The preliminary investigation of 3 criminal proceedings initiated in connection with the cases of illegal sale of drugs and money laundering in particularly large amounts in the investigation department of human trafficking, sexual integrity of minors and illegal drug trafficking crimes of the RA Investigative Committee’s main department for the investigation of particularly important cases has been completed.

“During the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings, it was found that H.E., H.M. and D.H. illegally acquired various types of narcotic drugs in particularly large sizes in order to sell them, ensure their separation by weight, packaging and pre-installation in hiding places, after which the locations of the narcotics were photographed, the geographic coordinates of their locations were marked using the software application and “Telegram” controlled by the criminals. through a number of other online shops-platforms engaged in drug trafficking, identified in the telecommunication application under different names, drugs were transferred into the hands of persons who expressed a desire to bring and transferred funds in the corresponding amount to the cryptocurrency accounts actually managed by the accomplices.

Then, in order to hide the criminal origin and true nature of the property obtained from criminal activities – in one case – 583 thousand 303 AMD, in the other case – 19 million 420 thousand 703 AMD, and in the third case – in particularly large amounts – 93 million 890 thousand 436 AMD, and to hide the movement and allocation of financial funds obtained through criminal means, various electronic documents were transferred. accounts, converted, and cashed or otherwise disposed of by HE, HM and DH.

A public criminal prosecution was initiated against the latter for illegal sale of drugs and money laundering in large quantities.

The criminal proceedings were sent to the supervising prosecutor with an indictment,” said the report of the Investigative Committee.

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The US Department of State is preparing a limited series of passports with the image of US President Donald Trump dedicated to the 250th anniversary of US independence. This is reported by Fox News.

On the mock-up of the passport, a copy of which appeared at the disposal of the TV channel, on the inner side of the document, Trump’s portrait is surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence and the US flag. On the other page is the painting “Declaration of Independence” by the American artist John Trumbull, which depicts the founding fathers of America.

A representative of the State Department said that the new copies will be available to “any American citizen” who applies for a passport. The release of the series is expected to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary in July.

It also notes that the passport promotion is part of the Trump administration’s massive “America 250” celebration, which also includes a Grand Prix race on the National Mall and a UFC fight on the White House lawn.

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From Computing Tool to Global Financial Infrastructure: Why are stablecoins becoming the backbone of the financial system?

Main conclusions
● Stablecoins were initially used as settlement tools within the crypto industry, but their main advantage is that they allow value to be transferred faster and with fewer intermediaries compared to traditional payment systems.
● The next stage of their development depends not so much on technology as on scaling in a regulated environment, compatibility of computing systems and reliable, verifiable security mechanisms.

● With the development of tokenization of real assets and the formation of clearer regulatory standards, stablecoins are becoming the base layer of global payments, clearing and programmable finance.
Stablecoins better fit the modern logic of value movement
Traditional payment systems reflect the era in which they were created: banking hours, multiple intermediaries and slow cross-border settlements. Even if the payment is made instantly, the final accrual of funds may be delayed, creating additional costs and risks for the parties.

Stablecoins solve these problems by allowing calculations to be performed continuously, crossing borders in fewer steps, and easy integration into software systems. For this reason, they better correspond to the realities of the global economy and become a bridge between the traditional financial system and the 24/7 digital financial network.

Regulation and institutional acceptance
Global recognition by regulators and the creation of a unified clearing and settlement infrastructure that makes different stablecoins interchangeable is of key importance today.
When value can move freely between different issuers and systems, more and more fiat currency transactions will move to the blockchain, and the line between “stablecoins” and “money” will begin to blur.

Tokenization of real assets expands participation
Previously, access to security was limited to institutional players; it was necessary to acquire assets, hold them through regulated accounts, and operate within the traditional financial infrastructure. This limited participation to banks, foundations and large corporations.

