Tag Archives: Azerbaijan

Israel praises Azerbaijan's stand in Iran crisis

Israel‘s president has praised Azerbaijan for playing a key role in countering Iran‘s influence in the Middle East.

Shimon Peres says Azerbaijian, which shares a border with Iran, has taken a “clear stand” against war and terrorism.

Peres says Azerbaijan‘s “unique geographic location” makes it a “key country” in the region.

Peres spoke Monday during a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. It’s the first visit by an Azerbaijani foreign minister to Israel.

Israel believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies. Israel and the U.S. have hinted at military action if diplomacy fails to stop Iran‘s controversial nuclear program.

Israel‘s ties with Azerbaijan have grown since its once-strong strategic relationship with nearby Turkey deteriorated.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/2SbPtcoXf3A/

Tehran Turns Up The Heat (On Azerbaijan)

By Ilan Berman, Contributor

With international pressure over its nuclear program mounting, and the recent collapse of its latest round of negotiations with the West, this might seem like a strange time for Iran to pick a fight with its neighbors. Yet on at least one front, that is exactly what it appears to be doing. Recent days have seen a marked downturn in the already-troubled relationship between the Islamic Republic and Azerbaijan, its neighbor to the northwest.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Tax haven data leak names names, raises questions

It’s a data leak involving tens of thousands of offshore bank accounts, naming dozens of prominent figures around the world. And new details are being released by the day — raising the prospect that accounts based on promises of secrecy and tax shelter could someday offer neither.

Among those named include a top campaign official in France, the ex-wife of pardoned oil trader Marc Rich, Azerbaijan‘s ruling family, the daughter of Imelda Marcos and the late Baron Elie de Rothschild. The widespread use of offshore accounts among the wealthy is widely known — even Mitt Romney acknowledged stashing some of his millions in investments in the Cayman Islands. But this week’s leak, orchestrated by a Washington DC based-group called the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, appeared to be the broadest in what has been a steady stream of information emerging about hidden money in recent years amid a wave of anger targeting the super-rich in an age of austerity.

The leak allegedly involved records from 10 tax havens, where the world’s wealthy have long stashed funds. It uncovered a shadow network of empty holding companies and names essentially rented out to fill out boards of non-existent corporations, including a British couple listed as active in more than 2,000 entities, according to The Guardian newspaper, which participated in the global undertaking.

The project started with the receipt of a hard drive by an Australian journalist, Gerard Ryle, who took the data with him when he joined the consortium, according to the project’s website. The group, a project of the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity, has said the hard drive arrived in the mail, but did not specify its possible source or how it was authenticated. The consortium did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Rudolf Elmer, who once ran the Caribbean operations of the Swiss bank Julius Baer and turned whistleblower after he was dismissed in 2002, told The Associated Press that he considers the data to be authentic.

“This comprehensive information is like a torch that will probably set off a wildfire and bring to light a lot more about secretive tax havens,” he said.

The secret bank accounts of the rich and powerful have recently come under a crush of whistle-blowing scrutiny.

France‘s former budget minister, Jerome Cahuzac, was forced to resign last month week after a French investigative website unrelated to the latest leak revealed that he held offshore accounts …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Hess Selling Russian Operation to LUKOIL for $2 Billion

By Rich Smith, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Continuing its years-long corporate restructuring, oil company Hess is selling its 90% interest in Russia‘s Samara-Nafta (literally “Samara Oil“) to local oil major OAO LUKOIL for total consideration of $2.05 billion, the company announced today.

So far this year, Hess has announced the sale of, or sold, interests in the North Sea Beryl field, the Texas Eagle Ford play, and the Azeri, Chirag, and Guneshli fields in Azerbaijan.

After-tax proceeds to Hess from the sale announced today are expected to amount to roughly $1.8 billion, and will bring Hess’ total income from divestitures to $3.4 billion year-to-date. Samara-Nafta is currently producing 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the Volga-Urals region of Russia.

Hess Chief Executive Officer John B. Hess says all of these far-flung sales are part of a plan “to transform Hess into a more focused, higher growth, lower risk pure play exploration and production company.” The CEO says it’s equally important to note that the cash Hess is raising from the sales will help it to reduce its debt load and strengthen its balance sheet — currently burdened by roughly $7.5 billion in net debt.

Hess shares are up 3.3% as of this writing, just shy of $74 a share.

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The article Hess Selling Russian Operation to LUKOIL for $2 Billion originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Iran launches destroyer in the Caspian Sea

Iranian state TV is reporting that the country has launched its domestically built destroyer in the Caspian Sea.

Sunday’s report says President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the guided-missile destroyer Jamaran-2 in the port city of Anzali, about 250 kilometers (150 miles) northwest of Tehran.

This is Iran‘s first heavy-weight military presence in the oil-rich sea, where the five surrounding countries — Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan — have not reached an agreement on exploitation of its resources.

Iran supports equally sharing the sea. But the other four countries have reached agreements on exploiting the resources through mutual pacts, putting Iran‘s share at about 12 percent.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Rubber bullets used in Azerbaijan to end protest

Police in the capital of Azerbaijan have broken up an unsanctioned protest rally by firing rubber bullets and water cannons at hundreds of demonstrators. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Sunday’s demonstration was called to protest the recent deaths of three soldiers. Officials say two of them committed suicide and another died of unspecified causes. But protesters question the accounts of suicide.

Some of the more than 300 demonstrators were detained, but there were no immediate figures from police on how many or if they would be charged.

On Friday, three opposition activists were arrested and law enforcement agencies accused them of preparing to use incendiary bombs to incite violence at the rally.

Police in authoritarian Azerbaijan routinely take strong measures to put down any unauthorized opposition gatherings.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

KBR Awarded PMC Contract for in Azerbaijani Oil-Gas Plant

By Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Engineering and construction firm KBR  announced it was awarded a project management contract for the front-end engineering and design phase of a proposed oil and gas processing plant in Azerbaijan.

The plant is being developed by the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic, and represents the first direct engagement between it and KBR on a large world-scale capital project. The petrochemical complex will consist of a gas processing plant, currently in the FEED phase, with throughput capacity of 10 billion to 12 billion cubic meters annually, and a refinery plant with a capacity of 10 million tonnes per year, most of which will be targeted for export.

KBR‘s downstream president David Zelinski said, “KBR is proud to support SOCAR on their flagship onshore OGPC world-scale facility. This award confirms KBR‘s presence as one of the top engineering contractors in the region, specifically Azerbaijan.”

The FEED phase of the project is expected to be completed by October, while the overall complex is expected to be operational by late 2020. Front-end engineering and design is an early stage planning process that irons out technical issues and roughly estimates the investment cost of the project. Financial details of the management contract were not disclosed.

The article KBR Awarded PMC Contract for in Azerbaijani Oil-Gas Plant originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Azerbaijanis injured in fight at French parliament

A violent outburst by Armenia supporters in the French parliament building has left two Azerbaijanis injured and drawn condemnation by French authorities.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in conflict since 1988 over the disputed Caucasus Mountains territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The incident happened Tuesday in the National Assembly in Paris, during a conference commemorating the anniversary of violence against Armenians in 1988.

The two Azerbaijanis, a man and a woman, tried to interrupt the conference, saying they wanted to commemorate the anniversary of a 1992 massacre of Azerbaijanis.

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris says the two were attacked and beaten by some of the pro-Armenia participants.

France’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday it “regrets and condemns” the acts of violence committed inside the National Assembly.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Startup Turkey

By Elmira Bayrasli, Contributor Thunder and lightening bookmarked eTohum’s Startup Turkey’s annual gathering this past weekend. It fit. The congregation of Turkish and regional entrepreneurs (from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan) stormed Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast for two and a half days of pitches and panels – the usual rundown for these events. What did I take away? Five points. I’ve outlined them below and will detail over the week ahead. Get out of Silicon (insert here): After talking to 23-year old Ankara-based Ali Cevik, I realized the importance of finding new markets and getting outside mainstream tech centers. I met the Arab Jeff Bezos: He’s Ala Suleiman who gave up a career in computer engineering to put books on tape for the Arab world. Entrepreneurial financing in between angel and venture isn’t mezzanine: It’s angel heavy. The iLab Ventures story The Arab world isn’t a country Broadbandgaria: South Eastern Europe’s Internet hope? Startup Turkey Take Away #1 …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Incumbent in front before Armenian election

The campaign for Armenia‘s presidential election lasted only a month, but packed drama into the short time that included the shooting of one candidate and another contender going on hunger strike.

For all that, incumbent Serge Sarkisian is widely expected to cruise through Monday’s voting easily, likely getting the 50 percent plus one vote tally necessary to avoid a second round. Seven other candidates are on the ballot.

Sarkisian’s first term in 2008 started traumatically. Within weeks of his election, clashes between police and supporters of Sarkisian’s vanquished challenger Lev Ter-Petrosian left 10 people dead and more than 250 injured.

But Sarkisian adroitly reduced tensions by talking with critics and allowing opposition protests. The next year, the parliament granted a sweeping amnesty to hundreds of people who had been arrested in the post-election violence.

