NEWS.am daily digest: 10.03.20

Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top news as of 10.03.2020:

• Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan had a Facebook live stream on board the helicopter as they were heading to Armenia’s Agarak to start the 'YES' campaign for the upcoming constitutional referendum.

According to him, they will start the YES campaign from the southernmost point of Armenia.

The constitutional referendum is scheduled for April 5.

• The American dollar’s (USD) exchange rate against the Armenian dram (AMD) comprised AMD 482.09/$1 in Armenia on Tuesday; this is up by AMD 1.61 from Monday, CBA reported.

The exchange rate for one euro was AMD 547.12 (down by AMD 0.58), that of one UK pound totaled AMD 629.27 (down by AMD 1.60), and the rate of one Russian ruble made up AMD 6.70 (up by AMD 0.19) in the country.

• The 13-year-old girl who was beaten in Gyumri has regained consciousness, and she can pronounce certain words, said Gevorg Derdzyan, Spokesperson of the Sourb Astvatsamayr Medical Center (MC) in Yerevan.

Meanwhile, the court has arrested the 28-year-old David Poghosyan, who is suspected of beating the mother and her minor daughter on March 5 in Gyumri. The woman has died, and the little girl has been transferred to Yerevan with numerous bodily injuries.

• Former Sevilla, Deportivo la Coruna, and Athletic Bilbao head coach Joaquín Caparrós has been appointed as Armenian national team manager.

The contract will be valid until 30 November 2021, Armenia’s Football Federation said in a statement.

• Armenian MFA has issued a statement and urged the citizens to immediately stop their trip to Italy and return. After the Italian authorities have declared quarantine in the country, the first passenger plane arriving in Armenia from Milan will land in Yerevan on March 10. One more flight to Yerevan is scheduled from Rome; the arrival of this aircraft is scheduled on the same day at 9:15pm.

Meanwhile, as Iran is also one of the countries most affected by coronavirus, the MFA said in a statement that the visa-free travel regime between the Armenian and Iranian citizens had been temporarily suspended.

Zvartnots International Airport of Yereva, in turn, has also issued a statement and urged to temporarily avoid visiting Iran, China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain.

By the way, Chinese President Xi Jinping began on Tuesday his trip to Wuhan - the epicenter of the COVID19 outbreak. He was set to get acquainted with the measures taken to fight coronavirus. He was to visit and express regards to medical workers, military officers and soldiers, community workers, police officers, officials, and volunteers, as well as patients and residents during his inspection.