For the first time during the trial of former chief of police Margar Ohanyan – charged with major petrol misappropriation – one of the witnesses in his case testified against him.

On Thursday Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash court of general jurisdiction called Arsen Arshakyan commander of the second officer battalion of the traffic police as a witness.

A fake “Putin” club has opened in Yerevan in mockery of the idea of the real Putin club to open Thursday. Initiators are members of ArmComedy club and a number of other activists who do not believe opening fan clubs of Russian premier Vladimir Putin in Armenia is the best idea.

Verbal sparring and mutual accusations are back at press club discussions and press conferences indicating the start of a political debate ahead of the May parliamentary elections.

Cakes featuring military uniforms sold at one of the supermarket networks in Yerevan hint at the upcoming holiday –Army Day of Armenia. The 20th anniversary of the formation of Armenia’s Armed Forces is marked on January 28, and the jubilee celebrations this year will be held more pompously than in previous years.

The Reporters without Borders (RWB) media watchdog’s annual report on press freedom for 2011-2012 states that as compared to 2010 Armenia has improved its position by 24 points, enjoying the 77th position instead of the previous 101st. RWB, however, does not consider this to be great progress.

The State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of Armenia (SCPEC) has fined the Catherine Group Company by 10 million drams (about $30,000) for abusing its dominant position in Armenia’s nitrogenous fertilizer market.

No word yet on how the Chinese celebrated Armenia’s New Year three weeks ago, but today, on Chinese New Year, restaurants in Yerevan such as The Dragon, and Chinatown, are expecting to be busier than usual, as Armenians have of late started paying more attention to the Lunar New Year.

New buses will soon appear in the streets of Yerevan which inspires some hope among Yerevan residents, who expect to ride in more or less human conditions. Some people, however, skeptically wave their hands saying that the urban authorities will not be able to remove influential owners of minibuses (marshrutkas) routes from the traffic network.

Another environmental campaign against mining is mounting in Armenia. This time environmentalists are concerned about the open-pit development of Amulsar gold mine on the administrative border of Armenia’s southern Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces.

The collapse of another Armenian church in Tbilisi has raised more questions regarding the state of conservation of Armenian cultural legacy in Georgia.

A major fire reportedly broke out at Surb Nshan Church in Tbilisi on Monday, with firefighting resulting in the collapse of the church’s southeastern part.