http://vem.am/ Vem Radio: News & Analyses from Armenia, Christianity & Culture, Classical & Sacred Music: Vem Radio http://vem.am/topics/news/news/515/ 16/03/2010 [07:36] Glendale Hills, the construction company whose apartments built in Gyumri for families left homeless by the earthquake were described as ‘inhabitable” by President Sargsyan, is refusing to answer any questions posed by Hetq. Hetq has covered the issue of faulty construction practices by the firm in the past regarding its work in Gyumri and in Spitak, where it is constructing 300 apartments. We asked Baghdasar Mheryan, who heads the public affairs division... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/517/ 16/03/2010 [07:50] If you want to see Robert Fisk do battle with two Genocide deniers live on RT television go to “Cross Talk on Genocide: Turkey’s Burden .  It’s a fairly lively debate but Fisk wins hands down. What’s interesting is how these Genocide deniers, and others, come across on TV, totally... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/518/ 16/03/2010 [07:54] By Owei Lakemfa The following article appeared in the March 14 edition of Sierra Express, an independent online newspaper in Sierra Leone, Africa. Turkey, one of America’s staunchest allies in the Islamic world is furious. Its anger is turned against the United States for a vote on March 4, 2010... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/519/ 16/03/2010 [07:59] Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan today officially launched the fourth “One nation, one culture” festival today. Unlike the previous years, the events will take place throughout the year. Thousands of guests are expected to arrive in Armenia within the framework of the festival. Four hundred applications have already been received... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/511/ 15/03/2010 [03:19] The Speed Art Museum in Kentucky, USA, has opened an exhibition devoted to photographer Yousuf Karsh as part of its “The Most Famous People in the World” series to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Karsh’s birth in the eatern Anaatolian town of Mardin. Included in the exhibition are many of the best known portraits of the era’s most illustrious faces displayed alongside rarely seen earlier photographs that reveal how Karsh learned... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/509/ 15/03/2010 [03:08] On March 11, the U.S. Postal Service issued the Arshile Gorky postage stamp, based on the artist’s 1944 painting “The Liver in a Cock’s Comb.” It will be the first of a series of stamps being unveiled on March 11 by the US Postal Service honoring abstract expressionists. With this stamp pane, the U.S. Postal Service honors the artistic innovations and achievements of 10 abstract expressionists. With this stamp pane, the U.S. Postal Service honors the artistic innovations... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/510/ 15/03/2010 [03:15] Christer Asp, Sweden’s ambassador to Turkey, says that protests against Sweden were still underway on Saturday in some Turkish cities, following large demonstrations outside the Swedish consulate in Istanbul in the wake of last week’s vote in the Swedish parliament to recognize the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire. He added that his post box was over flowing with hate mail and letters indicating Swedish business interests have been affected by the dispute... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/514/ 15/03/2010 [08:13] Vem Media Arts is pleased to announce the launch of the new website of its documentary feature “From Ararat to Zion” at http://fromararattozion.com . “From Ararat to Zion” is about the role and destiny of small nations in the history of humanity. The documentary pays tribute to the millions of Armenian pilgrims who, with a deep devotion and willingness to sacrifice, contributed significantly in preserving the spiritual traditions and legacy of the Holy Land. Just follow the link... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/503/ 12/03/2010 [05:15] On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch bestowed the Women of Courage Award to Mariam Sukhudyan, a young Armenian human rights activist and a leader of SOS Teghut, an environmental defense organization. “This award recognizes an Armenian woman who has demonstrated exceptional courage, innovation, and leadership in the pursuit of equality... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/504/ 12/03/2010 [05:20] By Vadim Ryzov Rebel Land: Unraveling The Riddle Of History In A Turkish Town originated from an error. In a 2001 New York Review Of Books piece about Turkey’s history, Christopher de Bellaigue stated in passing that the deaths of Armenians in Turkey during the 1890s and the infamous... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/505/ 12/03/2010 [05:25] By a vote of 131 to 130 on Thursday evening, the Swedish Parliament has characterized the massacres of Armenians. Assyrians and Pontic Greeks by Ottoman Turkey as ‘genocide.” As expected, Turkey condemned the decision of the Swedish Parliament. Turkey recalled its ambassador to Sweden for consultations and said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cancelled his planned visit to Sweden on March 17. Passage of the bill squeaked... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/498/ 02/03/2010 [01:40] After Interlaken ECHR Will Resemble Kafka’s “The Castle” On February 18-19, in the Swiss city of Interlaken, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers met to devise ways to reform the overburdened European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). http://vem.am/topics/news/news/499/ 02/03/2010 [01:45] It’s the people of the RoA who suffer from “strained relations” There’s a conference taking place in Washington D.C. these days on the state of Diaspora-Armenia relations during the past twenty years since independence. Now that’s a pretty big bite to chew off and digest in a few days, but I wish them success. This meeting of the minds... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/500/ 02/03/2010 [01:51] In response to the CBS 60 Minutes broadcast of “Battle Over History”, a program that delved into the history of the 1915 Genocide, two Turkish organizations have sent protest letters to CBS executives. The Federation of Turkish-American Associations and the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations have also launched a letter writing and e-mail campaign to display their displeasure with the CBS program... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/493/ 02/03/2010 [01:13] Mariam Sukhudyan and Friends Stumble on Some Disturbing Evidence in Forest On February 20, a group of young people travelled to Dilijan for a hike in the woods. Upon entering the forest they heard a familiar but unwelcome sound. “We had just started to hike when we heard the sound of an electric chainsaw. It seemed like there were several saws going off from... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/495/ 26/02/2010 [05:14] According to Financial Times.com, Safar Abiyev, Azerbaijan’s defense minister, told Gabriel Keller, the French Ambassador to Baku, on Thursday, that foreign diplomats had failed to negotiate a resolution of the Karabakh conflict and that Azerbaijan’s patience was wearing thin. “Azerbaijan cannot wait another 15 years. Now it is up to the military and the risk is getting closer. If the Armenian occupiers do not withdraw from Azerbaijan’s land the outbreak... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/482/ 25/02/2010 [01:41] By Harut Sassounian Armenians are great believers in national unity. Actually, they are obsessed with it. Yet, despite all the talk about unifying the Armenian people, writing fiery poems and singing patriotic songs about the benefits of unity, this most cherished dream remains elusive. Examples of failed attempts at unity are aplenty. Even in perilous times, Armenians have remained at odds and... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/483/ 25/02/2010 [01:56] 2,000 people have signed an online petition to change a street name in Istanbul after “Hrant Dink”, in honour of the slain Armenian editor of Agos, but the city has twice rejected the request. The petition (www.hrantdinkcaddesi.or g) seeks to change the name of the street from Ergenekon Avenue in Istanbul’s Kurtulus neighbourhood to Hrant Dink Avenue. The name change has symbolic... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/485/ 25/02/2010 [03:50] Inferior construction in Gyumri leads to new contract in Spitak Two months ago, it became apparent that the buildings constructed by Glendale Hills with government money intended to house homeless families in Gyumri, were sub-standard. The buildings were so inferior in terms of quality... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/487/ 25/02/2010 [03:55] Presently, all employees at the RoA State Revenue Committee building on Khorenatsi Street have been evacuated due to a bomb scare. Police and a bomb disposal unit have cordoned off the area and are conducting a search of the premises. An employee at the Revenue Committee told “Hetq” that a call had been received regarding the placement of an unknown package in the building.