http://www.today.az Covering Azerbaijan inside and outside http://www.today.az/images/logo_small.gif http://www.today.az http://www.today.az/news/politics/122683.html Politics Sat, 18 May 2013 13:05:00 +0500 There are no disagreements on the issue of state border demarcation between Azerbaijan and Russia, and official Baku hopes such disagreements will not arise in the future."Azerbaijan and Russia have no disagreements on the issue of the state border demarcation, and we hope such disagreements will not arise in the future," Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov told reporters on Saturday.The two countries consider it important to establish the legal framework in this area. Such an agreement was reached by the parties during the recent first meeting of the bilateral commission on demarcation of the border between Azerbaijan and Russia.The next meeting of the commission will be held in Baku. The working groups will continue their work prior to the meeting.The parties have agreed on the major part of the 284 kilometer-long Azerbaijani-Russian border, the head of the State Committee for Land and Cartography of Azerbaijan Garib Mammadov told reporters earlier./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122682.html Politics Sat, 18 May 2013 12:55:00 +0500 Azerbaijani and NATO officials met here on Friday in the Alliance`s Political and Partnerships Committee to discuss cooperation under the Partnership for Peace Planning and Review Process (PARP).They exchanged views on defense reforms held in Azerbaijan, mutual cooperation and compliance with NATO forces. NATO officials praised Azerbaijan`s contributions to operations of the Alliance.The meeting was attended by officials of Azerbaijani Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Defense, Emergency Situations, Communication and Information Technologies, State Border Service, State Service for Mobilization and Conscription, as well as the country`s representation in NATO.The meeting took place on the basis of results of the NATO expert group`s visit to Azerbaijan in April.Partnership for Peace Planning and Review Process (PARP) launched in 1995 is to provide a structured basis for identifying partner forces and capabilities that could be available to the Alliance for multinational training, exercises and operations. The PARP also serves as a planning tool to guide and measure progress in defense and military transformation efforts. PARP is open to all PfP partners and, following the review of NATO`s partnerships policy in April 2011, participation in PARP is being opened to all other partners on a voluntary and case-by-case basis subject to NAC approval./AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122681.html Politics Sat, 18 May 2013 12:40:00 +0500 Relations between Baku and Cairo have been established since the first years of independence, since the recognition of Azerbaijan's independence by Egypt, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev said in an interview with Egyptian NileInternational TV channel."We have strong cultural and historical ties and we have a lot in common that unites our nations," Abdullayev said.He said there is huge potential for the development of relations between Egypt and Azerbaijan not only in official political relations, but in the humanitarian sphere."We have to do much in terms of bilateral relations, but it is important that there is common understanding how our relations develop, and political will of both sides to develop them. We can also use public diplomacy in order to bring our relations to higher level," Abdullayev said.He said Egypt supported Azerbaijan when Baku was elected as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council."We see Egypt as a gateway of Afghan contingent and Middle East. Egypt is really important country for Azerbaijan," Abdullayev said.He said today Azerbaijan pursues very successful regional policy in the South Caucasus."Azerbaijan is driving force of the South Cauacasus region, and is considered as a gateway of the region," Abdullayev said.When answering correspondent's question on Palestine, Abdullayev said that this question is one of the main problems of the Muslim world."Azerbaijan intends to hold an international donor conference on Palestine in June. The conference aims at attracting funds from the Muslim countries, from around the world to help the Palestinians," Abdullayev said.Azerbaijan has always supported the Palestinians and does everything possible to support the Palestinian people, he said."We believe that the Palestinians have all the rights to be full members of the international community and to be represented in international organizations. This conference is very important in terms of the Palestinians' fate. Egypt as one of the important members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, will make great contribution to this project," Abdullayev said./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/business/122679.html Business Sat, 18 May 2013 12:25:00 +0500 Azerbaijani state airline AZAL will implement direct flights on Baku-Yekaterinburg route.Flights will be operated by comfortable and modern aircrafts such as Airbus A-319 and Airbus A-320, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays./AzerNews.Az/ http://www.today.az/news/entertainment/122680.html Arts & Entertainment Sat, 18 May 2013 12:10:00 +0500 By AzerNewsAzerbaijan is represented at the 66th international film festival that is underway in the French city of Cannes.The annual film festival, which is taking place from May 15 to 26, was opened with Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire and will be closed with "Zulu", directed by Jerome Salle.World-famous film director Steven Spielberg has been announced as the head of the jury for the main competition.The delegation from Azerbaijan includes head of the cinematography department of the Culture and Tourism Ministry Yusuf Sheykhov, head of Azerbaijanfilm studio Mushvig Hatamov, head of Azanfilm Fariz Ahmadov, and movie director Ayaz Salayev.The Azerbaijani pavilion at the Cannes festival features films shot in recent years, advertising and publishing products reflecting the history and present of the Azerbaijani cinema. Business and tourism potential of the country is being presented to the visitors as well. Hatamov will hold a meeting with foreign producers.An Azerbaijani-Italian short film will also be presented at the Festival. The film '9 X 9' is a collaboration of the Azerbaijan film company NARIMANFILM and the Italian company TORRE.The filming took place in the Azerbaijani capital Baku and Verona, Italy. The film describes the fate of an architect -- a story about how often he was forced to use his entire talent, the all-encompassing passion to create a space from which he will be excluded.Azerbaijan was represented in a special pavilion at the Cannes festival for the first time in 2011.Within the Festival the International Village with its Pavilions is a microcosm, which is designed to provide a highly visible setting where film producing countries showcase their cultural identity, their institutions and the full range of their creativity.Inaugurated in 2000, the Cannes village initially hosted 12 countries and 15 pavilions. In 2013, over 50 countries enjoy a presence at the Festival. http://www.today.az/news/politics/122678.html Politics Sat, 18 May 2013 11:55:00 +0500 The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs brokering resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh met on May 17 with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, the OSCE said.The Minsk Group co-chairs -- Igor Popov of Russia, Jacques Faure of France and Ian Kelly of the United States and the foreign ministers discussed possible ways to advance the peace process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meetings.The ministers exchanged views on the current situation and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace in the region.The co-chairs reiterated the need to avoid actions or rhetoric that could raise tensions or damage the peace process, and discussed with the ministers a number of confidence building measures to help create an atmosphere conducive to reconciliation. The mediators will travel to the region later this month to discuss these issues further with the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia.The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions./AzerNews.Az/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122677.html World news Sat, 18 May 2013 11:41:00 +0500 Withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan could become the pretext for the Americans to establish long-term bases in the Caspian region, Director General of the Caspian Cooperation Institute, Sergei Mikheev believes."Per se, the withdrawal of troops could become the pretext for the Americans create long-term bases, and for consolidation in the region of Central Asia and the Caspian Sea at the same time. Initially, the question will be transshipment of goods, and later will allude to the fact that the region is something disquieted, it is necessary to leave the base and then raise the question of its expansion," Mikheev said on Friday during a multimedia roundtable in the format of Astana -Moscow videoconference on the topic "Caspian region: security problems and development prospects".As an example, the Russian expert called the Manas military base in Kyrgyzstan.The Manas base can be called as transit center, center of assistance to the Kyrgyz people, but in fact it is an air base of the U.S. troops. It is no secret that an electronic center for surveillance of the region is located there," Mikheev said.In his view, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan could become a destabilizing factor for Central Asia, and the Caspian Sea region as well./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122676.html Society Sat, 18 May 2013 11:28:00 +0500 A traffic accident took place on Saturday in Azerbaijan, as a result 4 servicemen died, 8 others were injured, Regional TV reported.A car of "Ural" mark, owned by Interior Forces rolled down to the valley near the Atuj village of Guba region on Saturday morning.As Guba Region Hospital said, the health state of two of the injured servicemen is serious./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122672.html World news Sat, 18 May 2013 11:15:00 +0500 A Russian shipment of advanced cruise missiles to Syria is an "unfortunate decision" that could prolong the suffering in the war-torn country, General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said Friday, dpa reported."It's at the very least an unfortunate decision that will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering, so it's ill-timed and very unfortunate," Dempsey told reporters at the Pentagon.The missiles Russia recently delivered have advanced radar that makes them more effective against ships, The New York Times reported Friday, quoting US officials who are familiar with classified intelligence reports.The anti-ship missile system could be used to counter any effort by international forces to assist Syrian rebels, including a no-fly zone, a naval blockade or limited airstrikes, the newspaper said."What I really worry about is that (Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad will decide that since he's got these systems, he's somehow safer and more prone to a miscalculation," Dempsey said. "So, you know, again, an unfortunate decision."Dempsey added that the US didn't have the option to prevent the delivery of any military sales to the Syrians.At the same press briefing, Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel said a primary reason for US Secretary of State John Kerry's recent trip to Moscow was to talk with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about Syria and finding common ground.Kerry has indicated that he raised the issue of Russian arms deliveries to Syria during his recent visit to Moscow. The US has "made it crystal clear" that it would prefer Russia not supplying assistance to the regime, he said.Hagel said the delivery of the weapons makes the situation in Syria more dangerous."What's happening there, everybody knows, is very, very dangerous. And what we don't want to see happen, the Russians don't want to see happen, is for Syria to erupt to the point where we may well find a regional war in the Middle East," Hagel said.The disclosure of the weapons delivery comes as Russia and the United States plan an international conference aimed at ending the conflict in Syria, which has killed more than 70,000. The conference is expected to be held in early June./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122675.html World news Sat, 18 May 2013 11:00:00 +0500 Oil imports to Turkey reduced by 21 percent reaching 1 million barrels in March 2013 compared to the previous month, the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority said today.Imports of diesel fuel during this period rose by 21.1 percent to 752,600 tons compared to the previous month.According to the report, oil imports decreased by 16.2 percent reaching 3.6 million tons in January-March 2013 compared to the same period in 2012.Imports of diesel fuel during the first quarter rose by 11.6 percent to 1.9 million tons.Exports of petrol from Turkey increased by 1 percent to 207,800 tons, while exports of aviation fuel reduced by 1 percent up to 142,900 tons. Exports of shipping fuel from Turkey increased by 57 percent up to 197,100 tons.Exports of petrol rose by 9 percent and amounted to 621,000 tons from January-March 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. Exports of aviation fuel for the period decreased by 2 percent to 440,000 tons, shipping fuel - by 43 percent up to 427,800 tons./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122671.html World news Sat, 18 May 2013 10:43:00 +0500 US Secretary of State John Kerry is to travel to the Middle East and Africa starting Tuesday through May 27, dpa reported.Kerry is to be in Muscat on Tuesday, followed by Jordan on Wednesday, where he will meet with "key international partners" to explore a negotiated political solution in Syria, the State Department said in a statement Friday.The meeting comes ahead of a broader international meeting on Syria being planned by Moscow and Washington for June.On Thursday and Friday, Kerry is to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah to follow up on discussions about getting the Israelis and Palestinians "back to the table" to discuss peace, the statement said.Also on Friday, Kerry is to travel to Addis Ababa to take part in two days of the celebration of 50 years since the founding of the Organization of African Unity - now known as the African Union. Leaders from around Africa are to attend./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/sports/122673.html Sports Sat, 18 May 2013 10:28:00 +0500 Atlético Madrid ended a 14-year winless streak against city rivals Real Madrid in grand fashion with a 2-1 win in extra time in the final of the Copa del Rey at Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. It is the 10th Copa won by the 'Rojiblancos' and ends a futile stretch against 'Los Blancos' whom they had not beaten since a 1-3 win at the Bernabeu in 1999.Madrid boss José Mourinho raised a few eyebrows in his starting XI by putting Ángel Di María on the bench to start while Pepe once again did not even make the gameday roster. In defense, the Special One opted for Michael Essien and Fabio Coentrão as his fullbacks while Sergio Ramos and Raúl Albiol were slotted in as center backs and tasked with the duty of taming 'El Tigre' Radamel Falcao. As for Atlético, there were no surprises from manager Diego Simeone since 'El Cholo' had announced his starting XI in his press conference the previous day.Boisterous singingThe match opened to a spectacular scene displayed by the fans of both teams. Both teams were greeted by boisterous singing and chanting from each fan base, with the Atlético fans owning the louder noise level.Madrid struck first with a 14th minute goal from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar created space between himself and Godín on Luka Modric's and thumped a header past a flailing Courtois.It was Ronaldo's, seventh Copa goal in seven games, his 17th Copa goal in the last three seasons and his second goal in a Copa final.Atlético shook off the disappointment of the early Madrid goal and hunted for an equalizer. It would arrive 21 minutes later courtesy of Diego Costa. Falcao, who up until then had been kept in check by the Madrid defense, received a pass near midfield, shook off Ramos, freed himself from Albiol and fed Costa who glided in front of Essien and beat Diego López with a left-footed strike, setting off a wild celebration among the Atlético faithful in attendance.It was a class finish from Costa but all credit to Falcao who did incredible work to break through the sea of Madrid defenders and slice in a perfect ball to Costa. It was Costa eighth Copa goal, making him the leading scorer of the competition.Özil's bulletTwo minutes from halftime, Madrid nearly regained the lead but Mesut Özil’s bullet from outside the area stung the post to Courtois’ left and bounced back into play.There was no drop-off to start the second half as each team pushed for a second goal. Madrid could not take advantage of a golden opportunity in the 60th minute when a Ronaldo cross into the area bounced to Karim Benzema who fired toward goal but hit the post. The rebound fell to Özil, and with Courtois well off his line, the German was looking at an open net but his shot was blocked off the line by Juanfran.Los Blancos struck the post for a third time eight minutes later when Ronaldo’s free kick from just outside the area skirted under the leaping feet of Atlético’s Mario Suárez and hit the post to Courtois’ right. The ball bounced back to Essien however the Ghanaian was unable to find the target with his shot and Atlético escaped unscathed yet again.The first sending off of the match came in the 75th minute when referee Clos Gómez did not take kindly to the antics of Mourinho following Gómez’s call of a Benzema foul on Suarez. The presumed future Chelsea manager, who barely budged from his seat in the first hour, was enraged by the decision and received his order to leave the touchline shortly thereafter.Late cornersSeveral late Atlético corners failed to result in a goal so the Copa final went to extra time for the second time in three years. Remarkably, neither time made a single substitution in the first 90 minutes; perhaps giving the premonition that an additional 30 minutes would be played.The advent of extra time saw Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka make all three changes, electing to replace Coentrao with Álvaro Arbeloa, Di María for Benzema and Gonzalo Higuaín for Modric.Eight minutes into extra time the goal that Atlético fans had been waiting for since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's 1999 heroics arrived and it was Joao Miranda who flashed to the near post to head in a cross from Koke after a previous corner had deflected back out.Repeating 'Centenariazo'Twenty-two minute separated Atlético from repeating Deportivo's 'Centenariazo' feat from 2002 when the defeated Madrid 2-1 in the Copa final at the Bernabeu, but Madrid would not go quietly. Higuaín very nearly leveled the score at tww only to see his 104th minute volley from close-range be blocked by Courtois. Five minutes later Courtois was called into duty again and had to sprawl to deflect away an Özil shot at the far post after a perfect cross from Di María.Six minutes form the end of extra time tempers flared and Ronaldo was shown a red when he flung his boot in the face of Gabi. That produced pushing and shoving, notably between Simeone and Pepe on the touchline, which lasted a few moments before order was restored. Finally, after five minutes of stoppage time, Gomez's final whistle blew, setting off what will surely be a celebration of the ages at the Plaza de Neptuno. /Marca.Com/<br /><br /></div></div> </div></body> </html> http://www.today.az/news/regions/122670.html World news Sat, 18 May 2013 10:13:00 +0500 Registration on May 11 of the ?urrent general secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, advisor for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and father-in-law of his son, Isfandiar Rahim Mashaei and Iran's former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as candidates for the presidency made the Presidential elections more interesting, but at the same time more complicated.Nomination of these politicians caused solidarity in the Reformist opposition camp and in the front supporting Ahmadinejad. The move also raised controversy and contradictions in the conservative camp.Solidarity of reformistsReformists, agreeing to unite behind former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, will be lavish with support in this area. Thus, Iran's former president and the leader reformist Mohammad Khatami called on everyone to support Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and vote for him in the election. In addition, policy-reformists and presidential candidates Mohammed Shariatmadari and Mohammad Reza Arif withdrew in favor of Hashemi Rafsanjani. Another candidate, the secretary general of the Democratic Party, Mustafa Kavakibian said if the party decides, he would also withdraw his candidacy in favor of Rafsanjani.The presidential candidate and one of the closest to Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of the Center for Strategic Research of the Advisory Council and former secretary general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Hassan Rouhani said one of the two will win the elections."Based on negotiations with Rafsanjani, either him or I will win," he said.Although, Rafsanjani has previously adhered to the views of the right, he had left wing tendencies as well. He has lit the "green light" for both the right and the left, and they support him.Disagreement on a single candidate from the ConservativeThere are already signs showing that the conservative camp can not come to an agreement on a single candidate. Kamran Bagheri Lankaran from the Front of Stability of the Islamic Revolution ofthe conservative camp ("Usulgara") said yesterday in his speech that the upcoming elections will not be bipolar, the Conservatives will not come to an agreement on a single candidate, and each candidate will join the election with his own program.'The Front of Islamic Revolution Stability is considered a wing of Usulgara camp along with Kamran Bagheri Lankarani and supports the candidacy of the Secretary General of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili. Moreover, '2 +1' or 'triple coalition' established