The co-pilot’s attack on the captain during a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was an attempted terrorist act, UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said, according to the WAM news agency.

The attacker was Hamam al-Hamami, an Omani citizen who lived in the UAE. An Israeli official confirmed the pilot’s identity. He was described as holding deeply religious views and displaying hatred and discriminatory attitudes towards women.

In 2024, Hamam al-Hamami worked at Oman Air as a trainee co-pilot but was removed from flying duties after extremist material was found in his possession. However, he was allowed to continue working in an administrative role.

After working at Oman Air, the suspect worked at Royal Air Maroc and joined Flydubai eight months ago. It is unclear why he was allowed to fly or how he came to serve as co-pilot on a flight bound for Israel.

The suspect is cooperating with the investigation and has said that he intended to crash the aircraft in Israel.

The morning session of the Prayer Breakfast 2026 forum took place in Yerevan, bringing together more than 100 senior officials, statespeople and representatives of diplomatic, business and religious circles from Armenia and abroad.

The significant event was organised by the Spiritual Club of Laypeople NGO. It aims to promote dialogue and cooperation grounded in Armenia’s historical Christian identity, peace, leadership based on moral principles and religious freedom.

The Prayer Breakfast also has the long-term aim of developing a vision of Armenia as a leading country committed to religious freedom and prosperity, with a society founded on faith, partnership, innovation and peace.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church welcomed those present and blessed them with the Lord’s Prayer.

Before the speeches, participants were shown a video about the khachkar preserved from the Gethsemane Chapel and Christianity in Armenia.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered the keynote address. He said the ideology of Real Armenia was based on the understanding that the Republic of Armenia, within its internationally recognised territory, was the Promised Land God had given to its people.

“There are also spiritual grounds for this. Mesrop Mashtots is buried in the village of Oshakan, in Armenia’s consolidated Ashtarak municipality, while Khor Virap, the source of our Christian faith, is located in Armenia’s consolidated Vedi municipality. The capital of our Christian faith, the centre of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, our holy of holies, is located in the settlement of Etchmiadzin, in Armenia’s consolidated Vagharshapat municipality. Today’s Republic of Armenia is an _expression_ of our Christian identity, our Promised Land. We speak about our country’s spiritual life, but we must confront several important facts,” Pashinyan said.

He said the first fact was that the Armenian people had lived for around 70 years in the Soviet Union, an atheist state where the word “believer” had negative connotations. According to Pashinyan, those who placed their trust in God were rejected by the state, while believers in the Soviet Union were marginalised and isolated, relegated to the fringes of society.

“After independence, this tendency may have eased, but it has not changed completely. Even today, the word ‘believer’ carries a negative meaning, because there are believers and there are the other citizens. My conviction is that a citizen of the Republic of Armenia should believe in God, because our state is our Promised Land and our language is a pillar of our identity. Today, there is an active spiritual life in our churches and elsewhere, but the problem is that spiritual life is largely church life, confined to the church. It is very important, however, for that spiritual life to leave the church and enter the streets, homes, the marketplace, local government bodies, the government and the legislative, executive and judicial branches. A person is likely to act with much greater integrity if they believe in God. A person will be less vulnerable to corruption risks if they believe in God,” Pashinyan said.

He recalled that there was much discussion in Armenia today about fairness and justice, stressing that a judge who believed in God would be fair and that only then would the judge deliver just verdicts.

“This is important to me not only spiritually but also in terms of statehood. When we speak about values, we must understand where those values come from. Democracy existed before Christianity, but its modern form derives from Christ. When politicians travel from city to city and village to village, sharing their ideas with people, they are, in essence, emulating the work of Jesus Christ. How sincere a politician is in doing so is a matter of their relationship with God and with the people. We are constantly searching for God, yet the answer to that question lies between the lines of Holy Scripture. God is within each person. After seeing large, crowded squares, I have come to the conclusion that God is indeed within every person, but also within the people, because the people are the entity capable of encompassing God,” Pashinyan said.

He stressed that it was very important for the people to engage with this fact and regard their country as God’s dwelling place. In Pashinyan’s view, this was the foundation on which a state and society based on values could be built.

