Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

December 31, 2013
___________________

Watertown Celebrates Its Name Day

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), visited the St. James Church of Watertown, Mass., on
Sunday, December 15, as the parish observed its 82nd anniversary and held
its annual name day banquet.

The Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian, parish pastor, celebrated the Divine Liturgy,
during which Archbishop Barsamian ordained subdeacon Shant Broukian to the
diaconate. Also taking part in the service were the Very Rev. Fr. Krikor
Maksoudian, Rev. Fr. Arsen Barsamian, and Rev. Fr. Dajad Davidian.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a banquet was held to celebrate the Feast of
St. James the Bishop of Nisibis, for whom the Watertown church is named.

Two longtime parishioners, Haig Krekor Deranian and Charles Shahe
Guleserian, were presented with the “Parishioner of the Year” award. Despite
a snowstorm in Boston the night before, the community gathered to
congratulate the honorees, who have lovingly served their parish and Diocese
for more than 30 years.

Both Mr. Deranian and Mr. Guleserian have served as Sunday School teachers,
parish council chairs, and Diocesan delegates, in addition to taking up
other roles at the local and Diocesan levels.

During the banquet program, Mr. Deranian and Mr. Guleserian’s sons offered
warm memories of the influence their fathers have had in their lives. Fr.
Davidian, who grew up with both honorees, offered congratulatory remarks.

Mr. Deranian began attending St. James Church in 1953. He said he is most
proud of his 17 years as a Sunday School teacher. In addition to serving his
parish, he has taken on leadership roles with the Armenian Church Endowment
Fund (ACEF) and is a member of the Diocesan Board of Trustees. Mr. Deranian
has also been active in the local Armenian community, especially through the
Knights of Vartan.

A lifelong member of St. James, Mr. Guleserian recalls his parents enrolling
him in Sunday School in 1944. For the past 23 years, he has served as a
Diocesan delegate, and is also a member of the Diocesan Board of Trustees.
In addition, Mr. Guleserian is co-vice president of the Armenian Heritage
Park Foundation and a member of the Knights of Vartan.

Archbishop Barsamian expressed his appreciation to Mr. Deranian and Mr.
Guleserian for their dedication to the Armenian Church.

“Thank you for dedicating your time, talents, and treasure to the Armenian
Church. You are examples to the young generation of parishioners,” he said.
“May the Lord continue to bless you both and guide you in your service.”

Last year’s Parishioners of the Year, Ed Brewster and Karen Dederyan,
organized this year’s banquet.

###

Photos attached.
Photo 1: Newly ordained deacon Shant Broukian serves on the altar.
Photo 2: From left: Charles Shahe Guleserian, Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian,
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, and Haig Krekor Deranian.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

December 31, 2013
___________________

Ancient Relic Arrives at St. James Church

On Saturday, December 14, St. James Church of Evanston, IL, celebrated its
name day with a special service of veneration before the relic of its patron
saint. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), celebrated the Divine Liturgy and presided over
the day’s events.

Following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, the Primate consecrated
three new icons in the church sanctuary. The icons depict St. James the
Bishop of Nisibis, St. Gregory the Illuminator, and St. Stephen the
Protodeacon. A requiem service was held for the deceased founders and
pastors of the church, and for Archbishop Karekin Hovsepian and Archbishop
Tiran Nersoyan, two primates of the Eastern Diocese who were involved in the
church’s construction.

The services concluded with the veneration of the relic of St. James the
Bishop of Nisibis. The centuries-old relic-comprised of bone fragments of
St. James and encased in a beautiful, metal reliquary, shaped in the form of
a human hand with fingers poised in benediction-had travelled more than
5,000 miles from the St. Kevork Armenian Church in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

It was brought to Evanston by the Very Rev. Fr. Apgar Hovakimyan, Locum
Tenens of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Bulgaria. The relic found a
new home in Bulgaria in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, when
it was sent to Plovdiv for safekeeping.

