Author: Kanayan Tamar

‘EA SPORTS MMA’ (ALL) COUTURE AND HIERON JOIN FIGHTER ROSTER

WorthPlaying.com
Sunday, August 16 @ 00:21:42 PDT

EA Sports MMA will feature the most authentic, intense and broad
mixed martial arts experience to date – complete with a vast array
of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world.

EA Sports MMA will feature the most authentic, intense and broad
mixed martial arts experience to date – complete with a vast array
of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world.

"I have been a part of MMA for over 10 years and I am excited about
the global visibility that a game like EA SPORTS MMA will bring to
the sport," said Randy Couture. "Like my fighting career, I look
forward to taking on all comers in EA SPORTS MMA."

Randy Couture, a 6’1", 220 pound heavyweight, who currently holds
a 16-9 record and is a five-time MMA champion. Couture, a living
legend in the MMA world, utilizes his wrestling expertise to take
down and control opponents before finishing them off with ground
and pound strikes. Couture is scheduled to fight at the end of this
month against former Pride World Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira. In addition, this is not Couture’s first foray into the
world of video games, as he was featured in EA’s Command & Conquer:
Red Alert 3 as Commander Warren Fuller.

Jay "The Thoroughbred" Hieron, a high-profile fighter, joins the EA
SPORTS MMA roster and will be taking on Jesse Taylor in tonight’s
STRIKEFORCE fight on in San Jose, California.

Hieron currently holds a 17-4 record and the Long Island native
utilizes his wrestling prowess as his primary fighting style but
has become a formidable striker as well. He fights out of Xtreme
Couture in Las Vegas and was the last Welterweight Champion of the
International Fight League.

Fedor Emelianenko, a 6’0", 231 pound Russian heavyweight mixed martial
arts fighter, who excels in Sambo and Judo, holds a 30-1 record and
is the current WAMMA Heavyweight champion. Emelianenko defended his
WAMMA championship by knocking out former UFC Heavyweight Champion
Andrei Arlovski.

Gegard Mousasi, a former Dream Middleweight champion, has a current
record of 25-2-1 and won his last match in Dream 9 against Mark Hunt
this past May. The 6’1", 185 pound Dutch-Armenian fighter will be
taking on Renato Sobral to determine StrikeForce’s Light Heavyweight
champion and has a fight style that is a unique blend of Dutch
kickboxing and judo.

Sobral, hailing from Brazil, is known for his aggressive style,
grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. He is the current
StrikeForce Light Heavyweight champion and has a record of 35-8 with
his last victory coming against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Affliction:
Day of Reckoning fight earlier this year.

In addition to appearing in the EA Sports MMA video game, Mousasi
and Sobral will be sponsored by EA Sports for the StrikeForce fight.

EA Sports MMA will be available on the X360 and the PS3 in 2010.

IMF predicts 10-15% decline for Armenian economy by yearned

YEREVAN, August 15, /ARKA/. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is
revising its latest forecast that Armenia’s economy would decline by
10% by yearend, IMF Resident Representative in Armenia, Nienke Oomes
told ARKA in comments on the decision by Fitch Ratings to downgrade
Armenia’s long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings
(IDR) to ‘BB-‘ from ‘BB’ leaving the outlooks stable.

`We are in the process of reconsidering our earlier made forecasts. Of
course we know that Armenia’s economy fell year-on-year 16.3% in the
first half of this year, but we also expect the decline to slow down by
yearend,’ she said.

However, IMF Resident Representative could not say exactly how much the
economy would fall, saying it would be between 10-15%.

`It is early now to say whether Fitch Ratings’ forecast would come
true. As I have said we are reconsidering all available information and
will have to discuss it with the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank
and publish our new forecast in two weeks,’ she said.