in December 2012 by three well-known representatives of 'Usulgara' camp: former Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Gulamali Haddad Adil, Advisor on International Affairs of the Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati and ex- Commander of the Iranian police, current mayor of Tehran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is close to the split.Members of this coalition said earlier that two of the candidates will withdraw their candidacy in favor of the one who will gain more votes. But now they say that along with the vote results, say that the decision of The Combatant Clergy Association and the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom also plays a big role in whom they will support at the end of the voting. Two members of the coalition said they will respect the decision of these two associations. However Ghalibaf noted that a coalition is out of the question.A similar situation shaped in the second conservative coalition. Thus, although Mohammed Hasan Abuturabi Fardeen supported by the Front of the Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, which includes 14 political parties, was nominated for first vice-speaker of the Iranian Parliament, another member of this front, Ahmadinejad did not support the decision of the front saying that as a result of a survey conducted in the government, the first place was taken by Manouchehr Mottaki.The candidate supported by President Mahmoud AhmadinejadDespite the fact that the arrival of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with his son's father-in-law and advisor Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei at the Interior Ministry for registration was strongly criticized by most conservatives, the camp's solidarity in respect of this candidate supported by Ahmadinejad increased even more. Recently, several prominent politicians including presidential adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr, vice president Mohamed Reza Rahimi and others withdrew their candidacies in favor of Mashaei.Due to some controversial statements and actions made by Masha from the beginning of his operation with Ahmadinejad, to date, he has faced criticism of traditional conservatives and religious scholars of Iran. Criticism of people who consider music a sin, statements on a possible friendship between Iranian and Israeli peoples are among Mashaei's most controversial statements.Temkin Jafarov   /Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122674.html Society Sat, 18 May 2013 10:00:00 +0500 The National Hydrometeorology Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources forecasts that the weather is going to be volatile cloudy, interruptedly gloomy and rainy. Intermittent rain will gradually cease in the second part of the day. Northern wind to blow. The temperature will be +12-17C at night, +19-24 in the afternoon. Lightning and rain are mainly expected at night and in the morning. Eastern wind to waft. The temperature will be  +12-17C at night, +22-27C in the afternoon, while +4-9 C in mountains at night and +13-18C in the afternoon./eco.gov.az/  http://www.today.az/news/sports/122667.html Sports Sat, 18 May 2013 09:45:00 +0500 Azerbaijan`s football club Khazar Lankaran have signed a 2-year contract with Brazilian striker Nildo.Nildo started his career at youth systems of EC Vit?ria and Desportiva Capixaba. He signed his first professional contract with Mogi Mirim EC, later he went to AA Coruripe and played in Campeonato Brasileiro S?rie D.In 2008, Nildo joined Vietnamese football club Binh Dinh F.C. For two seasons he made 36 appearances and scored 6 goals.In January 2010, he joined G?rnik ??czna on two and a half contract. During these years Nildo became one of the key players of the team, scoring 20 times.In July 2012, he transferred to AZAL PFC. Against Garabagh he became the first AZAL PFC player ever to score 4 goals in a single match and helped his team in a 6-2 win./AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/business/122666.html Business Sat, 18 May 2013 09:30:00 +0500 The price of oil has continued to rise in the world markets.On the New York Stock Exchange NYMEX, cost of the US Light crude oil raised $0.86 to trade at $ 95.16.Price of the British Brent oil at the London ICE (InterContinental Exchange Futures) has increased $0.01 to stand at $103.78.The Department of Marketing and Economic Operations of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan informed that, a barrel of Azeri Light crude oil increased $2.76 to stand at $106.98./AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122621.html Politics Sat, 18 May 2013 09:20:00 +0500 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today opened the Shamakhi Juma Mosque after major overhaul. The Head of State toured the mosque and was informed on the reconstruction work.The Azerbaijani President was informed about the Juma mosque, one of the oldest Muslim temples not only in Azerbaijan but also in the South Caucasus and the Middle East in general, was built in 743. The 1859 and 1902 earthquakes caused a serious damage to the mosque. Then, it was restored as per the design of Azerbaijan`s first architect with higher education, Ziver-bek Ahmedbayov, and Polish engineer Joseph Ploshko. The excavation carried out at the Juma mosque in the 1970-80s discovered medrese, cells and tombstones.The Head of State viewed photo stands reflecting previous and current look of the Mosque.President Ilham Aliyev met with religious and public figures here. The Azerbaijani leader made a speech at the meeting.Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade hailed the Head of State`s attention to restoration of religious buildings and presented the Holy Quran to the Azerbaijani President.Mufti of Chechen Republic Soltan Mirzayev, head of the Coordination Center of North Caucasus Muslims Ismail Berdiyev and Shamakhi resident Majid Shikarov also addressed the event.Then, they posed for photographs. *****17.05.201309:35Azerbaijan`s President Ilham Aliyev has inspected the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory after major overhaul.President of the Academy of National Sciences of Azerbaijan Akif Alizade informed the Head of State about the reconstruction work.An administrative building, exhibition hall, a 110-seat lecture hall, 6 telescope buildings and a building of main 2-meter telescope were repaired, and a 110-seat canteen was built.The Observatory has Baku City Branch, Department of “Solar Physics”, Department of “Physics of Solar – Terrestrial Relations”, and Department of “Plants and Small Celestial Bodies”.The observatory operates under scientific program confirmed by the Academy.The Head of State was informed about the activity of the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory.Director of the Observatory Eyyub Guliyev spoke of the future works on modernization and automation of the telescopes.President Ilham Aliyev praised the work done here.***President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has inspected the Shamakhi Olympic Sports Complex after reconstruction.The Head of State was informed that the facility was one of the biggest olympic sports complexes in the region. All conditions have been created here for holding sports events. The reconstruction work started here in February, 2010.President Ilham Aliyev viewed a football ground, a swimming pool, a conference hall, sports halls and rooms.Photo stands reflecting visits of national leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev to Shamakhi and their attention to development of sports were installed in the complex.The Azerbaijani leader praised the work done in the complex.***President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Children`s Creative Center in Shamakhi constructed by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.The Head of State cut a ribbon symbolizing the opening of the Center.President Ilham Aliyev was informed that the center was built in 1959. The music school in the center has 11 departments. There are 384 students in the facility served by 70 teachers.The Head of State viewed a photo stand reflecting activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.The 3-storey center has 54 educational, 2 make-up, 2 drawing, 2 dancing and auxiliary rooms, as well as an assembly hall and an exhibition hall.The rooms were equipped with latest technologies.President Ilham Aliyev listened overture from Uzeyir Hajibeyli`s “Koroghlu” opera, performed by orchestra of folklore musical instruments of the Children`s Creative Center. ***President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has arrived in the country`s Shamakhi district.The Head of State started his visit by laying flowers at a monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev in the center of Shamakhi.The Azerbaijani President was informed about what had been done in the Heydar Aliyev Park.President Ilham Aliyev inaugurates Shamakhi Juma Mosque after major overhaul President Ilham Aliyev inspects Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory after major overhaulPresident Ilham Aliyev inspects Shamakhi Olympic Sports Complex after reconstructionPresident Ilham Aliyev attends opening of Children`s Creative Center in Shamakhi President Ilham Aliyev arrives in Shamakhi district/AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122669.html World news Sat, 18 May 2013 09:15:00 +0500 Head of "Kaspersky Lab" Evgeny Kaspersky announced plans to open an office in Washington, DC, where U.S. experts will design protective software for the protection of local infrastructure.The Russian company "Kaspersky Lab", one of the world`s largest developers of anti-virus, plans to open an office in Washington DC, capital of the United States, in order to sell its products to the U.S. government.U.S. authorities are trying not to use the solutions in the field of information security, developed by companies from other countries, because they believe that it may be hidden security function.It is for this reason that, for example, Americans are moving away from the Chinese communications equipment Huawei and ZTE, considering that they use it for commercial and diplomatic espionage.In order to gain the trust of the American authorities, the head of "Kaspersky Lab" Evgeny Kaspersky is going to hire American professionals to work on products intended for the U.S. government. While in the U.S., they will write the code, test, and compile computer programs."American companies rely on 100%. So we have to prove that they can trust us for all 200%. We need to be more American than the Americans themselves, "- said Kaspersky, speaking in the capital of the United States at an international conference on cyber security.The new team will be working on solutions designed for automated systems that control power plants, water pipelines, refineries and other infrastructure, the protection of which the White House is of paramount importance.According to Kaspersky, the company is almost ready to begin testing the preliminary version of the first such solutions in Russia. He hopes that such products will eventually occupy a third of the company`s sales.The desire to learn new segment has a very clear reason. Against the background of declining demand for personal computers the company needs to diversify its portfolio to maintain the momentum of growth. At the end of 2012, PC shipments in the global market declined by 3.2%. /AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122668.html Society Sat, 18 May 2013 09:00:00 +0500 There is no question about any restrictions in the online sphere in the country, head of the political analysis and information provision department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Elnur Aslanov stated, commenting on the amendments to the legislation that involve criminal liability for defamation and slander on the Internet.According to him, common method in the international arena is a vital topic of regulation of the national segment of the global Web. “The Azerbaijani authorities are trying to regulate the use of the Internet, but not to put any limitations”, he underlined, adding, that similar regulatory acts exist in most world countries.“In principle, controlling the information and communication technologies is very difficult. However, we must realize that in all civilized and developed nations, dissemination of racist, nationalist, and information that is harmful to the development of the younger generation, is limited by applicable law,” Aslanov said.He pointed out that the Internet sector in the country is developing rapidly. Azerbaijan, therefore, like most countries in the world, cannot leave it unattended.“I think that the discussion of this kind of legislative amendments in Azerbaijan is normal. This does not mean violation of freedom of thought on the Internet,” said Aslanov, stressing that freedom of speech for today in the online sphere meets all the standards of international law”. http://www.today.az/news/politics/122642.html Politics Sat, 18 May 2013 00:02:00 +0500 Twenty-one years have passed since the occupation of Azerbaijan's Lachin region by Armenia.On May 18, 1992, the Armenian occupiers destroyed hundreds of cultural facilities, tens of settlements, villages and historical monuments. Some 63,341 Azerbaijani citizens were driven out their home lands as a result of the occupation. Lachin region includes 121 villages with a total space of 1,835 cu. m. More than 300 military men and civilians were killed or missing during the occupation of the Lachin region. There are 8,950 buildings, 7 industrial and construction enterprises, 471 service facilities, 154 schools and hundreds of cultural and historical monuments left in the occupied lands.On May 8, 1992, after the occupation of Shusha city of Azerbaijan, Armenian armed forces, having occupied settlements around Lachin, fired intensive shells to the center of the region. On a night from May 16 to 17, 1992, starting their occupation from the place named Turshsu (Shusha city) and Gor region of Armenia, Armenians armed forces occupied Lachin region. Majority of the enemy forces could get into the region through Lachin corridor.At that time, the key part of the Azerbaijani armed forces withdrawn from Lachin and surrounding regions, were fighting the political confrontation in the capital city of the country. The Army taking part in the military demonstrations in Baku did not have a control over the positions in the front-line which resulted in the occupation of Lachin region of Azerbaijan following other regions. The occupation of Lachin, region of great geo-strategic significance, dealt a serious blow to the economy of Azerbaijan.The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories. http://www.today.az/news/business/122665.html Business Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:00 +0500 Despite the negative dynamics of the GDP in the euro area in the first quarter of 2013, as well as encouraging situation in the U.S. stock markets, for the first time in the past several years, analysts gained some confidence in the stabilisation of the exchange rate of the single European currency. However, confidence in the Eurozone economy fell more than expected, but these positive expectations point to economic growth in the euro zone in the near future. The European Central Bank also predicted a slow growth of the euro zone economy in the second half of 2013.Optimistic forecasts are also stipulated by a chain of positive news from the Eurozone itself. First, the most important development was the two-degree growth rating for Greece assigned by Fitch Ratings agency due to the elimination of the current transactions account deficit. Secondly, another weak link of the Eurozone, Spain, successfully sold government bonds with a life of six to 12 months at an auction held a couple of days ago which gained investors interest.Partial resolution of the financial problems of these two countries whose negative news or a long time has been pulling down the single currency of the European Union is quite important. The financial assistance allocated to Cyprus in order to stabilise the banking sector removed some tension on this front too. Against this backdrop, the euro is not such a problematic currency anymore and the demand for it increases.According to a study held by the Pew Research Centre, although the indicator reflecting the popularity degree of the EU fell down by 15 percentage points during the last year from 60 to 45 per cent, the euro remains a popular currency enjoying confidence of more than 60 per cent of Europeans.The degree of support for the euro also grows in countries such as Italy and Spain. Moreover, the euro has gained the confidence not only of Europeans. As a young global currency it entered into competition with the US dollar conquering back some of its position and succeeded in resisting the harsh conditions of the global financial crisis. After all this, the struggle with the consequences of the crisis for the euro should not be too difficult, although it sounds easier than it is in fact.Almost all currencies lost ground compared to the U.S. dollar since last Thursday. During this period, the U.S. stock market managed to repeatedly renew its historical maximums. While expecting the U.S. Federal Reserve representatives' statements regarding reductions in the economy stimulation volume at the end of this or early next week, market participants were forced to buy into the American market, while fearing they'd lose a profit. The growth of the U.S main stock indexes strengthened their currency.The April data on inflation in the Eurozone has pointed out that inflation has fallen to the lowest indices for the last three years and is significantly below the target level of the European Central Bank. This may lead the European Central Bank to take action to revive the economy. This will boost growth of the euro rate in the global stock markets.This means the processes of economic events from two parts of the world will strain the investors, participants of currency exchanges and analysts causing the latter to make predictions only for the medium term prospect and forcing world countries to keep their strategic reserves in the two reserve currencies, by changing only the proportions depending on a prevailing role of currencies in the markets.The currency structure of Azerbaijan's reserves is determined based on the currency structure of foreign trade, external debt and the currency of the monetary policy in the country. The U.S. dollar plays a key role in all components.The outcome means that Azerbaijani total strategic currency reserves as of April 1, 2013 amounted to $46.6 billion, of which $12.3 billion falls to the currency reserves of the Central Bank and $34.3 billion to the State Oil Fund's funds. If the assets of the Azerbaijani Central Bank in foreign currencies are concentrated in the U.S. dollar and the euro to 60 and 35 per cent respectively, the State Oil Fund's portfolio makes up 51.32 per cent in dollars and 38.81 per cent in euros.The balance of Azerbaijani foreign exchange reserves has allowed the country to avoid losses even in the crisis period.Ellada Khankishiyeva  /Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/business/122664.html Business Fri, 17 May 2013 18:45:00 +0500 By AzerNewsThe European Commission adopted a formal decision granting the exemptions from the European Union (EU) legislation for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and the Nabucco West projects, the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan said on Friday.This decision appears as an extension of the existing exemption on the third party access and tariff regulation earlier granted.Nabucco West is a short-cut version of the Nabucco project, which envisages construction of a pipeline from the Turkish-Bulgarian border to Austria.The TAP project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe. TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters per year, but it is easily expandable to 20 billion cubic meters.As it was reported earlier, the national regulators of Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria have confirmed the extension of the 50 percent exemption from the EU legislation on third party access granted to the Nabucco gas pipeline via a draft decision.Exemption from current EU legislation, which stipulates that 100 percent network access has to be made available to companies not directly involved, can only be granted in the case of major cross-border projects.According to the Head of the Delegation of the EU to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Roland Kobia, these decisions form another milestone in completing the Southern Gas Corridor, and show the commitment and seriousness of the EU to concretely work with Azerbaijan in the implementation of common projects of mutual interest."The decisions address the important outstanding regulatory and legislative issues for both TAP and Nabucco West projects. Now, the positions of the two projects have reached a comparable level that will enable Shah Deniz consortium to evaluate both pipelines adequately in view of the upcoming June decision on the European evacuation route for the Shah Deniz II gas", he said.The Shah Deniz consortium is considering both TAP and Nabucco West. The consortium will make its final decision on the pipeline route in June and a final investment decision by October 2013.Nabucco West and TAP are part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the EU's priority energy projects. The Southern Gas Corridor aims at diversifying the routes and sources of energy supply, thereby increasing secure delivery.The gas which will be produced within the second stage of developing Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas condensate field is considered as the main source for the Nabucco West and TAP projects.The Shah Deniz field which is one of the world's largest gas-condensate fields was discovered in 1999. Its reserves are estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas.Overall, the Shah Deniz field has proved to be a secure and reliable supplier of gas to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey as well as Europe. http://www.today.az/news/interesting/122659.html Weird / Interesting Fri, 17 May 2013 18:30:00 +0500 Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang has called on his nation's tourists to improve their behavior, stressing it was important to project a "good image of Chinese tourists," official state media outlet Xinhua reported.Xinhua reported on Thursday that Wang made the remarks during a State Council teleconference on the implementation of the country's new Tourism Law.The law, adopted in April, is to take effect October 1. It includes measures aimed at addressing issues like unfair competition, price hikes and forced goods purchases that Xinhua said plague the industry.Wang also said it was important develop the tourism sector into a key part of China's economy.In a matter of just a decade or so, Chinese tourists have gone from being relatively rare outside of Asia to becoming the most important market in global tourism, surpassing American and German travelers in 2012 as the world's top international spenders, with a record $102 billion shelled out on the road.With the growth has come a backlash against Chinese tourist in some sectors of the travel industry, particularly Hong Kong.There, mainland Chinese tourists face harsh resentment for a number of issues. Clashes between locals and tourists on public transportation and in restaurants have been caught on video, rapidly gone viral on the Internet and are regular press fodder./CNN/ http://www.today.az/news/business/122662.html Business Fri, 17 May 2013 18:15:00 +0500 Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) are preparing to sign an agreement on their visa regime in November, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mamedguliyev told Trend today.He said that Azerbaijan and the EU intend to complete negotiations by late May and sign the agreement during the third summit of the "Eastern Partnership" in Vilnius on November 28-29.The last round of talks on the issue was held in Brussels on March 11-12."Perhaps, the next round of talks will not be held because the remaining issues can be resolved by modern technology," he said. "Basically, many issues have been resolved. One or two issues remain. We will resolve them in the near future. After some procedures are held, we plan to sign an agreement during the Vilnius summit in November."He added that the simplified regime will take effect immediately after the agreement is signed.Agreement on the simplification of visa entry for citizens of Azerbaijan provides for a reduction of the list of documents submitted along with the application for a visa and the ability to issue multiple entry visas with a longer validity period. This would reduce the cost of visas for particular categories and establish time limits for processing an application.The agreement on readmission will in turn develop a mechanism for repatriation of those residing in the EU and Azerbaijan without permission.Relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are being managed by a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which was signed in 1996 and came into force in 1999. In 2009, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the EU Commission issued a mandate to start negotiations on the conclusion of bilateral association agreements of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with the EU. These agreements will be a new practical instrument to replace the bilateral action plans.Azerbaijan is also included in the EU Eastern Partnership programme adopted at the initiative of Poland and Sweden and approved at the EU summit in Brussels in 2008. The Eastern Partnership is aimed at the political and economic rapprochement of six post-Soviet states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus and the EU.The programme provides a significant increase in the level of political engagement, broad integration of the former Soviet republics in the EU economy, increase in the amount of financial assistance and strengthening of energy security./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/entertainment/122663.html Arts & Entertainment Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:00 +0500 The organizers of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, SVT and the EBU, have revealed the running order for the Grand Final on Saturday.The running order was determined by the producers of show (SVT) and approved by the EBU Executive Supervisor, Jon Ola Sand and on behalf of the group by the Chairman of the Reference Group, Dr. Frank-Dieter Freiling.The running order is as follows: 1.France 2.Lithuania 3.Moldova 4.Finland 5.Spain 6.Belgium 7.Estonia 8.Belarus 9.Malta 10.Russia 11.Germany 12.Armenia 13.The Netherlands 14.Romania 15.United Kingdom 16.Sweden 17.Hungary 18.Denmark 19.Iceland 20.Azerbaijan21.Greece 22.Ukraine 23.Italy 24.Norway 25.Georgia26.Ireland. /AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122656.html World news Fri, 17 May 2013 17:45:00 +0500 United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon has voiced disappointment about Syria's refusal to let UN inspectors enter the country to check reports about the use of chemical weapons, dpa reported."It is deplorable that the team could not visit Syria to do an investigation on the ground," Ban said Friday after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, the Interfax news agency reported.Lavrov said that Russia supports the UN investigation and expressed hope that an agreement between Damascus and the UN will be found.Lavrov also expressed surprise at fresh media reports about Russian arms shipments to Syria. "I don't understand, why the media are trying to make a sensation out of this," he said, adding that Moscow never hid that it is delivering arms to Syria, in accordance with "previously signed contracts that do not violate international law"./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122658.html Politics Fri, 17 May 2013 17:31:00 +0500 The final decision on oil transportation between Azerbaijan and Russia has not yet been made, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Political Analysis and Information Provision Department Head Elnur Aslanov told journalists on Friday."Azerbaijani press slightly dramatizes the situation. Each state acts in terms of its own economic profitability. Negotiations on this issue were held before as well, and views were expressed," Aslanov said.He noted that the oil transportation will continue until the end of the year, as the sides inform each other six months in advance."We and the Russian side, of course, will have the opportunity to express a final position based on results of the negotiations. Expressing opinions, which can complicate the situation, is wrong. The final decision on this is yet to be made," Aslanov said.The Russian government terminated an agreement on transportation of Azerbaijani oil through the territory of the Russian Federation, signed between the two countries on Jan.18, 1996./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/sports/122660.html Sports Fri, 17 May 2013 17:18:00 +0500 It hasn't been a very busy week at Real Madrid in terms of talking to the public. Nobody has spoken and this imposed silence hit its peak yesterday afternoon. José Mourinho didn't even speak at the official pre-Spanish Cup Final press conference. He didn't send his second in command, Aitor Karanka to take his place either. But then, they don't have to. La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation don't impose fines for that.To avoid adding more fuel to the fire, Mou opted instead to remain quiet. It's very clear that, for better or for worse, the manager cannot hold his tongue even when he is facing the last and only trophy that he can win this season.The Portuguese has been hot under the collar for a while now and knows that if he sits in front of a press conference he will continue to offer his version of events no matter what the consequences, even if his words harm the squad or the club. There are too many fires 24 hours before the game and it's better to leave them blazing in the background.That's why the coach decided not to show his face. Sergio Ramos said that the club had asked him, as second captain, to face the media. "There is nothing that I cannot answer. I'm one of the team's captains", he justified.However, the gulf between Mou and the rest of the squad is no secret. Mou didn't even go to the Bernabéu to get on the team bus with the rest of the squad. He went straight to the team's hotel on his own./Marca.Com/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122661.html Society Fri, 17 May 2013 17:06:00 +0500 The Azerbaijani Communications and IT Ministry supports the appeal to the Azerbaijani Parliament in connection with the initiation of a criminal liability for the insult of honour and dignity in online settings, Azerbaijani Communications and IT Minister Ali Abbasov told media today.The minister said that many countries have similar legal statutes."The protection of the rights, honor and dignity of people online is very relevant today around the world and in Azerbaijan," he said. "Cases involving the insult of the honor and dignity of people that lead to disastrous consequences frequently occur on the internet."Nowadays, practically all spheres of the society's activity are online. The internet will be a hard medium to tame, Abbasov said./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/business/122657.html Business Fri, 17 May 2013 16:55:00 +0500 Azerbaijan is one of the priority regions for the VTB Group, director of the department of subsidiaries of Bank VTB OJSC Mikhail Yakunin said on Friday at the opening ceremony of the new head office of VTB Bank (Azerbaijan) in Baku.Yakunin said opening the new office marks a new stage in the development of VTB Bank (Azerbaijan)."Now that the Azerbaijani-Russian relations have reached new heights in the framework of cooperation in several areas, opening a new office marks another step in the development of bilateral relations," he added.Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Board of VTB Bank (Azerbaijan), Alexander Eremin expressed his gratitude to the bank's personnel, colleagues and partners from other VTB subsidiaries."I would also like to thank the shareholders who support and help us, always find the time to discuss pressing issues and provide all kinds of possible assistance towards the development of the bank," Eremin said."The agreements have been signed already on expanding the bank by 30 per cent in September, which is due to the increased number of personnel," the chairman said.The official opening of the Nizami branch and the head office of VTB Bank (Azerbaijan) was held on Friday.Bank VTB (Azerbaijan) JSC, trading in the country since 2009 (under banking license No.162 issued by the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan on March 11, 2009), is a subsidiary of Bank VTB JSC. The shareholding stands at a 51 per cent of the shares belonging to Bank VTB (Russia) JSC and 49 per cent to AtaHolding.VTB Group ranks second in all the major indicators in the Russian banking market. VTB Bank JSC has the highest rating of international rating agencies Moody`s Investors Service, Standard & Poor`s and Fitch among Russian banks./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122653.html World news Fri, 17 May 2013 16:40:00 +0500 Turkey, which ranks 16th in the world in terms of the development of automotive industry, intends to manufacture a passenger car of domestic production, on Friday Anadolu agency quotes Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is on an official visit to the United States, as saying.According to Erdogan, Turkey is the second country in the world after China in terms of growth in electricity consumption."Turkey implements a program to increase the GDP in 2011-2017. Thus, in these years the GDP will grow by an average of 6.7 percent," Erdogan said.As for the tourism sector in Turkey, the Prime Minister noted that this area is developing rapidly. In 2003, 13 million tourists visited Turkey, in 2012 this figure grew up to 32 million people, Erdogan said./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122645.html Politics Fri, 17 May 2013 16:25:00 +0500 Georgia should show solidarity with Azerbaijan today more than ever, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said in an interview with Georgian television companies in Washington.Thus, he commented on the decision of the Russian Federation on terminating transit of Azerbaijani oil through the territory of Russia.President Saakashvili stressed that "only Azerbaijan's development can ensure the development of the entire region as well.""It is important to support Azerbaijan in this situation, and this support must be clear and consistent," he said.Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the termination of the agreement with Azerbaijan on the transit of Azerbaijani oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline.The decision of the Russian government on termination of the agreement on transportation of Azerbaijani oil through the territory of Russia, dated January 18, 1996, is not a political but an economic issue, SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) reported on Wednesday.'This issue was not a surprise to SOCAR. Both sides at various times have raised issues which have not been resolved. In particular, the issues of consistent quality of Azerbaijani oil during transportation through the territory of Russia and its storage at the port of Novorossiysk, oil quality bank, increasing the volume of oil transportation, issues related to the rate and mechanisms of change," the report says./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/interesting/122655.html Weird / Interesting Fri, 17 May 2013 16:12:00 +0500 Valentin Boanta, sitting in his jail cell, proudly explains the device he has invented which, he says, could make the world's ATMs impregnable even to tech-savvy criminals like himself.Boanta, 33, is six months into a five-year sentence for supplying gadgets an organized crime gang used to conceal ATM skimmers, which can copy data from an unsuspecting ATM user's card so a clone can be created.He said he had started to make the devices for the sheer excitement of it and denies ever planning to use them himself, saying he only sold them to others.Boanta says his "Secure Revolving System-SRS" can be installed in any ATM. It allows the bank card to be inserted longer side first and then rotates it to prevent skimmers being able to lock on to the magnetic data strip. The system returns the card to its user with a reverse rotation.Outwardly it is a trapezoidal metallic box around 6 inches long with the card slot in the middle.The SRS, funded and developed by a technology firm near Bucharest called MB Telecom, is patented and won an award this year at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva. The inventor and company are not yet saying how much it will cost, but insist it will be available soon."He fully deserves such recognition," said SRS co-inventor and MB Telecom president Mircea Tudor. "He's taking part in improving Romania's image abroad and he'll surely join our team when released."Romania has a deep well of technical expertise stemming from the time of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who backed computer research and technical education.Digital piracy flourished after his violent overthrow in 1989, as people who could not afford proprietary products bought cheap copies instead.Romanian hackers stole about $1 billion from U.S. accounts in 2012, according to the U.S. embassy in Bucharest. A report by Verizon said Romania was the world's second-biggest hacking center after China. The FBI has even set up an office in Romania and helped to train specialist police agents./Reuters/ http://www.today.az/news/regions/122652.html World news Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:00 +0500 A president must obey the law and act according to the country's constitution, Iran's presidential candidate Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said, Shafaf News Website reported.Qalibaf also said the Iranian nation needs social and economic justice to achieve progress in all areas.The Tehran mayor added that social opportunities should be distributed equally and among all groups of people.Qalibaf, who's running as a Principlist hopeful, said he does not make empty promises that he won't be able to keep.Iran's presidential election will be held on June 14.The Guardian Council has extended the deadline for announcing final candidates for Iran's presidential race.According to Guardian Council Spokesman Abbas Ali Kad-Khodaei, the body will have until the 21st of May to announce the names of the approved candidates.Ayatollah Mohammad Momen, a member of the Guardian Council, has said the body might approve over 10 candidates for the June presidential election.Nearly 700 individuals have signed up for Iran's 11th presidential race./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/entertainment/122646.html Arts & Entertainment Fri, 17 May 2013 15:46:00 +0500 Famous French pianist Francois Chaplin has given a concert at the International Mugam Center in Baku. On May 15 Francois Chaplin held master class at the Baku Musical Academy.François Chaplin trained at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSM) with the Bulgarian pianist Ventsislav Yankoff and with Jacqueline Robin (accompaniment and chamber music), and was unanimously awarded first prizes for piano and chamber music. He then followed the advanced course with Jean-Claude Pennetier.In 1987, he won the International Piano Competition in Senigallia (Italy), and received in 1989 the Mozart and Robert Casadesus Prizes at the International Competition in Cleveland. Those distinctions are the start of a brilliant international career.His recording of Debussy`s complete piano works has been unanimously acclaimed by the international press and has reaped many awards (Diapason d`Or, ffff Telerama, Award BBC Magazine). It is already regarded internationally as a reference. His Debussy`s recording is internationally-renowned.His concerts and recordings have met with great critical acclaim, and he has been described as “one of the most original and engaging of all French pianists”. His sumptuous sound, great expressiveness and feeling, and his intelligence as an artist enable him to understand and bring out the dark moods of Brahms, the whimsicality of Schumann, the brightness of Debussy, and the personality of Mozart, Poulenc and others.Francois Chaplin is together a piano Professor at the Versailles National Music Conservatory and head of Master-Class of French music in various foreign countries, notably at the Conservatory of St Petersburg, at the University of Montreal, Norway and Japan./AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122654.html Politics Fri, 17 May 2013 15:33:00 +0500 Initiating in the Azerbaijani legislation a criminal liability for slander, disseminated in online information resources, is not limitation of the freedom of thought, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Political Analysis and Information Provision Department Head Elnur Aslanov told media on May 17."The individual who does not criticize but insults cannot remain unpunished, otherwise this will lead to anarchy," he said.Aslanov noted that the matter is not about control, but regulation, which is observed in many countries."Nowadays, information technologies are so developed that it is difficult to speak about a special control over online and ICT in general," he said."In any case, dissemination of news of racist and nationalist nature, as well as information harmful to the spiritual and moral upbringing of younger generation is limited in all civilized and developed countries," Aslanov added.He noted that the U.S. has been discussing the law on moral norms in communication networks since 1966."There are certain laws concerning these issues in the EU countries," he said. ""The Internet is a rapidly developing area. The information and communication technologies are a sphere, changing day by day."From this point of view, no country wants to leave this area without regulation in a certain sense," he said./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/business/122650.html Business Fri, 17 May 2013 15:21:00 +0500 State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), a leading global oil company of the world, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a major sponsorship deal for the UEFA EURO 2016 and European Qualifiers in France, the company said today.According to the report, this partnership between SOCAR and UEFA will create innovative opportunities that offer real benefits to the game with such a rich history."We are thrilled to be involved with this forward-thinking project and SOCAR takes great pride in its association with the world of sport," Elshad Nasirov, SOCAR's Vice-President of marketing and investments, said."This comprehensive sponsorship platform will offer SOCAR a unique opportunity to promote their brand and drive engagement with their target audience," Marketing Director of UEFA Events S.A., Guy-Laurent Epstein said.***14:53State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), a leading global oil company of the world, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a major sponsorship deal for the UEFA EURO 2016 and European Qualifiers in France, the company said today./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122651.html Society Fri, 17 May 2013 15:20:00 +0500 The 3rd International Congress “Baku Heart Days” organized by the Azerbaijan Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (AzSCVS) has today started in Azerbaijan`s capital.Opening the event Chairman of ASCS Kamran Musayev read out Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev`s congratulatory letter.Special attention paid by President Ilham Aliyev to this field as a logical continuation of the healthcare policy of national leader Heydar Aliyev, enabled such rapid development of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery in the country.While developing the program for the congress, we have tried to cover the most disputable problems of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery and maintain a high scientific-practical level of the congress. Traditionally, both local and foreign specialists will be able to send their abstracts electronically. These abstracts will be printed in a special booklet of the congress and distributed among all participants. Live transmission of the surgeries on disputable patients that we will hold jointly with the most eminent specialists of the world, will enhance the scientific-practical significance of the “Baku Heart Days” International Congress. The event will feature the practical course on “Surgical Anatomy of the Heart”.At the same time, this congress will enable the Azerbaijani specialists to discuss the latest achievements in cardiology with the leading experts of the world. Foreign delegations will have a chance to discover the rich history and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan through the social program.The AzSCVS organized the “Baku Heart Days” 1st International Congress on 9-11 May, 2009, which was a great success and joined by representatives from 16 countries. Two years later, the “Baku