ARMENIAN NEWS: BREAKING NEWS 31.01.2018

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, on Wednesday held a meeting of the National Security Council.

The participants discussed the draft 2018-2024 modernization program for the Armenian Armed Forces, and the process of legal ensuring of constitutional reforms in the country.

The draft seven-year program for modernization of the Armed Forces was thoroughly discussed recently also at the Ministry of Defense.

President of France Emmanuel Macron attended the annual banquet of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF).

Speaking during the event, Macron assured France is supportive of a compromise solution in Karabakh, since the status quo is not a solution to the problem.

He also said that the Armenian Genocide Day should be put on the calendar of memorable days of France.

“We must fight against the denial of Armenian Genocide. The bill on criminalization of genocide denial will soon be submitted again for [parliamentary] debates and to the voting,” he said.

Armenia plans to construct a geothermal power plant with the participation of a single investor, Deputy Energy Minister Hayk Harutyunyan said.

Armenia plans to expand the use of renewable energy resources. In 2017, a memorandum of understanding on the construction of wind power stations was signed with a Spanish company.

More American lawmakers have joined the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. Representatives Ken Buck, Joe Kennedy III, and Grace Meng were the latest members to join the Armenian Caucus, the Armenian Assembly of America reported.

The total number of members in the Congressional Caucus reached 117 in 2018.

Several major quantities of drug smuggling were exposed in Armenia last year, representative of the State Revenue Committee said.

Last year’s biggest drug detection case in Armenia occurred in July, when about 105 kilograms of heroin was found in the refrigerated trunk of a truck that came from Iran. The law enforcers also prevented an attempt to send 9 kilograms of opium to Canada was prevented. Separately, about 5 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin were found in the suitcases of two Iranian citizens.

President Donald Trump’s decision to abolish the decree on the closure of Guantanamo special prison in Cuba was one of the key points of his first State of the Union address.

Trump spoke about immigration and foreign affairs, condemning the “open borders” policy. He said US “faces rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China and Russia that challenge our interests, our economy, and our values.”

First Lady Melania Trump broke with long-standing tradition and arrived at her husband's address alone.

Residents of Yerevan could watch super blue moon in its full phase from 5 to 6 a.m. on Wednesday.

As explained by Byurakan Observvatory director Areg Mikaelyan, “the blue moon” is just an epithet that is applied to the Moon, if it passes a full phase twice a month.

However, the residents of Armenia will not be able to see the moon eclipse that is scheduled for 2 p.m. Greenwich time.

Bitcoin depreciated by 12%, falling to $9.8 thousand, that is below the psychological threshold of $10 thousand.

Capitalization of the cyrptocurrency market now amounts to $494 billion; the share of bitcoin is about 34 percent.

Borussia Dortmund’s Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will continue his professional football career at Arsenal.

The 28-year-old player has transferred to the Gunners for a “club-record fee,” but the amount is not specified.

Captain of the Armenia national squad Henrikh Mkhitaryan who has recently joined Arsenal had played together with Aubameyang, from 2013 to 2016, at Dortmund.