On July 23 Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan partook in the Divine Liturgy and solemn ceremonies dedicated to the 777th anniversary of dedication of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Gandzasar monastic complex in the Vank village of the Martakert region.
As information department sat the President’s Office reported, for substantial contribution to the realization of a number of philanthropic programs in the Artsakh Republic and in connection with the 777th anniversary of dedication of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Gandzasar monastic complex President Sahakyan awarded vice primate of the Artsakh diocese archimandrite Sahak Shaqaryan, philanthropists Varouzhan Baghramyan and Aram Frankyan with the "Gratitude" medal.
NKR National Assembly chairman Ashot Ghoulyan, foreign minister of the Republic of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan, other officials, representatives from Armenia and the Diaspora, as well as guests from abroad were present at the event.
ArmInfo.In the court of general jurisdiction of the Kentron and Nork Marash communities in Yerevan today, the session of the armed group was continued under the chairmanship of Judge Armen Bektashyan.
Prosecutor Armen Aramyan read out the indictments of 20 members of the group. According to these conclusions, former Deputy Defense Minister Vahan Shirkhanyan, having met Arthur Vardanyan, the head of the group, who came to Armenia from Spain, advised him to refrain from attacks on state institutions and to consider the achievement of regime change through the assassination of President Serzh Sargsyan.
In addition, Vahan Shirkhanyan promised to provide support to the army in these processes or ensure at least its neutrality, as he was personally acquainted with the then Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan. They also discussed the possibility of an explosion of the president's personal board during his regular foreign trip. The group also considered the possibility of striking at the presidential residence, the buildings of the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, the Government, as well as the Public Television of Armenia.
According to the indictment leader of the group Arthur Vardanyan, in April 2015 created a criminal group of RA citizens, members of the organized group illegally acquired, stored and transported a large number of weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices, pursuing the goal of a coup in Armenia. However, this intention was not carried out under circumstances independent of Vardanyan's will, since on December 25, 2015 the members of the group were exposed and rendered harmless.
Another member of the group, Anton Totonjyan, met in April 2015 with Arthur Vardanyan, who arrived from Spain, and financed the criminal group that Vardanyan founded. The trial was postponed due to poor health of Anton. The next meeting on this case will be held on July 28 at 11:00.
ArmInfo. The robots designed by the students of the Armenian Center for Creative Technologies "Tumo", coped well with the task set by the organizers of the international First Global Olympiad in robotics.
Armenian children succeeded in constructing robots that had been given to them at the olympiad, who were able to distinguish the blue balls from the red ones and in a limited time to collect their specific quantity in a certain place. The animals of "Tumo" cope with this task perfectly, nevertheless gave way to the team of the united Europe and Poland, but at the same time left 160 countries behind them.
"This is at first glance the task set by the organizers of the Olympiad does not seem too complicated, considering the progress that such technological direction as robotics is experiencing at the present stage, but for children – beginning designers it is rather difficult. We are glad that "Tumo" in the international arena continues to hold high the flag of Armenia, thereby justifying the numerous positive assessments that the center receives from the international expert community," ArmInfo was told in the center.
To note, the theme of this year on First Global was the problem of global dehydration and young participants of the Olympiad made their unusual technological contribution to it.
Armenian center of creative technologies "Tumo" recently entered the top ten most innovative schools in the world according to the French magazine We Demain. The center is not limited to working in the Armenian capital and has branches in Gyumri, Dilijan and the capital of Artsakh Stepanakert.
The Public Radio of Armenia has been awarded a special prize of the PR Association for contributing to the reinforcement of Armenia-Diaspora ties.
“Public Radio works for all world-spread Armenians,” Mark Grigoryan, Executive Director of Public Radio of Armenia, said addressing the award ceremony.
The Public Radio aims to raise issues and problems of common concern, rather than reinforce the Armenia-Diaspora relations, the Executive Director said.
Established in 2015 by “Armenian PR Association” scientific-Informational NGO, the Armenian PR Awards is an annual event that recognizes the best projects implemented in the PR sphere in Armenia and honors PR specialists by favoring the formation and development of PR culture in Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora.
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
Tuesday
ARMENPRESS named Best Media Of The Year by Armenian PR Association
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian PR Awards named ARMENPRESS
state news agency the best media of the year on July 18.
Naghash Martirosyan, the dean of YSU’s Faculty of Journalism bestowed
the award to Aram Ananyan, director of ARMENPRESS.
“This award is the result of our entire team's work. I am grateful to
our team, the organizers, and members of the jury for the high
assessment”, Aram Ananyan said.
The awarding event was organized by the “Armenian PR Association”
scientific-informational NGO, with the support of Beeline.
In addition to ARMENPRESS, Sputnik Armenia and Traveler weekly were
also nominated for the Best Media of The Year award.
Astghik Avetisyan, director of the Armenian PR Association said
they’ve scrutinized all ministries, the private sector, banking system
and generally nearly all sectors that deal with the public and use
communication as a method of management.
“We’ve delivered 2025 questionnaires to experts, we’ve monitored the
work of the media outlets, analyzed the issues and made proposals,
Avetisyan said.
Two new nominations were introduced this year, Innovative PR and PR
Technologies.
Beeline’s CEO Andrei Pyatakhin also received a special award for
valuing public relations and using literate communications
technologies.
The guests of the event included Diaspora minister Hranush Hakobyan,
Culture minister Armen Amiryan, politicians, diplomats and others.
Germany’s Ambassador H.E. Matthias Kiesler won the “Friend of Armenia” award.
Artak Beglaryan, the press secretary of Artsakh’s Prime Minister was
also among the laureates.
Armenian foreign ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan was named Press
Secretary of the Year.
Pope Francis’ visit to Armenia was named the Event of the Year.
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan was named Public Figure Of the Year,
while Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan won in the Politician of The Year
category.
The Aurora Humanitarian Award was named Initiative Of The Year, State
Agency Of The Year – the ministry of emergency situations, Innovative
PR of The Year – Tumo Center for creative technologies, Cultural PR of
The Year – Yerevan Prospects International Music Festival, PR
Technology Of the Year – Love Armenia – RPA.
After a difficult start to his Manchester United career, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has settled well into the rigours of English football, and ahead of the new campaign one competition above all others is on the Armenian's mind.
A goal against Los Angeles Galaxy in a comfortable 5-2 pre-season win underscored a decent individual performance, but it's the bigger challenges that await that clearly enthuse the 28-year-old.
He took time out of his schedule in the US to talk exclusively to MARCA in English's Jason Pettigrove.
As arguably the most famous Armenian footballer at one of the world's biggest clubs, do you feel under more pressure than ever to perform each week?
"It's an honour and responsibility at the same time.
"An honour to know that a whole nation is behind me and a responsibility to play as well as I can to keep their spirits up.
"It's very special to see how proud people are for you, though when I enter the pitch my focus is solely on football."
The scorpion kick goal….your best ever? Would you try it again?
"The scorpion goal was the best I've ever scored, although the winning goal in the Europa League final was the most important one.
"It [scorpion goal] wasn't something that I could plan ahead for.
"At that moment the only thing I could do was a back-heel it, which I did, and fortunately for me the ball went in."
What have you learned from your time in Manchester and, in your own words, what can you improve on?
"I am still learning every day and there are no limits to my future improvement.
"I will continue working as hard as I always have throughout my career."
Favourite moment from your time in England?
"In football, the best moments are the finals.
"Definitely lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy in Stockholm was a special one.
"We worked so hard to win the competition and now we are really looking forward to being back in the UEFA Champions League."
Realistically, what can United achieve this season?
"We always aim to win in every game and let's hope things will go in our way in every competition.
"We are a team that has Champions League in its DNA.
"Manchester United is the Champions League and the Champions League is Manchester United."
What are your own personal ambitions for the 2017/18 campaign?
"As a player, as well as an individual, I have my personal ambitions.
"But now it is time to give back to the club and our fans what they have been giving to us all those years.
"I will always give my best!"
Do you intend to develop a football academy in Armenia?
"I've thought about it and would love to develop the idea in the future to teach my football philosophy to the Armenian children."
Below is Armenian Foreign Minsiter Edward Nalbandian's speech delivered at the OSCE Informaal Ministerial meeting in Brussels
Mr Chairman,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank the Austrian Chairmanship and particularly Minister Sebastian Kurz for organizing this informal Ministerial discussion.
Joining efforts with a view to overcoming distrust and increasing confidence is enshrined in the birth certificate of this Organization, while dialogue and cooperation have been long identified as the instruments for achieving our common goals. We appreciate the Chairmanship’s initiative to once again apply to the foundations of the OSCE, since neither dialogue, nor cooperation can be taken as granted nowadays. We hope that this kind of discussions can contribute to reviving the true spirit of cooperation, being mindful that the most noticeable accomplishments of the OSCE have been secured through dialogue and compromise, political will and good faith.
The setbacks of our cooperation and erosion of trust do not merely limit to the existing disagreements on number of areas. Here we refer also to the abuse of the principle of consensus, the consequences of which go far beyond from damaging the trust, especially in the cases where there is none, but rather shaking the very essence of the OSCE which is designed to solve the issues through dialogue and cooperation and never through imposing the position of one participating State at the expense of all others and the entire Organization. Thus, the refusal of Azerbaijan to join the consensus on the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan damages not merely the integrity of the field missions of the OSCE but its capacity of inclusive cooperation in implementing the commitments. Azerbaijan failed to respect the OSCE commitments back home and eliminated the OSCE Office in its own country before it attacked and closed the OSCE last assets in the region.
The violation and abuse of shared norms and principles do not happen in a vacuum. It does not come as a surprise that this participating State found itself alone and in isolation in challenging the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The dire record of Azerbaijan’s noncompliance encompasses all three dimensions of the OSCE. The leadership of Azerbaijan uses every opportunity to boast about multiculturalism allegedly cultivated by them. In reality thousands masterpieces of Armenian cultural and historic heritage, sacred sites, churches, monasteries, cross stones destroyed and erased by Azerbaijan testify to the contrary. The 2016 report of the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance states: “Political leaders, educational institutions and media have continued using hate speech against Armenians; an entire generation of Azerbaijanis has now grown up listening to this hateful rhetoric”. It is this generation raised in the environment of such propaganda that again and again commits despicable crimes. How could the leadership of Baku talk about multiculturalism at the same time declaring that “all Armenians of the world are number one enemies of Azerbaijan”? Probably it considers this to be part of Baku’s self-proclaimed “intelligent power". There is nothing smart in trying to mislead the international community, especially those countries that do not have, difficulty to find out the truth, to warn their citizens of the Armenian origin to avoid visiting Azerbaijan, where they will be subjected to outrageous racist discriminating practice on the basis of their ethnicity.
Mr Chairman,
In April 2016 Azerbaijan unleashed a large scale aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh that was accompanied by the grave violations of international humanitarian law, atrocities against the civilian population, including children, women and elderly persons, mutilation of the bodies, Daesh-style beheadings, which have been condemned by international community.
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries initiated Summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg aimed at overcoming the consequences of Azerbaijan’s aggression as well as at creating conducive conditions for the advancement of the negotiation process.
During the Vienna Summit it was particularly agreed upon and then reconfirmed in St. Petersburg to establish the OSCE mechanism for investigation of the ceasefire violations; to increase the number and enhance the capacity of the OSCE monitors on the line of contact between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The commitment on the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict was reiterated, the strict adherence to the 1994-1995 ceasefire agreements was emphasised.
Trust and confidence are built when agreements are implemented. With this understanding Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh gave their consents to implement the mentioned high level agreements. Azerbaijan backtracked from those agreements as it had done with prior commitments many times before. This attitude of Azerbaijan questions its credibility for being a party to negotiations, which honours its agreements.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In the framework of the OSCE trust means first of all trust into Organization and its ability to address eminent security challenges in Europe. We firmly believe that based on the proposals of the Co-Chairs the OSCE should enhance its presence on the ground in the conflict zone on more permanent and stronger basis. In this respect the OSCE could help all parties to the conflict to respect ceasefire, avoid military escalation and build trust and confidence. The OSCE is an organization which was created on the lessons of history and history teaches us on many occasions that war is an outcome of misperception and miscalculation of security environment while peace is an outcome of trust. Azerbaijan has chosen a different path.
People on all sides of the conflict deserve to know who pushes them to the path of loss and suffering. Identifying the security threats in impartial and responsible manner is important for credibility of this Organization as well.
We took note that in their statement the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs identified Azerbaijan as a party who first resorted to the violence. This has been far not the first appeal of the Co-Chairs addressed directly to Azerbaijan. On previous occasions the Co-Chairs have made a number of clear cut statements calling Baku to refrain from the escalation of the situation, to reaffirm the commitment to peaceful settlement of the issue, to refrain from criticizing the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries and to respect their mandate, give up efforts to shift the conflict resolution to other formats, to agree to the establishment of investigation mechanism of ceasefire violations. In response to Azerbaijan’s claims that tried to question the validity of the ceasefire agreements of 1994 and 1995, the Co-Chairs clearly stated that these agreements have no time limitation and should be strictly adhered to.
However, Azerbaijan ignores all appeals of the Co-Chair countries and continues to stick to its highly destructive attitude at the negotiation table and provocative actions in the conflict zone.
On July 4th the Azerbaijani leadership once again resorted to the tactics of notorious terrorist organizations and as many times before used its civilian population as a human shield for shelling the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh by heavy weaponry, including by multiple rocket launcher systems. In response, the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh was obliged to exercise self-defense against the aggressive actions of the Azerbaijani side. Baku clearly demonstrated that it is not capable to comprehend the appeals of the Co Chairs.
As long as Azerbaijan fails to respect its international commitments in compliance with 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements, refuses to implement the Vienna and St. Petersburg Summit commitments, especially on the creation of the mechanism for investigation of the ceasefire violations, that can become also a mechanism for prevention of escalation, Baku bears full responsibility for all consequences for such behaviour.
This stresses once again the imperative for the international community to consider more tangible means to curb Azerbaijan.
We are bound together to advance the cause of peace and security through the OSCE. We will continue to be actively involved in all efforts aimed at building cooperation, consent and trust in the OSCE area.
Set during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, Terry George's film sheds light on the nightmares Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians have lived with for decades – the brutal massacre and genocide of millions, and the denial that it ever happened.
ANASTASIA TSIRTSAKIS
The release of Terry George's The Promise has been awaited around the world with great anticipation. So much so, that before the film was even made available for public viewing, it had tens of thousands of reviews online, many of which were one-star ratings with comments including "F**king liars made a movie about so-called Armenian genocide" and "This is a lesson that you don't f**k with Turks". But it was never going to be smooth sailing, rehashing such a controversial point in history.
For Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians the world over, the film's release was a relief. Familiar with the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide through the memories of Pontic Greeks, I understood what it would mean for those who had grown up hearing about their relatives losing their homes, their way of life, and loved ones at the outset of World War I, seeing 1.5 million Armenians, 750,000 Pontic Greeks and 500,000 Assyrians killed between 1915 and 1922. While horrors such as these can never, and should never, be forgotten, the memories are particularly raw a hundred years on as the Turkish government continues to deny it ever happened.
The historical drama, written by Terry George and Robin Swicord, starts off in the lead-up to the genocide at the turn of the century in the small Armenian village of Sirun, where Mikel (Oscar Issac) is negotiating a betrothal with a local girl in a bid to move to Constantinople with the money from her dowry to pursue studies in medicine.
Once in the city, he meets with his uncle, a wealthy merchant, through whom he is introduced to Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), an intelligent and beautiful Armenian woman who was mostly raised in France. There is an undeniable energy between them, which quickly sees a love triangle develop; Ana is involved with Chris (Christian Bale), a Paris-based American journalist who is passionate about documenting the mounting tensions between the Turks and local Armenian population.
When tensions truly break out with the start of the First World War, Mikel is exempt from joining the military but is taken prisoner in a labour camp.
One thing leads to another – it's a drama after all – and Mikel finds his way back to Sirun where he is urged by his mother to fulfil his promise to marry his betrothed. But just as he appears to be adjusting to village life, the Turkish military continue to make their way through sites once peacefully inhabited by Armenian families, tearing them apart.
While the romantic plot is consistent throughout and the aesthetic is Hollywood-esque, for those aware of the film's historical significance any argument that the 'romantic saga' overpowers the true narrative at play seems more so to call into question the viewers' ability to feel empathy.
The pain, loss, confusion, uncertainty, and pure fear communicated on screen, namely by Issac's strong onscreen performance, are undeniable.
While the history is of the early 1900s, it is as relevant as ever when it comes to the displacement of people. One cannot help but draw parallels between the minority of Armenians who escaped and are seen being saved on boats by their French ally, with the recent ongoing refugee crisis that has seen some 200,000 Syrian refugees arrive on Greece's shores.
