Armenian U-18s will travel to Russia next week to take part in the Granatkin Memorial International Football Tournament.
The team will be headed by Arthur Voskanyan, the head coach of the Armenian U-19s squad. Some of the players will participate in the European Championships in the summer, FFA press service reported.
Armenia is in the Group C, where it will compete with Argentina, Iran and Russia.
Այս տեսանյութը պատմում է Խաղաղության կորպուսի ամերիկացի կամավորների և նրանց հայ ընտանիքների մասին - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3D-2DAHCnjnr6-5Fc-26feature-3Dyoutu.be&d=DwIGaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=SHJrta3HGsY2Ez61ecT0RM7Z7EhlKiX1niRbnb_4vT4&s=m7ae8G6AvbnJ3StvRQ2s7OPaC6bWd2gWbZZ5uyVzb_o&e= [cid:[email protected]] ԱՄՆ Խաղաղության կորպուսի ևս 37 կամավորներ երդվեցին ծառայել հայ ժողովրդի կողքին 1992թ.-ից ի վեր յուրաքանչյուր տարի Հայաստան է ժամանում Ամերիկայի Միացյալ Նահանգների Խաղաղության կորպուսի մոտ քառասուն կամավոր։ Այս 27 տարիների ընթացքում Հայաստանում ծառայել է ավելի քան 1,100 կամավոր։ Այսօր ԱՄՆ գործերի ժամանակավոր հավատարմատար պարոն Ռաֆիկ Մանսուրի և Հայաստանում ԱՄՆ Խաղաղության կորպուսի գրասենյակի տնօրեն Սանի Լուի գլխավորությամբ տեղի ունեցավ կամավորների նոր խմբի երդման արարողությունը․ ևս 37 ամերիկացի կամավոր հանդիսավոր երդվեց ծառայել հայ ժողովրդի կողքին։ Այս կամավորները կշարունակեն այն առաքելությունը, որ սկսել են նախորդները․ հայ ուսուցիչների հետ միասին անգլերեն կսովորեցնեն Հայաստանի տարբեր մարզերի դպրոցներում և կաշխատեն հասարակական կազմակերպություններում։ Իրենց ծառայության երկու տարիների ընթացքում կամավորները կապրեն Հայաստանի տարբեր մարզերում, հայ ընտանիքներում և կշարունակեն սովորել հայոց լեզուն և մշակույթը։ Իր ելույթում Խաղաղության կորպուսի հայաստանյան գրասենյակի տնօրեն պրն. Սանի Լուն նշեց. «Այսօր այստեղ գտնվող այս կանայք և տղամարդիկ ներկայացնում են Հայաստանի հետ բարեկամական կապերն ամրացնելու Միացյալ Նահանգների պատրաստակամությունը և մեր նվիրվածությունը Հայաստանին և հայ ժողովրդին»։ Նոր խմբի կամավորների համալրմամբ՝ Հայաստանի տարբեր գյուղական վայրերում և քաղաքներում այժմ ծառայում է Խաղաղության կորպուսի մոտ 110 կամավոր:
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Books Published by Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation and include Saroyan’s ‘Seventy Thousand Assyrians’ and ‘Five Ripe Pears’
LOS ANGELES— Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation recently announced the online release of Rupen Janbazian’s Western Armenian translation of two of William Saroyan’s short stories free and available to the public.
The Saroyan in Armenian: Two Short Stories («Սարոյեանը՝ հայերէնով, երկուպատմուածքներ») e-book can be accessed and read for free on the Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation Issuu page.
The 53-page Saroyan in Armenian includes the Western Armenian translations of Saroyan’s famed “Seventy Thousand Assyrians” and “Five Ripe Pears,” and Saroyan’s biography written by filmmaker Paul Kalinian (“William Saroyan: The Man the Writer,” 1991). The book, which includes 10 original color graphics by Janbazian, was edited by Yeprem Tokjian of Toronto.
More than 200 print copies were distributed free of charge at public event in Los Angeles last year.
Saroyan in Armenian was published in 2015 in memory of Sosé (Thomassian) and Allen Yekikian following their untimely passing in 2013. The Foundation continues Sosé and Allen’s vision by establishing programs and supporting existing programs aimed at bridging the gap between Armenia and its Diaspora, through an emphasis on education, repatriation, and volunteerism within the homeland.
“The first time I read Saroyan was in Armenian. I was a seventh grade student at ARS Armenian School when we read Hampartsumian’s masterful Armenian translation of Saroyan’s celebrated book, My Name is Aram,” recalled Janbazian. “If our teacher had not mentioned that we were reading a translation, I would have never realized that Saroyan wrote in English… His words were sincere and heartfelt. Saroyan fascinated me from the very first day that I began reading that book. I am proud that this book is dedicated to Sosé & Allen, who continue to inspire new generations of Armenians every day,” he added.