“There is much discussion about civilisation, which touches people through contemporary politics, but we all need solidarity. Views on different regulations can sometimes be radically different. The only way and place in which solidarity can exist, including between politicians, is through a conversation about God and faith, and not only about doctrinal questions. The Prayer Breakfast format is important because everyone is free to speak about their relationship with God, their spiritual feelings and their experience. That is why this is a place where solidarity can exist,” the prime minister said.

He recalled that 3 October was also National Minorities Day in Armenia and stressed that the Prayer Breakfast format allowed people to come together and pray, regardless of their religious denomination.

“Doctrinal disputes among national minorities remain outside this format, which is very important for Armenia. Complete solidarity can exist only around spiritual feelings. We must continue along this path as a path of solidarity, faith, unity and optimism, because believing in God means believing in your own people and state, believing in humanity and believing in yourself,” Pashinyan said.

At the end of his address, the Armenian prime minister read Psalm 5, entitled “Prayer for Protection: A Psalm about the Choirmaster and the Heirs”.

The annual Armenia Engineering Week 2026 series of events opened at Engineering City on 2 October. This year’s theme is “Physical AI: Engineering Intelligence for the Real World”, focusing on the transition of artificial intelligence from digital environments to physical systems and innovative technological solutions in this field.

According to Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence, Minister David Tadevosyan addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in Armenia’s technology agenda, emerging opportunities for the sector’s development and its connection with engineering in his speech at the opening ceremony.

“Today, technology is no longer confined to the digital environment. Artificial intelligence is entering the physical world through robotics, autonomous systems, smart devices and new industrial solutions. This also creates new opportunities for Armenia. It is important for us to be able not only to use these technologies but also to participate in creating them by developing our engineering, scientific and industrial capabilities,” the minister said, adding that achieving these goals required closer cooperation between education, science, business and the state.

David Tadevosyan said Armenia Engineering Week was more than a series of professional meetings. It was an opportunity to explore new ideas that could be developed and to make Armenia’s engineering potential more visible within the international technology community.

In his address, Enterprise Incubator Foundation Director Bagrat Yengibaryan highlighted the role of engineering and high technology in Armenia’s development, the promotion of innovation and the country’s positioning in the global technology landscape.

“Today, AI is shaping a new phase of technological development, and its impact is already extending beyond the digital environment. Physical AI is an important manifestation of this change, bringing together artificial intelligence, engineering thinking, robotics, electronics and other advanced technologies to create new solutions to real-world problems. For Armenia, this is a unique opportunity to harness our engineering and scientific potential, create new jobs, enter new global markets and secure a new strategic position for our country in the world, presenting ourselves not only as a country that uses technology but also as one that solves complex technological problems,” Bagrat Yengibaryan said.

Vassilis Maragos, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, also delivered opening remarks, addressing technological cooperation between Armenia and the EU, the development of the innovation ecosystem and the importance of Armenia’s potential in international technology and engineering partnerships.

The official opening ceremony of Armenia Engineering Week 2026 was followed by the launch of Engineering Expo and a demonstration of a humanoid robot.

The series of events will continue on 3 October at Engineering City, where an engineering exhibition and an education and youth zone will open, alongside sector-specific discussions.

On 4 October, the programme will continue at Vanadzor Technology Centre, which will host regional events and concluding discussions.

Armenia Engineering Week 2026 is being held with the support of Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence, through cooperation between the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) and the Engineering Association.

Roads across Armenia are passable, the Interior Ministry’s Rescue Service said.

According to information received from the Emergency Situations Department of Georgia’s Interior Ministry and the North Ossetia Crisis Management Centre of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry, the Stepantsminda–Lars road is open to all types of vehicles.

Armenian Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan met counterparts from Qatar, Nepal and China in Doha.

In a post on his Facebook page, the minister emphasised that participation in international conferences provided a good opportunity to meet fellow finance ministers and other partners to exchange experience and establish friendly relations.

“In this context, I also had the opportunity in Doha to meet Qatar’s Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and China’s Assistant Minister of Finance Chang Junhong. We discussed the policies being implemented in our countries and agreed on further joint work,” the minister wrote.

Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan, accompanied by representatives of her office, visited St Gregory the Illuminator Medical Centre on 3 October.

According to the Human Rights Defender’s Office, the visit examined issues relating to ensuring the right to medical care and services of Ani Avetisyan, who sustained a gunshot wound in the incident in Shaki, Syunik province.

The office said that all matters concerning the rights of Ani Avetisyan and her children, as well as other rights-related issues arising from the incident, were receiving the Human Rights Defender’s direct attention and would be addressed within her mandate.

The defender emphasised the importance of a comprehensive, objective and proper investigation as part of the criminal proceedings initiated in connection with the incident. The protection of the rights of the person deprived of liberty in this case is also being monitored.

The Human Rights Defender considers adherence to human rights standards throughout all proceedings essential.

On 29 September, Azerbaijan’s State Security Service informed Armenia’s National Security Service that a serviceman from an Azerbaijani military unit had left his post in unknown circumstances and said it could not rule out that he had illegally crossed Armenia’s border. The relevant Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities subsequently carried out search operations.

Armenia’s National Security Service also issued a statement, saying that at 14:15 on 1 October, the Interior Ministry’s 112 Operational Control Centre received a report that an Armenian citizen had been shot in the leg in Shaki, Syunik province.

Operational teams from various units of the Interior Ministry’s police went to the scene. Urgent measures were taken to establish all the circumstances of the incident.

It was established that the crime had been committed by the Azerbaijani serviceman, who was arrested.

Details of the incident were also provided to the Azerbaijani side.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee initiated criminal proceedings in connection with the incident.

Azerbaijani citizen Nasimi Rahim Oghlu Musayev was remanded in custody for two months as part of the criminal proceedings, Armenian Investigative Committee spokesperson Kima Avdalyan said.

The committee had previously reported that, as part of the criminal proceedings concerning the incident in Shaki, Syunik province, a motion had been submitted to the court seeking the remand in custody of the Azerbaijani serviceman who had illegally crossed Armenia’s border.

Armenia defender Artyom Bandikyan suffered an injury during the Nations League match against Cyprus, the Football Federation of Armenia said.

A medical examination revealed that the 21-year-old had sustained an ankle ligament injury. He will be sidelined for three weeks.

Armenia lost 2–0 away to Cyprus in the third round of the Nations League.

Members of the Armenian government were sworn in at the Presidential Residence in the presence of President Vahagn Khachaturyan.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the ceremony was also attended by National Assembly Speaker Ruben Rubinyan, Constitutional Court President Arman Dilanyan, Supreme Judicial Council Chairman Artur Atabekyan and other senior officials.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was the first to read the oath:

“For the continued existence, independence, sovereignty and development of the Republic of Armenia, I swear to conscientiously fulfil my duties as a member of the government, uphold the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia, serve the public interest, protect the interests of the state, contribute to strengthening the statehood and constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia, and act in the interests of present and future generations.”

All other members of the government then took the oath.

At the end of the ceremony, President Vahagn Khachaturyan congratulated the prime minister and government members, saying:

“Honourable Prime Minister, esteemed members of the government,

“I congratulate you on undertaking this important and responsible mission in governing our country.

“The oath taken today entails a profound responsibility towards the Republic of Armenia and our citizens. It is a pledge of loyalty to statehood, the Constitution and the law.

“Serving as a member of the government is a great honour, but also a weighty obligation. The most important measure of your work is its results: resolving the problems facing the country, improving people’s lives and strengthening the state.

“Armenia faces serious challenges today. Overcoming them requires consistency, resilience and daily dedication. It is important to recognise the possibility of a solution in every problem and boldly seek new paths and new ideas.

“The world and our region are changing rapidly. This reality requires Armenia and all of us to adopt new ways of thinking, show initiative and possess the ability to anticipate the future. Seeking modern approaches, new opportunities and new paths is an important condition for our country’s progress.

“May the Constitution and the law, the primacy of the state’s interests and responsibility towards people always underpin your work. Public office is, ultimately, service to the state and its citizens.

“I am confident that your experience and knowledge, your work and dedication will serve the development and strengthening of the Republic of Armenia.

“I wish you strength, resolve and success in this responsible mission.

“Congratulations.”