106 parliamentary candidates on Strong Armenia Alliance list withdraw candidac

Politics17:42, 8 July 2026
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A total of 106 parliamentary candidates included on the electoral list of the Strong Armenia Alliance have submitted applications to the Central Election Commission (CEC) withdrawing their candidacies.

The matter was discussed during the CEC’s regular session on July 8.

The Commission invalidated the registration of the 106 candidates who had been included on the Strong Armenia Alliance’s electoral list for the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections.

According to the CEC, the withdrawal applications were submitted in accordance with the law and were notarised.

Following the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections, the Strong Armenia Alliance secured representation in the National Assembly. Earlier, alliance representative Narek Karapetyan announced that the bloc had decided to take up the parliamentary mandates it won in the election.

The Strong Armenia Alliance contested the election with a list of 199 candidates.

Three political forces won seats in parliament: the Civil Contract Party, the Strong Armenia Alliance and the Armenia Alliance. Civil Contract will hold 64 seats in the new parliament, the Strong Armenia Alliance 29 seats, and the Armenia Alliance 12 seats.

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Armenpress: Lions and tigers transferred to Yerevan Zoo placed under quarantin

Armenia19:46, 8 July 2026
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The animals transferred to Yerevan Zoo from the reception residence owned by Prosperous Armenia Party leader and businessman Gagik Tsarukyan are under continuous veterinary supervision and undergoing the necessary medical examinations.

Footage released by Yerevan Municipality shows that the zoo’s new residents are currently being kept in a quarantine area. After completing their adaptation period, they will be moved to outdoor enclosures.

According to Ashot Aslanyan, Yerevan Zoo’s Deputy Director for Science, the animals transferred to the zoo include three lions—two males and one female—as well as four white tigers.

“The female lion died during the transfer due to age-related conditions and underlying health problems. All the other animals handled the transfer well and are currently being kept in the zoo’s quarantine area, which is closed to visitors. The young male lion had a pre-existing leg injury that had only partially healed, while the female white tiger is missing several teeth as a result of age-related changes. The animals transferred to the zoo are feeding normally,” Aslanyan said.

Earlier, Prosperous Armenia Party spokesperson Iveta Tonoyan said the animals kept at Tsarukyan’s reception residence had been sedated and transferred to Yerevan Zoo during searches carried out there.

The zoo later confirmed that the female lion transferred from the property did not recover from sedation due to her advanced age and underlying medical conditions, as documented in the post-mortem examination report.

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Verelq: It is known which of the ministers will leave his post soon

“Hraparak” newspaper writes:


“Although Nikol Pashinyan recently said that there will be no changes in the composition of the government, however, our sources say that there will still be some changes. In particular, the Minister of High-tech Industry is mentioned Mkhitar Hayrapetyan about leaving. This topic is already being discussed in the Ministry of BTA.


It is also said that Hayrapetyan may be nominated as the president of the Football Federation of Armenia in the elections of the Football Federation of Armenia at the end of this year. Armen Melikbekyan has already announced that he will not run. However, the dismissal of Hayrapetyan speaks of another thing: this government continues to trumpet that they have achieved great success in the high-tech sector, they have great achievements, especially in the defense sector, then why do they want to change the minister of BTA? Although it is not excluded that Mkhitar Hayrapetyan The reason for the removal is not the work shortcomings, but, let’s say, the passivity shown during the campaign or something else.”

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This was not a show of strength, but of cowardice

A little while ago, with deep disgust and uncontrollable anger, I watched the video where the masked employees of the National Security Service, like predators, pounce on Gagik Tsarukyan and forcefully knock him to the ground.


This was not a show of force, but a scene of public humiliation and political terror orchestrated by a cowardly regime.


I cannot control my anger because what I saw was the transformation of the state into an instrument of political reprisal. It was not the fulfillment of the law, but an open manifestation of the fear and hatred of the government.


At this moment, I want to express without any reservations my full support to Gagik Tsarukyan, not only as a politician and senior friend, but also as a person who was tried to be publicly humiliated.


However, I am convinced that dignity cannot be destroyed, no matter how much masked hyenas try to do it.


Such methods prove only one thing: you are afraid. Are you afraid of strong people? Are you afraid of the truth? Are you afraid of your own fall?


Nikol Pashinyan, you and your “backpackers” staged this disgusting performance and spread it, thinking that you will scare the people, humiliate the opposition and make us all silent.


You made a mistake.


There will be an answer for this shameful video and this political revenge. Not with your style and your methods, but with the kind of political blows that will remind you very soon that no regime can survive forever on fear, violence and humiliation.


