Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIE
Une inspection du ministère des finances révèle une fraude de 584,7
millions de drams

Une inspection du ministère des Finances a révélé que le montant des
allocations versées aux femmes enceintes dans les six premiers mois de
l’an dernier a dépassé de 584,7 millions de drams la somme prévue.

Des documents sur ce montant à payer ont été soumis au ministère du
travail et de la sécurité sociale par le comité des recettes de l’Etat
a précisé le ministère des Finances.

Il a dit que les femmes enceintes de 6 mois ont reçu des salaires
élevés et qu’après avoir travaillé pendant un mois, elles ont obtenu
des indemnités de grossesse et ont cessé d’aller travailler, mais ont
reçu des indemnités d’une valeur de 150000 à 200000 drams.

Dans d’autres cas, les femmes enceintes ont travaillé à temps partiel
pour deux entreprises et recevaient des salaires plus élevés que le
salaire moyen des autres employés.

dimanche 26 janvier 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ECHECS
L’Arménien Lévon Aronian remporte pour la 4e fois le Tournoi
international Wijk aan Zee

Par sa victoire au 42e coup de la 10e partie face au Cubain Lenyer
Dominguez, du Tournoi international de Wijk aan Zee (Pays Bas), avec 8
points, le numéro 2 mondial des échecs, l’Arménien Lévon Aronian a
remporté pour la quatrième fois le Tournoi de Wijk aan Zee. L’Arménien
devance le Russe Sergueï Kariakine et le Hollandais Anish Giry qui
n’ont que 6 points. L’an dernier, le Tournoi était remporté par le
numéro un mondial le Norvégien Magnus Carlsen qui avait devancé Lévon
Aronian. A noter que Lévon Aronian était soutenu cette année par de
nombreux supporters Arméniens.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 26 janvier 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Constitutional Court rules to suspend implementation of two articles
of the new pension law

18:37 24.01.2014

The Constitutional Court ruled today to suspend the implementation of
Articles 76 and 86.3 of the Law on Compulsory Accumulative Pension
System until the adoption of a final decision on the constitutionality
of the law. The decision enters into force from the moment of its
publication.

The suspension of the articles will remain in force until March 28,
when the Constitutional Court is scheduled to consider the
constitutionality of Article 8 of the Law on Compulsory Accumulative
Pension System that has come into force on January 1, 2014.

From: Baghdasarian

BRUSH WITH DEATH HONES LOVE OF LIFE

Wollongong Advertiser, Australia
January 22, 2014 Wednesday

I am an Australian citizen with an Armenian background. My grandparents
escaped their homeland (part of Turkey now) around World War I and
with their children moved around Turkey and the Middle East area
(Syria and Lebanon, eventually settling in Iraq). In spite of
all the misfortunes, adversities and hardships that they faced,
they succeeded in establishing themselves in the many communities
they lived within. My father occupied a prominent position in the
Department of Engineering in Iraq, my mother became a school teacher,
and my uncle was the archbishop representing his community in the US,
Iran and Egypt.

I did part of my study in Iraq, and then my father supported me
to study in England. I finished my PhD in medical microbiology and
married Colin Woodroffe, who is now a professor at the University of
Wollongong. I accompanied my husband when he travelled for his many
different academic positions. In all these new places, I managed to
keep my academic career and find a job. Hence, I held many interesting
postdoctoral research, tutoring and lecturing positions. In New Zealand
at the Auckland University Medical School I was involved in research
on tumour immunology. During a year at Louisiana State University
in the US I joined a team working on avian microbiology. We spent
several years in Darwin during which I researched human chlamydial
infection at the Menzies School of Health Research. My most recent
research was on human cytomegalovirus infection at University of
Wollongong and the University of Western Sydney.

Following a 23-year academic career and after being diagnosed and
successfully treated for breast cancer, I decided to have a sea-change
and to do the things I loved but had shelved until retirement. So, I
joined the Welsh Choir, started practising piano and devoted time to my
hobby – painting. In the last 15 years or so since my early retirement,
I have gone a long way with my painting career. I have won many
prizes and awards for my paintings and been represented by galleries
in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Sydney and Canberra. I have taken part
in art exhibitions, done solo and group exhibitions, and have sold
many paintings, including overseas. I like all the different styles
of painting. I find myself at ease painting traditional abstract or
traditional realist or contemporary impressionistic styles, and I paint
regularly in nature (en plein air) with a group of my artist friends.

For me, nature is so beautiful and perfect with the play of shadow
and light and the expression of colours that are displayed through
the three dimensions, that I stand in front of it in awe for its
perfectness and beauty. All I can do is humbly and truthfully transfer
the magic in front of me and my inner feelings to the two-dimensional
canvas. I paint all sorts of subjects including landscape, seascape,
figurative and portraits, and my favourite medium is oil colour,
though most of the time I start with watercolour or acrylic or pastel,
but I love the texture of oils. More of my work can be found at my
website,

Looking back at my life, I am happy with all the different stages
in my life. I do not consider my brush with cancer so much as a
misfortune but more a waking call to enjoy life and not to take it
too seriously. It has given me the strength to believe in my inner
self, my ability to turn things around, to always put my family as
the priorities in life, to be sensitive to the needs of others around
me, and to increase my friendship with God. In all the trials that I
faced, whether it was juggling family needs with the very demanding
and testing aspects of my research/ teaching career, dealing with
a horrifying accident to my husband, facing my health issues, or
looking after my elderly mother, my faith has helped me through.

Now I have two beautiful grown-up daughters – Sabrina, who has finished
studying dentistry specialising in orthodontics and is working with
the Smile Team in Wollongong; and Clarissa who works as a pharmacist
at the Westmead Children’s Hospital. Also I am so looking forward
to the birth of my first grandchild in a few months’ time. I am very
thankful for the support of my husband, daughters and family.

My motto is life always brings with it happiness, beauty and trials.

It is up to us to appreciate the happy events in our life and
be thankful, to stop and see beauty and enjoy it; and to face
life-challenges, learn from them and turn them around to our advantage
and mature from them.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S CENTRAL BANK RESPONDS TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT’S DECISION

YEREVAN, January 24. / ARKA /. Armenia’s Central Bank was quick to
respond to today’s decision of the Constitutional Court to suspend
several provisions of the law on funded pension system.

Andranik Grigoryan, a central bank senior official, said the decision
would affect the international rating of the country’s financial
market.

The highest court of the country has ruled today to suspend Article 76
(providing for penalties for the failure or delay to make mandatory
pension payments) and the third paragraph of Article 86 (according to
which workers must choose a pension fund and a manager). The hearing
of the case will end March 28, 2014.

“We believe that the (pension) reform will continue, but if for some
reason it will not, it will have very negative effects. Particularly,
it may adversely affect the credibility and the rating our country
in the international market,” he told a news conference.

The constitutionality of eight articles of the law was challenged
by three opposition factions of the National Assembly –
the Armenian National Congress, the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation/Dashnaktsutyun, the Heritage and the Prosperous Armenia
Party.

The new pension system requires that all Armenian citizens born
after 1973 pay social security taxes equivalent to 5 percent of their
monthly wages. That money has to be deposited with private pension
funds licensed by the government late last December. -0-

– See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

CONSTRUCTION OF MARTAKERT-VARDENIS HIGHWAY DISCUSSED AT NKR PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

18:51 24.01.2014

On January 24 President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
convoked a working consultation dedicated to the construction of the
Martakert-Vardenis highway, Central Information Department of the
Office of the NKR President reported.

Heads and representatives of the “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund and
other structures involved in the process delivered reports.

The President underlined that construction works of this strategically
important highway should go on at a high level, ensuring the necessary
quality.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN: ARMENIA DOES NOT WANT WAR

January 24, 2014 | 18:58

YEREVAN. – Armenia does not want war, but if we are forced, we
have no other option, Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan said during
consultations at Labor Ministry on Friday.

The president was asked about constant threats of the Azerbaijani
leader to resume hostilities, media reports on Azerbaijani build-up
and Armenia’s actions as a counter to this.

“Even in this atmosphere I cannot rule out likelihood of hostilities,
because at least two people in our country – the president and defense
minister – must consider that the hostilities will resume tomorrow.

But I do not see likelihood of renewed hostilities in the near future.

However, if we are forced to do so, we will have to fight,” he said.

“You ask about our actions. We do so that special forces soldiers
sent by Baku, exceeding 3-4 times in number, failed to carry out their
task and in fact ruined the operation, bringing more losses than our
soldiers in positions. I want to say that the combat readiness of
our army is at a sufficiently high level. Secondly, the equipment of
our positions is in accordance with the current situation,” Sargsyan
said, adding that Armenia, not less than others, renews its arsenal,
military stores, arms, ammunition and equipment.

Although the funds allocated from the budget are not excessive,
but the army has no shortage of weapons and ammunition.

“I do not say strong shortage because there are a few armies the
leadership of which is entirely pleased with a number of weapons
and ammunition. Army is a body that always requires new weapons and
ammunition. We do not want war – obviously, we do not want – but if
are forced to, we have no other option. On the other hand, we will
do our best to resolve the problem peacefully,” President assured.

From: Baghdasarian

Tata Steel 2014: Aronian winner in 10th round

21:01 – 25.01.14

In the tenth round of the Tata Steel 2014 chess tournament, Armenian
grandmaster Levon Aronian celebrated a victory over Leyner Dominguez.

The Cuban sportsman was defeated at the 42nd move. Aronian thus scored
eight points, leaving behind the other participants. A drawn match
would have also secured a victory for the Armenian sportsman, as his
closest rivals, Sergey Karyakin (Russia) and Anish Grin (Netherlands),
also tied their score in their Saturday match.

In the final round on Sunday, Aronian will face Loek van Weli of the
Netherlands.

The Armenian chess star has been three times before declared a winner
in this tournament.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s political developments in last 6 months could have been
turning point – opposition leader

January 25, 2014 | 11:16

YEREVAN. – Such developments unrolled within Armenia’s politics in the
last six months that could have become a turning point.

Opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman, ex-presidential
candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan noted the abovementioned at a press
conference on Saturday.

He added, however, that the events did not develop in such a way, and
he recalled the words by a Russian oligarch that Armenia is in their
pocket.

`Today’s political forces [of Armenia] can deal with everything except
for important strategic matters. Are we going toward a civilized
world, or toward the dark Middle Ages? And, under these conditions,
Armenia’s political forces remain silent,’ Hayrikyan stated.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

Turquie-culture-tourisme-politique-religion
Un hôtel turc prisé des célébrités contraint de fermer pour cause de
loi anti-alcool

(AFP) – Quatre siècles après avoir reçu ses premiers clients, un
célèbre hôtel turc, lieu de villégiature prisé des célébrités du monde
entier de passage en Turquie, a fermé ses portes, victime d’une
récente loi anti-alcool du gouvernement.

Aux dires de son responsable Ali Acundas, le caravansérail Okuz Mehmet
Pasa, du nom d’un grand-vizir (Premier ministre du sultan) de l’empire
ottoman, situé près de la station balnéaire égéenne de Kusadasi, ne
peut simplement plus fonctionner.

`Nous avons déjà enregistré des pertes ces dernières années à cause de
la situation économique en général`, explique M. Acundas à l’AFP.
`Mais la récente loi destinée à réduire les ventes d’alcool nous a
porté un coup fatal`.

Au pouvoir depuis 2002, le Parti de la justice et du développement
(AKP) a fait voter en mai dernier un texte qui a limité de manière
draconienne la consommation et la publicité de l’alcool, interdite par
l’islam, arguant de la protection de la santé publique.

Les hôtels et les restaurants qui disposent d’une licence de vente ont
échappé à ces restrictions, mais l’établissement de M. Acundas,
construit en 1618, a été écarté de la liste des bénéficiaires à la
faveur de la nouvelle loi, car classé monument historique.

Dans ces conditions, le gestionnaire n’a pu garder sa clientèle
traditionnelle, essentiellement composée de touristes étrangers.

`On ne peut pas demander à un client français de renoncer à un verre
de vin et lui proposer à la place un jus d’orange`, a-t-il regretté.

Dans la longue liste des clients célèbres de son hôtel de 26 chambres,
M. Acundas se souvient de `l’ancien président américain Jimmy Carter`,
de `l’ex-Premier ministre grec Georges Papandréou` et de nombreuses
personnalités de la jet-set.

La loi anti-alcool de 2013 fut l’une des principales mesures
critiquées en juin dernier lors de la vague de manifestations contre
le Premier ministre islamo-conservateur Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusé
de dérive autoritaire et de vouloir `islamiser` la Turquie.

Malgré le coup porté à son commerce, Ali Acundas s’est voulu
optimiste. `Tout cela n’est que temporaire`, a-t-il pronostiqué, `je
suis sûr que ces erreurs seront réparées`.

samedi 25 janvier 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian