An Armenia side with a larger pool of players to choose from and a major Diaspora recruit are set to start their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a fixture against the Republic of Ireland on Friday.

The match in Yerevan will be followed by an away game against Macedonia on September 7.

During the recent working visit to Nagorno Karabakh on August 29, the president of Armenia once again stated that Armenia’s efforts must constantly be directed at making not only Azerbaijan but all other countries too, understand that Karabakh’s return to Azerbaijan is out of question, and that Artsakh (NKR) is a viable state as it is.

The Nagorno Karabakh issue seemed to be put to rest after the sixth meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on June 17 and the major ceasefire violation by the Azeri immediately following the meeting, when four Armenian soldiers died as a result of the attack in Martakert region of Nagorno Karabakh.

Team Armenia have returned with four medals, including one silver, from the first-ever Youth Olympic Games that ended in Singapore last week.

The 2010 Summer Games held August 14-26 had brought together around 3,500 athletes, aged 14-18, from 205 countries.

A 30 percent rise in bread prices and a 20 percent increase in the price of flour in Armenia follow an unprecedented drought in Russia, a major world grain producer and Armenia’s main wheat supplier.

The decision by Moscow earlier this month to place a ban on the export of wheat until the end of this year for fear of shortages on its domestic market resulted in rising prices on the international grain market, which also affected prices in Armenia.

About three dozen lecturers of a prestigious French-Armenian school in Yerevan will see in the new academic year in the status of unemployed after being controversially dismissed last month.

The administration of the French University in Armenia says the reason for dismissing 29 lecturers was both the end of the term of their employment contracts and their failure to meet the quality requirements necessary to work for the university and failing to adhere to the internal disciplinary norms of the institution.

Parents looking for stationery, clothes, bags and other items for their children become main customers at street markets and subway stores as the start of a new school year approaches in Armenia.

The traditional “first bell” will sound September 1, to ring in another year of life getting more expensive here.

A top Ukrainian club expects its new Armenian signing to help achieve better results domestically as well as in the UEFA Champions League commencing later this month.

Shakhtar Donetsk have officially announced this week that they have completed the transfer of young midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from the city’s rival club Metallurh, at a cost of 6 million euros (about $7.5 million).

Persons who import cars for personal use from other countries, (mostly from Georgia) to Armenia are discontent with the new government-supported legislative initiative according to which individuals would not be allowed to register their vehicles as a temporary import.

The August 19-20 state visit to Armenia by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev triggered discussions in the country about what part of its sovereignty and national security Armenia may delegate to Russia.

During Medvedev’s visit, Moscow and Yerevan signed a protocol extending Russia’s lease on the Russian military base in Armenia and expanding “the geography” of its actions. The amended 1995 treaty also commits the Russian military base stationed in the Armenian northwestern city of Gyumri to protecting the security of the whole of Armenia, and not only along the borders of the former Soviet Union as before, but along the entire perimeter of the Republic of Armenia borders.

This year’s September 1 was a festive occasion not only for schoolchildren and university students, but also for Armenian soccer players, who from now on have an opportunity to get training at a modern soccer academy built with assistance from international soccer’s governing bodies.

The facility built in Yerevan’s northeastern Avan district is the largest in the South Caucasus and its goal is to promote the development of soccer in Armenia.