http://vem.am/ Vem Radio: News & Analyses from Armenia, Christianity & Culture, Classical & Sacred Music: Vem Radio http://vem.am/topics/news/news/498/ 02/03/2010 [00:40] 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 [00:45] 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 [00:51] 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 [00:13] 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 [04:14] 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 [00:41] 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 [00:56] 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 [02:50] 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 [02:55] 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. http://vem.am/topics/news/news/489/ 25/02/2010 [05:05] Units of the National Security Service and Ministry of Defense have declared that the bomb scare which prompted the evacuation of the State Revenue Committee building earlier today to be a hoax. An unidentified caller had contacted the RoA Police at 11:36 a.m., claiming that a bomb had been placed in the building and was timed to go off at 1 p.m. A bomb disposal squad made a search of the premises... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/481/ 25/02/2010 [00:33] On the occasion of the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait and Baku, RoA Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Karen Nazaryan, addressed a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. In his letter, Ambassador Nazaryan said that, “Azerbaijan continues presenting itself as a victim of so-called Armenian aggression, distorting the tragic events known to the whole world.” http://vem.am/topics/news/news/480/ 24/02/2010 [01:21] On 24th February 2010, eight youngsters arrived in Kolkata, India, from Armenia to join Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy which is under the aegis of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. These students will receive education in the Armenian tradition, gain knowledge and become worthy descendants to their ancestors. A group of students from Iran and Iraq is expected to join... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/469/ 20/02/2010 [22:39] International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO's General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. On 16 May 2007, by resolution 61/266, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism. http://vem.am/topics/news/news/468/ 20/02/2010 [22:38] On 20 February in connection with the Artsakh Revival Day, NKR President Bako Sahakyan partook at the meeting with the NKR National Assembly deputies of all convocations and delivered a welcoming speech there, the central information department of the office of the NKR President reported. “Many of our friends have laid down their lives for victory of these ideas. Eternal glory and honor to them! 20 February of 1988 became the starting point of our national... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/467/ 20/02/2010 [09:23] Sirusho, the Armenian representative in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, defines the Eurovision Song Contest as a music show case. The singer was interviewed by esctoday.com while visiting Malta where she will be performing in the country’s national final on February 20. After the second dress rehearsal of the Maltese national final Sirusho spoke to esctoday.com and looked back. http://vem.am/topics/news/news/462/ 19/02/2010 [22:42] On February 18, Yerevan Emergency Services received a call that a person had fallen down an elevator shaft at Mashtots Avenue 33/1. When rescuers reached the scene of the accident, they pulled out the corpse of a man said to be between 55 and 60 years-old. http://vem.am/topics/news/news/459/ 19/02/2010 [05:48] A photo exhibit displaying Hovhannes Tumanyan’s native village of Dsegh, its people and nature, will open on Friday February 25 at the Museum of Folk Art in Yerevan. The exhibit “World of Tumanyan: Dsegh Village, People &  Nature” , is the work of Academician Hanri Nersisyan and is organized by Lorva Dzor compatriotic union. Hovhannes Tumanyan was born in 1869, village of Dsegh... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/460/ 19/02/2010 [05:46] There’s an election slated for May to decide who will become the next Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. There have been 84 individual Patriarchs since the establishment of the Patriarchate in 1461. At this crucial juncture in Turkish-Armenian relations, the upcoming election, due to the illness of current Patriarch... http://vem.am/topics/news/news/457/ 18/02/2010 [04:27] Kemal Goktas, a Turkish journalist facing a five year prison sentence for writing a book that contained alleged “top secret” information regarding the murder of Hrant Dink, faced an Istanbul court on February 16. During the hearing at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, Goktas who writes for the newspaper Vatan, was given moral support by Nedim Sener, a Milliyet journalist, facing 32.5 years imprisonment for his book that also deals with the Dink murder. http://vem.am/topics/news/news/455/ 18/02/2010 [01:59] The following article “Turkey’s Internet Repression”, by David Keyes, appeared in yesterday’s The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Keyes is the director of CyberDissidents.org. From my hotel balcony on Siraselviler Street in the heart of Istanbul, I can see precisely why this bustling, modern metropolis deserves to join the European Union. Turkey is a proud and moderate Muslim democracy which has...