“Relics serve a very special purpose in the spiritual life of the Armenian
Church,” said the Rev. Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatyan, pastor of St James Church.
“They are not just old remnants of the past-their presence with us is a
tangible inspiration for believers today to remember the real-life struggles
and great faith that sustained Christians over the centuries.”

Archbishop Barsamian blessed the congregation with the relic, and
parishioners came up one by one to bow down and touch the sacred object.

“We are blessed to have his holy relic among us today,” Archbishop Barsamian
said. “James, or Hagop, was a nephew of St. Gregory the Illuminator, and the
bishop of Nisibis on the border of Syria, who attended the great Council of
Nicaea in 325 A.D. As such, St. James was one of the holy figures
responsible for the Havadamk-the Nicene Creed we recite every Sunday. His
desire to live the Gospel of Christ led him on an incredible quest, to climb
Mt. Ararat in order to find a relic of Noah’s Ark.”

“We don’t have to climb mountains in order to live the Gospel,” the Primate
continued. “But the direction in which God leads us can be just as
unexpected. What He asks us to do, most of all, is to draw near to Him. To
fill our lives with His love. To allow Him to smile upon us-as our infant
Lord Jesus smiled upon those who drew near him, as he lay in a manger on
that first Christmas day.”

Also taking part in the day’s services were the Very Rev. Fr. Aren Jebejian,
pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Chicago, Ill.; Rev. Fr.
Paren Galstyan, pastor of St. George Church of Waukegan, Ill. and Holy
Resurrection Church of South Milwaukee, Wis.; and Bishop Avel of the
Chicago-Detroit Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“It was a momentous day for our community,” said Fr. Khoja-Eynatyan. “To be
in the presence of our patron saint helped us to reflect on the mission of
our church and to consider ways we might continue to carry forward that
mission in the twenty-first century.”

A luncheon was held in the church hall. The program included a musical
presentation and a video featuring greetings from former St. James
parishioners who have relocated to other parts of the country.

On Friday, December 13, Archbishop Barsamian and Jennifer Morris, director
of the Diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, met with
Midwest-area clergy at St. James Church. They spoke about Diocesan summer
camps, pilgrimages, and other programs.

That evening Archbishop Barsamian and former Diocesan Council chair Oscar
Tatosian met with parish council members of local Armenian churches and
representatives of the AGBU and the Knights and Daughters of Vartan to
discuss possible avenues of collaboration on future projects.

On Sunday, December 15, the Very Rev. Fr. Apgar Hovakimyan, Locum Tenens of
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Bulgaria, celebrated the Divine
Liturgy at St. James Church.

###

Photos attached.
Photo 1: Archbishop Barsamian holds up the relic of St. James the Bishop of
Nisibis.
Photo 2: Archbishop Barsamian consecrates an icon depicting Armenia’s
conversion to Christianity.
Photo 3: The Very Rev. Fr. Apgar Hovakimyan carries the relic of St. James
the Bishop of Nisibis.
Photo 4: The relic of St. James the Bishop of Nisibis is comprised of bone
fragments of St. James and encased in a beautiful, metal reliquary.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

“Humanitarian Service is integral to the vocation of the Church,”
states His Holiness Aram I during his Pre-Christmas Pastoral visits

1.- Meeting with the children at the Birds Nest Orphanage/School in Byblos

On Monday 23 December 2013, Catholicos Aram I, accompanied by members of
the clergy, visited the Birds Nest. The sisters of the Kayanian Order, the
members of the Board, the director, faculty and staff, greeted the
Catholicos. After watching a special programme, which featured poems, songs
and dances by the children, His Holiness talked with the children while the
priests distributed gifts they had brought with them.

The Birds Nest was established as an orphanage/school after the Genocide
of the Armenians in Turkey. Danish Missionaries brought hundreds of orphaned
children to Lebanon at that time. The institution currently serves children
from broken or poor families and is hosting children victims of the war in
Syria.

