Thanksgiving Events Support The Less Fortunate
Nonprofit Groups, Concerned Citizens Serve Turkey Dinners

NBC 4

POSTED: 10:55 AM PST November 25, 2004
UPDATED: 2:16 PM PST November 25, 2004

LOS ANGELES — It’s Thanksgiving, and groups around the Southland
are making sure that the less fortunate have some holiday cheer.

In Long Beach, the “Long Beach 5K/10K Turkey Trot & Chicken Chucking
Championship” is holding a walk to benefit the nonprofit Community
Action Team, followed by participants hurling rubber chickens to
raise money for local food bank charities.

Thanks for taking our survey and Happy Thanksgiving!Favorite
Thanksgiving Dish?What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?Turkey with
cranberry sauce. Stuffing and more stuffing. Mashed potatoes. Green
beans with those fried onions on top. Leftovers.

Pasadena’s Union Station Foundation is holding its annual Thanksgiving
Dinner-in-the-Park, billed as the “biggest potluck in the nation. ”
Volunteers are expected to serve more than 5,000 meals to the poor,
homeless and elderly. The Los Angeles Police Department, West Valley
Pals and Woodland Hills Optimist Club are hosting a free Thanksgiving
dinner at the Guadalupe Community Center.

In Valley Village, more than 500 men, women and children will enjoy a
traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Needy residents of
the East Valley will receive vouchers provided by Temple Beth Hillel
and distributed by numerous outreach organizations, including Jewish
War Veterans, the East Valley Multi-Purpose Center, Loaves and Fishes
and The Salvation Army, among others.

In Hollywood, Food on Foot will feed and distribute backpacks to the
homeless and poor. For every two 64-pound bags of trash collected from
the streets of Hollywood, Food on Foot will reward individuals with a
$5 food gift certificate from a fast-food restaurant or grocery store.

In Orange County, the 27th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot will feature
5K, 10K and children’s races; the Orange County Rescue Mission will
serve Thanksgiving dinner in Santa Ana; and Rep. Loretta Sanchez,
D-Garden Grove, Hon. Bishop Jaime Soto and others will join in serving
Thanksgiving dinner to the needy during the 19th annual Casa Garcia
Thanksgiving dinner that owner Frank Garcia serves in the parking
lot of his eatery in Anaheim.

And in Glendale, Armenia Fund Inc. is holding its annual Thanksgiving
telethon, “Make It Happen,” to raise funds to complete the remaining
56 miles of the North-South “Backbone” Highway in Karabakh, Armenia.
Proceeds will also benefit continued assistance in the areas of
health care, education and infrastructure development in the Republic
of Armenia. The 12-hour event will be televised live from Glendale
throughout the United States, South America, the Middle East, Canada
and Armenia.

Copyright 2004 by _NBC4. tv_ (mailto:webstaff@nbc4. tv) .

ARF MEMBER ARGUES IN FAVOR BOYCOTTING PACE SESSION

ArmenPress
Nov 25 2004

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: A senior member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun party, questioned today the
wisdom of placing a report on Nagorno Karabagh conflict on the agenda
of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe session, saying
that organization does not have a voting mechanism that would allow
it to enter the conflict regulation process as an unbiased body,
“as each of the conflicting sides would be looking to enlist the
support of delegates from 15-20 countries.”

Levon Mkrtchian of the ARF claimed that that simplified approach to
the conflict regulation places the entire responsibility of its future
fate on a European organization. Mkrtchian praised the wisdom of both
nations for “being reasonable to end the bloody war and replace it
with a ten-year long truce.”

Mkrtchian argued that the Armenian delegation should boycott the PACE
that is expected to discuss the report next year. “There is the OSCE
Minsk group who has been tackling the issue for years and I do not
see any reason behind taking the conflict to PACE,” Mkrtchian said,
adding, however, that these were his own personal viewpoints.

