Author: Nalbandian Albert

VAZGEN MANUKIAN LACKS FUNDS FOR EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGNING, AIDE SAYS

ARMENPRESS
Jan 10, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS: Samvel Shahinian, head of a small
party that supports veteran politician, Vazgen Manukian’s presidential
bid, said today the authorities should be interested in helping
Manukian to convey his election manifesto to as many voters as possible
"because it is very important for the country’s political palette."

Samvel Shahinian, picked by Vazgen Manukian to head his campaign office
for the February 19 presidential election, said democratic norms
require that the government should form a format to help opposition
to make its ideas available to the public at large.

Mr. Shahinian complained of scarce financial means for promoting
the pre-election campaign, expressing hope that some Armenians will
make their donations to Manukian’s election fund. He said some local
businessmen have made donations, but they are still insufficient for
effective campaigning.

He said Vazgen Manukian’s National Democratic Union (NDU) has opened
21 campaign offices in Yerevan and beyond it and more offices will
open soon in every constituency.

He said also due to lack of funds Manukian will use less of paid
airtime to advertise his platform.

ARMENIA-RUSSIA TRADE GROWS 65% IN 2007 – MINISTRY

RIA Novosti
Jan 9 2008
Russia

YEREVAN, January 9 (RIA Novosti) – Trade between Armenia and Russia
grew 65% year on year in 2007, the Armenian foreign ministry said in
an annual report on Wednesday.

"Russia is one of Armenia’s largest trade and economic partners,"
the ministry said.

According to Armenia’s national statistics service, Russia accounted
for 16.1% of Armenia’s foreign trade in January-November 2007, making
it the republic’s leading trade partner.

Bilateral trade expanded 68.2% in January-November 2007 to $632.1
million, with Armenia’s exports rising 74% to $183.6 million and
Russian exports to the South Caucasus republic growing 65.9% to $448.5
million, the Armenian statistics service said.

Russia was also Armenia’s largest investor in the reporting period,
investing a total of $175.9 million in the South Caucasus republic in
January-September 2007, including $101.6 million in direct investment,
the Armenian statistics service said.

ST SARGIS DAY

A1+
08 January, 2008

The All Armenian Catholicos Garegin II announced 21 January the Day
of St Sargis this year. St Sargis is one of the popular saints in
Armenia. He died for the sake of Christian belief together with his
son Martiros and 14 soldiers.

St Sargis day is celebrated not only by rituals and prayers, but
also by national traditions. St Sragis is the patron saint of young
lovers. He makes their dream come true. Young people pray to him and
the Saint helps them.

Unmarried young people eat a piece of salty bread in the evening,
ideally after fasting all day, in the hope of dreaming about their
future husbands or wives.

Tradition says the man or the woman who brings them water in the dream
will be the person they marry. On that day young people in love give
each other sweets and postcards as a mark of love.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

A CONFERENCE IN ANTELIAS DISCUSSES ARMENIAN CILICIA

An international conference dedicated to Armenian Cilicia will be held in
the Antelias headquarters of the Armenian Orthodox Church (Catholicosate of
Cilicia) on January 13-19, 2008 under the sponsorship of Catholicos Aram I
and on his initiative. The conference is co-organized by the Catholicosate
of Cilicia and the "Mashdots" library of Yerevan (Armenia).

His Holiness will preside over the conference and deliver its opening and
concluding remarks. Armenian and foreign experts and armenologists from all
over the world, Armenia and the Diaspora will participate in the conference.

The conference will feature papers and discussions on the various aspects of
the culture of Armenian Cilicia, including art, geography, history,
theology, diplomacy, economics, architecture, law, literature, miniature,
music, ethnography and others.

##
For more information visit:
ferences/Cilician%20Culture/English/information.ht m#3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

Anorak.co.uk (satire), UK
Dec 27 2007

Priests Fight The Good Fight In Bethlehem

AT this time it is good to realise what Christmas is all about.

Arguing about whether the real Jesus looked more like David Bellamy,
ZZTop (not the drummer) or David Icke.

Debating if Armani’s role of Archangel Gabriel in the school nativity
play gives parental bragging rights over the role of Mary, and if any
child made a townsperson is doomed to a life of mediocrity and
aspirations limited to a starter home on the outskirts of Salisbury.

And fighting.

To Bethlehem we go. Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests are in the
Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

The Greek Orthodox priests have set up ladders to clean the walls and
ceilings of their part of the church, which is said to be built over
the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born.

