Author: Tvankchian Parkev

THE GOLDEN VICTORY OF THE GOLDEN TEAM: ARMENIA KEEPS CHESS CHAMPION’S TITLE

armradio.am
25.11.2008 17:58

Once again the Armenian team became the winner of the Chess
Olympiad. The Armenian "golden" team defended its champion’s title
at the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden.

In the last eleventh round Levon Aronyan and Vladimir Hakobyan drew
the games versus Vang Yue and Xiangzi respectively. Gabriel Sargsyan
played a draw with Ni Hua. Tigran Petrosyan defeated Li Chao B. Armenia
gained 19 points, thus becoming the sole leader of the tournament.

The Armenian team beat china 2.5-1.5, thus becoming the Champion of
the 38th Chess Olympiad.

President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, and FIDE President Kirsan
Ilyumzhinov made the first steps on behalf of the Armenian and
Chinese teams. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov thanked President Serzh Sargsyan
for visiting Dresden.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS TURKEY

The Associated Press
November 24, 2008

ISTANBUL, Turkey: Armenia’s foreign minister will meet his Turkish
counterpart on the sidelines of a visit to the Organization of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Istanbul.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is the regional group’s
chairman for the next six months.

Turkey and Armenia are pushing to establish a regional cooperation
group to stabilize the Caucasus. The group would also include rivals
Armenia and Azerbaijan and offer help in solving their dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Nalbandian is scheduled to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
on Monday. The neighboring countries have increased cooperation as
they aim to improve bilateral ties.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul visited Armenia in September.

The party’s over for cheating organiser
Court battle exposes overcharging at £800,000 event at Elton John’s home
Rajeev Syal

guardian.co.uk,
Sunday November 23 2008

The extravagant spending of Britain’s rich and famous has been revealed
in the High Court, where the organiser of some of Britain’s most lavish
parties was shown to be a cheat who regularly overcharged his stellar
list of clients.

Matthew James had become one of Britain’s most famous fixers with a
series of outlandish events. He sent giraffes and zebras to wander
among guests at a garden party thrown by Elton John, recreated an
airport to celebrate Kevin Spacey’s term at the Old Vic, and held an
open-air dinner for Stella McCartney in a forest lit with 2,000
candles.

But his award-winning company, DNA Productions (Europe), has been wound
up after a High Court battle over the cost of an £800,000 party in the
grounds of John’s mansion. The judge ruled that the company had grossly
overcharged one client and routinely concealed the true costs of events
to others.

James came to prominence in 2001 after organising the White Tie and
Tiara Ball in the grounds of John’s 37-acre pile in Windsor, Berkshire.
Over four years, he organised the annual charity event attended by
guests including Puff Daddy, Michael Caine and Ronnie Wood with a
variety of glittering themes. At one, based on an 18th-century
Fragonard painting of a girl on a swing, staff wore powdered wigs and
Swarovski created a secret crystal garden in the woods. In 2005 James
entertained hundreds of guests with a menagerie of safari animals.

His company went bust after he was ordered to pay £100,000 to
Armenian-born property tycoon Rafi Manoukian by the High Court. Mr
Justice Evans-Lombe found that James had launched a ‘campaign of
concealment’ over the cost of a joint birthday and christening party
that was held by Manoukian at John’s home. Guests, including David and
Victoria Beckham, dined in an £80,000 marquee.

Manoukian, who with his brother Bob is believed to be worth more than
£250m, had expected DNA to charge a 12.5 per cent management fee and
take commissions from suppliers of up to £16,000 for the lavish party.
But when he received the full £827,761 bill, he believed that the
company had been unfair in raising costs and had failed to pass on
discounts offered by suppliers.

His suspicions were confirmed when an assistant at DNA accidentally
sent a list detailing the real costs of supplies and services to his
office. Manoukian, 52, refused to pay the full bill. James took his
case to the High Court demanding an outstanding payment of over
£200,000.

Documents emerged in court showing the full scale of the ‘impropriety’.
James and a former employee of DNA admitted that the company had a
policy of concealing suppliers’ discounts from all20their clients.
Evidence showed that James had taken at least £50,000 in discounts from
Manoukian’s party which he had not passed on to his client.

One email, from James’s assistant and event producer Victoria Smith to
a supplier, said: ‘When you do quote, could you also just include 10
per cent commission to us hidden in the quote? We have to show the
client all our invoices which is why we need the written quote and also
the commission included.’

In another email to a supplier, Smith wrote: ‘As discussed, attached is
a breakdown of how I need your quote laid out in order to show
Manoukian – so we can then get deposit [sic] from him! Where the costs
are higher, it’s because we have marked them up – your quote should
still show these as I have quoted to Manoukian but allowing for a bit
more commission for DNA. Does that make sense?!’

The judge said: ‘Matthew James accepted it was DNA’s practice to
conceal from its clients that it was receiving commissions or discounts
from some of its suppliers in addition to an event management fee… It
was Matthew James’s evidence that DNA’s practice was not to record
offers of commission or discounts from suppliers in writing, as far as
possible, and correspondence referring to such offers or their payment
was routinely deleted from DNA’s books and records.’

