YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — About 10,000 people have gathered in the capital of Armenia to mark the anniversary of a deadly clash at a 2008 protest rally in which the current prime minister was one of...

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia has sent a team of experts to Syria on a Russia-backed mission to help clear mines and provide medical assistance, the Armenian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

The ministry's spokesman, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, said the team of 83 includes de-mining experts, medical personnel and security officers. He said it will defuse mines and provide medical help to residents of Aleppo, in northern Syria, emphasizing that they will stay outside areas of fighting.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A former member of an Armenian militant group who carried out a fatal 1983 bombing attack on Orly Airport in Paris has died.

Armenian news reports on Tuesday said Varuzhan Karapetian's death was believed to be from a heart attack.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A leader of a small political party in Armenia has died in prison after going on a hunger strike nearly two months ago.

The Armenian prison service said 51-year-old Mher Yegiazarian died early Saturday, 52 days after he started his hunger strike.

Yegiazarian was vice president of a political party formed last summer, the Armenian Eagles: United Armenia.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A bloc led by Armenia's relatively new prime minister trounced its political foes and won an overwhelming parliamentary majority in an early election, according to results released Monday.

Nikol Pashinian came to power in May after spearheading massive protests that forced his predecessor to step down. The 43-year-old former journalist pushed for the early vote held Sunday to win control of parliament, which was dominated by the rival Republican Party.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Early returns from Armenia's snap parliamentary election Sunday show the country's new prime minister's bloc with a commanding lead — an outcome that would help further consolidate his power.

The charismatic 43-year-old Nikol Pashinian took office in May after spearheading massive protests that forced his predecessor to step down. Pashinian has pushed for early vote to win control of a parliament that was dominated by his political foes.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenians are set to vote in a snap parliamentary election this Sunday that is expected to cement the rule of the new prime minister who spearheaded the massive protests earlier this year that forced the resignation of his predecessor.

The charismatic 43-year-old Nikol Pashinian, who took office in May, pushed for the elections in a bid to win control of a parliament that was dominated by his political foes.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — An Armenian court on Friday put the nation's former president in custody on charges linked to a deadly police crackdown on a 2008 protest over alleged voting fraud.

Robert Kocharian, 64, spent two weeks in jail last summer on charges of violating the constitutional order by sending police to break up the protest in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. He was freed on appeal, but on Friday a higher court ordered that he should stay behind bars.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The Armenian military says that one of its combat jets has crashed, killing both pilots.

Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that a Su-25 two-seat aircraft crashed during a regular training mission Tuesday.

It said the plane took off from Gyumri and crashed in the mountains near Maralik in Armenia's northwest. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately clear.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's president on Thursday dissolved parliament and called an early election, a political maneuver intended to unseat the current parliament majority.

President Armen Sarkisian's move is in sync with acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's efforts to unseat his foes in parliament. Sarkisian set the early election for Dec. 9.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Thursday that Russian arms supplies to both Azerbaijan and Armenia have hampered the settlement of their conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Speaking on a visit to the Armenian capital, Bolton told reporters that Russian arms sales to both countries have "clearly not contributed to the resolution of the dispute because of the enormous leverage it gives Russia over both parties."

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's parliament has failed to choose a new prime minister, with deputies casting zero votes for the only candidate to bring about an early election.

Nikol Pashinian, who resigned as Armenian prime minister last week, was the only nominee in Wednesday's vote. Pashinian's party called in advance for lawmakers to withhold their support.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's national security adviser will raise thorny subjects with his counterparts when he visits Moscow to help craft a script for another high-level meeting between Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's prime minister stepped down Tuesday, a political maneuver aimed at forcing an early election.

Nikol Pashinian, who took office in May after spearheading weeks of protests that forced the resignation of his predecessor, has pushed for an early parliamentary election this fall in a bid to unseat foes who maintain a majority.

He announced his resignation on live national television, saying that the early vote is needed "to return the power to the people."

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Gibraltar won its first-ever competitive game after 22 straight losses with a 1-0 victory over host Armenia on Saturday in the UEFA Nations League.

Joseph Chipolina scored the historic winner in Yerevan from the penalty spot in the 50th minute.

It was also the first away victory for Gibraltar, which has a population of around 30,000, in any international game.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Rwanda's top diplomat Louise Mushikiwabo has been chosen to lead the body that represents French speakers around the world, becoming the first African woman to hold the post.

The foreign minister replaces Canada's Michaelle Jean, who had sought re-election for the top job at the International Organization of Francophonie.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to Armenia to attend a summit of French-speaking countries.

France and other European countries are backing Rwanda's top diplomat Louise Mushikiwabo to lead the International Organization of Francophonie.

Macron, who is set to arrive in Yerevan around midnight, will also attend a concert featuring French and Armenian performers and pay tribute to French-Armenian crooner and actor Charles Aznavour, who died last week.

PARIS (AP) — The French presidency says a government reshuffle will take place after President Emmanuel Macron is back from a trip to Armenia at the end of the week.

New government members are expected to be named following the resignation of the interior minister last week, as Macron wants to seize the occasion to extend the restructuring to other positions.

The French leader is traveling to Armenia from Wednesday to Friday evening.

PARIS (AP) — An anticipated reshuffling of French government ministers remained up in the air as the Cabinet prepared to meet Wednesday and President Emmanuel Macron departs for Armenia.

Macron was expected to approve the naming of new ministers following the resignation of the interior minister last week. The French presidency said there would be no announcement Tuesday night.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Police in Armenia say a former member of parliament was shot to death in a restaurant and that the suspected assailant, also a former lawmaker, later died of a suspected suicide.

According to police, Karo Karapetian and Arutyun Karagezian met Saturday in a restaurant in the Armenian capital of Yerevan and that a quarrel over unspecified financial issues broke out. Karapetian was shot and pronounced dead at a hospital.

PARIS (AP) — France paid tribute to Charles Aznavour on Friday in a solemn and subdued ceremony that contrasted sharply with the singer's joyful character.

One of France's most famous personalities, Aznavour died earlier this week at 94.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's prime minister led his supporters during a rally outside parliament Tuesday to protest what he called a "counterrevolution" by his political opponents.

Nikol Pashinian took office in May after spearheading weeks of protests that forced the resignation of his predecessor. He has pushed for an early parliamentary election, an effort to unseat foes who maintain a parliamentary majority.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A lawyer for a former Armenian president says a wiretapped conversation shows the charges against Robert Kocharian are politically driven.

In the conversation released earlier this month, the top law enforcement chiefs discussed taking action against Kocharian and his top associate. They mentioned Prime Minister Nikola Pashinian's order to put the ex-president and the associate behind bars.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government performed an abrupt U-turn and said Saturday that two Armenian children whose bid for asylum had been rejected could remain in the Netherlands.

The decision came after the children, 12-year-old Lili and her brother, 13-year-old Howick, went into hiding ahead of their expected deportations. The government faced mounting disapproval of its original refusal to let the siblings remain in the country where they have lived for a decade.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's new prime minister has marked his first 100 days in office by calling a rally that has attracted about 100,000 enthusiastic supporters.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian took office in May after spearheading weeks of protests that forced the resignation of his predecessor. The 43-year-old former journalist had tapped simmering public discontent over the anemic economy and rampant corruption in the impoverished ex-Soviet nation.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Police in Armenia say that they have detained a man on charges of assaulting and injuring police officers in an incident that followed an attack on a group of gay people.

Police said the incident happened Tuesday after they detained a suspect in an attack on a group of gay people in central Yerevan.

Following the arrest, a group of people went to a police station where the suspect was being held in an apparent bid to avenge the attack.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The lawyer for former Armenian President Robert Kocharian says he has been released from custody on a court order.

Kocharian was jailed July 27 on charges of violating constitutional order for sending police and soldiers to break up a demonstration in the Armenian capital in March 2008. Eight demonstrators and two police died in the clash.

The demonstration was to protest the results of an election two weeks earlier for Kocharian's replacement.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — An Armenian general who is charged along with the country's former president with violating constitutional order a decade ago has been released from custody after posting bail.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian has been charged in connection with the violent breakup of a 2008 protest in which at least eight people died.

Armenia's Special Investigative Service said Kocharian was charged on Thursday with breaching the country's constitutional order,

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The Russian military has apologized for failing to warn Armenian villagers they were holding war games in their midst.

During the exercises, Russian forces opened fire Tuesday in a village called Panic, and panic indeed ensued. Local media showed Russian military vehicles descending on the town in the allied nation.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia is seeking international help in securing the return of a man accused of crossing illegally into neighboring Azerbaijan and being a spy.

Karen Kazarian was detained Sunday around the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan's government says he was part of an intelligence unit that illegally crossed the border.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's dominant church put a significant Christian relic on display Saturday after rumors that a part of it had been sold prompted protesters to occupy a main church administrative building.

