Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top news as of 02.03.2020:
· Armenia has recorded the first case of coronavirus, PM Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook. The patient is a 29-year-old male citizen of Armenia who arrived from Tehran on February 28.
Thirty-two citizens from Iran have been isolated and are located at Golden Palace Hotel in Tsaghkadzor, health minister Arsen Torosyan told reporters Sunday.
The PM later on Monday noted there are 9 suspected cases of coronavirus in Armenia and “we will inform the public once the results come in.”
Meanwhile, the government has decided to stop classes in educational institutions for a week.
By the way, 54 coronavirus deaths and 978 infections have been reported in neighboring Iran. And the Armenian PM noted Monday that the visa regime with Iran will be reinstated within five days.
There are 3,069 coronavirus deaths and 89,806 confirmed cases globally.
· Meanwhile, amid the coronavirus issue in Armenia, the Board of the Civil Contract Party has made a decision to cancel the march dedicated to the memory of the victims of the events that took place on March 1, 2008, in Yerevan.
Back in 2008, clashes occurred between the police and opposition members protesting against the results of the presidential election, leaving 8 demonstrators and 2 servicemen killed.
Thus, Armenian PM, his wife, and 3 daughters paid tribute to the victims and laid flowers near the statue of Myasnikyan. Several members of government and high-ranking officials also paid their respects.
· A group of citizens is protesting outside the Russian Embassy in Armenia, demanding a fair trial in last year’s murder of Russian ex-special detachment member Nikita Belyankin. Nine Armenians are charged in this case.
According to a preliminary investigation, on June 1, 2019, Belyankin saw two groups of people fighting with each other near a beer pub and decided to intervene. He fired several warning shots from a gas pistol but was stabbed in the heart. Russian citizens of Armenian origin Sergey Khojoyan and Suren Markosyan, as well as Armenian citizens Narek Stepanyan and Sahak Sahakyan, were arrested over the case.
· On the night of February 29, Azerbaijani armed forces bombarded the bordering Voskepar village of Armenia’s Tavush Province with machine guns of large caliber, said the head of Voskepar village Serob Makhsudyan.
According to him, there are no victims, “a bullet only struck and damaged the wall of the house of one of the residents.” The village has been bombarded for nearly two hours, Makhsudyan added.
· India has secured a deal in Armenia to supply locating radars, India Today reported citing government sources.
The contract worth over USD 40 million to supply four Swathi weapon locating radars has been signed with Armenia and supplies have also started. The radars provide fast, automatic and accurate locations of enemy weapons like mortars, shells, and rockets in a 50 km range.
