U.S. President Donald Trump said he would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran to allow for further talks.

Trump said in a statement on Truth Social the U.S. had agreed to a request by Pakistani ‌mediators “to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal … and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

However, Trump also said he would continue the U.S. blockade of Iran’s trade by sea, considered an act of war by Iran.

The Iranian Tasnim News Agency said Iran had not asked for a ceasefire extension and repeated threats to break the U.S. blockade by force.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad to lead peace talks with Iran has been called off for the day, CNN reported citing a White House official.

JD Vance was expected to lead a delegation of U.S. negotiators to Islamabad.

“In light of President Trump’s Truth Social post confirming the United States is awaiting a unified proposal from the Iranians, the trip to Pakistan will not be happening today. Any further updates on in-person meetings will be announced by the White House,” the official said in a statement, according to CNN.

President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post earlier today that he’d extend an existing ceasefire with Iran as the administration waits for a “unified proposal” from what he described as the “seriously fractured” government.

Iran earlier said it does not want to negotiate under threats.

The negotiations held between the United States and Iran in Islamabad on April 11–12 ended without any deal.

Borislav Sarafov has resigned as Bulgaria’s acting Prosecutor General, it emerged from an address to the members of the judiciary that was published on the website of the prosecution service in Bulgarian and in English at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Sarafov announced that earlier in the day, before the Prosecutors Chambers of the Supreme Judicial Council, he had withdrawn his consent to assume the position of acting Prosecutor General.

Departure Deliberately Delayed

“I made my decision some time ago, after careful consideration of all legal and institutional consequences. I postponed its announcement in order to prevent further destabilization of the prosecution service of the Republic of Bulgaria in the context of a prolonged and severe political crisis, which, I hope, as the majority of Bulgarian citizens have demonstrated, has this time found its successful resolution,” Sarafov said in his address.

“Unfortunately, in the past months, the prosecution service has continued to be subjected to groundless and unlawful pressure. In addition, I have become the subject of a targeted smear and defamatory campaign. Nevertheless, I have put the interests of the institution, to which I have dedicated more than three decades of my professional career, above all else, and have taken on the responsibility to continue performing my functions,” the statement reads.

“I believe that at present there are prerequisites for a new stage in the development of the prosecution service – a stage based on sustainability and predictability. I sincerely hope that in a short time, the implementation of the long-delayed decisions and elections in the judiciary will begin, while observing the principles of transparency, legality and responsibility, and unconditionally guaranteeing the independence of Bulgarian magistrates, who are the biggest supporters of the implementation of judicial reform, in which professional criteria and the fulfillment of public expectations for the establishment of the rule of law and the achievement of justice will be the leading factors,” Sarafov said.

“I am convinced that the prosecution service of the Republic of Bulgaria will continue to fulfill its constitutional functions with the necessary responsibility, consistency and independence,” he pointed out.

Lingering Controversy

Sarafov, until then Deputy Prosecutor General, was designated as acting prosecutor general by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Prosecutors Chamber on June 16, 2023, following the removal of his predecessor Ivan Geshev.

His tenure was overshadowed by a lingering controversy over his legitimacy. A number of Bulgarian courts argue that, under Judicial System Act amendments effective January 21, 2025, which limited to six months the period during which a particular individual can serve as acting prosecutor general, his capacity to serve in this office lapsed on July 21, 2025, i.e. six months after the entry into force of these provisions.

In early October 2025, two panels of the Supreme Court of Cassation refused to institute proceedings on motions entered by Sarafov for reopening of criminal cases, arguing that he did not legitimately perform the functions of prosecutor general.

For its part, the SJC Prosecutors Chamber has argued that the six-months time limit did not apply to Sarafov because his designation predated the legal revision at issue, which did not make specific provisions for this situation. This view was shared by some appellate courts.

Caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov’s two attempts to have the Prosecutors Chamber unseat Sarafov were stonewalled. In a Facebook post, Ivan Demerdzhiev, a former caretaker interior minister who will be in the new Parliament as part of former President Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria Coalition, gave Sarafov until April 22 to resign, arguing that he “has no legitimacy whatsoever”. Demerdzhiev urged Yankulov to order Judicial Security to bar Sarafov’s access to his office at Sofia’s Palace of Justice, but the Justice Minister opposed the idea, arguing that the Prosecutors Chamber rather than the cabinet is competent to vest the functions of prosecutor general in Sarafov.

(This information is published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA).

Human Rights Defender of Armenia Anahit Manasyan has responded to a message from former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan, who is wrongfully convicted and imprisoned in Azerbaijan.

Vardanyan’s office had circulated his message, in which a number of questions were addressed to Armenia’s Human Rights Defender, Anahit Manasyan.

Below is the response released by Manasyan’s office.

“The message from Mr. Ruben Vardanyan, addressed to the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Anahit Manasyan, has been disseminated through social and mass media platforms.

The message contains a number of observations concerning the mandate and powers of the Human Rights Defender’s institution, which we consider it necessary to address below.

Firstly, we consider it important to emphasize that the institution of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia operates on the principle of independence; it is not part of the Government, functions independently thereof, and has been accredited by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions of the United Nations with the “A status”, attesting the independence of the institution.

The aforementioned status of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia implies that the latter neither can nor does conduct negotiations on behalf of the state, nor does it carry out the state’s foreign policy; rather, it operates exclusively within the mandate assigned to the Human Rights Defender under the legislation of the Republic of Armenia and in accordance with international standards.

Accordingly, the powers of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia extend exclusively to the processes of recording alleged human rights violations committed by state bodies and local self-government authorities of the Republic of Armenia, irrespective of the citizenship of the rights holder. Moreover, the RA Human Rights Defender is authorized to conduct monitoring visits to places of deprivation of liberty and to freely use all available tools during such visits exclusively within the Republic of Armenia.

At the same time, we consider it necessary to emphasize that, within the framework of peace processes, National Human Rights Institutions can play a key role, while strictly adhering to the international standards and ethical principles established for their activities and carrying out this role on the basis of independence, impartiality, neutrality, pluralism, and cooperation.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, being an institution accredited by the United Nations as an independent body, has been consistently using its tools in post-conflict and peace processes, including with the view of ensuring the rights of Armenians deprived of liberty in Azerbaijan rather than considering the immediate activation of all humanitarian and legal mechanisms to be of critical importance only in the current situation.

In this regard, information subject to publication is available on the official platforms of the Human Rights Defender. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the activities of National Human Rights Institutions are also guided by the principles of confidentiality and “do no harm,” which are upheld by the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia and will continue to be maintained in all processes going forward.

We express our perplexity regarding the following statement contained in the message: “In the course of our conversation /with the Azerbaijani Ombudsperson/, it was also mentioned that the possibility of your visit to Baku had already been discussed, and that the Azerbaijani side had expressed readiness to facilitate such a visit”. We deem it necessary to underscore that the Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia has not received any official proposal concerning cooperation on the matter under discussion, nor has it received any confirmation that the Azerbaijani side has expressed readiness to facilitate such cooperation.

At the same time, it should be taken into consideration that any issue concerning the protection of rights within the territory of a given state falls within the mandate of that state’s Ombudsman / National Human Rights Institution, constitutes a function of that state’s Ombudsperson, and cannot in any way be conditioned upon communication with the Human Rights Institution of another state.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia has consistently been, and continues to be, open to cooperation and communication with counterpart human rights institutions, provided that such engagement is carried out in strict compliance with the aforementioned principles – namely, independence, impartiality, neutrality, and adherence to ethical standards.

We further emphasize that modern human rights protection systems require the existence of an internationally recognized independent monitoring mechanism, operating on the basis of the principle of independence, for the purpose of ensuring the protection of the rights of persons deprived of liberty, which constitutes a fundamental priority in the present context as well.

The Human Rights Defender, Ms. Anahit Manasyan, reiterates her position, expressed repeatedly and publicly, that all Armenians deprived of liberty in Azerbaijan must be released without delay. This holds fundamental significance both for the peace process and from the perspective of guaranteeing the human rights values upheld in the modern civilized world.”

The Armenian government has decided to organize at least two concerts by global stars in Armenia every year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said while presenting the election program of the ruling Civil Contract party.

“You remember the major scandal related to Snoop Dogg’s concert,” Pashinyan said, referring to the cancellation of the American rapper’s performance in Yerevan, which was originally slated for 2023 and resulted in the government requesting organizers to return millions of dollars.

“It turned out well that we remained consistent, and the company that won the tender to organize Snoop Dogg’s concert also remained consistent, and as a result we had an event of enormous significance — Jennifer Lopez’s concert at the Republican Stadium in Yerevan. And now we have made the following decision: every year, through a competitive process, we will allocate funds from the state budget to organize at least two concerts by global stars in Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

He rejected criticism related to spending on organizing the events, arguing that such major events generate greater revenue.

“I want to say the following: all our calculations show that when we invest this amount for this purpose, it brings so many tourists to Armenia, and they spend so much money, that Armenia fully recovers that investment. Part of it returns directly to the state budget, while another part goes to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as businesses in general, taxis, and so on. In reality, we are spending this money for the citizens of Armenia. Not to mention that it improves Armenia’s image, which in turn increases tourist flows beyond these concerts, and through this we aim to raise the number of tourists to 3 million [annually],” he added.

The Armenian government is completing preparations for the introduction of a biometric passport system, according to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“In the coming days, we will present information about our new biometric passports, including the design and appearance we envision, and this is very important news,” he said in a video broadcast on social media while presenting the Civil Contract party’s program for the upcoming elections.

“The next important development is that, from the moment biometric passports are introduced or within one to three months after that, citizens holding biometric passports will have no contact with border guards when passing through Zvartnots Airport or our border checkpoints. They will scan their passports on devices, a green light will turn on, and they will pass through. This is a technology already used in developed countries, and by the first half of 2027 at the latest, we will have these systems at our border crossing points and at Zvartnots Airport,” the Prime Minister explained.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Aragatsotn Province on Wednesday.

His first stop was a kindergarten in the village of Ushi, which has recently been renovated.

He then inspected the newly renovated Yeghishe Charents School in the village of Yernjapat.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed confidence that the implementation of the TRIPP connectivity project will begin on the ground in 2026.

“I am convinced that in 2026 we will already start work on the ground. According to my calculations, the fastest step will be commissioning the power transmission lines. This project will also create many jobs, and I hope we will ensure that these jobs are filled by citizens of Armenia, and that companies will not need to bring in labor from other countries,” said Nikol Pashinyan while presenting the Civil Contract party’s election program, particularly its economic development plan.

He said the reconstruction of the railway sections from Gyumri to the Turkish border and from Yeraskh to the Nakhchivan border will be carried out swiftly, within one to one and a half years.

The Civil Contract election program states that the full unblocking of the region’s transport infrastructure—including both the implementation of the TRIPP project and the operation of the Gyumri–Kars railway—will not only further strengthen peace and cooperation in the region but will also transform it into an important hub of east–west and north–south connectivity, a “Crossroads of Peace.”

The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in Armenia envisaged under the U.S.-brokered Armenian–Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, create long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment, and enhance regional connectivity. TRIPP is part of the Crossroads of Peace initiative, and an Armenian–American joint enterprise is expected to develop the route.