Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIA’S REPRESENTATIVES GAIN ONE GOLD, ONE SILVER AND FOUR BRONZE MEDALS AT SPARTAKIADA

ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
ST. PETERSBURG

The results of the seventh Spartakiada of the servicemen sportsmen
of the CIS countries were summed up in the House of Officer of the
Leningrad military region.

For five days the military athletes measured their forces in shooting,
swimming, free style wrestling, light athletics, mini-football and
other sports. The leaders with the number of medals are athletes of
Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Armenia’s representatives gained one
gold, one silver and four bronze medals.

From: A. Papazian

About 222 Musical, Art, Fine Art And Junior Creative Schools And Centers Functioned In Armenia In The 2009-2010 Academic Year

ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
YEREVAN

About 222 musical, art, fine art and junior creative schools
and centers functioned in Armenia in the 2009-2010 academic
year. Forty five of them functioned in Yerevan and the rest in the
provinces. Twelve of the schools functioning in the capital were
affiliated to the municipality, the 32 to the district offices and
one to the Education and Science ministry.

Armenian National Statistical Service told Armenpress that 16 out of
45 schools functioning in Yerevan are musical, 9 art, one fine art
and 19 junior creative. Twenty five schools operated in the Kotayk
province, 26 in Shirak, 19 in Syunik, 17 in Gegharkunik and 17 in
Tavush provinces.

From: A. Papazian

SONA SHAHGELDYAN WINNER OF “NEW WAVE-2010” SONG CONTEST

ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
YEREVAN

Armenian singer Sona Shahgeldyan has won the “New Wave-2010”
international contest of young pop music performers in Jurmala and a
prize worth 50,000 euros that goes with it. Tatyana Shirko of Ukraine,
who is second, received 30,000 euros and 20,000 euros for the third
place went to Uku Suviste of Estonia.

On the first day, the singers performed a world hit, on the second
day they sang their country’s hit and on the last third day of the
contest they presented a song written specially for the “New Wave-2010”
music show.

The Viewers’ Choice prize went to the young Russian performer Yegor
Sesarev. A singer from Israel and the Latvian group “PeR” shared the
prize of the Jurmala City Duma. Dozens of Russian and foreign stars
performed on the stage of the Dzintari concert hall on the sidelines
of the three-day music festival.

The “New Wave” contest has replaced the Jurmala festival that was held
in the former USSR. “New Wave” is traditionally held on July 27-August
1. Seventeen performers from 12 countries took part in it this year.

Russian composer Igor Krutoi and Latvian musician Raimond Pauls are
the patrons of the “New Wave” contest.

Over nine year of its existence, the “New Wave” contest has opened
many Russian pop singers to the public. They include the Smashi group,
Anastasiya Stotskaya, Dima Bilan, Polina Gagarina and Irina Dubtsova.

Latvian performers have won the contest twice: the Cosmos pop group
and singer Intars Busulis.

Some of the “New Wave” winners later represented their countries at
the Eurovision song contest.

From: A. Papazian

WINNERS OF ‘KANGAROO 2010’ TO LEAVE FOR BULGARIA

ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
YEREVAN

The 2010 Math Kangaroo Contest’s winners – Edgar Minasyan (Yerevan)
and Abraham Grigoryan (Vanashen village of the province of Ararat)
– were received today at the general office of the ‘VTB Armenia’
bank. General Director – Chairman of the Directorate of ‘VTB Bank
(Armenia)’ Valery Ovsyannikov awarded the winners certificates and
air tickets for the international summer camp, which will be held
August 7-15 in Bulgaria.

Valery Ovsyannikov mentioned that it is the next time the ‘VTB Bank
(Armenia)’ has been partaking and supporting the event, due to which
a number of talented children are revealed. ‘The great number of
applications proves that the educational level in Armenia is being
improved year by year. The participants of the contest will ensure
favorable future for Armenia,’ he said.

Father Mesrop Aramian, chairman of the Board of Trustees of “Ayb”
educational foundation, expressed his gratitude to the bank on behalf
of the Board of Trustees for the support to the educational sphere. He
underscored the importance of education-business collaboration. Father
Mesrop Aramian granted to the bank an album about the Armenian culture.

Afterwards the winners visited the ‘Moscow’ branch of ‘VTB Bank
(Armenia)’ and got acquainted with the daily working process of
the bank.

It is the second year the ‘VTB Bank (Armenia)’ has been the partner of
the Kangaroo International Math Contest. The bank awards air tickets
for the international summer camp to the winners of the contest.

