Author: Nahapetian Samvel

MAN CONVICTED IN ROAD-RAGE KILLING OF LA DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
San Francisco Chronicle, CA
Aug. 27, 2006
A former Burbank truck driver who was arrested in Armenia and returned
to Southern California was convicted of first-degree murder for a
vicious freeway road-rage killing of documentary filmmaker Michael
Craven.
Jurors deliberated for more than two hours Friday before reaching
a decision. They also convicted Shahen Eghia Keshishian, 34, of
vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and leaving the scene
of an accident.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 27.
Keshishian ran down Craven, 44, with a black GMC Suburban on April
29, 2000. The killing came after a road rage confrontation along the
Hollywood Freeway.
Craven had been driving on the freeway after dinner with a friend
when the Suburban pulled up and eggs were thrown. One of the drivers
had apparently cut in front of the other.
Authorities believe Craven pulled to the side of the freeway to
confront Keshishian, who stopped behind him. A passenger in the
Suburban then threw a beer bottle at Craven’s Jeep.
Craven was then run over and he died a short time later at a hospital.
Keshishian was charged June 23, 2000, with Craven’s slaying, and
charged separately by federal authorities in November 2000 with
unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Keshishian was hiding in Armenia and was arrested in late 2004 for
overstaying his visa. He was subsequently extradited to the United
States.
Glendale police said his extradition marked the first time someone
from Armenia was handed to U.S. authorities to be returned to face
criminal charges.

DAVID NALBANDYAN RANKS 4TH AMONG BEST TENNIS PLAYERS OF THE WORLD
ArmRadio.am
28.08.2006 12:13
With 363 points Argentinean Armenian tennis player David Nalbandyan
ranks 4th in the list of the best tennis players of the world, issued
today by the Professional Tennis Association.
The first in the list is Roger Federer with 1 129 points. Spanish
Rafael Nadal ranks 2nd with 775 points. Ivan Lyubichich of Croatia
is the third with 415 points.

STARTING SCHOOL AT AGE 6 IS A TEST FOR THE SYSTEM
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
22 Aug 2006
The underlying problem of the academic year starting soon is the
introduction of 12-year school education. Children go to school
at the age of 6 and study for 12 years, that is they will go to
school a year earlier and leave school a year later. Extending
school education by a year will probably give rise to problems but
it will be 12 years later. Now the problem is the education of
the 6-year-old children. This was the main topic of the meeting
of the experienced teachers of the country with the minister of
education Kamo Atayan. There was another meeting with young teachers
earlier. These discussions are not on accepting or rejecting 12-year
education. The minister of education says it does not depend on our
wish: NKR is in the same education sphere with Armenia, it does not
have its own curriculum and textbooks. So NKR adopts the education
policies adopted by Armenia. What is complicated about children
aged 6 going to school? First of all, at this age children need
special care, therefore schools need to provide food and sleep. In
Soviet Karabakh an attempt was made at admitting children aged 6 to
school, at that time there were all the necessary conditions, and
the experiment was successful, whereas now only a few schools can
provide food and sleep. With regard to this problem Kamo Atayan said
no underlying steps were made except the contingent and the choice
of teachers who will be working with children aged 6. Ira Gabrielyan,
teacher at Stepanakert School # 2, assistant director of the school,
teacher at the National Institute of the Ministry of Education and
Science of Armenia, said she studied the qualification of teachers
at the schools of the republic and believes that they will pass this
test. There are over 30 teachers in the capital who can work with
6-year-old children, and they are ready to share their experience
with their colleagues but they need more visual aids at schools.
Naira Arstamyan, the director of the school of the village of Nerkin
Horatagh, Martakert said in their schools and the schools of the
adjacent villages children aged 6 at school is not a novelty,
the majority of children go to school before they become 7. The
minister of education and culture met the willingness of the teachers
to prepare a methodic guide for teachers of 6 year-old children and
distribute to schools. He also informed that soon the authors of the
books will visit Karabakh and hold trainings for teachers. Besides,
over the upcoming year a group of experienced teachers must visit
schools of the republic to give methodic aid to teachers.
SVETLANA KHACHATRIAN.
22-08-2006

