The Elders Council of Yerevan is holding a special meting now to discuss the rise in the public transport fare in the city. 
The meeting is expected to be followed by the Mayor's speech.

 Some political forces are trying to politicize the civil protests against the rise in the public transport fare in Yerevan, but this is just a civil campaign against poverty, Armenia's Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said during the Government's meeting on Thursday.

 An action of protest against the rise in the public transport fare in Yerevan is being held in front of the Government building.

A group of residents of houses in Sayat Nova Street have lain down on the ground to prevent heavy construction equipment from entering their yard.

During the July 25 session of the Armenian Government, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan will raise a closed issue. 

The actions of protest against the 50% rise in the public transport fare are gathering pace in Yerevan. 
ArmInfo's correspondent reports from the scene that thousands of protesters have made their way from Mashtots Park to Republic Square. They are holding posters and drums. Car drivers are also taking an informal part in the action. They are beeping and crying out various slogans. Bike riders are holding posters saying "Let's Pay 100 AMD".    
The Free Car campaign participants keep on giving a free lift to the citizens. However, the activists report that the police stop the cars of some participants of the campaign and try to fine them.   
To note, the protests have been held since July 20. Some drivers have already joined them. Today morning the drivers of microbus line N20 began a strike in front of Taron Margaryan's house. The drivers of microbus line N82 (owned by MP Samvel Alexanyan) continue charging just 100 AMD form their passengers. The activists protesting against the rise in the public transport fare in Yerevan to 150 AMD have launched a freecar.am website. Officially more than 10 drivers have joined the Freecar action but unofficially there are more than 100 drivers who are giving people free lifts all over Yerevan.

Areximbank-Gazprombank Group CJSC has increased its authorized capital by 25%, or 4.105 bln AMD, the Bank's press service told ArmInfo.  

The European Union and the Republic of Armenia today successfully concluded negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), as part of the Association Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Armenia, says the press release of the European Commission. 

 The activists protesting against the rise in the public transport fare in Yerevan to 150 AMD have launched a freecar.am website. 

 Ex Foreign Minister of Armenia, MP Vartan Oskanian has refuted the report by the National Security Service of Armenia that he has given a confession.  He said that according to the logic of the Service's report, one can misuse budgetary funds, pay taxes on them and avoid criminal proceedings.

 Yerevan's communal administrations have started to pressure the activists protesting against the rise in public transport fare in the city. 

Armenia's Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasyan has sent a letter to Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan concerning his decision to raise the public transport fare in the city.

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov has called on the European Union members to live up to obligations to support territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan which is reflected in the policy of European Neighborhood. 

 A source from Yerevan's Municipality has refuted the information that Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan has resigned,

The trial court of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has found Rafael Avagyan and David Barseghyan guilty of espionage and has sentenced them to 10 and 11 years in jail, respectively.

 Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Mayor of Yerevan Tator Margaryan own microbus lines in Yerevan, Ruzanna Gevorgyan, an activist of the Let's Pay 100 AMD movement, told journalists on Wednesday.

The Embassy of Armenia in Syria reports that 40-year-old Armenian woman Tamara Sirunyan was killed and 17 more Armenians were wounded as a result of an attack on a bus in Aleppo. 

 Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 409,5 drams for 1 dollar, 541,5drams for 1 EUR and 12,6 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum selling rates stood at 411 drams for 1 dollar, 543 drams for 1 EUR and 12,7 drams for 1 Russian ruble.                                                  

Azerbaijani and French Foreign Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Laurent Fabius met in Paris on July 23, APA reports quoting the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. 

Even if the public transport fare in Yerevan is reduced to 120 AMD, we will continue our protests, Ruzanna Gevorgyan, an activist of the Let's Pay 100 AMD movement, told ArmInfo on Wednesday.