Author: Kalantarian Kevo

FRENCH SCHOOLCHILDREN MARCH IN ANGER OVER EXPULSIONS

17 October 2013 Last updated at 14:44

The BBC’s Christian Fraser says 14 schools have been blockaded in Paris

Thousands of schoolchildren in Paris and other parts of France
have been demonstrating in anger over the expulsion of two foreign
teenagers.

Twenty secondary schools in the French capital were disrupted as
children joined a march, clenching fists in solidarity with the
expelled pupils.

Some demanded the sacking of the Interior Minister, Manuel Valls.

In one case, a Roma schoolgirl was sent back to Kosovo and in the
other, a student was repatriated to Armenia.

There has been widespread indignation at the manner in which border
police picked up schoolgirl Leonarda Dibrani, whose family had lost
its bid for asylum in France after five years in the country.

Leonarda, 15, was escorted from her school bus by a teacher, in front
of other children, in the eastern region of Doubs on 9 October.

The row has caused strains within the government of Socialist President
Francois Hollande, whose most popular minister with the wider public
is Mr Valls, according to recent opinion polls.

Mr Valls has drawn protests over his hard line on Roma immigrants,
which is reminiscent of Mr Hollande’s conservative predecessor,
Nicolas Sarkozy.

‘Arrested for theft’

Schoolchildren left class to show solidarity both with Leonarda and
Khatchik Kachatryan, a 19-year-old student in Paris who was expelled
on Saturday to Armenia.

Mr Kachatryan was arrested for shoplifting in September, at which
point police discovered he had entered France illegally, the French
daily Le Figaro reports.

Leonarda says she faces discrimination back in Kosovo

Reports suggest that he was detained on his return to the former
Soviet republic for seeking to escape doing military service.

“Bring back Khatchik and Leonarda, they belong here,” marching pupils
chanted on Thursday, holding up signs calling for Mr Valls to resign.

The president of France’s National High School Students’ Union, Ivan
Dementhon, said students were angry at the way the Dibrani family
had been treated.

“The expulsion of the young Leonarda is particularly shocking because
it was done in a school environment,” he said.

“It’s not tolerable that students with or without documents are
expelled. Everybody should have a right to education, and that is
why all high school students are here.”

Journalists who visited the Dibrani family in Kosovo on Wednesday
found them living in a house in the northern town of Mitrovica,
despite earlier suggestions that they were homeless.

It has also emerged that the father, Resat, was investigated by the
French authorities for allegedly beating his family.

Mr Valls insists that the deportation of Leonarda and the rest of
her family was carried out in line with established procedure.

“It is of course a difficult subject but any immigration policy
requires respect for the law, respect for individuals and great
firmness,” he said this week. “I am accountable for that to the
French people.”

Amnesty International recently reported that more than 10,000 Roma
had been evicted from temporary camps in France in the first half of
the year.

Some 20,000 Roma have settled in France, coming mainly from Romania,
Bulgaria and parts of the former Yugoslavia like Kosovo.

ARONOFSKY’S “NOAH” SPARKS CONTROVERSY AMONG CHRISTIAN, JEWISH AUDIENCES

October 17, 2013 – 16:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Darren Aronofsky’s Noah has sparked controversy
among test audiences, Digital Spy said.

The upcoming biblical epic, which stars Russell Crowe as Noah and Emma
Watson as his adopted daughter Ila, has been screened to “key groups”
with an interest in the subject matter, including a largely Jewish
audience in New York, a largely Christian audience in Arizona and a
general screening in California.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, all three screenings have
generated “troubling reactions”, prompting Paramount to request
changes from Aronofsky.

It is unclear whether Aronofsky has retained his right to final cut
on the film, or whether this has been removed in light of the poor
feedback, but the director is reportedly resistant to the changes
suggested.

Among the studio’s reported concerns are the film’s extensive use of
visual effects, and the challenge of creating a third act that will
not alienate Christian audiences.

Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore said that the preview process is
standard and that the studio had intentionally allowed for “a very long
post-production period, which allowed for a lot of test screenings”.

Moore is also quoted as saying that Aronofsky wants “some level of
independence” but “also wants a hit movie”, concluding: “We’re getting
to a very good place, and we’re getting there with Darren.”

Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, Douglas Booth, Logan Lerman and
Ray Winstone are also among the cast of Noah, which will be released
on March 28, 2014.

AZERI HOTHEADS SHELL NKR POSITIONS DURING OSCE MONITORING

October 17, 2013 – 19:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – “Impunity begets lawlessness” is a phrase which
best reflects current Azeri worldview. Azeri side is losing sense of
reality – mostly due to lack of international community’s response
to its provocations as well as Baku’s rather successful attempts to
undermine the Karabakh conflict settlement.

The monitoring of the contact line between Nagorno Karabakh and
Azerbaijani armed forces was suspended Thursday, Oct 17, due to shots
fired from the Azeri side.

The violations were registered by the monitoring group on both sides.

Personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, ambassador
Andrzey Kasprzyk decided to stop the monitoring over security reasons,
the NKR Foreign Ministry’s press service said.

Azeri behavior here is a result of the international community’s
permissiveness. For already several years Azerbaijan has been
orchestrating diversions, violating ceasefire, shelling Armenian
villages.

Over 14000 ceasefire violations by Azeri armed forces were reported
at the contact line in 2012 only. Azeri leadership never misses a
chance to express their aggressive moods, ignoring the OSCE Minsk
Group’s urges to cooperate in the peaceful settlement of Karabakh
conflict on all levels – from presidents to mediators. Baku is the one
overtly purchasing and manufacturing inordinate amounts of weaponry,
in violation of all international quotas.

Though in full knowledge of the facts above, the international
community continues turning a blind eye to Azeri lawlessness, with
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs restricting themselves to statements
urging to “observe ceasefire,” “develop mechanisms for promoting trust
between the conflicting parties.” Also, no reaction was given to Azeri
statement suggesting Baku won’t be pulling snipers from contact line
before the end of the war. Despite having their demands blatantly
ignored, international organizations don’t show any concern, their
indifference further prompting Azeris to shell Karabakh positions –
this time, completely undisturbed by the OSCE mission’s presence.

LE MONDE: EVERYONE IN KARABAKH IS READY FOR WAR, AND IF IT STARTS MANY ARMENIAN VOLUNTEERS WILL ARRIVE FROM ABROAD

18:56 17/10/2013 ” SOCIETY

There is still tension existing between Armenia and Azerbaijan though
a quarter century has passed after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
the French newspaper article “Le Monde” says.

The author notes that the personal freedoms in Azerbaijan were limited
on the eve of the presidential elections held in the country.

“The authorities have become extremely sensitive and aggressive,”
the young people sitting in the terrace of one of Baku’s cafe say.

One of them told that he had returned to Baku after studying abroad.

“In my opinion, the authorities look at the young people who have
studied abroad with suspicion: they probably think that seeing
democracy in action, they will demand it here as well. All of these
beautiful buildings and “Mercedes” that you see here is just the
facade, Azerbaijan is completely mired into corruption, lack of freedom
and justice, and it prevents many citizens to live suitably,” he noted.

The author continues that in Armenia freedom of speech allows young
people to criticize the situation existing in the country. Varsik,
25-year-old student, who was born in Gyumri shares this opinion.

The article says that migrant workers from Nagorno-Karabakh mainly
leave for Russia. Suren, 29 years old, said he plans to sell his
home and leave for Russia together with his family. In the same time,
Suren noted that he was proud of being Armenian.

The young people in Azerbaijan are also proud of their country, in
spite of the hostility they feel towards the President Aliyev’s regime,
the author writes. Teimur, a young lawyer, says: “I would like to go
abroad, but to work always for Azerbaijan and to help my country.”

At the same time, Teimur called for a peaceful solution of the
Karabakh conflict, “I do not want war. It has lasted for 4 years,
that’s enough! It is violence, it is an economic chaos. ”

In Azerbaijan, few people believe in the peaceful settlement of the
conflict, the article says. Ani, a young Armenian from Yerevan says:
“Nagorno-Karabakh is our territory, and if we will have to give up
even one inch of land, I’ll go to war. This is our history. ”

Memories in Nagorno-Karabakh are still too fresh to think about
opening the border, writes the reporter. Everyone in Karabakh is
ready for war. “If the war ever starts, many young people will come as
volunteers, just like Suren, who wants to leave for Russia, but says:
“I’ll be back to fight. I must do this,” the article reads.

