The RA Anti-Corruption Court rejected the claim of the General Prosecutor’s Office against the first deputy of the former Chief Military Inspector of the President, Lieutenant General Garegin Gabrielyan. The state’s attempt to cancel a controversial land deal near Erablur has failed due to missing the statute of limitations, raising serious questions about the oversight agency’s actions.

At the center of the legal dispute was the plot of land with an area of ​​more than 0.2 ha in the administrative region of Malatia-Sebastia, next to the “Erablur” pantheon, which the Ministry of Defense sold to Gabrielyan, known by the nickname “Gel” for 18.8 million drams back in 2005. In June of last year, the prosecutor’s office demanded to invalidate the contract, claiming that the area should be expropriated exclusively by auction, and demanded the return of the property or compensation for its value. The former official excused himself that the transaction was carried out solely to improve his housing conditions as a long-time employee of the Ministry of Defense.

The general’s defense team emphasized that the prosecutor’s office was not a proper plaintiff and, more importantly, that the one-year statute of limitations had been grossly violated. Judge R. Avagyan considered these arguments to be valid. The court recorded that the criminal proceedings regarding the expropriation of land at cheap prices by the officials of the Ministry of Defense were initiated in February 2022. Therefore, the plaintiff had to know about the alleged violation of the state’s interests from that time. However, the claim was filed only in July 2025, when the statutory deadlines had already expired.

The court’s verdict was a double blow to the prosecution. in addition to rejecting the claim, the court decided to expropriate 300,000 drams from the prosecutor’s office in favor of Gabrielyan as a reasonable attorney’s fee. The situation became more complicated on March 16, 2026, when the Appellate Anti-Corruption Court returned the appeal of the General Prosecutor’s Office. This process raises a logical question: whether the General Prosecutor Anna Vardapetyan was really not aware of the violations and did not order to file a lawsuit in time, or did she deliberately delay the process, giving the former high-ranking military officer the opportunity to win the case on the basis of statute of limitations.

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The National Academic Choir of Armenia was officially named after its irreplaceable artistic director, outstanding conductor and national hero of Armenia Hovhannes Chekijyan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was present at the opening ceremony of the name board, and in his speech he raised the most important issue of access to high art for the broad sections of society.

This significant event for Armenian culture took place in the historical choir building on Pushkini street. According to the government’s decision, the naming of the collective is a unique tribute to the maestro’s decades of titanic work. The official ceremony was preceded by a rehearsal, during which Chekijian once again demonstrated his unsurpassed mastery of working with the choir.

The head of the government expressed his deep gratitude to the maestro, emphasizing that the cultural value he created is one of the most significant achievements of the Armenian people in the last century. Pashinyan noted that awarding Chekijian the highest title of National Hero is a logical recognition of his merits before the state. At the same time, the Prime Minister regretfully noted that the fruits of such high art are not yet ripe for every citizen.

Speaking about the role of art in human life, the prime minister clearly separated the concepts of biological survival and real well-being. According to him, the availability of basic conditions, such as food and water, ensures only physical existence, while the real quality of life is inextricably linked to the communication of cultural wealth.

Pashinyan summarized that the main indicator of poverty is people’s detachment from cultural life, expressing hope that the government’s targeted policy will be able to fill this gap.

The National Academic Choir, which began in 1937 as a modest ensemble of thirty performers, has grown into a world-class choral ensemble under the leadership of Chekijian (who took over in 1961). Thanks to decades of tireless work, the choir has been awarded “Academic”, “Merit”, and “National” titles.

The voices of Armenian performers were heard on 184 prestigious stages of Paris, London, New York and other cultural capitals, within the framework of about 866 foreign concerts, which were accompanied by the accompaniment of 69 leading symphony orchestras of the world.

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The RA Human Rights Defender’s Office responded to the scandalous incident that took place in Yerevan’s Saint Anna Church with the participation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The defender’s representatives visited the arrested, reaffirming the right to freedom of speech and criticizing the authorities, but strongly condemning any manifestation of violence and hate speech.

on March 30, Anahit Manasyan on the assignment, the working group visited the place of detention of the arrested persons of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The human rights defenders had private conversations with the citizens and studied the documents about them in detail. The department assures that it will take all necessary measures within its powers to guarantee the fundamental rights of individuals, demanding an independent, comprehensive and objective investigation of the case.

The Ombudsman emphasized that everyone has the right to freely express their opinion, but it should never be combined with physical confrontations or preaching of intolerance. At the same time, HRH strongly urged the law enforcement agencies to act exclusively according to the principle of legality and refrain from using disproportionate force.

Anahit Manasyan also expressed deep concern regarding the growing volume of hate speech in Armenian public discourse, warning that it poses a serious threat to public solidarity, and called for joint efforts to fight against this vicious phenomenon.

Let’s remind that the incident was registered on March 29, when the prime minister was trying to leave the church, accompanied by security guards, after a mass mass. A young man from the audience, upset by the push, demanded not to push him. He then said, “Don’t look at me like that,” and reportedly tried to slap the head of government. Nikol Pashinyan ordered the bodyguards not to react to the situation.

After the incident, the police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the arrest of two people, suspecting them of hooliganism and interfering with the legal official’s official and political activities.

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US President Donald Trump has admitted with his characteristic disarming frankness about his cherished geopolitical desire: Washington should establish complete control over Iran’s oil industry. The American leader is not at all confused by the prospect of military occupation, and he compares his plans with the recent forceful control over Venezuela’s resources, and openly calls critics of such “diplomacy” idiots.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, the head of the White House outlined his vision for the settlement of the Middle East crisis without further ado. According to Trump, he would prefer to simply take Iranian oil, as was done in Venezuela in January of Nicolas Maduro after the capture. Those who question the expediency of such an open international confiscation, the US president gently called “stupid people”.

The realization of such bold ambitions of the American leader will inevitably require the occupation of Kharg Island, the main export hub of the Islamic Republic. The Pentagon has already taken action. About ten thousand troops, including elite Marines and paratroopers from the 82nd Division, are being deployed to the region. And while military experts warn of the huge risks and inevitable losses of the operation, Trump himself disparages the defense capabilities of the enemy, categorically stating that the island can be captured “very easily”.

In the background of this peculiar political boasting and non-stop military operations, the world markets are in a fever. Oil prices increased by fifty percent in just one month, crossing the border of $116 per barrel of Brent on the morning of March 30.

Strange as it may seem, Trump calls such aggressive chattering as a successful background for the peace talks, which are being mediated by Pakistan. The American leader presented a tough ultimatum to Tehran until April 6: either a deal on Washington’s terms or total strikes on the energy sector. The US president summed up his unique approach to conducting diplomatic talks with impressive math, coolly noting that the US forces have already bombed thirteen thousand targets, and there are “a couple thousand more” left, so a peace agreement, according to him, can be reached “very quickly”.

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The new US national security strategy, signed by Donald Trump just months ago, promised to get out of endless wars and abandon the role of global policeman. However, the reality proved diametrically opposite. America was involved in a large-scale and destructive conflict with Iran. Professor James C. Galbraith analyzes this paradox by asking: Has the current administration become the victim of a silent coup or has it simply lost control of its own policies?

According to University of Texas professor James K. Galbraith wrote in his article for Project Syndicate (translation provided by Mediamax agency), the US National Security Strategy (NSS) published in November 2025 was radically different from all previous doctrines. In an accompanying letter, President Donald Trump presented it as a road map for preserving America’s greatness, based on the ideals of the founding fathers, particularly the principle of non-interference in the affairs of other states. The document harshly criticized the former elites for allowing the Allies to shift the burden of defense onto American taxpayers and dragging the country into secondary conflicts.

One of the key messages of the AAR was the withdrawal of the US from the Middle East. The strategy noted that the region was losing its historical importance to Washington due to the growth of domestic energy production. The document’s authors asserted that the era when the Middle East dominated US foreign policy was over, and that threats could be contained ideologically and militarily, avoiding fruitless “state-building” wars.