2.- Visiting the Howard Karagheusian Association for Child Welfare

The director of the Centre, Mr. Serop Ohanian, welcomed His Holiness Aram
I and transmitted the greetings of the General Director of the Foundation at
the Headquarters in the United States of America. After thanking the
director and the staff for their reception, Catholicos Aram I expressed his
appreciation for the work of the Karaghuesian Foundation in Lebanon for its
long years of service to the Armenian community and particularly for its
family-centred support. The Catholicos then blessed the personnel for
expressing God’s love through their work.

3.- Meeting the Members of the Armenian Relief Cross (ARC) at the Araxie
Boulghourdjian Social Centre

President of the ARC Mrs Maral Hovhannessian and Director Verjin Sarafian
welcomed His Holiness Aram I to their Centre. His Holiness thanked the
benefactor of the Centre, Mr. Melkon Boulghourdjian, and the members of the
ARC who had come to welcome the Catholicos. His Holiness said that the
Centre was close to his heart because he had been involved in the planning
of the project with Mr. Boulghourdjian while Prelate of Lebanon. He
mentioned the important role of the Social Centre during the civil war in
Lebanon and acknowledged its contribution to alleviating the suffering of
many needy Armenian families. He also commended the devotion and commitment
of Armenian women through the Armenian Relief Cross and wished them a
blessed Christmas and a fruitful New Year in 2014.

4.- His Holiness Aram I declares 2014 “Year of the Armenian Elderly”
during his visit to the Home for the Elderly

The Armenian Home for the Elderly was the last leg of the pastoral visits
of the day for Catholicos Aram I. After the formal welcome of the director,
Rev. Sebouh Terzian, the priests accompanying His Holiness held a prayer
service. The programme continued with a cultural programme prepared and
presented by the residents of the Home. The Catholicos thanked the members
of the Board and the director and staff of the Home for their services to
the elderly. Addressing the elderly, the Catholicos told them that the Home
is not an institution, but a home that belongs to the community, hence their
home. He then announced that, in order to continue the tradition he had
instituted to acknowledge and pay respect to the different members of the
Armenian community in the world, he is declaring 2014 as the Year of the
Armenian Elderly.

During the visit to the Karaghuesian Foundation, the Armenian Relief Cross
and the Elderly Home, His Holiness Aram I was accompanied by the Prelate of
Lebanon, Bishop Shahé Panossian, Priests, Panos Manjian, a member of the
Government, Vrej Saboundjian, the Minister of Industry, and Hagop
Pakradouni, a member of Parliament.

5.- His Holiness Visits the Azounieh Sanatorium-Hospital in the Chouf
Region

On Thursday 26 2013, His Holiness Aram I concluded his pastoral visits by
going to the Azounieh Hospital accompanied by members of the clergy.
Following the prayer service, the Catholicos addressed the medical staff and
thanked them for their care and attention towards the residents. He then
blessed the patients. Before leaving the Sanatorium-Hospital, the
Catholicos, accompanied by the clergy, visited the bed-stricken patients and
prayed with them; the priests served them the Eucharist.
# #

Photo

From: Baghdasarian

Canada Free Press
Dec 30 2013

Is Turkey Returning to the `Zero Problems’ Policy?

By INSS Gallia Lindenstrauss , Yaniv Avraham

The disclosure of political corruption of unprecedented proportions in
Turkey’s history has catapulted the country into a state of major
political upheaval. So far, the response of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan has consisted of counterattack and statements
attributing the exposé to a network of domestic and international
elements interested in toppling his party’s rule. He has even attacked
alleged provocations by foreign ambassadors in Turkey and threatened
to expel them. In practice, however, Turkey’s foreign policy, at least
with regard to some of the neighboring countries, is very different
from what the rhetoric would seem to indicate. In fact, in recent
weeks one can discern efforts to jumpstart Turkey’s erstwhile `zero
problems’ policy.