Real asset tokenization removes this barrier by moving financial assets to the blockchain without changing their risk profile and expanding the reach of collateral. In blockchain, such assets become transparent, verifiable and globally accessible through regulated platforms.
While tokenized Treasuries are the core element, the same model can be applied to a wide range of high-yielding assets, allowing participants to choose a balance of risk and return in a single settlement system.

At scale, even small improvements in efficiency yield significant results. barriers are falling and stablecoins are moving beyond niche payments or institutional balance sheets to becoming a global financial infrastructure.

Tuning paves the way for scaling
Until clear rules were formulated, banks and financial institutions could not fully utilize the blockchain, as a stable unit of account was needed. Without regulation, they were effectively restricted from using stablecoins as infrastructure.

From 2023, the situation changed. A number of countries have developed clearer regulatory frameworks that set requirements for reserves, issuance and compliance. This made it possible to make modern financial infrastructure available to all users with Internet access.

Today the focus has shifted. institutions are actively modernizing their processes by moving calculations, provisioning and payments to the blockchain, where stablecoins act as a link. This accelerates the transition of financial operations to more efficient systems and promotes the tokenization of assets.

But this transition also revealed a problem. the first generation of stablecoins were not intended for use on regulated balance sheets and on an institutional scale. This stimulates the creation of new architectures.

There are two main directions:
Providing tokenized real assets that are transparent and verifiable,
Separation of return and principal, which allows the distribution of the income from the provision, independent of the stablecoin.
Together, these solutions enable stablecoins to function as a full-fledged monetary infrastructure, providing settlement, liquidity and participation in global markets.

Compatibility is a must
Global money requires compatibility. Users don’t have to delve into blockchains, bridges or liquidity mechanisms to send money. It should be as simple as making a transfer in the banking app. click “send” and the transfer is complete.

Success will be determined by seamless transactions between systems, where money works everywhere and the complexity of the infrastructure is hidden from the user.

Stablecoins are becoming the foundation of the global financial system as they address the structural mismatch between legacy payment systems and the inherently global digital economy.

The coming decade will be defined by scaling in a regulated environment, interoperable computing systems, and the development of delivery models that expand participation and increase transparency.

With the development of regulation and infrastructure, stablecoins are moving from the category of “crypto industry tool” to “main means of value transfer”.

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The RA Market Control Inspection Body carried out control measures at “VAZGEN AMYAN SERYOZHAI” JSC. This is reported by the inspection body.

“Sampling of the toy was carried out, as a result of which it was found that the composition of the toy sold under the name “Dinosaur” contains dangerous (poisonous) substances for the health of children.

Armen Kotolyan, the head of the inspection body, gave appropriate instructions regarding the recall and destruction of the toy with the mentioned name.

The inspection body urges all consumers who purchased the above-mentioned toy to contact the inspection body and return them in order to avoid possible harm to children’s health,” the message reads.

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The current “blue passports” will be valid for RA citizens until their validity expires. Nelly Davtyan, head of the migration and citizenship service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, wrote about this on her Facebook page.

In particular, he noted: “At the same time, a citizen is free to apply for and receive a new biometric passport at any time. When receiving a new passport, the previous passports held by the citizen will be recognized as invalid, as the person will not be able to possess more than one passport at the same time.

A biometric passport will not mean that the document will simply have an electronic carrier (chip). RA has now started the process to sign the ICAO Special Toolkit (PKD) document, where digital passport security data is exchanged between countries. It is a “network of trust” that allows other countries to quickly check whether the document crossing the border is genuine, increases the security and speed of border control, and facilitates the international movement of citizens.

Let’s remind that yesterday Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan presented the design of the new sample biometric passport and mentioned that they will start to be used from the fall of this year.

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Deputy Minister of Justice Gevorg Kocharyan made an opening speech at the workshop on the introduction of effective management structures for confiscated assets in Armenia.

With the participation of interested state departments and representatives of civil society, the international commitments undertaken by the Republic of Armenia in the field of the management of confiscated assets and the actions to be taken in the direction of their implementation were discussed.

