An afternoon luncheon fundraiser for displaced Syrian Armenian students at Haigazian University became a reunion of sorts with alumni, philanthropists, clergy, government officials, and friends. They had one goal— to raise much needed scholarship funds for the displaced Syrian Armenian students studying at Haigazian.

On a working visit to Brussels, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with the Minks Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, James Warlick and Pierre Andrieu and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Members of Nagorno-Karabakh’s legislature have called for an immediate release of an Armenian businessman who was arrested in Russia last week on suspicion of having ties with an organized criminal group.

A linear particle accelerator, named AREAL, was inaugurated Tuesday at the CANDLE (Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light Emission) Synchrotron Research Institute in Yerevan.

Zecotek Photonics Inc., a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for medical, industrial and scientific markets, on Tuesday announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Zecotek Display Systems Pte. Ltd. has contracted LT-PYRKAL of Yerevan, Armenia, to assemble and test its first compact, high-speed 3D printer.

The third day of Hamazkayin’s 20th annual educational forum, the participants visited Yerevan State University and met with the principal of the university, Aram Simonian.

100 percent of the 2014 high school graduating class of Armenian Mesrobian School will be continuing their higher educations at various colleges and universities.

The Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, convened its 94th Annual Regional Convention from July 18 to 20 at the Hollywood Armenian Center, hosted by the local ARS “Mayr” Hollywood Chapter.

Turkey has expressed an interest in establishing a free trade zone with the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said after talks with Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci.

A spokesman for Levon Hayrapetian, a top Armenian businessman arrested in Moscow last week, says he is somewhat discontent with the Armenian political and civilian reaction to the “scandalous” incident.

A committee of medical experts is looking into the possibility of allowing a top Armenian businessman, who was arrested in Moscow last week, to be confined to his house pending investigation or trial.

Israel’s Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz hit back at Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the latter accused Israel of attempting a “systematic genocide” of Palestinian Arabs in Gaza.

Clerics at the Holy Etchmiadzin Church in the Georgian capital were attacked in what is being called a racially-motivated assault by the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Georgia in an announcement issued immediately after the incident on Saturday.

The “We Are Gyumri” campaign will kick off their first event on Saturday, August 9, at Noor Restaurant in the Sofia Foyer Hall (260 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91101) with a Cocktail and Hors D’oeuvres event hosted by the AYF Orange County “Ashod Yergat” Chapter from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.