Andranik Margaryan: Closing of Upper Lars has brought about a number
of problems for Armenia

ArmRadio.am
29.07.2006 13:54
Closing of the Upper Lars checkpoint at the Georgian border has
brought about a number of problems for Armenia, RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan declared during an interview with `Regnum’ agency.
According to the Prime Minister, Armenian exporters and importers face
great difficulties, especially in this period of active export of
agricultural production. Opening of this checkpoint is important for
Armenia. IN this regard, RA Ambassador to Russia instructed to hold on
the talks in this direction. In Andranik Margaryan’s words, in case of
Norman operation `Caucasus-Poti’ ferry and `Lower Zamara’ checkpoint
can replace the Upper Lars with some reservations. The question can be
partially resolved also due to Poti-Novorosiysk and Poti-Ilyichevsk
ferry passages. In any case the situation may be completely normalized
only after opening Upper Lars checkpoint, head of the Armenian
Government remarked.

New York Daily News
July 28, 2006
Ozzy knows best

Alloy of heavy metal headlines Osbourne festival

By GENE SANTORO
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Ozzy Osbourne

The music commonly gets shoved under just one moniker: heavy metal.
But the sounds huddled below that handy banner cover a wide range of
styles and sensibilities. There ‘s speed, goth, nu, thrash, alt and
prog-rock strains of metal. And nowhere is this range on healthier
display than at the annual Ozzfest show, which will have its wicked
way with Randalls Island tomorrow.
Though the great and powerful Ozzy Osbourne himself appears at only
some of the dates on this year’s version of the 27-city tour, New
York is among them. Fans can also expect to be pummeled by Disturbed,
Hatebreed, Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold, Black Label Society, Bleeding
Through and Norma Jean.
Two of this year’s leading bands, System of a Down and Lacuna Coil
represent the breadth of the genre nicely.
System guitarist Daron Malakian likes to say, “They call us nu metal
or prog-rock, but there’s all sorts of stuff mixed in what we do.”
>From the quartet’s 1995 start in Hollywood, their hard-hitting mix
has even included addressing social issues in their lyrics. The
Armenian-Americans have stirred controversy with songs like
“P.L.U.C.K.,” about the death-by-starvation of 1.5 million Armenians
in 1915. After Sept. 11, 2001, Clear Channel Radio whisked their hit
single “Chop Suey!” off the air, citing lyrics like “Trust in my
self-righteous suicide.” It was nominated for a Grammy.
This year they bagged a Grammy for “B.Y.O.B.,” which questions the
value of war.
At the moodier end of the spectrum is Italy’s Lacuna Coil, a novelty
here because of singer Cristina Scabbia.
“In Europe, this is common, to have a woman singing this music,” she
says. “But in America, it is so unusual that journalists made a big
thing of it. I really don’t get this. Music doesn’t have a sex.”
Formed in 1996, Lacuna Coil finalized its six-piece lineup with
trademark male/female vocal tradeoffs three years later. They toured
steadily in Europe, then tried to break into the U.S. – something no
Italian band had managed.
But in 2002, “Comalies” made it to U.S. radio and MTV. Two years
later, the band headlined European and U.S. club tours while joining
Ozzfest’s second stage. This spring, “Karmacode” debuted at No. 28 on
Billboard’s pop-album charts. Now, Lacuna Coil appears on Ozzfest’s
main stage.
“Naturally we are delighted,” Scabbia says. “We worked very hard to
get here. But we are Italians, [so] we are even happier about the
World Cup.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
July 27, 2006 Thursday 10:06 PM MSK
Armavia plans new examination of A320 crash
The Armenian Armavia air company, the owner of the A320 aircraft that
crashed into the Black Sea on May 3 near the airport in Sochi, has
disputed the conclusion of the Interstate Aviation Committee on the
reasons behind the crash and is going to hold another examination.
The decision was made at a meeting of the company’s leadership in
Yerevan on Thursday. Company President Mikhail Bagdasarov is
currently in Germany and did not attend.
The authorities of Armavia took a preliminary decision to ask an
independent, but authoritative party to hold another examination into
the causes of the crash.
Earlier, Bagdasarov said that he would contest the conclusion of the
committee in court.
“The committee accused the crew in the crash. However, there were
other reasons as well,” he said in an interview with the Svoboda
radio station. “In particular, the actions of the ground services, as
well as weather conditions and the location of the Sochi airport,” he
said.
The crash killed eight crew members and 105 passengers.

