Armenian News...A Topalian...Please read these post throughly, you could save a life by contributing to a spastic issue by your campaign.

armradio.am 

SEVENTEEN MAGNITUDE 0.5-1.4 EARTHQUAKES REGISTERED 

IN ARMENIA
04 Mar 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Seventeen magnitude 0.5-1.4 earthquakes hit Armenia between 

07:03 and 09:24 a.m. today, the National Survey for Seismic Protection 

reports.

The quakes measured 1-2 at the epicenter (10 km southwest of 

Gave), according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. 

MOTION ON KHOJALY MASSACRE SUBMITTED TO 

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
APA, Azerbaijan
March 4 2016

Sandra White, MP from Scottish National Party, has submitted to the
Parliament of Scotland a motion on the Khojaly Massacre.

The parliament recognizes that 26 February 2016 marks the 24th
anniversary of the attack on the town of Khojaly in Azerbaijan by
the invading Armenian forces, the motion reads.

The document expresses sympathy to the families of the 613 men,
women and children who were killed during this attack, notes that the
UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884, which call
on the Armenian forces to end the occupation of Azerbaijan, remain
unfulfilled, is concerned about the recent reported escalation in
tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The events in Khojaly a sobering reminder of the terrible damage
that can be inflicted in wartime and the enduring need for greater
understanding, communication and tolerance among people around the
world. Azerbaijanis living in Scotland and around the globe observe
26 February every year as a day of remembrance, honoring the victims
of the Khojaly massacre, and hope that, through highlighting the
anniversary of the tragedy, international efforts to find a lasting
peaceful resolution to this long-standing conflict will be renewed,
the motion reads.

The document was developed thanks to the diplomatic activities and
efforts of the Azerbaijani community in Scotland.


news.am
ARMENIAN JOURNALIST JAILED IN TURKEY TO BE PLACED 

INTO SOLITARY CONFINEMENT?
04.03.2016

A court in Turkey ruled that well-known Istanbul Armenian writer,
linguist, journalist, and columnist Sevan NiÈ~Yanyan, who is serving
a prison sentence in Turkey, be placed into solitary confinement for
6 days.

The prison authorities had petitioned to the court with a request
to place NiÈ~Yanyan into solitary confinement, claiming that he had
offered a bribe to a prison officer, according to Hurriyet daily
newspaper of Turkey.

And the court ruled, without getting familiarized with the details,
that NiÈ~Yanyan be placed into a 6-day solitary confinement.

His attorney, however, maintained that this ruling has no legal basis
and they will appeal it.

Earlier, another ruling was made to have NiÈ~Yanyan be placed into
confinement, but it was revoked after the appeal.

Sevan NiÈ~Yanyan was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months for carrying
out illegal construction.

He has constantly raised the Armenian Genocide issue in Turkey,
and stood out by his fearless demeanor in this country.


massispost.com
TURKISH INTELLIGENCE AGENCY CATALOGUED HRANT DINK 

CASE UNDER 'ETHNIC SEPARATIST ACTIVITIES'
March 4, 2016

ISTANBUL -- A confidential National Intelligence Organization
(MIT) document published by the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos has
revealed that the intelligence organization had closely monitored
a trial related to the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink and regularly recorded the details in a document titled
"ethnic separatist activities." Cihan news agency reports based on
Today's Zaman article.

The document dates back to 2011 and is titled "Other ethnic separatist
activities" with a subtitle "Armenianism." The details about the Dink
trial are written under this subtitle.

The document, which is included in a new indictment recently
prepared on the murder of Dink, also reveals that MIT regularly
monitored non-Muslim minorities in addition to Armenians and that
the intelligence agency documented their activities similar to the
way they documented Dink's murder case.

According to the Agos report, the document in question was sent by MIT
to police departments across Turkey and to police intelligence units
in order to contribute to police activities. The document recorded
certain activities of Armenians, Greeks, Syriac Christians and the
other non-Muslim minorities living in Turkey between March 1 and
30, 2011.

