‘Won’t be anything left’: Trump issues warning to Iran after national securit

Iran11:03, 18 May 2026
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U.S. President Donald Trump met with top members of his national security team to discuss the path forward on the Iran war, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the meeting.

The discussion took place a day before Trump said Tehran “better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.”

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! President DJT,” Trump posted on social media Sunday.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and special envoy Steve Witkoff all attended the meeting at the president’s Virginia golf club, CNN reported citing its source.

In recent days, Trump has more seriously considered resuming major combat operations in Iran as a way to force them to a compromise to end the war, CNN previously reported, despite his preference to settle the conflict diplomatically.

Trump is expected to meet again with his national security team regarding the war early this week, the source told CNN.

The Pentagon has prepared a series of military target plans should Trump ultimately decide to move forward with more strikes, sources familiar with the talks told CNN, including targeted strikes on energy and infrastructure sites in Iran.

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Military drone crashes in Lithuania, suspected to be Ukrainian-origin

Europe11:26, 18 May 2026
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A drone has crashed in the Utena district of northern Lithuania, with initial assessments suggesting it is of Ukrainian origin, the country’s national broadcaster LRT reported, citing authorities. 

The Lithuanian National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) said it received reports at around 19:00 local time on Sunday that a drone had been found crashed in a field near Samanė village.

At a press conference that evening, NKVC director Vilmantas Vitkauskas said the aircraft appeared to be a military drone, though he cautioned that further details were pending.

“It has crashed, but there are no signs of an explosion. Whether it carries a warhead or not is difficult to say at this stage,” LRT quoted Vitkauskas as saying, adding that more precise information would be available once a specialist team had returned from the scene.

Lithuanian military radar did not detect the drone earlier in the day, according to the armed forces. The incident was reported by local residents.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda warned warring parties this week against using Lithuanian territory for drone strikes, saying this would constitute a gross violation of sovereignty and international law.

In March, a Ukrainian military drone also crashed in Lithuania’s southeastern Varėna district near the Belarusian border, which authorities said had veered off course due to Russian electronic warfare measures. Similar incidents have become more frequent in the Baltic region in recent months.

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Hezbollah claims heavy Israeli armored losses over one month

Near East13:06, 18 May 2026
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Hezbollah reported conducting 339 military operations against Israeli troops from April 16 to May 17, as a result of which 48 Israeli tanks were disabled.

“In response to the enemy’s violations of the ceasefire, the Islamic resistance forces attacked 15 command posts, three barracks, two military bases, seven artillery positions, and one helipad,” the Lebanese organization said in a statement on social media.

It added that over the past month, 48 tanks, 18 armored personnel carriers, and 12 off-road vehicles have been completely or partially destroyed after being hit by guided missiles or kamikaze drones.

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G7 finance chiefs seek to tackle imbalances in wake of bond selloff

Iran15:07, 18 May 2026
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G7 finance ministers acknowledged mounting concern over public debt and bond market volatility as they met in Paris on Monday in the wake of a bond market selloff triggered ‌by fears over inflation risks from the Iran war, Reuters reported.

Ministers are set to discuss the economic fallout from the conflict and volatility on global bond markets, which are of particular concern to Japan, as they also seek common ground on tackling economic tensions and global imbalances, according to Reuters.

Bonds from Tokyo to New York extended losses on Monday, with investors betting on central bank rate hikes over worries that rising energy prices could stoke inflation.

Asked if bond markets were collapsing, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said: “They’re undergoing a correction – I wouldn’t say they’re collapsing.”

“We are no longer in a period where public debt is not a subject,” he told reporters as he arrived at the meeting.

The meeting, which will also be attended by representatives from ⁠G7 central banks, will tackle how countries can co-ordinate their response to shocks such as inflation through temporary, targeted and reversible measures, the French finance ministry said.

German central bank head Joachim Nagel said that policymakers could do a lot to calm markets and give them positive momentum.

Asked on arrival if she was worried by the bond selloff, European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde told reporters: “I always worry, that’s my job.”

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said she was instructed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “minimize various risks”, when asked about the rise in long-term interest rates, without elaborating.

The G7 finance ministers will try to find common ground on tackling global economic tensions and coordinating critical raw material supplies.

“Don’t put in place measures that would make the situation worse,” International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said as she arrived for the meeting.

Finance ministers will be looking for an update on U.S.-China relations following the Trump-Xi summit and the latest U.S. efforts to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the trip to China had been very successful, adding that he would urge the G7 to follow sanctions to target Iran’s “war machine”.

Reuters also reported that Syria would take part in a closed-door session with G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in Paris on Monday.

The two-day G7 finance chiefs’ meeting is dominated by global economic imbalances, trade tensions and the fallout from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

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Strong Armenia members jailed over alleged disruption of Civil Contract campai

Law10:26, 18 May 2026
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Six suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention, and one has been placed under house arrest, for allegedly obstructing a campaign event of the Civil Contract Party in Lori Province.

The suspects are representatives of the Strong Armenia alliance, according to the Investigative Committee.

A total of 10 individuals were previously detained in connection with the incident. Authorities have requested that the suspects be remanded in custody; hearings for three individuals are still pending.

Supporters of the Strong Armenia alliance allegedly disrupted an election campaign event announced by the Civil Contract Party after learning its location in advance.

On May 16, they are said to have blocked a road with vehicles at the entrance to Norashen, obstructing campaign activities. On the same day in Metsavan, they reportedly played loud music and used violence against Civil Contract Party participants, further disrupting the event.

A criminal case was opened under Article 211(2)(5) for obstruction of campaigning committed by multiple individuals, and 10 people were detained.

At the time, the Civil Contract Party’s campaign in Lori Province was led by Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, who was officially on leave to campaign for the party.

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Armenia takes third place at European SAMBO Championships in Tbilisi

Sports10:43, 18 May 2026
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The Armenia national team finished third in the team standings at the European SAMBO Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Armenian SAMBO athletes won a total of nine medals: two gold, three silver, and four bronze.

Russia finished first in the team standings, while Ukraine took second place.

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Mkhitaryan makes 900th career appearance

Sports10:55, 18 May 2026
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The Inter Milan vs. Hellas Verona Serie A match marked Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s 900th appearance in a professional football career spanning nearly two decades.

Inter Milan midfielder and former Armenia captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan was named Player of the Match in the game that ended in a 1–1 draw.

Inter Milan had earlier clinched their 21st Italian Serie A title after securing a victory over Parma.

Mkhitaryan’s 900 appearances span Pyunik, Metalurh Donetsk, Shakhtar Donetsk, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Arsenal, Roma, and Inter Milan, as well as the Armenian national team.

Across his career, the 37-year-old has collected 28 major trophies, including league titles in Armenia, Ukraine, and Italy, as well as the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Community Shield, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana.

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Armenia seizes nearly 30 kilos of hashish in truck transiting to Georgia, Iran

Law11:41, 18 May 2026
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An Iranian national has been placed under arrest by Armenian law enforcement agencies after customs agents discovered nearly 30 kilos of hashish hidden in his cargo truck, which was transiting through Armenia from the Islamic Republic and bound for Georgia.

The State Revenue Committee said in a press release that the truck driven by the Iranian citizen, identified only by initials J. Sh., was stopped at Armenia’s Agarak border checkpoint while entering the country, officially declared as carrying construction tiles, with Georgia listed as the final destination.

During routine customs procedures, an initial X-ray inspection did not reveal any irregularities.

However, further checks using K9 units indicated the possible presence of narcotics in the trailer. The vehicle was then sent for a more detailed inspection at a customs facility, where authorities dismantled parts of the trailer.

The search revealed specially constructed hidden compartments containing approximately 28 kilograms of hashish, divided into 111 separate packages.

The Iranian citizen was detained and transferred to the Syunik Regional Investigative Department.

A criminal case has been initiated, and an investigation is underway to clarify all the circumstances of the case, as well as any possible accomplices and organizers.

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Armenia gained statehood and independence by going through war, says Pashinyan

Politics12:05, 18 May 2026
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other senior members of the Civil Contract party continued campaigning across Yerevan ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan, who is officially on leave for the campaign period, spoke to residents in the Arabkir district about statehood, independence, as well as achievements in the science sector.

He stressed that Armenia, having gone through difficult trials, has managed to gain independent statehood.

“Yes, we have gone through war, we have had casualties, but by going through all of that, we have gained a state and independence,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the families of fallen servicemen should understand that their children died for the preservation of Armenia’s statehood.

“Today, every parent of a fallen soldier should know that their son, their child, has fallen so that their state may endure, so that their state may become independent, become a real state, become prosperous, become free, become happy,” Pashinyan noted.

Speaking about achievements in science, he highlighted his government’s increased funding.

“Since 2018, funding for science in Armenia has increased threefold,” the Prime Minister said.

According to Pashinyan, scientific institutions have been supplied with equipment funded by the state budget that had never previously been available in Armenia.

He emphasized that a supercomputer acquired through state funding is now operating at Yerevan State University.

Nineteen political forces are running in the June 7 parliamentary election.

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Lithuanian FM to visit Armenia

Politics13:11, 18 May 2026
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Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys will arrive in Armenia on May 19 on an official visit, the foreign ministry announced on Monday.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will hold a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, followed by a joint press conference.

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