Azeri minister meets Musharraf
Daily Times
May 19 2004
ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf said Pakistan would
continue to support Azerbaijan till it gains sovereignty in Nagorno
Karabakh and other Azeri territories occupied by Armenia.
The president said this in his meeting with Deputy Foreign
Minister Khalaf Khalafov on Tuesday. He said the Azeri government
had supported Pakistan in the Kashmir issue and the peace process.
President Musharraf said Pakistan wanted to consolidate its relations
with Azerbaijan by strengthening commercial and economical ties.
Mr Khalafov said his government and people respected President
Musharraf for taking courageous steps at the time of the 9/11
attacks. staff report

Halley’s comet portrayed on ancient coin
Heather Catchpole, ABC Science Online
ABC Science Online, Australia
May 19 2004
Could the star shape on the king’s crown be Halley’s comet?
A rare ancient coin may feature an early record of Halley’s comet,
researchers say.
The coin features the head of the Armenian king Tigranes II the Great,
who reigned from 95 to 55 BC. A symbol on his crown that features a
star with a curved tail may represent the passage of Halley’s comet
in 87 BC, say the Armenian and Italian researchers.
Their research will be published in Astronomy & Geophysics, a journal
of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Halley’s comet, which was last visible in 1986, has cropped up
periodically in the Earth’s history, with regular observations in 1531,
1607 and 1682.
This led Edmond Halley to declare in 1705 that this was the same
comet, with an orbit taking it past the Earth about every 76 years.
He predicted successfully it would return in 1758, and the comet was
named after him.
Now researchers have found further evidence that the comet was
significant thousands of years before Halley was born.
Tigranes could have seen Halley’s comet when it passed closest to the
Sun on 6 August in 87 BC, according to the researchers, who said the
comet would have been a “most recordable event”.
The appearance of the comet in Armenia, which borders Turkey and Iran,
could be useful to date the coin accurately. While the coin dates back
to before 83 BC, when Tigranes conquered the ancient city of Antioch,
the capital city of Syria at the time, researchers do not know its
precise date.
Halley’s comet (Image: NASA/Ames Research Center) Halley’s comet is
a ball of dirty snow and ice about 15 kilometres long. Like other
comets that periodically pass the Earth, it has a highly eccentric
orbit that changes as the larger planets pull at its orbit.
Astronomer Vince Ford from the Research School of Astronomy and
Astrophysics at Canberra’s Australian National University said the
comet would have been bigger and brighter 2000 years ago.
“As comets come round the Sun they lose a lot of material, up to 10%,”
he said.
Although Halley’s comet wasn’t losing that much, it would still get
smaller over time as the Sun burnt away icy dust and gas.
Like other comets that return within 200 years, Halley’s comet is
thought to come from the Kuiper belt, a disc of comets and icy planets
including Pluto, which periodically sends icy material hurtling into
the solar system.
Ford said the oldest confirmed observation of Halley’s comet was from
Chinese recordings on 25 May in 240 BC.
Art had often been the source of evidence of sightings of Halley’s
comet, he said.
For example, the Bayeux tapestry depicted the comet in the lead up to
the Battle of Hastings in 1066. But art had also mislead astronomers,
Ford said.
“Giotto painted it into his nativity scene, probably because he has
recently seen Halley’s comet and he was impressed,” Ford said. “But
the comet only appeared in 12 BC, way before the birth of Jesus.”