The romantic complexity hasn't rated highly amongst critics, and while admittedly unoriginal, it does well in bringing the storyline closer to home for those who cannot identify with the migrant experience. Everyone has fallen in love at least once no? (If not, see point one about empathy.)
It's questionable how long it would have taken for a film of this calibre to be made about the genocide, had it not been for the late Armenian American philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian who donated the entire $90 million budget.
While only grossing US$8 million at the box office, it's evident that the large budget, along with the involvement of A-listers like Bale, was not in vain but rather worked to garner as much attention as possible to the history, and the cause.
So far more than 20 countries, and two Australian states, have recognised the massacre as a genocide, and while not adequate, The Promise as a film – admittedly with its imperfections – has already proven useful in spurring dialogue about the atrocities carried out against the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian peoples; a painful reality passed on through generations.
When it comes to historical memory, much can be taken from the German approach, where the willingness and open approach to discussing the Jewish Holocaust is striking. In my own experience with guides and locals, the reason cited is that by being completely transparent about the wrongdoings of the past, by recognising them, and choosing to never forget, that it will help in moving forward and prove as a reminder for future generations of a time they would not want to repeat.
While The Promise is a film and not in fact a historical record, as the credits roll and authentic photographs from the time depict people being killed and others on boats being transferred to safety, you can't help but wonder; how can each successive Turkish government have continued to deny such atrocities? And what will people continue to be capable of if this denial continues?
The Bargain Hunt presenter, 75, on his legendary colour, wheeling and dealing in his childhood, and why he’s not ready to retire just yet…
BYROSIE HOPEGOOD
07:00, 25 JUN 2017
TV
David is back on our screens (Photo: Rex)
David Dickinson is ambling his way across his living room, a mug of steaming tea in each hand. He may well be famous for his extensive antiques knowledge and his cult following – equal part grannies and daytime-telly-watching students – but for most people, the first thing that comes to mind when they think of David is that tan!
"The funny thing is," he says, handing me one of the cups of tea, "I’ve done adverts for tea, beer, McDonald’s… but I’ve never been asked to do a tanning advert. I’d definitely say yes."
We’re not so sure that David’s somewhat atomic glow is something people will aspire to. Although to be fair, in real life he’s less of a Wotsity hue, and more a perfect match for the well-brewed cuppa in my hand. But he’s warming to the subject, so it’s best to let him roll…
"I was on Big Star, Little Star recently with my grandson, and the presenter was angling to get him to say what sort of tanning products I use," he says, sipping his skin-tone tea. "Jonathan Ross calls me the orange man. But I’ve got olive skin from my Armenian heritage, and my real secret is getting as many holidays in as I can."
His wife of 47 years, Lourne, lets out a squeal from the sofa, where she’s been nodding along enthusiastically.
"He’s an absolute sun worshipper. I wheel him out in the morning, and he just lies here like this…" she mimes David supine on a sun lounger, mouth agog and arms limp by his side.
Hmmm. Can it be true? Or is his bathroom bursting at the seams with bottles of St Tropez? There’s only one way to find out, and we ask to pop to the loo. David guides me through to a library room, floor-to-ceiling with leather-bound tomes, taps a button on a book and a secret door pops out. There’s no fake bake here, but it’s clear we’ve underestimated this man – who knows what else is hidden behind secret doors.
Naturally, David’s house, a converted barn in Cheshire, is packed to the rafters with bobby dazzlers: a huge ceremonial sword above the fireplace, a snow leopard rug on the floor, big twee paintings of girls in pink bonnets, and photos of a younger David with a magnificent black mullet alongside his glamour-puss wife in her cabaret singing days.
Back in the sitting room, he’s seated in what is essentially a throne: an enormous, winged tapestry chair that could, quite frankly, only be found in David Dickinson’s house. Fair enough. He is the king of antiques, and this is very much his castle.
But things could have been very different. David once served three years in Strangeways Prison for fraud (‘I took a wrong turn and had a rap over the knuckles,’ he says vaguely), then many years later, at the age of 57, he was living a very ordinary life buying and selling antiques when he met a TV producer at his daughter’s barbecue, who declared that David was ‘the real life Lovejoy’.
Enter a little TV show called Bargain Hunt and David was catapulted to stardom. The viewing figures crept up until they overtook This Morning as the most watched daytime TV show. Suddenly, David had an overwhelming number of fans, receiving up to a thousand letters a week at one point. The show was popular with students because ‘it was on at the time they fell about of bed’.
Nowadays, David can’t get on an aeroplane to one of his tan-top-up holidays without someone yelling, 'You won’t get any bargains here!’ He’s even (sort of) healed the sick."We were in Barbados last week," he says, running a hand through his demi-mullet, "when a man came over a bit gingerly and said that I was his idol. He’d been in a serious industrial accident and said it was because of me he’d got better. He was lying there under sedation, then I popped up on the telly all, “Hello, how are you?”’ David pauses to wave manically and grin like the Cheshire Cat. ‘Apparently, I was giving him the message that he was going to beat the illness. Of course, I wasn’t really, but he believed it."
Lourne, who has been rummaging in kitchen cupboards, is making her way back with a plate of choccy biscuits. She nods seriously as she places them on the coffee table.
"He has a lot of big fans," she says. "He was doing the shopping in Marks & Spencer’s recently, and women kept banging their trolleys into his to get his attention!"
David sips more tea thoughtfully. "Sometimes you go on holiday and you’re on a beach in the middle of nowhere, and someone comes along and goes, 'Well, what are you doing here?'" he mimes an OTT double-take. "And you think, 'P*ss off!'"
He’s now back in the limelight with a new antiques-themed gameshow, Name Your Price. But before his rise to fame, David tells us that life wasn’t always so easy. Adopted as a baby, David grew up in a family where money was tight.
"Coming from a working-class background has helped keep me down-to-earth," he says. "I remember well not having any money, but now I’m older and I’ve got a foot in both camps. I’ve been very lucky all my life, always making money… Maybe I’ve got natural trading ability within my DNA. By the age of 14, I was buying wheels and selling them to other kids for their go-karts."
It’s this start in life that colours his attitude to some troublesome children from a local estate. One young boy smashed one of David’s windows, and, furious, he rang the police. But by the time the police got there, he’d cooled off and thought, ‘What the hell am I doing?’
Instead, David enlisted him to help in the garden. "I got to know him during that time, and I gave him a bike that my son didn’t seem to care much about. The kid couldn’t believe it, it was like he’d met God and God had said, 'Here, have this.'"
David on I'm A Celeb in 2005(Photo: Daily Mirror)
David and Lourne have their own children, Rob and Katrina, both in their 50s, and they are doting grandparents to three grandkids.
David has already said (twice) that he can’t talk for long today, as they’re busy packing for a trip to Malaga (obviously). But here’s a man who likes a chat, particularly if it involves as many diverse and lengthy tangents as possible.
The conversation swings wildly from the time his son was a chef on a cruise ship (‘The obese Americans were rattling the buffet hall doors at one minute to midnight, desperate to get in!’) to what he thinks of foreign aid (‘The African leaders are over here buying crocodile-skin shoes on Bond Street while the rest of them starve!’), and the wealthy Saudi business partner who’d arrive for dinner bearing extravagant gifts (‘He’d come with a set of crystal glasses and embroidered towels, and I’d say, “Christ, Iman, can you stop this? We’re having fish and chips!”’).
But all those miniature tanning oils won’t pack themselves, so eventually it’s time for us to leave. At 75, David’s not getting any younger, but with the rate he holidays and appears on our screens, he’s showing no sign of slowing.
"At the moment I feel fit and active. I enjoy what I do and I’m obviously well paid, so it would be silly to stop. But fame is a fickle friend," he says, leaning back in his tapestry throne. "However, if you’d asked me that question 20 years ago, I would have said the same thing – and the work just keeps coming."
Glad to hear it, David. We don’t know where we’d be without our regular dose of tantastic antiques.
David on his new show Name Your Price(Photo: ITV)
"This show is a classic gameshow with antiques thrown in. I scoured the country for really unusual and interesting items. I tell the story of the valuable item, along with a couple of made-up stories about some cheap-as-chips items. The contestants then have to guess the bobby dazzler from the duds to win a big cash prize."
How did you spend last Sunday?
We were at home, sitting in the sunshine with a glass of something nice.
Gym day or lazy day?
When I was going to the jungle for I’m A Celeb…, I did about a month at the gym to get ready. Now people ask, ‘Are you a member of a keep fit gym?’ and I say no. Now I tell Lourne, ‘That’s my gym [points to the neatly-mown lawn].’
Running errands or pampering?
