Author: Zargarian Hambik

WARNINGS MADE OVER MALICIOUS FACEBOOK APPLICATION

SC Magazine UK
malicious-Facebook-application/article/146596/
Chu ck MillerAugust 17, 2009

A rogue Facebook application has been detected that sends users to
a credential-harvesting site.

Rik Ferguson, senior security advisor at Trend Micro, claimed that
the application is sending notifications that lead to the application
via a user commenting on a post.

Ferguson said that the notifications appear to come from an application
called ‘sex sex sex and more sex!!’ which despite sounding shady and
looking a bit of a mess still boasts over 287,000 fans.

Trend Micro detected that the hyperlinks in the notification both
lead to a malicious website hosted on the fucabook.com domain and not
to a link back on the profile. The server at fucabook.com then loads
up a JavaScript before immediately using HTTP meta refresh tags to
pull up the real Facebook website and prompting the victim for their
login credentials.

Ferguson said: "Always check the URL displayed in your browser’s
address bar before entering any sensitive information. Also check
the true destination of a link before clicking it, by hovering your
mouse pointer over it. If it looks suspicious, don’t click it. Also, if
you’re a Facebook user, now would be a good time to go and review your
privacy settings and clear out any applications you no longer use."

He further claimed that the attack site is registered to an Arsen
Tumanyan who allegedly resides in Armenia. The domain is registered
through GoDaddy and the URL leads to an IP address that resolves to
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).

Reforms in the Armenian pension system will be prolonged

armradio.am
15.08.2009 16:45

Reforms in the Armenian pension system will be prolonged. Since June 1
of 2010 the Armenian Republic must have passed to multi-grade pension
system, which suggests a new component, particularly – an accumulating
system.

Head of the State Service of Social Insurance of the Armenian Ministry
of Labor and Social Affairs Vazgen Khachikyan said today that the
reforms are purposeful to delay with a year connected with global
economic crisis.

Currently discussions are being conducted on that issue, in near future
the visit of international experts is expected, who will examine the
influence of the crisis on the Armenian pension system and specify the
purposeful time of carrying out reforms. The international experts
should present the results of their researches to the Armenian
government. By the initial data, they will arrive in Armenia at the end
of August or at the beginning of September.

Reforms to be carried out in the pension system will consist of 2 parts
– obligatory accumulating and voluntary systems. In the obligatory case
the people born in 1970 and hence, in the volunteer case – a citizen of
any age born till 1970 must be involved. The citizens may invest the
part of their salary in the stocks determined by the government. A
personal account should be opened for each citizen, where the money
will be accumulated.

New Zealand Herald

Rugby: R18 too daft to believe

4:00AM Sunday Aug 16, 2009
By Gregor Paul

The NZRU has decreed Wellington’s Charlie Ngatai too young to play a
full provincial season. Photo / Getty ImagesThe lunatics really have
taken over the asylum this time – Charlie Ngatai, all 98kg of him,
can’t be let loose for a full provincial campaign.
This thunderous beast of a player who scored three tries for Poverty
Bay in last year’s Lochore Cup final has to observe a
quota. Wellington can use him only three times this season in their
midfield and three times at fullback.
If this sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is. The New Zealand Rugby
Union have imposed this arbitrary restriction because … well,
because Ngatai is 18.
And apparently, even if you are playing senior club football, knock
your older team-mates around in training and break through the Hawke’s
Bay midfield at your leisure, you have to be protected when you are 18.
Of all the muddled thinking, of all the ill-conceived ideas hatched by
the New Zealand Rugby Union in recent years, this is the most
alarming.
This sits so at odds with the ethos that was central to the All
Blacks’ success.
There was a time when coaches found the best players in their region
and stuck them on the park. No one fretted whether they were 18 or 32.

Imagine telling Jonah Lomu at 18 that he had to be protected. He was
an All Black 45 days after he turned 19. John Kirwan, Jeff Wilson,
Bryan Williams and Walter Little were also test players at 19.
Good enough … old enough … what’s wrong with that as a philosophy?
The Wallabies go with it. In their ranks is 18-year-old James
O’Connor. They haven’t imposed any daft restrictions on him.
Even the dopes at rugby HQ must have noticed that rugby is a brutal
game – that it’s kind of handy having big blokes, like Ngatai, who can
knock people over.
They might even have noticed that people get hurt when they play –
sometimes the injuries can be quite bad but ho hum, that’s the deal
and no one wishes it were different.
Ngatai, the former Gisborne Boys’ High School superstar, might break
his leg next week. He might dislocate his shoulder in his fourth game
or twist an ankle in his sixth. You see, his body won’t really be
counting how many games it’s played.
He could just as easily play the whole campaign without incurring even
a scratch. The NZRU justify their stance by saying the quota is not
there to protect him against injury but with a view to his longer-term
development.
As Ngatai is in his first year out of school – he’s part of the
Wellington Academy – the NZRU fear that too much rugby at 18 might
scupper his chances of being in one piece by the time he’s 24.
There is no empirical evidence to support this and no consideration
that professional players live in the now.
Ngatai might not want to be a professional player when he’s 24. He
might fall in love with an Armenian sheep herder and spend the rest of
his days looking for the resting place of Noah’s Ark.
There’s a strong argument to be made, too, that at 18, Ngatai might
not be that far from his peak. This is a young man’s game. Outside
backs are like yoghurt – they expire quicker than you realise.
Look at Joe Rokocoko – his best football was played between the ages
of 20 and 23. Christian Cullen started to fade when he hit 25.
Ngatai is clearly mystified as to why he’s being prevented from
playing. Wellington coach Jamie Joseph is no doubt mystified too. He
signed up for this job believing he was in charge of the team – free
to pick whom he liked knowing that the consequences of failure sat
exclusively on his shoulders.
But, no, it turns out that not only does the All Black coach want to
pick his side but so too do the NZRU.

US AND RUSSIAN MEDIATORS IN KARABAKH NEGOTIATIONS TO RESIGN

/eav081409d.shtml
8/14/09

After spending years mediating between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
the secessionist Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, both US and Russian point
men in the Caucasus are calling it a day.

This week, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian
Affairs Matthew Bryza said he would step down from his State
Department position and quit his job as co-chair of the Minsk Group,
the OSCE mechanism tasked with advancing a peaceful resolution to
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijani and Russian media reported on August 14 that Bryza’s
Russian counterpart Yuriy Merzlyakov, the longest-standing Minsk Group
co-chair, is also set to leave his post. The group’s third co-chair
is French career diplomat Bernard Fassier.

Azerbaijan’s Zerkalo newspaper suggested on August 13 that former
US Ambassador to Kosovo Tina Kaidanow, who has already been named as
Bryza’s replacement at the State Department, is likely to become the
group’s new US co-chair.

Meanwhile, citing Russian Embassy sources, several Azerbaijani news
outlets suggested on August 14 that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Grigoriy Karasin is slated to replace Merzlyakov. The Russian Foreign
Ministry has not confirmed the appointment.

OFFICIAL BAKU NAMES WHOSE PEACEKEEPING TROOPS, IT SEEKS TO SEE IN KARABAKH

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.08.2009 12:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Azerbaijan’s position remains the same: the
Armenians should release territories around Karabakh, and displaced
persons return home. After that transitional period Lachin and Kelbajar
territories should be released and a corridor should be formed at the
same time between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. These processes must
be accompanied by mine cleaning. All this can take from 5 to 10 years,
" Novruz Mammadov , head of the International Relations department
of the President’s administration of Azerbaijan, said in an interview
with Turan.

"Next, displaced persons should return directly to Nagorno Karabakh and
peacekeeping forces should be deployed. After return of 60 thousand
Azerbaijanis there and restoring a situation of 1991, the legal
status of Nagorno Karabakh can be worked out. All this can take up
to 10 years," he said.

Novruz Mammadov stressed that the status of Nagorno Karabakh should be
developed exclusively within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Without going into details of the updated Madrid principles, Mammadov
said that they relate to elaboration of Nagorno Karabakh’s status,
that is, when and who will determine it and how the decision to
be made. "There are issues relating to peacekeeping forces, their
composition and time of deployment, there are certain issues related
to the corridor."

"Azerbaijan’s position is that peacekeeping troops should not have
the military from neighboring states. In our view, it would be better
if the peacekeeping mission would be organized by representatives of
the military forces of European States and the U. S.," Mammadov said.

"With regard to location of peacekeeping forces, the best would be
the deployment of peacekeepers in the line of contact between the
military forces of the European states the surrounding areas," he said.

"With regard to the status of Nagorno Karabakh, it should be determined
in line with Azerbaijani Constitution. The issue of Nagorno Karabakh
status will be determined at the last stage, and debates continue
yet. Therefore, we cannot say nothing particular yet," Novruz
Mammadov said.

RHETORIC AND REALITY: TURKISH POLITICS INSIDE AND OUT
By Nigar Goksel

Today’s Zaman
31 July 2009, Friday

Turkey sets high expectations with rhetoric about its indispensable
role for the solution of regional conflicts, for bridging
civilizations, and for spreading values of tolerance and democracy
among its neighbors.

However, Turkey itself is polarized, ridden with cultural clashes,
tolerance deficits, and widespread conviction that domestic balances
of power are inadequate. And it is not only the domestic environment
but also perceived dissonance in Turkish foreign policy that raises
questions about Turkey’s ability to maneuver the complex dynamics of
its neighborhood.

Turkey’s added value The debate about Turkey’s foreign policy in
Washington centers around whether Turkey is anchored to the West as it
strengthens its regional ties or whether Turkey is intent on creating
a second bloc, a "Muslim pole," for a new and just world order. In
other words, does Turkey aim to leverage its indispensability toward
being a full and equal partner of the Western bloc, or is Turkey
positioning itself as a stand-alone power that has to be reckoned
with for policy accomplishments in this region?

In terms of anchoring Turkey in the West (and vice versa), a promising
step took place on July 13 with transit countries signing an agreement
on the strategic Nabucco pipeline, set to bring natural gas from the
Caspian to Turkey and onwards to Europe. At the time, this author was
in Baku facing questions from Azerbaijani oppositionists on why the
Turkish government can confront Israel over the Palestinians and China
over the Uigurs, but remain silent as youth activists face violence
and are imprisoned in Azerbaijan.

Energy deals between Turkey and Azerbaijan, alongside
rhetoric of brotherhood between the nations, does not meet their
expectations. However, there are no easy answers to the challenges of
Turkey’s neighborhood, and leaving questions hanging is a tactic used
all too frequently by Ankara. Asked by some in Washington, "If Turkish
foreign policy is all about realpolitik, why does the Prime Minister
seem to be trying to win the Arab street when it comes to Middle East
policies, even when this means alienating key Arab regimes?" Lala
Shovket Hajiyeva, the head of a small opposition party in Azerbaijan,
echoes a common sentiment among the vocal opposition when she says,
"I wish it was Turkey and not the Europeans bringing us democracy." A
young activist noted that the frustrations in his country, coupled
with schools and networks allegedly connected to the Fethullah Gulen
movement, gradually lay the foundation for a religiously-motivated
political alternative in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, the country’s ruling
establishment performs a challenging balancing act between not only
the West and Russia, but also the interest-driven power centers within,
as well as expectations within society, that have grown by witnessing
domestic changes in neighboring Georgia that have improved many aspects
of Georgians’ lives. Commenting on Turkey’s influence in Azerbaijan,
a more cynical (and older) Azerbaijani simply said, "just make sure
to move Turkey forward to the EU because if you head anywhere else,
it will affect our direction ever more."

Turkey as a center of attraction Today, Turkey is ever more
polarized. Clashing camps speak of the "greater good" of their
cause. A member of the government may claim that a de facto
affirmative action-like approach is legitimate, in order to empower
the conservative classes that have been excluded for decades. On the
other hand, many staunch critics of the government perceive state
capture and power abuse by the ruling party and fear this will become
irreversible due to a weak balance of powers.