In June the IMF forecasted that Armenian economy may either fall or
grow, but if it grows it never will be a double-digit. In late June the
IMF Executive Board decided to increase financial assistance to Armenia
from $540 million to $823 million. M.M. -0-

EU’S TURKEY CRITICS LOSING POPULARITY

Today’s Zaman
15 August 2009, Saturday

The impact of the constant objection by French and German leaders to
Turkey’s European Union membership drive has been revealed through a
public survey that showed a significant loss of confidence in these
two countries among the public.

According to the survey, conducted this month by the Ankara-based
International Strategic Research Organization (USAK), France is
third on the list of countries regarded as a threat by the public,
while there has been a large decrease in Turkish people’s opinion of
Germany as a friendly country.

Over half the 1,100 interviewees in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir and
Bursa — 56 percent in all — stated that the biggest obstacle to
Turkey’s entry into the EU was "religious and cultural differences
and historical prejudices against Turkey."

The EU opened accession talks with Ankara — an EU candidate since
1999 — in October 2005, but these have been progressing slowly amid
opposition from France and Germany. The unresolved Cyprus dispute
and a slowdown of reforms in Turkey are other factors hampering the
accession process.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela
Merkel are the most high-profile European politicians opposed to
Turkey’s accession. Sarkozy claims Turkey does not belong in Europe,
while Merkel promotes a "privileged partnership" that falls short of
membership, a formula Ankara categorically rejects. In Berlin in May,
Merkel and Sarkozy made a joint statement declaring that they shared
a common position regarding Turkey’s accession to the EU, in that it
should be offered a privileged partnership, not full EU membership.

According to a USAK survey held in October 2004, when asked which
country was the biggest threat to Turkey, only 2.5 percent of Turkish
people named France. This figure has gradually increased; in December
2005, it was 11.40 percent but had increased to 12.09 percent this
month, placing France third overall. France followed the United
States, which topped the list this month, the second country on the
list being Israel.

Noting that France is the only EU member in the first three countries
on the threat list, USAK experts have suggested that this should not
be seen as a surprise due to Sarkozy’s firm opposition to Turkey’s EU
membership in addition to his country’s support for the recognition
of killings of Anatolian Armenians during World War I as genocide.

Germany has also suffered a decrease in the Turkish public’s
confidence. In October 2004, 8.2 percent and in December 2005 4.8
percent of Turkish people said they regarded Germany as a friendly
country. Yet, in the survey this month, only 0.64 percent of Turkish
people called Germany a friendly country.

Last month, in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan recalled that three-quarters of Turkish people
were in favor of EU membership when the accession negotiations were
first opened in 2005, while a recent survey showed that now 51.9
percent of Turkish people would vote for EU membership if a referendum
were held.

"We came to this point upon ‘nos,’ ‘perhaps’ and ‘buts.’ Everything
will change if Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy say, ‘OK,
we’re ready to accept Turkey when it fulfills all the recommended
conditions.’ Even this would lead to a rise in that percentage among
people," Erdogan said.

Despite a considerable lack of confidence in the two leading members
of the EU, the survey revealed that Turkish people see their future in
the EU. When asked where Turkey’s future lays, 56.36 percent replied
the EU. In October 2004, this figure was over 61.04 percent.

US: most feared, most trusted The USAK survey revealed that the United
States still tops the list of countries which are regarded as a threat
in Turkish public opinion. Nevertheless, USAK experts stated that
when a decrease from 29.80 percent to 25.45 percent is considered
between the December 2005 survey and the one conducted this month,
it is possible to say that Turkish people have been giving a chance to
the new policies launched by President Barack Obama’s administration.

Interestingly enough, the same survey, at the same time, showed that
Turkish people have great confidence in support from the United States
in case of major difficulties. A quarter of interviewees replied the
United States when asked which country would lend the biggest support
to Turkey in the case of internal conflict and natural disaster.

Only 11 percent of Turkish people, meanwhile, replied Azerbaijan to
the same question although Azerbaijan topped the list of countries
regarded as most friendly by the Turkish people.

USAK experts noted that the United States’ and similar countries’
economic power, capable of offering sufficient assistance in case of
need, is the most probable reason for this apparent contradiction.

The survey, meanwhile, also included questions regarding Turkish
people’s approval of the way the country’s foreign policy is
conducted. Almost half, 49.09 percent find Turkish foreign policy
successful, while 47.27 percent either replied neutrally or said it is
"unsuccessful."

According to the survey, the priorities in people’s expectations of
foreign policy are maintenance of security and economic interests.

USAK also asked interviewees whether they believed that a high number
of states were drawing up plans for disintegrating their country. The
number of affirmative replies to this question stood at 64 percent
in October 2004, at 72 percent in December 2005 and at 54.55 percent
this month.

Although there is a decrease in this figure according to
previous years, this month’s results still show a serious lack of
self-confidence amongst society, USAK experts have warned.

AMERICAN GUITARIST STANLEY JORDAN GIVE CONCERT IN YEREVAN TODAY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.08.2009 17:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Famous American guitarist Stanley Jordan gives
concert in the Academic Opera and Ballet Theater after Spendiaryan
in Yerevan today. According to the musician, at the upcoming concert
he will perform songs from "State of Nature" album, music from other
albums, as well as several new compositions.

On the eve of the concert, on Tuesday, Stanley Jordan held a master
class in the Malhas jazz club, which was attended by about twenty
Armenian musicians.

50-year-old Stanley Jordan is famous for his playing the guitar with
piano technique, producing a parallel play from two fingerboards of
electric guitar. Stanley Jordan is famous of his mastery to create
music with blow of fingers and touch. He unites classical music, rock
and jazz. He likes to accompany music with live voices of nature, which
he records himself. The musician started playing musical instruments
since early childhood, and the guitar being 7-year-old. Over twenty-six
years musician has released thirteen albums. His last record "State
of Nature" was released in 2008.

EXPERIENCE OF TINA KAIDANOW IN KOSOVO MAY HELP TO RECOGNIZING INDEPENDENCE OF NKR

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.08.2009 19:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I do not think that appointment of new people
could significantly change the policy of the country," Masis Mailyan ,
ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, in connection with possible appointment of
Tina Kaidanow as co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group from the United States.

Masis Mailyan expressed hope that the experience of Tina Keydenau
in Kosovo and her support in recognizing the independence of that
territory, will help in recognizing the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh by the U.S. and international community.

OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew Bryza declared on August 10 in
Tbilisi, that U.S. diplomat Tina S. Kaidanow, will assume the office of
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs,
replacing him.

Successor of Bryza, Tina S. Kaidanow has worked for U.S. diplomatic
mission in Kosovo for two years, then she assumed the office of
the US ambassador in Kosovo. Earlier she worked as Deputy Chief of
U.S. mission in Sarajevo for three years.

Huffington Post

agged-former-fbi-transla_b_254788.html
Andrew Kreig
DC journalist and attorney
Posted: August 8, 2009 08:45 PM
Gagged Former FBI Translator Claims U.S. Rep Bribe Evidence

Seeking to overcome years of gag restraints, former FBI contract
translator Sibel Edmonds reportedly claimed in an Aug. 8 deposition
that several leaders in Congress and other high-level U.S. officials
were suspected early this decade of being bribed by Turkey’s
government.

Edmonds, who had been silenced by a gag order obtained by the
U.S. Justice Department from a federal judge under a "state secrets"
doctrine after the FBI fired her in 2002, reportedly said in her
deposition that her FBI work made her aware of high-level officials
and lobbyists from both parties discussed as potential bribe-takers.

This account of her testimony was by Wayne Madsen, one of a handful of
alternative media journalists talking to participants of the
deposition held at the National Whistleblowers Legal Defense &
Education Fund headquarters in Washington, DC. His subscription-only
website cited sources who identified the suspected officials,
including one in Congress allegedly trapped by a sex-sting using a
prostitute.

Reporter Brad Friedman of Los Angeles, who spoke by cellphone with
Edmonds and several other key deposition participants, wrote a
parallel "live-blog" account on his non-subscription website. His most
recent story was headlined: "Deposition of Sibel Edmonds Completed,
DoJ a ‘No Show’, Bombshells Under Oath."

More background is available on the witness’s own website. Allies of
Edmonds suggested that they want to release videos of her deposition
as soon as possible.

I attended the first 90 minutes or so of the reporter stake-out of the
deposition site, and spoke to several of the proceeding’s participants
as they emerged during a break. But I’ll defer on substantive claims
to those who stayed five and a half hours through to the end, and who
have reported for years on a story seldom covered in detail except in
the alternative media.

Edmonds was a contract FBI employee for about six months, translating
material in Azerbaijani, Farsi and Turkish. The FBI fired her in 2002
after she complained that colleagues had produced error-prone and
incomplete translations of important terrorism intelligence before and
after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The Justice Department has argued as recently as this week that the
witness’s employment agreements forbid her from disclosing any
information learned during her work. The FBI’s interests include
protecting sensitive investigative work regarding officials, and in
maintaining good relations with the government of Turkey, an important
U.S. ally in the Mideast. Turkey would be particularly sensitive
regarding allegations of bribery, of course, and of allegations that
the government was involved in genocide against Turkey’s Armenian
minority early last century. U.S. voters of Armenian descent want the
U.S. to pressure Turkey to confess to genocide, which Turkey resists.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton has imposed an order forbidding
Edmonds from describing government secrets. Edmonds and her attorneys
have maintained that her FBI agreements do not prevent her from
responding to a subpoena for oral testimony, particularly as a
whistleblower informing the U.S. public about important matters.

Ohio Congressional candidate David Krikorian, a Democrat, subpoenaed
her as part of his defense against a "false statements" complaint by
U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican, before the Ohio Election
Commission.

Schmidt’s attorney Bruce Fein, a constitutional scholar and a former
high-level official during the Reagan administration Justice
Department, told reporters today that he objected to many responses by
Edmonds during her deposition.

Follow Andrew Kreig on Twitter:

AMAA Awards Scholarships to Needy and Deserving Students

8/amaa-awards-scholarships-to-needy-and-deserving- students/?ec3_listing=posts
By Weekly Staff – on August 8, 2009

The chairman of the AMAA Scholarship Committee, Robert Hekemian, Jr.,
recently reported awards totaling $105,000 in direct scholarship
grants to college students for the 2009-10 academic year. This year,
53 students applied and, upon verification of need and academic
qualifications, 51 were awarded scholarships. In addition, $15,000 was
assigned for qualified university students in Armenia and $300,000 to
various institutions of higher learning, including Haigazian
University of Beirut in Lebanon and California State University in
Fresno.

`Words cannot express my appreciation for the support that I receive
from AMAA for my studies at Rutgers University,’ wrote one scholarship
recipient. `Hard work has been part of my college life. AMAA’s
scholarship aid will drive me to do more.’

For over 40 years, AMAA has helped thousands of college students with
scholarships, thus helping them to prepare for the future and
relieving the financial burden that makes it harder to focus on their
work. Many past recipients have returned the favor by helping others
in need.

