MISS CAUCASUS 2006 BEAUTY CONTEST TO BE CONDUCTED IN ARMENIA AND KARABAKH
Armenpress
Aug 09 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS: “Miss Caucasus 2006” annual beauty
contest will be conducted this year in Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia.
The main event will take place September 2 in Yerevan Opera and
Ballet National Academic Theatre after Spendiarian under the “Peace
in Caucasus” slogan.
Arman Antonian, the head of the “Miss Caucasus 2006” organizational
committee, told Armenpress that the sole goal of the contest is to
gather the peoples of Caucasus “under one general roof and propagate
the beauty and present the culture and coloring of each nation”.
Beauties of South Caucasian and other countries will participate
in the contest. In 2003 the contest was held in Nalchik, in 2004 in
Vladikavkaz, and in 2005 in Yerevan.

NEW RED BOOKS TO BE PUBLISHED IN ARMENIA
Armenpress
Aug 09 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS: The government of Armenia approved the
2007-2009 program on protection and study of the species of animals
and plants included in the Armenian Red Book. For the implementation
of the program the government has released 31 million drams from the
state budget.
As part of the program specialists from the relevant establishments
of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences will study the flora
and fauna of the whole country. On the bases of their study new Red
Books will be published.
Tatyana Danielian, the head of the department at the Armenian
Environment Protection Ministry, told Armenpress that in the books
the conditions necessary for preserving the species which are on the
edge of disappearance and steps which are necessary to undertake for
their preservation will be described.
Besides, the books will include the new species of animals and plants
which have also been endangered during the recent years.
The present Red Books existing in Armenia were published in
1989-1990. Danielian said that it is mainly the human factor which
causes the disappearance of species of animals and plants.
At present 3,500 species of plants, 500 vertebrate and 17,000
invertebrate animals are registered in Armenia. In the Red Books 387
species of plants and 99 species of animals are included.

PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS AZERIS ‘LOSE THE HOPE RETURNING KARABAKH’
AZG Armenian Daily
09/08/2006
“As years pass the hope of returning Karabakh vanishes away with
the pain of losing it,” concluded Azerbaijani psychologist Azad
Isazade. According to Day.az the psychologist thinks that though it’s
hard to say about every one for an average statistical representative
“the occupation of lands by the Armenians was a serious trauma for us.”
Azad Isizade finds that in 90s the Azerbaijani people had a hope of
returning Nagorno Karabakh, and the people pinned their hope either
on Russia, Turkey, Heydar Aliyev or petrodollars. “In general, our
nation is getting used to this state of things and keeps on living
with not that sharp pain for the lost.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI ARMY IS NOT THAT STRONG TO GUARANTEE VICTORY
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/08/2006
Azerbaijani “curiosity” has gone so far that despite the summer heat
they are looking for comparisons between what is going on in Kodor
gorge and Nagorno Karabakh issue. Talking to Day.az Gia Areshidze, head
of the Georgian center for Strategy and State Security Studies, touched
upon Kodor-Karabakh parallels saying that if Armenia does not change
its policy over the conflict a military solution will be inevitable.
Meanwhile, in the words of Alimamed Nuriev, president of the Foundation
of Constitutional Study, Azerbaijani functionaries more often state
that if diplomatic efforts fail Azerbaijan will have the right of
retuning the so-called occupied lands militarily. As to the military
capacity of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Nuriev thinks
that though the Azerbaijani army is developing “there is not a clear
advantage for a sure victory over the Armenians.”
President of Nagorno Karabakh, Arkady Ghukasian stated on his part:
“Artsakh has to continue its socio-economic development and has to be
always ready to withstand any encroachment against its independence
and the security of its people.”

GARNI WAITS FOR JACQUES CHIRAC
By Ani Baghdasarian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/08/2006
The village of Garni is undergoing renovation that will be over by
the visit of President Jacques Chirac of France in September.
In the words of Ashot Vardanian, a community leader in the village,
the renovation is being carried out by local budget. Central streets
of the village are being paved and old litterbins are being replaced
by new ones. The pagan temple is also being reconstructed.
The roads will have new illumination, new green zones spring up. The
community leader says that they are endeavoring to finish all works
by the visit of the French president.

ARMENIA AMONG TOP TEN MOST CIGARETTE CONSUMING COUNTRIES
AZG Armenian Daily
09/08/2006
A study of the situation of tobacco consumption in the world has
put Mongolia on the first place as a country with greatest smoking
population. According to experts, Armenia is in the top ten of
countries with heavy smokers. This is perhaps one of the cases
when it’s not a privilege to appear in the top ten. 64 percent of
Armenian citizens are smokers and in Mongolia this number is 67.8
percent. Greece is on the first place as a country with highest
frequency of smoking – 8.6 cigarettes a day. The experts considered
the data of 2002-2003 for the study. Armenia also rivals with such
countries as China (66.9%), Kenya (66.8%), Cambodia (66%) and Namibia
(65%).

THE ‘BENEFIT’ OF ARMENTEL’S MONOPOLY
By Nana Petrosian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/08/2006
Any work in Armenia done through the Internet is suffering damage
since August 4 because of a broken fibre optic cable passing though
the territory of Georgia. Two times since the breakdown Armenia
completely had no Internet connection.
Monopoly-holding ArmenTel provides a very unstable connection via
satellite and does not promise any change for at least one more week
assuring that repair is under way to fix the broken cable on the
bottom of the Black Sea. ArmenTel is currently providing only 5%
access to the Internet. The satellite’s connection capacity is 2
megabits. Cursing this no-way-out situation, experts also blame the
authorities along with the ArmenTel.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PUTIN AWARDS ORDER TO GAREGIN II
ArmRadio.am
09.08.2006 15:50
Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded an Order of Friendship
to Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians, Interfax
news agency reported.
The Order of Friendship was conferred on Karekin II “in recognition
of his great contribution to the development and strengthening of
Russian-Armenian friendly relations,” the Kremlin press service told
Interfax on Tuesday.
Karekin II is the 132nd Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All
Armenians. He is an honorary member of the Armenian Academy of Sciences
and holder of national awards of the USSR, Jordan, Rumania, Ukraine
and France.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA IS AGAIN WITHOUT INTERNET
ArmRadio.am
09.08.2006 16:25
Armenia is again without internet because of break of the second
fiber cable in Georgia. The press service of the ArmenTel telecom
company reports that the able is being repaired, but they can’t say
when Armenia will have internet again, Arminfo reported.
To remind, since Aug 4 Armenia has had almost no internet because of
break of the main fiber cable on the bottom of the Black Sea. In the
last two days internet has been provided by satellites but foreign
domains were very hard to access.

PROJECTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF MINORITIES IN JAVAKHETI
Lragir.am
9 Aug 06
Akhalkalaki, August 8, A-Info. The Akhalkalaki office of the European
Center on Minorities is likely to implement 8 projects on the rights
of minorities in Javakheti.
The first project was launched on August 7. The project of protection
of Human Rights in Javakheti is implemented by the Union of Regional
Civil Initiatives for Development of Democracy in Javakheti and the
Union of Lawyers and Economists for Reforms.
In the framework of the project classes on protection of human rights
will be organized in some areas in Javakheti.