Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 09.04.21:

  • The situation has escalated in Armenia over the POWs issue.

There were reports that POWs should have arrived to Armenia on Thursday. The PM’s spokesperson has confirmed the reports. The relatives gathered near the airport waiting for their sons, however, the plane has landed empty.

A reporter from Armenia’s Hraparak.am on Friday spoke in Yerevan with Rustam Muradov, commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent that is stationed in the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict zone to monitor the ceasefire there. Muradov noted that “It was a false provocation. They are misleading the population.”

According to Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan's office, their return has been postponed since Azerbaijan isn’t implementing the trilateral statement signed on November 9, 2020. "The Russia-brokered talks continue," he added.

The relatives of the captive Armenians on Friday morning blocked the Yerevan-Gyumri motorway at an intersection in Shirak Province of Armenia.

They demand from the authorities a clear answer as to why the POWs did not return to Armenia.

Demanding a meeting with the Armenian defense minister, the protesters also joined the relatives of the missing servicemen who were protesting since Thursday near the Armenian defense ministry building. They have closed all the enters since Thursday so some of the employees could not get out of the building. Footage has also been shared capturing how some defense ministry employees were being taken from the defense ministry building by helicopter as the protesters have closed all the entrances.

Today, at some point, the relatives of the missing servicemen started pulling the gates of the MOD grounds, and a light scuffle ensued between them and the police.

Later Chief of Police Vahe Ghazaryan approached the relatives of the missing servicemen who blocked the entrances of the defense ministry building demanding to meet the defense minister.

The father of the missing soldier later told reporters that the police chief offered them to hold talks - but in separate groups, 10 people each time. They rejected the proposal, demanding to have a meeting altogether.

  • Remains of 7 Armenian servicemen have been found in Jrakan (Jabrayil) in Nagorno-Karabakh [Artsakh]. And remains of 2 have been transferred by Azerbaijanis.

A forensic medical examination will be designated to identify the Armenian servicemen.

Since November 13, 2020, the remains of a total of 1,539 servicemen have been found or transferred by Azerbaijan.

  • Members of the US House of Representatives have begun collecting signatures under a bipartisan letter urging President Joe Biden to join the Congress in recognizing the Armenian Genocide clearly and directly in his April 24 statement.

Earlier, 38 US senators also called on Biden to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

And in 2019, both houses of the US Congress had passed resolutions on recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

  • As of Friday morning, 1,029 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 201,158 in the country.

Also, 22 more deaths from COVID-19 were registered, making the respective total 3,697 cases.

The number of people who have recovered over the past one day is 1,117, the total respective number so far is 180,160.

  • Hirair Hovnanian, the renowned American Armenian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund, has died at the age of 91.
  • Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, has passed away aged 99.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed information about the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said that His Royal Highness passes away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.