The shortcuts to identifying who belongs to each camp get shorter
by the day, including the newspaper one reads, the TV channel a
company advertisement is broadcasted, and even the restaurant that
slips a person’s name to the front of the waiting list. Express
concern of patronage in an AKP municipality and someone is coined a
"Kemalist." Mention the harm of banning headscarves in universities
and one is labeled an opportunist who must be trying to appease the
government, if not an outright Islamist. There is a divided judiciary,
parallel lawyers associations, bureaucrats pitted against each other,
and battling nongovernmental organizations. Turks might get shuffled
into a camp to which they do not feel affinity, based on shortcuts
for classifying people based on symbols.

Foreigners are not immune from this absurd reductionism either. After
four Azerbaijani members of Parliament visited Turkey and criticized
the government for their Armenia policies in April, the Turkish
Prime Minister reportedly accused them of being connected to
Turkey’s deep state. There have indeed been attempts to wrestle
power from this government using undemocratic means, with many
of the involved currently on trial or being investigated. However,
exploiting this by labeling critics of the government as coup-mongers
is unjustified. Tolerance to criticism on behalf of the government in
Turkey would be most inspiring to those from countries where aligning
with power holders is necessary for social and economic mobility.

International expectations of courage and vision from both
Turkey and the current U.S. administration are enormous. While the
U.S. administration is mirroring its policy of "reaching out" in the
world with its domestic efforts to do so, the Turkish government must
also go out of its way to overcome traditional lines of confrontation
with its legitimate critics in Turkey itself. This will be what
determines its success both domestically and globally. A good place
to start in building confidence inside would be to move forward with
reforms foreseen in the European integration agenda that also curb
the power of the government.

The United States, the European Union, and Turkey Within Washington the
debate about Turkey is weak and divided. While some in the U.S. capital
noted the rapid extension of congratulations from Turkey to Ahmadinejad
after the elections in Iran as an extension of Turkey’s realist and
pragmatic foreign policy, others saw this as a sign that power would
eventually be consolidated by Islamists in Turkey while Iran joined
the free world.

In a sense, the Turkish government has a stronger hand in its
relations with Washington than ever before. The Obama administration is
attempting to reach out to the Muslim world and a conservative Muslim
party with strong popular backing is governing Turkey. In negotiating
with the United States, AKP can conveniently point to the still very
high levels of anti-Americanism in Turkish society as a bargaining
chip. The leading opposition parties are all more U.S.-skeptic in
rhetoric than AKP. Moreover, with many more pressing challenges on its
agenda, Washington would hardly opt for more strain in its Turkey ties.

During the Cold War it was important for the Western alliance not to
"lose" Turkey, and it is today too. However, today when the risks
of losing Turkey are debated, it is the value of Turkey’s soft
power that is in the forefront, not its geostrategic and military
function. Faced with a new set of regional challenges and very
different power balances in Turkey, it is the ruling AKP with which
Washington needs collaboration most. It is often said that Washington
turned a blind eye to abuses committed by the Turkish military when
the military relationship was central to the two countries’ joint
interests. It is important today that expectations from the Turkish
government regarding rule of law and pluralism are not lowered.

Ranging from impartiality of the judiciary to institutional
arrangements to combat corruption, the EU membership requirements
address the many issues that are critical for Turkey to implement in
order to break out of the nearly chronic perception of existential
crisis. It is, therefore, puzzling that the Turkish opposition parties
are not calling for the EU accession agenda to be implemented more
aggressively in Turkey. Those in both Turkey and the United States
who are concerned about Turkey’s direction should put more emphasis
on the roadmap that the EU process provides.

The messages President Barack Obama gave during his recent visit to
Turkey reflected a welcome sensitivity to Turkey’s internal balances by
emphasizing principles over partisanship. Though it is in the interest
of the United States that Turkish democracy is consolidated, Washington
has a limited set of tools to steer Turkey down this path. The EU
process is the single most influential factor in correcting the
many distortions within Turkey’s political world. In this sense,
disheartening messages from European capitals about Turkey’s eventual
membership strike a blow not only to Democrats in Turkey but also to
the strategic interests of Washington.