But the ladders are in space governed by the Armenian priests. With
no roadmap for peace there is but one recourse: fight!

As reported over the newswires: `For a quarter of an hour bearded and
robed priests laid into each other with fists, brooms and iron rods
while the photographers who had come to take pictures of the annual
cleaning ceremony recorded the whole event.’

`As usual the cleaning of the church after Christmas is a cause of
problems,’ Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh told AFP, adding that he
has offered to help ease tensions.

`For the two years that I have been here everything went more or less
calmly,’ he said. `It’s all finished now.’

Jesus was, of course, born in a stable. Or a converted barn, as
modern tellers have it. And anyone who say otherwise will feel thy
wrath…

true/178810.html

Levon Aronyan to partake in the Linares Tournament

armradio.am
27.12.2007 16:59

February 15-20 Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronyan will participate in
the International Chess tournament in the Mexican city of Morelia,
which will continue in Linares, Spain from 28 February to March 7.

Levon Aronyan will compete with Grand Masters Vishwanathan Anand of
India, Vasili Ivanchuk of Ukraine, Vesselin Topalov of Bulgaria, Peter
Leko of Hungary, Sergey Shirov of Spain and Teymur Rajabov of
Azerbaijan.

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL REGARDS RA DRAFT MILITARY DOCTRINE AS SUCCEEDED

Noyan Tapan
Dec 24 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The draft military doctrine of
the Republic of Armenia was discussed in the December 21 sitting of
the National Security Council. This information was provided to Noyan
Tapan by the Press Office of the RA President.

Robert Kocharian, the President of the Republic of Armenia, mentioned
that according to the determined schedule, the moment for adopting
the doctrine has come and irrespective of the fact that the draft
has undergone long and thorough discussions, it is necessary that the
National Security Council should discuss that most important document
for the last time with vigilance before signing the corresponding
decree.

Mikhayel Haroutiunian, the Minister of Defence, introduced the results
of the discussions held in intra and interdepartmental commissions
and public circles, as well as the principle observations in the
conclusions of authoritative international expert circles on the
draft military doctrine.

The MInister mentioned that the interest and incentive in the military
doctrine is great, the evidence of which is also the fact that more
than 700 suggestions were received only during the discussions in
the interdepartmental commission.

The members of the National Security Council regarded the RA draft
military doctrine as a completely succeeded document, mentioning
that it fully expresses the real situation of the threats currently
hanging over the state and the means for withstanding them.

Republican congress of the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
supporters held in Yerevan

2007-12-22 16:27:00

ArmInfo. Republican congress of the first president Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters was held in the governmental sitting hall,
in Yerevan today. The congress adopted Application to the citizens of
the country to support ex-president at the forthcoming presidential
election.

Representatives of 17 political forces, several public organizations
and civil initiatives that support Levon Ter-Petrosyan took part in the
congress held in the atmosphere of moral boost. The first president
made a speech which was interrupted by applause many times. The leader
of the People’s Party of Armenia Stepan Demirchyan, the leader of the
Republic party Aram Sarkisyan, the leader of the APNM Ararat Zurabyan
and representatives of other non-parliamentary forces made a speech at
the congress and supported Ter-Petrosyan.

NBC News Transcripts
December 22, 2007 Saturday
SHOW: Saturday Today 7:00 AM EST NBC

Family accuses insurance company of causing teen’s death

ANCHORS: AMY ROBACH, LESTER HOLT

REPORTERS: PETER ALEXANDER

AMY ROBACH, co-host:

And now to a family mourning the loss of their teenage daughter and
accusing her insurance company of causing her death. NBC’s Peter
Alexander has more.

PETER ALEXANDER reporting:

Just hours after Nataline Sarkisyan’s death, her family spoke out,
heartbroken and angry.

Mr. KRIKOR SARKISYAN (Nataline’s Father): These Cigna people, they
cannot make people’s decision if they going to live or die.

ALEXANDER: For three weeks, 17-year-old Nataline, a leukemia patient,
was hospitalized and in a coma. Her health insurance company, Cigna,
refused to pay for the liver transplant she desperately needed,
claiming it wasn’t covered and experimental. On Thursday, dozens of
protesters, including nurses and friends, rallied outside the
company’s offices, convincing Cigna to reverse course. Nataline’s mom
broke the news.

