Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related and global top news as of 23.02.21:

• Armenian police have been forcibly apprehending citizens during Tuesday's protests in Yerevan.

A large number of police forces have been concentrated in front of the government buildings since Tuesday morning, as the opposition had announced that they would hold a protest outside the third building of the government because PM Nikol Pashinyan was to visit the building where several ministries are located.

Once Pashinyan approached and left the building, the protestors were addressing him and chanting, "traitor, land-giver."

While PM was in the building, police have forcibly apprehended 57 citizens standing there doing no provocations, including political leaders.

As the police have been using force, opposition representatives Razmik Arabyan got a broken leg and Ishkhan Saghatelyan had blood on his face.

Until the PM came out, there were very few people standing there, but they kept shouting that Nikol is a 'traitor'.

Meanwhile, snipers have been spotted on the rooftop of a building of the government of Armenia.

• The RA Civil Aviation Committee (CAC) received a telegram on Sunday from the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (GDCA) of the United Arab Emirates on the hijacking of a Boeing-737 with Armenian registration number EK-FAA.

The plane flew from Tallinn, Estonia, and was scheduled to land in Yerevan.

But instead, a decision was made in the air to go to the Emirates for maintenance, Hakob Tshagharyan, a former adviser to the Prime Minister noted.

According to him, ‘due to a technical malfunction,’ it landed in Tehran.

Sadly, Armenia is ‘reserving’ its place in the ‘blacklist’ of world aviation," Tshagharyan added.

• Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan signed decrees appointing Ashot Hakobjanyan the chief of the National Security Service (NSS).

Meanwhile, Ararat Melkumyan was appointed NSS's first deputy director.

• The work on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group is underway, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin told reporters on Tuesday,

According to him, the co-chairs are in contact with each other and may visit the region.  “The process did not stop,” the ambassador noted.

The envoy also noted that Russia was actively participating in the reshaping of the Armenian Armed Forces.

He added that intensive contacts were in progress in various directions between the Ministries of Defense of Armenia and Russia.

• Armenia has confirmed 166 COVID-19 new cases, bringing the total number to 170,672.

Also, four more deaths from COVID-19 were reported, making the respective total 3,171 cases.

The number of people who have recovered so far is 162,329, and the number of people currently being treated is 4,366.

• Irakli Garibashvili was elected the Prime Minister of Georgia with 89 votes for and two votes against him.

Irakli Garibashvili, 38, was defense minister.

The ruling party had to appoint a new prime minister after Giorgi Gakharia announced his resignation amid the political crisis in the country.

"I believe and want to believe that this step will help reduce the polarization in our country," Gakharia noted.