EXPEDITION OF THE ARCHEOLOGY AND ETHNOGRAPHY INSTITUTE OF THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY STARTED EXCAVATIONS IN KARABAKH
Stepanakert, August 23. ArmInfo. By the initiative and financing of
‘Yerkir’ NGO Union, the expedition of the Archeology and Ethnography
Institute of the Armenian National Science Academy August 3-18 held
excavations of a settlement founded by king Tigran II the Great
(95-55 B.C.).
Member of the expedition Vardges Safarian told ArmInfo special
correspondent in Stepanakert that this was the first phase of the
excavations, preceded by preparation works in March 2005. During the
excavation the Acropolis of the ancient town, the terrace walls and a
church of 5-6 centuries A.D. were discovered. Hundreds of minor items
were also found. The expedition is also studying a church complex
on the outskirts of the ancient settlement, delved in a rock. The
preliminary study of the discovered artifacts showed that the town,
named after its founder Tigranakert, existed from the 1-st century
B.C. to 13-14 centuries A.D. In the Middle Ages the settlement became
one of the cradles of the early-Christian civilization. All of the
artifacts found on the site are of worldwide cultural importance and
of absolutely Armenian identity and origin.
This settlement is the most renowned settlement of the Artsakh province
(of which a part is modern Nagorno-Karabakh) of the Greater Armenia
of the pre-Christian period. It was found in the 90’s B.C.
and was the first of a number of settlements found by the great ruler
of Asia and named Tigranakert after the founder.

Panorama.am
14:39 18/08/06
PARLIAMENTARIAN BELIEVES ELECTIONS NOT TO BE FREE
Aram Sargsyan, leader of Armenian Democratic Party and a member of
parliament, told a press conference today he believes the upcoming
elections will not be free and fair. To have legitimate elections, one
has to have legitimate authorites, he says. “Who does not understand
how the administrative mechanisms function?” Sargsyan poses a rhetoric
question.
He said a caolition may develop in Armenia under two conditions:
first, if Karabakh conflict tenses up; second, if those who may join
the caolition understand that the backbone of the authorities in
power must be broken before the elections.
Sargsyan said he may support Orintars Yerkir’s proposed “For Legitimate
Elections” initation in case the current authorities would have gone
before the elections. Sargsyan said his party actively negotiates
with those forces that may have identical programs. In case they do
not find such supporters, the party will go for elections on its own,
Sargsyan said. /Panorama.am/

AZERBAIJAN REPATRIATES THREE ARMENIANS
By Armen Dulian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Aug. 17, 2006
Azerbaijan on Thursday repatriated three Armenian nationals that
were detained last month after straying into Azerbaijani territory
in uncertain circumstances.
Citing the Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security, the Trend news
agency reported that the handover was arranged by the International
Committee of the Red Cross and took place in the westernmost section
of the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontier, which is close to Georgia.
The Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman, Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian,
confirmed the information, saying that all three men are civilians.
“They had accidentally crossed into Azerbaijan,” Shahsuvarian told
RFE/RL. He said two of them entered Azerbaijani territory via Georgia
but could not give further details.

COACH OF CHELSI TO TRAIN ARMENIAN NATIONAL TEAM
Panorama.am
15:03 16/08/06
The newly appointed coach of the Armenian national football team, Yan
Porterfield, predicted “good future for the Armenian football.” The
Chairman of the Armenian Football Federation Ruben Hairapetyan
introduced Yan Porterfield to the Armenian community in a press
conference today. Upon the completion of the press conference,
a contract was concluded with Porterfield, Scot by nationality,
until the end of the year 2007. The newly appointed coach of the
Armenian national team served as the chief coach of renowned Chelsi in
1988-1993. He took the same position at the national teams of Zambia,
Zimbabwe, Oman, Trinidad and Tobago.
Porterfield assured that the qualify of performance of the Armenian
national team will improve from game to game. He said he will give
chance both to football veterans and beginners. He also said that he
may invite football players from foreign clubs. The coach will move
to Armenia together with his family and live here until the end of
his contract.

ARMENIAN ARSONS DEVASTATE 100 HECTARES OF PASTURES IN AZERBAIJANI REGION
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 15, 2006
Armenians have been committing arsons in Aygatyor village of Shemseddin
region situated in border with Azerbaijan since last night. The fires
have caught pastures in Hajalli village of the Azerbaijani region
of Tovuz.
Hajalli residents told APA’s west bureau the fires spread to 100
hectares of pastures in Gush Daghi area in Tovuz. Azerbaijani Army
soldiers have been involved in preventive measures. The fire was
brought under control by joint efforts of military men and villagers.
Alibayli village residents said the fires also caught the village
yesterday evening but it was put out by the soldiers and local
residents.
The fires caused mine explosions in no man’s land. The local residents
say at least seven anti-tank mines and four anti-personal mines
exploded in the burning areas in Alibayli.
Armenian-committed arsons spread to Agdam region from Tovuz.
Fortunately, the fire was put under control on time.
Tovuz executive power told APA’s provincial bureau the cost of the
damage inflicted by the arsons is calculated.

IRAN PRESS: DAILY SAYS CULTURAL ACTIVITIES LEADING TO VELVET REVOLUTION IN IRAN
Jomhuri-ye Eslami website, Tehran
12 Aug 06
One of the evening newspapers allocated one of its complete main
pages to praising Seyyed Hoseyn Nasr and said that a library has been
established at the Philosophy Society in his name.
A week later, a review was written on the same page on one of the
works of Seyyed Hasan Nasr. And a daily, which is financed by public
funds, issued a 16-page supplement praising this person… [ellipses
as published].
Consequently, Seyyed Hasan Nasr’s name started to be mentioned in the
country’s media circles and even provincial publications started to
carry his articles and …
[ellipses as published].
During his youth, Seyyed Hasan Nasr was a member of the intellectual
development organization, which was an organization similar to the
Freemasons Lions or Rotary. During his adulthood, he had links with
Farah Pahlavi and her office and after joining the Intellectuals Group,
he began to outline the ideology behind the [late Mohammad Reza]
Shah’s white revolution.
Following the victory of the [1979] Islamic revolution, Nasr
left the country and went to live in the US. He began writing the
[Encyclopaedia] Iranica alongside Yar Shater. He then joined the
editors group of the Iranian Studies Foundation, run by Mahnaz Afkhami
and Ashraf Pahlavi and … [ellipses as published].
Last week a book called looking for the celestial matter, which
contained a discussion between Ramin Jahanbeglu and Seyyed Hasan Nasr
was published by the Nashr-e Ney Publications and distributed in the
book market. It has been said that it has a lot of typos because it
was printed with haste.
Ramin Jahanbeglu is currently under arrest and accused of laying
the groundwork for a velvet revolution in the country. Velvet
revolutions are the modern version of coups which are costly and
have been successfully staged in eastern block countries recently
by deceived young people in order to change the governments which do
not move inline with the West’s interests. Considering that recently
many western cultural figures involved in the music, arts and even
caricature industries, have entered the country, it seems that the
Iranian velvet revolution branch is trying to arrange the ranks of
its so-called cultural force by using Seyyed Hasan Nasr’s name.
The names of people such as the Armenian, Loris Cheknavarian,
a prominent member of Pahlavi’s office involved in the music
industry, Parviz Tanavoli, a lousy sculptor whose most famous work
was a water-jug in a box, and even the Fardowsi magazine, which has
the duty of spreading modernity, couldn’t tolerate and called it
an exhibition of Charlatanism, Kambiz D. [initial as published],
a famous caricaturist on Shapur’s team whose books were recently
published and who held an exhibition with the support of foreign
embassies, and Aydin Aqdashlu, an element of Farah’s office whose
sabbatical to France was recently cancelled, have been mentioned in
state newspapers. Finally, Nader Mashayekhi has suspiciously become
the conductor of Tehran symphonic orchestra. And Radio America
and Radio Farda are supporting and following up this orchestra’s
performance in Germany under his baton. This is not the first time
that behind-the-curtain elements have appointed people from outside
the country to lead our most important national orchestra.
Despite all of these colourful games and the humiliating defeat of
the yellow revolution in Ukraine and the failed velvet revolutions in
Azarbaijan and Belarus, it seems that dreams are the only thing left
for the elements behind this coup. However, this is no reason for
[Iranian] officials to remain silent and ignore the issue.

YOUNG DRAUGHTS PLAYER OF ARMENIA HAS 3 VISTORIES, 3 DRAWN GAMES AND 3 LOSSES IN EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Aug 10 2006
TALLINN, AUGUST 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The Europe Youth Championship of
international draughts finished on August 8 in Tallinn, the capital
of Estonia.
Representative of Armenia Samvel Azibekian was also among 52
participants. He had 3 victories, 3 drawn games, 3 losses and took
the 17th place, having 9 points.