Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 05.04.21:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday will discuss the actions aimed at solving the issues in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Kremlin’s press service reports that Putin and Pashinyan plan to discuss the course of implementation of the statements made by the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue on November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021. 

The two will touch upon the future actions for solutions to issues in the region, particularly in the context of the restoration of economic and transport links in the South Caucasus.

• The search for the bodies of servicemen who are considered dead or missing continues Monday in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in the Jrakan (Jabrayil) region.

The total number of dead bodies found—or transferred to the Armenian side—ever since the ceasefire last November is now 1,529.

• Armenia is getting ready to hold snap parliamentary elections scheduled for June 20.

Earlier, the Armenian parliament has passed a separate amendment to the Electoral Code on the electoral system - and therefore, a transition has been made to a simple proportional-representation system with closed electoral lists. The other provisions have not been discussed in the National Assembly yet.

Head of the majority My Step faction Lilit Makunts, in turn, said what provisions of the Armenian Electoral Code will be applied during forthcoming snap elections.

Makunts noted that when they have the official conclusion of the Venice Commission on the draft amendments to the Electoral Code, they will then discuss which Electoral Code provisions will be adopted for the upcoming snap parliamentary elections—slated for June 20—and which provisions will be put off for the ensuing elections.

• The Administrative Court of Armenia has denied the motion by the representative of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to dismiss the lawsuit by the former chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan.

Onik Gasparyan had petitioned to the Administrative Court on March 10 with a request to recognize null and void the presidential decree on dismissing him from the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which was approved by the PM's March 10 statement to consider Gasparyan dismissed—by virtue of law—from this position.

Pashinyan has submitted a decree on firing Gasparyan as the latter demanded the PM's resignation amid the internal political crisis in Armenia.

• The Homeland Salvation Movement, which demands the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan, issued a statement announcing that it was disassembling its tent camp on Derenik Demirchyan Street—at the side entrance to the Armenian parliament building—and starting visits to the provinces.

The first such visit will take place on Tuesday to Sevan town.

• The son of Elena Pindzhoyan, the Armenian founder of a Russian studio, fell from the window of an apartment on the third floor and died.

The incident took place in the Moscow region.

Kiril Pindzhoyan, 14, was at home with his grandmother, who was in the bathroom when he fell.

The boy could have reportedly fallen while trying to take an impressive selfie.

• As of Monday morning, 479 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 197,113 in the country.

Also, 22 more deaths from COVID-19 were recorded, making the respective total 3,614 cases.

The number of people who have recovered over the past one day is 880, the total respective number so far is 176,889.

• Top Turkish officials on Sunday lashed out at an open letter signed by more than 100 retired admirals warning about a possible threat to a treaty governing the use of Turkey's key waterways.

Turkey's approval last month of plans to develop a shipping canal in Istanbul comparable to the Panama or Suez canals has opened up a debate about the 1936 Montreux Convention.

In their letter, 103 retired admirals said it was "worrying" to open the Montreux treaty up to debate, calling it an agreement that "best protects Turkish interests."

The letter drew a strong riposte from top government officials, while prosecutors in Ankara have also launched an investigation.

Turkish authorities have already detained ten retired admirals for their letter.

• The 27th SAG Awards took place on Sunday online.

Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7 won best ensemble cast. 

Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in August last year, posthumously won best male actor for his performance as a Blues musician in the 1920s drama Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Schitt's Creek picked up the best comedy series as well as the best female comedy actor for Catherine O'Hara.

The Crown was awarded best overall drama title, and Gillian Anderson won best female drama actor for her performance as UK PM Margaret Thatcher.

TV category winners included Jason Bateman for Ozark, Jason Sudeikis for Ted Lasso, and Mark Ruffalo for I Know This Much Is True.