Author: Takmazian

California Cops Nab 2 Armenians for Identity Theft
2010/02/27 | 11:40

world

Polic e arrested two men from Armenia on Friday suspected of running a
sophisticated credit card skimming operation that may have cost San
Francisco Bay Area motorists hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The suspects, identified as David Karapetyan, 31, and Zhiraya
Zamanyan, 30, were being held at County Jail in Martinez on more than
a dozen counts of identity theft and other crimes.

The suspects live in or near Los Angeles. Karapetyan was arrested on
suspicion of conspiracy and 14 counts of identity theft. He was also
booked on an immigration hold because he is an Armenian national,
Martinez police Sgt. Jon Sylvia said to the Contra Costa Times.

Zamanyan was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy and 16 counts of
identity theft.

As of Friday, skimmers – electronic devices capable of stealing credit
card information – had been found on gas pumps in Martinez, Hayward,
Oakland and Sacramento. Unlike traditional gas skimmers, placed on the
outside of pumps, these were inserted inside the pumps, concealing
them from unsuspecting gas customers.

Investigators are not sure how many victims the two men had, but with
losses of $1,500 to $2,000 per victim, the suspects `without a doubt’
stole at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, Sgt. Jon Sylvia said.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Feb 26 2010

Azeri defense chief warns of looming war threat

26-02-2010 05:50:23
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev has warned that the South
Caucasus region would face an imminent threat of an all-out war unless
Armenia, which occupies part of its neighbor’s territory, ends its
long-standing invasion.
`If invader Armenia fails to free Azerbaijani land, the eruption of a
big war in the South Caucasus will be inevitable,’ Abiyev said while
hosting French Ambassador in Baku, Gabriel Keller, on Thursday,
according to the Defense Ministry.
The minister noted that international negotiators have not been able
to accomplish any result in settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict for fifteen years.
`Azerbaijan can’t wait for fifteen more years. Now, the military has a
say, and this threat is increasingly approaching,’ the defense chief
warned.
Abiyev’s statement has caused some concern in Armenia, says a
statement issued by the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar
Sabiroghlu. It said that a number of news agencies have lately
reported the past developments, on orders of the country’s leadership,
reminding of Azerbaijan’s losses incurred in 1992-94, `as if they were
trying to bring to the forefront their `courage’…, though the
Azerbaijani side has repeatedly explained which reasons this situation
stemmed from.’
`International entities have confirmed this time and time again.
Otherwise, Armenia would not have dared to take a single step forward
during the first Upper Garabagh war. They were not supported only in
perpetrating the Khojaly tragedy [the massacre committed against
Azeris in 1992] but all [of their] military operations were carried
out with direct involvement and close assistance of the known force,’
Sabiroghlu said, implying Russian military assistance to Armenia.
The ministry spokesman added that Armenia still rests `in the shadow
of that force’ today.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the
signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper
Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of
international law. The United States, Russia and France are mediating
peace talks through a team of OSCE diplomats called the Minsk Group.*

ARMENIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE RECEIVES AMERICAN AND BRITISH EXPERTS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 26, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving on February 24 a group
of experts from the U.S. and the UK who were in Armenia within the
framework of the Defense Strategic Review Process, Minister of Defense
of RA Seyran Ohanian stated with satisfaction that the experts had done
considerable advisory work, especially to make international experience
in the spheres of long-term military planning and cost accounting
available to senior officers of the armed forces of Armenia. Speaking
about the Defense Strategic Review Process, the minister said that the
directive on regulation of work related to the military component of
that process was approved, which would contribute to the implementation
of 3rd and 4th stages of the defense strategic review.

The press service of the RA Ministry of Defense reported that at
the conclusion of the meeting, the experts presented the results of
discussions and meetings held in Armenia, as well as their opinions
and recommendations regarding the review process.

STATEMENT BY THE NETWORK OF CIVIL SOCIETY "REFUGEES AND INTERNATIONAL LAW"

hos16967.html
16:02:37 – 25/02/2010

The statement by the Network of civil society "Refugees and
International Law" in connection with the 22 anniversary of Sumgait
massacres runs that "The investigation has established that during the
riots in Sumgait 32 people were killed, more than four hundred were
injured, attacked and plundered about two hundred apartments, damaged
more than fifty objects of cultural and community purpose, and more
than forty units of motor vehicles, some of which were burned. State
got a damage of 7 million rubles. In the crimes hundreds of citizens,
mainly of Azeri nationality were involved", this is a quotation from
the indictment by the Prosecutor of the Azerbaijan SSR EA Ismailov of
a criminal case in relation to Sumgait massacres. The indictment aimed
to conceal the true scale of the tragedy and let get away the vast
majority of criminals who committed atrocities against the Armenians
of Sumgait … qualifies as disorderly conduct. Violence against
defenseless Armenians in Azerbaijan continued with impunity – because
of ethnic cleansing and genocide, hundreds of people died, thousands
were disabled, more than half a million Armenians became refugees.

We grieve for all victims and survivors, the statement runs.

The authors of the statement want to remind the political forces
that people of Artsakh chose the way of independence and defended
their choice by national efforts. They call not to forget those who
survived and became refugees.

THE BEST DANCER OF ARGENTINEAN TANGO ON THE ARMENIAN STAGE

Aysor
Feb 25 2010
Armenia

The Armenian state youth orchestra will have a joint concert together
with the famous accordionist Mario Stefano Pietrodarski, informed
the manager of the orchestra Luiza Muradyan to the Aysor.am today.

The best dancer of Argentinean tango Piedrodarski, is in Armenia not
for the first time, however this concert is exclusive for the joint
performance of the youth orchestra and Piedrodarski. The suggestion
of the cooperation was made by the orchestra itself.

According to L. Muradyan there will be also another surprise for the
audience that day. The famous Italian guitar player Luca Luchini will
also give a performance on the stage.

The concert will take place in the music hall after Aram Khachatryan.

The tickets cost 1000-10000 AMD.

KARDASHIAN SISTERS GET INTO JEWELRY DESIGN

National Jeweler Network
content_display/fashion/celebrity-style-jewelry/e3 i3d331a733bc9b824d5cd94deb862ce32
Feb 24 2010

The new Kardashian Collection by Virgins, Saints and Angels includes
pieces like this star ring, crafted in sterling silver and bronze
with Swarovski crystals.

Los Angeles–It was just last week that the Kardashian sisters–Kim,
Khloe and Kourtney, of Keeping Up With the Kardashians reality TV
show fame–unveiled their new apparel collection for clothing brand
Bebe on the runway at New York Fashion Week.

It’s not the only endeavor that has been keeping the trio, busy,
however. The Kardashians have also recently designed a new jewelry
line for Virgins, Saints and Angels (VSA), the Los Angeles-based
jewelry brand has confirmed.

"The Kardashian Collection by Virgins, Saints and Angels" features
rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings crafted in sterling silver
and bronze with Swarovski crystals. Prices range from about $300 to
$500, the brand said.

The collection made its debut with retailers at the sportswear show
Project, held in Las Vegas last week, and the designs will officially
hit retail stores in April.

Prior to Project, Khloe Kardashian took to her own Web site to drum
up buzz and tell fans about the line.

"The design was inspired by our Armenian heritage and there’s a
great deal of symbolism behind each piece," she said. "We’ve all
worked very hard on this project and my sisters and I are absolutely
thrilled with the way the line turned out!"

Rich with symbolism, the designs appear to fit right in with those
of the VSA brand. The company says it is dedicated to designing
adornments inspired by goddesses that encourage enlightenment,
expression and creativity, and each of the VSA designs incorporate
imagery and symbolism borrowed from life in Mexico.

PROTESTERS BANNED TO NEAR GOVERNMENT BUILDING

4/gold-market
04:01 pm | February 24, 2010

Social

It is already a week the employees of "Vosku Ashkharh" (Gold World)
market are on strike protesting against the recent package of tax
"reforms".

Former employee of the market Rafael Antonyan whose booth was
dismantled yesterday was detained today morning and released in a
little while.

Police inquired from Mr. Antonyan how long the protest action of the
market employees would continue and why his booth had been taken down.

To know the answer to the second question Rafael Antonyan yesterday
attempted to see the director of the gold market belonging to Vagharsh
and Sons Ltd but all his efforts failed.

"If the director accuses me of organizing the protest and raising
5000 employees, let him start arresting the protesters one by one,"
Rafael Antonyan told A1+.

"Why do they take stock of gold? I may give the jewelry to a relative
or acquaintance or turn it into an ingot," said jeweler Narine.

Today the police preventing the protesters from nearing the government
building.

Anyway, the protesters are determined to continue the action and make
their voice audible. They were called to by the director today and
ordered to open their booths which were promised to be dismantled if
the employees disobeyed.

SERGEI PARADJANOV FESTIVAL LAUNCHES IN UK

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2010 17:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Sergei Paradjanov Festival in London and Bristol
was opened with Yuri Mechitov’s photographic exhibition at the National
Theatre Monday, February 22.

The exhibition is composed of rarely seen photographs taken by
Georgian photographer Yuri Mechitov during his 11 year friendship
with the director.

The Sergei Paradjanov Festival in London and Bristol is the first
major celebration of the legendary artist and filmmaker whose talent
transcends religious and political boarders, drawing on the cultural
traditions of Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine and Russia. The Festival aims
to present the life and works of Sergei Paradjanov to UK audiences
through a series of diverse events that include: a film season;
a moving image installation; a symposium and a workshop at the
BFI Southbank; a photographic exhibition at the National Theatre;
screenings and talks at Pushkin House; a concert at St. Yeghiche
Armenian Church; a film retrospective at Arnolfini (Bristol); and a
photographic exhibition at The Bristol Gallery.

"The films of Sergei Paradjanov have always captivated me with
their unique cinematic language and the poetic strength of their
imagination. For me, Paradjanov is like a slap in the face to banality,
harshness, self-interest and general uniformity," festival organiser
Layla Alexander-Garrett said.

The festival will last till March 28.

Sergei Paradjanov (1924-1990) is one of the 20th century’s greatest
masters of cinema. An Armenian born in Georgia, Paradjanov studied film
in Moscow, worked in Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia. He started making
films in 1954 and is celebrated for his poetic and visionary films
including The Colour of Pomegranates (1968) and Ashik Kerib (1988).

A winner of British Academy Award for the "Shadows of Forgotten
Ancestors", Paradjanov was a constant target of Soviet authorities;
deprived of the opportunity to make films for fifteen years, five
of which were spent in hard labour camps, he found the most vibrant
means of expressing his talent through drawings, collages and writing.

ARMENIAN ECONOMIC CRISIS ‘OVER’

omic-crisis-%e2%80%98over%e2%80%99/
Feb 22nd, 2010

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-Armenia’s worst recession since the early 1990s
has come to an end, a senior government official claimed on Monday,
citing official statistics that show the Armenian economy growing
last month for the first time in over a year.

According to preliminary data released by the National Statistical
Service (NSS), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 2.4 percent
year on year in January after shrinking by 14.4 percent in 2009.

The reported growth was twice faster than the one forecast by the
Armenian government for 2010. A senior official from the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) said last week that the full-year growth rate
may well reach 2 percent.

The NSS data show that a 6.5 percent rise in industrial output was
the main driving force behind the unfolding recovery. That seems to
have primarily resulted from rallying international prices of copper
and other non-ferrous metals, Armenia’s main export item. Armenian
exports jumped by 57.5 percent to almost $54 million in January.

Armenia’s macroeconomic performance was also positively affected by
a 3 percent growth in agriculture reported by the NSS. By contrast,
the construction sector, which has born the brunt of the recession,
contracted by about 11 percent during the same period.

Trade and Economic Development Minister Nerses Yeritsian portrayed
the latest macroeconomic data as a clear indication that the economic
crisis in the country is over. "And I want to assure you that we have
come of out that crisis well," he told journalists.

In Yeritsian’s words, the recovery is facilitated by what he described
as substantial capital investments that have been made in public
infrastructures in the last two years. "They could not have failed to
have an impact on the diversification of the economy and this growth
figure," he said.

Yeritsian also insisted that financial assistance provided by the
government to the crisis-hit construction industry has not been a
waste of money. "The government measures against the construction
decline have been limited," he said. "The government has never even
tried to fully make up for the construction decline."

Finance Minister Tigran Davtian likewise asserted in late December
that Armenia is emerging from the recession with minimal losses.

Davtian downplayed the sharp GDP drop which has increased unemployment
and poverty in the country.

According to World Bank estimates, the number of Armenians living below
the official poverty line rose by 90,000 to make up 28.4 percent of
the population in the first half of 2009.

GORDON SHOWED THE WAY

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15:04:14 – 22/02/2010

Holding a speech at Harvard University, the deputy State Secretary
of the U.S. Philip Gordon stated that "Kosovo is a hopeful example
of what a confident political leadership can get in short time".

Despite affirmations that Kosovo cannot be a precedent for
other conflicts, the U.S. deputy State Secretary shows that the
"secret" of Kosovo is not in its geopolitical particularity but "in
confident political leadership". In other words, the whole thing is
in the consciousness of the people and the elite of the right and
the political will to exercise this right. A country that is not
self-confident and is always looking for patronage, will not achieve
anything, in fact, Gordon said.

Recall one of the American high ranking officials was asked about the
Kosovo and Karabakh issues who in answer said that Kosovo fought for
its independence.

Against the background of the "real-politics" the statement by the
president of Karabakh Bako Sahakyan sounds strange about the need to
transfer the consideration of territorial issues from the political
to the legal field. It is not an evidence of a "confident leadership".