Author: nina hovnanian

Armenian First Republic declaration’s 94-th anniversary was also
celebrated in Gyumri

16:25, 28 May, 2012

GYUMRI, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian First Republic declaration’s94-th
anniversary was also celebrated in Gyumri. On the initiative of
municipality of Gyumri tribute was paid to memory of soldiers who had
struggled for creating Armenian statehood.

Armenpress reports that flowers were put on the monuments of Andranik
Ozanyan and other heroes than all participants went on march to square
after Garegin Nzhdeh. The events dedicated to the holiday of First
Republic continued in the square Vardanants where the brass band of
Gyumri municipality had a concert.

BBC News uses ‘Iraq photo to illustrate Syrian massacre’
17:13, 28 May, 2012

YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS: THE BBC is facing criticism after it
accidentally used a picture taken in Iraq in 2003 to illustrate the
senseless massacre of children in Syria, reports Armenpress citing The
Independent.

Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly `fell off his chair’ when he saw
the image being used, and said he was `astonished’ at the failure of the
corporation to check their sources.

The picture, which was actually taken on March 27, 2003, shows a young
Iraqi child jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons
found in a desert south of Baghdad.

It was posted on the BBC news website today under the heading `Syria
massacre in Houla condemned as outrage grows’. The caption states the
photograph was provided by an activist and cannot be independently
verified, but says it is `believed to show the bodies of children in
Houla awaiting burial’. A BBC spokesman said the image has now been
taken down.

Mr di Lauro, a professional photographer, said: `I went home at 3am
and I opened the BBC page which had a front page story about what
happened in Syria and I almost felt of from my chair.

One of my pictures from Iraq was used by the BBC web site as a front
page illustration claiming that those were the bodies of yesterday’s
massacre in Syria and that the picture was sent by an activist.
`Instead the picture was taken by me and it’s on my web site, on the
feature section regarding a story I did In Iraq during the war called
Iraq, the aftermath of Saddam.

`What I am really astonished by is that a news organization like the BBC
doesn’t check the sources and it’s willing to publish any picture sent it
by anyone activist, citizen journalist or whatever. That’s all.

He added he was less concerned about an apology or the use of image
without consent, adding: `What is amazing it’s that a news organization has
a picture proving a massacre that happen yesterday in Syria and instead
it’s a picture that was taken in 2003 of a totally different
massacre. `Someone is using someone else picture for propaganda on purpose.’

A spokesman for the BBC said: `We were aware of this image being widely
circulated on the internet in the early hours of this morning following the
most recent atrocities in Syria.

`We used it with a clear disclaimer saying it could not be independently
verified.

`Efforts were made overnight to track down the original source of the
image and when it was established the picture was inaccurate we removed it
immediately.’

Armenia’s Odzun Monastery will be restored

news.am
May 28, 2012 | 13:56

YEREVAN. – The LevGug Company will restore the Saint Mary Mother of
God Church of Armenia’s Odzun village.

The Company is obligated to restore and renovate the 5th-6th-century
Church within three years. The project is estimated to worth AMD 320
million (approx. US$ 793,285).

Eight Armenian construction companies had submitted proposals for the
Church’s restoration tender, which was announced in March 27, and
LevGug Company is declared the winner.

To note, this project will become the first example of such
cooperation between the Armenian state and the business sector.

Yerevan Mayor attends remembrance event for freedom fighters

news.am
May 28, 2012 | 14:21

Armenian capital city Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan was on hand at the
annual ceremony in remembrance of the Armenian fedayins, which was
held in Ashnak village of the Aragatsotn Region.

People from different parts of Armenia visit Ashnak each year on May
27 to honor the memory of Gevorg Chaush – the first-generation
representative of the Armenian fedayin movement – and to take part in
the remembrance event for all the fedayins who partook in the
liberation movement.

Also, Margaryan visited the Museum of Gevorg Chaush and then walked
around the village, where a huge concert was held, too.

Those who delivered remarks during the remembrance event also pointed
to Yerevan Mayor’s great contribution to the village.