The Spear of Longinus, which the Armenian Apostolic Church says is the lance stabbed into Jesus Christ's side as he hung on the cross, was displayed at the mother church complex of Etchmiadzin.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of an Armenian lawmaker who was arrested on suspicion of illegally storing firearms and explosives are protesting outside the country's national security service in the capital of Yerevan.

Clashes broke out between the demonstrators and riot police on Sunday but there were no immediate reports of detentions.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A lawyer from Myanmar who has worked to promote the rights of the country's persecuted Rohingya minority has been awarded the $1.1-million Aurora Prize for humanitarianism.

Kyaw Hia Aung on Sunday received the prize, which was established on behalf of Armenian survivors of a mass killing by Ottoman Turks.

An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed in 1915-23 in what many historians regard as the first genocide of the 20th century, a claim that Turkey vehemently rejects.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Foreign Office on Thursday criticized "childish" Russian pranksters who phoned Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson posing as the leader of Armenia.

The Guardian newspaper said that Johnson was called by Alexei Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov, known as Lexus and Vovan.

One pretended to be new Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, and the newspaper said that Johnson spoke to them for 18 minutes, discussing topics including the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal.

STEPANAKERT, Azerbaijan (AP) — Most of the world is off-limits to Arshak Aghakaryan, a 14-year-old boy in the Azerbaijani separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The rows of gleaming computers at an after-school training center feed his hopes that he has a place in it.

STEPANAKERT, Azerbaijan (AP) — With the World Cup less than a month away, there is a budding national team in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh with no one to play against.

The ethnic Armenian team in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh has the shirts and the shoes, and even practices five days each week on an artificial field a short distance from the center of Stepanakert, the territory's capital. But that's about as far as the team goes.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Armenia's new prime minister for the first time after former protest leader Nikol Pashinian was elected to the post.

Nikol Pashinian, an opposition figure who spearheaded weeks of nationwide protests, was elected by parliament last week. He and his supporters had pressured the country's long-term leader, Serzh Sargsyan, to step down rather than seek a power grab. Sargsyan's ten-year rule was marred by widespread corruption.

IDJEVAN, Armenia (AP) — Hope has bloomed in the hometown of Armenia's newly-named prime minister, for people see him as a man who was able to articulate their long-simmering anger and will now focus on their needs.

Nikol Pashinian spearheaded weeks of anti-government protests that rejected a move by the Caucasus nation's long-serving leader to avoid term limits and stay in power. Serzh Sargsyan was forced out of office and Pashinian, 42, was named prime minister May 8.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's prime minister says his country would be willing to assess requests for "a new page" in its relations with Armenia.

Binali Yildirim's comments Friday were in response to reports that Armenia's new prime minister, Nikol Pashinian, had called for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two neighbors.

STEPANAKERT, Azerbaijan (AP) — Armenia's new prime minister marked his first full day in office Wednesday by visiting the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, pledging to maintain security guarantees for a region that's part of rival Azerbaijan.

Nikol Pashinian's visit was an effort to show continuity in his country's security policies after the weeks of protests that catapulted him to office, a stunning power shift for the impoverished former Soviet republic.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The man who spearheaded weeks of protests in Armenia was chosen Tuesday to be the country's new prime minister, and carries the weight of high hopes for a turnaround in the impoverished former Soviet republic.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian faces an array of challenges, including a parliament dominated by the party he denounced as corrupt and how to resolve the volatile question of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan under the control of ethnic Armenian forces.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Authorities in Ukraine are investigating an outbreak of sickness believed to be a poisoning that sent 50 students and two teachers to the hospital in the city of Cherkasy.

A spokeswoman for the emergencies ministry, Olga Kozak, told The Associated Press that 11 of the children were in moderately serious condition while the other children and the teachers were in satisfactory condition.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The Latest on Armenian politics (all times local):

8:10 p.m.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry is criticizing the new Armenian prime minister's statements about resolving a territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

LOWELL -- The quarter mile from John Street to City Hall is a short walk and a century long. It was the route traveled Saturday morning by more than 50 Armenian Americans in commemoration of the anniversary of the Armenian genocide 103 years ago.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government entered their second week in the capital.

LOWELL -- The quarter mile from John Street to City Hall is a short walk and a century long. It was the route traveled Saturday morning by more than 50 Armenian Americans in commemoration of the anniversary of the Armenian genocide 103 years ago.