Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

NBC4.TV, CA
Aug. 11, 2006

Girl Wants To Be The Next Oprah

LOS ANGELES — Her friends refer to her as the young Oprah. She is an
11-year-old Burbank resident and already has her own talk show on
local cable. NBC4’s Kelly Mack spoke with the girl who said she is
planning on much, much more.

Video

Following is a verbatim script from the on-air report.

KELLY MACK: Narineh Sarokhanian carefully applies pink lip-gloss
before taping her weekly television show.

Meanwhile, technicians work on their computers and switchers in the
small control room at High Vision studio, which sits atop an
upholstery shop in Glendale.

With her primping done, the 11-year-old sixth grader enters the
studio and sits down behind the microphone like an old pro with her
folder of notes close at hand.

Narineh has been the host of ‘Kid’s Vision’ on Charter Cable channel
30 for the past two years.

NARINEH SAROKHANIAN, TELEVISION HOST: I was nine years old, and I
said ‘Mom, can we try to have my own TV show for kids, because I am a
kid?’

MACK: Narineh’s mother thought, ‘Well, why not?’ So she took her
daughter’s idea to the president of the local Armenian TV station.

FLORA GHARIBIAN, NARINEH’S MOTHER: He said, ‘Great! We don’t have any
kids program, so let’s do it.’

MACK: Narineh’s first guest on Friday is nine-year-old Sam, who
checks his coif in the TV monitor. The show’s star gives Sam some
professional tips before the cameras roll.

SAROKHANIAN (TO SAM): You’re not going to laugh and you’re going to
stay still. Okay?

MACK: And with that the show begins.

SAROKHANIAN: Hello, everyone! You’re watching the best show on earth,
‘Kids Vision’!

MACK: Narineh starts with commentary on Internet safety while her
mother observes with obvious pride.

GHARIBIAN: This is what she wants, so I’m going to help her to get
there, no matter what.

MACK: The show features local children with talent like Sam, who can
play Beethoven on piano without notes.

Another guest, 11-year-old Shawn, practices the flute out in the
hallway before he is cued to go on.

Narineh told NBC4 that she has always dreamed of being on TV as
either a journalist or a talk show host. One person she admires?

GHARIBIAN: Maybe Oprah Winfrey. Maybe if I grow up I want to be like
her to know that I can make a difference.

MACK: And she loves the idea of breaking news, like covering a brush
fire.

GHARIBIAN: You never know what’s going to happen when you’re sitting
right there or when you’re talking. You don’t know if the fire is
getting bigger or if it’s coming toward you.

MACK: ‘Kids Vision’ airs on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Narineh
chooses her guests and the topics of discussion for each show.
There’s a ‘Kids Vision’ book club where Narineh reviews good reads.
She and invited friends also sing happy birthday to specific viewers.

I asked if it was difficult producing and hosting a TV show while
still an elementary school student?

GHARIBIAN: Not really, but I think that sixth grade will be harder,
so it might be more difficult.

MACK: The clock ticks toward noon, and this week’s show is almost
done. But for one ambitious young TV host, however, things are just
getting started.

BIG NIGHT OUT FOR INVERURIE YOUNGSTERS
by: Laura Grant

Aberdeen Press and Journal, UK
August 8, 2006 Tuesday

Inverurie youngsters will put a new spin on an old classic when they
take to the stage for a working of Twelfth Night with a difference
in Aberdeen tonight.

The Mitchell School of Drama will explore feelings of confusion,
love, passion and revenge – mixed through with songs from the 1930s
and 40s during the lively performance at the Lemon Tree from 7.30pm.

Elsewhere, a lively celebration of all things Celtic will set the
audience’s toes tapping at the Beach Ballroom, also from 7.30pm.

Included will be performances by the North Shore Celtic Ensemble and
the award-winning Emerald Isle Irish Dancers.

Funky contemporary folk band La Mission d’Arthur le Dur, from
Aberdeen’s twin city of Clermont Ferrand in France, will join singer
Kathryn Sawers and north-east band Seasons for the Festival Club at
the Lemon Tree from 9pm.

There will be an international song recital at Queen’s Cross Church,
featuring members of the cast of this year’s opera production, The
Turn of the Screw. Curtain up at 7.30pm.

A free Listen at Lunch event featuring Zahra Yusifi and Mustapha
Ashurov will also take place at the art gallery from 12.30pm.

Meanwhile, as part of the festival’s touring programme, performers will
be at a number of venues across the north-east from 7.30pm tonight.

Young Armenian musicians the Yerevan Youth Chamber Orchestra will be
at the Melvin Hall, Tarves; Norwegian dance troupe Happy Feet will be
treading the boards at Inglis Memorial Hall, Edzell, and Sri Lankan
dancers Sankanjalee will feature at the Victoria Hall at Ballater.

Performers will also be taking part in the festivities at Fraserburgh
Gala.

For more information about the festival log on to

ARMENIA 79TH ON "STATE OF WORLD LIBERTY" FREEDOM RATING

Yerevan, August 7. ArmInfo. Armenia is 79th on the State of World
Liberty’s 159-country "Freedom Map": freedom index from personal
to economic freedoms, based on surveys by The Heritage Foundation,
Wall Street Journal, Frasier, Cato, Freedom House and Reporters
Sans Frontieres.

The freest region of the world is Europe – 70.49 points. Half of the
top ten countries are from Europe. The freest country is Estonia –
85.25 points.

Lithuania is 16th, Latvia is 21st. The other CIS countries are
outside top 50: Georgia is 58th, Armenia 79th, Ukraine 87th and
Moldova 93rd. Russia is 124th with 42.07 points near Central African
Republic and Egypt. The least free countries of the CIS are Uzbekistan,
Belarus and Turkmenistan – 152nd, 153rd and 154th.

Many exerts are skeptical about the rating and do not consider it as
professional as few people know anything about State of World Liberty,
reports Delfi.

CHAIRMAN OF COURT OF CASSATION SAYS JUDGES AND COURTS ARE PROTECTED AND INDEPENDENT

Armenpress

YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS: The chairman of the Armenian Court of
Cassation Hovhannes Manukian told today at a press conference that
there is no more protected and independent official in Armenian than
a judge is.

"Today the judges and courts are more independent than ever," he said
adding that it is nonsense to think that the judicial system depends on
prosecutor’s office or on an executive power. "If a judge has certain
principles, established system of values and finally, he/she is brave
it will be difficult to exert influence on him/her," Manukian said at
the same time noting that not all the judges have relevant principles.

According to him, there are many gaps in the judicial system and it
is necessary to undertake urgent steps for their elimination.

"The judicial system, state and the public must not tolerate the judges
who do not justify their title. In any case of the violation of the
judge’s ethics the society must respond and apply to the relevant
body," the chairman of the Court of Cassation said.

Journal Times Online, WI
Aug 5, 2006

At Armenian Fest, food is the attraction

By Scott Anderson

RACINE – Armenian Fest will once again grace the Festival Park
grounds Sunday with an array of games, music, dance, art and a church
service.

"We pack a lot of things into one day," festival chair Perry
Paragamian said.

But above all, Paragamian postulates, there’s one thing that really
brings people to Armenian Fest – the food.

"The weather is going to be nice and the aroma from the grill will
bring you in from the street," he said.

Armenian Fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Festival
Park, beginning at 10 a.m. with English Divine Liturgy services in
the Green Room of Festival Hall.

The festival, known as one of the largest Armenian Festivals in the
Midwest, is sponsored by St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church.

The festival will feature Armenian foods such as shish kebab, pilaf
and cheese boeregs, plus numerous Armenian pastries and breads, all
of which are Armenian family recipes that the general public just
can’t find anywhere else.

