Category: News

The father who raised more than half a million dollars to help raise his Down syndrome baby boy has been accused of spending the money on himself, the reports. 

New Zealander Sam Forrest had the heartfelt sympathy of people across the globe when his Armenian wife abandoned him and their baby Leo just one week after he was born on January 21 in her home country where disability is considered shameful.

But since the $600,000 was raised for their son, his wife Ruzan Badalyan has reunited with her family in New Zealand and now a family friend claims there are hundreds of thousands of dollars that have vanished.

The fact Mr Forrest is now $600,000 richer thanks to the money that was raised for Leo, is not the reason why Ms Badalyan changed her mind, she told 3News. She is just delighted to be reunited wither her son.

‘It was the happiest day,’ she says. ‘He was so small, so cute. I remember I hugged him. He started making some noises. He was so cute. I was very happy.

She has asked not to be judged by New Zealanders – it has not been revealed exactly where in the country they are living – but that they can just be left alone to get on happily as a family.

Egypt’s Coptic Pope Tawadros II prayed on Sunday in Lebanon’s Armenian Orthodox Church for the slain victims of the Armenian Massacre at the hand of the Ottoman Empire, Ahram Online reports.

The pope also prepared the holy Chrism, an anointing mixture of virgin olive oil and other herbs that date back to biblical times, along with the Armenian Catholicos Aram I.

The pope landed in Lebanon on Friday and is scheduled to return home by midweek, Coptic Orthodox Church Spokesman Fr. Boulas Halim told Ahram Online.

Pope Tawadros’ visit included a meeting with the Copts of the Levant.

This is the second time Tawadros prepared the holy Chrism since his ordination in November 2012. The first time was in April 2014 at St. Pishoy Monastery.

Last April, Tawadros flew to Armenia to participate in the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide in the capital Yerevan.

 

At the time, Tawadros said his visit represents pure religious support from the Coptic Church to its brotherly Armenian Orthodox church and is not political.

In the Armenian Church the Holy Muron is prepared and blessed every seven years. The ceremony this year acquired a special meaning because it symbolized the anointment of the one-and-a-half million martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and the recommitment of Armenians to the cause of demanding justice on their behalf.

The ceremony, which was held on Saturday evening at the St. Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya, was attended by Heads of Churches, ecumenical guests, diplomats, official representatives, pilgrims arriving from different dioceses in North and South America, Europe, Iran and the Arab countries, and the faithful in Lebanon. The ceremony began with a procession towards the Martyrs Monument where the ritual was held. His Holiness walked towards the monument under a canopy held by four laymen, who represented the Diaspora. They followed two bishops who carried the case that contains the relic of the right hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator. Four bishops carried containers of the Muron that had been brought from Holy Etchmidadzin, the old Muron from the Catholicosate of Cilicia, and the essence of rose and balsam. Twelve other bishops led the way.

President Serzh Sargsyan has sent a telegram of condolences to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan  connected with the blast in the province of Sanliurfa, which claimed the lives of tens, and left many injured. The letter reads:

“Your Excellency,

It was with deep sorrow that I learnt about the blast in  Sanliurfa Province, which claimed the lives of tens of people.

We strongly condemn all expressions of terrorism.

 

Pease, accept my condolences over the incident.  I wish steadfastness and strength of spirit to the families of the victims and a speedy recovery to those injured.”

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received today OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, James Warlick and Pierre Andrieu and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The interlocutors continued the discussions on the process of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The Co-Chairs briefed Minister Nalbandian on the results of their meetings in Washington and Moscow and referred to their plans for the rest of the year.

Stressing that Baku has again resorted to military rhetoric and provocations after the European games, Edward Nalbandian called the attention of the Co-Chairs to the recent ceasefire violations by the Azerbaijani side all  along the line of contact with the Nagorno Karabakh.

According to Minister Nalbandian, Baku’s non-constructive behavior jeopardises the efforts of Armenia and the co-chairing countries to further the negotiation process.

“The Azerbaijani leadership made us a big gift by hosting the European Games and ensuring peace and stability in that period both at the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh and the shared border with Armenia,” Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at a joint press conference with visiting President of the European Council Donald Tusk. The Armenian President added, however, that it was an imitation of peace and stability.

“I say a gift because it was the last drop that made it clear to the international community who really creates tension and violates the ceasefire.  This is extremely important. I urge the European structures to refuse form the policy of putting an equality mark between the parties. They should at least demonstrate a differentiated approach like the Minsk Group did in January and clearly state who is the shooter, who creates tension and who wants war,” the President stated.

“When there is an equality mark, people have the feeling of impunity. This is the reason of Azerbaijani President’s arrogant speeches,” the Armenian President said, referring to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s speech immediately after the European Games.

“Although the smell of oil and gas and the taste of caviar could be too attractive to certain structures and individuals in Europe, the elimination of this equality mark will put us on the right track. Otherwise, if things continue this way, if all speeches and deeds of the Azerbaijani President are forgiven, we should quote our outstanding compatriot William Saroyan, who once said ‘Something’s wrong somewhere’,” President Sargsyan stated.

Arthur Abraham retained his WBO super middleweight world title, when he scored a six round stoppage against Robert Stieglitz in their forth meeting.  Stieglitz  suffered a flash knockdown earlier in the fight.

It was the third win for WBO title holder Abraham from the high-profile quartet of meetings and proves ultimately that Abraham is the better operator of the two.

The first fought in August 2012, with Abraham winning the WBO title with a twelve round unanimous decision. Stieglitz got revenge in March 2013 by stopping Abraham in four rounds due to an eye injury.

They met for a third time a year later, with Abraham scoring a twelve round knockdown to clinch a twelve round split decision and reclaim his WBO crown.

An exhibition titled “Genocide after Genocide” opened today at the Union of Architects of Armenia. Thirty-two posters in Armenian and English present the monuments of Western Armenia destroyed by Turkish authorities.

The exhibition was previously displayed in Stepanakert, Ijevan and Vanadzor. This fall it will be taken to  Brussels and will be on display at the European Parliament. It will later move to other European cities, including Lyon and Amsterdam.

Samvel Karapetyan, President of the Research on Armenian Architecture Fund, said at the opening ceremony that the initiative aims to show what has been happening in our historic homeland ever since 1915. According to him, the current generations must be informed about our cultural legacy. “If the monuments are endangered, we have a duty to keep the public informed about the cultural genocide,” he said.

 

On 17 July Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited the Kashen mining complex of and got acquainted with activities being carried out there, Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President reported.

President Sahakyan noted that the state paid special attention to the development of mining industry, considering it among the pivotal components of Artsakh’s economy.

Thereafter Bako Sahakyan visited several agricultural fields in the Askeran region and got acquainted with the modern irrigation technologies being implemented there. The Head of the State underlined that the authorities would continue to keep in the spotlight the application of leading experience in the agricultural sphere.

Prime-minister Ara Haroutyunyan and other officials accompanied the President.

 

It is high time to intensify efforts for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during his talks with the Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov on Friday, TASS reports.

“We have been working in line with the agreements in the framework of co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group with our American and French counterparts,” the Russian foreign minister said. “Our contacts with them are permanent, and their contact us regularly, too.”

“I believe the common approach is to move towards results,” Lavrov said. “We shall be able to achieve progress of the kind in near future.”