MIXED OUTING FOR INDIANS IN TURIN – ARMENIANS STILL IN LEAD
Rediff, India
May 31 2006
The Indians had a mixed outing in the eighth round of the 37th Chess
Olympiad in Turin with the men scoring a 2.5-1.5 victory over Bulgaria
and the women suffering defeat at the hands of Armenia.
While Viswanathan Anand played out his fifth draw on the trot –
settling for peace with former world junior champion Kiril Georgiev
of Bulgaria, National Champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly suffered went
down against Alexander Delchev.
It was only thanks to a late onslaught by Krishnan Sasikiran and
Sandipan Chanda against Ivan Cheparinov and Vasily Spassov respectively
that the Indian men were able to get past unscathed.
Indian mainstay Koneru Humpy fumbled against Lilit Mkrtchian and
suffered her first defeat in the event as the Indian women lost to
Armenia by a 1-2 margin.
D Harika also went down while the lone saving grace was Swati Ghate
who won an engrossing battle on the third board to thwart a whitewash.
At the top of the tables, the Armenian men yet again proved that
they are the frontrunners this time with a comprehensive 3-1 victory
over Cuba.
The Russian men could only manage a 2-2 draw with Czech Republic which
meant that Armenia took a two point lead over their nearest rivals.
In the women’s section, Russia drew with Czech Republic raising
Ukraine’s title hopes. The result narrowed Czechs’ lead to half a
point. The Ukrainians cruised to an easy 2-1 victory over Hungary.

THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL: A PRIMER
Bostonist, MA
May 31 2006
Remember that hubbub a little while ago about the use of substandard
concrete in the Big Dig tunnels? That Big Dig scandal was so five
minutes ago. Today, it’s all about the Rose Kennedy Greenway – the
swath of park that will eventually sit atop the crumbling tunnel and
brighten all of our lives. Specifically, it’s about the memorial to
the victims of the Armenian Genocide, which the state legislature said
in 2000 should be built somewhere (they left it up to the Turnpike
Authority to choose where, and the Pike chose the greenway).
Yesterday, Mayor Menino joined the chorus of public officials
opposed to the memorial on the theory that it’s unfair to have just
one memorial to just one massacred ethnic group, and it would be a
nightmare if every group got a memorial on the greenway (presumably,
all that granite would hasten the tunnel’s collapse).
If you’re like Bostonist, you’re wondering, What’s the big deal,
exactly? There’s a big Holocaust memorial by Faneuil Hall, and there
hasn’t been much problem with that, so why all the fuss now? The
answer, it turns out, is that the Armenian Genocide, like the
Holocaust, has its naysayers, foremost among whom is the government
of Turkey. Perhaps because the Armenian Genocide took place from 1915
to 1922, its deniers have had more success than those who would deny
the Holocaust – the matter is a hot enough topic that the Wikipedia
page on the event is closed to comments. Nevertheless, the consensus
among historians seems to be that the Ottoman Empire really did kill
as many as a million Armenians just because they were Armenians. That
hasn’t stopped a local teacher, with the aide of a Turkish-American
organization, from suing the Massachusetts Department of Education
to require the teaching of the Turkish version of events (i.e., no
massacre, just lots of inadvertent death, and the Armenians aren’t
nice anyway) alongside the more historically accepted version.
You might also ask, Why is all this Armenian wrangling taking place
here in Massachusetts? Well, Watertown has the third-largest Armenian
population in the United States, and Armenian roots and political
influence in the Commonwealth are considerable.
Where is Armenia, you ask? Right there between Turkey, Iran,
Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

INDIAN GIRLS BEATEN BY ARMENIA IN CHESS OLYMPIAD
Hindu, India
May 31 2006
Turin, May 31 (PTI): Indian mainstay Koneru Humpy had a rare off
day as India suffered defeat, going down 1-2 against Armenia in the
Women’s Chess Olympiad here.
Humpy fumbled against Lilit Mkrtchian to encounter her first defeat
in the event and Woman Grandmaster D Harika also had a similar fate
in store. The saving grace was National Women champion and WGM Swati
Ghate who won an engrossing battle to thwart a whitewash.
Russian eves could manage only a draw with the United States, thus
giving a ray of hope to Ukraine who narrowed the lead once again to
just half a point after a 2-1 victory over Hungary.
As things stand, Russia on 19 points is followed by Ukraine on 18.5
while USA and China are a distant third with 17 points apiece.
After today’s debacle, the Indian team is struggling on 14.5 points
and share 18th spot with just five rounds to come.
In the next round, India is slated to meet Kazakhstan.
The Russian team rested its top player Alexandra Kosteniuk and in
her absence Tatiana Kosintseva took board one to beat Anna Zatonskih.
However, on the second board Russian aspirations suffered a setback
as Nadezhda Kosuintseva lost to Iruna Krush and a draw on the third
board between Ekaterina Kovalevskaya and Rasudan Goletiani led to
the sharing of honours.

IGOR LEVITN: DECODING OF THE BLACK BOXES OF THE CRASHED A-320 MAY TAKE TWO MONTHS
ArmRadio.am
31.05.2006 17:57
Decoding of the flight recorders of the crashed A-320 will take 1.5 –
2 months, RF Minister of Transport Igor Levitin told the journalists,
RIA Novosti reports.
In his words, the commission should examine about 300 technical
parameters.
Armenian specialists will also participate in the decoding, since
the pilots had been speaking Armenian. According to the Minister, up
until now there are no results, based on which it would be possible
to make inferences about the reasons of the crash.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANDRE: TAKING THE 8TH PLACE WAS AN ACHIEVEMENT
ArmRadio.am
31.05.2006 17:21
“At our first entry at Eurovision we did more than we were expected
to,” said Andre, who was representing Armenia at Eurovision-2006.
“The Diaspora was backing me, but I had fans also among Turks,”
the singer said.
The 10 points given to Armenia by Turks were unexpected for Andre,
since he was anticipating 12 points. As for the Finnish “Lordi”
rock group, which became the winner of Eurovision, Andre said that
“Finland and Lithuania had cme to tease the Eurovision, but in the
end they found themselves in the top ten.”
How would Andre evaluate his performance at the Eurovision song
contest? ” There where shortcomings, but these were of technical
character. The microphone stuck between my lips when I was dancing,
and people thought I had forgotten the lyrics.”
According to the Head of Foreign Relations Office of the Public
Radio and Television Company of Armenia Diana Mnatsakanyan, all the
participants face technical difficulties.
“Eurovision is an unpredictable contest, you never know which genre
will be preferable next year. Nevertheless, the fact is that the
contest made everybody learn about Armenia. People loved my song and
me,” Andre concluded.

TURKEY’S FOREIGN MINISTRY CONFIRMS UNOFFICIAL TALKS WITH ARMENIA
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
“Turkey intends to continue to make efforts to normalize relations
with Armenia,” spokesman of Turkey’s Foreign Ministry Namig Tan stated
(APA).
He said that effectiveness of Turkey’s efforts depends on Armenia’s
ability to objectively assess the processes.
“Turkey intends to have relations with Armenia like between two
neighboring countries. Therefore, we continue making efforts to
normalize the relations with Armenia. We proposed to investigate
the 1915 events with the participation of both Turkish and Armenian
historians by using archives of other states. This proposal was
mentioned in the letter Prime Minister Erdoghan addressed to Armenia’s
President Robert Kocharian last year,” Namig Tan said.
The spokesman also confirmed the fact that Turkish and Armenian
diplomatic circles had unofficial talks. He said these talks are
held between assistants of councilors of Foreign Ministers. The third
phase of these talks is already over.

RUSSIA LIFTS BAN ON IMPORT OF ARMENIA’S VEGETABLES, FRUIT
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 31 2006
MOSCOW, May 31 (Itar-Tass) – The Russian veterinary and phytosanitary
watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor) will lift the ban on the import of
Armenian fruit and vegetables delivered via Georgia in transit,
Rosselkhoznadzor’s head Sergei Dankvert said on Wednesday.
“All details have been coordinated and the relevant memorandum is
expected to be signed later in the day with representatives of the
Armenian phytosanitary service,” he said.
Under this document, “Armenia should send a cargo confirmation letter
to Russia 24 hours before the cargo convoy departs,” Dankvert said.
“This letter should contain the numbers of phytosanitary certificates
and truck number plates,” he said.
“By this we try to ensure maximum phytosanitary control of fruit and
vegetables imported to Russia,” he said.
Rosselkhoznadzor imposed the ban on import of Armenia’s fruit and
vegetables in transit via Georgia in March as most phytosanitary
certificates proved to be forged.
During the joint consultations with Armenia, it was found out that
“these certificates were forged in Georgia,” Dankvert said.

NEW SPEAKER ELECTION IN ARMENIA DELAYED TO JUNE 1
Author: À.Mammadov
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
(PanARMENIAN.Net) – The election of the new Speaker of the Armenian
National Assembly will be held on Thursday Vice-speaker Tigran
Torosian told reporters today. Besides, the deputies will elect
the chairmen of permanent parliamentary commission on defense, home
affairs and national security and of the commission on social issues,
health and ecology. “The change of the terms is conditioned by the
discussion of some legislative initiatives,” he said. To remind,
May 11 Orinats Yerkir party announced the decision to secede from the
ruling coalition over discrepancies on home and foreign policy. May 29
Artur Baghdassaryan formally left the post of the parliament Speaker,
reports Trend. Head of the permanent parliamentary commission on
defense, home affairs and national security Mher Shahgeldian and
chairman of the commission on social issues, health and ecology Gagik
Mkheyan also handed in resignation.
–Boundary_(ID_Sa5Bk0DhJ5GJB4Vfyfsvw Q)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DAY.AZ DE FACTO RECOGNIZED NKR
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 31 2006
Azeri Day.az site de facto recognized the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
One can draw such a conclusion while reading the news referring
to the Nagorno Karabakh, which are, by the way, placed as a rule
in the site under the heading “Armenia’s News”. Moreover, May 31
Day.az quoted the Chairman of the NKR National Assembly Foreign
Relations Commission Vahram Atanesyan and illustrated the material
with the Emblem of the Second Armenian state, where “Nagorno Karabakh
Republic. Artsakh” can be read in Armenian. Those who doubt can go
to
How can the strike at the back of the Baku strategists be
comprehended? While the Azeri state structures, following the command
of the Centre, day and night search for mentioning the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic out of “Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity”,
examine the region’s maps on various web sites, being permanently
“deeply indignant” and send notes of protest to various international
instances, their own journalists strike at them secretly! What is it –
oversight, political shortsightedness or thoroughly considered step
undertaken by the Azeri site? It is hard to understand, especially
taking into consideration that the site’s owner is Milli Majlis deputy,
active supporter of the Aliyev’s clan Anar Mamedhanov. Has the Emblem
been put by the President’s secret direction? Do the members of the
country’s parliament begin to realize that Nagorno Karabakh is an
independent state that has nothing to do with Azerbaijan, expect
the border?

30 RACIST MURDERS COMMITTED IN RUSSIA THIS YEAR – ARMENIAN DIASPORA LEADER
MOSNEWS, Russia
May 31 2006
30 murders motivated by ethnic and religious hatred have been committed
in Russia this year, president of the Union of Armenians in Russia Ara
Abramyan said. He added that 390 racially motivated attacks had been
registered in Russia in 2005, and that seven Armenians had been killed
in the country this year alone, Ekho Moskvy radio reported Wednesday.
The Armenian diaspora leader urged Russia to develop a comprehensive
approach to fighting xenophobia and racial hatred crimes and stressed
that society should condemn members of radical nationalist groups,
RIA Novosti quotes Abramyan as saying.
“They must know that they have no place in society,” he said, adding
that society should start an open dialogue with young people on these
sensitive issues.
Extremism and xenophobia in Russia have been in the spotlight following
a wave of race-hate attacks across the country and the publication
of a report by Amnesty International attacking the government for
not doing enough to combat the problem.
Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said on May 17 that some 6,000
young people under the age of 18 were involved in extremist activities
in Russia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress