Armenian News

SIXTY SIX CHILDREN ADOPTED IN FIRST QUARTER
ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS: The number of children, ready to
be adopted, was 100 in the first quarter of this year; 60% of them
are girls.

An official from RA National Statistical Service told Armenpress
that in the above mentioned period the number of possible adopters
made 198; 93 of them were foreign citizens, 9 of them - Armenians,
living in other countries, 95 of them - RA citizens, living in Armenia,
and 1 of them was a foreign citizen, living in Armenia.

Four of the possible adopters are from 18 to 35-years-old, 191 of
them - 30-65-years-old, 3 of them - 65-years-old and above.

60 children were adopted 2009. This year the number of adopted children
made 66.

RFE/RL Report

Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Hard Drug Use On Rise In Armenia
03.08.2010
Lilit Harutiunian

The number of officially registered injection drug users in Armenia
has increased by about 50 percent over the past year, the country's
chief narcologist, Petros Semerjian, said on Tuesday.


In his words, a total of just over 1,700 such individuals applied to
Armenian narcological centers for assistance as of last January. They
had 1,100 registered patients in January 2009, he said.

`There are two reasons for the rise: an increased number of drug
addicts in Armenia and an increased number of those seeking assistance
from the public health system,' Semerjian told a news conference. `The
reason for the increased number of applications is that drug use has
been decriminalized in Armenia.'

The official cautioned that the official statistics show only the tip
of the iceberg. He said unofficial expert estimates based on research
put the real number of heavy drug addicts in the country of 3 million
at between 5,000 and 7,000. Narcologists believe that another 25,000
or so Armenians are addicted to lighter drugs such as cannabis, he
added.

There are also other indications that drug trafficking and addiction
in Armenia, although still low by international standards, has
increased since the early 1990s. According to the Armenian police, the
number of officially registered drug-related crimes committed in the
country nearly doubled to 539 last year.

Earlier this year, Armenian law-enforcement authorities reported their
biggest-ever seizure of heroin which they said was smuggled by Iranian
drug dealers through neighboring Turkey. One Russian and one Iranian
nationals were arrested after police found seven kilograms of the
Class A drug in their car.

Semerjian said that unemployment and other socioeconomic problems are
not the main factor behind increased drug abuse. The root cause of the
phenomenon is a `criminal culture' taking root in the country, he
said.

Semerjian also revealed that as much as 80 percent of people receiving
treatment at Armenian narcological clinics and dispensaries end up
again injecting narcotics. `People return to their old place of
residence, old friends, the same entourage, and they repeat what they
did before,' he explained.

4091.5 TONS OF GOODS IMPORTED TO ARMENIA IN FIRST QUARTER

AS HUMAN AID
ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS: 4091.5 tons of goods, the total price
of which is 8 billion 157.3 million AMD, were imported to Armenia as
a human aid in the first quarter of 2010.

An official from RA National Statistical Service told Armenpress that
the products of chemistry and the branches, connected with chemistry,
made the 25% of the aid. 17.6% were textile goods, 16.8% - devices
and apparatus, 9.3% - industrial goods and the 31.3% were other goods.

ARMENIA BECOMES PLACE OF GATHERING FOR THE ARMENIAN SCOUTS

OF ALL OVER THE WORLD
ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS: With the efforts of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU) from July 18 to August 1 scout camp-gathering
was held in Lermontovo, Lori province. Deputy director of the AGBU
Yerevan Office Hovik Yordekyan told Armenpress that this year 120
children of 14-18 years old from different countries - Argentina,
Lebanon, Syria and of course Armenia participated in the camp. Besides,
their scout daily activities the children traveled in the territory
of Armenia, visited Armenian historic-cultural monuments.

"The essence of the camp is that Armenia becomes a place of gathering
for the Armenian scouts of all over the world," Yordekyan said.

THOUSANDS FLOCK TO GLENDALE HOME TO SEE 'WEEPING MARY'
KTLA
Aug 2 2010
CA

The statue began 'weeping' on July 19th.

GLENDALE -- Thousands of people from around the country are flocking
to a home in Glendale where some believe a miracle has taken place --
a statue of the Virgin Mary appeared to be weeping.

Glendale resident Anahid Sallakian says the statue began "to weep"
at 10:30 p.m. on July 19th at her home on Orange Grove Street while
she was praying in her living room. Sallakian says she saw a star
appear on the statue. She touched it, and her hand was covered with
oil. The "miracle" lasted for nine days.

Some who have observed the Mary statue "weeping" say they have also
seen its fingers move. They believe it's a sign from God.

Word of the alleged apparition spread through the neighborhood and
across the country through American and Armenian media reports,
Sallakian said.

The house was flooded with thousands of worshipers and well-wishers,
she said.

Sallakian says people are coming to her home to be close to God.