must wait to hear what Raffi, who has assumed the heavy
responsibility of putting our country on the correct and legal path
has to say,” Bakhshyan urged.

She prayed that God would grant wisdom to Raffi, who is now conferring
with his political allies, in order to arrive at the only legal
decision that will satisfy the majority and avoid any undue incidents.

“I believe in Raffi and his determination to see this through,”
Bakhshyan told Hetq.

RUSSIAN MILITARY TO DEVELOP ANTI-METEORITE DEFENSES

MOSCOW, February 20 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Aerospace Defense
Forces will develop a series of measures aimed at protecting the
Russian soil from falling meteorites and other dangerous space objects,
commander of the western military district’s aviation Maj. Gen. Igor
Makushev said on Wednesday.

“The Aerospace Defense Forces have been ordered to handle this
issue and come up with a plan to protect Russia from these ‘space
travelers,'” Makushev said.

The announcement comes days after a meteorite entered the Earth’s
atmosphere undetected by existing space-monitoring means and slammed
into Russia’s Urals on Friday with a massive boom that blew out windows
and damaged thousands of buildings around the city of Chelyabinsk,
injuring 1,200 people in the area. According to the Health Ministry,
52 were hospitalized.

NASA estimates the meteorite was roughly 50 feet (15 meters) in
diameter when it entered Earth’s atmosphere, travelling faster than
the speed of sound, and exploded into a fireball brighter than the sun.

“None of the existing systems, either Russian or American, detected
this space object until it entered the atmosphere,” Director of the
Astronomy Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Boris Shustov
said on Wednesday.

The scientist said it was impossible to spot the meteorite, as it
was coming from the direction of the Sun, while radars were set to
detect objects flying within a predetermined speed range.

Shustov said the Russian scientists estimate the energy released at
the time of the explosion at less than 500 kiloton equivalent.

He also said astronomers have discovered and catalogued only two
percent of potentially dangerous space objects about 50 meters in
size, which are capable of causing a catastrophe worse than the
Tunguska Event.

“It is a sign of our ignorance, as we should be able to monitor about
at least 90 percent if not all of these objects,” Shustov said.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HIGHLY EVALUATED BALANCED POSITION OF INDIA ON THE SETTLEMENT OF NKR CONFLICT

20:32, 21 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS: Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward
Nalbandian on February 21 hosted newly appointed Ambassador of India to
Armenia Suresh Babu on the occasion of handing copies of credentials.

As reports Armenpress, greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian has
noted that Armenian-Indian relations, coming from depths of history,
as well as traditional friendly relations are of specific importance
for Armenia. Minister also highlighted interest of Armenia in the
development of bilateral cooperation.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Ambassador Babu noted that
he had attentively followed the presidential election process and on
behalf of his government congratulated on the occasion of presidential
elections held on a high level. Ambassador assured he would have
an important contribution in the deepening of relations between two
friendly nations.

Interlocutors have referred to a number of issues of bilateral
interest, including issues on political dialogues, cooperation in
frames of international organizations, legal field expansion as well
as cultural, trade and economic relations.

It has been gladly noted during the meeting, that Armenia and India
have the same or close viewpoints on international and regional
issues. In this context, Minister Nalbandian highly evaluated balanced
position of India on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

AFTER ALL THIS PEOPLE WONDER WHY GYUMRI GAVE 0 VOTES FOR SERZH SARGSYAN

2013-02-22 14:36:59

“This picture was taken today. These are the children of one of
the one hundredth needy families in Gyumri. And after all this,
there might be people who wonder why Gyumri gave zero votes for RPA
candidate in the presidential election of Armenia”, written on Shirak
center’s Facebook page.

“SILENCE: ARMENIAN AND ARMENIAN VALUES IN GEORGIA” FILM ON DEPRESSED ARMENIANS LIVING IN GEORGIA

13:46, 22 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRAURY 22, ARMENPRESS: “Silence: Armenian and Armenian
values in Georgia” documentary film shot by Foundation studying
Armenian Architecture in 2009-2010 presents the attitude of the
Georgian state towards the national minorities in the country over
the recent 80 years. Film was first premiered in St. Petersburg, 2012.

Film director Tiran Karapetyan told Armenpress, film’s Armenian
premiere was only by the internet.

“The film was seeking to present the subject as it was. I guess my
message was to the point” Karapetyan stated. In the words of the
director the film is emotional, it presents the history of Armenians
who preserved their identity. The Armenian and Azerbaijani communities
are comparatively the largest among the ethnic minorities existing
in Georgia.

The film lasts for 29 minutes and 15 minutes, music is by Aidin
Davoudi. Tiran Karapetyan was granted to the award by the Ministry
of Defense as well as letter of thanks by Armenia’s President. Film
participated in “Skizb” festival.

NOMINATION OF YEREVAN CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS TO START ON MARCH 11

Thu, 02/21/2013 – 21:46
Electoral law

Today Central Election Commission unanimously approved the schedule of
the preparation and conduct of the May 5 election of the City Council.

Yerevan city council elections are proportional. The political parties
and fractions can have their candidates.

According to the schedule, the documents necessary for registration
of municipal elections must be submitted to CEC from March 11 to
March 21 at 18.00.

The registration of the election lists will be held from March 21 to
March 31.

The election campaign will be held from April 7 to May 3.

By another decision CEC stated the election days of local government
on May 26, November 17 and December 8. All of them are on Sundays.

As the Secretary of the CEC Armen Smbatyan stated, the decision is
based on the EC’s claim, as well as completion days of the authorities
of some community leaders and council members.

According to the EC, the next local elections, with the exception
of Yerevan municipal elections, can be held up to four times a year,
and election voting days for each year is determined by CEC.

Author: Factinfo

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS IN MASHHAD

15:03 22/02/2013 ” SPORT

Armenian chess players Sargis V. Manukyan and Armine Babayan have
scored 2.5 points each after three rounds at the chess open in Mashhad,
Iran. They are half a point behind the leaders, armchess.am reported.

Source: Panorama.am

IM KAREN GRIGORYAN WINS ROCHEFORT BLITZ TOURNAMENT

February 22, 2013 – 15:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – International Master Karen Grigoryan scored
9,5 points out of 11 to solely take the first prize in the blitz
tournament, held within the framework of Rochefort chess festival.

Meanwhile, 2 other Armenian players Sargis Manukyan and Armine Babayan
scored 2,5 points each at Iran-hosted chess open to fall 0.5 point
behind the leader.

LEADER OF MARXIST PARTY OF ARMENIA: PRESIDENT MUST GIVE RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN EITHER THE POST OF SPEAKER OR THE OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER

ARMINFO
Friday, February 22, 13:48

Yesterday’s closed door meeting with the President was a big mistake
on Raffi Hovhannisian’s part, the leader of the Marxist Party of
Armenia David Hakobyan told journalists on Friday.

He believes that Hovhannisian should have met with Sargsyan in the
presence of journalists.

“But Sargsyan will still have to reckon with Hovhannisian as in
fact he secured 70% of the votes rather than the 36% reported by the
Central Electoral Commission. Sargsyan has two ways: either to give
Hovhannisian the post of speaker or prime minister or to announce a
new presidential election and to refuse to run in it,” Hakobyan said.

ARMENIAN INJURED IN MASSIVE BOMB BLAST IN SYRIA’S DAMASCUS

TERT.AM
13:12 ~U 22.02.13

An ethnic Armenian has received light injuries as a result of massive
bomb blasts in Syria’s capital Damascus, Lebanese Azdak daily reports.

The Armenian was transported to hospital.

Few bombs exploded yesterday in Damascus killing 53 and injuring 235
people. Among them are passers-by, schoolchildren.

The building of SANA news agency, one of the offices of ruling Ba’ath
Party, Russian embassy have been damaged as a result of the blast.

The bombing on Al Thawra Street in the Mazraa district was among the
most lethal attacks in a city that has been mostly insulated from the
violence raging elsewhere in the country. In May, a pair of suicide car
bombs outside a military intelligence complex in Damascus reportedly
killed 55 and wounded more than 300.