Israel’s parliament passed a law late on Monday establishing a military tribunal to try hundreds of Palestinian militants who took part in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, a step lawmakers said would help heal national trauma, Reuters reported.

The surprise attack, led ‌by elite “Nukhba” force fighters from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was Israel’s deadliest single day and the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. At least 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians.

Israel responded by launching an assault on the enclave that killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and left much of Gaza in ruins, according to Reuters.

Israel has been holding an estimated 200-300 fighters – the precise number is classified – captured in Israel during the attack, who have not yet been charged.

The special military court established by the law, to be presided over by a three-judge panel in Jerusalem, could also try others captured later in Gaza and suspected of ⁠participating in the attack, or of having held or abused Israeli hostages.

The new law was backed by a wide majority 93 of the Knesset’s 120 lawmakers, in a rare show of Israeli political unity.

Proceedings will be public, with major hearings broadcast live.

Israel’s penal code includes capital punishment for some of the charges which the militants are likely to face. 

A separate law passed by Israel in March making death by hanging a default sentence for Palestinians ⁠convicted in military courts of deadly attacks drew criticism at home and abroad and is expected to be struck down by the Supreme Court.

Hamas Gaza spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the new law “serves as a cover for the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.”

The International Criminal Court is probing Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war and ⁠has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders who have all since been killed by Israel.

Israel is also fighting a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. It rejects the allegations as politically motivated and has argued that its war is against Hamas, not the Palestinian people.

According to the BBC, Israeli human rights groups have spoken out against the new law, opposing the principle of capital punishment but also warning against “show trials” based on confessions allegedly extracted under torture.

U.S. President Donald Trump floated Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a “dream team” ahead of the 2028 presidential election, polling attendees of a White House event on who they liked better and stopping short of offering an endorsement, The Hill reported.

“Who likes J.D. Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket.

J.D. is a perfect — That was a perfect ticket,” The Hill quoted Trump as saying during a dinner in the Rose Garden with law enforcement officials in honor of National Police Week. 

“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate,” he added.

Political strategists and observers have repeatedly questioned whether Trump would endorse Vance over Rubio or urge the two to run together on the same ticket, according to the newspaper. 

Rubio launched a presidential bid back in 2016 but suspended his campaign after losing the primary to Trump.

He returned to the Senate, where he served before joining the second Trump administration. 

Vance was in the middle of his first term in the upper chamber before Trump recruited him to join his presidential ticket. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate calls with his Australian and British counterparts to discuss Iran and the Strait ‌of Hormuz, the State Department said.

Rubio discussed “Iran and ongoing efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the State Department said in separate statements after his calls with Australian Foreign Minister ⁠Penny Wong and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

The phone calls took place as the UK and France are set to host the first meeting of Defense Ministers to advance the Strait of Hormuz multinational mission.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey will co-chair a meeting of over 40 nations, alongside his French counterpart, Minister Catherine Vautrin, for the multinational mission’s first Defense Ministers’ meeting.  

“This comes as HMS Dragon, one of the UK’s most capable warships, will forward deploy to the region, ensuring that the UK can contribute to a future multinational mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz and safeguard freedom of navigation when conditions permit,” the UK Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Iran warned on Tuesday that one of its possible responses could be uranium enrichment up to 90%, a level considered weapons-grade, in the case of a renewed offensive by the US and Israel on its territory.

“One of Iran’s options in the event of another attack could be 90 percent enrichment. We will review it in the parliament,” Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, said in a post on X.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement.

The truce in the Iran war was later extended by US President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, Iran sent Pakistan its response to a US proposal for ending the war, but Trump dismissed it as “totally unacceptable.”

Press release by Ministry of High-Tech Industry

YouTube today launched its Partner Program (YPP), enabling Armenian creators to earn money on the platform, build their own businesses, and reach new audiences.

The YouTube Partner Program is how creators, artists, and media companies earn money on the platform. Globally, more than 3 million creators are part of YPP, and over the past four years, YouTube has paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, news outlets, and media companies. The company’s revenue-sharing model is built on a simple idea: YouTube only succeeds when its creators do.

From May 11th, Creators in Armenia who meet the eligibility criteria of 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 public watch hours on long-form videos within the last 365 days or 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days may apply to the YPP and begin monetizing their channels through ad revenue sharing.

Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry, Republic of Armenia, said “Today marks an important step forward for Armenia’s creative and digital economy. We welcome YouTube’s decision to introduce the YouTube Partner Program for Armenian content creators – a long-awaited change that unlocks opportunities for monetization, empowers local voices, and supports a new generation of digital entrepreneurs.

This development will help Armenian creators turn their passion into sustainable work, showcase Armenia’s creativity globally, and strengthen our position in the international digital landscape. We look forward to continued cooperation with YouTube and other platforms to ensure that Armenia’s talent is fully recognized, rewarded, and connected to the world.”

“YouTube provides a platform for a wide range of voices, from independent news organizations to artists and entrepreneurs. We are committed to supporting free _expression_ and creating new economic opportunities for this growing community of creators in Armenia,” said Leslie Miller, VP of Government Affairs & Public Policy, YouTube. “By launching the Partner Program, we hope to further empower these voices and can’t wait to see what they do next.”