Nataline’s Mother: Cigna just approved us.

ALEXANDER: But by then it was too late. Nataline died that night.

Mr. MARK GERAGOS (Family Attorney): Cigna Health Corporation
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literally, maliciously, killed her.

ALEXANDER: Geragos called Cigna’s actions callous and criminal,
claiming the company took Nataline off its transplant list twice.
He’s now pushing prosecutors to consider manslaughter or murder
charges.

Krikor Sarkisyan says his only daughter was his angel. After her
death, the Armenian immigrant says he, his wife and their son slept
in a single bed and wept.

Mr. SARKISYAN: I have a pain. I don’t know when it’s going to go
away. It’s never going to go away. They took my daughter.

ALEXANDER: Just before Thanksgiving, Nataline’s brother donated bone
marrow to help his sister.

Mr. BEDIG SARKISYAN (Nataline’s Brother): I never lost hope for her.
I swear to God I thought she was going to come home.

ALEXANDER: In a short statement, Cigna offered its deepest sympathies
to Nataline’s family.

TEXT:

"Our deepest sympathies are with Nataline’s family. Their loss is
immeasurable, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. We deeply
hope that the outpouring of concern, care and love that are being
expressed for Nataline’s family help them at this time."

ALEXANDER: On her Web site, a friend wrote, "Rest in peace,
sweetheart. If you only knew how many people fought for you." For
TODAY, Peter Alexander, NBC News,
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Los Angeles.

ROBACH: And now once again, here’s Lester.

LESTER HOLT, co-host:

Thanks, Amy.

ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN IMAGINE CUP IN 2007 FOR THE FIRST TIME

arminfo
2007-12-20 18:10:00

ArmInfo. Armenia will participate in the IV annual International
Student IT competition "Imagine Cup 2008", the final of which will
be held in Paris.

As Director of Armenian representation of MICROSOFT corporation
Grikor Barseghyan told journalists, Thursday, the competition, which
is turning to global technological competition, helps students from
different countries of the world to fulfill their potential and to
turn their ideas into viable projects. "Annually MICROSOFT announces
a certain topic, for which young people must find solutions and
afterwards participate in Imagine Cup", G. Barseghyan said. At the
same time, ha said that taking into consideration global warming in
the recent years, the topic of the 2008 competition will be "Imagine
the world in which technologies help improve the environment".

According to him, 9 nominations are represented in the Imagine Cup
2008 including software design, creation of programming algorithm,
programming interfaces, computer games, photo contest, short
film contest, simplified apparatus, in which hardware, etc. are
used. Moreover, G. Barseghyan emphasized, 8 out of 9 nominations
are organized on- line, i.e students may participate in 8 contests
via Internet and the software development nomination will be held
locally. "This competition is attractive because successful IT
-solutions may become business-cases, i.e. a base for creating new
companies", he said and added that this competition provides a good
opportunity for Armenian students and young people to show the level
of IT sphere in Armenia.

For his part, Chairman of Enterprise Incubator Foundation Bagrat
Yengibarian said that the competitions will be held in three
phases. Thus, in the first phase, which started December 20 and will
last till February 15, potential participants must register on site
of Imagine Cup and to describe the software, developed for solving
the problem proposed, to form teams of 3-4 people. "These teams
must identify the problem for themselves, then find IT -solutions,
which will be assessed by the jury, which includes not only local
MICROSOFT representatives, but also other authoritative people from
different fields of activity", B. Yengibaryan explained. He said that
in the second phase, which will last February 15- April 20, 2008,
the teams must present software application. "After it the jury
will chose IT-solutions of 10-15 teams to participate in the next
phase. And since this event is held among Armenian students for the
first time, the organizers intend to render them technical support",
B. Yengibaryan emphasized. In the third phase, which is to end on
April 25, the best programming solutions will be presented and the
winning team will be declared. The latter will participate in Imagine
Cup in Paris in June 2008.

Competitive Armenian Private Sector Project (CAPS) is also organizer of
the competition in Armenia. Bi Line, Synopsis Armenia, Unicomp and the
Union of IT Enterprises of Armenia promote the program implementation
in Armenia.

Thus Imagine Cup competition is the largest international technological
competition for students. It gives the students an opportunity to
present their most courageous ideas and creations in IT sphere. The
projects demonstrate software capabilities in the solution of real
problems. The final of Imagine Cup 2007 was held in Seoul.