make preferableArmenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 29.01.2021
- Azerbaijan has handed over five POWs to the Armenian side.
Meanwhile, Commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh, Lieutenant-General Rustam Muradov reports that one serviceman was transferred to Baku after another exchange of prisoners of war between Azerbaijan and Armenia under the control of Russian peacekeepers.
- The rescuers of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) have found the bodies of eight more fallen servicemen.
The Artsakh State Service for Emergency Situations informs that the bodies are unrecognizable, and only after a forensic medical examination will they be identified.
As of Thursday, a total of 1,329 bodies have been retrieved, 15 of which, according to preliminary data, are civilians.
- The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has found out that $148,535 declared worth of processed diamonds were imported to Armenia from the United Arab Emirates and declared in the name of a company operating in Armenia with a customs value of 72,014,112 drams.
But it turned out that the actual market value of these diamonds is more than 420,000,000 drams, as a result of which less amount was calculated to the state and large customs duties were paid.
The de facto owners of the company operating in Armenia, as well as about a dozen people who suspected or related to this alleged crime, have been detained.
The investigation continues.
- A group of—now former—residents of Kashatagh Region of Artsakh, who have been deprived of their homes and land, were protesting in front of the main building of the government of Armenia.
"We have no political demands, our demand is the loss of our property; we want compensation," they said.
- As of Friday morning, 59 COVID-19 new cases were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 166,728.
Also, two more deaths from COVID-19 were registered, making the respective total 3,069 cases.
The number of people who have recovered over the past one day is 265, the total respective number so far is 156,910, and the number of people currently being treated is 5,984—which is a drop by 211 in one day.
- Transparency International has presented its Corruption Perceptions Index 2020, and Armenia ranked 60th with 49 points, compared to the last year when Armenia was taking 77th place.
Georgia (56 points), Armenia (49), and Belarus (47) became the leaders in positive dynamics in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region.
Denmark ranks first in the world list, followed by New Zealand and Finland.