He went on to say that the report prepared by a former PACE rapporteur,
Terry Davis and taken up by his successor David Atkinson, has revealed
that both men do not master the problem on a professional level.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS REFRAIN FROM FLYING TO AZERBAIJAN

ArmenPress
Nov 25 2004

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: Two members of the Armenian
parliament refused to fly to the capital of the rival Azerbaijan to
participate in a NATO-sponsored seminar. The chairman of an Armenian
parliament committee on defense and national security issues, Mher
Shahgeldian, one of the two, told reporters today that Azerbaijani
parliament leadership ignored a letter by the chairman of Armenian
parliament who requested a tight safety measures for the two Armenian
parliamentarians.

Shahgeldian said the letter had been sent because of a serious incident
that occurred when three Armenian top officers had been in Baku earlier
this year also attending a NATO seminar and a recent extradition of
a Bulgarian journalist of Armenian origin.

“The Armenian delegation was prepared to fly to Baku, a hotel was
reserved and tickets booked,” he said, adding that the decision to
refrain from flying to Baku was made by the parliament forces.

WORLD VISION RENOVATES FOUR HEALTH POSTS IN LORI PROVINCE

ArmenPress
Nov 25 2004

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: On Wednesday, November 24, World
Vision Armenia celebrated the opening of the renovated health posts
in four rural communities in Lori Marz. The ceremony took place at
12:00 PM at the health post in Norashen village and was followed by
a visit to Sarchapet, Artsni and Saratovka communities where World
Vision and Support to Communities (STC) has completed the renovation
of the local health posts.

Renovation of the health posts was done in the framework of the Support
to Mobile Medical Teams program, a five year project funded by US
Agency for International Development and World Vision and targeting
57 rural communities in Gegharkunik, Lori Tavush and Syunik marzes.

The program aims to provide medical services to the population
of remote communities (serving 32,000 people), increase access of
vulnerable children and their families to a healthy and balanced diet,
conduct health education and promotion among population, establish
revolving drug funds, conduct primary health care trainings and work
closely with policlinics, hospitals and health posts to increase
levels of care. World Vision Armenia works closely with its local
partners including STC and the Scientific Association of Medical
Students of Armenia.

Since May 2004 over 12,600 people in 25 villages of Lori and
Gegharkunik regions have benefited from this program. Four Mobile
Medical Teams regularly visited remote communities, providing qualified
health care services to the residents.

As a part of the program activities focused on strengthening
community-based health structures in villages, World Vision Armenia
together with STC started the renovation of the health posts in 11
villages of Gegharkunik and 5 villages of Lori from which renovation
of four Lori health posts has been completed.

Next year the program will start to deliver primary health care to
vulnerable children and families in Syunik and Tavush regions.

“By the end of the program, villages will have benefited from
five years of MMT visits, and will also have primary health care
structures and community knowledge strengthened in a sustainable
manner.” says Julian Srodecki, WV Armenia Operations Director.

ARMENIAN-SOUTH KOREAN TIES DISCUSSED

ArmenPress
Nov 25 2004

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: Deputy foreign affairs minister Tatul
Margarian received today the Moscow-seated South Korean ambassador to
Armenia, Chon Te Ikin, who is in Yerevan on the occasion of the opening
of the South Korea’s consulate and an Armenian-Korean business forum.

The foreign ministry said the two men discussed a wide scope of issues
and looked into ways for boosting bilateral trade. Margarian was
quoted as saying that Armenia is interested in developing diverse ties
with South Korea. He added that the consulate will promote further
development of contacts between the two countries.

The ambassador said Armenia will have a good chance to present itself
at a next year seminar in South Korea that will be dedicated to the
South Caucasus.

Syrian Arab News Agency, Syria
Nov 25 2004

Mofti-Islamic Unity
Mofti of the Syrian city of Aleppo meets Clergy

Beirut, Nov. 2 5 (SANA)-

Mofti of the Syrian city of Aleppo , Sheikh Ahmad Hassoun has
expressed the Syrian Clergymen care for the unity among the Islamic
countries.

Following two meetings held yesterday in Beirut by the gathering of
the Moslem and Armenian Catholicos /Aram I/, scholars, Sheikh Hassoun
stressed the cohesion between Syria and Lebanon , calling the Arab
countries to unify ranks and become as one body.

He saw that the relation between Syria and Lebanon is a relation of
one destiny and joint history, stressing that relation between the
Syrian people and the Armenian people is historical and deeply
–rooted.

