April 5, 2026
Lusine Martirosyan writes: “During the day, we regularly visit Davit.
Today, compared to yesterday, the feeling was worse: headache, dizziness, high blood pressure. David was not well…
The only hope is that he is under the supervision of doctors…”
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168: The opposition will either play by its own rules, or it will accommodate Pashinyan
April 5, 2026
If there is one political agenda, it is this: is the Third Republic closing down and is a “fourth republic” being created? Pashinyan is going exactly that way. The biggest task of the opposition is to clearly show its position in this opposition. All principled disagreements should begin and end with the fact that those who are in the opposition are the guardians of the Third Republic. 168TVof « expressed such an opinion during the program Head of YSU European Studies Center, candidate of political science, associate professor Vladimir Martirosyan.
“In this competition, Pashinyan’s proposal is much more mature, short and specific. The opposition society avoids the fact that it is the custodian of the current Constitution, also a political follower of Artsakh’s sovereignty, the return of the people of Artsakh, and the protection of further rights. If this important difference does not exist, then the possibility of choice decreases, where the entire political elite, whether Pashinyan or opposition, talks about the same political line, with a certain difference in the ideas of its implementation,” said the political scientist.
“However, Pashinyan dictates the agenda, and the opposition becomes a direct response to that agenda. The ideological principle of being the guardian of the Third Republic, whether it is easy, difficult, feasible or not, especially during the election period, as a political proposal, is flawed by the opposition. “Is the opposition trying to fit into Pashinyan’s game rules and political system, or is it trying to create its own game rules and system, that is, to show an alternative to Pashinyan’s system,” said Vladimir Martirosyan.
According to the political scientist, the half-words, half-ideas and half-fears of the opposition are very obvious, and Pashinyan plays on them and manipulates them.
“Pashinyan’s activities are very wild from a political point of view. The opposition will either have the opportunity to dictate its own rules, or it will be placed in the positions that Pashinyan will decide within his own system. Today, Pashinyan defines who will have what rights, who will not have rights, where the portion of rights begins and ends, etc.
“Pashinyan is in a sprint campaign. He understands that his obligations are many, and they must be injected into all pores of the society. This is achieved with great difficulty. Every weekend, at least for the last period, we observe how it turns into an anti-Pashinyan campaign at its own hands. For example, the metro incident revived perceptions about Artsakh, and society gave a proper response to this,” said Vladimir Martirosyan.
Details in the video
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Following the attack on the nuclear power plant in Iran, 198 Russians were sen
As reported by the Caucasian Knot, 164 Bushehr NPP employees were evacuated from Iran through Armenia on March 27 and flown to Moscow. Since the escalation of tensions in the Middle East, 327 Russian citizens have been evacuated through Armenia.
As a reminder, Israel and the United States began striking Iran on February 28. Donald Trump announced the start of a large-scale military operation. In response, Iran launched shelling attacks on Israel, American military facilities, and civilian targets in the Middle East, according to the “Caucasian Knot” report “Key Impacts of the Military Conflict with Iran on the Caucasus.”
Approximately 20 minutes after the strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, buses carrying 198 Russian evacuees departed, Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev told reporters.
They are being transported toward Iran’s border with Armenia. “It is planned that within 2.5-3 days, our comrades will safely cross almost the entirety of Iran and arrive home,” Interfax quoted Likhachev as saying.
The Russians are scheduled to depart from Yerevan Airport, RBK reports. “We traditionally feel comfortable interacting with the Armenian government, as our comrades plan to leave the region from Yerevan Airport,” RIA Novosti quotes Likhachev as saying. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) reported today that another strike hit the area near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. A shell landed near the plant, killing one of the station’s security guards, but the main facilities were not damaged, TASS reports. Caucasian Knot has compiled materials on the impact of military action in Iran on the Caucasus on the thematic page “Iran: War Is Near.” The “Caucasian Knot” also published a chronicle of the war in Iran.