And finally, to you personally, Nikol Pashinyan.


You didn’t show strength today. You showed your complete cowardice and political bankruptcy. Fear of real competition, fear of one’s own future, fear of the responsibility that is inevitable.


You are already standing on the edge of the abyss into which you threw yourself.
That abyss will become the final political grave of your government.


Political scientist Suren Surenyants




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The situation on RA roads and the traffic in Lars

The rescue service informs that the roads in the territory of RA are passable.

According to the information received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the Crisis Management Center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Ossetia, the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles.

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An exceptional astronomical phenomenon is expected today

Today, at 11:15 UTC (15:15 Yerevan time), about 99% of the world’s population will be in sunlight at the same time.


Levon Azizyan, director of the “Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center” SNOC, writes about this on his social network page.

“This is a unique astronomical phenomenon that occurs every year on July 8, when, due to a combination of the position of the Sun relative to the Earth and the geographical distribution of the population, almost all of humanity is in the illuminated hemisphere,” the post reads.

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Foreign administration is carried out in Armenia

I am sure that there are few people in Armenia who believe that the activities of the current regime are conditioned by internal realities or developments.


External governance is carried out in RA, and the political processes taking place inside the country proceed within the framework of its logic.


Whatever problem is brought down from the outside, they act on it internally, from legislative changes to arrests.


Tigran Abrahamyan, secretary of “I have an honor” faction




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The Investigative Committee completed the preliminary investigation of the embezzlement of 465 million drams

The preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated by the criminal group in connection with the theft of 465 million drams has been completed.

“The multi-faceted investigation carried out in the Property Crimes Investigation Department of the Main Department of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia revealed and substantiated that Kha.A. and V.G., having learned about the intention of the SP company to import diesel fuel from the Republic of Iran to the Republic of Armenia and carry out wholesale sales, with the intention of implementing a pre-developed fraud plan, presented to the management of the company as if they were persons engaged in the mining industry. have the opportunity to sell a large volume of diesel fuel in the region, and also presented the gas station and warehouse operating in Yerevan theirs.

Then, on July 10, 2025, they signed a contract for the supply of diesel fuel with the aforementioned company through the SP company owned by Kha.A., with the condition of paying the amount within 15 days.

In order to further strengthen the trust gained by the management of the mentioned company and their desire to sell a larger amount of diesel fuel and to complete their criminal intent, the members of the criminal group paid the amount of pre-purchased diesel fuel, AMD 113 million, ahead of the contract and until August 29, 2025, they received a total of AMD 465 million from the company. 1.2 million liters of diesel fuel, which were sold to various organizations and individuals. Later, with baseless reasons, the members of the criminal group avoided paying the rest of the money and fraudulently embezzled particularly large sums, a total of 465 million AMD.

During the preliminary investigation, according to the decision of the supervising prosecutor, a public criminal prosecution was initiated against the members of the criminal group, Kha.

Arrest was applied to one of them as a preventive measure, and house arrest to the other.

The criminal proceedings were sent with the indictment to the supervising prosecutor, with the request to send it to the court for confirmation and examination,” the CC said in a statement.

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The court returned the land of the city park to the Abovyan community

The prosecutor’s office of Kotayk region, within the scope of the authority to protect state (community) interests, submitted a lawsuit to the Anti-Corruption Court on September 15, 2025, against the Abovyan community and a natural person, with demands to declare the auction of the plot of land invalid and to apply the consequences of the invalidity.

“On June 29, 2026, the anti-corruption court satisfied the claim of the prosecutor’s office of Kotayk region. The May 18, 2018 auction of the 916.6 square meter park plot provided for in Article 60 of the Land Code was invalidated by the decision. As a consequence of the invalidity of the auction, among other things, the state registration of the ownership right to the land in the name of a natural person was declared invalid.

“After the verdict enters into legal force, the land with an area of ​​916.6 square meters and a market value of about 80 million drams will be returned to the Abovyan community of Kotayk marz,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

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Iran will respond to US aggression. Iranian Armed Forces

Iran will respond to US aggression and will not allow interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced by the command of the central headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces “Khatam al-Anbia”, reports Tasnim.


“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will give a decisive response to the aggression and terrorist actions of the United States and will not allow them to interfere in the affairs of the Strait of Hormuz and manage it under any circumstances,” the agency quoted the command as saying.


Earlier, the Central Command of the US Armed Forces (CENTCOM) announced a series of powerful strikes against Iran in response to Iran’s alleged attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

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