Source: Panorama.am

UNTIMELY TO SPEAK ABOUT TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO THE EU, EXPERT SAYS

17:00 17.10.2013

Anna Nazaryan

The European Commission has released the annual progress report on
Turkey’s bid to join the European Union. According to expert of Turkish
studies Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, the report is generally positive for
Turkey. Instead, the Armenian side has what to think about.

If before 2009 the European Commission was accusing Turkey for
keeping the Armenia border closed, it has been making reference to
the Armenian-Turkish protocols ever since.

Vahram Ter-Tadevosyan says Armenia should take certain steps to present
the picture from a different viewpoint. “The protocols helped soften
the reports on Turkey. It’s necessary to work to restore the previous
wording,” he says. Besides, this year the report fails to mention
about hidden Armenians.

The European Commission criticizes the disproportionate reaction of
the Turkish authorities to the events in Gezi Park. There is also
sharp criticism related to the Cyprus issue.

Although the report makes no mention of the Armenian Genocide,
Ankara is doing work in this direction. On the threshold of 2015
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu calls Turkish Ambassadors
in different countries to give special directives on how to prepare
for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In general, it’s still untimely to speak about Turkey’s accession to
the EU, Vahram Ter-Sahakyan says.

KALPAKIAN CARPET COMPANY SEEKS TO WORK WITH ARMENIAN MANUFACTURERS

October 17, 2013 – 14:34 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The first Armenian-Argentinean business forum
kicked off in Yerevan Thursday, October 17, with a delegation led
by Argentina’s Foreign Trade Secretary Beatriz Paglieri attending
the event.

The delegation included representatives of the sectors of
healthcare, pharmaceutics, information technology, food and beverages,
agro-chemicals, electronics, machinery, cosmetics, tourism, metallurgy
and textiles.

A representative of Kalpakian carpet production company Carlos
Alvarez also arrived in Armenia to present the company and establish
partnership with representatives of local textile sector. The company
was founded in 1922 in Hungary, with the production moved to Buenos
Aires in 1951. 18 Armenians are employed in production.

According to Armenian envoy Diego Ernesto Alvarez Rivera, the forum
will promote establishment of cooperation between the two country’s
entrepreneurs to take the partnership to a new level

The event was organized by Armenian Development Agency and Argentinean
embassy in Armenia.

CBS NETWORK’S STREAK OF RACISM CONTINUES

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

by Ara Khachatourian

CBS’s “2 Broke Girls” depicts Armenians as thieves

The CBS Television Network continues its streak of racism during its
primetime programming, this time targeting Armenians with a stereotype
that paints the entire community as thieves.

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

In Monday’s episode of CBS’s moderate-hit “2 Broke Girls,” when a new
cappuccino maker is brought into the cupcake store by a co-worker,
he says he bought it for a cheap price from a person who stole it
but sells it at a profit, adding “it’s the Armenian way.” When the
character is pressed that he is not Armenian, he says “I know. But,
it’s the Armenian way.”

Incidentally, this not a first for the show or the network!

In 2011, The Hollywood Reporter wrote about the racial stereotypes
peppered in the scripts of “2 Broke Girls” against a Korean character.

This summer, however, saw the most blatant racism from CBS, when
several cast members of its hit reality series “Big Brother” used
racist slurs to describe or speak to fellow African-American and
Asian cast members. The network, at the time, defended its decision
to include those parts, saying it might promote a national discussion
on race.

Ironically, it was on the very same network, where Julie Chen host of
“Big Brother” and a co-host on “The Talk,” and wife of CBS President
Les Moonves, revealed to viewers that in an earlier job as a television
reporter, workplace racism forced her to get plastic surgery to
enlarge her “Asian eyes.”

Past characterization of Armenians in television shows from FX’s
“The Shield,” Showtime’s “Weeds” and others have sparked a debate
about how Armenians are characterized on television shows, with some
opining that the fact that Armenians are even being mentioned in
mainstream scripts is a step up.

However, we have yet to see a depiction of an Armenian character
in a television show-broadcast or cable-that reflects the history
of the Armenian-American community and the great contribution our
community has had in the advancement of American society. Instead,
our community continues to be portrayed as gang members, thieves and
drug dealers for dramatic and comedic effect.