"" THE GERMAN MARSHALL FUND OF THE UNITED STATES ON TURKEY * Nigar
Goksel is a senior analyst at the European Stability Initiative and
editor-in-chief of Turkish Policy Quarterly. The views expressed here
are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views
of GMF or those of the European Stability Initiative.

VLADIMIR AKOPIAN PLAYS A DRAW IN 4TH ROUND OF FIDE GRAND PRIX AGAIN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
13.08.2009 00:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Aronian and Leko scored 3 points after 4 rounds
and kept leading position in the tournament table.

Armenian grandmaster Vladimir Akopian played a draw in 4-round
of 5th Grand Prix, held in Jermuk, with the Kazakh players Rustam
Kasymjanov. In all 4 rounds Armenian grandmaster played draws with
his rivals.

Party of 4th round:

Levon Aronian – Gat Kamsky – 1:0
Dmitry Yakovenko – Boris Gelfand – 0,5:0,5
Ernesto Inarkiev – Ivan Cheparinov – 0,5:0,5
Peter Leko – Sergey Karjakin – 1:0
Vladimir Akopian – Rustam Kasymjanov – 0,5:0,5
Etienne Bacrot – Paul Elyanov – 0,5:0,5
Vassily Ivanchuk – Evgeny Alekseev – 1:0

Tournament position after 4 rounds: Aronian, Leko – 3; Ivanchuk,
Cheparinov – 2.5; Hakopyan, Yakovenko, Bacrot, Elyanov, Gelfand,
Kasymjanov – 2; Karjakin, Alekseev, – 1,5, Kamsky, Inarkiev – 1.

ARFD: RUMOURS ON REPLACEMENT OF TWO OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT ARE SPREAD TO EXERT PRESSURE ON ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

ArmInfo
2009-08-13 13:12:00

ArmInfo. Rumours on replacement of two OSCE MG co-chairs on Karabakh
settlement are spread to exert pressure on Armenia and Azerbaijan, Head
of Hay Dat Central Office on political issues of ARF Dashnaktsutyun
Kiro Manoyan told ArmInfo.

‘The point is that human interrelations are an important factor in
the Karabakh conflict settlement process in any case, and the process
will slack if two of three co-chairs are replaced (Yuri Merzliakov
will be also expectedly replaced), as the new co-chairs will have
to get acquainted with the process. In this context, somewhat early
news on replacement of co-chairs aims at putting pressure on the
conflict parties for the latter to know that they should accept the
renewed version of the Madrid principles till September when the
two co-chairs are replaced, that is, till the process slows down’,
Manoyan emphasized.

According to him, he has got an impression that no party in
negotiations agrees to the Madrid principles. At the same time, none
of them wishes to express its disagreement first and expects for the
other party to do that.

To note, US Embassy in Armenia has no data as yet on possible
replacement of OSCE MG American cochairman. It is just clear that
M. Bryza on the post of U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State will
be replaced by Tina Kaidanov, however, it is yet unknown whether she
will replace him in OSCE Minsk Group.

25TH ORDINATION ANNIVERSARY OF FR. TATEOS ABDALIAN TO BE OBSERVED IN CAMBRIDGE, MASS., ON AUG. 23

newsid=1170&selmonth=8&selyear=2009
Tuesda y, August 4, 2009

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America

A special reception in Cambridge, Mass., will honor the Reverend
Fr. Tateos Abdalian on the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the
holy priesthood of the Armenian Church.

The reception and church services will take place on Sunday, August
23, 2009, at Cambridge’s Holy Trinity Armenian Church.

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), will preside over the event,
which is going forward under the auspices of the Eastern Diocese.

Organizing the day is a committee from the Holy Trinity parish led
by its pastor, the Reverend Fr. Vasken Kouzouian. Also serving on
the committee are members of the St. James parish of Watertown-where
Fr. Abdalian was born and raised.