The book features 10 original color graphics by Rupen Janbazian. (Graphics: Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation)
William Saroyan (1908–1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story author. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film adaptation of his novel The Human Comedy. Saroyan wrote extensively about the Armenian immigrant life in California and of his stories and plays are set in his native Fresno. Some of his best-known works are The Time of Your Life, My Name Is Aram and My Heart’s in the Highlands.
He has been described in a Dickinson College news release as “one of the most prominent literary figures of the mid-20th century” and by Stephen Fry as “one of the most underrated writers of the [20th] century.” Fry suggests that, “[Saroyan] takes his place naturally alongside Hemingway, Steinbeck and Faulkner.”
Rupen Janbazian is an editor, translator, and activist, who currently resides in Toronto, Canada. He is the former editor of the Armenian Weekly and has previously taught Armenian history and creative writing at the ARS Armenian School of Toronto. Currently, he serves as the editor of Hamazkayin’s h-pem online platform.
The State Revenue Committee of Armenia has finally released the list of large taxpayers of the first quarter of this year. The fees of the organizations in the list have risen, but there are still oddities in terms of tax revenues.
Based on the list released by the State Revenue Committee, in the first quarter, 1,000 large taxpayers paid a total of AMD 212.2 billion in taxes (33.6 billion more than the previous year). There is almost 19% growth, and unquestionably, this is a high and even record-setting indicator.
Perhaps it is necessary to ask the State Revenue Committee how it managed to record such a high growth indicator when there is only 6.5% economic activity. If this is truly at the expense of the reduction of shadow economy, then indeed, this is commendable. But if the tax authorities achieved this through known and unknown methods, we can only express concern, especially since there are some grounds for this. Revenues with minus signs are more often seen in the releases of the State Revenue Committee recently, but this hadn’t been seen in the list of large taxpayers to this day.
For example, how can we understand that the profit tax of the Transgaz Company made up AMD -22.9 billion in the first quarter of the year? How is it that the City Company (belonging to former oligarch Samvel Aleksanyan who has close ties with the new authorities) paid AMD -986 million in income taxes in the first quarter? Does this mean Samvel Aleksanyan has to pay dues to the budget or the opposite?
Of course, this is not the only interesting episode related to this businessman in the list of large taxpayers.
Aleksanyan’s Alex Holding, which fulfilled its tax obligations of more than AMD 3.3 billion in the first quarter of last year, paid only AMD 132.4 million to the State Budget in the same period of this year. Basically, the company paid 25 times less. This might seem surprising at first sight, but this is the case.
This is the case because, in new Armenia, this businessman has decided to show that he is fulfilling his tax obligations in a new way, that is, under the name of not one, but several companies. It is a fact that Aleksanyan would constantly do business under the name of several organizations in the past as well, and it is clear that this is not an end in itself.
It seems as though there is a new company that will replace Alex Holding as well. Right after shift of power in Armenia, the businessman registered a new company (Alex & Holding), which is expanding its activities more and more.
Although it worked for a couple of months, it paid an AMD 2.8 billion tax last year, and the main part — at the end of the year. In the fourth quarter, the company’s taxes made up nearly AMD 2.2 billion.
The company started working actively in the beginning of this year as well. In the first quarter, Alex & Holding paid AMD 1 billion 332 million to the State Budget, of which more than AMD 1.2 billion was customs tax. This means the company imported products. As a matter of fact, out of the paid AMD 1.3 billion, only AMD 5.7 million was profit tax.
City Company, one of the other companies of the businessman, has paid AMD 1 billion 339 million in taxes. Since the taxes paid by the City supermarkets last year were included in the payments of Alex Holding, now it is impossible to say whether the taxes increased or decreased. The same goes for the other companies. Perhaps Alex Textile is an exception. Like last year, it was separate this year as well. It fulfilled a tax obligation of AMD 326 million, which is almost 2.4 times more than the previous year.
Since we talked about one of the well-known businessmen in the list of large taxpayers, let’s also touch upon the taxes paid by other well-known businessmen.
Recently, Ararat Cement Factory, which is the target of the government, paid AMD 374 million to the State Budget in the first quarter, and this has increased by AMD 124 million. Onira Club, another company owned by Gagik Tsarukyan, has paid AMD 1 billion 232 million in taxes, and this is AMD 53 million more than the previous year. The growth is particularly seen in the case of Multi-Leon and Multi Gas. In the first three months of the year, the first company paid more than AMD 259 million, the second — AMD 210 million. Multi-Leon’s taxes have increased by 2.9 times and Multi Gas company’s taxes have risen by 3.6 times.
The owners of Grand Holding have particularly advanced in terms of tax payments. In the first quarter of this year, Grand Tobacco paid more than AMD 12.8 billion compared to the AMD 8 billion last year. In other words, the company’s taxes increased by nearly 60%. Compared to the AMD 2 billion last year, International Masis Tabak paid AMD 3.9 billion to the budget, and this is almost two times more.
Why are these tobacco companies actively paying taxes? This is not clear. Let’s simply state the fact that, based on official data, in the first quarter of this year, Armenia has seen a 10% growth of tobacco production, while cigarette production has not grown.