He also has overseen a return to economic growth after years of stagnation, although the former Soviet republic still suffers from widespread poverty. World Bank figures for 2010, the most recent year tallied, show nearly 36 percent of the country living below the national poverty line. Average wages are about $300 a month.

The landlocked country’s economy is hobbled by the longstanding closure of its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey, both connected with the occupation by Armenian troops and ethnic Armenian local forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. That frozen conflict shows no signs of imminent resolution despite years of international mediation attempts.

Since fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh ended in 1994, Azerbaijan has used its burgeoning oil wealth to restore its military. Sarkisian’s main opponent, Raffi Hovanessian, has made accusations that Sarkisian is losing the arms race with Azerbaijan a main plank of his campaign.

The American-born Hovanessian, who was post-Soviet Armenia‘s first foreign minister, also contends that billions of dollars have disappeared from the state budget because of corruption under Sarkisian, and emphasizes the large number or Armenians leaving the country of 3 million to pursue better opportunities; the outward flow is estimated last year to have been about 3.3 people per 1,000 of the population.

But the criticisms appear to have gained little traction. Polling in early February by Gallup International foresaw Sarkisian getting 68 percent of the vote, with Hovanessian tallying 24 percent.

At the time of the poll, released Feb. 7, Paruir Airikian was running …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Crisis-hit Greece backs pipeline for Caspian gas

Greece, Italy and Albania signed an agreement Wednesday backing a proposed pipeline to transport natural gas from the Caspian Sea to western Europe, intensifying the rivalry with a competing project.

The 800-kilometer (500-mile) Trans-Adriatic pipeline system, or TAP, would have an initial annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters (353 cubic feet) of natural gas from Azerbaijan. The venture is run by consortium comprised by Germany’s E.ON Ruhrgas, Norway’s Statoil and the Swiss-based Axpo group.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said the project would provide €1.5 billion ($2.02 billion) of private investment in his country, which is suffering through a sixth year of recession.

“This will change Greece from a second-tier energy destination to a significant transit point,” Samaras said. “It will create 2,000 Greek jobs in the early stages of the project in regions that are suffering high rates of unemployment.”

TAP is widely seen as a competitor of the Nabucco West pipeline, a separate proposed project that would transport gas to Austria via Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. Both are vying for the right to transport natural gas from Azerbaijan‘s Shah Deniz gas field to western Europe by 2019.

The Shah Deniz gas producers will decide in June which route to use to export their gas to Europe.

TAP officials on Wednesday said they did not yet have an estimate of the total cost of the project and added that, if selected, construction of the pipeline would start in 2015. The pipeline’s annual capacity could be doubled to 20 billion cubic meters, they said.

Wednesday’s agreement was signed by Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, along with Albanian Finance and Energy Minister Edmond Haxhinasto and Italian Development Minister Corrado Passera, while representatives of the Azerbaijani government also attended the ceremony.

“This is an important step for the diversification of Europe‘s energy supply and access by Azerbaijan to Europe‘s market,” Passera said.

European governments are keen to bring Azeri gas to their markets, and ease current domination by Russia.

Kjetil Tungland, TAP‘s Managing Director, argued the venture would also spur other badly-needed growth-boosting projects in Greece.

“Projects like TAP signal confidence for other investors,” he said.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Mexico removes statute of Azerbaijan leader

Mexico City’s government has removed a much-derided statue of the late leader of Azerbaijan from a park where it had stood for almost half a year along the capital’s main boulevard.

The city says it is still in talks with the embassy of Azerbaijan about where to put the bronze, life-sized figure of Geidar Aliyev, a former Communist Party boss who died in 2003. Azerbaijan paid about $5 million to help restore the park, erect the monument and perform other public works.

Some Mexico City residents had complained about the statue, noting Aliyev’s authoritarian record.

The boulevard is best known for its monuments to Mexican independence heroes.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Vehicle collision sparks mass riot in Azerbaijan

Police in Azerbaijan says a mob in a central town torched a hotel and several cars in a rampage provoked by a minor vehicle collision.

Ismayilli district police said Thursday that several law enforcement officers were injured while trying to restore order overnight.

Trouble began when the owner of a local hotel reacted to his sports car veering onto a sidewalk and colliding with an electricity pole and got into a fight with another motorist. The dispute spiraled, leading to thousands of residents raiding the hotel and setting alight the owner’s cars.

The crowd later assaulted the son of a district official.

Although the rioting does not appear to have been politically motivated, it highlights widespread frustrations over disparity between the poor and wealthy in the oil-rich former Soviet nation.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Mexico City to move Azerbaijan leader's statue

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera says that a life-size bronze statue of Azerbaijan‘s former president will be removed from the capital’s main avenue.

Mancera says the Stalinesque statue of the late Geidar Aliyev will be moved to different location that will be determined this week.

He said Tuesday that the decision was made based on the recommendation by a commission of intellectuals.

The Azerbaijani Embassy paid for the renovation of part of the city park where the statue sits and other public works totaling about $5 million.

Protesters have said they are offended by a monument to an authoritarian figure like Aliyev, who led Azerbaijan first as Communist Party boss during Soviet times and then as president from 1993 until his death in 2003.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Now for Everyman—Every Man Who Can Spare $519,865

By John Lamm

McLaren will build still more of its MP4-12C GT3 models for 2013, not just increasing the venues at which it can race, but also making the supercars available to collectors and those who want to have the 493-hp, 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 competition McLaren, but don’t care to race it. And, for that matter, have enough cash in the bank to cover the asking price of $519,865. The Woking, U.K.–based automaker built more than 20 examples of the GT3 that were raced in 2012 by 13 teams, taking 19 wins and 19 additional podium finishes in 98 races. For that season, McLaren only had European-based teams compete with the GT3 in various championships, plus outings in Abu Dhabi, Macau, and Azerbaijan. With the new production run, the MP4-12C GT3 will be able to race throughout the world.



Lessons learned in 2012 have led to changes for the 2013 12C GT3s. Aerodynamics have been reworked to improve the balance and tire wear of the cars. There’s a revised ECU as part of a redone electrical system and a new choice of shock absorbers for the double wishbone suspensions. To allow for the fact that the cars might compete in warmer climates around the world, McLaren has redone the hood and ducting to better vent heat. Among the new teams that will race the 12C GT3 is that of nine-time World Rally champion Sébastien Loeb, who will co-drive one of the team’s pair of cars.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Azerbaijan sharply increases military spending

Azerbaijan‘s president has announced a sharp hike in military spending and again warned neighboring Armenia to pull out of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory.

President Ilkham Aliyev said in remarks published Wednesday in state newspapers that this year’s defense budget will rise to $3.7 billion, up from $3 billion last year.

Annual military spending increases have taken place amid persisting tensions between Azerbaijan and fellow former Soviet republic Armenia. Border skirmishes are relatively common, but there has been no return to the full-out conflict of the 1990s.

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday in the capital, Baku, in protest at the death this month of an 18-year old conscript. Demonstrators said he died as a result of abuse.

In remarks addressed at the domestic opposition, Aliyev warned against smearing Azerbaijan‘s army.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Harley Viera Newton's Model Chops, Karlie Kloss's Wild Ride, and H&M's New Love

By Robert Khederian

All the bits fit to print here, in our daily news roundup.

  • Harley Viera Newton is the face of Whetherly’s Spring 2013 collection. [Nylon]
  • Valentino plans to expand its menswear line with dedicated boutiques in Paris, London, and Milan. [Vogue UK]
  • Meanwhile, the Republic of Azerbaijan has acquired the building in Place Vendôme which houses Valentino’s headquarters for $178.4 million. [WWD]
  • H&M has tapped Czech tennis player Tomas Berdych to co-design and represent the brand’s first tennis collection. [Telegraph]
  • Shoegasm has launched ecommerce. [Fashionologie Inbox]
  • If you were thinking about buying something from Maje’s Fall line, now’s the time to do it – its seasonal collection just went 50% to 60% off both in stores and online. [Fashionologie Inbox]
  • In case you’ve been missing the hot men of Game of Thrones, this one’s for you. The show’s Richard Madden stars in Mr. Porter’s just-released Issue 97. [Fashionologie Inbox]
  • Photographer Ryan McGinley’s digital short for Mercedes-Benz stars Karlie Kloss, a white horse, and one very mischievous car. [Nowness]

    Mind of Its Own on Nowness.com.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at fashionologie

Hundreds rally over Azerbaijan's conscript death

Several hundred people have rallied in the center of Azerbaijan‘s capital in protest at the death earlier this month of military conscript.

Many participants at Saturday’s rally, which was organized through social media, held up photos of Jeyhun Gubabov, who authorities say died of heart failure. Gubabov’s mother says he was the victim of physical mistreatment.

Police ordered demonstrators to disperse and later forcibly broke up the gathering. Officials say several people were detained, but gave no specific number.

Anti-government rallies take place from time to time in the oil-rich former Soviet nation, and the meetings are almost always immediately broken up by police. Unusually, this meeting was organized entirely on online social media and involved none of the country’s few embattled opposition parties.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News