–NATO–EU Hail Russian Pledge
MOSCOW (AFP/Reuters)–Moscow and Tbilisi have completed an agreement on the pullout by the end of 2008 of Russia’s last two Soviet-era military bases in Georgia–a deal that could allow the establishment of other foreign bases there.
"The final pullout will be finished during 2008," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks [...]

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Draws Parallels between Darfur and Armenian Genocides at White House Vigil
WASHINGTON–DC–Armenian Americans from the Greater Washington–DC area joined with local student leaders and community activists this week to protest the ongoing Genocide in Darfur–Sudan. Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) was among speakers at the May 25 White House [...]

BEIRUT (Combined Sources)–Heeding the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s (ARF) call to boycott the Beirut district elections–the majority of Armenia’s stayed home in Sunday’s first stage of the staggered election to the 128-member assembly.
In heavily Armenian populated areas such as Ashrafieh–the effects of the boycott were apparent with only 17 percent voter turnout.
Overall low voter turnout–only 28 [...]

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Tens of thousands of people–among them President Robert Kocharian–formed a human chain around Armenia’s highest mountain on Saturday in a dance that celebrated the 87th anniversary of the restoration of Armenian statehood.
The traditional Armenian circle dance took place along the 163-kilometer perimeter of the sprawling Mount Aragats and was meant to symbolize "national unity" [...]

ISTANBUL (BBC News)–The Turkish parliament has approved changes to a new penal code–a key condition for the start of European Union membership talks. The code will come into effect at the beginning of June.
The last-minute changes came after journalists said that some clauses were highly restrictive of media freedom.
Turkey is due to start entry talks [...]

The following–published in the Washington Times–is a response to Turkish Ambassador Faruk Logoglu’s May 3–2005 commentary "To reconcile Turks and Armenia’s," which also appeared in the Washington Times.
Last Tuesday’s Commentary contribution by Turkish Ambassador O. Faruk Logoglu was a vivid reminder the Turkish government still rigidly clings to its unseemly denial of the Armenian [...]

US Rep. Frank Pallone–Jr. (D-NJ)–co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues–criticized the cancellation of a conference on the Armenian Genocide in Turkey that was scheduled to begin yesterday. The New Jersey congressman gave the following statement on the House floor on Wednesday.
"Mr. Speaker–I rise today to voice my outrage and great disappointment about a [...]

By Margo Kline
Jonathan Alpeyrie is a serious young man who speaks in low–steady tones as he describes his life–spent flying to the far-and most troubled-corners of the Earth.
He has been a bird of passage since starting college at the University of Chicago in 1998–spending summers chasing exotic locales while working as a photojournalist. He landed [...]

ARF delegate delivers speech on Mid-East peace
(SI)–Tel Aviv and Ramallah were the stage for Socialist International’s Council meeting on May 23-24–with the participation of leaders and representatives from its member parties and organizations from around the world.
Representatives from the Armenia Revolutionary Federation (ARF)–included Bureau member Mario Nalbandian–along with Hagop Sevan–Manuel Hasassian–and Georgette Avakian. Nalbandian was [...]

By Tamar Mahshigian
LOS ANGELES–As Armenia’s worldwide commemorated the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide–university students at California State University–Northridge and UCLA joined in organizing unique events that honored the memory of the 1.5 million innocent lives brutally taken under Ottoman rule.
At Cal State Northridge–the Armenian Student Association and its companion fraternity and sorority groups held [...]

–Discussion of Armenian genocide silenced again
WASHINGTON–DC (ANCA)–In yet another move marking a series of Turkish government actions to quash freedom of speech and prevent open discussion about the Armenian genocide–the Turkish Government compelled scholars from three universities in Turkey–on May 24–to indefinitely postpone a conference that would have focused on this crime against humanity.
"The Turkish [...]

System of a Down has done it again. The band’s fourth album–"Mezmerize" (American Recordings/Columbia Records)–enters the Billboard/SoundScan chart in the Number One position–as did their CD "Toxicity" when it was released in September–2001. Since the release of "Mezmerize" on May 17–the CD has scanned an astounding 453,000 copies domestically.
"Mezmerize" is the first disc in a [...]

BRUSSELS–Reminding legislators that "genocide denial is not the expression of an opinion but the continuation of the crime of genocide," several groups–including the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD)–have asked the Belgian Senate to adopt concise language that clearly criminalizes denial of the Armenian genocide.
In the next few days–the Belgium Senate will examine [...]

SAN FRANCISCO–Continuing on their outstanding success in San Francisco and New York in 2004–the Armenian Film Festival committee is presenting "San Francisco Armenian Film Festival 2006." The event is scheduled for February 2006 at the Delancey Street Theater.
The film festival presents Armenian culture from throughout the world–in all its living diversity–and is committed to screening [...]