The preliminary concept of the system of management of confiscated assets in Armenia was submitted for discussion by the Ministry of Justice.

The workshop was organized with the support of the European Union’s “Support to Justice Sector Reforms in Armenia” program.

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RA Minister of Finance Vahe Hovhannisyan received the newly appointed permanent representative of the International Monetary Fund in Armenia Natalia Nowta. RA Ministry of Finance informs about it.

Minister Hovhannisyan congratulated Ms. Nowta on assuming the position, expressing confidence that further cooperation will be effective and mutually beneficial. He also expressed special thanks to IMF Permanent Representative Umang Rawat for his dedication and consistent partnership during his tenure.

During the meeting, the parties emphasized the successful completion of the first summary review within the framework of the “Stand-By Arrangement” implemented with the support of the IMF, as well as the agreement reached on economic policies. The progress of the implementation of the structural benchmarks provided by the program was also emphasized, and the further expansion of the IMF’s technical support was highlighted.

The parties reaffirmed their willingness to continue and deepen effective and constructive cooperation.

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The annual conference of clergy of the US Eastern Diocese has begun, uniting priests of the diocese in a spirit of unity, reflection and purpose.

Led by Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Presiding Officer of the Armenian Eastern Diocese of the USA, this conference provides an important opportunity to engage in thoughtful dialogue about the current life and direction of the Diocese.

“This year we are particularly happy to welcome two honored guests from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Fr. Zakaria the Most Reverend Baghumyan and Fr. Reverend Movses Sargsyan, who helped hold meaningful conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing the Armenian Church,” the message reads.

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The hydrometeorology and monitoring center has presented weather forecasts for the coming days. In the capital Yerevan, in the afternoon of April 29, short rains and thunderstorms are possible in some parts of the city. Weather without precipitation is expected on April 30, but between May 1 and 4, in the night and evening hours, brief rain and thunderstorms will be observed again.

Wind intensification with a speed of 16-19 m/s is also predicted during thunderstorms.

On the entire territory of the republic, during the daytime hours of April 29, 30, as well as from May 1 to 4, short-term rain and thunder are expected in some regions, and hail is also possible in some places. The wind will be south-westerly at a speed of 2-5 m/s, but during a thunderstorm, wind strength is expected, reaching 16-20 m/s.

As for the air temperature, it will decrease by 2-3 degrees in the afternoon of April 29. On the following days, on April 30 and May 1-3, the temperature will gradually rise by 4-5 degrees, and in Lori, Tavush and Syunik marzes, the warming will be sharper by 7-10 degrees.

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International lawyers representing the families of seven Armenian hostages imprisoned in Azerbaijan have submitted an official request to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Imprisonment, demanding their immediate and unconditional release. The application submitted on April 24, 2026, the day of remembrance of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, demands the annulment of the verdicts passed against those persons, claiming that they are the result of gross violations of international law and are arbitrary in nature.

The hostages, Davit Babayan, Madat Babayan, Levon Balayan, Vasili Beglaryan, Erik Ghazaryan, Davit Ishkhanyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan, are Armenian citizens who were captured by Azerbaijani forces between September 19 and October 3, 2023, shortly after Azerbaijan’s military offensive against Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh). Among them are former political leaders of Artsakh, servicemen and one civilian.

Three of them, Davit Ishkhanyan (former Speaker of the National Assembly of Artsakh), Davit Babayan (former Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Levon Mnatsakanyan (former Minister of Defense and former Commander of the Defense Army), were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Baku military court on February 5, 2026. The other four received 15 to 19 years in prison. As of today, these persons have been in Baku prison for 934 to 948 days.

