Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Man sells ‘worthless’ painting by Aivazovsky for more than $1m

13:00 – 17.06.11

A painting considered worthless by its owner, a former lumberjack who
almost donated it to charity, sold for $1.1 million at a Swedish
auction.

The painting, which had been left to the man by his wife and was
hanging on his wall for almost a decade, turned out to be an 1858 work
by Hovhannes Aivazovsky entitled “The Battle of Bomarsund”, reported
The Local yesterday.

The Local reported the unidentified elderly man, a onetime lumberjack
who earned his education through correspondence courses, was
downsizing to a new home and sent a small Stockholm auction house
several boxes of unwanted goods, along with a large canvas.

On a note he had written, “Will you accept these things? Sell what you
can and leave the rest to the Red Cross!”

The painting was put up for auction on the internet with a starting
price in the $1,200-$1500 range, but when activity around the painting
exceeded expectations, the head of the auction house decided to seek
expert advice.

Enter the Uppsala Auction House, known for selling a number of Russian
objects, which in turn contacted its own specialists.

When the painting was authenticated as a genuine work by Aivazovsky,
Knut Knutson of the auction house, went to see the owner in person to
deliver the news that the expected price would be a bit higher than
originally thought.

Knutson, who has traveled the country as part of the Swedish version
of “Antiques Roadshow,” began by saying, “We are thinking of a
starting price of five or six… ” he told The Local, and the owner
interrupted him saying “surely, you don’t mean five or six hundred
thousand (kronor) do you?”

When Knutson replied, “No, actually I mean five or six million…”, the
atmosphere in the room turned “electric,” he said.

“It was one of those moments when you wish you had a camera and could
film what happened. He stood up, and then sat back down again saying
‘You are jesting, you can’t really mean that.'”

On Tuesday, the painting sold for 7.6 million kronor ($1.1 million) to
a Russian collector.

Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

Sugar Industry to Face Shortage of Raw Material

PAILAK FAHRADYAN, Gyumri

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 20:35:12 – 16/06/2011

A few months ago a group of extentionists met with farmers in Shirak
region and introduced the conditions of sugar beet farming and the
terms and conditions of the contracts to be signed with farmers. They
wanted to inspire them to grow sugar beet, assuring that they will not
have problems with selling the harvest. The sugar factory is ready to
buy 400-450 thousand tons of sugar beet.

Farmers did not grow sugar beet, however. There is no statistics how
many hectares were laid under sugar beet but very few people dared to
grow sugar beet, in other words, to meet the demand of the ministry of
agriculture.

The factory’s management even had to offer a higher price for sugar
beet, and bought at 40 drams per kilo. However, farmers say they will
get no profit from sugar beet and very few of them have signed a
contract with the sugar factory.

From: Baghdasarian

Children under 12 not to ride on elevators unattended – expert

13:21 – 16.06.11

Children under 12 should not take elevators without an adult,
according to an emergency expert.

At a news conference on Thursday, Lusine Hovhanniksyan, a chief expert
at the Emergency Ministry’s department dealing with the technical
security of elevators, escalators, ropeways and merry-go-rounds, said
that the elevators built in the Soviet times were designed for
children above 13.

“As we are now bringing our standards closer to Europe, we have given
up the practice of fastening such notices near elevators,” she said,
adding that children under 12 cannot ride on elevators unattended.

Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

Turkey’s first domestic satellite

hetq
14:43 – 16.06.11

Turkey’s first observation satellite “RASAT” has been sent to Russia
for its launch into space.

“RASAT” was designed and manufactured in Turkey by the space division
of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
(TUBITAK). Financial support for the satellite came from the State
Planning Organization (DPT) of Turkey.

“RASAT” will be launched to space from Russia in July.

Satellite photos from “RASAT” will be utilized in city planning,
forestry, agriculture and disaster management.

Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

Iran ‘makes first batch of 20% enriched uranium’

12:24 – 13.06.11

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country has
produced its first batch of uranium enriched to 20%, BBC News
reported.

The statement, made at a rally marking Iran’s revolution, comes days
after Tehran revealed it was starting the new phase at its Natanz
plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report on
Wednesday that Iran would start producing 20% enriched uranium “within
a few days”.

Until now, Iran has produced uranium enriched to 3.5% for power stations.

It says it needs the more highly enriched uranium for a reactor
producing medical isotopes.

But Western experts say that even if Iran produces more highly
enriched uranium, it lacks the capability of turning the material into
fuel rods needed by the reactor.

Western powers fear Iran is heading towards enriching uranium to 90% –
to produce a nuclear weapon. Iran says its nuclear programme is
peaceful.

“I would like to say to you that the day before yesterday the
enrichment of fuel at 20% started,” President Ahmadinejad told huge
crowds marking the 31st anniversary of Iran’s revolution, in Tehran on
Thursday.

“I would like to notify you and announce with a loud voice that –
thank God – our chief nuclear negotiator announced that the produce of
fuel at 20% started under the watchful eye of our scientists.”

He added: “They all know that right now in Natanz, we have the
capacity to enrich uranium at high levels.

“We have the capacity to enrich above 20, even 80%. But because we
have no need, we won’t do that.”

In a confidential report to member states, seen by news agencies, IAEA
chief Yukiya Amano said Iran’s output of up to 20% enriched uranium
would remain modest.

But experts say Iran could convert a stockpile of 20% enriched uranium
to weapons grade material within six months.
The nation is already subject to UN sanctions because of its nuclear programme.

Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

Bryza welcomes Azerbaijani FM’s statement on Karabakh issue

June 19, 2011 – 16:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza welcomed
the statement of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister on Karabakh issue.
`Presidents of U.S., Russia and France made a joint statement on
Karabakh conflict settlement. I welcome the statement by Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister on a new approach to Karabakh conflict settlement,’
AZE.az quoted him as saying.

The Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents are slated to meet on
June 25 in the Russian city of Kazan.

Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met in Moscow on
June 11 for a discussion on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. The
Ministers succeeded in approximating positions on a number of key
provisions of the basic principles, with several uncoordinated points
left.

From: Baghdasarian

Ilia II says Karekin II `too young and inexperienced’

June 19, 2011 – 17:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II said
that the Georgian Church is `open for everyone but it will not allow
suppression of the Georgian people and state.’

When commenting on the recent visit of His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians to Georgia, Ilia II
said that `Karekin II is young and should gain more experience.’ `He
is smart and hurrying. But I told him that calmness is the best
choice,’ the Georgian Patriarch said.

`Armenians want more Armenian churches in Georgia and, in response, we
offered to open more Georgian ones in Armenia. We also agreed that our
future cooperation will be more effective,’ he added.

According to an agreement reached by the two supreme leaders in
Tbilisi, Armenian and Georgian Churches will form committees to settle
current issues between the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox
Churches.

From: Baghdasarian

Hovnanian Slides to Two-Year Low After Wider Loss Than Analyst Estimated

By Prashant Gopal and Mary Childs – Jun 8, 2011 Hovnanian Enterprises
Inc. (HOV), the largest homebuilder in New Jersey, fell the most in a
year in New York trading after reporting a wider second-quarter loss
than analysts estimated.

Hovnanian’s net loss for the three months ended April 30 widened
to $72.7 million, or 69 cents a share, from $28.6 million, or 36 cents,
a year earlier, the Red Bank, New Jersey-based company said in a
statement yesterday after the close of trading. Analysts predicted a
loss of 55 cents a share, the average of nine estimates in a Bloomberg
survey.

The results `were well short of our (and the Street’s)
expectations on most fronts as the housing market remains under
pressure,’ Vincent Foley and Cedric Morris, analysts with
Barclays Capital Inc. in New York, wrote in a research note yesterday.

The stock fell 12 percent to $2.07 at 4:15 p.m. in New York Stock
Exchange Composite trading, the biggest decline since June 2010. It has
lost 49 percent this year, the worst performance in Bloomberg’s
U.S. homebuilder index.

U.S. homebuilders are struggling with weak demand as unemployment hovers
around 9 percent and foreclosures drag down prices of previously owned
houses. Hovnanian, which specializes in communities of single-family
homes, said the spring selling season was
`disappointing.’

Falling Orders, Margins
Second-quarter revenue declined to $255.1 million from $318.6 million a
year earlier. Net orders tumbled 17 percent to 1,166 homes. The
company’s homebuilding gross margin, a measure of profitability,
dropped to 14.8 percent from 17.3 percent.

The company is likely to have revenue of $265 million to $295 million in
the third quarter, and $320 million to $350 million in the fourth
quarter, Chief Executive Officer Ara Hovnanian said during a conference
call with analysts today.

Bondholders are losing confidence in Hovnanian as the company uses its
cash to buy land in the housing slump. The homebuilder’s cash
and near-cash holdings fell to $353.7 million in the quarter from $783.1
million two years earlier.

The cost to protect the company’s debt with credit-default swaps
ended yesterday at the highest level since Sept. 23, according to CMA,
which is owned by the CME Group Inc. Contracts protecting against the
company’s default for five years increased 2.1 percentage points
today to 37.6 percent upfront as of 12:28 p.m. in New York, according to
the data provider. That’s in addition to 5 percent a year,
meaning it would cost $3.76 million initially and $500,000 annually to
protect $10 million of Hovnanian debt.

Hedge Against Losses
Credit-default swaps pay the buyer face value if a borrower fails to
meet its obligations, less the value of the defaulted debt. The
contracts, which investors use to hedge against losses on corporate debt
or to speculate on creditworthiness, decline as investor confidence
improves and rise as it deteriorates.

`We understand the market’s concern with
liquidity,’Chief Financial Officer Larry Sorsby said during
today’s call.`It is something we are monitoring closely.
However, our internal financial models give us the confidence that we
have sufficient capital to grow our way back to profitability, even in a
flat, non-recovering market.’

The company expects narrower losses in the third and fourth quarters,
CEO Hovnanian said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Prashant Gopal in New York at
[email protected]; Mary Childs in New York at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kara Wetzel at
[email protected]

From: Baghdasarian

Sergey Ghazaryan: One should not try to reconcile the irreconcilable
18.06.2011 11:48

Lusine Avanesyan
`Radiolur’
Stepanakert

The principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are not the
only way to solve the Karabakh conflict, said Sergey Ghazaryan,
Vice-Chairman of the NKR National Assembly’s Standing Committee on
Foreign Relations.

`There are some provisions in those principles that counter our
security demands,’ he stated.

`One should not try to reconcile the irreconcilable,’ Sergey Ghazaryan
said in response to the assertions that the conflict can be solved on
the basis of the principles of the right of peoples to
self-determination and territorial integrity.

`The NKR authorities have declared that the independence of Artsakh is
not subject to bargaining,’ the MP said.

From: Baghdasarian

TURQUIE
L’affaire du meurtre de Hrant Dink prend fin à Trazbon

8 officiers de la gendarmerie ont comparu au 2e tribunal de première
instance pénale de Trazbon (côte Est de la mer Noire) en raison de
leur négligence avant l’assassinat du journaliste turco-arménien Hrant
Dink. Les avocats de la famille Dink de ce dernier ont réclamé une
dernière fois de mener les poursuites des accusés dans le cadre du
procès du meurtre tenu à Istanbul.

Les 8 officiers comparus à Trazbon ont reçu des peines pouvant aller
jusqu’à deux ans de prison chacun. Pendant l’audience d’hier (31 Mai)
, les procureurs de la commune ont exigé des poursuites en particulier
sur les anciens commandeurs du régiment de la gendarmerie de Trazbon,
le colonel Ali Ôz et le capitaine Metin Yildiz ainsi que les six
accusés restants en vertu des accusations ” d’être à l’origine du
meurtre en n’agissant pas volontairement ” selon l’article 83 du code
pénal turque.(homicide volontaire par le biais de négligence)

Les avocats des accusés ont demandé un délai supplémentaire afin de
préparer leur défense. Sur ce, le juge a reporté le procès au 28
juillet. Le 2e tribunal de première instance pénale de Trazbon avait
décidé par manque de compétence de la haute cour pénale de Trazbon .

Sur appel du parquet, le dossier est revenu à la cour de magistrat.
Selon les procureurs de la commune de la famille Dink, le nombres de
chances que le tribunal de Trazbon envoie le dossier à un autre
tribunal dû à un manque de compétence est infime, maintenant que
l’affaire en est au stade final. En dépit des informations obtenues un
an plus tôt sur une attaque planifiée visant le journal fondé par Dink
” Agos ” , Ogün Samast est venu à Istanbul et a tué Dink devant son
bureau en Sisli le 19 janvier 2007. Le nombre de suspects détenus est
descendu à 3. Outre Samast, Yasin Hayal est détenu aussi bien pour
incitation présumée de l’assassinat que pour informateur de la police
Erhan Tuncel.

L’ancien commandant du régiment de gendarmerie de Trabzon le Colonel
Ali Öz, le fonctionnaire de la Direction du renseignement le capitaine
Metin Yildiz, les officiers militaires Hüseyin Gazi et Günay Yýlmaz,
le sergent-major de commandement Okan Þimþek, le sergent spécial
Veysel Sahin, Haci Ömer Ünalýr et Önder Araz ont été condamnés à des
peines de prison allant jusqu’à deux ans pour “négligence”.

dimanche 19 juin 2011,
Sté[email protected]

From: Baghdasarian