A.N.Idelbi

–Boundary_(ID_/B4wjiPBxLGVWeT2EWQjJQ)–

Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Nov 25 2004

ARMENIANS GET MOBILE PHONE CHOICE

ArmenTel loses mobile phone monopoly as government ushers in
Karabakh-related company.

By Naira Melkumyan in Yerevan

Following years of wrangling with the Greek company that owns 90 per
cent of Armenia’s telecommunications monopoly ArmenTel, the government
has finally moved to allow competition.

However, although the arrival of newcomer on Armenia’s poorly developed
telecoms market may herald improved services, some are questioning
the selection process.

The tender was won by K-Telecom, a firm affiliated to Karabakh-Telecom
which is the sole telecoms operator in Nagorny Karabakh, the
Armenian-held territory still claimed by Azerbaijan.

The Armenian government, which owns a residual 10 per cent of ArmenTel
shares, last week signed a truce with the majority owner OTE, ending
four months of often-difficult negotiations over its licence.

The agreement means ArmenTel’s licence will be changed so that it
loses exclusive rights to provide GSM, satellite, and mobile radio
communications services, as well as internet access. But it will retain
sole rights to internet telephony and the use of fibreoptic cables.

The decision follows growing dissatisfaction over the performance of
the telecoms network.

OTE has been in control of ArmenTel since 1998, having paid 142
million US dollars for a 90 per cent stake and what amounted to a
15-year monopoly over communications.

This year, the government tried to change the company’s license with
a view to removing its monopoly, arguing that ArmenTel was not meeting
its investment obligations – an accusation the firm has rejected. The
latest deal means the firm has lost its monopoly in most areas.

However, the way the government moved swiftly to select a competitor
has proved controversial.

Parliamentary deputy Victor Dallakyan says that in an “unprecedented”
move, the government set up a commission to award the GSM licence,
which took just one day to pick K-Telecom in a rushed tender process.

Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan told journalists that the commission
had the power to change the tender rules in exceptional cases.

Many observers disagree. Dallakyan believes the commission violated
various rules, such as the need to advertise the tender in the press,
and to seek and review bids.

Other companies were said to be in the running, but the communications
ministry insists that K-Telecom was the only one that actually applied.

Even members of the ruling coalition are confused by the process.

“We are not against K-Telecom being chosen as a second operator,
but the government should explain. so that we know whether there was
another choice,” Levon Lazarian, head of the pro-government party
Dashnaktsutyun’s faction, told IWPR.

Government representatives say that the decision to go for K-Telecom
was more political than commercial.

“This government decision was strategic and political, not a choice
in favour of the best operator,” justice minister David Arutyunyan
told journalists. “By giving K-Telecom the license, we are helping the
people of Karabakh overcome their isolation. Maintaining the existing
quality of communications is extremely necessary for security reasons.”

Arutyunyan implied that K-Telecom’s parent firm in Karabakh would
benefit from the deal, and get round the Azerbaijani government’s
objections to the unrecognised Karabakh state being allowed to have
GSM communications with the outside world.

Some politicians think the government should have gone further and
deprived ArmenTel of its license altogether.

According to National Democrat bloc leader Arshak Sadoyan, the
government should have implemented a January 1999 ruling by Armenia’s
constitutional court that ArmenTel should lose its monopoly within
five years.

Ovsep Khurshudyan, an economic expert at the Centre for National
and Strategic Studies, believes that one reason why this did not
happen is that OTE has been pursuing a case against Armenia at the
International Court of Arbitration in London, in a dispute in which
each side accuses the other of breaching the ArmenTel contract.

If OTE win, the Armenian government would have had to pay 300 million
dollars in damages. But the latest agreement with ArmenTel appears
to end claims by either side.

“It is clear that the steps that were taken to deprive ArmenTel of
its monopoly were populist in nature, while the real negotiating
process was taking place behind the scenes,” said Khurshudyan.

ArmenTel has largely abstained from commenting on the deal, but a
spokesman told IWPR that the company was not against competition,
as it has its own client base.

Naira Melkumyan is an independent journalist in Yerevan.

The Herald (Glasgow)
November 25, 2004

Jan Garbarek;Norse with pedigree

nu Rob Adams

Thu Nov 25, 8pm,
Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, £ 16-£ 22.50, 0131 228 1155

With his instantly recognisable, clear, keening tone, Norwegian
saxophonist Jan Garbarek is widely regarded as the most significant
European jazz musician since the great gipsy guitarist Django
Reinhardt.

It was an American hero, though, in the shape of trumpeter Don
Cherry, who encouraged him to develop a style of jazz incorporating
his native folk music.

Like Cherry, Garbarek has bonded with musicians from all over the
world, finding a common language with Brazilian guitarist Egberto
Gismonti, Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain and Armenian violist Kim
Kashkashian.

In 1993 he reached a massive new audience with the surprise hit
collection of medieval plain chants, Officium, recorded with the
Hilliard Ensemble.

As he approaches the end of another world tour with his long-time
road band, featuring bassist Eberhard Weber, percussionist Marilyn
Mazur and pianist Rainer Brueninghaus, Garbarek will be showcasing
material from his latest album, In Praise of Dreams.

Key master: Garbarek is viewed as Europe’s most significant jazz
musician.

–Boundary_(ID_gtD3QCgLNhdIhi2BFYawlg)–

RUSSIA: CHANGING PALM LINES COULD CHANGE FORTUNES

ANSA English Media Service
November 24, 2004

MOSCOW

(ANSA) – MOSCOW, November 24 – Palmists in various civilisations
and societies have read palms for millenniums trying to identify
characters and read fortunes but now a group of Russian scientists
claim characters and fortunes of people can be manipulated by changing
the lines on the palm with electromagnetic impulses.

Armenian professor in mathematics Karen Mkhitarian, Moscow university
professor Yuri Galatovsky and computer programmer Valeriy Ilyukhin
announced an invention which would be a real turning point in the
history of humanity, if it is true.

The three claim they had found a new technique, chronosemantics, for
correction of the strange world which we all grasp in our firsts. The
discovery could be likened to the thoughts of the tutelary deity of
the disintegrated USSR, Karl Marx, to German philosophy – it is not
enough to settle oneself with contemplative interpretation of the
world, the world should be changed.

The three Russian scientists have not clear ideas yet on the life
line but had important success intervening with therapeutic aim on
the whole surface of the palm.

The new technique was called chronosemantics, or interpretation
of time, not chirosemantics because the starting point is the skin
ramifications on the hand which reflect the actions and secrets of
an “internal clock” of each person, Mkhitarian told the Moskovsky
Komsomolets daily. The lines and signs which are so dear to palmistry
are only “temporal stages” of an existential trajectory, Mkhitarian
said.

With electromagnetic impulses the inventors of the new technique
reportedly cured some grave cases. A 19-year-old girl Lena had serious
asthma and could not even go to school. After the intervention,
she leads a normal life and studies abroad. Sergei had a history of
chronic illnesses and was not even recruited in the army but with
Mkhitarian’s help he is now a cadet in the military academy. Boris
was cured by a stubborn psoriasis.

The team of scientists changed the polarity of some lines on the
patients’ palms from negative to positive with something between
medicine and cybernetics to correct the “internal clock” modifying
the dimensions of the “personal time”.

Mkhitarian believes drug-addiction, one of the worst scourges in
post-Soviet Russia, is written on a specific spot on the palm and is
theoretically curable with the new method.

Apart from various diseases and ailments, chronosemantics is
reportedly capable of neutralising fear of flying and other phobias
which determine, sometimes crucially, a person’s character.

The ultimate objective is obviously the intervention on the three
most important lines, the life line, the heart line which governs
emotions and the head line governing intelligence and memory so as to
give each person the desired fate and happiness. Asked whether that
was possible, Mkhitarian answered it was possible from man’s point
of view, if not from God’s point of view. (ANSA).

Manly Daily (Australia)
November 25, 2004 Thursday

‘Suspicious’ case empty

POLICE blocked off Pittwater Rd at North Manly yesterday morning
and evacuated a house after a black suitcase was found outside the
Armenian prelacy.

Northern Beaches crime manager Inspector Luke Arthurs said the suitcase
was treated as suspicious.

Police officers inspected the suitcase and found it was empty.