And Taron Margaryan was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of
Ashnak Community.

Ouest-France
vendredi 25 mai 2012
chantepie Edition

Au nom de l’identité de l’Arménie: Histoire

Héritière de l’ancien royaume de l’Ourartou, l’Arménie, située au
carrefour des empires, entre l’Orient et l’Occident, fut, durant trois
millénaires, l’objet de convoitise des Perses, des Romains, des
Byzantins, des Arabes, des Turcs Seldjoukides, des Mongols, des Turcs
ottomans, des Russes. Malgré les multiples invasions, les Arméniens
ont su conserver leur identité nationale et ont développé une culture
originale. L’Arménie a son propre alphabet et une Église chrétienne
indépendante. L’actuelle République d’Arménie est ce qu’il reste d’un
territoire beaucoup plus vaste. À la suite du génocide de 1915,
l’Arménie « turque » a été rayée de la carte. Ce premier génocide du
XXe siècle, durant la Première Guerre mondiale a dépassé en horreur et
en dimension tout ce qu’avait enduré le peuple arménien jusque-là et
restera gravé à jamais dans la mémoire de chaque Arménien.

AgoraVox , France
24 mai 2012

À Voile et à Coeur

Mélissa Reverso

« Choque, choque ! », « Borde, borde ! ». En observant Serge donner
des ordres à son équipage je me demande dans quelle langue il
s’exprime. Si de votre côté, vous comprenez ces termes, vous venez de
trouver une occupation très sympathique pour ce long week-end, qui, en
plus, soutient une grande cause humanitaire.

Les 26, 27 et 28 mai aura lieu la première édition de l’Humanitarian
Sail Cup organisée par l’Union Générale Arménienne de Bienfaisance
(UGAB) et le Rotary Marseille Rive Neuve.

Serge Khatchadourian, organisateur, et son équipage concourront bien
évidemment et accueilleront même sur leur bateau Florence Arthaud, la
marraine de l’Humanitarian Sail Cup.

Au-delà du défi sportif auquel tous les amateurs de voile, détenteurs
ou non d’un voilier, peuvent participer, cette régate a un objectif
humanitaire : offrir des équipements médicaux aux hôpitaux d’Arménie.
Toute jeune république, elle a subi en 1988 un tremblement de terre
qui a terriblement affecté la situation économique et sociale du nord
du pays.

Une première édition pour cette régate solidaire, et une cause qui
touche personnellement Serge – d’origine arménienne – qui, si le
succès est au rendez-vous, ne tardera pas à envisager une suite.
Notamment une session prévue en 2013 au profit de la lutte contre la
malnutrition à Madagascar.

Quant à ceux qui n’ont pas le pied marin (suivez mon regard…) mais qui
souhaitent cependant participer à cette `uvre caritative, ils pourront
toujours se présenter comme bénévoles, intégrer un équipage,
participer aux soirées et festivités payantes ou encore…faire un don.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 26, 2012 Saturday 10:27 AM GMT+4

Clinton to visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan on June 4-7

WASHINGTON May 26

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan on June 4-7 to discuss with the presidents and other
officials of these countries important issues of regional security,
democracy, economic development and fighting with terrorism.

As the State Department reported on Friday, she will meet with leaders
of civil society in all the three Trans-Caucasian republics, as well
as talk to a wide circle of politicians in Georgia.

During her stay in Georgia, the US Secretary of State will take part
in a meeting of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Commission in
Batumi on June 5. No forums or conferences are timed to coincide with
her visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Clinton’s trips to the Trans-Caucasia will be made during her European
tour which will last from May 31 to June 7. She will visit Denmark,
Norway and make a stopover in Sweden. From Scandinavia Clinton will
leave for the Trans-Caucasia and then for Turkey. In Istanbul, she
will co-chair the Global Counterterrorism Forum, as well as discuss
with the Turkish leadership a number of international problems,
including those in Iran and Syria.

ARMENIE-CULTURE
Le Festival « Im Hayastan » sera lancé sur le site de Zvartnots

La cérémonie inaugurale du Festival « Im Hayastan » (Mon Arménie)
organisé par le Ministère de la Diaspora se déroulera le 29 juin sur
le site de l’église de Zvartnots. Une cinquantaine de manifestations
seront ainsi organisées dans le cadre de ce Festival « Im Hayastan »
en plein air à Erévan, dans les régions d’Arménie, au Haut Karabagh.
De nombreux concerts, danses, tables rondes et rencontres culturelles
sont au programme de ce Festival « Im Hayastan ». L’objectif de cette
manifestation qui se tiendra du 29 juin au 6 octobre, étant de
contribuer au développement de la culture arménienne, de la diffusion
de son patrimoine national. Du 14 au 18 septembre un Festival
pan-arménien du duduk sera organisé à Erévan, comme la 6e rencontre
des journalistes d’Arménie et de la diaspora du 4 au 6 octobre. Le
site de « Im Hayastan » est :

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 27 mai 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

AZERBAÃ?DJAN
L’Eurovision, cette parodie de compétition !

Pour commencer, félicitations à l’Arménie de n’avoir pas retransmis
cette édition du Concours Eurovision de la chanson depuis Bakou malgré
la menace d’une amende à la clé en cas de défection.

En second lieu, jamais aucun pays participant n’avait eu l’audace
déplacée de présenter son propre pays sous toutes les coutures durant
les intermèdes. La tradition voulant au contraire que soit mis en
valeur, entre chaque chanson, le pays du candidat entrant en scène.
Mais le pire dans cette mascarade, vue par plus de 120 millions de
télespectateurs, -et il fallait s’en douter- l’Azerbaïdjan d’Aliev,
femme, fille et gendre, n’a pas manqué de faire sa propagande en
vantant cyniquement à plusieurs reprises les beautés de l’Artsakh et
du Nakhitchevan (Õ?Õ¡Õ – Õ«Õ»Õ¥Õ¾Õ¡Õ¶), ainsi que les chevaux du « Garabagh »,
sans oublier la cuisine et les fameux « dolmas azéris », les fruits
azéris et sa grenade, sans oublier d’autres spécificités propres Ã
l’Arménie comme le jeu d’échecs.

Non, vraiment un spectacle affligeant, malgré, il faut le reconnaître
une présentation télévisuelle de qualité.

Par bonheur les observateurs ne s’y sont pas trompés, ni Mireille
Dumas -qui commentait la retransmission du concours pour France 3-
habituellement pondérée dans ses propos, mais qui n’a pas manqué de
relever qu’il « vaut mieux chanter l’amour que parler de politique en
Azerbaïdjan ou sont emprisonnés les opposants ». Ã?voquant la dynastie
Aliev, elle dira, ironiquement : « Une famille qui tient bien le pays
». Ce à quoi Cyril Féraud, co-commentateur, ajoutera : « Oui, c’est le
moins que l’on puisse dire ».

Enfin ne parlons pas de la farce des votes qui font que ce concours
Eurovision a besoin d’urgence d’un décrassage de son règlement ou de
l’abandon pur et simple de ce qui représente une parodie de
compétition.

Heureusement cette année, en dépit des stratégies géographiques et
géopolitiques, la Suède s’est attribuée haut la main la première place
avec la Chanson « Euphoria » interprétée par la belle, charmante et
talentueuse Loreen.

Plus d’un milliard de dollars dépensés et de débauches de paillettes
n’auront pas permis à l’Azerbaïdjan, « Land of Friends » (Terre des
Amis), d’éviter les fausses notes relevées par la presse
internationale.

La France termine 22ème sur 26 avec une chanson inadaptée à ce
concours, malgré la belle voix d’Angunn.

J.E

Cette image a été relevée de la page Facebook Eurovision Song Contest

dimanche 27 mai 2012,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

MSN News UK
May 27 2012

Sweden triumphs in controversial Eurovision

Swedish star Loreen beat off a challenge from dancing Russian
pensioners to win a spectacular Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan
that the host hoped would banish qualms over its rights record.

