“Strong Armenia” party continues regional meetings with citizens. During the gathering held in Gavar, a member of the party’s council, Narek Karapetyan, stated that the state vitally needs a financially independent leader, whose only motivation will be the glory and well-being of the motherland, and presented Samvel Karapetyan as the candidate for the prime minister coming “on the path given by God”.

Addressing the audience, the politician responded to the criticisms directed at compatriots who have accumulated wealth outside the country’s borders. He suggested citizens to remember their relatives working abroad and to think whether living abroad makes a person less patriotic. In his deep conviction, living in the diaspora, on the contrary, intensifies the longing for the native home and strengthens the connection with the roots.

As a prime example, the speaker pointed to the founder of the party, Samvel Karapetyan, who created his capital in Russia and other countries. Narek Karapetyan emphasized that today Armenia is facing a serious crisis of leadership, which requires decisive changes, and it is their candidate who is ready to assume the responsibility of governing the country, guided solely by patriotic motives.

Reference: Samvel Karapetyan, a big businessman and the founder of the “Tashir” group of companies, began to actively form an independent political factor in Armenia against the background of the internal political crisis. His entry into big politics began with his public support for the Armenian Apostolic Church in the confrontation with the current authorities and the founding of the social movement “Our way”. At the beginning of 2026, the movement turned into the “Strong Armenia” party. Currently, although the billionaire is under house arrest as part of a criminal case, he has been officially nominated by his political force as a candidate for the country’s prime minister in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

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The “National Democratic Union” (NDU) party led by Vazgen Manukyan made a statement, deciding not to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections. In order to avoid polluting votes, the political force also refuses to officially join any alliance, instead calling on its supporters to actively support ideologically close opposition forces and achieve a change of power.

The representatives of the party emphasize that the upcoming vote has a fatal significance and cannot be considered as another standard political process. The NDU expressed concern that some parts of the opposition are approaching the election campaign with the usual logic, while the situation requires extraordinary approaches to consolidation. Earlier, the union proposed the opposition to come up with two or three large associations and a unified strategy: Nikol Pashinyan in order to create a real balance to the government.

According to the assessment of the party leadership, the current government has completely exhausted itself. NDU warns that the latter’s political reproduction threatens the country with the loss of identity and deprives Armenia of the opportunity to build a safe, independent and prosperous state. Realizing that there are many political forces offering ways out of the deep crisis, the party expresses its readiness to support them without being included in the pre-election lists.

At the current stage, the main task of the political force is to ensure high voter turnout and prevent polling of votes. It is for this reason that NDM has decided to refuse to officially participate in the election campaign on its own or as part of any alliance. The party sees its mission in helping the opposition associations whose plans are aimed at the real development of the country.

Summarizing the statement, the NDM called on its comrades-in-arms and sympathizers to vote for the forces that share their decades-old values: the uncompromising defense of sovereignty, the strengthening of defense capabilities, the resolution of the Artsakh issue, and effective interaction with Armenian structures worldwide. Convinced that the victory of the opposition is quite possible, the party assured that it will continue the fight for its ideas, regardless of the final results of the elections.

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Large-scale US and Israeli military strikes in Iran have resulted in serious damage to more than a hundred historical and cultural heritage sites, including the world-famous Golestan Palace. The authorities of the Islamic Republic call on the international community to intervene immediately to save the unique monuments that are in danger of complete destruction.

As “Armenpress” agency reports, citing TASS, Iran’s Ministry of Culture has published updated data on the consequences of the attacks. According to the press service of the government, the number of damaged historical objects has increased from 114 to 131. The department emphasizes that monuments of world, national and regional significance were damaged. The Iranian side declares that this indicates the growing scale of the destruction and requires an urgent response from the world community for the sake of preserving the common cultural heritage of humanity.

Apart from the cultural sanctuaries, considerable damage was also done to the tourist infrastructures. In ten states of the country, 64 facilities were affected, including various hotels, travel agencies, household service complexes and public catering outlets.

Particular attention is paid to the condition of museum funds. It is reported that 50 museums have been damaged throughout the country. The biggest concern is the damage done to 14 buildings of the Saadabad palace complex and seven objects of the world-famous Golestan complex. Considered one of the oldest architectural ensembles of Tehran, Golestan, which has been the seat of the Ghajar dynasty since the end of the 18th century, represents a special historical value and has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2013.

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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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