The judgment revealed that DNA went into voluntary liquidation last
June with debts of £389,892. The company’s staff have also been
laid off. James could not be contacted last week.

ARMENIA LEADS CHESS OLYMPIAD IN DRESDEN

De Facto
Nov 21, 2008

YEREVAN, 21.11.08. DE FACTO. Armenia’s chess team won Russian chess
players.

On November 20, in the course of the Chess Olympiad’s 7th tournament
Armenian chess players scored a 2, 5:1, 5 victory over the Russian
men’s team. Victory to the Armenian team was brought by Gabriel
Sargsian, who defeated Alexander Grischuk. Levon Aronian-Vladimir
Kramnik, Vladimir Hakobian-Peter Svidler and Tigran Petrosian-Dmitry
Yakovenko games ended in a draw.

To note, the Armenian chess players defeated Azerbaijan’s team before.

According to the results of the 6th tournament of the Chess Olympiad
being held in Dresden, Armenia’s men team scored a 2, 5:1, 5 victory
over Azerbaijan’s team.

Armenian team’s victory was ensured by Vladimir Hakobian, who had
overpowered Shahriyar Mammadyarov. Levon Aronian-Teymur Rajabov,
Gabriel Sargsian-Vugar Hashimov and Tigran Petrosian-Rauf Mamedov
sets ended in a draw. The Armenian team still heads the tournament
table with 11 points.

To note, it has been the Azeri team’s first defeat in the Olympiad.

NO OTHER SIDES IN KARABAKH CONFLICT BESIDES AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA, ALIYEV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2008 18:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There are no other sides in the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict besides Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Azeri President said.

"This fact is fixed in the Moscow declaration which determines the
basic mechanisms of the conflict resolution in the framework of the
international law," Ilham Aliyev said during "Azerbaijan in the 21st
century: the strategy of development" round table discussion, Trend
Azeri news agency reports.

SELF-DECLARED "NAGORNO KARABAKH" REFUTES INFORMATION ABOUT TWO KILLED ARMENIAN SOLDIERS

Today.Az
cs/49059.html
Nov 18 2008
Azerbaijan

"NKR" defense army did not have even wounded during the clashes with
the Azerbaijani diversion group", said spokesman for the Defense army
of the self-declared "Nagorno Karabakh" Senor Asratyan, commenting
on the statement of spokesman for Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Eldar
Sabiroghlu about the death of two soldiers from the Karabakhi side
during a fire exchange on the night of November 16.

Asratyan also refuted the statement of spokesman of the Defense
Ministry of Azerbaijan that presently the Azerbaijani servicemen are
trying to take the body of the deceased soldier out of the Karabakhi
territory.

He noted that there is a definite procedure for return of the bodies
of the killed soldiers and the Azerbaijani side may appeal to the
due international structures when necessary.

Asratyan also noted that the body of the killed Azerbaijani soldier has
already been demonstrated on the Armenian and Azerbaijani television.

"We are currently learning whether there are wounded from the
Azerbaijani side, but this is the fact that Azerbaijanis had one loss
and stepped back", concluded Asratyan.

ALL THINGS OLD AND WONDERFUL
Nivedita Raitz von Frentz

The Daily Star
20
Nov 19 2008
Bangladesh

Life in Shakhari Bazar (from top): a crumbling ornate facade,
renovation and upkeep are the major issues; an artisan making
‘shankha.’ Photo: Joyobrata Sarker and Urmee Chowdhury

Freshly baked mounds of ‘bakarkhani’ and little potato ‘shingara’
can be seen at every street corner. There was a palpable festive
feeling in the air for it was just a few days before ‘Kali puja’;
Kali is the fiery reigning goddess of Shakhari Bazar. Idols abound
in different stages of completion, their straw innards covered and
moulded with clay by artisan families; her tongue sticking out,
on realising she has trodden on her destroyer god consort, Shiva.

Following the collapse of a house in Shakhari Bazar in 2004, a
further 90 structures in a similar state of ruin were earmarked
for demolition. For four long years, the Urban Studies Group (USG)
has battled to preserve some of the period buildings here, and
in neighbouring Kotwali Road and Tanti Bazar. The USG, fuelled by
the commitment of architect couple Homaira Zaman and Taimur Islam,
has meticulously documented the condition of the buildings, and are
in the process of applying for a grant, in an effort to commence
renovations. They also organise weekend walks through the winding
lanes, trying to raise awareness for the crumbling remnants that
are part of this city’s heritage. Despite their efforts thus far,
Shakhari Bazar has not been elevated to the status of a heritage site.

Dhaka’s first urban re-development project can be traced back to the
early 1900s, under the auspices of British urban planner, Patrick
Geddes. Back then, Shakhari Bazar was twice its present size; two to
three hundred buildings still stand, 25 percent of which have ground
floors dating back to the late Mughal period. Despite major congestion,
the long corridors of the narrow shops/houses are clearly visible,
but one must crane the neck to see what survives of the ornamental
facades of the older buildings. It is only due to Taimur and Homaira’s
special bond with the residents, that the fascinating inner world of
their multiple courtyards was accessible, privy to 15 families going
about their daily routines.