David Allen, Charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, said, “The expansion of the YouTube Partner Program to Armenia builds on the broader U.S.-Armenia technology partnership, including our recent memorandum of understanding on AI and Semiconductor Innovation.  It will empower individual creators and entrepreneurs, amplify creative voices, unlocking new economic opportunities and job creation for both of our countries.”

Russia has proposed to Armenia a high-capacity nuclear power plant project that could meet the country’s energy needs for decades, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry official.

The proposal, put forward by Rosatom, also claims to ensure lower electricity tariffs and support industrial growth.

Mikhail Kalugin, director of the 4th CIS Department at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said that the new nuclear power plant could supply Armenia’s energy for up to a century.

“State corporation Rosatom has proposed to Armenia a high-capacity nuclear power plant project which, if the Armenian leadership wishes, will be able to meet the country’s energy needs for decades, if not a century. At the same time, it will ensure low electricity tariffs for end consumers, which, among other things, will significantly boost the country’s industrial growth,” the Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by the Russian state-run TASS news agency.

Armenia is currently extending the operational lifespan of its Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant by 10 years, until 2036. The Armenian authorities have announced plans to build a new modular nuclear power plant to replace Metsamor.

Armenia is negotiating its construction with five countries: the United States, China, Russia, France, and South Korea.

Kalugin said that Russia is a “global leader” in nuclear technology and is always ready to share its developments and experience with Armenia in such a vital sector as energy. According to him, Russia is also ready to share digitalization technologies with Armenia.

“Today our country is one of three countries in the world that has the most advanced solutions. Foreigners note Russia’s advanced online banking services, as well as achievements in the digitalization of public services and healthcare. And these are just a few examples of what the ‘Russian offer’ entails,” he said.

He also spoke about the future of Armenia–Russia bilateral relations, stressing that Moscow is committed to the reciprocal development of cooperation with Yerevan.

Mikhail Kalugin also stated that the South Caucasus is of vital importance to Russia.

“Our interests stem from the fact that Russia is not only a neighbor, but also a Caucasian power itself. We have the closest historical and cultural ties with all countries of the region. For each country of the South Caucasus, Russia is the main trading partner or one of them. Important transport routes pass through the region. The situation in the North Caucasus largely depends on how processes develop on the other side of the mountain range. The South Caucasus is of vital importance to us,” he said.

According to him, Russia’s fundamental interest lies in the development of the South Caucasus region, the realization of its economic potential, and the creation of a zone of stability and peace.

“Whatever contributes to the prosperity of the region also contributes to Russia’s well-being. This is the simple logic of our actions,” Kalugin said, stressing that Moscow consistently opposes armed conflicts in the region, supports the lifting of blockades, and is actively working to build a common architecture of regional connectivity so that each country can benefit from its geographical position.

The Russian Foreign Ministry official also discussed Armenia’s railway network, which is managed by a Russian state corporation under a concession agreement.

He noted that Russia does not agree with the Armenian side’s claim that Russian management of Armenia’s railway network in any way limits the country’s competitive advantages.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had previously called for an end to Russian management of Armenia’s railway network. He specifically stated that, in the context of current regional connectivity development projects, it would be preferable for another country—particularly one with friendly ties to both Armenia and Russia—to take over management. He argued that some countries might choose not to make shipments through Armenia due to Russian management of the railway system, thereby reducing Armenia’s competitiveness. Russia has so far rejected the offer, claiming to have made major investments over the years and rejecting claims that the country is losing competitive advantages due to Russian management.

“This issue [railway management] was discussed in detail during the talks held on April 1 between the leaders of Russia and Armenia. All concerns of the Armenian side were clarified, and an agreement was reached on the format of further work, including in the context of Russia’s participation in unblocking regional communications. We cannot agree with the claim that the management of Armenian railways by a Russian company in any way limits Armenia’s competitive advantages. On the contrary, we are convinced that it is precisely Russian management that creates those advantages,” Kalugin said.

The newly appointed Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Republic of Armenia, Marco Romoli, presented a copy of his credentials to Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s readout, the Deputy FM congratulated the ambassador on assuming office and expressed gratitude to the Sovereign Order of Malta for its long-standing assistance to Armenia.

He also expressed confidence that Ambassador Romoli will make every effort to strengthen friendly bilateral ties and enrich the bilateral agenda.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current agenda of bilateral relations, particularly the deepening of cooperation in the fields of healthcare and education. They also exchanged views on the Sovereign Order of Malta’s future programs in Armenia, as well as possible ways to address humanitarian challenges.

The meeting also addressed regional developments and the international agenda.

The city of Yerevan has announced a tender for the purchase of 170 new buses to upgrade the Armenian capital’s public transport fleet, Mayor Tigran Avinyan said on Tuesday.

“We have announced a new tender and plan to replace the old Higer buses. After this, there will be no outdated vehicles left in Yerevan’s public transport fleet. We will acquire 170 new buses,” Avinyan said.

Yerevan also plans to purchase 250 18-meter electric buses.