Disaster Help: Government rises to assist flood victims

By Atom Markarian
Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty www.armenialiberty.org

The government allocated on Thursday 507 million drams ($900,000) in preliminary urgent assistance to residents of the mainly rural areas across Armenia hit hard by last week's spring floods which officials described as the worst in decades.

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Cultural Theft: Despite laws, artists have little control over piracy and use of their work

By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow arts reporter

Singers Aramo and Emma Petrosyan sold their apartment to produce their first compact disc recording. The husband and wife duo are among the most popular contemporary singers in Armenia and there is demand for their art. But:

Up to now, we have made only small profits from sales, Aramo says.

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Outside Eye: A non-Armenian's view of life in his adopted home

By John Hughes
ArmeniaNow Editor

Just when I was about to understand my life in Armenia . . . Well, help me out here.

My goddaughter gave birth to twins this week. And while I'm as happy as a pig in mud about that, I'm confused. To begin with, I'm not even sure calling her goddaughter is the correct application of the word. Here's the deal:

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Home Assistance: Program aims to help emigrants stay in Armenia

By Gayane Mkrtchyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

The State Committee on Refugees and Migration of Armenia and the Swiss Field Office on Refugees have started (on March 1) a trial program for encouraging illegal emigrants to return and stay in Armenia.

According to statistics, some 800,000 to 1 million citizens have left Armenia since independence. The majority have entered and stayed in countries illegally.

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Defending Her Rights: New ombudsman says she's not dependent on president

By Zhanna Alexanyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
By Special assignment of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Armenia's new human rights ombudsman, Larisa Alaverdyan, who took up her post beginning this month, is already defending herself against fierce criticism that she is a mere servant of the president. "The institution of human rights must not only provide defense in specific cases or for specific problems, but it should also have a preventative role," Alaverdyan told IWPR in an interview.

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Protecting Produce: Municipal authorities want to rid capital of street-side sales

By Marianna Grigoryan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Surrounded by noisy conversation, dirt, old and new shoes and the miscellany of a busy city street, spring greens and fruit find their place on the ground one next to the other. A short distance away there is pickled food open for dust and for consumers and in the front there are bakery products in the same uninviting environment. Nearby a man with questionably clean hands and dishes invites everyone to have sausage and khorovats (barbecue).

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Sports: International chess tournament underway in NKR

By Michael Harutyunyan
ArmeniaNow sports reporter

Ten chess players from Armenia, Russia, Switzerland, Poland, Latvia and Iran are participating in the Tigran Petrosyan 75 th Anniversary Memorial Tournament taking place in Stepanakert, Karabakh. The tournament began March 8 and will finish March 18.

It is the first international sporting event organized in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The matches are played at the Officers' Club Auditorium in Stepanakert.

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	Free for a Fee: New law provides amnesty for draft dodgers Full story

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The Week in seven days

The Arts in seven days

Photo of the week

Flying High

In anticipation of this weekend's visit by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, workers put up flags on Mashtots Avenue in Yerevan. At first, Armenian and Georgian flags were placed, but the Georgian ones had to come down when it was discovered that the design was wrong.