The number of Armenians in the entertainment industry continues to
grow in an impressive pace both in front of and behind the camera,
yet the depiction of Armenians on TV and films continues to degenerate.

Perhaps, to expect CBS to draw the line at Armenians is a bit too much
given their most recent streak of allowing racism on the airwaves for
quick ratings, but certainly calling them on it will draw attention
to this harmful trend disguised as entertainment.

“2 Broke Girls” is produced by Warner Bros. Television and airs on
CBS on Mondays.

Peter Roth is President and Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros.

Television Group, and President, Warner Bros. Television. Nina Tassler
is Head of Entertainment at CBS.

Contact CBS: 51 W. 52nd Street New York, NY 10019-6188 1-212-975-4321
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Contact Warner Bros. Television 4000 Warner Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91522 CA Tel. 818-954-6000 Fax 212-954-7667
[email protected]

ARMENIAN MP CALLS ON PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TO ENSURE HER SAFETY

October 17, 2013 | 11:44

YEREVAN. – Armenian MP Zaruhi Postanjyan said law enforcers must
bring charges against those who were threatening her via media.

During the Thursday media conference, Postanjyan called on law
enforcers to remove the media articles containing threats against her.

The MP said she had addressed parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamyan with
a request to ensure her safety in the parliament, since four MPs from
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia had voiced threats against her.

Mrs. Postanjyan is always accompanied by two policemen.

Her requesst came in response to an interview of Deputy Sport Minister
Khachik Asryan with yerkir.am website. Commenting on Postanjyan’s
harsh question to the president, Asryan said Postanjyan should be
burnt alive.

During the question and answer session at the PACE plenary session
in Strasbourg, France, on October 2, Zaruhi Postanjyan had asked
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan the following question:

“You have appeared here [in the PACE session] not by the will of
the people, but [rather] as a consequence of organized crime, the
theft of the Armenian people’s vote. Therefore you cannot de jure
represent the will and right of the Armenian people. [So,] I’ll give
you another question. Have you been to a casino in Europe and lost
70 million euros there? And who paid that amount in your stead?”

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

168 ZHAM: US REFUSES TO RESUME MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE IN ARMENIA

10:06 ~U 17.10.13

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s visit to the United States
last December was followed by reports that the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) would resume its programs in Armenia this year.

The reason was the domestic political situation in Armenia, the
country’s declining pro-Russian orientation and adopting a policy of
European integration. However, according to the information at the
newspaper’s disposal, the US refused to resume the Millennium Challenge
projects in Armenia as the country did not meet the requirements.

Armenia’s decision in favor of the Customs Union must have had
influenced the US side’s intentions. It may also be the reason for
the postponement of the Armenian premier’s visit to the USA.

In response to the newspaper’s inquiry about the resumption of the
Millennium Challenge project in Armenia, the PR Department, Government
of Armenia, reported that the government has always cooperated with
the Millennium Challenge Corporation and had the opportunity to get
involved in the program.

“Armenia meets most of the requirements now. When the Armenian
government meets all the requirements, it will resume the negotiations
for involvement in the program,” says the report.

Armenian News – Tert.am

LE SECTEUR FERROVIAIRE ARMENIEN EST EN PLEINE EXPANSION SELON LE DIRECTEUR GENERAL DE LA SCR

ARMENIE

Le secteur ferroviaire armenien se developpe rapidement, après de
longues annees de statu quo et de la depression a declare le directeur
general de la compagnie des chemins de fer du Sud-Caucase CJSC Victor
Rebets lors des festivites organisees dans Giumry a l’occasion de la
journee du cheminot.

Aujourd’hui les volumes du trafic ferroviaire sont en croissance,
tout comme le nombre de passagers a dit Victor Rebets.

La compagnie augmente le confort et les niveaux de service et la
vitesse des trains. Un programme de modernisation des infrastructures
de grande envergure est actuellement en cours a-t-il precise.

Victor Rebets a dit que les investissements ont totalise environ
90 milliards de drams entre 2008 et 2012, plus de 50 milliards de
depenses ont ete effectuees pour la modernisation des infrastructures.

jeudi 17 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com