Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 10.12.2019:
Mirzoyan noted that the second reading of the draft law will take place on December 11.
The MPs also voted on anti-smoking draft law. Armenian speaker Ararat Mirzoyan announced that 83 MPs voted in favor, 15 against, no abstentions, while six MPs left letters of support of the draft law. This legislative package provides for the prohibition of smoking in closed space as well. There will be certain rules for the sale of cigarettes, as well as restrictions on the advertising of tobacco products in Armenia. The violators of these rules will be fined.
· The Czech competent authorities satisfied the request of the Armenian Prosecutor General to transfer the nephew of former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan Narek Sargsyan to the law enforcement authorities for criminal prosecution, said advisor to the Prosecutor General Gor Abrahamyan.
· Sargis Ohanjanyan, a supporter of Armenia's second President Robert Kocharyan, was released from the Vardashen penitentiary yesterday.
Lawyer Aram Vardevanyan's respective appeal was upheld. Kocharyan's son Levon, Ohanjanyan's little son, as well as Kocharyan's supporters went to meet Ohanjanyan outside the penitentiary. By the way, Sargis Ohanjanyan and Narek Mutafyan were arrested after asking questions Anna Danibekyan, the judge in the criminal case of second President Robert Kocharyan, on the street and filming it. Mutafyan is still in custody.
· The State Revenue Committee of Armenia informs that, starting from January 1, 2020, there will be changes in the procedure for importing personal items into the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union by a transporter or by international mail delivery. Thus, personal items can be imported without customs duties and tax payments, if the value of those items doesn’t exceed an amount equivalent to EUR 200 and/or the weight doesn’t exceed 31 kilograms. However, if the total weight exceeds 31 kilograms or the cost exceeds the equivalent of EUR 200 in Armenian drams, the customs duty and taxes must be paid for the exceeding part (at a 15% common customs rate), but no less than the equivalent of EUR 2 for each kilogram exceeding 31 kilograms.
· A schoolboy of Yerevan’s school has stabbed his classmate, shamshyan.com reported.
The latter was hospitalized. The task force of the Central Police Department arrived at the school. Materials on this fact are being prepared.
· Representatives of 19 countries voted against the resolution of the UN General Assembly calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from the Crimean peninsula.
Among these countries are Armenia, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. The delegations of 63 countries supported the document and 66 - abstained.
· Armenia’s chess Grandmaster Gabriel Sargissian and three-time World Chess Olympiad champion, who has become the European individual rapid chess champions at the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia, won the champion’s title at the European Rapid Chess Championship. Sargissian scored 10.5 points out of 13 and, having equal points with Russian Alexander Riazantsev and Azerbaijani Rauf Mamedov, he was declared champion on additional points.
"This championship was a much more preparatory stage for me, ahead of the blitz and rapid chess world championship," he told NEWS.am SPORT. “I didn't think I would be able to go ahead and beat everyone here. The most difficult game was the last one to win and the chance to take first place.