PanARMENIAN.Net
IAC Says A-320 Crash Investigation Impartial and Independent
28.07.2006 14:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) has issued a
statement which says that the investigation of the Armavia-owned A-320
crash was impartial and independent. `The investigation was carried
out in accordance with the standards of the international civil
aviation and with observance of the rules of investigation of aviation
incidents. There was no limitation for the participation of the
committee members and experts, including the Armenian
specialists. Russia, Armenia or France did not exert any political
pressure upon the committee either,’ the IAC statement says. The
committee included experts from Russia, Armenian and French aviation
departments, high-class test-pilots and engineers.
The IAC found out that the `when landing with the robot pilot on the
plane was exactly at the glidepath in a landing configuration when by
the order of the flying control officer the crew stopped landing and
proceeded to right turn with gaining height. In the process of turning
the pilot-in-command switched off the robot pilot and thus led the
plane to landing. At that there was no essential control by the
co-pilot while the further actions of the crew were incoordinate and
insufficient to lead the plane out of landing process.’
To remind, Armavia Armenian national carrier disagreed with the
conclusion of the Interstate Aviation Committee on the causes of A-320
crash over the Black Sea on May 3, 2006. Company owner Mikhail
Baghdasarov stated he disagreed with the conclusion of the Interstate
Aviation Committee, according to which the liner crew was considered
guilty of the death of 113 passengers. `The Interstate Aviation
Committee conclusion can be appealed against,’ he said. Besides, a
representative of the Central Board of Civil Aviation of Armenia
stated that, `the Interstate Aviation Committee had probably made a
political decision and Armenia has nothing to add to it.’

PanARMENIAN.Net
Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chayka to Visit Armenia in September
28.07.2006 14:42 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chayka will pay a
visit to Armenia late September,
Gevorg Danielyan, the Deputy to the RA Prosecutor General stated in
Yerevan today. In his words, the Russian Prosecutor General will
arrive in Armenia by invitation of his Armenian counterpart Aghvan
Hovsepian. `We have already received consent and the newly appointed
Prosecutor General will arrive in Armenia presumably September 20-22,’
Danielyan said.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Premature to Assess Armenia’s Eurointegration Process Yet
28.07.2006 14:54 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Union gives an extremely positive
estimate to the process of Armenia’s integration into the European
structures, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakossian told
reporters in Yerevan today. `The assessment was presented by the EU
representatives during the conference in July 14 that was held with
the participation of Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan and
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian,’ he remarked.
At the same time Kirakossian underscored that it’s premature to assess
Armenia’s integration into the European structures yet, as the
republic has been participating in the European Neighborhood program
for six months only. However, according to the Minister the process of
elaboration of the New Neighborhood individual action plan is
extremely positive and it will undoubtedly contribute to the
interrogation policy of the republic, reported Novosti Armenia.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenian Project Ranks 9 in Russian Show Business
28.07.2006 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian edition of Forbes
magazine has publish the rating of 50 richest starts
of the Russian show business and sports. The chart was
filed according to three factors: the annual income of
the star, number of publications in media and the
number of inquiries in Internet. Gaining the 9th
position in the Forbes chart the Comedy Club comic
project has become one of the brightest debutants of
the year. According to the magazine, the annual income
of Comedy Club project makes $3.5 million. Project
director Artur Janibekian agreed with the assessment
of the income. To note, the project was launched by
members of `Novie Armyane’ (New Armenians) KVN team.

PanARMENIAN.Net
A-320 Crew Was Extremely Discontent with Flying Control Officer Actions
28.07.2006 16:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The irregularity of the crew actions during the last
17 seconds of the flight caused the crash of A-320 on May 3, chairman
of the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia (GDCA) Artem
Movsesian said at a press conference July 28. At that, he said, he is
not aware why the crew acted that way. `We do not know yet what
caused the irregularity of the crew actions, since the modeling of the
A-320 flight showed that up to the last 17 seconds the flight was
stable,’ GDCA chairman said adding that the decoding of the flight
recorders showed that the crew was extremely discontent and nervous
over the actions of the flying control officer, reported IA Regnum.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia Has No Alternative to Russian Military Presence
28.07.2006 17:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ European integration is the most preferable way of
development for Armenia, head of the permanent committee for foreign
relations at the RA parliament Armen Rustamian told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. In his words, Armenia should borrow the positive from Europe
without losing the peculiarities of individual way of development. `As
for the Russian military presence, it’s essential, since it ensures
Armenia’s security. We have no alternative yet. If the European
community proposes something instead we can think it over. But till
that time Russia will be present in Armenia,’ Rustamian said.
At that he remarked that one of Armenia’s main tasks is to bring the
state legislation in accordance with the reviewed Constitution. `We
should pay special attention to the anti-corruption system and
formation of civic society basing on European values and poverty
reduction program,’ Armen Rustamian said.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Regional Problems Resolution Depends on Development of Economic Ties
28.07.2006 17:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Resolution of regional problems depends on the
development of economic ties, Turkish expert Burcu Gültekin stated in
Yerevan. In her words, Turkey possesses experience in establishing
such ties between the conflicting sides. `We have formed Ankara
Economic Forum jointly with Turkey, Israel and Palestine. This was a
success not only in Israel but also in Gaza Strip. A similar project
may be launched in the South Caucasus as well. The most important
thing is to start with small moves. We cannot wait until peace is
established, but we can hasten it by carrying out business projects,’
she remarked.
The Turkish expert said though the Near East and South Caucasus are
different regions, this example can be tested. `We are thinking how to
apply our experience in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan,’ Burcu
Gültekin said.