Photojournalism in Armenia is in a poor state. As a rule, newspapers place politicians’ portrays and archive pictures on their pages while in the years of soviet era several journalists were working in each newspaper. Yerevan Pedagogical Institute students gathered today at “Moskva” cinema-hall to watch a film of Ruben Mangasaryan, the head of “Patker” (“Image”) photo agency and leading photojournalist. The film based on Manngasaryan’s...

Radio and Television National Commission set date for broadcasting frequencies tender. Contenders’ proposals are to be opened and considered on January 31. A1+ TV Company applied for 4 frequencies, which are now occupied by Yerevan TV, TV 5, Armen-Akob and Dar XXI companies. Noyan Tapan will be a challenger to EV company, which re-transmits CNN channel’s program. Winners are to be announced on February 4. The Commission also declined five...

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Roland Sharoyan considers 2002 as “unprecedentedly productive” . 999 performances were played in 15 theatres. Song State Theatre organised 47 concerts. By the means of “Leense” Fund construction works in 40 culture institutes were carried out. The Minister says 2002 was a year of achievements though there were failures, in sport sphere in particular. In spite of the optimistic report of Sharoyan, Government...

TV and Radio National Committee will hold a session on January 23, at 6: 00 PM. The days and hours of TV and Radio National Committee’ sessions for discussing the tender proposals by participants of licensing tenders / the tenders were announced for the 27-th, 31-st, 39-th, 51-st and 58-th decimetre frequencies in Yerevan on October 15, 2002/ for TV programs broadcasting and choosing the best organisations will be discussed at the session.

Today, Armenian capital’s whole area turned into pedestrian walkway. Cars and public transport almost disappeared from Yerevan’s streets. The thing is that this is the third day since gas supply from neighbouring republic of Georgia is ceased because of breakdown and 90% of the minibuses comprising the bulk of Yerevan public transport used to be fuelled by gas. And what about city's residents, they are left with no alternative but to walk on...

The first instance court of Nork-Marash district of Yerevan is to deliver a verdict Monday on the six suspects accused in attacking Artashes Beglaryan, who is husband of Constitutional Court Chair Gagik Harutyunyan’s daughter. All the accused, except Marina Ispiryan, plead not guilty at yesterday’s court hearing. It is worth to be noted, that other five suspects’ apprehension was based on Marina’s...

On January 20 Noyan Tapan News Agency put in an application to TV and Radio National Committee for taking part in the licensing tender for the 58-th frequency range of Yerevan /CNN broadcasts on it/. Ishkhan Vartanyan, Head of Licensing Department of Committee, says there are little shortcomings in the documents introduced and Noyan Tapan has 10 days to correct them . Vartanyan also thinks the...

Today the Court of Appeal left unchanged the decision of the Economic Court regarding the tender proposal of Noyan Tapan News Agency . TV and Radio National committee, headed by Grigor Amalayan, has been sustaining a defeat in the Armenian Court for the second time. Amalyan doesn’t want to comment on the decision and says Committee will hold a session to determine the further schedule for conducting...

“WFI Consulting” British company’s three specialists embarked on audit of “Armentel” company. However, it isn’t ruled out that auditors number increase because this large-scale research is expected to require more specialists. Justice Ministry sources said that British specialists met Wednesday with the “Armentel” administration, which displayed willingness to create favorable conditions for auditors that would enable them to scrutinize...

October 27 terrorist action hearing didn’t take place on January 16, as it was scheduled, because of the judge Samvel Uzunyan’s health problems. Former police officer Avetis Tashchyan is to be examined at the next court session to be held on January 20. Witness Tashchyan made only a short testimony at the January 15 hearing. On that ominous day, when the crime was committed, he was a policeman of one of the Parliament House’s checkpoints.

Judge Samvel Uzunyan announced for break, saying “Put the hall in order!” . That meant to bring defendant Karen Hunanyan to the Court hall /he was deprived of the right to take part in the sessions/. Case victim MP Harutyun Gharagyozyan appeared before the Court. He wasn’t examined long. He confirmed his preliminary inquest testimony. “I left the Hall at 10: 00 PM when Vazgen Sargssyan’s...

Today Ara Karakhanyan, former policeman and October 27 case witness continues to keep silence. “I don’t know, I don’t remember” , he answered only. He also said he remembered someone bearded who first had left the Parliament Hall.

Oleg Yunoshev, Aram Sargssyan’s attorney in the October 27 terrorist action trial, expressed his concern over witnesses’ security saying 5 of them already died under obscure circumstances. They were key witnesses on the case who possessed important information and vital pieces of evidence, Yunoshev said at today’s press conference. Aram Sargssyan’s attorney also said that there are a number...

On January 13, at 3: 00 AM, fire broke out at the territory of the private houses in the 2-nd street of Verin Shengavit Commune of Yerevan . 6 houses burnt – 2 to the ground, 4 partly. Fire crew managed to put out fire within 3 hours. Under the data by Emergency State Department, there is no casualty . Only 150 square metres territory burnt . Fire causes are not known yet. Version of short...

Today the participants of October 27 trial tried to find out whether witness Ara Karakhanyan ” was embarrassed or he was just too cunning”. “3 years passed, I don’t remember”, he answered all the questions of the Prosecution or kept silent. The terror day former policeman Ara Karakhanyan was on duty at the doors of Parliament Hall, in the Green Hall. After the shots he went down to the service room, then was sent to the militia unit of...

Members of “Liberated Territories Defence”, academician Rafayel Ghazaryan, people’s painter Sargiss Muradyan released a statement on January 13 which particularly says: “Sincerely condoling with Tigran Naghdalyan’s relatives on his loss, we can’t help expressing our anxiety over the arrests that followed Tigran’s murder. The matter is that only the volunteers of Artsakh liberation struggle, having opposed against the statements...

Yerevan streets look like this in the evening. In spite of the sunny weather during the day, heavy fog covered the city within counted minutes at evening. Nature “surprise” has bad impact on the traffic. Wrecking states and traffic jams occur periodically.

On January 10 the 5-th and the 6-th power units of 25 megawatt each of Kanaker HEPS were re-exploited , thus giving a chance to increase electric power production volume in Armenia by 64 million kilowatt /h annually . President Robert Kocharyan was as well present at the measure for power units re-exploitation. Exploitation of the 5-th power unit of Kanaker HEPS was stopped in 1995 because...

On January 9, First Instance Court of Kentron and Nork-Marash Communes of Yerevan, under chairmanship of Judge Saro Aramyan, basing upon the 130-132 and 163 articles of Armenian Law Code on Civil Legal Procedure, made a decision to refuse the claim by Raffi Hovhannissyan, founder of Armenian Centre for National and International Studies, regarding the amendments to N 907 decree by president . Court...

”A1+” TV Company staff wishes everybody a happy New Year and Merry Christmas and informs that both “Ayb-Fe” Daily and Internet site will begin working in full swing from January 13.

Today the First Instance Court postponed hearing of Raffi Hovhannissyan’s claim till tomorrow. Decision was made at request of the answering side. The one to answer was Artashes Kakoyan, the president’s representative. Let’s remind that the first Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs had appealed to court demanding to declare himself as a citizen of Armenia since 1991. According to the claim statement, president took no steps for...

Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, today strongly condemned the assassination of Tigran Naghdalian, Chairman of the Public TV and Radio Council in Armenia, and expressed his condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Tigran Naghdalian was, for many years, one of the most prominent journalists in Armenia. As Chairman of the Public TV and Radio Council, he was overseeing...

October 27 trial was broken to day and will continue on January 8, 2003. It became known today that witness Anjela Sahakovna, former employee of Parliament pass bureau, won’t appear before the coming trials. The Police informed the Court she has been to Russia with her family for 2 years and it n is not known where exactly she is at present. “There was 1 gun and 2 rifles in the safe of a guarding service room of Parliament at the time of...

On the initiative of Publishers’ Union, discussion over bill on “Publishing Activity” was arranged. Heads of publishing houses, people having concern with the sphere, Justice Deputy Minister took part in it. The bill was sent to 28 organisations interested but only 8 out of them made suggestions and remarks to it. Publishers emphasise the issue over state support in the new bill, saying almost all the states support publishers. Vahagn...