One can notice a tendency of reduction of taxes paid by telecommunication companies in the list of large taxpayers, and this is rather sharply expressed in the case of certain companies.
Compared to the AMD 1.6 billion of the past year, in the first quarter of this year, MTS Armenia only paid AMD 199 million, meaning 8 times less. Veno Armenia transferred AMD 518 million to the budget, which is 2.5 times less than last year.
Ucom is the leader in terms of paid taxes and has paid more than AMD 1.9 billion, even though the company has paid fewer taxes. In the first quarter of last year, Ucom paid nearly AMD 2.5 billion in taxes.
In the spheres of import and realization of petrol and diesel fuel, unlike CPS Oil Corporation, the paid taxes of which have dropped, Flash Company’s transfers have increased by AMD 1.1 billion. Max Petrol has sharply advanced in the market — compared to AMD 292 million paid last year, this year, the company paid almost AMD 2.6 billion in taxes. Instead, Rosneft Armenia paid only AMD 199 million in taxes, which is less than last year’s taxes by AMD 155 million.
Like last year, Gazprom Armenia is on the top of the list of large taxpayers this year as well, even though the company has even reduced its taxes this year. The negative difference is higher in Transgaz’s case — AMD 1.7 billion compared to AMD 1.9 billion last year.
Another important fact: although the large taxpayers’ payments have increased by at least 19% this year, there has been almost no change in terms of profit tax. With respect to this type of tax, the payments of 1,000 taxpayers have made up AMD 22.9 billion compared to the AMD 22.4 billion of last year.
HAKOB KOCHARYAN
The trial of Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan proceeded smoothly in general, despite several serious omissions, his lawyer Aram Orbelyan told a news conference on Friday, summing up the four days of hearings in the case.
According to him, the biggest omission in the trial was that the prosecution was given one more chance to present its arguments than the defense team at Thursday’s hearing.
“This is not the first case we come across. Defense lawyers are not allowed to counter-argue the new allegations of prosecution,” he said.
Orbelyan described the trial as mostly transparent, adding there have been tensions during the hearings, but they are common at ever trial.
He said since the defense team had no chance to present its counterarguments to the state prosecutors during the hearings, they will present them at the news conference.
The four hearings in the ex-president’s trial focused on the defense lawyers’ demands to release Kocharyan from custody pending the outcome of trial.
Also asking presiding judge Davit Grigoryan to free the ex-president are Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan and his predecessor Arkadi Ghukasyan, who appeared before the court on Thursday to personally offer guarantees for his release.
The judge’s decision on the former president’s detention will be made public on Saturday, 18 May.
Kocharyan stands accused of overthrowing the constitutional order in the wake of the 2008 presidential elections. He is also charged with bribe-taking.
Dr. Karin Markides appointed President of American University of Armenia
13:30,
YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. Dr. Karin Markides has been appointed new President of the American University of Armenia (AUA) and will assume office on July 1, 2019, the AUA told Armenpress.
With an impressive resume that includes lecturing at Stanford University as a guest professor, Dr. Markides completed her doctorate at Stockholm University in 1984, after which she started her research career at Brigham Young University in Utah as a postdoctoral fellow, then as a research assistant and associate director. In May 1990, she returned to Sweden as a Chair Professor and Dean of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Uppsala University. Fourteen years later, in May 2004, she became Vice Director General of Vinnova, the Swedish innovation agency. Subsequently, Dr. Markides was selected as President of Chalmers University of Technology and, since 2015, she serves as the Chair of the Scientific Council for Sustainable Development under the Swedish government.
Dr. Markides’s fascination with Armenia grew deeper as she talked about its unique geopolitical location.
“Armenia’s position – the intersection where East meets West – can be an asset if the bright brains from neighboring countries become increasingly attracted to Armenia as a nexus where cultures and minds meet. I think these meeting places can attract many people, whether from Europe, Russia, China, and elsewhere for planned and unplanned interactions and true impact”, she said.
As far as her vision for AUA and its role in Armenia, Dr. Markides remarked that she would like to see AUA play an even larger role in the transformation of the country, inviting higher education, private and public sectors to enable transformative impact in areas of high potential and emerging challenges. In these sectors, AUA would develop people’s skills for transformative co-creation and connect the urban and rural areas of the country, also attracting greater attention from the international community. Her experience working with innovation and technologies is something she plans to bring to AUA.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.
Vice Speaker of Parliament comments on expected visits of Russian leader and representatives of other countries to Armenia
17:38,
YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan commented on the expected visits of Russian President Vladimir Putin and representatives of other countries to Armenia, stating that Putin is expected to visit Armenia during 2019.
Asked why the Russian leader didn’t visit Armenia within a year after the 2018 April “velvet revolution”, the Vice Speaker said the reason is only technical, connected with the recent changes and elections in Armenia. “The contacts between Pashinyan and Putin are of the most frequent and warmest nature”, Simonyan said.
Earlier some media outlets reported that Vladimir Putin will visit Armenia in autumn 2019.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan