Armenian News

Salisbury Journal
Feb 9 2009
Armenian links to Stonehenge explored
12:19pm Monday 9th February 2009
By Corey Ross


THE story of Stonehenge and the mystery that surrounds it is familiar to
most Salisbury residents, but one man has come to the city to tell
people about an ancient circle of standing stones which pre-dates even
Wiltshire's World Heritage site.

Vardan Levoni Tadevosyan is an Armenian/Spanish historian of the occult
who visited Salisbury last week to raise the profile of Carahunge,
dubbed the Armenian Stonehenge.

He said: `It's a very important monument, not just for Armenia, but for
the whole world.'

Carahunge, meaning `speaking stones', is located 200km from the Armenian
capital Yerevan, near a town called Sisian. There are over 200 stones on
the seven-hectare site and many of the stones have smooth angled holes
in them, directed at different points in the sky, leading scientists to
believe it is the world's oldest observatory, dating back 7500 years.

Mr Tadevosyan is very passionate about wanting people to know more about
Carahunge and has his own theories on its links with Stonehenge.

His research of the last four years is based on the work done by
Professor Paris Herouni, a member of the Armenian National Academy of
Science and president of the Radiophysics Research Institute in Yerevan.

Prof Herouni started investigating Carahunge more than 20 years ago and
wrote a book, Armenians and Old Armenia, on his findings. He sent the
book to Prof G.S. Hawkins, who had investigated Stonehenge, and he
agreed with Herouni's findings.

Mr Tadevosyan says that in neolithic times the Armenians were much more
advanced than most other cultures. A carving found on rocks near Lake
Sevan showed they knew the world was round, they could accurately
measure latitude, and they were already skilled in astronomy,
archaeology and engineering.

He believes the earliest population of Britain, who came from Armenia,
brought the ideas of Carahunge to Europe with them and played some part
in the creation of Stonehenge and other European sites.

He plans to put together a leaflet about Carahunge that can be available
to the public at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and curator
Adrian Green said he would be happy to display leaflets about the
ancient site.

`I have a passion about it because the world has a not nice attention on
Armenia. I want to publicise Armenian monuments and culture,' said Mr
Tadevoysyan.

Armenian Importers Urged To Switch To Manufacturing
By Emil Danielyan

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian urged Armenia's leading importers of
goods on Saturday to help his government cope with the effects of the
global economic crisis by switching to manufacturing operations and
creating jobs.

Sarkisian made the extraordinary appeal at a meeting with a group of
wealthy entrepreneurs involved in import and shipping operations. His
office did not name any of the participants of the meeting held behind
the closed doors.

A government statement cited him as promising `maximum support' and
`exceptional opportunities' for those of them who will open
manufacturing firms. He said those firms can be as profitable as their
current businesses.

Large-scale imports of basic foodstuffs, fuel and other commodities is
one of the most lucrative forms of economic activity in Armenia. They
have effectively been monopolized by a handful of wealthy entrepreneurs
close to President Serzh Sarkisian and his predecessor Robert Kocharian.
Both men have long faced opposition allegations that they personally
benefit from the existence of the monopolies.

The allegations, denied by them, have gained fresh currency in recent
months amid the Armenian authorities' apparent efforts to shore up the
national currency, the dram, with substantial hard currency injections
in the domestic financial market. Unlike many other currencies, the dram
has not weakened against the U.S. dollar since the onset of the global
downturn. The importers are seen as key beneficiaries of the exchange
rate stability.

According to the government statement, Prime Minister Sarkisian said
that the importers have operated in a `quite favorable environment'
until now but that the global recession `makes it imperative for the
importers to change their behavior.' Whether he hinted at government
measures that will make commodity imports less lucrative was not clear.
The Armenian premier said last month that large companies owned by
government-connected tycoons will be `the number one target' of his
government's fight against tax evasion in 2009.

The statement said some of the importers presented investment proposals
at the meeting. But it gave no details, saying only that Sarkisian
encouraged participants to come up with more business plans. He also
said that job creation in the manufacturing sector is `one of the
important anti-crisis measures' planned by the government.

Armenia's trade deficit reached a new high of $3.3 billion last year on
the back of a 35 percent surge in imports. Armenian exports, by
contrast, shrunk by 7.2 percent to $1.1 billion, their sharpest decline
in over a decade.

FIRST ENCYCLOPEDIA PUBLISHED
A1+
[01:53 pm] 09 February, 2009

The Publishing department of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has issued
the first publication of "Armenian Church Encyclopedia" dedicated
to All Armenian Catholicoses starting from St. Grigor Lusavorich to
Karekin II.

The Encyclopedia is co-authored by Satenik Babayan, Petros Hovhannisyan
and Deacon Ghevond Mayilyan. The publication was financed Archbishop
Vigen Aykazyan.

FALL IN PRICE: NO BUYERS
A1+
[12:55 pm] 09 February, 2009

Butchers outnumber buyers in GUM, a market in downtown
Yerevan. Butchers say they sell 20kg meat a day while this time last
year they sold at least 80 kg.

"We are at a loss as we don't know what to do: to pay for the place,
for the animal or to keep a family?" said butcher Arkadi.

"Trading is stagnant today. Sometimes we have to lower the price by
200-300 drams as it is neither macaroni nor pastry to keep for a long
time," say salespeople.

They are surprised that even the fall in meat price doesn't attract
buyers. On the other hand, they understand that the economic crisis
has greatly affected people's budgets.

"We don't want to lose any client, therefore bear their caprices,"
say salespeople. Butcher Vardan says they have no way out. Many go
out of business as trading has become slack.

Note that a kilo of pork is sold at 3000 drams, ham- at 2000 and beef
-at 1700 drams.

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Feb 8 2009
Darchinyan retains world boxing titles
Peter Mitchell
February 8, 2009 - 3:49PM

Australia's Vic Darchinyan has won his super flyweight world-title
fight in Anaheim, south of Los Angeles with a vicious technical
knockout.

Darchinyan battered Mexico's Jorge Arce for eleven rounds with
ringside doctor Dr Paul Wallace ending the fight and before the start
of the 12th with Arce bleeding from two severe cuts under both eyes.

The win sees Darchinyan retain the division's World Boxing Council,
World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation title
belts.

Darchinyan opened up a cut under Arce's left eye in the first round
after pounding the Mexican with three trademark powerful left hand
blows.

Arce appeared shaky on his feet late in the seventh round after being
rocked again by multiple Darchinyan lefts and the punishment
continued, with Arce's right eye dripping blood at the end of the
tenth.

In the eleventh Darchinyan continued to pound Arce and by the end the
round the Mexican's face was covered in blood.

Before the final round began, Dr Wallace stepped in.

Arce came into the ring wearing his trademark black cowboy hat and
sucking on a lollipop.

The fight was staged in front of a parochial pro-Arce crowd at
Anaheim's 17,000 seat Honda Centre, the home of Anaheim's National
Hockey League team, the Ducks.

Boos reigned down on the Armenian-born, Australian citizen Darchinyan
as he entered the ring but as the fight progressed the minority
Armenian and Australian fans took over the arena.

WHO WILL REPRESENT ARMENIA IN EUROVISION 2009?
A1+
[02:11 pm] 09 February, 2009

Twenty Armenian singers have submitted applications for the 2009
Eurovision Song Contest. Inga and Anush Arshakyans, Shprot, Arame
and Mher are among the candidates.

Remind that applications were to be submitted by February 7. On
February 14 the Armenian Public Television (H1) will air the draw
for the Armenian participant. The song must be of three minutes'
duration and must have no political colouring. The 2009 Eurovision Song
Contest will take place in Moscow on May 12, 14, 16. The Semi-Finals
is scheduled for May 12 and 14, and the Finals - for May 16. The
Armenian participant will sing on May 12.

Note that Mher Mesropyan was awarded "Audience sympathy" during the
"New Wave 2008" song contest in Urmala.

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