Author: nina hovnanian

LA SCALA DI SETA, LINBURY THEATRE – REVIEW: A BRILLIANT CAST

Holly Pigott designs, Greg Eldridge directs: bravos all round

MICHAEL CHURCH

Friday 24 October 2014

Rossini was just twenty when he wrote this glittering farce: it made
sense that everybody involved in its two-centuries-belated premiere
at Covent Garden should be Jette Parker Young Artists, not much over
twenty themselves.

How pleasant to meet the Australian soprano Lauren Fagan as the
heroine Giulia, and the Portuguese tenor Luis Gomes as Dorvil, who
shins up the silken ladder of the title to tryst with her.

The technical precision of Fagan’s coloratura is matched by the purity
of her tone, while the pint-sized Gomes projects a substantial sound
with vocal agility and impeccable comic timing.

Their pre-coital romp – while the youthful Southbank Sinfonia delivers
the overture under Jonathan Santagada’s direction – sets the tone
for the preposterous plot.

And how agreeable to encounter the Armenian soprano Anush Hovhannisyan
in a role which gives free rein to her quicksilver voice and
personality, with the larger-than-life bass James Platt as her
foppish foil. Baritone Samuel Dale Johnson doesn’t have much to do
as the disapproving tutor Dormont, but he does it with clean and
virile assurance.

As the servant Germano – entrusted with the most complex role and
the most taxing aria of the evening – Ukrainian bass-baritone Yuriy
Yurchuk surmounted initial intonation-problems to become the opera’s
warm centre of gravity.

Holly Pigott designs, Greg Eldridge directs: bravos all round.

RADIO LIBERTY: AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES HIRE A NEW LOBBYIST IN UNITED STATES TO RESTORE THEIR IMAGE

15:19 24/10/2014 >> REGION

Radio “Liberty”: Azerbaijani authorities hire a new lobbyist in United
States to restore their imageAzerbaijan has hired a veteran Republican
Party adviser and political strategist Liz Mair, to boost its public
image in the United States, the Radio Liberty reports.

According to the article Baku’s embassy in Washington has signed
a contract with Liz Mair, whose public-relations firm will aim to
generate news coverage to “impact various U.S. government officials,
as well as the U.S. general public”.

Under the terms of the six-month contract, Azerbaijan will pay Mair’s
firm, Mair Strategies, $15,000 a month for public-relations services.

As it is noted in the article the move comes as Azerbaijan faces
mounting criticism over its human rights record from Western officials,
analysts, and rights groups.

The author noes that since Azerbaijan assumed the chairmanship of the
Council of Europe’s committee of ministers in May, it has undertaken
“the most serious and brutal crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan
ever,” according to the Berlin-based European Stability Initiative.

At the same time, Azerbaijani officials have sought to portray the
country as a valuable U.S. and European ally, and as a crucial player
in energy security, the article reads.

However, according to the article, critics have accused Baku of using
the Ukraine crisis and its lobbying push to deflect attention from
its human rights record, including a sweeping crackdown in recent
months against journalists, lawyers, and other government critics
in Azerbaijan.

The article also notes that, in 2013, Azerbaijan was the 10th-largest
spender on lobbying efforts in the United States among foreign
governments, shelling out almost $2.3 million, according to an
analysis by the Sunlight Foundation. Azerbaijan has also signed a
$50,000-per-month contract with The Podesta Group, a top Washington
lobbying firm.

LES INVESTISSEMENTS DANS LES HOTELS EN ARMENIE S’AVERENT RENTABLES

ARMENIE

Les investissements dans la construction d’hôtels sont de plus
rentables, a declare Mekhak Apresyan, chef du departement du tourisme
au ministère armenien de l’economie.

Il existe une demande croissante pour les hôtels, pas necessairement
des 4 et 5 etoiles en raison du developpement du tourisme a-t-il
declare aux journalistes.

Aujourd’hui, environ 60% des hôtels est dans les regions d’Armenie et
la gamme des offres est en pleine expansion (de l’hôtel de première
classe a B&B), a-t-il dit.

Le tourisme interieur a augmente aussi bien en raison du système de
securite sociale disponible dans le pays. Quelques 8050 personnes ont
pris l’avantage de leurs forfaits pour passer leurs vacances dans le
pays dans la première moitie de 2014, comparativement a seulement 2
396 au 1er semestre 2013 a dit Mekhak Apresyan.

vendredi 24 octobre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LE COW-BOY CONTRE LES INDIENS…PAR HAYTOUG CHAMLIAN

OPINION

Les djihadistes sont des forcenes, des desaxes incurables, avec une
mentalite et un comportement de barbares.

Les actes de folie meurtrière commis le 21 octobre 2014 a
St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu et le 22 octobre 2014 a Ottawa, au Canada, sont
totalement condamnables, abjects et injustifiables. Ils ne peuvent
meme pas etre moindrement “comprehensibles”, en aucune manière,
a quelque niveau que ce soit.

Cela etant dit et souligne, maintenant, au risque de deranger les
discours enflammes et les tremolos patriotiques qui resonnent a
l’unisson au Parlement du Canada depuis ces evenements, il faudra
aussi exprimer et confronter certaines realites evidentes.

C’est la politique etrangère du gouvernement canadien actuel qui
a denature le Canada, pour le transformer en une cible – facile –
pour les psychopathes sanguinaires concernes, mettant ainsi en peril
la securite des citoyens, la quietude de la population, ainsi que
l’ordre public et social – particulièrement vulnerable dans un pays
fonde sur le multiculturalisme – .

Et tout cela, pourquoi ? La est la question fondamentale.

Les USA doivent combattre les djihadistes, car c’est Washington qui
les a engendres. Non, il ne s’agit pas d’evoquer ici des “theories du
complot”, mais de constater tout simplement le fait irrefutable que
les autorites americaines ont longuement encourage, soutenu et arme
ces islamistes sunnites, croyant pouvoir s’en servir pour renverser
le regime syrien de Bashar El Assad, affaiblir l’Iran chiite,
diviser pour regner, etc. Ils ont ainsi cree un monstre, qu’ils
disent vouloir dompter a present (pour le moment, a une distance –
ou plus precisement, une altitude – fort prudente, il faut le dire…).

En quoi le Canada serait-il alors oblige de se joindre a des operations
militaires lancees et menees par les USA, visant – dans la meilleure
des hypoth̬ses Рa reparer les erreurs fatidiques commises par les
USA ?

Des allies regionaux des USA n’en font pas autant. Les pays arabes
dont les regimes sont censes etre du côte des Americains font
principalement de la figuration, lorsqu’ils ne jouent pas carrement
double-jeu. Un membre de l’Otan meme, la Turquie, non seulement refuse
de participer a cette nouvelle croisade americaine, mais empeche meme
les USA d’utiliser ses propres bases militaires sur le territoire
turc actuel. Elle interdit meme la remise, a partir de sa frontière,
des armes destinees aux Kurdes qui combattent l'”Etat Islamique”
a quelques centaines de mètres de la, obligeant ainsi les USA a
larguer ce materiel par voie aerienne – ce qui a eu pour consequence
qu’une partie en a ete parachutee dans les bras des djihadistes,
litteralement… On entend d’ici les “Allahou Akbar !” eperdus,
pour ces cadeaux tombant du ciel… – .

Rappelons encore que l’ONU n’a nullement accorde son autorisation
pour les frappes aeriennes en Syrie, alors que celles en Irak seraient
“legitimees” par l’appel au secours d’un “Etat” irakien de pacotille,
dont l’improbable armee nationale ne fait que decamper et fuir,
a la moindre occasion.

Et voila que, dans une situation aussi obscure, nebuleuse et
compliquee, dans des circonstances aussi douteuses, voire suspectes,
Monsieur Stephen Harper entraîne le Canada dans une nouvelle aventure
militaire absurde et contre-productive, fondee sur des calculs
politiques machiaveliques, concoctee dans certaines officines occultes
de la Maison Blanche, et, pour ce qui est des objectifs ultimes,
fort probablement vouee a l’echec.

Après un prelude sanglant survenu la veille, le 22 octobre 2014, a
Ottawa, le Canada a vecu un tournant decisif. Non, rien ne sera plus
jamais comme avant. À son echelle, ce pays aura eu son September-11.

Et tout cela, parce que son Premier Ministre actuel, souffrant d’un
complexe typique a l’egard du grand voisin americain, s’arroge une
importance qu’il n’aura jamais. Sa mentalite et son comportement de
cow-boy entraîneront cependant des consequences nefastes irreversibles,
pour le Canada.

Haytoug Chamlian

Montreal, 23 octobre 2014

vendredi 24 octobre 2014, Ara (c)armenews.com

ARMENIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE MEETS WITH RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR

YEREVAN, October 24./ARKA/. Armenia’s minister of defense Seyran
Ohanyan met with the Russian ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volinkin
on Thursday, the press office of the Armenian ministry of defense
reported.

The sides discussed the regional and the international security,
Armenia-Russia bilateral relations and defense cooperation, says the
report. -0–

ARMENIAN PEOPLE HAVE EXCLUSIVE MISSION IN PREVENTING REPETITION OF GENOCIDES: SERZH SARGSYAN

21:37, 23 October, 2014

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS: Serzh Sargsyan has given an interview
to The New York Times, Armenpress reports. “We believe that the whole
of mankind should be consistent in the recognition, condemnation and
exclusion of denialism of this crime of crimes, Serzh Sragsyan says
in an interview with The New York Times.

“This is our message to the international community, including
the government and society of the United States, on the eve of
the centenary of the Armenian genocide. The Armenian genocide is
an indisputable fact, documented by the international community
when it provided refuge to the hundreds of thousands of Armenians
that fled the massacres carried out by the Ottoman Empire. Today,
even educated circles of Turkish society have reconciled with their
own past, opposing the official denialist position of their state,”
Serzh Sargsyan states.

According to Serzh Sargsyan, the commemoration of the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian genocide is an important step toward its international
recognition and condemnation, but it is not an endpoint.

It marks a new beginning in the context of joint efforts to prevent
history repeating itself.

DEFENDER IN CONTROVERSIAL MURDER CASE DEMANDS PROSECUTOR’S REMOVAL

10.22.2014 13:41 epress.am

During the first court hearing in the case of Karen Kungortsev
(pictured) from Vanadzor, accused of murdering 15 year old Davit
Hovakimyan, the defendant’s lawyer, Araik Papikyan, motioned to remove
prosecutor Petros Martirosyan from the case. Papikyan told Epress.am
about the latter.

The grounds for the recuse, according to the lawyer, is that
the prosecutor cannot defend the accusations because during the
entire preliminary examination he was inactive. Papikyan says that
in the period when the prosecutor was not monitoring the case,
the investigator, Taron Tadevosyan, made numerous violations and
arbitrations.

The judge rescheduled the court session to November 18 because of the
absence of the plaintiff from the court and decided to turn to the
motioned recuse against the prosecutor during the next court hearing.

Recall, Karen Kungortsev does not admit guilt, and human rights
defenders and his attorney indicate violations recorded during the
preliminary investigations. While behind bars, the accused has resorted
to self harm, as well as beginning a hunger strike. His mother said
that her son was beaten by police while under police custody and
forced to confess.

Kungortsev’s accusation was changed from murder to attempted murder
last August. At the same time, the investigation accused and detained
Vanadzor Medical Center company’s doctor Vladimir Ghukasyan for unfair
treatment and improper implementation of professional duties.

L’ARMENIEN HENRIKH MKHITARYAN (BORUSSIA DORTMUND) IMPERIAL HIER SOIR CONTRE GALATASARAY A ISTANBUL EN LIGUE DES CHAMPIONS

FOOTBALL-LIGUE DES CHAMPIONS

Hier soir pour la 3ème journee de la Ligue des Champions Ligue des
Champions le Borussia Dortmund s’est facilement impose sur le score
de 4-0 face au Galatasaray Istanbul en Turquie. Les buts du Boroussia
qui etait ainsi en > (comme l’on titre nombre
de journaux) furent inscrits par Aubameyang (6e et 18e), Reus (41e)
et Ramos (82e). Par deux a trois occasions, l’international armenien
Henrikh Mkhitaryan faillit marquer. Mais si le milieu de l’equipe
d’Armenie ne marqua pas contre les Turcs, il fut toutefois l’un des
trois meilleurs hommes du match. Avec Marco Reus et Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan fut credite sur le site officiel du
Borussia Dortmund de la note de 8/10 soit les meilleur notre du match.

L’Armenien etait > ecrit le site du club allemand. Le
Borussia Dortmund est avec 9 points (3 victoires en 3 rencontres)
en tete du groupe D. Galatasaray est dernier avec un seul petit point.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 23 octobre 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

ARMENIAN WOMEN PROTEST CONTROVERSIAL MATERNITY PAY BILL – PHOTOS

15:15 * 23.10.14

A crowd of women protested outside the Government on Thursday to raise
their voice of anger against a controversial legal measure proposing
higher maternity benefits for unemployed women at the expense of
working mothers.

In a letter submitted to the executive, the women have covered all
the points which they believe were proposed in violation of Armenia’s
Constitution and other legal acts, including international agreements.

Anna Nikoghosyan, a programs manager from the local NGO Society without
Violence, said the appeal urges the Government to refrain from the
proposed amendments to the Law on Temporary Unemplayability Benefits.

“Under the bill, the benefit a woman receives for a 140-day pre-
and post-natal leave is calculated based on the length of service
in the last workplace. So in case that period is one year or less,
she will get a benefit in the amount of 40% of the [monthly] salary,”
she said, noting that the money will amount to 60%-80% of the salary
in case the length of service is up to three years.

Speaking to Tert.am, a civic activist who identified herself as Tatev
said the Republic of Armenia should not permit the passage of a law
that may affect a woman’s decision to have a child.

“This law will affect employed women’s decision, as it is expected to
cut their income. But that violates the equality between men and women
in terms of the opportunity to work. A woman must not be deprived of
her entire salary in order to bear a child,” she complained.

The activist added that today’s protest was only the first step of
their civic campaign. “We are launching a petition to find out how many
citizens will be against. Parliamentary hearings are due on Monday,
so we will join it to carry our struggle through,” she added.

FRANCOIS ROCHEBLOIN: EUROPE SHOULD LEARN TO RECOGNIZE NAGORNO-KARABAKH

14:28, 23.10.2014

France-Karabakh Friendship Circle welcomes creation of a
Nagorno-Karabakh group in the European Parliament.

The event dedicated to the 23rd anniversary of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
independence brought together over dozen of members of the European
Parliament, representatives of international structures based in
Brussels.

Speaker of Karabakh National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan and MEP Frank
Enge delivered speeches. The latter welcomed guests and announced
creation of Nagorno-Karabakh group,

“It is an important step in the right direction. To contribute to
greater presence of Nagorno-Karabakh in the European institutions
means to contribute to fundamental recognition of the country by
these institutions,”said Francois Rochebloine, chairman of the
Friendship Circle

The goal of this group is to organize informative visits to promote
establishment of relations between the European and Karabakh societies
as well as strengthening of Nagorno-Karabakh’s presence in the European
and international agencies.

“Nowadays it is impossible to prevent communication of any state with
the world. Europe should learn to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh. By
learning much about the country, Brussels will recognize it,”
Rochebloine added.