Although seven of the 19 hostages were selected for this round of the application, all Armenian captives meet the criteria for arbitrary detention and the Working Group’s conclusion will apply to all hostages.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Imprisonment is a body of independent legal experts mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate cases of arbitrary deprivation of liberty around the world. The application was made because the prisoners’ families and legal teams have no realistic means of appealing their wrongful convictions inside Azerbaijan. The applicants argue that the deprivation of liberty of all seven persons is arbitrary based on the following criteria:

· Absence of a valid legal basis. The hostages were taken during an armed conflict that meets the definition of an international armed conflict under the Geneva Conventions. As combatants, they should have been recognized as prisoners of war and benefited from the protection and repatriation rights provided for in the Third Geneva Convention. Instead, Azerbaijan falsely prosecuted them for common crimes, including terrorism, illegal possession of weapons, and genocide. These charges cannot legally be brought against combatants who acted within the limits of the laws of war.

· Criminalization of political beliefs. Davit Babayan and Davit Ishkhanyan have peacefully defended the right to self-determination of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh for decades. Just days before their arrest, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, publicly called the leadership of Artsakh “criminals”. The applicants claim that their deprivation of liberty is aimed at silencing political dissent, which is a direct violation of the rights to freedom of expression, opinion and association guaranteed under international law.

· Fundamentally unfair trials. The hostages were tried collectively, along with eight other Armenian defendants, in closed-door military proceedings and without access to lawyers of their choice. Five of the seven refused to confirm their testimony during the investigation, raising serious concerns among outside observers about the possible use of coercion and torture. Furthermore, the verdicts have not yet been officially delivered to the convicted, effectively depriving them of the opportunity to appeal.

· Denial of humanitarian access. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which visited Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, was expelled from the country in September 2025. This removed the last independent control mechanism over prisoners.

· Illegal rental charges. Six of the seven captives named in the lawsuit were charged with mercenary charges. The applicants claim that this accusation is legally impossible to substantiate. both under international law and under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, a person cannot be considered a mercenary if he is a citizen or permanent resident of the conflicting party. All seven persons are representatives of the Armenian nation who lived in Nagorno Karabakh.

· Discrimination based on ethnicity and political views. The UN, the European Court of Human Rights and many international structures have documented the systemic nature of anti-Armenian discrimination in Azerbaijan, including in the justice system. The applicants argue that the prosecution of these individuals reflects that discriminatory pattern, and that they would not have been targeted or detained but for their Armenian identity and connection to Artsakh authorities.

The application was submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Imprisonment pursuant to a number of UN Human Rights Council resolutions (1997/50, 2000/36, 2003/31, 6/4, 15/18, 20/16, 24/7, 33/30, 42/22 and 51/8).

These seven individuals are among the 19 Armenian prisoners currently being held in Azerbaijan following the 2020 and 2023 conflicts. Their plight has been repeatedly highlighted by the United Nations, the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights, Amnesty International and other major international organizations, all of which have called for their release and expressed deep concern about the detention conditions.

On March 3, 2025, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights announced that “all those who are arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in Azerbaijan, including ethnic Armenians, must be released immediately, and the rights to a fair trial must be fully respected.” The European Parliament has adopted six resolutions on this issue since 2021, the last one in March 2025. In addition, the International Court of Justice has published several decisions that require Azerbaijan to protect Armenian prisoners from harm and ensure their equality before the law. decisions that Azerbaijan did not fulfill.

The application requests the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Imprisonment:

1. Issue an official conclusion that depriving the hostages of their freedom will be recognized as arbitrary.

2. Call for their immediate release and demand compensation for the damage caused by their long and illegal deprivation of liberty.

3. Demand an opportunity for representatives of the Working Group to visit the Armenian hostages in Baku prison before their release.

The application, with the authorization of the prisoners’ families, was submitted jointly by the following persons:

· Siranush Sahakyan – Lawyer (Yerevan, Armenia)

· Artak Beglaryan – President of the Artsakh Union (Yerevan, Armenia)

· Aitor Martinez Jimenez – Lawyer (Madrid, Spain)

· Megan Chaureau-Lyon – Lawyer (Paris, France)

· Irene Massimino – Lawyer (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

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