Loreen, 28, on Saturday wowed voters with a catchy dance number called
“Euphoria” featuring an upbeat chorus accompanied by a high-kicking
dance duet and a storm of artificial snow.

She brandished the glass microphone trophy in a shower of gold
ticker-tape at a post-contest news conference.

“It’s just a question of taste. This year it happened to me,” she
modestly explained her victory.

She hugged her mother and smiled, referring back to the title of her
song as she explained she felt at her win: “I know this sounds corny,
but euphoric.”

The victory brings Eurovision back to one of its heartlands. Sweden’s
most famous band Abba gained worldwide fame after winning the contest
in 1974 with “Waterloo” — for many the song that defined the kitschy
contest for all time.

“Hallelujah!” exlaimed the head of the Swedish delegation in Baku,
Christer Bjorkman at the news conference.

Loreen’s win took Sweden’s total of Eurovision trophies to five,
making it one of the most successful countries at winning the quirky
contest. But it last struck gold more than a decade ago in 1999.

Second place on Saturday went to Russia’s heartwarming Buranovskiye
Babushki, a choir of elderly women from a village who performed a
disco song “Party for Everybody” in English and their local
Finno-Ugric language with a stove and a tray as props.

Third was Serbian Eurovision veteran Zelijko Joksimovic who had
already competed in three previous contests, once as a singer and
twice as a composer.

Eurovision is the biggest event ever hosted by energy-rich Azerbaijan
as it seeks to present a glitzy front to the world despite the
intolerance of dissent and opposition under the rule of the Aliyev
dynasty.

The final’s 26 acts lit up the spectacular Crystal Hall built to host
the contest in barely half a year on the Caspian Sea, with an audience
of some 20,000 inside the venue and 100 million television viewers.

The host entry Sabina Babayeva was not all that far from securing a
repeat of Azerbaijan’s 2011 success that earned the nation the right
to host the contest with her “When the Music Dies” coming in fourth.

Loreen ran into controversy during the contest by meeting local rights
activists who briefed her on the lack of democratic freedoms in the
tightly controlled ex-Soviet state.

However at a post-contest news conference she sidestepped a question
about how she would support the people of Azerbaijan further, saying
simply that: “I will support the Azerbaijan people from my heart.”

She had earlier declined to comment on her views at a news conference
on Thursday, while local opposition media reported that Azerbaijan
state television gave a bland mistranslation of the question.

The show itself included the usual range of the weird and exotic
including a Norwegian rapper of Iranian origin who came last,
half-naked French gymnasts and an Albanian entry with a song solely in
her native language and a truly terrifying top note.

There was disappointment for Britain after veteran crooner Engelbert
Humperdinck — brought in to revive its notoriously bad Eurovision
fortunes — scored just 12 points and came second last with his ballad
“Love Will Set You Free”.

In Baku, the festive atmosphere was clouded by the detentions of
dozens of opposition activists who attempted to hold several peaceful
demonstrations calling for democratic freedoms in the
tightly-controlled state.

The Public Chamber opposition alliance said that more than 60
protestors were detained Friday in the latest protest and a court
sentenced three protesters to jail terms of five or six days.

Azerbaijan is run by strongman President Ilham Aliyev, who succeeded
his late father Heidar Aliyev in 2003.

His wife Mehriban Aliyeva heads the organising committee of Eurovision
and his son-in-law, Emin Agalarov, a Moscow-based businessman with a
budding pop career, sang in a black leather jacket in a musical
interlude after the voting.

Radio Liberty reported this month that a construction company involved
in the project to build the Crystal Hall venue in a city-commissioned
project had links to the Aliyev family.

The event was also far beyond the reach of ordinary Azerbaijanis, with
tickets for the final starting at 160 manat ($204), half the monthly
income of the average Azeri according to World Bank statistics.

With political sensitivities never far from this Eurovision, the
promotional videos shown included landscapes from Nagorny Karabakh,
which Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized from Azerbaijan in
a war in the 1990s.

Armenia had pulled out of the contest saying it feared hostile
treatment and Azerbaijan barred those who had visited Nagorny Karabakh
from travelling to the contest.