Author: nina hovnanian

France 24
March 7 2013

Black Sabbath guitarist composes Armenian Eurovision song

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has written the music for
Armenia’s entry to this year’s Eurovision song contest. Dubbed “Lonely
Planet”, the song will be performed by Armenian rock singer Gor Sujyan
in Malmo, Sweden, in May. By News Wires (text) The guitarist of
British rock band Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, has composed the music
for Armenia’s entry to this year’s Eurovision song contest, the
performers said Thursday.

`Iommi’s rock ballad `Lonely Planet’ will be performed by Armenian
rock singer Gor Sujyan and his band, Dorians,’ the group’s spokeswoman
Diana Hovannisyan told AFP.

`The manager of the Dorians asked Tony Iommi to write a song for the
Armenian participants of Eurovision and he kindly accepted the
request,’ she said.

The Dorians `are a good band, the singer has a really good voice and
the lyrics they’ve written are in English,’ the founding member of
Black Sabbath wrote on his website.

Iommi has been involved in charitable activities in Armenia since
1988, when a devastating earthquake hit the small Caucasus country,
killing up to 45,000 people and leaving another 500,000 homeless.

The Eurovision Song Contest, which is broadcast across Europe but also
in dozens of other countries, takes place in the southwestern Swedish
city of Malmo on May 18.

Ranked number 25 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the `100 Greatest
Guitarists of All Time,’ Iommi is best known as the founder and member
of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath from Birmingham.

According to his official biography, Iommi continues writing for Black
Sabbath, despite undergoing chemo- and radiotherapy after being
diagnosed with lymphoma in 2012.

Armenia withdrew from last year’s Eurovision contest in neighbouring
Azerbaijan, its bitter foe, citing security concerns. It has been
relatively successful in the contest, coming fourth in 2008.

(AFP)

The Consumerist
March 8 2013

It’s A Good Day When You Find $30M Worth Of Rare Art In The Attic

By Mary Beth Quirk March 8, 2013

It’s always nice if you can afford to buy say, a nice little cottage
on Long Island, a getaway to escape reality and just enjoy the peace
and quiet. One man spent $300,000 to buy just such a bungalow out in
Bellport, N.Y. and found his reward for doing so would be more than
some R&R – it’d be about $30 million worth of art.
Back in 2007, the home’s new owner discovered quite a cache of art in
the garage and attic of the bungalow, reports News 12 Long Island. The
works are all by obscure Armenian-American abstract impressionist
Arthur Pinajian and include thousands of paintings, drawings and
journals.

Apparently when Pinajian died, he left instructions for the entire
collection to be dumped in the Brookhaven landfill, but his family
never did so. Maybe they just got busy or perhaps they forgot,
resulting in this extreme and literal case of `one man’s trash is
another man’s treasure.’

The man who bought the house also purchased that art for $2,500 and
set about restoring, framing and cataloguing it. It’s been valued at
$30 million, and some pieces have already been sold for prices as high
as $500,000. While many of the works are stored in the cottage owner’s
gallery in Bellport, 50 of Pinajian’s works are on exhibit now at
Manhattan’s Fuller Building.

As always with these `Surprise! You’re rich!’ stories, I’m going to
take one last look around in the basements and attics of family
members. Because goodness knows there’s nothing hiding in my
storage-bereft apartment.

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
March 7 2013

Serzh Sargsyan discusses post-election processes in Armenia with EU
Special Representative

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan discussed the
regional developments and post-election processes in Armenia with the
EU Special Representative for South Caucasus and Crisis in Georgia
Philippe Lefort in Yerevan today.

The President noted with content the dynamics of Armenia-EU active
political dialogue and progress in talks on Association Agreement, the
Armenian presidential press service reports.

Philippe Lefort stressed that Armenia is an important country for EU
and processes of peace, stability and democracy are important there.

Al Jazeera: Human rights situation in Azerbaijan is deteriorating at
an alarming rate

17:34 08/03/2013 » SOCIETY

While the international community continues to engage in business as
usual with oil-rich Azerbaijan, the country is quickly losing claim to
any remaining pretence that it is a democracy. Azerbaijani civil
society is under attack at unprecedented levels, as the government
wages a vicious campaign to silence its critics, American-British
human rights activist currently based in London Rebecca Vincent writes
in an article in Al Jazeera.

In particular, the Azerbaijani authorities seem intent on punishing
those who exposed human rights problems in the country during the
period of increased international media attention ahead of the
Eurovision Song Contest and Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Rights
groups warned of potential retaliation once this attention had faded.
They turned out to be right.