Though this year the Math Kangaroo contest did not have an absolute
winner, the “Ayb” educational foundation decided to grant an additional
opportunity to the best participants of the contest to get the prize
of winner – ticket for the international summer camp.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA BECOMES PLACE OF GATHERING FOR THE ARMENIAN SCOUTS OF ALL OVER THE WORLD

ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS: With the efforts of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU) from July 18 to August 1 scout camp-gathering
was held in Lermontovo, Lori province. Deputy director of the AGBU
Yerevan Office Hovik Yordekyan told Armenpress that this year 120
children of 14-18 years old from different countries – Argentina,
Lebanon, Syria and of course Armenia participated in the camp. Besides,
their scout daily activities the children traveled in the territory
of Armenia, visited Armenian historic-cultural monuments.

“The essence of the camp is that Armenia becomes a place of gathering
for the Armenian scouts of all over the world,” Yordekyan said.

From: A. Papazian

Garage Sale Find Could Be Worth $200 Million

July 28, 2010
by Ashley Lau

Rick Norsigian of Fresno, Calif. bought a set of glass negatives for
$45 at a garage sale a decade ago. Today, his find may be worth $200
million.

A set of glass negatives purchased a decade ago at a garage sale may
have gained $199,999,955 in value yesterday. A team of experts on
Tuesday identified the set as the work of the iconic American
photographer Ansel Adams, the WSJ reports.

But the folks at Adams’ publishing rights trust aren’t buying it.

“Do you have any idea how many people were photographing Yosemite in
the 1920s and 1930s? Millions! It could be anyone,” the managing
trustee told the WSJ.

The controversy over whether the negatives may be millions of dollars
worth of art, or just a dusty pile of glass shards, calls back a
question we investigated last month: How do you decide how much a work
of art is worth?

For Rick Norsigian, the man who originally bought the negatives for
$45, the set is at least worth the cost of a lawyer, a photographer,
an art adviser and a handwriting analyst – among those who he hired to
investigate the possible authenticity of his find.

“Anytime you have a discovery of this magnitude there are going to be
skeptics,” Norsigian’s lawyer told a Canadian news station.

Since discovering the negatives’ potential value, Norsigian has moved
them from under his pool table to a vault in Fresno, Calif.

From: A. Papazian

Detroit Free Press
July 27 2010

Cox campaign: Man who alleges Manoogian party has rap sheet
BY DAVID ASHENFELTER AND L.L. BRASIER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

The Mike Cox for governor campaign today released the criminal history
of a man who says he attended the long-rumored wild party at the
Manoogian Mansion in 2002.

The record says Wilson Kay Jr., 35, of Detroit, has convictions dating
back to 1997 for breaking and entering, carrying a concealed weapon,
arson and marijuana possession.

`A five-time felon who makes outrageous claims and lies one week
before an election eight years after a supposed incident¦ the whole
thing is absolutely crazy and insulting to Michigan voters,’ said Cox
campaign manager Stu Sandler. `There are people working to stop Mike
from becoming governor and it’s not going to happen.’

Kay could not be located for comment.

He provided a sworn affidavit for Birmingham lawyer Norman Yatooma,
who is suing the city on the grounds that police deliberately botched
the investigation into the 2003 drive-by shooting of Tamara Greene,
27, of Detroit, an exotic dancer who is rumored to have danced at the
Manoogian Party. The family contends that the faulty investigating
prevented them from holding her killers accountable.

After providing the statement, Yatooma said, Kay failed to show up for
a recent deposition.

Kay said in his affidavit that he was among members of motorcycle club
hired to provide security at the party. He said Cox was at the party
and received a lap dance from an unidentified dancer. He said
Kilpatrick’s wife, Carlita, arrived unexpectedly, saw her husband
receiving a lap dance from Greene and assaulted her. Greene fell onto
a table and Carlita picked up the leg of the damaged table and
assaulted her, Kay said.

The Michigan State Police criminal history that Cox released and
Oakland County Circuit Court records show Kay was arrested by Oak Park
Police in July 1996 on two counts of breaking and entering motor
vehicles to steal property, and one count of carrying a concealed
weapon, a knife.

Court records said Kay, who stood 5-foot-10, weighed 180 lbs, owned
six motorcycles, and had a `stab wound scar’ on his shoulder and a
`bullet scar’ on his left thigh, pleaded guilty to the charges in
September 1996 and was placed on one year probation and ordered to pay
costs and restitution.

In July 1997, probation officials sought a warrant for his arrest on
probation violations, saying he continued to involve himself in
criminal behavior and was $225 in arrears, court records showed.

He apparently caught up on the arrearage and was released from
probation in November 1997, records indicated.

The records Cox released indicated Kay also was sentenced to jail for
those offenses.

Kay also was arrested in May 1997 in Detroit on a felony arson charge
involving a house, the records showed. He was found guilty that
December of attempted felony arson and sentenced to two years of
probation.

In September 2000, he was arrested in Detroit for delivering and
manufacturing marijuana, the records said. He was found guilty the
following March to carrying a concealed weapon and a misdemeanor count
of possession of marijuana and was sentenced to two years of
probation.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
July 31 2010

Armenian-Russian strategic and military cooperation at new level,
Armenian MP says

July 31, 2010 | 13:31

Amendments to the agreement on the Russian military base in Armenia is
evidence of a rising level of Armenian-Russian military and strategic
cooperation, Aram Safaryan, Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party,
Co-Chairman of the Armenian-Russian parliamentary commission Aram
Safaryan told NEWS.am.

According to him, the amendments will raise Armenia’s security level
and improve stability in the region.

As regards the point that the agreements will be in effect for 49
years and will be regularly prolonged for the following five years,
Safaryan said that it is a step to long-term peace and security
guarantees in the region. It is a final answer to the question: will
Armenian-Russian military cooperation be in effect in case of
aggression against Armenia?

As to whether long-term deployment of military bases in this
constantly changing world is justified, Safaryan pointed out that the
agreement does not prevent Armenia from implementing its foreign
policy in other aspects, as Armenia stated its readiness to contribute
to the development of dialogue in the South Caucasus. On the other
hand, Armenia’s participation in joint projects under Armenia-NATO
individual partnership plan (IPAP) is increasing year by year.

The agreement assigns Armenia a greater role in the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and allows the country to enjoy
full right to voice its opinion on regional problems.

NEWS.am reminds readers that, under a draft protocol, amendments are
to be introduced to the agreement. According to the amendments,
besides defending Russia’s interests, the Russian military base in
Armenia will also ensure Armenia’s security jointly with the Armenian
armed forces. With this end in view, Russia is to assist Armenia in
getting modern arms and military equipment.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
July 31 2010

Short-term border opening not to solve problems, Heritage party states

July 31, 2010 | 13:15

Despite Turkey’s participation in the forthcoming NATO exercise has
not been confirmed yet, opening of the border is not ruled out,
secretary of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary group Artyusha
Shahbazyan told NEWS.am.

He stressed that such actions cannot serve as a precedent for the
final opening of the border. This step is made within the general
framework of propaganda of Armenian-Turkish reconciliation, he added.

Head of the Heritage parliamentary group Armen Martirosyan noted that
one should not expect border opening in the near future despite
studying of the road sections near the border. According to him,
opening of the border within the framework of NATO exercise cannot be
considered a solution to the existing problem.

As NEWS.am reported earlier, Igdir province Governor instructed the
experts to study a road section bordering with Armenian-Turkish
frontier. The measures may be undertaken to ensure Turkey’s
participation in the Armenia 2010 exercise to be held in Kotayk region
on September 11-17.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
July 31 2010

No autonomy within Azerbaijan’s borders, NKR President says

July 31, 2010 | 12:59

`By proposing the highest-level autonomy to the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR) within Azerbaijan’s borders that country’s politicians
are just engaged in political speculations. There is no returning to
the past, and, I think, the fact is clear to anyone,’ NKR President
Bako Sahakyan stated in his interview with Interfax.

`We had such autonomy for 70 years, in Soviet times, as everyone knows
well what was the end. Any highest-level or any other autonomy within
Azerbaijan’s borders is out of the question. The only solution to the
conflict with Azerbaijan is legal international recognition of the
NKR’s independence,’ President Sahakyan said.

As regards the current stage of the negotiations, the NKR leader
pointed out that a final settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
requires the restoration of the format with the NKR’s participation as
a negotiator.

`The only requirement is to observe the resolution of the OSCE Summit
in Budapest in 1994. That summit was actually a founding one. It made
decisions transforming the Conference on Security and Co-operation in
Europe (CSCE) into the OSCE, as well as instituting OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs,’ President Sahakyan said.

The NKR leader pointed out that the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is
impossible to settle without the NKR’s participation in the
negotiations. International mediators, particularly the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs, admit the fact.

`We are ready for direct negotiations with Azerbaijan and for
discussing any issues, which we are constantly stating. It is just
impossible to ignore Nagorno-Karabakh’s opinion even despite the fact
that Azerbaijan’s destructive policy deformed the negotiation process.
I think the restoration of the normal negotiation format is a matter
of time,’ Sahakyan said.

From: A. Papazian