Month: November 2009

IRAN TO SPEND $20 MILLION TO EXPOSE ALLEGED US AND BRITISH HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.11.2009 18:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran’s parliament approved a 20-million-dollar
budget on Sunday to expose alleged US and British human rights abuses.

The sum will be spent on "alerting the international community to
numerous human rights abuses by these two countries and supporting
progressive movements standing against illegal acts of the US and
British governments."

It would also target US and British "conspiracies" against the Islamic
regime, the parliament said, adding that the intelligence ministry
would be in charge of the initiative.

The move, mirroring past US-funded initiatives, comes amid
international criticism of Iran over its crackdown on post-election
protests in which dozens were killed in clashes with security forces
and thousands of people detained.

At least four prisoners reportedly died in custody and the opposition
said some detainees were raped.

Iran blames the unrest, sparked by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s
disputed re-election in June, on the United States and Britain,
charging that they sought a "soft overthrow" of the regime through
street protests.

The opposition charged the poll was massively rigged and hundreds
of thousands of people poured into streets, plunging the 30-year-old
Islamic republic into its worst political crisis, AFP reported.

BUSHEHR NNP LAUNCH EXPECTED IN MARCH 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.11.2009 19:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko arrived in
Tehran on Sunday to discuss the latest developments over the joint
nuclear power plant of Bushehr. Shmatko is scheduled to meet Iranian
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and the head of the country’s
Atomic Organization, Ali-Akbar Salehi on Sunday and inspect the
Bushehr site, together with Salehi, on Monday, EarthTimes reported.

Launch of the first power-generating unit is expected in March 2010.

IRAN TO MAKE 250-300 TONNES OF NUCLEAR FUEL A YEAR

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 10:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran’s government has approved plans to build 10
new uranium enrichment plants, according to state media.

The government told the Iranian nuclear agency to begin work on five
sites, with five more to be located over the next two months. It
comes days after the UN nuclear watchdog rebuked Iran for covering
up a uranium enrichment plant.

Iran says the new plants would be of a similar size to its main
existing one at Natanz.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his cabinet that parliament had
ordered that Iran should produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear energy
by 2020.

It therefore needed to make 250-300 tonnes of nuclear fuel a year, he
said, which would require 500,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium,
BBC reported.

IMF: GLOBAL ECONOMY STABLE BUT STILL HIGHLY VULNERABLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 11:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The global economy remains very much in a holding
pattern -stable, and getting better, but still highly vulnerable,
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in London.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Confederation of British
Industry, Strauss-Kahn said the major advanced country areas in
particular remain fragile, still dependent on policy support.

Financial conditions have improved, but are far from normal.

"Signs show confidence returning, but banking systems in many advanced
economies remain undercapitalized, weighed down by leaden legacy
assets and, increasingly, non-performing loans," he said.

LATVIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 11:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A Latvian delegation composed of representatives
of 58 companies will be in Yerevan on December 10 and 11.

Latvia’s President Valdis Zatlers is also expected to arrive, press
office of the Armenian development Agency told PanARMENIAN.Net.

An Armenian-Latvian business will be held in Yerevan on December 11.

AUSTRALIAN ARMENIANS HOLD ADVOCACY WEEK EACH NOVEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 11:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian community of Australia counts about
40-50 thousand people, Modus Vivendi center director Ara Papian said.

"Armenians are mostly arriving from Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Egypt.

Like in all other countries, there are Armenian churches, schools
and organizations in Australia. Although young people are drifting
away from their origins," he said, adding that he is currently in the
country on invitation of the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

Appreciating highly the activities of the ANC Australia, Mr. Papian
marked out the Advocacy Week the Committee holds each November.

He also emphasized that majority of Australian senators, whom he met
during the visit, do not question the fact of the Armenian Genocide
but consider its recognition inexpedient.

PA POLICE DENY REPORTS ON ALIK SARGSYAN’S RESIGNATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 12:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA police deny reports on resignation of
Major-General Alik Sargsyan, the police chief.

"Reports are untrue," the police press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Some Armenian media reported that Sargsyan sent in his resignation
because "the presidential administration is displeased with his
activities." According to another version, "President Serzh Sargsyan
wants a staunch supporter to occupy the post."

Among the candidates, chief of Yerevan police department, Major-General
Nerses Nazaryan, Major-General of Justice Ashot Giziryan and RA police
deputy chief Hovhannes Hunanyan are mentioned in the publications.

ABRAHAM-DIRRELL FIGHT GETS POSTPONED

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 12:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ January 23 Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell title fight
during the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament gets postponed
until March 7, BoxingTalk reported.

Abraham is allegedly suffering from a severe case of the flu.

Dirrell’s promoter Gary Shaw did not comment.

TELCELL ENABLES TRAFFIC POLICE FINES PAYMENTS THROUGH ITS TERMINALS

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 12:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Telcell payment system announced the launch of a
new service on November 30. The company enabled payments of traffic
police fines through its terminals.

The procedure is supposed to take a couple of minutes. Moreover,
no additional confirmation of the fact of payment, i.e. submitting
a receipt to the traffic police, is required.

The interface of the system is simple, convenient and clear for the
user. After making the fine payment, an SMS confirmation is received
by the payer’s cell phone.

Payments can be accepted anytime during the day, via any of Telcell’s
300 terminals, the company’s press service reported.

VIKTOR ALIKHANYAN SAMBO MEMORIAL OVER

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 13:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A traditional sambo tournament in commemoration of
honored coach Viktor Alikhanyan took place in Yerevan on November 28
and 29 on the initiative of RA Judo Federation and Yerevan Olympic
Judo and Sambo School.

100 sambo athletes were participating in the tournament. The winners
were awarded medals and certificates.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress