On 30th December 2009, Very Reverend Father Khoren Hovhannisyan, pastor of the Armenians in India and the manager of the Armenian College & Philanthropic Academy accompanied by a group of students of the college initiated the New Year celebrations by visiting the Armenian Catchick Paul Chater Home in Kolkata.

The old age home has thirteen residents who require a lot of love and attention. The students sang for them giving them immense joy and happiness. They also distributed presents amongst the elderly. »»»»»

Next year the Prosperous Armenia Party faction in the Yerevan City Council will propose that all children attending public schools be required to wear school uniforms. “Kids should be focused on learning and not be worried about whether others are better dressed,” stated Arman Vardanyan, head of the party’s municipal faction.

Mr. Vardanyan stated that while some schools have initiated a dress code for pupils, prices for the uniforms differ since the manufacturers aren’t the same. He suggested that designers come up with spring and fall uniforms and that the manufacturing should be put up for competitive bidding. »»»»»

A group of young environmental activists will usher in the New Year with a bike ride on the eve of December 31 through downtown Yerevan.

Mariam Sukhudyan, one of the activists and a vegetarian to boot, says that she wants to welcome 2010 on “two wheels” and without polluting the environment. After the bike ride, the activists will sit down to a festive table decked out with assorted vegetarian goodies. No meat; thank-you very much…

The Head of the RoA Nature Protection Ministry’s Environmental Inspectorate, Tigran Grigoryan, and his deputy, Arsen Petrosyan, were arrested yesterday for taking a 5 million AMD bribe.

Arsen Petrosyan, the Deputy Chief of the Environmental Inspectorate of the RoA Ministry of Nature Protection, had demanded a 5 million AMD bribe from a company to conceal environmental violations and to reduce the amount of fines the firm could have been hit with. Members of the RoA Organized Crime Division confronted Arsen Petrosyan at his office yesterday with the charges and the government official broke down and confessed. »»»»»

Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan lead a group of the party’s young supporters and representatives of other NGO’s to the towns of Talin, Aparan and Ashtarak on December 26. There they carried out protest actions directed against the ruling authoritarian regime, the Armenia-Turkey Protocols and in the defense of human rights.

Organizers say that hundreds of local residents joined in the protest marches and added their voices demanding a just government and an end to the Protocols. »»»»»

A Turkish archaeologist has called on his government to demand that Italy return the bones of St Nicholas to their original resting place.

The 3rd Century saint – on whom Santa Claus was modeled – was buried in the modern-day town of Demre in Turkey.

But in the Middle Ages his bones were taken by Italian sailors and re-interred in the port of Bari. »»»»»

“We’ve had it up to here with our situation, of constantly filing petitions and requests, of writing letters to this and that official, telling them, someone, to help us in saving this library of ours.”

These were the words of Lida Aleksanyan, Director of the Martuni Library in Gegharkunik Marz when this reporter went to cover the story of the library on the brink of ruin. The library building itself is in desperate need of repair. »»»»»

Last week the T.V. news show “Haylur” reported that after its program aired, the chief of staff of the presidential office would personally get involved in the matter of the Gyumri boiler plant. What went down in Gyumri and why did the chief of staff decide to step into the affair? What prank did Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan pull this time? »»»»»

Control Chamber’s Hayk Beglaryan Involved in Real Estate Deal: Are Laws Being Violated?

The same destiny that befell countless residents of downtown Yerevan now threatens to destroy the lives of a family living at Buzand Street #83. According to Decision N108, adopted by the RoA government on January 1, 2007, the property that their house now sits on has been declared a “public domain” site. »»»»»

Questions Linger After Botched Investigation by Police and Prosecutor’s Office

“I remember the date – August 11, 2008. Me and my sister Karineh had an argument. I wanted to make a phone call and she wouldn’t let me. Then, she threatened that she’d tell our father that I was making a call. »»»»»