I don’t have a to-do list, but I know what needs doing. Lourne lets me think I’m the master of my own home… Any girls who know what they’re doing let their man think they’re in charge, but we know we’re not really.
Hungover or fresh as a daisy?
We have a nice glass of wine or a cocktail on the weekend, although sometimes we say we won’t drink anything for a few days. It’s too easy to drink every night when you open the bottle.
Lazy lie-in or up with the lark?
Lourne gets up really early, but if I’m not working I’ll get up at 9am. When I was on Strictly, Bruce told me he’d stay in bed all day on Sunday after the show. I thought, ‘Really, Bruce?!’ but now I completely understand. I’m comatose by Monday.Weekend away or Sunday brunch at home?
When I’m not filming, it’s a nice treat for us to have a good meal, a cocktail and a movie at home. I’m very lucky with work – I stay at five-star hotels four nights a week, so it’s nice to be at home.
Christian Bale (left) and Charlotte Le Bon (right) are involved in a love triangle in The Promise. PHOTO: SHAW ORGANISATION
Meher Tatna
Entertainment Columnist
Reporting from Los Angeles
Jun 14, 2017
Christian Bale is not a chatty actor.
It's difficult to pull answers out of the usually serious guy.
But at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills, when we meet to discuss his new film The Promise, the 43-year-old Briton actually seems happy to talk.
Perhaps the seriousness of the historical drama – set against the backdrop of the Armenian genocide during and after World War I – requires some lightness, or maybe he's just become a little more comfortable doing press interviews.
He's casually dressed, the movie star beard in place, as is the sexy Welsh accent, and he actually smiles once in a while.
When asked why he chose this role, Bale even laughs and jokes that his American wife of 17 years, Sibi, picks them for him.
He said: "She is a large part of that – if she gives the nod of approval or not on it.
"It's a lot like my approach to acting. I don't know anything about acting, I just know about the characters that I play.
"So it's the same thing with a script. Does it stick in my head? That's really it.
"Do I keep thinking about it afterwards? I purposely try to forget about it and then the ones that keep hammering away in my head or making me sit up at night thinking about, those are the ones I want to work on."
Opening here on June 22, The Promise sees Bale playing a photojournalist who is involved in a love triangle.
It's certainly a far cry from the role he is best known for, Batman, which he has played three times in The Dark Knight trilogy.
On the eve of WWI, Chris Myers (Bale) arrives in Constantinople accompanied by his Armenian lover Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) to cover the chaos that has consumed the city for the Associated Press. When she meets medical student Mikael (Oscar Isaac), their shared heritage leads to an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men.
Meanwhile, the Ottoman empire has turned against its ethnic minorities, leading to one of the least known tragedies in history, as 1.5 million Armenians are exterminated.
Turkey has always denied its role in the genocide, which has all but disappeared from history books.
All profits of this US$100 million (S$138.4 million) epic have been pledged to charity.
Bale admits he wasn't aware of the Armenian genocide before doing The Promise.
"To my shame, I knew nothing about it when I first got sent the script."
Despite the controversy that still exists, he remains very comfortable with his choice.
"In doing the research, it seemed to become clear to me that it was the right thing to do. And I certainly wouldn't feel good about myself if I shied away from doing the right thing.
"Did I have some people say to me, 'Come on mate, you don't want to get mixed up in that, don't bother'?
"Yeah, people were saying that. But every time anyone says don't do something, I always want to do it more."
The research – including conversations with experts and watching related documentaries – was considerable.
"I couldn't get through all of the books that I was given to read. I was given a library, and I am a slow reader…
"(Director) Terry (George) and I would have dinner the night before filming another scene, and he would give me a (thick) book and go, 'Oh, here's a bit of reading before you fall asleep'. That didn't happen," he says wryly.
Bale, who lives in Los Angeles, also feels strongly about the importance of journalism in the world, especially today with US President Donald Trump in the White House.
"Listen, there's never been a more vital conversation about the need for great journalism and for the real versions of the Chris Myers of the world, since a certain individual became the leader of our country."
What will be interesting for Bale's fans is to see him in his next role, that of former US vice-president Dick Cheney in an untitled biopic written and directed by Adam McKay, who in 2015 worked with Bale in The Big Short.
Cheney has often been referred to as Darth Vader by his detractors, and this has to be a script that kept Bale up at night to make him take the part.