India-Armenia Defense Push: India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met Armenia’s Defence Minister Suren Papikyan and Chief of General Staff Edvard Asryan in Yerevan, with both sides discussing deeper military-technical cooperation and a new cooperation format, plus an MoU on research, development, innovation and shared defence production. Sanctions Tightening: Armenia’s central bank rules (effective Aug. 12) require banks to identify and block payments that may bypass Western sanctions on Russia, with checks extending to counterparties and beneficial owners. Child Benefit Overhaul: Armenia plans a one-off $1,400 payment for each newborn from Sept. 1, moving benefits fully online/cashless and replacing the old “order of child” structure. Church-State Standoff: Armenia has started the trial of Catholicos Karekin II and six senior clerics over alleged noncompliance with a state order, but the first session ended after a judge recused himself. EU Partnership Mission: The PM’s chief of staff met the head of the EU Partnership Mission to Armenia to align on priorities and coordination for strengthening state resilience. Armenian Security Council Politics: Opposition and political figures reacted to the new Security Council secretary Alen Simonyan, with criticism focused on “security coordination” versus “big-mouthed statuses.” Cultural Spotlight: A French-Armenian theatre memorandum was signed to expand joint dance/drama projects and cultural exchange.