The disclosure of political corruption of unprecedented proportions in
Turkey’s history has catapulted the country into a state of major
political upheaval. So far, the response of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan has consisted of counterattack and statements
attributing the exposé to a network of domestic and international
elements interested in toppling his party’s rule. He has even attacked
alleged provocations by foreign ambassadors in Turkey and threatened
to expel them. In practice, however, Turkey’s foreign policy, at least
with regard to some of the neighboring countries, is very different
from what the rhetoric would seem to indicate. In fact, in recent
weeks one can discern efforts to jumpstart Turkey’s erstwhile `zero
problems’ policy.

The `zero problems’ policy, formulated by Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu (previously the Prime Minister’s chief foreign policy
advisor), involved taking active steps to resolve outstanding problems
between Turkey and its neighbors, as well as making efforts to
encourage stability in adjacent regions. While the policy had
considerable success until the onset of the Arab Awakening, since the
start of the regional upheaval Turkey has experienced several foreign
policy failures ï – to the point that Turkey was mocked as having `zero
neighbors’ with whom it had no problems. Unlike the previous
incarnation of the policy, no dramatic announcements have accompanied
it now, but in practice one can point to the reemergence of patterns
that characterized Turkey’s foreign policy before 2011. It is worth
noting that given that Davutoglu is not implicated in any of the
scandals rocking Turkey, he may be one Turkish politician to emerge
strengthened from the corruption incidents.

Of particular interest is the newfound closeness between Ankara and
Baghdad, following the tension that characterized their relations in
recent years. Over the last few months, there have been several state
visits by high ranking politicians, including the visit by Iraqi
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari to Turkey, and Davutoglu’s reciprocal
visit to Iraq. It was also reported that mutual visits at the prime
ministerial level can be expected in the near future. Moreover,
Turkey, a state interested in becoming an energy hub and whose own
energy consumption is rising, is hard at work to promote the transport
of oil and natural gas from northern Iraq through Turkey by signing
direct agreements to that effect with the Kurdish regional government.
At present, it seems that understandings between Ankara and Baghdad,
which would ensure the division of oil revenue according to the Iraqi
constitution, have been reached. This includes the construction of a
measurement station on the border between the two states so that Iraqi
authorities can calculate the amount of oil exported from northern
Iraq.

The warming of relations between Turkey and Iran began even earlier

The warming of relations between Turkey and Iran began even earlier,
and the election of Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s president was one of the
reasons, or perhaps pretexts, for the thaw. Unlike Israel and Saudi
Arabia, for example, Turkey welcomed the interim agreement signed by
the E3+3 and Iran on Iran’s nuclear program. Furthermore, despite the
fundamental difference between the two nations on the future of
Assad’s government, the joint statement by the Turkish Foreign
Minister and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif at a press
conference in Tehran in late November, calling for a ceasefire in the
civil war in Syria before the Geneva 2 conference, was noteworthy.
Some of the corruption now exposed in Turkey involves trade relations
between Turkey and Iran and the extensive use of Turkey by Iran to
circumvent the economic sanctions, especially with regard to banking
transactions. Although as a result of these revelations international
pressure on Turkey to reduce the scope of its economic ties with Iran
will likely increase, it is also clear that there is much economic
interdependence between the two nations.

In the original incarnation of the `zero problems’ policy, some
attempts were made to warm relations with Armenia, and protocols that
were supposed to lead to opening the common border were signed in
October 2009. But the protocols were never ratified by the parliaments
and the process ended in failure, both because of internal opposition
in Armenia and because Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, was furious that it
had not been privy to the process despite its ongoing conflict with
Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent regions. In November
2013, Foreign Minister Davutoglu asked Switzerland to try to mediate
between Armenia and Azerbaijan (given that the 2009 thaw between
Turkey and Armenia occurred with Swiss help). In addition, the
participation of Davutoglu at the Organization of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation meeting in Yerevan on December 12, 2013 was the
first time so highly ranked a Turkish official had visited Armenia
since the failed 2009 process. During his visit, Davutoglu departed
from the usual Turkish script on the 1915 events and said that the
deportations of the Armenian population were `inhumane.’ It also seems
that there is progress on Cyprus, and in his visit to Greece in
mid-December, Foreign Minister Davutoglu referred to the momentum in
talks between the sides on solving this ongoing conflict.

Given that in the past relation-s between Turkey and Israel had been
free of bilateral problems, there was no need for the `zero problems’
policy to relate to Israel, other than some attempts to mediate
between Israel and Syria and diplomatic assistance on the Palestinian
issue. After the Mavi Marmara incident, this was no longer the case:
the incident was the first direct confrontation between the two
nations. Recently, however, there have been several signs indicating
that the return of ambassadors to Tel Aviv and Ankara may soon occur.
In early December, for the first time since the incident, an Israeli
minister Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz participated in
an international conference in Turkey and met with his Turkish
counterpart. In addition, it was reported that the two countries have
signed a document that would pave the way for restoring flights by
Israeli airlines to Turkish destinations in the summer of 2014. More
important, it was reported that Israeli and Turkish representatives
met in mid-December for another round of discussions about
compensation over the Mavi Marmara incident and withdrawing the
lawsuits against IDF soldiers, and that the gap between the sides
seems to have narrowed considerably. Nonetheless, insofar as some
Turkish media outlets known to have strong ties to the ruling Justice
and Development Party accused Israel, the Jewish lobby, and the United
States for the revelation of the country’s political corruption, it
may well be that the timing is again not optimal for normalizing the
bilateral relations.

Unlike the pre-Arab Awakening period, there are no dramatic
declarations of the kind that used to attend the policy

At present, there are signs that the Turkish `zero problems’ policy is
making a comeback. Unlike the pre-Arab Awakening period, there are no
dramatic declarations of the kind that used to attend the policy, and
therefore the most one can say is that, de facto, there are
indications of its return. While in the past Turkey faced some
difficult issues with its neighbors, given the growing instability in
the Middle East, Turkey is operating in an even more complex strategic
environment. In this sense, the opening conditions for the attempt to
re-launch the `zero problems’ policy are tougher than in the past. It
is almost certain that the essential disagreements Turkey has with
both Syria and Egypt (given Turkey’s resolute calls for toppling
Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the criticism Turkey has expressed about
the military coup in Egypt) will not be resolved quickly. Turkey’s
current domestic political turmoil will also make it difficult to
advance some its new initiatives. The political corruption that has
recently come to light is the most potent of all threats to the
Justice and Development Party’s continued control of the government;
it is already obvious that Erdogan’s stature both within and outside
his party has been damaged. The politician who remains very popular
and untainted by scandal is President Abdullah Gul. Gul’s positions
are perceived as moderate compared to Erdogan’s and therefore, should
there be changes at the top of the political pyramid, he may be
expected to help smooth the way when it comes to Turkey’s foreign
affairs.

From: Baghdasarian

ECONOMIE
Un rapport dénonce les sorties massives de capitaux d’Arménie

Plus de 6,2 milliards de dollars ont été illégalement sortis d’Arménie
de 2002 à 2011 en raison de la corruption du gouvernement, de
l’évasion fiscale et d’autres activités illégales, selon un groupe
anticorruption basé à Washington.

Ce « chien de garde » appelé Global Financial Integrity ( GFI ) a cité
ce chiffre, d’une valeur de près de deux fois la dette étrangère de
l’Arménie, dans un rapport sur les sorties illicites de capitaux à
travers le monde au cours de cette période. Il a fait valoir qu’il
s’en est suivi pour ces pays en développement une perte de près de 6
mille milliards de dollars en cash.

Le rapport publié par le GFI ne précise pas la source de ses
informations sur l’Arménie. Il affirme que les sorties de fonds du
pays ont considérablement augmenté en 2007 , avec une moyenne
d’environ 1 milliard de dollars par an jusqu’en 2011.

Le ministère des Finances arménien, le Comité des recettes d’Etat et
de la Banque centrale n’ont pas encore réagi à ces accusations. Ils
ont déclaré vendredi qu’ils commenteraient ce rapport après l’avoir
lu.

Les économistes critiques du gouvernement arménien considèrent que les
conclusions du rapport sont crédibles. Vahagn Khachatrian , membre du
Congrès national arménien ( HAK ), a suggéré que des sommes
importantes ont été évacuées du pays par des riches membres du
gouvernement et par l’évasion fiscale. Selon lui, leur réticence à
investir cet argent en Arménie met en évidence la corruption
généralisée et les problèmes afférant aux carences sur la primauté du
droit.

« Tout cela est à mettre en relation avec la situation politique
actuelle et le système politique », a déclaré Khachatrian au service
arménien de RFE / RL ( Azatutyun.am ). « Les gens ne savent pas s’ils
seront en mesure de conserver leur argent demain ».

Un autre économiste, Bagrat Asatrian , a noté que les sorties
illégales de la Géorgie voisine ont été estimées par le GFI à
seulement 4,5 milliards de dollars. « Au cours de la dernière
décennie, la Géorgie a fait des progrès considérables dans la lutte
contre le secteur informel de l’économie », a-t-il déclaré.

Asatrian a également affirmé que la Géorgie a perdu moins de capital
que l’Arménie en raison de ses liens financiers plus faibles avec la
Russie. ‘ En ce qui concerne les deux dernières décennies, la Russie a
été connue pour le haut niveau de son économie de l’ombre, ses
affaires financières et la fuite des capitaux, ` a-t-il dit. ‘ Une
petite partie de ces sorties sont passées par l’Arménie. »

Le rapport du GFI estime que Russie est le deuxième exportateur de
capitaux illicites du monde après la Chine. Il estime à plus de 880
000 000 000 $ le montant des sommes soustraitent illégalement au pays
de 2002 à 2011.

lundi 30 décembre 2013,
Ara ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

TheChronicleHerald.ca, Halifax, NS
Dec 27 2013

Cheers to a good liver, an organ that takes a holiday beating

December 27, 2013 – 7:21am JOHN MCPHEE Health Reporter

As you raise a glass or three this holiday season, be sure to include
the liver in your celebratory toasts.

After all, this reddish brown, 11/2-kilogram lump of meat takes a lot
of punishment for our pleasure.

The liver filters out toxins such as the alcohol introduced into our
body by those celebratory drinks. It metabolizes the calories
associated with the fat-laden foods we happily scarf down at this time
of year.

This multi-tasking biological marvel also synthesizes crucial proteins
and amino acids, and plays a key role in coagulation so we don’t bleed
to death when we cut our finger.

As organs go, it is one tough customer. Halifax hepatologist Kevork
Peltekian uses words like damage and hits when he speaks of how it
deals with the stuff we put in our body.

`The liver can handle a lot of the short-term hits,’ said Peltekian,
acting head of gastroenterology at the Dalhousie medical school and
interim chief of digestive care and endoscopy for Capital Health.

`It’s an organ that’s resilient. You really don’t need more than a
quarter of it to do the job.’

But there is only so much an organ can take. Like any good manager, it
will be forced to prioritize in its busy schedule.

`If you keep on hitting that liver with toxin or injury, it’s trying
to regenerate,’ Peltekian said in a recent interview.

`But then it says, `This is taking too much work for me. I’ll stop
doing that, so instead of regenerating nice-looking liver cells, I’m
going to make scar tissue instead.”

That scarring is better known as cirrhosis.

`Unfortunately with that, the total volume and function of the liver
diminishes. You get to the point where your liver looks smaller and
the functional capacity is 20 per cent of what it originally was.’

An overtaxed liver also will dispense with the elimination of
bilirubin. This pigment is produced when the liver breaks down the
blood protein hemoglobin. The liver usually disposes of bilirubin in
bile. When it doesn’t, the pigment yellows the skin and eyes as
jaundice.

Eventually the liver will run out of things on its list to cross off
and it begins to close up shop.

`When the toxins get too high, you get confusion, and the final one
is, fluid can build up in the belly (and) you get ascites,’ Peltekian
said.

`The liver is supposed to send a message to the kidneys to get rid of
that extra sodium, but when the liver is too sick, it cannot send that
message, so the kidneys start retaining more sodium and your belly
fills up with fluid.’

So how much is too much for the liver? Like most things to do with how
our body deals with food and drink, it depends.

Women should limit themselves to 10 drinks per week and two drinks a
day, according to Health Canada guidelines on low-risk drinking. For
men, the limit is 15 drinks per week and three per day.

The definition of `a drink’ varies with your brand of booze. For beer
drinkers, it is 341 millilitres, assuming the beer is five per cent
alcohol. For wine, it is 142 millilitres based on 12 per cent alcohol.
And it is 11/2 ounces at 40 per cent for the hard liquor tipplers.

But Peltekian said these guidelines come with a big caveat. They
presume the imbiber has a normal liver, and for many of us, that is
simply not the case.

`Most people, especially in North America, have additional problems
that are affecting their liver that they don’t realize,’ he said.

`One of the most important is obesity. Unfortunately, it’s associated
with a fatty liver. About 20 to 40 per cent of the population has
fatty liver disease.’

There are other caveats. If you are over 65, you should be more
watchful about your intake than younger folks.

You should be even more careful if you take medication. The liver
works hard to deal with drugs of any kind and reduces its capacity to
deal with the alcohol you are putting into your system, Peltekian
said.

The bottom line is, if you have problems such as fatty liver or if you
take medications, cut the Health Canada limits in half, he advised.

But it is the holidays and, unless alcohol is a problem for you, there
is no reason to totally abstain.

In answering the obvious question, Peltekian responds: `Of course I
drink! But since I am constantly struggling with my excess weight, I
limit myself to five to seven drinks per week, and I avoid drinking
and driving.’

From: Baghdasarian

Not all invitees attended Tsarukian’s event because of sport ministry

Monday, December 30, 2013

Gagik Tsarukian, or, to be more precise, Armenia’s Olympic Committee
led by him presented awards to the top ten sportsmen of Armenia at
Pharaoh Restaurant yesterday, `Hraparak’ paper writes.

The chief of the Presidential Staff Vigen Sargsyan represented
President Serzh Sargsyan at the event. Former President Robert
Kocharian was also present.

`The event was overshadowed due to differences between the Sports and
Youth Affairs Ministry and Armenia’s Olympic Committee. The day before
ministry employees called heads of sports schools and various
sportsmen, urging them not to attend the awards ceremony. For this
reason some of the invitees, being afraid of consequences, did not
participate in the event,’ `Hraparak’ says.

28.12.2013, 13:25
Aysor.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARF Celebrates 123rd Anniversary in Aleppo

By Weekly Staff // December 29, 2013

ALEPPO, Syria – The 123rd anniversary of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) was celebrated in Aleppo last week. The event, which
brought together hundreds of Aleppo-Armenians during one of the
bloodiest weeks in the city, stood as a symbol of the community’s
resilience, organizers said.

Among the dignitaries who attended the event were religious leaders,
representatives of Syrian-Armenian organizations, and members of
Armenia’s Consul in Aleppo.

The Hamazkayin Zvartnots Choir performed patriotic songs and a group
of youth recited poems by Aleppo-Armenian writers, with musical
accompaniment by graduates of the Hamazkayin Aleppo Parsegh Ganachian
Music School.

The keynote speaker, Nerses Sarkisian, provided an overview of the
ARF’s history and discussed the role that the Syrian-Armenian
community continues to play as an integral part of Syrian society. He
spoke in favor of democracy and dialogue, and against harmful external
interventions and attempts to tear the country apart.

In Armenian history, said Prelate Shahan Sarkisian, the community’s
recent experience will be referred to as `the red, bloody path of
Syrian Armenians.’ He noted that the ARF had stood for unity,
dedication, and inspired optimism during the Syrian crisis.

From: Baghdasarian

Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)
December 29, 2013 Sunday

Babu, Awonder first to World Youth Chess titles

by Yasir Abbasher Senior Reporter

Al Ain: India’s Praggnanandhaa Ramesh Babu and Liang Awonder of the US
secured their titles at the 13th World Youth Chess Championship with a
round to spare on Friday, the penultimate day of the event. Babu
ensured he remained unchallenged in the Under-8 category after ten
rounds while Awonder also notched his tenth victory in as many rounds
to take the Under-10 title.

Babu and Awonder sealed their titles with 10 points apiece and the
results of the final round, which was played on Saturday, were
inconsequential to them since both players were already two points
clear of their nearest rivals.

Most of the titles in the other groups were to be decided in the 11th
round on Saturday. In the Girls’ competitions, six players shared the
lead of the Under-8 group and were due to face each other to arrive at
a winner. In the case of ties at the end of the competition, the Swiss
tiebreaking system will be applied to decide the winners.

India’s Saina Salonika was the closest to winning the Under-10 girls
group as she led with 8.5 points. Saina only needed a draw against
Motahara Asadi of Iran with 8 points to claim the title. The Iranian
player needs to win the match to win the title.

In the Under-12 category, Chinese player Zhao Shengxin shared the lead
with Gabriela Antova from Bulgaria. The last round was to decide
whether Zhao or Antova emerge champions with both players level on 8.5
points going into it.

Russian Anna Vasenina led the Under-14 category with only half-a-point
in the match against Bakhora Abdulsattorova of Uzbekistan separating
her from the title.

Iranian Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was in the lead of the Under-16
girls’ category with 8.5 points with her match against Spaniard Irene
Nicolas Zapata (7.5) becoming all-important in deciding the winner.

In the Under-18 category, Nastassia Ziaziulkina of Belarus and Russian
Lildia Tomnilkova were also looking to the results of their last round
matches with both players sharing the lead with eight points each.

Armenian Aram Hakobyan was in a more comfortable position in the
Under-12 Open with nine points and was due to face Robby Kevlishvili
of The Netherlands, who had tallied eight points, in the last match.

Chin’s Di Li had the lead in the Under-14 category with nine points
making his last match against Saparmyrat Atabayev of Turkmenistan with
8.5 points decisive for his title prospects.

Four players shared the lead in the Under-16 boys event and the
results of the final matches were awaited to decide the winner.

Iran’s Pouya Idani had the lead in the Under-18 event with eight
points, three competitors close behind on 7.5 points each.

From: Baghdasarian

HAUT KARABAGH
Un Loto national au profit du Haut Karabagh récolte 200 millions de
drams pour le repeuplement de l’Artsakh

Hier matin à 11 heures s’est déroulé à Erévan le ticage du Loto
national. Dus site Niklottery.com nous apprenons que les gagnants se
virent offerts un appartement à Stepanakert, 300 tapis décorés aux
motifs de l’Artsakh et 5 billets de séjour au Haut Karabagh. Nous
avions appris plus tôt par le site Panorama.m que plus de 250 000
billets de cette loterie avaient été vendus créant un fonds de 200
millions de drams (près de 500 000 euros). L’objectif de cette loterie
nationale était d’aider la République du Haut Karabagh dans son plan
de repeuplement.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 29 décembre 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian