Author: Kalashian Nyrie

DISCOVERY’S NEW SHOW PLUNGES INTO THE UNKNOWN

Indiantelevision.com
Jan 30 2009

MUMBAI: Questions and a thirst for knowledge takes Discovery’s explorer
and host Josh Bernstein to lands filled with mystery, hidden treasures
andstories.

Into The Unknown With Josh Bernstein will be aired every Monday on
Discovery from 2 February at 9 pm.

Explorer and educator Bernstein has an appetite for knowledge and
a strong desire to do whatever it takes to unravel mysteries and
explore natural wonders. In each episode he delves into some of the
greatest mysteries on earth and investigates most fascinating stories
such as how did the Anga tribe of Papua New Guinea mummify their dead,
why is the conflict between elephants and humans escalating in Africa
and did the flood of Genesis really happen?.

Discovery director – marketing and communications Rajiv Bakshi says,
"Capturing the imagination of the curious viewers, Into the Unknown
with Josh Bernstein will unravel the world’s greatest mysteries. The
show will take viewers on an extraordinary journey into adventure and
surprise. Each quest sparks new revelations and incredible insights
as Josh takes viewers on a thrilling hunt for answers."

The first episode involves the Search for Noah’s Ark. Did the flood of
Genesis really happen? Was there an actual ark or a man called Noah? He
travels throughout Armenia, Israel, Sicily and Cyprus to investigate a
compelling new theory about the truth behind this extraordinary story.

Another episode examines the Secret Life of Gladiators. The Roman
Gladiators participated in history’s most deadly sport, but does
the Hollywood portrayal of Gladiators bear any resemblance to the
truth? Were they slaves or celebrities? What was their training and
everyday home life like? He travels the former Roman Empire from
Italy to Turkey to Tunisia to find out.

UNITED STATES AND NATO: THE AXIS OF GENOCIDE

Pakistan Daily

ates-and-nato-the-axis-of-genocide.html
Jan 29 2009
Pakistan

What is the world to do about major human rights atrocities and
catastrophes that undeniably do occur today? Certainly, the world
must not accord the great military powers such as the United States,
the NATO states, Russia, and China some fictive right of "humanitarian
intervention" that these powerful states will only abuse and manipulate
in order to justify military aggressions against less powerful states
and peoples for their own selfish interests. There is no need to
alter or update presently existing international law in order to
expand the possibilities for a military "responsibility to protect"
in response to purportedly new exigencies of the day-there are more
than enough international laws and international organizations to
deal with major human rights atrocities and catastrophes going on
around the world today. The demand to do so reflects a political
agenda seeking legal legitimacy, not a deficit in the existing law.

Indeed, behind most of the major human rights atrocities and
catastrophes in the world today humankind has seen in operation
the Machiavellian machinations of the great military powers. So it
should have come as no surprise that the world witnessed outright
genocide inflicted by Serbia and its Milosevic government against the
Kosovar Albanians immediately after the United States and the NATO
states launched their illegal war against Serbia in March of 1999,
a genocide which NATO admittedly anticipated but which in actuality
transpired as the direct result of its aggression. Of course the
nominally Christian United States and NATO states could not care less
about the basic human rights of Kosovar Albanians, most of whom are
Muslims. Soon thereafter, the world witnessed once again outright
genocide inflicted by Indonesia against the people of East Timor
after decades of military and economic support had been provided to
the genocidal military dictatorship ruling Indonesia by the United
States and Britain-"our kind of guy," as the Clinton administration
publicly referred to the genocidaire Suharto when he came to visit
the United States.

Also in this regard, the world must never forget that the indigenous
peoples of Canada, the United States, and Latin America have been
subjected to continuing acts of genocide for over the past 500
years, all in the guise of bringing civilization. How can the United
States and its NATO ally Canada talk about a "humanitarian mission"
in Afghanistan when both states have a long history of practicing
"humanitarian extinction" at home? Despite the slogan and the rhetoric
of "Never again!" that was used with respect to the Nazi Holocaust
against the Jews, toward the start of the twentieth-first century,
genocide has become an increasingly familiar and acceptable tool for
powerful states to wield against weaker states and peoples.

No state has the right or standing under international law to launch
an illegal military attack upon another U.N. member state in the name
of "humanitarian intervention." This principle applies to both the
United States and Canada, which are today continuing to extinguish
the indigenous peoples who live within their imperial domains under
concepts similar to humanitarianism, if not so-labeled. It applies
to Britain’s prolonged colonial occupation of Ireland as well as its
deportation of the people of Diego Garcia. It applies to the outright
genocides Italy inflicted against the peoples of Libya and Ethiopia;
those perpetrated by Spain and Portugal against the indigenous peoples
of Latin America; the monstrous genocide committed by Belgium in the
Congo; and the genocides committed by France in Algeria and Vietnam,
all of whom averred their colonized peoples had been the better for it.

How could NATO member Turkey ever credibly claim some fictive right of
"humanitarian intervention" anywhere given its longstanding campaign
to submerge the Kurds as well as its previous extermination of the
Armenians, a genocide which it still denies today. Only the Nazi-German
genocide against the Jews in Germany and elsewhere has been recognized
for what it was. Yet today a generation later the gullible world is
supposed to believe the NATO fairy-tale that the German Wehrmacht is
now on some type of "humanitarian" mission in Afghanistan. The wanton
aggression by the U.S.-U.K. and their "Coalition of the Willing"
against Iraq in the name of bringing human rights and democracy has
resulted in four million refugees, over a million Iraqi deaths,
and the wholesale destruction of the country’s infrastructure –
outright genocide.

The United States and its NATO Alliance constitute the greatest
collection of genocidal states ever assembled in the entire history of
the world. If anything the United Nations Organization and its member
states bear a "responsibility to protect" the U.S. and NATO’s intended
victims from their repeated aggressions as they should have done for
Haiti, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and now Palestine. The
United States and the NATO Alliance together with their de facto
allies such as Israel constitute the real Axis of Genocide in the
modern world. Humanity bears a "responsibility to protect" the very
future existence of the world from the United States and NATO.

TURKEY KNOWS THAT OBAMA MAY RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.01.2009 15:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recent developments, specifically the war in
South Ossetia, resulted in Russia’s attempts to exclude Georgia from
regional projects. In this context, Turkish-Armenian relations acquire
special significance, an Armenian expert said.

"The thaw between Yerevan and Ankara is much spoken about. 2009 is
mentioned as the year of reconciliation. Nevertheless, we should not
forget that the EU is to make a decision on Turkey’s accession bid in
October or November 2009. Under the circumstances, it’s natural that
Ankara pretends willingness to normalize relations with Armenia,"
turcologist Artak Shakaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan’s statements that the problems
between Armenia and Turkey can be resolved 2009 should not be taken
for granted, according to him.

"Ankara knows that April 24 is not far off and that new U.S. President
can recognize the Armenian Genocide. Turkey tries to persuade the
international community to refrain from recognition of the Genocide
alleging that Yerevan and Ankara are close to reconciliation. This
is Turkey’s diplomacy," Mr. Shakaryan said.

EDWARD SHARMAZANOV: RESOLUTION 1643 WAS THE SUCCESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
28.01.2009 16:36

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted
three resolutions on Armenia within a year. Common citizens cannot
know all the provisions and requirements of those resolutions, but
their numbers (1609 and 1620) are well-known.

Yesterday PACE adopted another resolution on Armenia (1643). The
attitude towards it was very controversial. Some described it as
the victory of the authorities, others said it was the defeat of the
opposition. "It was simply the success of the Republic of Armenia,"
Press Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia, MP Edward
Sharmazanov told a press conference today.

The success of Resolution 1643 was that the points on suspending the
Armenian delegation’s voting right and the existence of political
prisoners in Armenia were expelled from the text. Edward Sharmazanov
explained the success with the political will demonstrated by the
Armenian authorities.

"Some said the authorities arranged a deal, gave different promises
or, as one of the representatives of the opposition said, "duped"
the Europeans. I should say that this is not true, and it was not the
European partners that urged us to implement reforms," Sharmazanov
stated.

TURKISH OFFICIALS TO HOLD CONTACTS IN DAVOS ON IMF, MIDEAST, ARMENIA

Hurriyet
Jan 27 2009
Turkey

Turkish officials are expected to hold a series meetings on various
issues from the IMF, to Armenia and the Middle East conflict during
the Davos meetings due to start on Wednesday. (UPDATED)

A meeting is likely to be held with the Armenian foreign minister,
as a step towards normalizing relations between the two neighboring
countries, Turkish Foreign Minister might Ali Babacan told at a press
conference prior to his departure for Davos on Tuesday. Babacan said,
however, there is no schedule has been confirmed for the possible
meeting.

Turkey and Armenia restored dialogue after President Abdullah Gul paid
a visit to Yerevan last September. The two neighboring countries do
not have any diplomatic relations and the border is closed because
of Armenia’s invasion of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory.

The leaders of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan would also be attending
the Davos meetings.

The invitation-only World Economic Forum is being held from Jan. 28
through to Feb. 1 in Davos-Klosters. More than 40 heads of state have
reportedly confirmed they will attend the gathering of leaders from
businesses, unions, and non-governmental organizations. Items on the
agenda include the global economic turmoil and climate change.

PM TO ATTEND MIDEAST SESSION

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will attend the session of
"Gaza: The Case for Middle East Peace". Israeli President Shimon
Peres will also attend the session as a speaker.

Erdogan is expected to stress that he did not target the Israeli
people in his harsh criticism against the Gaza operation and say that
"Anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity just as Islamophobia is,"
in his speech at the session, Hurriyet daily reported on Tuesday.

Secretary General of the Arab League and Washington Post columnist
David Ignatius will also attend the session.

The Turkish government played an active role to reduce tensions in
the Middle East and cut a truce after Israel’s three-week long air
and ground assault on Gaza which killed more than 1,300 people.

However the government came under fire due the harsh rhetoric it used
in criticizing Israel.

Erdogan also will meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on
the first of the Davos meetings. The two leaders are expected to hold
talks on the energy issues.

IMF PROCESS

Another issue that will dominate the Turkish officials’ agenda will be
the talks on the new loan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Turkey and the IMF suspended loan talks for 10 days, and Turkish
officials are scheduled to hold talks with fund executives during the
Davos meeting. The IMF delegation, currently in Turkey for the talks,
is expected to leave Ankara soon.

Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek will meet with IMF officials but did
not give further details on his contacts. Erdogan said he will meet
with the deputy managing director of the IMF.

THEY DO NOT WANT TO ISOLATE ARMENIA
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[06:27 pm] 26 January, 2009

At the opening of its winter session in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) reelected Luís Maria de Puig
(Spain, SOC) as its new President, according to the PACE Communication
Unit.

Nineteen out of 20 of the PACE vice presidents were also
elected. The head of the Azerbaijani Parliament Delegation, David
Harutyunyan, the head of the Armenian delegation to PACE was elected
Vice-President. According to the charter, PACE deputy chairmen can
be elected twice for a one-year term.

Note that the Monitoring Committee is scheduled to consider Armenia’s
implementation of Assembly’s Resolutions 1609 and 1620 at 2:00 (local
time). In his addressing speech Mr. Puig voiced hope that "Armenia
will successfully pass the exam." He noted that the PACE steps aim
to integrate Armenia into the system of values Armenia has chosen on
the way to CoE membership, rather than to isolate the country.

Before the beginning of the session, Luís Maria de Puig hoped
Armenia’s voting right would be suspended. Besides, he noted that
during the recent visit of PACE co-rapporteurs Prescott and Colombier
to Armenia an agreement was reached on establishing a new working
group to investigate the issue of "political prisoners."

–Boundary_(ID_kVAF7bEIoz5rDYDmY HIvIg)–

PACE PRESIDENT DOES NOT THINK THAT ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO BE DEPRIVED OF VOTING RIGHTS

Noyan Tapan

Jan 26, 2009

GENEVA, JANUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The President of the PACE Luis Maria
de Puig does not think the the Armenian delegation will be deprived of
voting rights. He stated this on the opening day of the PACE session
on January 26.

Assuming that following the latest visit of the PACE Monitoring
Committee’s co-rapporteurs to Armenia, the country’s authorities have
had some discussions on making legislative and other amendments,
Luis Maria de Puig expressed a hope that these amendments will be
gradually implemented by April.

Radio Liberty reported that in all likelihood the matter concerns
formation of a working group at the RA National Assembly. The working
group will discuss the issue of developing a draft law on making
additions and amendments to the RA Criminal Code’s Articles 225 and
300 (under which the political prisoners were charged).

Londra Gazete, UK
London Turkish Gazette
Jan 22 2009

Register to attend conference on Turkish Armenian relations

THE FEDERATION of Turkish Associations is to host a conference on
Turkish-Armenian Relations and Terrorism next Friday (30 January) at
the LSE in London.

Guest speakers include Professor Jeremy Salt and Sukru Server Aya.

The Federation say the conference has been organised `in the memory of
34 Turkish diplomats and other victims who were murdered by various
Armenian terrorist groups, while serving abroad between 1973 and 1994
and whose only crime was being born ‘Turkish’. Most of the
perpetrators have never been brought to justice, of the few that were,
only some were imprisoned and given very light sentences.’

The conference will get underway at 6 pm for 6.45pm

at the New Theatre, E171 East Building, LSE, Houghton Street

London WC2A 2AE.

Attendance is free but pre-registration is essential. Register by
Wednesday 28th January at [email protected]

or telephone 07788 908 803.

haberID=2953

VAHAGN KHACHATRIAN: THERE ARE GROUNDS TO DEPRIVE ARMENIAN DELEGATION IN PACE OF VOTE

Noyan Tapan

Jan 22, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. European structures also have
their share of guilt for the March 1 tragic events, who classed
all state rigged elections of the past ten years as "corresponding
to international standards." Vahagn Khachatrian, a member of the
Alternative public-political initiative and the Armenian National
Congress (ANC), expressed such an opinion at the January 22 press
conference. According to him, only ten months later Council of Europe
admitted that those imprisoned on the March 1 case are political
prisoners.

According to V. Khachatrian’s observation, since joining Council
of Europe Armenia has not been properly fulfilling its commitments
towards that structure, and there are grounds to deprive the Armenian
delegation of the vote in PACE. "I consider that Armenia should be
punished, RA should be deprived of the vote, as the term given for
the authorities to improve the situation has expired," he said.

On the other hand, as V. Khachatrian added, if the above mentioned
sanction is used it is possible that Armenia’s authorities strengthen
violence to the opposition, prohibit holding of any gatherings, arrest
a greater number of activists. Depriving of the vote, according to
V. Khachatrian, will also weaken Armenia’s positions in the Nagorno
Karabakh negotiations process.

Answering the question of whether Council of Europe uses double
standards to Armenia and does not make the same demands to Azerbaijan,
the Alternative’s representative said: "The Aliyev-Saakashvili-Serzh
Sargsyan regimes indeed are like each other, but we have surpassed
the limit: there were ten victims on March 1."

TURKEY AND ARMENIA NEARING NORMALITY

Hurriyet
Jan 23 2009
Turkey

YEREVAN – Armenia said on Wednesday it was very close to normalising
relations with neighbouring Turkey after a century of hostility,
Reuters reported.

The comments by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian followed
similarly optimistic remarks by his Turkish counterpart last week. The
two countries have no diplomatic ties and in 1993 Ankara closed their
land border in a show of solidarity with ally Azerbaijan over the
conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Relations have been haunted by the 1915 incidents, which ex-Soviet
Armenia says amounted to "genocide". Ankara denies there was genocide.

But there has been a flurry of diplomacy in recent months, including
a visit by Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan in September to
attend a football match between the two countries.

"We are very close to normalising Armenian-Turkish relations,"
Nalbandian told a news conference, Reuters reported. "We can take the
next step and resolve the issue if Turkey, like Armenia, approaches
it without preconditions and opens the border," he said. "After
the border opens, we are ready to form a commission in which we can
discuss issues relevant to both countries."

Since its war with Russia last year raised questions about Georgia’s
role as a safe transit route for oil and gas exports from the Caspian
Sea, Armenia is being eyed as a potential alternative. Better ties
between the neighbours would also boost Ankara’s European Union
membership bid.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said in a television interview
last Friday normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey and
Armenia and Azerbaijan was no longer "a dream." "I can easily say we
have never come this close to a plan regarding the final normalisation
of relations with Armenia," he said.