Heart Days” 2nd International Congress was held on 13-15, 2011 and was equally successful. This time, the number of participating countries reached 26.The congress will last till May 19. /AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/interesting/122644.html Weird / Interesting Fri, 17 May 2013 15:06:00 +0500 Thanks to a recent stock surge, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is once again the world`s richest man, a title he hasn`t held since 2007, according to Bloomberg.Gates` fortune is now worth $72.1 billion, according to Bloomberg, putting him about $550 million ahead of the former No. 1, Mexico`s Carlos Slim. Gates` wealth has jumped 10% this year as Microsoft`s shares have risen.On Thursday, the company`s stock price hit a five-year high. Slim`s wealth has fallen $2 billion this year as Mexico`s Congress passed a monopoly-busting telecom bill that threatens his company America Movil SAB`s commanding position in the market.Since 2007, Gates and his wife Melinda have given more than $28 billion to charity. The couple plans to eventually give away 95% of their fortune.The surge in Microsoft stock comes despite reportedly poor sales for Windows 8, the company`s latest operating system. In a recent interview, Gates said he expects the OS to build momentum over time and that iPad owners are frustrated by the lack of a keyboard and Microsoft Office functionality./AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/business/122649.html Business Fri, 17 May 2013 14:40:00 +0500 By AzerNewsAzerbaijan's Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies has organized a seminar on the topic "TASIM, EuraCA: new platforms for improvement of connectivity in Eurasia".The seminar was arranged as part of the fifth forum of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the implementation of decisions of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and attended by ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Toure as well as experts from about 80 countries, the ministry said.The forum was held in Geneva on May 14-16.Addressing the workshop, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Elmir Velizade informed the participants of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) project.TASIM is a project of regional importance, whose aim is laying a transnational fiber-optic line covering the countries of Eurasia from Western Europe to Eastern Asia. The project envisages the creation of a major transit link from Frankfurt, Germany to Hong Kong. The line will combine major centers of information exchange in Europe and Asia. The transit line will stretch through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to Germany. A reserve North transit line will pass through the territory of Russia, Ukraine and Poland.Speaking at the seminar, the ITU Secretary General said that the initiative on the implementation of the project envisages the development of the whole region and Azerbaijani authorities regularly express commitment to the development of the ICT sector in the country as well as in the entire region.The seminar participants stressed the importance of overcoming the divide in digital technologies in the region as well as the need for implementing the TASIM project.Furthermore, Velizade made a speech at a plenary session of "WSIS+10", which aimed to emphasize the vision on the process of developing the information society after 2015. The deputy minister spoke about the development of the ICT sector in Azerbaijan, the successes and further development prospects, the expansion of broadband infrastructure as well as advanced provision of online services.TASIM is a long-term initiative and will be implemented in two stages.During the first phase leading regional countries and operators will create major Internet transit infrastructure, linking the West and East. The process is planned to be completed in late 2013.In the second phase, it is supposed that by using the created transit infrastructure, TASIM will provide the Eurasian countries that do not have direct access to open sea, including Central Asian states, with Internet connection at affordable rates. According to the plan, new fiber-optic lines will be laid, while the existing lines will be upgraded and connected to the TASIM network.The TASIM project will contribute to creating an open information society in the region, to increasing the speed of Internet connection and promoting the development of Internet services, which, in turn, will lead to economic development, diversification of the economy and increased competition. http://www.today.az/news/regions/122647.html World news Fri, 17 May 2013 14:27:00 +0500 Economic losses from disasters since 2000 are in the range of $2.5 trillion, a figure at least 50 percent higher than previous international estimates, according to a U.N. report released Wednesday.The U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction warned in the 246-page report that economic losses from floods, earthquakes and drought will continue to escalate unless businesses take action to reduce their exposure to disaster risks.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the report saying the review of disaster losses in 56 countries clearly demonstrates that "economic losses from disasters are out of control" and can only be reduced in partnership with the private sector."Our startling finding is that direct losses from floods, earthquakes and drought have been underestimated by at least 50 percent," Ban said. "So far this century, direct losses from disasters are in the range of $2.5 trillion. This is unacceptable when we have the knowledge to reduce the losses and benefit from the gains."For too many years, the secretary-general said, financial markets have placed greater value on short-term returns than on sustainability and resilience, which in the long-term are far more attractive and can save millions of dollars."In the years ahead, trillions of dollars will be invested in hazard-exposed regions," Ban said. "If that money fails to account for natural hazards and vulnerabilities, risk will increase. Where such spending does address underlying risk factors, risk will go down."The report said recent major disasters such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the 2011 floods in Thailand and the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami put a spotlight on the growing impact of disasters on the private sector.The report says increasing globalization, the search for lower costs and higher productivity, and quick delivery "are driving business into hazard-prone locations with little or no consideration of the consequences on global supply chains."/AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122643.html Politics Fri, 17 May 2013 14:14:00 +0500 Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and Deputy Prime Minister Milanka Opacic will visit Baku to attend the 2nd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue. Under patronage of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in cooperation with UNESCO, UN Alliance of Civilizations, UN World Tourism Organization, Council of Europe, ISESCO, North-South Center of the Council of Europe 2nd World Forum On Intercultural Dialogue will be held from May 29 to June 01, 2013. Opening ceremony of the Forum will be held on 30th of May, 2013.Programme of the upcoming Forum implies several sessions- "How to build the world future together?", "How to build the popular support for cultural diversity?", The New Era of Globalization: Hybridity of cultures in changing world, "Supporting Intercultural Actions" and side events to be prepared and led by partner organizations, including the celebration of "Do one thing for Diversity and Inclusion", Intercultural Innovation Award ceremony for Central Asia, Black Sea and Mediterranean regions, 1st Alumni Summit of the "Emerging Leaders", conference of "Global Network Towards a global intercultural cities learning community", the workshop "Intercultural Dialogue through History Teaching: Best Practices and Challenges", the sessions of "Tourism as a key driver of mutual understanding and tolerance among cultures", and “intercultural dialogue through faith and science".The Baku Forum addressed challenges of intercultural dialogue in its various aspects regarding conceptual frameworks, governance, policy and practice. It has tackled the barriers to dialogue and faced concretely how dialogue can best be pursued in diverse contexts. It provided an opportunity for sharing of good practices and the launch of new initiatives within this intercultural platform. 500 representatives from 102 countries from all continents, many international organization, NGOs, media representatives, scholars, experts and etc. participated in the Forum organized under the motto - "United through Common Values, Enriched by Cultural Diversity"./AzerTAc/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122633.html Society Fri, 17 May 2013 14:03:00 +0500 Road accidents kill nearly 1.3 million people every year. They leave millions more injured or permanently disabled, placing a heavy economic burden on families and countries, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message on the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day marked on May 17."I welcome the focus on road safety for this year's World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. Information and communication technologies provide many options.The United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020 is dedicated to helping to make roads and vehicles safer worldwide," Ban Ki-moon said.Ban Ki-moon believes that intelligent transport systems and navigation devices can help reduce congestion."Radars can help to prevent collisions with other road users - including pedestrians.Hands-free communications mean less accidents, especially among young people who account for more than half of road deaths. I commend the International Telecommunication Union for its work with industry to develop ICT standards and for collaborating with the International Automobile Federation to create awareness on road safety. Let us make the best of technology to dramatically reduce traffic fatalities. This can save millions of lives," he said./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122648.html Society Fri, 17 May 2013 13:50:00 +0500 By AzerNewsAn international forum of think-tanks of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member states kicked off in Baku on May 17.The two-day forum on the topic "East-West Strategic Bridge: Security, Development and Integration in the BSEC Region" was organized by the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) under the Azerbaijani President.Addressing the forum, head of the Presidential Administration's Political Analysis and Information Provision Department, Elnur Aslanov, said that Azerbaijan is a major transport corridor connecting the East and West and it is very difficult to implement regional projects without Azerbaijan.Azerbaijan is becoming a center of political and economic as well as inter-religious and intercultural debates, Aslanov said, adding that the country accounts for 75 percent of the economy and 65 percent of the population in the South Caucasus region.Speaking about the situation in the South Caucasus and Black Sea countries, Aslanov said that Armenia has turned into an area of separatist tendencies."Armenia has become a state playing the role of a cancerous tumor in the South Caucasus. Transportation of drugs and weapons here are not controlled by the international community. Therefore, it is inevitable that sooner or later Armenia will collapse," he said.Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Aslanov said that the Armenian armed forces must withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, in line with the four relevant UN resolutions."We would like Armenia to become a state making efforts in establishing peace and stability in the region. But there are difficulties in this regard. Nevertheless, we hope for a peaceful solution of the conflict. If it does not happen, Azerbaijan has extensive opportunities stipulated by international law to liberate its territories," he said.The international forum, which brings together 20 think thanks from 11 countries, will be continued with panel discussions and end on May 18. http://www.today.az/news/sports/122637.html Sports Fri, 17 May 2013 13:37:00 +0500 The transfer window may be shut but gossip never sleeps. Here are the latest rumours from the papers and beyond.Transfer stories and gossip from today's Daily MirrorAston Villa's star striker Christian Benteke is being watched by Borussia Dortmund.Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is making a £4million bid for young Sporting Lisbon centre-half Tiago Ilori.Manchester City target Fernandino has begged Shakhtar to let him link up with Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad.John Terry wants to follow in Frank Lampard's footsteps and get a new contract at Chelsea.Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is on Malaga’s shortlist to replace Manuel Pellegrini.Transfer stories and gossip from other papers and websitesTottenham have made a £5million bid for RNK Split's 19-year-old Croatian striker Ante Rebic. Spurs will also go for David Villa, Leandro Damiao or Christian Benteke if Emmanuel Adebayor is sold. (Daily Mail)New Manchester City boss-in-waiting Manuel Pellegrini wants to sign Real Madrid's Angel di Maria and Borussia Dortmund winger Marco Reus for his new club. (Daily Star)Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has not ruled out a summer move to Paris Saint-Germain or Monaco, saying: 'I don’t close any door. I could very well extend my contract here in London but equally I could leave at the end of the season." (The Sun)Chelsea are plotting a £12m move for Roma midfielder and long-term Manchester City target Daniele De Rossi. (La Gazzetta dello Sport) http://www.today.az/news/business/122640.html Business Fri, 17 May 2013 13:27:00 +0500 According to the Azerbaijani Central Bank, the exchange rate of manat compared to the world currencies and precious metals on Friday. Currencies and precious metals May 17, 2013 May 16, 2013 1 U.S. dollar 1 USD 0.7847 0.7846 1 euro 1 EUR 1.0089 1.0097 1 Australian dollar 1 AUD 0.7647 0.7751 1 Argentinian Peso 1 ARS 0.15 0.1499 100 Belarusian Rubles 100 BYR 0.009 0.0091 1 Brazilian Real 1 BRL 0.3874 0.3879 1 UAE dirham 1 AED 0.2136 0.2136 1 South African Rand 1 ZAR 0.0839 0.0848 100 South Korean Won 100 KRW 0.0702 0.0704 1 Czech koruna 1 CZK 0.0388 0.0388 1 Chinese Yuan 1 CNY 0.1278 0.1276 1 Danish krone 1 DKK 0.1354 0.1355 1 Georgian lari 1 GEL 0.4808 0.479 1 Hong Kong Dollar 1 HKD 0.1011 0.1011 1 Indian Rupee 1 INR 0.0143 0.0143 1 British pound sterling 1 GBP 1.1962 1.1942 100 Indonesian rupiah 100 IDR 0.008 0.008 100 Iranian rials 100 IRR 0.0064 0.0064 1 Swedish Krona 1 SEK 0.1175 0.1176 1 Swiss franc 1 CHF 0.8116 0.812 1 Israeli Shekel 1 ILS 0.2156 0.2144 1 Canadian Dollar 1 CAD 0.7678 0.7724 1 Kuwaiti Dinar 1 KWD 2.7423 2.7419 1 Kazakhstan Tenge 1 KZT 0.0052 0.0052 1 Kyrgyz Som 1 KGS 0.0164 0.0164 1 Latvian lat 1 LVL 1.4427 1.4433 1 Lithuanian Litas 1 LTL 0.2923 0.2924 100 Lebanese pounds 100 LBP 0.0522 0.0522 1 Mexican Peso 1 MXP 0.0639 0.0644 1 Moldovan Leu 1 MDL 0.0635 0.0638 1 Egyptian Pound 1 EGP 0.1125 0.1126 1 Norwegian krone 1 NOK 0.1342 0.134 100 Uzbek soums 100 UZS 0.0378 0.0378 1 Polish Zloty 1 PLN 0.241 0.2413 1 Russian ruble 1 RUR 0.025 0.0249 1 Singapore Dollar 1 SGD 0.6251 0.6292 1 Saudi Riyal 1 SAR 0.2092 0.2092 1 SDR (IMF Special Drawing Rights) 1 SDR 1.1692 1.1691 1 Turkish lira 1 TRY 0.4299 0.4308 1 Tajik Somoni 1 TJS 0.1649 0.1649 1 New Turkmen manat 1 TMM 0.2753 0.2753 1 Ukrainian hryvnia 1 UAH 0.0964 0.0963 100 Japanese yen 100 JPY 0.7669 0.7675 1 New Zealand dollar 1 NZD 0.6358 0.6469 Gold (1 ounce) 1 XAU 1083.6707 1106.286 Silver (1 ounce) 1 XAG 17.4674 17.9438 Platinum (1 ounce) 1 XPT 1158.2172 1173.7616 Palladium (1 ounce) 1 XPD 571.2616 570.4042/Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/interesting/122639.html Weird / Interesting Fri, 17 May 2013 13:15:00 +0500 Google announced today at the I/O developer conference in California that the first wave of apps, aside from the few that had already been announced, are here.Google Glass is a first-generation beta product. The way Google would like you to think of it is like the original iPhone: a totally new platform that won't really come into its own until developers can release apps for it. Remember that the original iPhone could do very little; it had email and maps and text messaging and a camera and a web browser, but it didn't have apps until the iPhone 3G, the second phone in the iPhone line. That was when the App Store launched, and that was when other companies stopped making fun of the iPhone and started copying it.The first wave of apps includes apps from Evernote, CNN, Facebook, and Elle. Facebook is perhaps the most important; until now, Glass was limited to sharing photos, videos, and notes with Google services like Google+. But now you can upload what you see right to Facebook, and give captions or status updates with voice commands and dictation.CNN's works a bit more like Google Now, the service that guesses what you want to know before you ask. But instead of telling you when your Amazon package will arrive or when your commuting train will leave, it lets you tell it what kind of information you want and when. So you can tell it to give you stock news in the morning, or sports news at lunchtime, that kind of thing.We've still yet to really see what Glass can do; Google is relying on developers to turn the platform into something people really want, rather than a novelty. These apps are a nice little start, though nothing too surprising yet./Popsci.Com/ http://www.today.az/news/politics/122641.html Politics Fri, 17 May 2013 13:02:00 +0500 Leaders of Azerbaijani political parties may hold a meeting at any time, OSCE Baku Office head Koray Targay told.Targay stressed that prior to the presidential elections, OSCE intends holding a round table discussion with the participation of representatives of all political parties in Azerbaijan."The purpose of the event is to create a framework to monitor preparations for the elections. We can only create a structure, but cannot take part in the meeting or mediate. Negotiations are important for these parties," Targay said.Targay added that the upcoming meeting has not yet been scheduled.Presidential elections in Azerbaijan are scheduled for autumn of this year./Trend/ http://www.today.az/news/society/122631.html Society Fri, 17 May 2013 12:50:00 +0500 By AzerNewsA special award for scientists will be instituted in Azerbaijan, Elchin Babayev, Executive Director of the Science Development Foundation (SDF) under the President of Azerbaijan, said on May 16.According to Babayev, the award may be introduced jointly with the Azerbaijani National Commission for UNESCO.The "Second Shusha grant" contest for scientists was launched jointly with the Commission on May 10.The second contest covers more projects compared to the previous one. The first contest included four projects, two of which will be introduced abroad.Besides social issues, the second contest will include those pertaining to medicine, including reproductive health and psychological conditions of refugees and displaced persons.In April, Akif Alizade, newly appointed President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences said ANAS plans to establish awards honoring prominent scientists in order to stimulate scientific activity.According to Alizade, scientists who work hard should be encouraged financially. This will give an impetus to the work of other scientists, who will be looking forward to gaining these awards as well.Scientific institutions' privatizationA number of scientific institutions and organizations may be put up for privatization, Azerbaijan's Parliament said late in April.A draft law on science will be put on discussion in the parliamentary committee on science and education in the near future.After adoption of the bill, institutions will be put up for privatization after a decision of the relevant executive body.The document also says that state institutions which carry out substantial and scientific researches of strategic importance and their subordinate entities are beyond the privatization process.New possibilitiesUnder the law, special zones ("technopolises") will be created for cooperation of scientific institutions and universities with high-tech production enterprises active in the country.Technopolis is a scientific industrial complex created to produce a new progressive production or to develop new science-driven technologies based on intense cooperation of universities and science-technical centers. It is a modern scientific and production entity with developed infrastructure, which provides all necessary conditions for the functioning of scientific research and educational institutions, as well as companies producing new types of science-based high technologies.Technopolis incorporates science, technology, and entrepreneurship, with close cooperation of academic science, businessmen, local and state government bodies.The new law will pave the way for creation of non-governmental science-research institutions by municipalities, physical and legal entities. The control over these institutions will be exercised in line with their founding documents. The NGOs will also have the right to gain the status of a research university.According to the bill, state institutions and organizations will undergo state accreditation to determine compliance of their scientific work and logistics, and infrastructure with the state standards.Scientific institutions can also pass international accreditation to be recognized abroad.However, to start scientific work, institutions will need to obtain a special license granted by the state. The non-governmental entities will be able to get licenses for 5 years.The draft law also envisages social protection of the scientific workers, including by raising the wages and retirement benefits of academicians and corresponding members of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.Moreover, the government will provide scientists in need of improving living conditions, particularly young ones, with apartments free of turn. http://www.today.az/news/society/122638.html Society Fri, 17 May 2013 12:35:00 +0500 Subunits of the Armenian Armed Forces shattered ceasefire in Kamarli village of Gazakh region, Shikhlar village of Aghdam region, Chilaburt village of Tartar region, Gulustan and Tap Garagoyunlu villages of Goranboy region on May 16-17.The Armenians were silenced with a retail fire, the Defense Ministry said./AzerTAc/