The scholarships granted this year were provided from the income of
several AMAA endowment funds established over the year, from John and
Sona Abadjian; John and Mary Abrahamian; Rev. Hovhannes Agnerian;
Haigazoun and Angel Andonian; Dr. Robert Nerses Armen; the Aynilian
Family; Vahan and Grace Azadian; Rev. Antranig Bedikian; Tavit and
Sirvart Bogosian; Rev. Dr. Giragos and Yeprouhie Chopourian; Giragos
M. and Helen T. Churukian; Arthur Dadian; Drs. Nazareth and Ani
Darakjian; Dr. Haig Robert Darpinian and Berjouhie Timourian; Hagop
and Esther Dohanian; Armine Ejdaharian/Bilezikian; Dr. Meguerditch
Ejdaharian; Rev. S.K. and G.T. Emurian; Ani Etoyan; Charles Mesrob
Garabedian; Flora and Diane Galoostian; Leon and Matilda Giridlian;
Louise Googooian; Anne (Googooian) Halford; Khacher and Puzant
Guzelimian; Angele Bedrossian Hancock; Martin Hatch Jr.; the Hekemian
Family Trust; Dr. Michael S. Hovenanian; Peter and Sara Hovenanian;
Paul and Arousiag Iskiyan; Martha D. Jedidian; George and Elizabeth
Jerjisian; Karekin Kaboolian; Leo Kaljian; Ohannes and Araxie
Karamanoukian; Alice Odian Kasparian; Kevork H. and Sirvart Kassouny
Kavouksorian; John G. Kazanjian; Jeffrey Kerbeykian; Moses and
Victoria Keshishian; Dr. John Keuhnelian; Lucy Kezlarian/Philipian;
Rev. and Mrs. Dikran and Yester Koundakjian, and Haroutune and Salihe
Berejiklian; Araxie Kouyoumjian Poladian; Hrant, Dolores, and Rosanne
Krikorian; Serge and Ann Krikorian; Prof. Lootfi Levonian; Yervant and
Virginia Levonian; Samuel and Victoria Magzanian; Rahel and Osanna
Makanian; Edward and Helen Mardigian; Albert, Henry, and James
Mouradian; Leon Mouradian; Murad and Yevkin Muradian; Raymond and
Marie Nahigian; Nazareth, Artin, and Yester Nazarian Memorial Fund;
George and Alice Philibosian; the Stephen Philibosian Fund; Altoon and
Sarah Saprichian; Dickran and Flora Sarkisian; Krikor and Anna
Sermabeikian; Berjouhi Sherene; Diran Simpadian; Edward and Hovnan
Tashian; the Telfeyan Evangelical Fund; Ezras and Nellie Tellalian;
Dr. Jirayr and Louise Tezelian

The AMAA was founded in Worcester in 1918 and incorporated in New York
in 1920, with the purpose of strengthening and supporting the Armenian
people in their Christian faith and to encourage religious education
as well as literary and philanthropic work everywhere. Since its
founding, the AMAA has expanded its programs to 23 countries around
the world.

aysor.am, Armenia
Aug 8 2009

M. Bryza: `Russia will always stay in the region’

Human development international center in the frameworks of the
seminar called `Euroforum-Armenia: active participation through
intercultural dialogues and communication’, the OSCE Minsk Group
American co-chair Matthew Bryza noted that it is a big honor for him
to take part in such a seminar in Tsakhkadzor and to speak in front of
a group of a students.

He also expressed his gratitude to the people of Armenia who receive
him in a good and warm atmosphere.

`It is already 12th year that I am working in this system. We are
making our work in three principle ways, security, energy security and
inner improvements. In the list of the security problems the NKR issue
is the most important one. If we do not have any progress in security
it is being difficult to have investments in the country, the economic
growth slows down and the democratic improvements slow down too’, –
said Bryza in his introduction.

According to Matthew Bryza USA has already seen the quick economic
growth of Armenia, now that process has slowed down because of the
economic crisis, but positive changes can be noticed.

`I often read that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs try to make Armenia
to go for concessions. In reality we try to present so that Armenia
will give some parts and Azerbaijan too will make some concessions. We
also do not try to oust any country from the region. Russia will
always stay in the region’, – noted Matthew Bryza and added that it
doesn’t matter who will be in the region, no one can ask to any one to
reach an agreement, the sides have to have the wish by themselves.

He also reminded the three main principles: self-determination,
territorial integrity and not using a force, and noticed that every
time coming to the region he always mentions them, and also informed
that the most important issue is the security of Artsakh people.

`The inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh elect there president, they
regulate their economic life. The final status is decided by the NKR
people. When saying territorial integrity we also mean that they
return some territories that are in NKR region to Azerbaijan’, – said
Bryza noting one more time that he can’t mention the deadline now but
he is more than sure that the issue will be solved when the sides will
be ready.

ARMENIA-IRAN RAILWAY START

LRAGIR.AM
16:21:26 – 06/08/2009

Today, a session of the Armenian government took place headed by
the Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. During the session,
the RA government commanded the decisions, which set the start of
the North-South road corridor. For the fulfillment of the project
calculations, the Armenian government allocated 18 million 500
thousand drams from the Armenian reserve fund on the condition to
take this sum from the Asian bank and to return it until 2009. For
the first stage of the construction, over 700 million dollar will be
needed. The North-South road will correspond to the best international
measurements, stated the Prime Minister. By another decision of
the government, a directorship of the railway construction was set
up. The Armenian government commanded the project of changes and
amendments to the concessionary contract of the transition of the
Armenian Railways to the South-Caucasian railways CJSC. The need for
these changes created during the Armenian and Russian negotiations.

From The Times (London)

August 6, 2009

Turkish nationalist plotters ‘planned to kill Prime Minister’

Suna Erdem in Istanbul

Members of a nationalist plot to overthrow the Turkish Government
planned to attack the Nato headquarters in Turkey and assassinate 12
prominent figures, including the Prime Minister, a court heard today.

Fifty-two additional suspects, including a former senior policeman,
were charged with involvement in the alleged campaign of chaos and
violence that was to culminate in a military coup. A court accepted
the third, 1,454-page indictment in the Ergenekon trial, charging the
ultranationalist, ultra-secularist group.

Two four-star generals and senior figures from the security forces,
business, politics, academia and the media are among the defendants as
Turkey confronts for the first time what has long been known as the
Deep State. The network is considered to be the true, military-backed
power behind the throne in this mainly Muslim democracy.

Ergenekon, named after a mythical valley where ancient Turks once
lived, is considered the latest incarnation of an organisation that
has allegedly existed for decades under different guises. It was given
a new impetus and its new title after the rise of Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the Prime Minister, whose party was first elected in 2002.
His background as a political Islamist has helped the group to sway
public opinion, but it is his reformist, pro-European Union actions
and policies that are most offensive to this isolationist and
anti-Western group’s hard core.

It emerged this week that the former Chief of General Staff, Hilmi
Ozkok, had discovered the identity of the prime suspect five years
ago.

General Ozkok told prosecutors that he had confronted Sener Eruygur,
the former head of the Gendarmerie who is accused of masterminding a
series of coup plots, in 2004, when he found out about his plans. But
General Ozkok, who admits unearthing two of Mr Eruygur’s four plans,
said that he had not found enough evidence to take the plotters to
court.

A key suspect in the third indictment is Ibrahim Sahin, former deputy
head of the special operations unit of the Turkish police, who is
accused of organising the violent operations planned by Ergenekon. The
group is accused of murdering a senior judge and dressing it up to
look like an Islamist crime, and bombing the offices of the staunchly
secularist Cumhuriyet newspaper – whose editor-in-chief is a suspect –
under a similar guise.

A plan found in his home is said to have led to the discovery of a
cache of arms that had previously been delivered to the Turkish Air
Force.

Mr Sahin is quoted in the indictment as telling a serving military
officer: `We are responsible for cleaning up inside Turkey. We are
forming a very special team, that is, in terms of authority, we are
above everybody. We do not take orders from anyone.’

Along with Mr Sahin, a former head of the National Security Council, a
powerful body that includes Turkey’s most senior politicians and
generals, – a former chief of the Higher Education Board, a university
rector and a senior union leader were among the latest to be charged.

The Ergenekon assassination list also includes the Nobel laureate
Orhan Pamuk, the Armenian Patriarch in Turkey and the Kurdish
political leader Ahmet Turk.