Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top news as of 08.01.2020:

·       The US-Iran confrontation is entering a military phase. On the early morning of January 8, the situation in the region has dramatically worsened.

Dozens of ballistic missiles have hit the US base in Iraq's Al-Anbar Province. The shooting took place as a response to the murder of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by US forces in Iraq.

Soleimani has already been buried in Kerman. General was expected to be buried on Tuesday, however, the mourning ceremony was postponed due to a stampede leaving 50 people killed.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashiyan has convened a meeting to discuss the situation in the region. “Our position remains unchanged,” he said. Armenia will not be involved in anti-Iranian or anti-American actions, the PM noted urging the sides to begin talks.

According to Iran's deputy chief of mission to Armenia Ali Mohammad Mottaghi, General was subjected to terrorism by the US in Iraq.

The Union of Iranian Students in Armenia also paid tribute to the General by lighting candles and laying flowers in front of Iranian Embassy in Armenia.

·       Ukrainian plane crashed Wednesday near the airport of Tehran.

There reportedly were 167 passengers and 9 crew members on the plane. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote all people on board died.

The plane caught fire at the takeoff. Qassem Biniaz, an official at the Iranian Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, told IRNA that an engine caught fire and the pilot was unable to regain control.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan have already expressed their condolences.

As Armenian MFA’s spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan noted, according to preliminary data, there are no Armenian citizens on the list of the casualties.

·       The Consular Section of the US Embassy in Yerevan has informed all US visa applicants about a change in Embassy entry procedures when visiting the Consular section.

“Large personal bags will no longer be permitted,” the respective statement reads.

·       The US Embassy in Yerevan has issued another statement informing that it has temporarily suspended some visa services.

“Due to recent events in the Middle East, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan has temporarily suspended some visa services,” said in a statement.

·       A criminal case has been launched amid a suicide of the contract soldier Gegham Khachatryan, Armenian Investigative Committee’s press service reported.

The tragic incident occurred on January 6. Gegham Khachatryan shot himself from a service weapon.

·       The legal defense team of the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, has filed a cassation appeal today, said one of Kocharyan attorneys Hayk Alumyan.

The defense team has appealed the December 20, 2019 decision of the Criminal Court of Appeal on Kocharyan's case, and whereby it denied the motion of his legal defendants challenging the first-instance court’s November 7, 2019 decision to declare inadmissible the application of bail as a pretrial measure for Kocharyan charged in the March 1, 2008 criminal case with overthrowing the constitutional order.

·       A 26-year-old man was charged with a murder of 16-year-old girl in Yerevan, Investigative Committee representative said.

The body of a girl, 16, was found in Yerevan apartment on January 5. The Investigative Committee detained a young man who had confessed to the crime. According to media reports, Rafael Sukiasyan serves at Armenian Defense Ministry.

·       Another group of peacekeepers has completed their mission in Lebanon and returned to Armenia.

According to Armenian Defense Ministry's press service, peacekeepers were met by the unit commander, Colonel A. Avdalyan.