The classified MIT document also reveals that the intelligence
organization also regularly monitored and documented the activities of
various civil society organizations and initiatives, such as People's
Houses, Student Collectives, the Mothers for Peace initiative, the
Brotherhood of the Rivers Platform and the Freedom and Solidarity Party
(ODP).

The document also shows that MIT monitored how Dink's family spent
compensation money paid to them by Turkey as a result of a European
Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling.

The ECtHR delivered its judgment on the Dink v. Turkey case on Sept.
14, 2010. In its ruling, the ECtHR found Turkey in violation of
Articles 2 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

These articles are related to the "right to life" and "freedom of
expression," respectively.

The MIT document states that Turkey paid 105,000 euros in compensation
to Dink's family on March 8, 2011, following the court's ruling. "In
this context, it was learned that the Dink family donated the
compensation in question to the Hrant Dink Scholarship Fund established
by the Community Volunteers Foundation to be used in educational
activities; to Getronagan Armenian High School for the purpose of
supporting the continuation of Armenian culture and education of the
Armenian language in Turkey; and to the Gedikpasa Armenian Protestant
Church to support educational activities for Armenian immigrant
children in Turkey," the confidential document states.

Dink was shot by 17-year-old Ogun Samast on Jan. 19, 2007 in front of
the office of Agos weekly, where Dink was the editor-in-chief. Samast
had links to ultranationalist organizations. Samast was given a
22-year prison sentence, while another suspect, Yasin Hayal, was
sentenced to life in prison for inciting Samast to commit murder.

A retrial began in September 2014 at the Istanbul 5th High Criminal
Court after the Supreme Court of Appeals in May 2013 overturned a lower
court's ruling that acquitted the suspects in the case of charges of
forming a terrorist organization. This decision paved the way for the
trial of tens of public officials on charges of voluntary manslaughter.

In December 2015 the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office
accepted an indictment against a number of public officials on
charges of negligence and misconduct in the Dink murder. Previously,
the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office twice returned the indictment
to prosecutor Gökalp Kökcu, who is overseeing the investigation,
allegedly for including the names of pro-government police officers as
suspects, such as National Police Department Police Chief Engin Dinc,
and demanding a prison sentence of up to 25 years for him.

Dinc was the head of the Trabzon Police Department's intelligence
unit at the time of the murder.


a1plus.am
FUNDRAISING FOR THE HOMELESS IN GYUMRI: 12 FAMILIES 

WILL HAVE HOMES
March 4,2016 

Twelve of the 13 homeless families in Armenia's second largest city
of Gyumri will have homes.

Talking to A1+, Aren Mkrtchyan, a member of the SOS Gyumri team, said
they have already purchased five apartments. Three more apartments
were purchased with the money raised through a fundraising event in
Yerevan and Gyumri in support of the 13 homeless families of Gyumri.

The organizers say four more families have been promised homes in
the near future.

In addition, the team has collected
22 000 pounds (AMD 15 million) through
the website of Crowdfunder, the UK's largest crowdfunding platform 

a1plus.am 

WORLD BANK: GDP GROWTH SLOWED IN ARMENIA TO 

3.0 PERCENT IN 2015
March 7,2016

World Bank has issued its monthly economic update on the performance
of Armenia's economy which is already available on WB's Facebook page.

According to the WB, GDP growth slowed in Armenia to 3.0 percent in
2015 in light of the weakening external conditions, in particular
Russia's recession. Despite the reduced exports to and remittances
from Russia, growth was stronger than expected due to one-off factors
including a good agriculture harvest and the opening of a new copper
mine. In 2016, growth is projected to remain sluggish at 2.5 percent
due to continued recession in Russia and structural weaknesses. The
economic activity index increased to 5.5 percent in January 2016
(y-o-y) supported by the tradable sector. The relative boost in
economic activity, including the agri-export expansion, is explained
by the base effect in January 2015 and needs to be maintained for a
few more months before suggesting any adjustments in projections.


epress.am
GENDER WAGE GAP IN ARMENIA NEARLY 36%, UN STUDY SAYS
03.07.2016 

In Armenia, women earn 35.9% less than what men are paid, United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Armenia Assistant Representative Garik
Hayrapetyan said at a press conference Monday, when presenting the
results of UNFPA's "Diagnostic Study on Discrimination Against Women
in Armenia 2015-2016." Meanwhile, according to the study, in European
Union member countries, there is a gender wage gap of 15.9 percent.

Restrictions on women's work, which, as stated by the official,
are also prevalent in Armenia, cause Armenia's GDP a yearly damage
of $50-60 million.

"Women are involved in areas - mainly non-competitive fields -
where wages are lower than [national] average. They work mostly in
the fields of agriculture, education, health, and culture. In the
financial sector, where wages are relatively high, jobs are mostly
held by men," independent expert Nvard Manasyan said.

Although, she added, 60% of government employees are women, they occupy
only lower-level positions, and 90% of senior positions are held by
men. "Therefore, women are not well represented at decision-making
levels." 

[issued on Women's International Day]

tert.am 

WOMEN MUST NEVER BE RIVALS TO MEN - ARMENIAN FEMALE MPS
08.03.16

They pointed out women's enhanced role in Armenia's society. On the
other hand, they do not share the opinion that the women's month is
going to be a period of gender inequality for males.

Karine Achemyan, an MP of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA),
pointed out Armenian women's naturally enhancing role in society.

"But I do not share the opinion on inequality during the women's
month. I have always believed that males and females are at
different levels. The woman must always play her due role, with the
man supporting her. In this respect, I think that women must never
compete with men. Rather, they must help men, and our country will
become stronger. That is, the male's role must never be at the expense
of the woman."

Armenia is a bearer of European values and mus be leader in protection
of rights of both women and men.

"But women are carrying out a great mission - the family. And I think
a healthy family is a great guarantee of the country's power. And the
woman must carry out her mission, but at the expense of her career."

Ms Achemyan wishes women good health and happiness.

March 8 is not a special day for Chairperson of the Prosperous Armenia
party Naira Zohrabyan.

"It is an ordinary day for me, and I do not think women should be
praised from March 8 to April 7. I am not fanatical about holidays
and I do not highlight a holiday dedicated to Clara Zetkin," she
told Tert.am.

On the other hamd Ms Zohrabyan wishes all women to be loved and
appreciated not only on March 8 and April 7.

"If you do not appreciate yourself, you are not respected," Ms
Zohrabyan said.

Naira Karapetyan, an MP of the RPA, says that women have always played
a great role in Armenian society.

"They have been keepers of home both literally and symblically. Now
we see they can do much morethan we can think of. They can take care
about their family, be active and successful in their work. And with
all of this, they can remain beautifl and cheerful."

Speaking of the role of males and females, Ms Karapetyan said:

"I dо not think Armenian society will reach a point when the woman
will be perceived equal to man in the true sense of the word. I am
working with men and I can say that women's work may at first sight
show they are equal to men. But their everyday attitude is favorable,
which is one of our society's achievements. I do not think a day will
come a man will not open the door for a woman."

Ms Karapetyan wants Armenian women to smile as often as possible.

"I wish our women to be happy and loved. Let it be not only March 8,
but men make all the other days of the year holidays for women,"
she said.

Lyudmila Sargsyan, an MP of the Armenian National Congress (ANC)
party, told Tert.am that the woman's special role is her motherhood.

"I think every person is aware of his or her important role. And men
appreciate it as well. I am not trying to consider women equal to men.

The woman has always been equal, but not all have realized their
equal rights.

"I wish Armenian women to be cheerful and string. If they are weak,
they cannot do anything. Armenian women are rather strong. Wish all
of us peaceful skies and no child must be bereaved of maternal love.

Let all mothers live a long life."