Author: Andres-Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Oct 30 2010

OSCE Summit in Astana: no hope for breakthrough in Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process

October 30, 2010 | 08:34

Russia is making `a real fuss’ the threshold of the OCSE Summit in
Astana. It needs a semblance of intensified activities in the
post-Soviet area – and not only there. Moscow is concerned that the
Astana Summit may follow the scenario of its Istanbul counterpart,
when Russia actually had to oppose the entire international community,
which was highly critical of its policy in Chechnya.

The OSCE Summit in Istanbul was about to fail because of Boris
Yeltsin’s position. He strongly objected to the international
community’s criticism of the military operation in Chechnya. In
Istanbul, Russia and the West would not understand each other. No less
fierce opposition is expected in Astana – this time between Russia and
Georgia, writes the Azerbaijan-based `Zerkalo’ (Mirror) newspaper.

Georgia is going to severely criticize Russia at the OSCE Summit in
Kazakhstan. In turn, Russia will not sign any document with even a
hint of criticism of its position on the South Ossetian conflict. That
is, Georgia-related issues may cause a split, and the Astana Summit
may thus face a threat of failure.

The OSCE Leaders will meet in Astana for further work on consolidation
of international security. Many of the provisions approved at the
Istanbul Summit in 1999 have not so far been implemented.
Specifically, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE)
– a fundamental document on military security in the OSCE
responsibility area – has been ratified by only four states.

Thus, the Summit is likely to focus on Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev’s proposal for a European security treaty and France’s
similar proposal for Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security area.

As regards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, no
breakthrough should be expected – at least for the reason that the
Summit has lately shown a tendency to highlight the Transdniestria
problem. The issue has acquired greater importance since the
Russian-French-German top-level meeting.

From: A. Papazian

Shalom Life
Oct 30 2010

Turkish Document Defines Israel as Threat

By: BEV SPRITZER
Published: October 30th 2010 in News » World

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoganThe Turkish National
Security Council approved a few days ago considerable alterations to a
document which contains threats against Turkey, asserting that they
now consider Israel a major threat to the country, Turkish media
reported Saturday.

Israel was redefined as a “major threat” in the document called “The
Red Book.” The document also opines that Israel’s actions could
potentially cause countries in the region to embark upon an “arms
race.”

According to the Jerusalem Post, this is the first time that Turkey
has defined Israel’s actions in the Middle East as a threat towards
it.

At the same time, the council also decided to remove Syria, Bulgaria,
Georgia and Armenia from the list of countries that Ankara feels pose
a risk to Turkey.

Interestingly, Iran, which was previously considered a substantial
threat to Turkey, was also removed from the list of countries.

Greece is still defined as a threat against Turkey, however the
country’s neighbour is being defined as an `external threat.’

The `Red Book’ document also notes Turkey’s belief that the Middle
East should be free of nuclear weapons.

The document is considered valid for five years.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Oct 30 2010

Armenian version of Mozilla Firefox available in December

October 30, 2010 | 06:26

A 10-member `Mozilla Armenia’ group has been voluntarily working on
the Armenian version of Mozilla Firefox.

Group’s mission is to Armenianize programs of non-commercial Mozilla
organization and make them available on Armenian language, Robert
Sargsyan, Mozilla Foundation employee and one of the leaders of
Mozilla Armenia group, told NEWS.am.

According to him, Armenification of the browser is at the final stage.
`Works are carried out jointly with Mozilla Foundation experts. We are
trying to make Armenian version an official product of Mozilla and
include it in Firefox official website,’ he said. Robert Sargsyan
stressed that free Armenian version of Firefox will be available on
in December. Pilot version will be available on

The group intends to exhibit innovation at DigiTec Expo 2010 held in Yerevan.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Oct 30 2010

AMD exchange rate: Guinness Book of Records too high a level for it?

October 30, 2010 | 01:27

By Samvel Avagyan

This week, the AMD exchange rate has sprung a surprise by setting new
records. On October 29, the Armenian dram exceeded the exchange rate
of 358 AMD/U.S. $1. The average market exchange of the day was 357.61
AMD/U.S. $1. Since the market exchange rate was higher at the close,
hardly any shocks should be expected in the financial market during
the weekend. In any case, this has been the highest exchange rate over
the last 18 months.

Obviously, the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) is not making any serious
steps to stabilize the national currency. The CBA makes weekly
interventions of several million AMD, which hardly play a key role in
the market. However, let us remember that the CBA has traditionally
viewed November and December as a period for replenishing its currency
reserves by purchasing U.S. dollars from the currency market. Many
Armenian businessmen normally prepare for the New Year from November
by flooding the market with U.S. dollars. Citizens, in turn, spend
their saving in December.

Official data show Armenia’s foreign exchange market has been rather
active this week. Banks purchased about U.S. 77 million and sold U.S.
$85 million by means of exchange offices. For Armenia, this is
evidence of a lively market. Although the demand for U.S. dollars
exceeds that for the Armenian dram in the financial market, it is the
Armenian dram that is revaluating. The banks’ U.S. dollar surplus may
account for this – they can meet the growing demand for U.S. dollars
without any problems. However, if the demand remains so high so some
time more, banks will have to devalue the Armenian dram.

All the banks are expecting AMD devaluation. If not so, what accounts
for the fact that, amid AMD revaluation, USD credits are available at
an annual interest rate of 10%, the annual interest rate on AMD
credits being 14%? On the other hand, if the AMD `falls short of
expectations’, the banks that issue USD credits will sustain serious
losses, as USD credits constitute over 50% of all credits.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Oct 30 2010

Armenia achieved notable success in IT sector, D-Link regional director says

October 29, 2010 | 12:50

Vladimir Lipping, D-Link company regional director, highly assessed
Armenia’s potential in IT sector. Delivering a speech at the opening
of DigiTec Expo 2010, Lipping noted that Armenia had already achieved
notable success in development of information technologies that
stimulate D-Link to make investments in Armenia.

D-Link was founded in 1986 in Taiwan. It is the global leader in
connectivity for small, medium and large enterprise business
networking. The company has 127 sales offices in 64 countries and 10
global distribution centers serving 100 countries worldwide, annual
turnover exceeds $ 1 billion. Yerevan is a regional center of D-Link.

From: A. Papazian

TODAY, 15:38
Aysor.am

Charity concert to raise support for orphanage children

The Culture of the East NGO has organized a charity concert entitled
`East-Armenia’ scheduled to be held on October 31 at Aram Khachatryan
concert hall, chairman of the organization Bagrat Movsisyan told
reporters in Yerevan.
The concert is set to raise support for children of Kharberd and Zatik
Orphanages.
The concert is held under the High Patronage of Armenian Prime
Minister, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Yerevan
Mayor’s Office. Concert’s main sponsors are the Embassies of India and
Syria.
Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Japanese, Syrian music will be
performed at the concert. The Embassies of Syria and India have
promised to organize fundraising for Kharberd and Zatik Orphanage
children.

From: A. Papazian

Glendale News Press , CA
Oct 30 2010

Telethon to benefit orphaned children in Armenia
Now in its 11th year, Christmas Fund raises tens of thousands of dollars.

By Megan O’Neil, [email protected]
October 30, 2010

The Armenian American Orphans Christmas Fund on Sunday will host its
11th annual telethon to benefit underprivileged youth living in some
of the most impoverished regions of Armenia.

The telethon, which will take place from 4 p.m. to midnight, will be
broadcast live from the Armenian Media Group of America television
studios in Glendale, and aired on Charter Cable channels 380 and 384.

Glendale resident Ovanes Balayan established the Christmas Fund in
1999 in an effort to provide a holiday celebration for thousands of
Armenian orphans. Working alone, he managed to raise about $17,000 the
first year.

“I do this for my people, especially the kids,” Balayan said. “I am
thinking of their future. They don’t know what is going on with
politics in their country.”

Since then, the Christmas Fund has grown steadily. In 2009, the fund
gained official nonprofit status. Balayan, 80, now works alongside
more than 100 volunteers, among them Glendale-area lawyers, doctors
and business leaders.

Last year, the telethon netted about $90,000. This year, organizers
are expecting 2,000 families and 75 area businesses to make pledges.
And dozens of public officials, including Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian
and state Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Burbank) have already extended
their support.

“Every year, the intention is to make sure we collect at least as much
as we collected last year,” said volunteer Hovik Gabikian.

The mission and scope of the fund has also expanded. In recent years,
money raised in Glendale has helped finance renovations and new
construction at schools and orphanages designed to meet the needs of
disabled children in the Armenian cities of Spitak and Kharpert.

In 1988, Spitak was the epicenter of a massive earthquake that killed
more than 25,000 people, many of them crushed in cheaply constructed
apartments and schools. Because of the tensions of the Cold War, the
international humanitarian response was muted and the recovery slow.

Balayan visited the region after the disaster, observing the
conditions of survivors, many of them children who lost parents and
siblings. More than two decades later, there are still people living
in shanty towns, he said.

Funds raised during this year’s telethon will enable the construction
of a dormitory and gym at a school in Spitak, Ovanes said.

Representatives from the Christmas Fund, including Ovanes and other
prominent members of the Armenian American community, travel regularly
to project sites in Armenia.

Armenian Americans maintain close ties with Armenia, Gabikian said,
and have a deep sense of obligation to help whenever possible.

Armenians living and working in the United States often send money
overseas to family members and friends. And they traditionally are
generous with Armenian charities, especially senior citizens,
organizers said.

“It is not the amount that matters as much as the intention,” Gabikian
said. “There is a sense of being able to participate in doing
something for those in need.”

,0,1448471.story

From: A. Papazian

Glendale News Press , CA
Oct 30 2010

Schiff, Sherman transfer funds
Candidates seen as heavy favorites divert campaign money to other Democrats

By Bill Kisliuk, [email protected]
October 30, 2010

Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) have
given nearly $1 million in combined donations to their colleagues
during a fundraising cycle in which Republican challengers are poised
to make significant gains.

Both incumbent congressmen face relatively weak Republican challenges
in their own re-election campaigns for Nov. 2, and so have diverted
more money to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The committee directs dollars to the congressional races where
Democrats need them most. Many House Democrats from around the nation
are fighting for their political lives this year, with polls
indicating Republicans will win enough seats Tuesday to gain control
of the House.

Sherman and Schiff’s races are seen as relatively safe, as they have
more money and name recognition than their rivals – Mark Reed and John
Colbert, respectively – and represent Democratic-leaning districts.

In 2009-10, Sherman says his campaign has given more than $746,000 to
other Democrats. That includes $517,500 to the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee and nearly $229,000 to candidates
ranging from other House Democrats to California gubernatorial hopeful
Jerry Brown.

“I’m proud of it,” Sherman said, noting that a recent U.S. Supreme
Court ruling made it easier for corporations and unions to pay for
influential political ads that are not directly tied to candidates.

“Given the large amount of money given by corporations secretly, I
felt I had to step forward,” he said.

Sherman has also hosted fundraisers for others, including an August
event for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Burbank.

Schiff has given more than $163,000 to the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee for the 2009-10 cycle, according to Federal
Election Commission filings. Since he was first elected to Congress in
2000, records show Schiff has given more than $816,000 to the
committee.

“Adam has always been supportive of other good candidates around the
country,” said Schiff campaign spokesman Parke Skelton. “The battle
terrain is extraordinarily broad this year, and the needs for funding
are major because there are so many seats in play.”

The donations are part of a river of cash flowing toward House races
as election day nears. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
raised $129 million through Oct. 13, while the National Republican
Congressional Committee had raised $107 million, according to the
Federal Election Commission.

But John Pitney, Jr., a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna
College, said Schiff and Sherman are expected to pay dues to the
committees.

“One reason they do it is simple,” Pitney said. “They have to.”

He also said the donations are strategic investments for both the
parties and the candidate. Parties put the money into races where it
is most needed.

For example, in 2010 the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
has given Pennsylvania candidate Timothy Burns, who is trying to win
the seat of the late Democratic Rep. John Murtha, more than $480,000.

The money also helps the donor, Pitney said.

“Some members are ambitious to move up in the party ranks, and you get
the gratitude of the leadership and the members by giving campaign
money,” he said.

,0,3091461.story

From: A. Papazian

TechSpot
Oct 30 2010

Russian-Armenian botnet master made $140,000 a month

By Emil Protalinski, TechSpot.com
Published: October 29, 2010, 9:22 PM EST

Georg Avanesov amassed a tiny fortune, allegedly running a network of
hacked computers around the world, typically referred to as a botnet.
The computers were infected with Bredolab, malware responsible for
sending spam, conducting attacks on websites, and enabling other
cybercriminals to steal money from online bank accounts.
Dutch prosecutors believe that Avanesov made up to 100,000 ($138,950)
a month from renting and selling part of his botnet to other
cybercriminals for limited periods of time. They in turn used it to
send their own spam or mine the PCs for personal details and files.
It’s possible the 27-year-old could have made millions in a career
spanning more than a decade, according to a source close to law
enforcement. Avanesov is now being held by Armenian authorities after
an undercover operation earlier this week by Dutch and Russian
authorities.

Avanesov was able to sell parts of the botnet off “because it was very
easy for him to extend the botnet again,” by infecting more PCs, a
Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam spokesperson told
ComputerWorld. He probably made more money in other ways. “We don’t
have more financial information about what he did. Our investigation
was focused on dismantling the network then getting a hold of our main
suspect, but this criminal investigation hasn’t stopped yet. We hope
to get a better picture of the money and his business relationships.”

From: A. Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
Oct 30 2010

Turkish delegation leaving Armenia
Sat 30 October 2010 04:20 GMT | 7:20 Local Time
Text size:

Tuna Beklevic Armenian NSS releases Turkish party leader.
Headed by the leader of Powerful Turkey Party Tuna Beklevic the
Turkish delegation is leaving Armenia after being held at the Republic
of Armenia’s National Security Services (NSS) and interrogated in
Yerevan.

RA NSS press service told that they have offered the Turkish
politicians to leave Armenia’s territory. It also said it has warned
them that their behavior is `unacceptable.’

Tuna Beklevic had been `invited’ to the NSS after he confirmed the
news report about his crossing the border into Armenia. In a press
conference in Yerevan he particularly said that together with some
party members he had crossed the Armenia-Turkey border near the ruins
of medieval Armenian town of Ani early in October.

`We crossed [the border] via a three-store bridge located in the ruins
of Ani,’ Beklevic had said, adding that their move ran in protest to
the closure of the Armenia-Turkey border.

Russian front guards had denied any illegal border crossing in that
area after widespread reports disseminated in Armenian media.

`We did not flee. Nor did we do it with bad faith. This was an action
to condemn the activities of the two states. We don’t consider this an
illegal action, but rather a call to the world for the border to be
opened,’ Beklevic had said.

Source: Tert.am

From: A. Papazian