The Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia’s National Security Service on Wednesday neither confirmed nor denied news reports about a another breach of Armenia’s national border—the second in one month—as a result of which an Azerbaijani national has entered Armenian territory.

According to various media outlets, this time an Azerbaijani national has crossed the border in the Tavush Province. It remains unclear whether he crossed into Armenia on Wednesday or several days ago. Media outlets are attempting to gather information through their own sources. The Yerevan-based NewsTV5 was the first to report that the individual arrived near the village of Aygedzor (in the Berd region) and was spotted by Armenian shepherds.

The NSS told NewsTV5 that they did not have any information about such a breach and later, in a more terse correspondence with the channel, the security agency called for the submission of written requests.

Local villagers believe that the person who breached the border is a shepherd and reported that he was carrying a white flag.

NewsTV5 later reported that the Azerbaijani man was found and was currently at the Military Police of Berd city.

The heads of the Chinari and Aygedzor communities declined to comment, telling Azatutyun.am that they know nothing about the matter. Local residents told Azatutyun.am that they heard the Azerbaijani man arrived carrying a white flag; they surmise he may be facing some issues, while another suggested he is a shepherd who got lost. According to them, the Military Police have already transported him from Berd to Yerevan.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said he was unaware of the incident and admitted to finding out about it through news reports and questions directed at him during a parliament briefing on Wednesday. Mirzoyan downplayed the matter and chided opposition lawmakers for considering “a lost shepherd to be a threat to the country’s security.”

Mirzoyan said he supports the idea that, if the individual is indeed lost, he should simply be sent on his way.

“If he is a lost, my proposal is that we should just send these lost individuals back—each to their own homeland.”

The second border breach in one month did not sit well with opposition lawmakers, one of whom, Kristine Vardanyan, representing the Armenia Alliance, said the second breach in one month spoke volumes about the actual state of Armenia’s borders. The silence from the security and defense agencies is problematic.

“In other words, if an incident takes place in a country like Armenia, and the security agencies cannot—or, based on political expediency, must decide whether to—confirm whether or not it actually happened, that is a problem. If they don’t even know that it was a shepherd who crossed the border, one has to ask: what would happen if it were a saboteur?” Vardanyan said.

Given the silence from state institutions, the opposition member of parliament surmises that the Armenian side is likely consulting with Baku to determine how to proceed, before deciding what kind of statement to issue.

“It is possible that official agencies are either evading questions regarding their own operations, or are coordinating with Azerbaijan to decide on a course of action before making any comments. Either scenario is problematic,” Vardanyan added, saying that these incidents raise alarming questions regarding Armenia’s national security.

On October 1, an Azerbaijani soldier crossed the border into Syunik and reached the village of Shaki, entered a residence and shot Ani Avetisayan, while holding her children at gunpoint.

Since that incident, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Armenia’s National Security chief, Alen Simonyan, have downplayed the incident, event seemingly blaming Avetisyan, who was protecting her family.

In should be noted that such incidents have not been recorded along Armenia’s borders with Iran and Georgia, where citizens of those countries have randomly wondered into Armenia’s territory.

PASADENA, Calif. — Felita Kealing, an Altadena resident raised in Pasadena Unified School District schools, a PUSD parent, and a longtime PUSD employee, is a candidate for the PUSD Board of Education, District 1. Her campaign centers on three priorities: student achievement, parent engagement and connection, and community involvement.

Kealing’s connection to PUSD spans generations. Her family moved to Pasadena when she was six weeks old, and she has called Northwest Pasadena and Altadena home ever since. She attended Pasadena Head Start, Madison Elementary, Hamilton, Wilson, and Blair High School, and she is the parent of two PUSD graduates. Her mother, Gladys Lewis, was an educator and nonprofit leader who served children, families, and seniors throughout Pasadena. Since 2014, she has worked for the District at Thurgood Marshall Secondary School, where she serves as Assistant Coordinator of Marketing, Student Recruitment, and Community Relations. She previously served the school as a Community Representative.

Before joining PUSD, Felita Kealing built a career in marketing, sales, and client relations, including roles at Fidelity National Title and Lenders Process Services. She holds an associate degree in humanities from Pasadena City College and a bachelor’s degree in communications from California State University, Los Angeles.

“Kealing has a firm grasp of the issues afflicting the school district and an understanding of what it would take to remedy the issues of concern for both the district’s children and their parents and those of the Armenian American community whose children attend the district’s schools,” said ANCA Pasadena Chapter Board Member, Harout Kazarian.

Felita and her family lost their Altadena home of 25 years in the Eaton Fire in January 2025. Like many District 1 families, she was carried through the loss by neighbors, educators, churches, and families who supported one another. 

“The strongest communities are built by people who show up for one another,” she said.

Kealing has served numerous District committees, including the PUSD LCAP Parent Advisory Committee, the Strategic Plan Steering Committee, the Graduate Standards Committee, and a School Consolidation Committee. She is a founding member of the African American Parent Council. At the school-site level, she has served on the School Site Council, PTSA, Annual Fund, and Athletic Boosters.

A member of the Pasadena Educational Foundation board for 12 years, Kealing served seven years on the Executive Board and three as Board President. During her tenure, PEF raised millions of dollars annually in support of PUSD students and schools. She is also a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and serves as Church Moderator at Altadena Baptist Church.

Kealing describes herself as a collaborator who builds partnerships that bring people, resources, and ideas together. Her work includes helping establish the PUSD African American Parent Council, organizing food and school-supply drives, supporting literacy initiatives, and creating family-engagement programs. “I do not measure success by titles,” she said. “I measure it by relationships, trust, collaboration, and the lasting communities we build together.”

Priorities for Pasadena’s Students
Student Achievement. Kealing plans to build on the District’s recent progress. The Class of 2019 was the first to graduate under PUSD’s new standards, which include College and Career Pathway Programs, A-G requirements, and the Senior Graduate Defense. Those changes have contributed to a higher graduation rate and improved eligibility for four-year public universities.

Parent Engagement and Connection. Kealing believes families must remain at the table. “Often, parents are the ones who have chosen to bring their children to Pasadena schools,” she said. “When they entrust us with their most precious asset, their children, their voices matter.” She notes a direct correlation between parent engagement and student success.

Community Involvement. Kealing will work to partner with local organizations, businesses, and institutions of higher learning to build capacity and bring more resources to students.

“I am entrenched in PUSD and, more importantly, in this community,” Kealing said. “I want to continue the successes we have seen as a District and build on them.”

Kealing’s candidacy has been endorsed by:

• Los Angeles County Democratic Party (D41)
• National Women’s Political Caucus, Pasadena Chapter
• PUSD School Employees, Teamsters Local 986
• California School Employees Association (CSEA), Chapter 434

Felita Kealing is a longtime Altadena resident, PUSD alumna, parent of two PUSD graduates, and District employee with more than a decade of service to Pasadena’s schools and families. She is running to ensure every PUSD student has the opportunity to succeed.

The ANCA—Pasadena Chapter wishes Felita Kealing all the best in her quest for the Pasadena Unified District 1 Board seat, and proudly endorses her candidacy for Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education District 1 seat in the upcoming General Election in November, 2026. A leader who will certainly champion Pasadena and Altadena’s Students and their families.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Pasadena Chapter is the oldest, largest, and most influential non-partisan Armenian American grassroots organization of its kind within the City of Pasadena. Founded in 1979, the Pasadena ANCA advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city’s thriving Armenian American community and promotes increased civic service and participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.

Sunday attendance up 62% or 629. Young women 12% of total; Outreach visits reached 1,546. Social media views 1.2 million; Financial support over $1 million

WASHINGTON – Khachkar Studios published today week #6 of its weekly T•A•P press releases for the 26 pilots participating in its program to revitalize their communities worldwide.

Two summary tables of key performance metrics for our pilots are published every Tuesday as a world-class benchmark in Transparency, Accountability, and Performance (T•A•P).

All Khachkar Studios work is based on Biblically inspired world-class benchmarks and management excellence.

All pilots are expected to work hard to achieve two golden goals: (1) a 100% increase in non-holiday Sunday total attendance from baseline, and (2) 18 to 29 females over 15% of total attendance. They empower the “Faithful” to join the movement: “Bring a friend. Bring a family. This Sunday and every Sunday.”

Key performance metrics include:

1. Sunday attendance: Last four-week average attendance of 1,643 versus a baseline of 1,014 – up 629, or 62%, for the 11 First Group pilots.
2. Young women attendance: 18 to 29 females 12% of total attendees at 200 of 1,643 for the 11 First Group pilots.
3. Outreach and engagement: 1,546 outreach visits reaching 3,536 individuals in 2026 to date, including 137 visits reaching 336 individuals during the week of 11–17 October 2026 for all 26 pilots.
4. Social media views: 1,182,553 social media views to date for 568 “Bring a Friend. Bring a Family.” invite videos, and 1,063 total class attendance to date for all 26 pilots.
5. Financial support: As of September 2026, Khachkar Studios has provided $1,010,399 in financial support to the 26 current pilots. The attached table details the funding per pilot.

The full summary table of key performance metrics for our pilots is updated every Tuesday and available online.

Pilot Church of the Week: Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church supported by its Salt & Light Youth Ministry in Ridgefield, has a last four-week average attendance of 101 – up 35, or 53%, versus its baseline of 66 – and a social return on investment of 29x.

Khachkar Studios supports multi-denominational religious organizations using performance-based criteria.

Khachkar Studios’ mission is empowering Judeo-Christian Faithful through a good news Biblically inspired world-class benchmarking and management excellence “Framework”.

For more information about Khachkar Studios, visit their webiste.

Artsakh leaders in a Baku court during their sham trial

Foreign Minister ‘Honestly’ Does Not Understand Why Baku Does Not Want to Release Armenian Captives

A proposal to engage third countries that can negotiate the release of Armenian captives being held in Azerbaijan has not worked, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told reporters on Wednesday.

“It hasn’t worked. Do you think there is a possibility to resolve this issue through a third country, and that we aren’t pursuing it? We are the ones most invested in this. We have reached out to third countries; either they declined, or [Baku] has told them to stay out of it,” Mirzoyan said when pressed by an Azatutyun.am reporter on the matter.

At the same time, Mirzoyan emphasized that “the continued detention of these individuals does not contribute to peace in any way—if anything, it does the opposite.”

“Our efforts to secure the release of everyone involved never cease. The reason I cannot say with certainty or a guarantee that it will happen is that this is something beyond our control,” Mirzoyan said.

Last week, attorney Siranush Sahakyan, who represents the Armenian captives at the European Court of Human Rights, said in a presentation that the Armenian government has not provided any details about the third country proposal, since it had announced earlier this year that Yerevan was actively pursuing such a scenario.

Sahakyan wondered whether Switzerland, which had agreed to act in this capacity, was approached by Yerevan.

Sahakyan also said during her remarks last week that HyePost, Armenia’s national postal service, was refusing to process mail and packages from relatives of those being held captive in Baku, emphasizing that not receiving correspondence or visits by relatives, further isolated the POWs in Azerbaijan.

Mirzoyan said Wednesday that he believes that correspondence addressed to the Armenian prisoners held in Baku should reach their recipients.

Mirzoyan added that these letters should be forwarded to their addressees, and all persons deprived of their liberty have the right to communication and visits regardless of the status and terminology used.

He told reporters he “honestly” does not understand why Azerbaijani authorities are not releasing the Armenian captives and emphasized that the presence of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan does not contribute to peace, “and efforts to secure their release have not stopped.”

“Azerbaijan’s authorities present certain rationalizations that are not very comprehensible to me,” Mirzoyan noted.

· October 21, 2026

· October 21, 2026

· October 21, 2026

· October 21, 2026