Shakhari Bazar is Dhaka’s oldest neighbourhood (mohalla), where
descendants of the original Hindu community are still around today,
some carrying on the traditional craft of their forefathers. Unlike
Tanti Bazar and Lakshmi Bazar, property ownership has been retained
with the Hindu families. At one end is the country’s first private
school, Pogos, founded in 1848 by the Armenian merchant J.G. Nicholas
Pogose. The old school rooms continue to be used; one even sports a
fire place and boarded-up French windows. Sadly, the library is in
a sorry state, restoration funds not stretching so far.

Simply buzzing with activity, from shops making traditional spice
grinding stones, to ‘shankha’ shops — selling conch shell bangles
from which the street derives its name — and Dhaka’s oldest musical
instrument shop, Jatin & Co. which has been in the Mondol family for
generations. The surnames Sur, Nag, Nandi, Sen and Dhar keep cropping
up in the ‘shankha’ business. Men sit hunched in corners breaking
conch shells; the powder will be used in the different stages of
bangle making. Very little persuasion was required for proprietor
Dakshineshwar Nag to provide an impromptu demonstration on a rather
large conch shell! At Amiya Kumar Sur’s shop, a bangle-fitting session
was in progress. Some ‘shankha’ makers have branched out into paper
craft, selling kites which fly out of the shops during the ‘Sankranti’
festival.

Turning the corner into Kotwali Road, Taimur and Homaira keenly watch
number 27/1, the building with the red chest (‘lal shindook’). Half the
building has already been demolished; the other half is on a heritage
list for preservation, so may be saved once it’s been officially
designated as such. Follow the road into Tanti Bazar, where a group
of 14 buildings is being touted for conservation on the left hand
side of Radhika Mohan Das Lane. The jewel in Tanti Bazar’s crown is
the 19th century Radha Ballav temple, where the original street view
must have been stunning; the temple keeper’s reduced circumstances
have forced her to take in tenants into an eyesore of a room smack
in front of the temple steps.

Disappointment is no stranger to Taimur and Homaira, who collected
funds to try to save another temple, only to see it demolished before
their eyes. It is an uphill struggle, one the couple seems to bear
with a smile. Somehow, a single walk leaves one unsatisfied, and the
temptation to return to these old Dhaka lanes lingers on.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STARTS DISCUSSION OF 2009 DRAFT STATE BUDGET

Noyan Tapan

Nov 12, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 12 plenary sitting,
the RA National Assembly started discussion of the draft law on the
2009 state budget. The draft, which had been discussed at the NA
standing committees in late October, was presented by the government
in an unchanged form.

In the words of the minister of finance Tigran Davtian, after
preliminary discussions, about 400 written proposals were received
from the National Assembly. The government will amend the draft based
on these written proposals and those to be made during discussions
at the plenary sitting.

By the submitted draft, the revenues of the 2009 consolidated budget
will make 927 bln drams, its expenditures – 967 bln drams, and the
deficit will make 40 bln drams.

The budgets (revenues and expenditures) of the Armenian communities
will amount to 50 bln drams in 2009. The 2009 state budget envisages
revenues of 905.4 bln drams, expenditures of 945.4 bln drams, and a
deficit of 40 bln drams.

PRESIDENT OF THE MOUVEMENT POUR LA FRANCE PARTY TO VISIT ARMENIA

armradio.am
13.11.2008 13:19

President of the French Party "Mouvement pour la France" Philippe
de Villiers, will arrive in Yerevan November 15 in the evening for
a three-day visit, independent correspondent Jean Eckian informed.

On November 16, he will meet His Holiness Garegin II. Then he will
visit Tsitsernakaberd to lay a wreath at the memorial to the Armenian
Genocide victims and plant a tree.

The following day, November 17, head of MPF will meet President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and the
Minister of the Culture Hasmik Poghosyan.

The French politician will also visit the Monastery of Khor-Virap
and the Amberd castle. Philippe de Villiers is a great supporter of
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. On the other hand he is
against Turkey’s joining the European Union.

AS BASIS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
13 Nov 08
Armenia

According to Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, Armenian
and Azerbaijani parties didn’t take Madrid principles as principles,
they took it as basis. Armenian party has many times underscored that
these proposals can serve as basis for the negotiations.

Azerbaijani party refuses this approach saying that the UN resolution
is the basis of the negotiations, though Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
countries and many other European countries didn’t support it. After
the meeting between the Presidents of the two states, which took place
this June, the Ministers were instructed to continue the negotiations,
based on Madrid proposals.

"When the process reaches an agreement, the proposals will be a matter
of discussion for the public, the Armenian authorities will never
sign any agreement without the support and perception of the people
of Armenia and NKR. At the moment we don’t possess any document with
the agreement of the two parties, which we can publish," the Foreign
Minister assured.