However, on February 28, the US attacked Iran, a nation of 90 million people with a vast arsenal of missiles and drones, as well as a strong patriotic and religious spirit. Galbraith emphasizes that attacking such a country means starting a large-scale and exhausting war, which is radically contrary to the spirit of the November AAR. The professor rejects the theory that the strategy was merely a campaign ploy by Trump ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, as revealing the lie just three months later would have stripped the move of any political meaning.

Currently, the situation in the Middle East is developing in a catastrophic scenario. The Strait of Hormuz is closed to the ships of the Western coalition, and the world is experiencing an acute shortage of oil, gas, fertilizers and food. American bases in the Persian Gulf have been partially destroyed, and according to the author, the United States has already been pushed out of the region forever, even if Washington refuses to admit it for now. Galbraith offers three explanations for this enormous disconnect between strategy and reality. either the US government has completely lost its ability to function, or there has been a quiet coup d’etat in the country, turning Trump into a puppet, or, at best, America will have to leave the Middle East in a humiliating military defeat and a global economic crisis.

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April in Armenia will start with real spring whims. Meteorologists promise the residents of the republic a colorful picture. heavy rains in the valleys will be replaced by snowfalls in the mountainous regions, and windy weather will gradually give way to the expected spring warming.

According to “Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center” SNOC, residents of the capital should keep raincoats handy in the coming days. In the afternoon of March 30, 31, as well as from April 2 to 4, precipitation is expected in Yerevan from time to time. A short break from the rains is predicted only on the night of April 1 and 2, when the clouds will disperse over the city.

In the regions of the republic, the picture is similar, but with more pronounced climatic transitions. On the same days, precipitation will be recorded in a large part of the territory. Moreover, it will snow at night in the mountainous areas, and it will turn into wet snow during the day, while only rain is expected in the foothills and valleys.

Adding to this weather instability will be the south-westerly wind with a speed of 2-5 meters/second, which may increase to 14-17 meters/second in some areas during the afternoon of March 30. However, spring does its thing. from April 1 to 3, the air temperature will gradually increase by 2-4 degrees during the daytime hours, bringing with it a new wave of heat.

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RA Anti-corruption Committee announced the discovery of an alleged electoral bribery scheme ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, 2026. According to preliminary investigation data, funds were transferred to citizens in Metsamor city of Armavir region in return for a promise to vote for the “Strong Armenia” party.

According to the case materials, the funds were distributed under the guise of salaries, through formal employment placements in the public organization “Our way”, as well as charitable assistance for medical needs.

Within the framework of the initiated criminal proceedings, the law enforcement agencies conducted about ten searches, five persons were arrested. The Anti-Corruption Committee has announced its intention to conduct strict monitoring of organizations affiliated with political forces participating in the elections.

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The RA government is preparing serious changes in the fiscal policy aimed at revising the thresholds of criminal liability for tax evasion and encouraging honest business. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a special meeting in order to elaborate the upcoming procedural reforms in detail and make them as effective as possible for the country’s economy.

According to the press service of the Prime Minister’s office, this working meeting was a logical continuation of the previous discussions of the government. Earlier, the executive power raised the acute issue of changing the financial thresholds, in case of exceeding which tax frauds are transferred to the field of harsh criminal prosecution. As a result of previous discussions, the head of the government noted the need to update the package of proposed legislative amendments and instructed the responsible departments to optimize the project.

Chairman of the State Revenue Committee during the consultation Eduard Hakobyan presented the results of in-depth analyzes carried out by the department.

The head of SRC gave details about the introduction of new administrative procedures, which are meant to significantly modernize the tax sector and improve the quality of administration. The participants of the meeting also paid special attention to the conceptual transformation of the “law-abiding taxpayer” institution, which, according to the authorities’ idea, should become an important incentive to bring Armenian business out of the shadows and strengthen state-entrepreneur trust.

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