`Over the past few months, the Azerbaijani authorities have been
scrambling to silence all critical voices in the country – including
mine,’ the author says and notes that in a highly unusual move, in
December, the authorities revoked my residence permit while I was
travelling outside of the country, preventing me from returning to my
home in Baku and effectively separating my family ever since. No
official explanation has been given, but diplomatic negotiations
confirmed that the action was politically motivated.

According to her in the run-up to Eurovision and the IGF, she worked
with a wide range of international and local human rights
organisations that were publically critical of Azerbaijan’s record on
issues such as freedom of expression and internet freedom, including
through two reports that were banned from being distributed at the
IGF. But my work with a new local campaign, Art for Democracy, which
had launched just a week earlier in a December 11 event, seems to have
been the clincher. Art for Democracy seeks to use all forms of
artistic expression to promote human rights and democracy in the
country.

`Since December, the human rights situation in the country has
deteriorated at an alarming rate. In January, authorities responded to
an unrelated series of anti-government protests in Baku and other
regions.’ the author writes.

At the same time, authorities appeared to support protests against the
author Akram Aylisli following his publication of Stone Dreams, a
novel covering the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from a perspective his
critics allege is sympathetic to Armenia. Pro-government groups held
pickets in February calling Aylisli a traitor and burning his book.
`Authorities have also started taking steps to eliminate any chance of
a free and fair presidential election in October,’ the article said.

Republicanist Alternative (REAL) movement presidential candidate Ilgar
Mammadov is in pre-trial detention, facing up to 10 years imprisonment
on politically motivated charges of organising mass disorder and
violently resisting police.

`Despite this rapid deterioration, the international community has
hardly taken note. The support promised to Azerbaijani activists by
IGF participants has certainly been lacking,’ Vincent writes. She
recalls that European politicians directly contributed to the downward
spiral by failing to support a resolution on political prisoners in
Azerbaijan in a January 23 vote at the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe – a move that the Azerbaijani authorities clearly
interpreted as carte blanche to continue arresting persons for
politically motivated reasons.

`To top it all, as recently as February 20, the European Union
enhanced a Memorandum of Understanding on Energy with Azerbaijan,
signaling once again that in realpolitik, oil trumps human rights,’
the human rights activist writes.

Source: Panorama.am

Congresswoman Judy Chu: I stand with people of Nagorno-Karabakh in
their noble pursuit

15:38 08/03/2013 » POLITICS

Congresswoman Judy Chu, in her remarks in the House of
Representatives, has expressed her support to the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of
Nagorno-Karabakh movement, according to The Library of Congress
Thomas.

`Let us take this occasion to remember their struggle for
self-determination and freedom.

In 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh petitioned to become part of Armenia. For
the next 2 years, the Armenian population was the target of racially
motivated pogroms. Hundreds of Armenians were murdered and more
wounded during three violent attacks in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku.

In 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh officially declared independence, becoming a
democratic state committed to freedom and respect for human rights.
Despite dual blockades and threats from neighboring Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh has held a series of democratic elections and
continues to work hard to strengthen its economy. I stand with the
people of Nagorno-Karabakh in this noble pursuit.’

Source: Panorama.am

Bundestag Chairman: “Armenia has no prospects of joining the EU.”

2013-03-08 13:30:32

Armenia has no realistic prospects of joining the EU, chairman of the
Bundestag Norbert Lammert said yesterday News-Armenia reported.

“We appreciate our cooperation with Armenia, its progress towards
integration with the EU must be developed, but I do not see any
realistic prospects for its accession to the EU for many reasons,”
Lammert said on Thursday while delivering a lecture at the Yerevan
State University.

While speaking about the EU’s future, he touched on the EU’s relations
with Turkey.

“I can speak about Turkey which has already started negotiations on EU
accession, however, I’m very skeptical about it,” he said. The
question arises: can or must this goal be achieved? There is no
intelligible reason for EU expansion.”

Devin Nunes: “Armenians have suffered some of the worst savagery of
recent history”

Today – 13:07

Devin Nunes of California in the House of Representatives stated an
announcement about Nagorno-Karabakh. The statement especially says:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today alongside my colleague,

Representative DAVID VALADAO, to pay tribute to the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

Armenians have suffered some of the worst savagery of recent history,
>From the massacre of more than a million people in the Armenian
Genocide, to the cruel repression of Soviet rule, to Azerbaijan’s war
against Nagorno Karabakh and the ongoing siege of that region. Through
these trials and tribulations, the Armenian people have paid a steep
price for their freedom. The hero’s welcome Azerbaijan recently
afforded to Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani military officer who
murdered a sleeping Armenian officer during a NATO-sponsored program
in Hungary, is a stark reminder of the unrelenting hostility Armenians
face today.

In this year, which marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of another
anti-Armenian atrocity–the Sumgait pogroms–we pay homage to the
Armenian people and particularly the people of Nagorno Karabakh, who
bravely struggle to maintain their right to self-determination”.

Hovannisan Wraps-Up 2 Day Regional Tour; International Women’s Day
Celebration on March 8

;-international-women%E2%80%99s-day-celebration-on-march-8.html
11:21, March 8, 2013

Raffi K. Hovannisian has just completed a two-day regional victory
tour, which began yesterday in Tavush, where exuberant crowds turned
up in town squares to mark the February 18 victory of the Armenian
people.

He was joined en route by Vigen Khachatryan – the former governor of the
Lori region, who has publically dedicated himself to the popular
movement – along with Zaruhi Postanjyan and Styopa Safaryan of the
Heritage party.

In Ijevan, Dilijan, Noyemberyan, Berd, and several stops in between,
Hovannisian vowed to continue his struggle until the people’s victory
is registered officially. When confronted with illegal tactics of
police intimidation, Hovannisian was quick to call the chief of police
in Yerevan, demanding that the right of free assembly be immediately
reinstated. As a result, all blockades were lifted, and Hovannisian
continued freely to mark his victory across the land. `Our movement is
unstoppable,’ he declared. `The authorities have understood that they
must face the people’s verdict.’

On March 7, after an early breakfast meeting with Norbert Lammert,
President of the Bundestag, the parliament of the Federal Republic of
Germany, Hovannisian hit the road again and headed for Talin, then for
Artik, then for repeat visits to Gyumri, Vanadzor, Spitak, and Aparan.
He was fierce as ever as he stirred the impressive crowds to hope and
action. `I have come again,’ Hovannisian told a massive crowd in
Gyumri. `And I will come again after this. And with each visit we will
grow stronger. And one day soon we shall see the fruits of our
victory. We shall see a free, democratic, and prospering Armenia.’

On March 8, Raffi Hovannisian will preside over a celebration of
International Women’s Day at Liberty Square, where popular singers,
political leaders, and civic activists will converge at 5pm to honor
Armenian mothers, sisters, and daughters.

Documentary of British filmmaker on disastrous situation of human
rights in Azerbaijan shocked the Europeans

13:18, 8 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 8, ARMENPRESS: British filmmaker Liz Mermin has shot a
one-hour movie about the disastrous situation of human rights in
Azerbaijan titled `Amazing Azerbaijan’. Film has been already
presented in 9 European countries, including `One World’ documentary
film festival in Prague, Czech Republic.

As reports Armenpress, Liz Mermin has noted in the interview with
`Independence’ radio station that after watching the film European
audience was shocked by the disastrous situation of human rights in
Azerbaijan.

`People were surprised how little they knew about Azerbaijan. Only
after watching the film they found out that European countries,
especially Great Briatian, had great investments in a country with
such violations of human rights. We hope that the film will promote
the elimination of unawareness,’ she said.

It is noted in the film that expensive events organized in Azerbaijan
create a wrong impression, as human rights are severely violated in
the country.

Film shooting coincided with Eurovision Song Contest held in Azerbaijan.

UITE CONSIDERING ESTABLISHMENT OF IT LABORATORIES MODELED FROM NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY

YEREVAN, March 6. / ARKA /. The Union of Information Technology
Enterpises (UITE) of Armenia is considering establishment of IT
laboratories patterned from the National Engineering Laboratory,
UITE executive director, Karen Vardanian, told a news conference today.

“There are companies willing to make appropriate investments. We
also expect the government to partner, as was the case with National
Engineering Laboratory,” Vardanian said.

According to him, establishment of IT laboratories will solve the
basic problem of the technological sphere of Armenia – the shortage
of specialists.

The National Engineering Laboratory will start operating at the
State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA) in September 2013. The
memorandum on its opening (it is worth $6.1 million) was signed on
4 May 2012 between Education and Science Ministry of Armenia, the U.S.
Embassy, USAID and SEUA.

The National Engineering Laboratory will be made up of nearly 30
laboratories, which will research over 30 fields. Armenia’s government
will be responsible for 20% of expenditures, the State Engineering
University- 10% (extra budgetary funds), the National Instruments
Company- 20%, USAID-the rest. -0-