Musharraf Assures Pak Support To Azerbaijan
Pakistan News Service, Pakistan
May 19 2004
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : May 19 (PNS) – President General Pervez Musharraf
Tuesday said Pakistan will continue to support Azerbaijan till its
sovereignty is restored to Nagorno Karbakh and other Azeri territories
occupied by Armenia.
He was talking to Khalaf Khalafov, Deputy Foreign Minister of
Azerbaijan, who called on him here. Mr. Khalafov is on an official
visit to Pakistan. During the meeting, the President conveyed to the
visiting dignitary Pakistan’s abiding interest in augmenting relations
with Azerbaijan, particularly in the economic and commercial spheres.
The President thanked the Government of Azerbaijan for its consistent
support to Pakistan’s principled stand on the Kashmir dispute and
endeavours of the Government of Pakistan for resumption of dialogue
with India.
Mr. Khalafov informed that the President and people of Azerbaijan
hold the President in a very high esteem for the courageous stand
taken by him in the wake of events of 9/11 and his endeavours for
global peace and security as well as for his role in the political
and economic reconstruction of Pakistan. He reaffirmed support of
the Azeri Government for endeavours of the President for resumption
of dialogue and resolution of Kashmir dispute, by peaceful means.

Glasgow Daily Record, UK
May 19 2004
BOXING: I WON’T POOL MY PUNCHES May 19 2004
Champ Scott turns to underwater training
By Hugh Keevins
SCOTT HARRISON has been working under water in a bid to triumph on
dry land.
The WBO world featherweight champion has been punching in a pool as
he prepares for his title defence against William Abelyan on June 19.
He turned to the unusual rehabilitation technique after damaging the
bicep in his right arm.
Now he’s vowed to make a real splash and give US-based Armenian
Abelyan the hammering of a lifetime in their rescheduled fight at
Braehead Arena.
Harrison’s father and trainer, Peter, said: ‘The injury was sustained
doing every-day push-ups on the training bars.
‘But Scott could come back stronger than before because of the work
he’s been doing at the sports rehabilitation centre at Hampden. He’s
been punching under water and that resistance work is strengthening
his arm.’
Harrison has also been putting in some tough training sessions on
the hills as he prepares to get into the ring with Abelyan.
Their original meeting in March was postponed when the challenger
injured his arm and the Scot had to fight South American Walter
Estrada as a late replacement.
Last night Harrison said: ‘Now I’m ready to go. I’m sure this will
be a case of third time lucky for me but it will be no such thing
for Abelyan because he’s going to get the hammering of a lifetime.
‘The injury was unfortunate and happened at a bad time because my
training was going so well. But now I’m back in the gym and the arm
feels great again. I’ve started punching and, if anything, it feels
a lot stronger.
‘The rest and treatment have done me the world of good and I can’t
wait to get it on with Abelyan.’
Harrison senior has been poring over video footage of the little-known
opponent and has arrived at the conclusion the challenger has more
nuisance value than star quality.
The trainer said: ‘Armenians based in the States aren’t big box office
so he won’t have fought on many big shows.
‘Abelyan says he won’t be intimidated by the 5000-capacity crowd at
Braehead Arena but I can assure you it will have an affect on him.
‘Some people on the other side of the Atlantic try to tell you they
don’t where Scotland is on the map, so how can they be frightened?
Then they feel the passion of the ticket-buying public and there is
a sudden change of mind.
‘Abelyan will come here to steal the fight with counter-punching. All
of the commentators over there describe him as the kind of fighter
you would want to avoid.
‘He is awkward enough to make you look bad and can bang a bit if he
gets the chance.
‘But I don’t believe he can be a harder target to hit than Manuel
Medina.’
It was the Mexican who gave Harrison only the second professional
defeat of his career last July and relieved him of his title.
Revenge was taken in November and the double header has convinced
Harrison senior the champion will not relinquish his crown a second
time.
He said: ‘Nobody can be more awkward than Medina. He was so
unpredictable in his movements.’

KLO Stages Picket In Front Of British Embassy, Protesting BBC
Baku Today
May 19 2004
Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) staged a picket in front of the
British embassy in Baku on Tuesday in protest against BBC s sending
its reporter Steve Eke to Nagorno-Karabakh without getting permission
from Baku.
The picketers also voiced dissatisfaction over what they called biased
reports by Eke and Mark Grigorian, an ethnic-Armenian producer of BBC
s Russian service. The protestors began chanting Shame on Britain
after British embassy officials refused to meet them on the grounds
that the ambassador was not in Baku.
But later KLO deputy head Barat Imami was invited to the embassy
and promised that the picketers complaints would be delivered to the
ambassador Laurie Bristow.

Burbank Leader
LATimes.com
May 19 2004
YWCA honors women of heart
Mary Lou Howard, Burbank’s first woman mayor, will be feted at
luncheon for life of public service.
By Lauren Masters, The Leader
Burbank’s first woman mayor will be honored for her work helping
women expand their role in local government at this year’s YWCA Legacy
Award luncheon.
Mary Lou Howard, who served as mayor from 1982 to ’83 and again in
1985 and ’86 and now serves on the Burbank Civil Service Board, will
join four Glendale women to be honored for their work as community
leaders at the organization’s seventh annual luncheon Thursday.
“It is a way for us to recognize women in the community who are
making a difference and creating a legacy for other women through
the work they are doing today,” said Mary Boger, chairwoman of the
YWCA Awards Luncheon.
The YWCA committee chose this year’s honorees from 12 women nominated
by local civic organizations for their work, leadership and ability
to be a role model for other women.
Howard, nominated by Chris S. Carson, president of the League of Women
Voters of Glendale/Burbank, was the first female on Burbank’s City
Council and paved the way for other women to enter local government.
“She has a very forward- thinking approach to governance,” Boger
said. “She encouraged her council to have an open stance, initiated
town council meetings and imple- mented long-range planning.”
During her two terms, Howard encouraged the city manager to include
more women on the city’s management teams.
“The time was right and I felt I should go for it,” Howard said of
her first City Council bid. “In those days, women were on the library
board but never elected to office. I’m so honored by this award and
to be among these other women.”
The other award recipients include Wanda Bistagne, a longtime volunteer
in the Glendale community; Frieda Jordan, founder of the Armenian
Bone Marrow Donor registry in Glendale and Armenia; Louise Lewis,
a volunteer at Glendale Memorial Hospital who has logged in more than
30,000 hours; and Jean Maluccio, executive director of the Crescenta
Valley Chamber of Commerce. Erika Solomon is this year’s Jane O’Connor
award recipient for her work teaching mentally challenged students
to ride horses.
“It’s the role of the YWCA to empower women,” said Susan Hunt,
president of the YWCA board of directors. “These women have left
a legacy on the lives of others. They have compassion and high
expectations.”
Event proceeds will benefit the YWCA’s Domestic Violence programs
and ENCOREplus, a program that provides breast- and cervical-cancer
screenings to low-income women.
The cost to attend is $75, and reservations can be made by calling
Debbie Hinckley at 244-9183.

Azeri pressure group pickets British embassy over BBC reports on Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
18 May 04
The Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) has staged a picket outside
the British embassy in Azerbaijan to protest at the activities of
BBC employees, Azerbaijani TV station ANS reported on 18 May.
The pickets were protesting at the visit by a BBC journalist, without
the consent of the Azerbaijani authorities, to the self-declared
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, which remains de jure Azerbaijani
territory. ANS reported that they were also protesting at the “abuse
of power” by another BBC employee and “promotion of the so-called
Armenian genocide”.
The deputy head of the KLO, Barat Imani, was received by the British
consul, ANS reported. He passed to her a letter for the British
ambassador.

Slovene president receives credentials of Armenian ambassador
STA news agency, Ljubljana
18 May 04
Ljubljana, 18 May: President Janez Drnovsek was handed Tuesday [18 May]
the credentials of the non-resident Armenian Ambassador to Slovenia
Vahram Kazhoyan. During their meeting, the officials expressed an
interest in furthering relations between Slovenia and Armenia.
According to Drnovsek’s office, the president stressed that Slovenia’s
presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) in 2005 should prove to be an excellent opportunity
for strengthening relations.
Drnovsek also highlighted that both countries are relatively young
and have had to build their relations from the ground up, which means
that there is still a lot of room for expansion.
The Armenian ambassador congratulated Drnovsek on the recent entry
of Slovenia into the European Union, an important development for
Armenia as well, which could benefit from the experience Slovenia
has gained in the accession process.

Armenian and U.S. officials discuss economic cooperation
AP Worldstream
May 18, 2004
Armenian and U.S. officials met Tuesday to discuss this ex-Soviet
republic’s proposals to receive funding from a U.S. foreign aid
program.
Armenian officials said they have been working on project proposals
for the Millennium Challenge program for the past three months that
focus on reducing poverty. Millennium Challenge is a program launched
by U.S. President George W. Bush as part of an effort to increase
spending on foreign aid.
Carlos Pascual, the U.S. State Department coordinator for assistance
to Europe and Eurasia, said the U.S. funds _ if approved _ would be
directed at developing a free economy, productive investments and
the fight against corruption.
“The US expects sustainable progress in the development of political
and democratic systems in the countries participating in the program,”
Pascual said. It was not clear when a decision would be made about
Armenia’s proposals, but a Millennium Challenge team is expected in
Armenia soon, officials said.
The United States has already allotted US$94 million to Armenia this
year, Pascual said. The bulk of the money is focused on economic
development and job creation, he said.
Pascual’s meetings in Armenia were part of the 8th session of the
Armenian-American Economic Working Group. Participating from the
Armenian side was Vardan Khachatrian, the finance and economic
minister.

EU asked to intervene in crisis in Caucuses
18.05.2004 – 14:12 CET | By Andrew Beatty
EU Observer
May 18, 2004.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Amid threats of war, the president of
Azerbaijan today called on the EU to step up its involvement in
solving a 16-year old ethnic and border dispute with Armenia.
During a visit to Brussels, Ilham Aliyev asked the Commission
President, Romano Prodi, to help resolve the crisis in the southwestern
region of Nagorno-Karabakh that has seen the two countries at
loggerheads for more than a decade.
The territorial dispute has remained unsolved since the majority
Armenian population tried to secede after the break up of the Soviet
Union.
The ensuing war was thought to have cost 30,000 lives.
Although there has been relative peace since a ceasefire accord was
signed in 1994, it has been an uneasy truce and recently tensions
have appeared to be on the rise.
Before his visit to Brussels on Tuesday, Mr Aliyev was reported to
have remarked that another war with their Caucasian neighbours was
a possibility if ongoing talks fail.
In Brussels however he was more conciliatory – just.
“Azerbaijan intends to continue its policy to peaceful resolution
of the conflict, but at the same time this resolution must be on the
recognised principles of international law, the territorial integrity
and sovereignty of Azerbaijan”, he said.
At the table
Talks are currently being shepherded along by the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk group lead by the Russian
Federation, the United States and France.
And with six other EU countries participating in the process, there
is reluctance on the part of the EU to be seen to be undermining
its members.
“We are worried that the peace process is stopped”, Mr Prodi said
today, before adding, “Clearly we do not want to interfere with the
Minsk Group but we are urging and pushing that the Minsk Group has
some result”.
But the Azeri government now wants a bigger role for the EU, something
which has the potential of stepping on the toes of the European
members of the Minsk Group.
President Ilayev said, “Of course the Minsk group will also actively
continue its activity in finding a resolution, but at the same time
Azerbaijan is very strongly interested that other important European
organizations; first of all the European Union, would take a more
active stand”.
And as Brussels recently decided to include Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan in the ‘European Neighbourhood Policy’ – which aims to
deepen ties with countries bordering the Union – the Commission may
seem to be cautiously edging towards playing a greater role.
But the Commission’s attempts to deepen ties have brought critics.
Mr Aliyev came to power in last October’s elections, replacing his
father, amid allegations of widespread election fraud and the EU has
been accused of turning a blind eye to the poor human rights situation
in the country, because it is seeking to tap into the countries vast
oil reserves.