ANOTHER ARRIVAL
A1+
| 20:14:07 | 28-09-2005 | Official |
Today the RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan received the delegation
of the EU special representative to Southern Caucasus, Ambassador
Heikki Talvitie.
The sides referred to the present situation in Southern Caucasus,
in particular to the course of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
BELARUS SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
Pan Armenian News
27.09.2005 03:21
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Secretary of the National Security Council at
the President of Armenia, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan met with
Belarus Ambassador to Armenia Marina Dolgopolova. MOD Spokesperson,
colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net. In the course of
the meeting the parties discussed matters referring to the visit
of Belarus Security Council Secretary Gennady Nevygals to Armenia,
as well as issues of mutual interest.
The interlocutors also discussed the program of events planned within
the Belarus Culture Days in Armenia scheduled September 30.
ARMINFO News Agency
September 23, 2005
REPRESENTATIVES OF ICRC VISITED AN ARMENIAN DETAINEE IN AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23. ARMINFO. The representatives of the
International Committee of Red Cross visited an Armenian detainee in
Azerbaijan. According to the ICRC report, the detainee is not a
citizen of RA, although the country of his citizenship isn’t revealed
yet.
According to Azerbaijani mass media, Albert P. Abramian, an Armenian,
65, was detained on September 20 in a forest near the village of
Cilagir. Admittedly, he entered Azerbaijan crossing the Russian-
Azerbaijani border. As the Azerbaijani Minister for Internal Affairs,
Ramil Usubov reported, Albert Abramian came to Azerbaijan to visit
his brother. Another Azerbaijani official, Emin Sekinski, suggested
that Mr. Abramian suffers from a mental disorder and added that he
crossed the border illegally. -A–
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan, in Russian
24 Sep 05
USA CONCERNED ABOUT MEDIA SITUATION IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, 24 September: US Helsinki Commission Deputy Chief of Staff
Dorothy Douglas Taft has said that “in Armenia, media critical of the
government continue to experience considerable pressure”.
Mediamax reports that Dorothy Douglas Taft said this at the OSCE
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw.
“In Armenia, media critical of the government continue to experience
considerable pressure. Specifically, A1+ TV is still barred from the
airwaves, despite intervention from the OSCE’s Representative on the
Media, the Council of Europe and foreign capitals,” Dorothy Douglas
Taft said.
The US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki
Commission) is an independent federal agency of the US Congress.
Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 23 2005
UNION OF IRANIAN ARMENIANS A CENTER OF ARMENIANS IN LOS ANGELES
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Union of
Iranian Armenians of Los Angeles created in 1956 has been carrying
out its main mission of preservation of the Armenian nation since
1978 when after the Islamic Revolution of Iran 150 thousand Iranian
Armenians moved to the two American continents and European
countries. Those who moved to West America mainly settled in
Glendale. According to unofficial data, nearly 100 thousand Armenians
live there today, and only 50 thousand out of them migrated from
Iran. As Tomik Alexanian, Chairman of the recent 7 years of the Union
of Iranian Armenians of West Coast of America, informed Noyan Tapan’s
correspondent in his interview, the most of Armenian newspapers
published in the US are printed in this city. The city has 6 Armenian
TV channels, 3 completely Armenian schools and 1 Sunday school.
Glendale Mayors are periodically Armenians. Today also Glendale Mayor
is Armenian by nationality, he is Iranian Armenian Raffi Manukian.
Now Mr Alexanian is in Armenia, he has brought the regular aid to
Artsakh, Gyumri and Yerevan parentless children. The Union of Iranian
Armenians started implementing its benevolent programs in the
homeland after the 1988 earthquake. The union has several
departments, from which it’s worth mentioning the 200-person Sunday
school, the Armenian library having 10 thousand books, where various
events are organized on 3 days of the week, including presentations,
concerts, performances. T.Alexanian also mentioned the orchestra
headed by conductor Mikael Avetisian, which performed with a
180-person staff at its last symphonic concert, including the
orchestra and the chorus. A musical school and school of national
dances operate under the Union’s patronage.
Tomik Alexanian mentioned that this activity is benevolent and is
done free of charge. And the Union’s sums are gained from donations
and membership fees.
The Union’s Chairman also told about the programs of Union’s
Department of Iranian Armenian Women operating for already 25 years.
Since 1988 the department has been implementing two programs in
Armenia. One of them is connected with parentless children and the
other is an educational benevolent program. Tbe first program started
its activity on the days of the earthquake including aid to 100
children and now it renders assistance to 600 children. This activity
is carried out in Armenia by 3 members of the Union of Iranian
Armenian Women, Janet and Hermine Shahumian sisters and Janet
Tsaturian. The latter has moved to Yerevan for good and is engaged in
problems of needy children. 78 thousand USD per year is given for
these programs, 54 thousand out of which is for parentless children
and 24 thousand for stipends. 100 USD per year is given to each
parentless child.
According to T.Alexanian, the number of parentless children reduces
and that of getting stipends increases year by year. Besides, the
Union also renders assistance to the Military Institute after Vazgen
Manukian and different universities in Artsakh and Yerevan. Yerevan
school after Raffi has been fundamentally repaired recently with the
Union’s assistance.
3 complete Armenian colleges – Shamlian Armenian college, School of
Armenian Sisters and Mkhitarian college, operate in Glendale. Nearly
1800 Armenian children attend them. Children that migrated from
Armenia to the US don’t attend the above-mentioned paid schools as
these schools aren’t affordable for them. These children attend
special American schools intended for them. And so that the Armenian
children attending these special schools can also learn Armenian, the
Davtian-Mariamian educational institution was founded 10 years ago,
the chairman of which three years running has been Tomik Alexanian
himself. Today 1200 pupils learning in different classes of American
schools attend this school.
According to Tomik Alexanian, the most important mission of the Union
is to rally and unite the Armenians living far from the homeland, to
assist them in getting education in accordance with the Armenian
spirit, as far as possible to create an Armenian atmosphere where
they speak and think Armenian.
Billings Gazette
Sept 25 2005
Turkish scholars look at Armenian question
ISTANBUL, Turkey – Scholars held the first-ever public discussions in
Turkey on Saturday about the early 20th-century massacre of
Armenians, choosing words carefully, avoiding emotional language and
picking apart history year by year at a gathering that nationalists
denounced as traitorous.
The academic conference had been canceled twice, once in May after
the justice minister said organizers were “stabbing the people in the
back,” and again on Thursday when an Istanbul court ordered the
conference closed and demanded to know the academic qualifications of
the speakers.
The Armenian issue stirs deep passions among Turks, who are being
pushed by many in the international community to say that their
fathers and grandfathers carried out the genocide.
JUVENILE CRIMES ON THE RISE
By Lina Abdul Rahman (Special Report)
Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates
Sept 23 2005
DUBAI/SHARJAH – Juvenile crimes committed by youngsters in the age
group of 11 to 17 years in the UAE are on the rise, and psychologists
attribute the increase to broken families, cross culture marriage,
illiteracy among both parents as well as pressure and influence of
corrupt and notorious peers.
Further, lack of direction and the will to achieve, primarily
among the UAE national youth who hail from families with strong
financial backgrounds, and easy access to educational institutions
and conveniences in life, are all factors forcing the youth, specially
teenagers, to stray and become a nuisance to both families and society.
Psychologists claim that lack of regular open dialogue between parents
and their children, and weak family ties, are among strong reasons
leading the youth to take the wrong path in life.
According to statistics, 49 per cent of juveniles in Dubai are not
given enough time or attention by parents, and are not properly
looked after because of their busy lives. Another 26 per cent live
with divorced parents, and nine per cent live with separated parents
who are not legally divorced.
“Family stability is a strong factor ensuring the success of children
in their lives,” says a psychologist in Dubai.
Bushra Qaed, a psychiatrist and Director of the Juvenile Department
at the General Directorate for Punitive and Corrective Establishments
of Dubai Police, disclosed: “Last year, 35 juvenile delinquents of
12 different nationalities were admitted to the Juvenile Department
at the General Directorate for Punitive and Corrective Establishments
of Dubai Police. Of these, 49 per cent were UAE Nationals, 11 per cent
had no nationality, 9 per cent were from Pakistan, while the rest were
from India, Britain, Egypt, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Iran and Armenia.”
The department receives juvenile delinquents aged 11 to 17 years
after a court order is filed against them, Qaed explained, pointing
out that robbery continues to dominate the crimes committed by the
youth leading them to juvenile homes in Dubai.
“Robbery accounts for 65 per cent of the crimes committed by
UAE juveniles, followed by 12 per cent for kidnapping, rape and
indulging in homosexual acts. Statistics have proved that UAE juvenile
delinquents mainly indulge in robbery and theft to satisfy their
quest for endless luxuries in life which is probably beyond their
reach and not affordable with the limited pocket money they receive
at home from parents.”
Meanwhile, the situation in Sharjah is not very different as the
number of admitted juvenile delinquents at the Social Care Unit run
by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is increasing, and is
expected to rise in the future.
Ahmed Mohammed Abu Taha, a social worker at the Social Care Unit in
Sharjah, refers to the situation as ‘alarming,’ since the number of
juveniles enrolled at the unit is increasing annually.
“The number of juvenile delinquents last year was 180 including
both UAE nationals and expatriates, but the current figures to date
(August) has already touched 120 and a further increase is expected
by the end of the year.”
A study last year showed that 42 per cent of the 76 juvenile
delinquents were admitted to the unit through court orders for robbery
cases, and 36 among them were UAE nationals and the remaining 40
were of various other nationalities. Nine per cent juveniles were
homosexuals.
The study indicated that nine per cent were charged with rape (11
UAE nationals and five from other nationalities), eight per cent for
fights (nine UAE nationals and six from other nationalities), seven
per cent for illegal driving without licence (eight UAE nationals
and five from other nationalities), six per cent for abetting crime,
four per cent for rape of minors, two per cent for killing, and one
expatriate female held on prostitution charges.
Out of the 180 juvenile delinquents enrolled last year, 175 were
males and only five were females, said Abu Taha.
According to Qaed, the Dubai Juvenile Department has this year to date
received 31 juveniles. “Prior to 2003, sexual assault was the second
most major crime committed by youth, but at present drug addiction is
turning out to be a strong factor leading the youth to the juvenile
department,” she said.
Qaed mentioned that some of the juvenile delinquents accused of
various criminal activities have shown repentance, while a majority
of the youth seem unaffected and would not repent repeating the crime
again if given a chance. However, the juvenile homes seem to be a
place liked by many youth since it gives them security cover and are
offered guidance and focus in life. The juveniles feel good about
having a communication channel with psychologists who help them see
the right from the wrong and guide them towards rehabilitation.
Juvenile homes in Dubai and Sharjah seem big enough to accommodate
the juvenile delinquents, a large number of whom are UAE nationals and
are kept in these homes from periods ranging from three months to 10
years depending on the severity of crime committed and improvements
observed in their attitude towards life. But, expatriates put up in
these homes are deported soon after completion of the term.
Commenting on the main rehabilitation and treatment programmes offered
to the juveniles, Abu Taha explains that the Social Care Unit in
Sharjah, established in 1981, offers juvenile delinquents various
social, psychological and health services in order to build and shape
up their characters while working hard to explore their latent talent
and potential in learning and acquiring more knowledge in various
fields in order to be productive members of society.
“Our endeavour is to offer the juvenile delinquents the best levels of
services and to ensure they live a comfortable life. We try to approach
them in a friendly way in order to know why they committed their
harmful act bringing harm to themselves and to others,” Abu Taha said.
Abu Taha said a number of symposia and lectures are organised regularly
to guide them. In addition, training and vocational education to
develop their talent and skills are also organised at the juvenile
homes.
“We also invite Islamic preachers to enlighten the juvenile delinquents
and to strengthen their faith in their religion,” he said.
“Juvenile homes can only do that much to deal with this problem,
and parents have to shoulder their responsibilities towards their
children and try and understand them and their problems,” he said,
adding that parents should refrain from adopting wrong approach while
dealing with teenagers problems, which are mostly under the influence
of bad company.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
49 per cent of juveniles in Dubai are not given enough time or
attention by parents, and are not properly looked after because of
their busy lives.
26 per cent live with divorced parents, and nine per cent live with
separated parents who are not legally divorced.
Of the 180 juvenile delinquents taken in last year, 175 were males
and five were females.
According to a study, nine per cent were charged with rape (11 UAE
nationals and five from other nationalities), eight per cent for
fights (nine UAE nationals and six from other nationalities), seven
per cent for illegal driving without licence (eight UAE nationals
and five from other nationalities), six per cent for abetting crime,
four per cent for rape of minors, two per cent for killing, and one
expatriate female held on prostitution charges.
Before 2003, 2003, sexual assault was the second most major crime
committed by youth, but at present drug addiction is turning out to
be a strong factor leading the youth to the juvenile department.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN BRINGS ITS SUBTLY SATIRICAL SELF TO TOWN
By Ross Raihala
Pioneer Press, MN
Sept 22 2005
With its innovative, complex music and surreal lyrics, System of a Down
isn’t just the most unusual band in metal (that’s the closest genre
that fits the virtually unclassifiable band). It’s quite possibly
the weirdest million-seller on the charts.
“I love that,” said vocalist Serj Tankian during a phone interview
from Manhattan. “We’ve really never approached anything from the
typical angle. We came into the music scene in L.A. from left field.
“We always did our own thing, taking everyone’s career advice and
then not following it.”
So far, the anti-plan has worked.
