Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 07.09.21:

  • A French citizen had illegally obtained about 221.08 grams of cocaine to sell it in Armenia, and it was smuggled into Armenia’s border on September 3—onboard the Nice-Paris-Yerevan flight.

During the customs control at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, this drug was found in this person’s possession and confiscated.

This French national has been remanded in custody.

Legal action is being taken.

  • By the decision of the government of Armenia, new military training camps of those registered in the first category of the first group of reservists will be held from September 15 to December 15.

If necessary, the participants of the camps will also be involved in combat duty, the Ministry of Defense reported.

  • According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the natural increase of the country’s population in January-July was only 1,252 people. This is 1.8 times less than the indicator for the same period last year.

And compared to the report for January-July 2019, this decline is already about 2.9 times.

  • A petition was prepared and submitted to the Constitutional Court—and in collaboration between the opposition "Armenia" and "With Honor" Factions of the National Assembly (NA).

With this petition, they challenge the application of the NA sessions’ chair’s powers envisaged by the legislation, as well as their arbitrary interpretation and differentiated approach, as a result of which the activities of the MPs are hindered, and the essence of the MPs’ representative mandates is disturbed, the press service of the "Armenia" Faction informed.

  • The evidence obtained by the Special Investigation Service (SIS) of Armenia has substantiated that Aghvan Hovsepyan, former Prosecutor General and chairman of the Investigative Committee, had participated in the management of some business companies.

It was found out that Hovsepyan had taken large bribes, fraudulently stolen property, and committed money laundering.

He has been charged on several criminal accounts.

Aghvan Hovsepyan was detained on Tuesday.

  • As of Tuesday morning, 501 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 245,765 in the country.

Also, 15 more deaths from COVID-19 were registered, making the respective total 4,939 cases.

  • Famous French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo has died aged 88, AFP reports, citing his lawyer.

Time magazine in 1964 declared Belmondo the face of modern France.