TUFENKIAN IN KARABAGH: Tufenkian Foundation plans to open representation in Nagorno Karabagh, ARKA reported October 9. The Foundation will assist Karabagh in realization of important social and economic programs.

Tufenkian association is a subsidiary of Tufenkian import-export Venture Company, set up in 1986 in New York by James Tufenkian, an American entrepreneur of Armenian origin. The Fund operates in Armenia since 1999.

US ASSISTS IN FIGHTING TRAFFICKING: The International Organization for Migration office in Yerevan (IOM) has received a $170,000 contribution from the US Government to carry out anti-trafficking projects, ARMENPRESS reported October 9.

IOM's studies indicate that trafficking is still an underestimated issue. Data collected from interviews with victims of trafficking and other sources suggests that Armenian women are lured by dubious job offers to countries such as Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Greece and Turkey.

ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS: Armenia's dialogue with Turkey will be continued, Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanian stated October 10 at the forum "The issues of opening the Armenian-Turkish border" held in the American University of Armenia.

ARMINFO quoted Oskanian as saying that in general the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations will be beneficial for Armenia. At the same time the minister noted that Yerevan approaches the situation practically and understands that the stabilization of relations cannot be achieved at once.

CHILDREN NEED PROTECTION: Children in Armenia experience various punitive measures, according to a recent study conducted by the Armenian Relief Society with support from UNICEF, ARMENPRESS reported October 10.

About 33 percent of parents interviewed in all Armenian regions were in favor of slapping as a means of bringing up children. Psychological abuse and slapping children as means of punishment registered high in some schools as well. About three cases of sexual abuse were mentioned.

NEW BANK NOTE TO BE INTRODUCED: Starting November new 10,000 Armenian dram paper banknotes will be put into circulation in Armenia, AZG daily reported October 12.

On one side of the bank notes the portrait of Armenian writer Avetik Isahakyan is depicted, and on the other will be an illustration of early 20th century Gyumri. The bank notes have been printed at the Austrian central bank's publishing house

ANTI ARMENIAN ACTIVITY IN GEORGIA: The members of Georgia's "National Movement" party accused Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Georgia of interfering into the home affairs of Georgia and conducting anti-Armenian activity in the country, AZG daily reported October 12.

The members of the party say the Ambassador must leave Georgian territory for deliberately turning the local Azeris against the Georgian-Armenian population and by accusing the members of "National Movement" party of "being Armenians."

CHALLENGE FOR IMMIGRANTS: From now on, individuals working in the CIS countries (Commonwealth of Independent States) will have the same rights as the citizens of those countries, according to a document to be signed in Yerevan soon during the 16th meeting of the CIS Council for labor, migration and social security affairs, YERKIR daily reported October 13.

Presently, approximately 1.5 to 2 million Armenian immigrants work in the CIS countries, mostly in Russia and Belarus.

A1+ TV COMPANY AGAIN LOST CHANCE: The National Commission for Television and Radio rejected again the A1+ and Noyan Tapan TV companies' applications for frequency, ARMINFO reported October 13.

Commenting the decision, the Chairman Grigor Amalyan said that the rejection of A1+ 's application was not of political coloring. At the same time, Grigor Amalyan said that the program on financing of development presented by A1+ was rather realistic. The journalists' community believed that the company was banned from air last year for criticizing authorities.

POLITICAL MARRIAGE: Three leftist Armenian political forces, the Renewed Communist party, Union of Communists and the Party of Intellectuals-Communists unified into the United Communist Party (UCP), PanARMENIAN.Net reported October 13.

In the words of the UCP representatives, the creation of such a political party aims to mobilize all the pro-communist forces for the struggle for socialism. The traditional Communist Party did not join the alliance.

CONRTOVERSIAL MASS MEDIA BILL: The new envoy of the OSCE in Armenia met October 14 with the members of a parliament committee on science, education, culture and youth, to once again discuss the bill on Mass Media passed by the parliament in the first reading last September, AZG daily reported.

The head of the commission said that the majority of proposals and suggestions that were voiced in connection with the bill were incorporated into it.

Meanwhile three journalists associations jointly issued a statement saying they secured the pledges of commission that several controversial provisions will be removed from the bill and that they believe that it can be substantially improved before it is finally approved by the parliament this year.

VISIT TO IRAN IS POSTPONED: Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan's official visit to Iran scheduled for October 14 has been postponed indefinitely, RFE/RL reported October 15.

The Armenian ambassador to Iran, said that Iranian President Mohammad Khatami currently is attending a summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Malaysia and is therefore unable to receive Sargsyan. The Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman denied any political motives for the delay. Officials said the trip would take place at a later, unspecified date.

DOLLAR HINDERS ARMENIAN ECONOMY: The high level of dollar circulation in Armenia leads to vulnerability of the economy, according to the International Monetary Fund's representative in Armenia, PanARMENIAN.Net reported October 15.

The "dollarization" can have a negative impact on the economy of Armenia due to the fact that European Union countries are trade partners of the country. The circumstance can also tell on the exchange rate of the Armenian dram.

DANGEROUS DRINK: The microbiological laboratory installed at Yerevan State University funded by the US Department of Agriculture announced that coffee brought to Armenia from Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Cameroon is infected and is of serious threats to public health, ARMENPRESS reported October 15.

The head of the laboratory said that the companies bringing and processing coffee have no special equipment to decide the highest permissible level of toxic substances.

The Laboratory also examined 100 sorts of cheese sold in Yerevan market revealing dangerous pathogens in 60.