The Armenian-American quartet stops by the Xcel Energy Center Friday
night during its most successful year to date. The band launched
“Mezmerize” in the spring with an instantly sold-out guerrilla club
tour. Follow-up disc “Hypnotize” hits stores in November and is
already one of the fall’s most hotly anticipated releases.
” ‘Mezmerize’ and ‘Hypnotize’ are really one record divided into two,”
Tankian said. “It’s not a concept album in terms of completing a story,
but it is kind of like completing a circle.”
Critics have long praised System of a Down’s unbridled creativity,
which brings a Frank Zappa-esque sense of the surreal to pounding,
operatic and politically charged metal. But it’s the kids who fill
the mosh pits at SOAD shows and have snatched up more than 10 million
copies of the band’s albums worldwide.
Does Tankian ever worry his young fans might be missing some of System
of a Down’s more subtle commentary in favor of merely rocking out?
“No, no – rocking out is the reason why we’re doing this,” he said.
“I think as long as people instinctively feel our music, they don’t
have to psychologically analyze it.
“A lot of people do come up with all sorts of theories and
understandings from the lyrics. A lot of people don’t, too, and that’s
OK. We just want people to connect to our music in some way.”
Tankian points to the song “B.Y.O.B.” As far as SOAD goes, it’s a
fairly straightforward protest song with pointed lyrics: “Why don’t
presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?”
“You may not be anti-war yourself,” he said, “but you will definitely
feel the power of the sarcasm in that song. You don’t have to theorize
about it – you just feel it.”
But there’s also a satirical side to System of a Down that often gets
overlooked amid all the anger.
“There has been such a focus on the political aspect of the band or
the heritage aspect of the band,” Tankian said. “But I think people
are starting to get now that humor is a huge part of what we do, too.”
Pop Music Critic Ross Raihala can be reached at
[email protected] or 651-228-5553. Read more about the local
music scene on his blog, “The Ross Who Knew Too Much,” at www.
twincities.com. What: System of a Down, with the Mars Volta and Hella
When: 7 p.m. Friday Where: Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd.,
St. Paul Tickets: $43.25-$35.75 Call: 651-989-5151
ARMENIAN PARTICIPANTS OF TRIAL ON CASE OF GURGEN MARGARIAN’S MURDER TO LEAVE FOR BUDAPEST ON SEP 23
Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 22 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Defence
Minister’s representative Hayk Demoyan representing the aggrieved
party on the case of RA Armed Forces Officer Gurgen Margarian’s murder,
lawyer Nazeli Vardanian, victim Hayk Makuchian will leave for Hungary
on September 23 in order to participate in the September 27 trial on
the above-mentioned case. Noyan Tapan’s correspondent was informed
about it by Hayk Demoyan.
Defence Ministry’s representative mentioned that at the sitting it’s
envisaged to listen to the experts who made up two conclusions of
psychiatric-medical expertise about Ramil Safarov who killed Gurgen
Margarian under aggravating circumstances and with a special cruelty,
as well as committed an attempted murder in relation to RA Armed
Forces Officer Hayk Makuchian. According to both of the conclusions,
the experts found Safarov guilty, but the third one contained some
extenuating elements contradicting the first conclusion. As the
Hungarian legislation doesn’t envisage to sum up documents containing
certain contradictions, so the court considered it necessary to hold
the third expertise as far back as in May. Possibly, Hayk Makuchian
will additionally testify at the court sitting.
Hayk Demoyan mentioned that the trial won’t finish in September,
probably, a court sitting will be appointed in early 2006, too.
NATO MEDCEUR – RESCUER – 05 EXERCISE HELD IN YEREVAN
Pan Armenian News
22.09.2005 04:07
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 8-19 MEDCEUR – RESCUER – 05 exercise
of NATO states and those participating in the Partnership for Peace
Program was held in Yerevan on the basis of Military Medicine Faculty
of Yerevan State Medical University. Armenian MOD Spokesperson Seyran
Shahsuvaryan reported it. This is the first exercise of the type
in Armenia. The Academic and Field phases were held in Georgia, in
which Armenian MOD servicemen, specifically 10 officers and cadets
of the Military Medicine Faculty, who master English, took part as
well. The Response Cell computer game was held at the staff circle
in Yerevan. The work was controlled and guided by 2 US Armed Forces
officers and 2 first category specialists. A senior officer of the
Department of Emergency Situations at the Armenian Government and 2
Military Medicine Faculty officers represented Armenia. US military
specialists appreciated the work of their Armenian counterparts. They
noted Armenian specialists managed to learn cooperation principles
within a short space of time and “these exercises were excellent
practical training for our specialists.” To all appearance, the next
phase of the RESCUER -06 exercises will be held in Armenia.