The day will begin the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, beginning
at 10:00 a.m. Fr. Tateos Abdalian will be the celebrant. Archbishop
Barsamian will deliver the homily.

Following church services, a celebratory reception will convene in the
parish’s Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall. The reception is
open to the public, and will be an opportunity for people in the Boston
area-where Fr. Abdalian was born and raised-to congratulate him on
his quarter-century of service to the Armenian Church. For information
on the Sunday, August 23 can contact the Holy Trinity Church at (617)
354-0632. The church is located at 145 Brattle Street, in Cambridge.

Fr. Tateos Abdalian

Fr. Tateos Abdalian was born in Watertown, Mass., the son of Manoog
and Virginia Abdalian, and baptized Richard Daniel. After working
in the banking sector and as administrative director of Watertown’s
St. James Armenian Church he entered St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary in 1977.

At the direction of then-Primate Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Richard
spent a year at the seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin, having first been
ordained a sub-deacon by Archbishop Manoogian under the sponsorship
of Fr. Papken Maksoudian. He continued theological studies towards
his Masters of Divinity at Boston’s Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary.

In 1981, and now a full deacon, he began work at Holy Trinity Church
in Cambridge, Mass., under the pastorship of Fr. Mampre Kouzouian,
as the parish youth director, Sunday School superintendent, and as
an assistant to the pastor. During this time, Dn. Richard was asked
by community members living on Cape Cod to conduct religious services
there, leading to the establishment of the Mission Church of Cape Cod.

He was ordained into the priesthood by Archbishop Manoogian in June
1984 at Holy Trinity Church, on the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin,
and given the priestly name of "Tateos." Serving as sponsor was
Fr. Mampre Kouzouian.

Fr. Tateos was assigned to the St. John the Baptist Church in
Greenfield, Wisc., in August 1984. Working with community members,
he oversaw the groundbreaking for a new sanctuary, leading to a
much-anticipated consecration in November 1986. Following the 1988
earthquake in Armenia, Fr. Tateos became the spokesman for the
Wisconsin Armenians, who worked with the state and National Guard
to coordinate cargo flights, the collection of tons of clothing,
and fundraising for earthquake relief.

In September 1989, Fr. Tateos was assigned to the St. Peter Church in
Watervliet, N.Y., and in 1993 he became the pastor of the St. George
Church in Hartford, Conn. While in Hartford he served as an on-call
chaplain at Hartford Hospital and as a member of its Pastoral Services
Advisory Committee.

In honor of his son David becoming a Los Angeles Police Officer,
Fr. Tateos began to serve as a police chaplain with the Hartford
Police Department.

Fr. Tateos also served terms as pastor of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob
Church of Providence, R.I. (1999-2001) and of the Holy Trinity Church
of Cheltenham, Pa. (2003-2007). In the intervals he has served the
Diocesan Center in New York, in its youth ministry and mission parish
programs.

Since 2007, Fr. Tateos has been director of the Department
of Mission Parishes, by the appointment of Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian. Responsible for overseeing more than a dozen communities,
he has brought a new resurgence to the mission parishes, and new
opportunities for their material and spiritual growth.

Der Tateos has been married since 1969 to Yeretzgin Margaret Meranian
of Methuen, Mass. They have a son, David, a daughter, Alicia, and
two grandchildren.

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS MINISTERS OF BSEC MEMBER STATES TO MEET IN BAKU ON SEPTEMBER 18

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.08.2009 14:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Emergency Situations Ministers of BSEC (Organization
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation) member states will meet in
Baku on September 18.

Prior to the ministers’ meeting, experts will meet in Baku on
September 17.

BSEC is an intergovernmental organization, which brings together 12
states from the Black Sea region and the Balkans (Azerbaijan, Albania,
Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Serbia,
Turkey and Ukraine).

Organization was founded on May 1, 1999, based on the Agreement on
Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

BSEC chairing state is Azerbaijan, which will hold chairmanship till
October 31, Azerbaijani APA news agency reports.