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Sofia: PM Extends Easter Greetings to Catholic and Armenian Communities, Palm
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The Kremlin reminded Armenia of the need to choose: EU or EAEU
The European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are not combined due to differences in operating systems and Armenia will have to choose between them. This was stated by the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov commented on Armenia’s plans to increase cooperation with the EU.
“We say that at a certain stage, if you go further with the European Union, then our two systems do not combine. These are different operating systems. And at some point you will have to choose,” Peskov told Vesti’s author Pavel Zarubin.
At the same time, he stressed that Yerevan understands the impossibility of simultaneously being in the EAEU and The European Union and “this is important.”
“The Armenian leadership believes that at the moment nothing interferes with the EAEU, nothing threatens the EAEU, and if such a situation arises, they will consider it, weigh the pros and cons, and make a decision. This is also a sovereign position, but at least it is very important that Yerevan understands this,” Peskov said.
He also noted that Armenia’s membership in the EAEU gives the republic great advantages over other CIS countries.
“You have integration in the form of the EAEU. And you earn money there, and a lot of money. And your membership in the EAEU gives you the opportunity to develop at an increased pace now, they are much higher than the average for the CIS, and much higher than we have in Of the Russian Federation,” Peskov said.
In addition, he noted that “Armenia is a country close to us, with which we are united by deep historical roots.”
“The huge Armenian Diaspora that lives with us is over 2 million people. Therefore, the guidelines that the Armenian leadership chooses for itself are the subject of our increased interest,” the press secretary of the Russian leader noted.
On April 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was in Moscow on a working visit. The Russian leader noted that Moscow is calm about the fact that there is a discussion in Armenia about the development of relations with the European Union. At the same time, Putin drew attention to the fact that Armenia’s simultaneous presence in the customs union with the EAEU and the EU is simply impossible due to economic reasons.
https://eadaily.com/en/news/2026/04/05/the-kremlin-reminded-armenia-of-the-need-to-choose-eu-or-eaeu
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Armenian Christians celebrate Easter in Iran five weeks into the war
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Applications Open: 2026 Young Armenian Poets Awards in Honor of Tamar Asadouri
Applications Open: 2026 Young Armenian Poets Awards in Honor of Tamar Asadourian
The International Armenian Literary Alliance, in partnership with h-pem, is pleased to open the 2026 Young Armenian Poets Awards in Honor of Tamar Asadourian, an annual contest that recognizes and provides a platform for exceptional Armenian writers between the ages of 14 and 18.
Gregory Djanikian writes, “The future remains always available to us until death. It is our great act of imagination which gives us the opportunity to pursue what we long for… a vast tabula rasa where anything might be written.” We invite young Armenian poets to write towards an Armenian future. What might the future of Armenianness look like—not only as a nation, but also as a culture, a language, and an identity you are actively shaping? We ask writers to imagine forward: to consider what endures, what transforms, and what has yet to be created. Poems may explore personal or collective visions of the future, they may be grounded in lived experience, or they may reach into speculation, memory, symbolism, or hope. What could be possible?
IALA encourages submissions from any young writer who identifies as Armenian, no matter gender identity and _expression_, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, national origin, socio-economic class, educational background, personal style/appearance, citizenship and immigration status, or political affiliation.
Submissions will be read by IALA Advisory Board members and judges Gregory Djanikian, Armine Iknadossian and Raffi Wartanian. A total of $600 will be granted to the authors of the three top poems selected by the judges ($200 for each author). Winning poems will be published online on IALA’s and h-pem’s respective websites in the fall of 2026. Winning authors will be invited to read their work at IALA’s annual Emerging Writers Showcase. Finally, the winning authors will receive a copy of Tamar Asadourian’s poetry collection, I remember you my future…
IALA is looking to honor work that exhibits invention, technical skill, and the emergence of a unique voice or vision. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on April 30, 2026. You can learn about submission guidelines, read previous winning poems, and submit work here.
“Over the past five years, the Young Armenian Poets Awards have created space for courage and the imagination, and it has been truly inspirational to hear Armenian teen writers from all over the world express their dreams, hopes, and concerns through artful and inventive poetry. We are proud to have spotlighted twenty unique voices to date and look forward to celebrating new ones this year,” says YAPA Founder and Director Alan Semerdjian.
YAPA is made possible by a generous donation from members of Tamar’s family, Sam and Tamig Ekizian.
Tamar Asadourian (1980-2020) was an accomplished pianist, author and artist. At 16, she performed at Carnegie Hall, and was acclaimed as “an absorbing artist of uncommon sensitivity and intelligence.” While studying at the Manhattan School of Music, Asadourian was forced to give up the piano due to illness. She suffered from severe depression, and dedicated herself to writing, drawing and the arts. After her untimely death, a collection of her poetry, prose and artwork was published in a volume entitled I remember you my future… (Naregatsi Art Institute, Yerevan, Armenia, 2022). Read more of Asadourian’s writing here.
The International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) supports and celebrates writers and translators around the world by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language, and in translation.
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NAASR to Host Talk on Israeli-Turkish Relations and Armenian Genocide Denial
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Press Release National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) 395 Concord Ave. Belmont, MA 02478 Tel.: 617-489-1610 Email:
naasr TO Host talk on Israeli-Turkish Relations and denial of the Armenian genocide
The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will host a lecture by Dr. Eldad Ben Aharon titled “Israeli-Turkish Relations at the End of the Cold War: The Geopolitics of Denying the Armenian
The event is free and open to the public and can also be attended online via Zoom (registration link: or YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/ArmenianStudies). Following the program there will be a reception and a book signing to which all attendees In the shadows of Cold War politics, Israel quietly aligned itself with Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. Why, and at what Eldad Ben Aharon’s Ben Aharon uncovers how divisions within Israel’s diplomatic corps reflected broader dilemmas over supporting Turkey’s denial of the Dr. Eldad Ben Aharon is a Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and was previously an Irish Research Council For more information about this program, contact NAASR at — Armenpress: Hegseth asks U.S. Army’s top general to step downRead the article in: EspañolՀայերենRussian
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement amid the Iran war, CBS News reported citing sources familiar with the decision. One of the sources told CBS News that Hegseth wants someone in the role who will implement President Trump and Hegseth’s vision for the Army. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.” A senior Defense Department official told CBS News, “We are grateful for his service, but it was time for a leadership change in the Army.” Two other Army officers were removed from their roles, according to three sources familiar with the matter: Gen. David Hodne, who led the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green, who headed the Army’s Chaplain Corps. The Washington Post was first to report on Hodne and Green’s ouster. Published by Armenpress, original at Israeli attacks displace over 1M in Lebanon, 1 in 5 affectedRead the article in: ArmenianRussian:
More than 1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon over the past month following Israeli attacks, with one in every five people in the country currently displaced, according to the UNHCR. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told Anadolu that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is “deepening day by day.” “We have seen it during the last one month that the Israeli evacuation orders, then the strikes and people have been on the move. Right now inside Lebanon we have more than a million people that have been displaced because of the escalating conflict inside the region and in Lebanon itself as well,” Baloch told Anadolu news agency. He stressed that one in five people inside Lebanon “currently is displaced and many of them are desperate, they’re traumatized,” adding that displacement is occurring across the country, with more than 130,000 people sheltering in over 600 collective centers. “The conflict intensifies and escalates and it does not stop, it keeps going on with the Lebanese people and Syrian refugees who live in Lebanon, affecting them but it also forces people to leave Lebanon and seek safety somewhere else,” he added. Families are sleeping in overcrowded shelters, often without adequate indoor conditions, he said. Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:
Published by Armenpress, original at |