Members of St. Mesrob’s Womens’ Guild organizes and performs all the
food preparation and cooking, and have been busy over the last week
preparing for the festival.

On Friday, they were preparing scores of sarma – a grape leaf roll
stuffed with rice, parsley, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice and oil.
It’s so good, Womens’ Guild chair Alice Garoukian said, that people
ask to buy sarma and the enamel container in which they were cooked.

"There are people who like it so much, they are addicted to it," she
said. "I know it sounds crazy, but that’s the way it is."

The sarma is homemade through-and-through, right down to the grape
leaves that are picked by hand from a special breed of grape plant
that characteristically does not bear fruit.

"Everything we do is labor intensive," Garoukian said of the Womens’
Guild efforts in preparing the festival’s food.

Humble beginnings Paragamian said the festival got its start between
75-80 years ago as a picnic for parishioners that at one time was
held at

Johnson Park.

Over the years, he said, the picnic grew as the Armenian parishioners
intermarried, introducing more and more people to Armenian cultures
and traditions.

When Festival Park opened in the late 1980s, Armenian Fest moved in
and has played host to the yearly celebration ever since.

"This is the one time a year joining communities come to Racine to
see friends they haven’t seen for some time," Paragamian said.
"Normally, when an Armenian goes out of town, they look for another
`ian’ in the phone book. That’s how close we are."

There is no admission fee to the festival, however, a freewill
offering will be accepted. Proceeds will go to orphanages in Armenia
and to the Racine Northside Food Pantry.

ARMENIA SEEKS UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAM ASSISTANCE TO EASE CONSEQUENCES OF DROUGHT

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug 3, 2006

YEREVAN, August 3. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan,
at his meeting with UN World Food Program Executive Director James
Maurice on Wednesday, asked the program to provide assistance to
Armenia to ease consequences of drought, governmental press service
reports.

Margaryan described current problems caused by this year drought
and expressed gratitude for WFP assistance sent in 2000for the same
purposes. The PM said the assistance had brought considerable relief
to drought-stricken regions of Armenia.

WFP delegation visited Armenia on Aug 2-3 as part of its regional tour.

This summer drought has struck hard at many farmers. Armenian
government has decided to allocate AMD 1bln 18mln for 8 provinces –
Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik, Lori, Kotayk, Sunik, Shirak and Vayots Dzor –
to compensate the damage inflicted by drought. ($1- AMD 412.54).

"BLUE SHIELD" COMMITTEE CONCERNED ABOUT FATE OF CULTURAL-HISTORICAL MONUMENTS IN NEAR EAST

AZG Armenian Daily #145, 03/08/2006

Middle East

"Blue Shield" International Committee grieves about the victims,
the distractions and hardship that took place in Israel, Lebanon and
Palestine. According to the organization’s statement sent to ArmInfo,
Joan Van Albada, chairman of the organization, expresses concern that
in case the military conflict spreads, the rich historical-cultural
heritage of Israel and Lebanon may be in danger. "Blue Shield" turns
to all sides in conflict with the claim to spare no efforts to spare
the historical monuments of the region from distraction. The committee
reminds that the international law forbids to use the sightseeing
places for military goals. "The Hague convention on defence of the
cultural values in the military conflicts" adopted in 1954, as well as
the convention on the defence of cultural heritage and nature demand
from the sides in conflict to avert direct and indirect damaging the
cultural values in their territory," Joan Albada stated, adding that
both Israel and Lebanon have signed both of the conventions.

MEETINGS WITH NKR PRESIDENT

Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
03 Aug 2006

On July 29 NKR President Arkady Ghukassian met with the delegation
of journalists and human rights defenders from Armenia, NKR,
Azerbaijan and Georgia. Arkady Ghukassian appreciated the visit of
the Azerbaijani delegation to Artsakh, which is a positive example
of constructive dialogue between the two societies separated by the
war. Arzu Abdullayeva, the co-chair of Helsinki Civil Assembly and
the coordinator of the National Committee of Azerbaijan, said the
Azerbaijani members of HCA and the Civil Forum on the Settlement
of the Karabakh Conflict are for the engagement of Karabakh in the
talks, a peace settlement and friendly relations between the two
societies. Ms. Abdullayeva said the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Karabakhi
NGOs cooperate in a warm atmosphere and mutual understanding. We
would like the official meetings were in a similar atmosphere. The
participants of the meeting emphasized the problems of reaching a
peace settlement of conflicts and establishment of mutual confidence
between the peoples and societies. Answering their questions, the NKR
president particularly mentioned that a historical reconciliation of
the peoples of the region is the underlying precondition of settlement
of the conflict over Karabakh and establishment of peace. Without
reconciliation it is impossible to implement a peace agreement,
eliminate the consequences of war and clear the path for regional
development, he said. On July 31 NKR President Arkady Ghukassian
met with the Armenian Member of Parliament, the leader of the
National Democratic Party Shavarsh Kocharian and discussed questions
concerning the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, social and economic
development of NKR and parliamentary ties between Artsakh and Armenia.

INTERBANK MARKET IS TEMPORARILY PARALYZED

Yerevan, August 2. ArmInfo. There was no transaction in the Interbank
market of Armenia the day before. The currency exchange market was also
inactive. Thus, according to the data of the Armenian stock exchange,
the volume of currency transactions the day before made up $50,000,
the average weighted rate increased by 0,05 point to 410,75 AMD/$1 USD.

The experts explained such inactivity of the currency market by the
fact that there was a transaction in the Interbank market July 31,
after completion of the exchange trade session, on the rate which
exceeded the fixed exchange rate of USD by 2 points. According to the
experts’ estimations, this fact somewhat paralyzed the market since
"the market participants decided to wait through, not wishing to buy
dollars by an increased rate or to sell by a decreased rate".

A SERIES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EVENTS START IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. A series of events on the information
technologies (IT) sector started with a summer school for children
engaged in computer programming, which will be followed by an open
programming competition of schoolchildren scheduled for the first half
of August. Hovhannes Avoyan, Chairman of the Union of IT Enterprises,
Karen Vardanian, the union’s Executive Director and Bagrat Yengibarian,
Director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, stated this at a
joint press conference on July 27. They said that these events will
be continued in the second half of August by the programming school
and competition, while the third All-Armenian open competition with
the participation of young programmers aged 30 years and under will
take place in early September. An internation conference on IT will
be held in Yerevan on September 20 within the framework of the third
Armenia-Diaspora Forum. The RA President’s educational awards in the
IT sector will be given on September 26, and the first semiconductor
eqipment design competition among students will take place on September
27. An international conference "The Development of IT in Countries
without Outlet to Sea" will be held in Yerevan on October 3-6, and the
gala-show of winners of the 3rd Eurasian contest of the World Summit
on the Information Society will take place on October 5-7. The 2nd
international DigiTec exhibition of information, telecommunication
and high technologies is scheduled for October 6-8. The 2006 events
dedicated to the IT sector will finish with a competition among
Armenian higher educational institutions (on October 8) and the Open
Source Programming Festival (on October 14). K.

Vardanian attached special importance to holding DigiTec, noting the
existence of all prerequisites for granting an international status
to this exhibition, with 11 big foreign companies having submitted
bids for participation in this event, including Mitsubishi-Electric,
Microsoft, National Instruments, Festo, Synopsys, Virage Logic. He
expressed a hope that the number of participants in Digitec will
double compared with 37 ones last year. Last year Digitec became the
largest IT exhibition in the South Caucasian region. In B.

Yengibarian’s words, the international conference on IT to be held
in September will mainly be dedicated to development of wireless
technologies. Such famous international companies as Sun Microsystems,
Microsoft, Intel, Alcatel will take part in the conference.