Author: Emil Lazarian

Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has agreed to a contract extension with the Nerazzurri, according to Sky Sport.

The former captain and all-time top goalscorer of the Armenian national football team has reportedly agreed to remain at Inter Milan for one more season, with the deal including a pay cut. According to Sky Sport, Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu convinced Mkhitaryan to stay. Details of the new contract will reportedly be discussed in the coming days.

Chairman of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee of Armenia Eduard Hakobyan hosted representatives of the International Monetary Fund mission and head of the IMF mission in Armenia Alexander Ferenc Timan on May 26-27.

Welcoming the IMF representatives, Hakobyan highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the State Revenue Committee and the IMF, stressing the Fund’s key role in the process of tax and customs reforms implemented by the SRC.

The State Revenue Committee said discussions during the meetings focused on the SRC’s priorities in the context of shaping a multi-year mission programme and structuring the IMF’s capacity development efforts in Armenia.

The sides also discussed and outlined further areas of cooperation with the IMF aimed at strengthening the SRC’s institutional capacities, including the introduction of a taxation system for cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, improvement of compliance risk management, as well as possible technical assistance for enhancing cooperation and integration of the functions of customs and tax systems.

Armenian authorities have denied receiving any letter from Russia in connection with reported claims about possible pressure over energy supply agreements.

Russian newspaper Kommersant had alleged that Moscow warned it could suspend or cancel deliveries of gas, petroleum products, and uncut diamonds if Armenia continues its EU accession process, and that a letter to this effect was sent on May 25 by Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov to the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure.

However, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure told Armenpress that no such correspondence has been received.

Under the 2013 agreement signed between Armenia and Russia, Russia supplies Armenia with gas, petroleum products, and uncut diamonds without export duties and under preferential conditions for domestic consumption. According to the Kommersant report, if the agreement is terminated, Armenia would be obliged to pay compensation to Russia, or the unpaid amounts would be recognized as Armenia’s state debt to Russia.

The U.S. Treasury Department is preparing to print $250 bills with President Donald Trump’s face on them and is just waiting for Congress’ green light, NBC News reported citing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Bessent said that as secretary, he has “two mandates” for currency: “At present, no living person can be on U.S. currency, and the currency must say ‘In God We Trust.’”

Bessent added there is proposed legislation on Capitol Hill to “change the first requirement so that a living person, Donald J. Trump, could be on a $250 bill.”

“At Treasury we prepare things in advance, so we have prepared in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law,” NBC News quoted Bessent as saying at a press briefing.

Bessent compared adding Trump’s face to the currency to the upcoming festivities for the country’s 250th anniversary and said the issue “bifurcated” from the growing affordability crisis as Americans struggle to buy gas and groceries.

“I don’t think that there’s anything untoward about having the president of the United States, the person who was president of the United States on the 250th anniversary bill,” Bessent told reporters during the briefing.

The proposed legislation, introduced last year by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., was referred in February 2025 to the House Financial Services Committee, where it has remained since. Legislation would have to be approved by the House and Senate before it could be signed into law by Trump.

Should the banknotes be produced, it would not be the only way Trump’s presidency would be immortalized on paper currency. In March, the Treasury said it would include Trump’s signature on paper currency — another first for a sitting president. At the time, the Treasury said that move was also being made in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary.

Furthermore, a federal commission of Trump-appointed members approved a design that would include Trump’s image on 24-karat commemorative gold coins, also in honor of the 250th anniversary. That design still requires official approval from the Treasury.

No U.S. aircraft were shot down near Bushehr, Iran, despite a claim made ⁠on Iranian state TV, the U.S. military said.

Iran’s state TV said early on Friday that a U.S. aircraft was destroyed in Iran’s Jam ‌governorate ⁠in Bushehr, citing its governor Masoud Tangestani.

“No U.S. aircraft were shot down. ⁠All U.S. air assets are accounted for,” the U.S. ⁠Central Command said in a post ⁠on X.

NATO member Romania said on Friday that a drone injured two people in a southeastern city during an overnight Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine, the ‌first time in the war that a drone had hit a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries, Reuters reported citing local authorities.

The drone hit the roof of a 10-storey block of flats in Galati and caused an explosion, the authorities said.

Romania, which shares a 650-km (400-mile) land border with Ukraine, has experienced Russian drones breaching its airspace 28 times since Moscow began attacking Kyiv’s ports across the Danube river, Romania’s ⁠defense ministry said.

The ministry said it had recovered drone fragments that fell in Romania 47 times.

“Romania will take the necessary diplomatic measures in response to this serious violation of international law and its airspace,” Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said on X.

“Romania has informed the Allies and the NATO Secretary General of the circumstances and has requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania.”

The defense ministry said it scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter to monitor the attack, adding the pilots were authorized to shoot down any drones. The residents of border counties Braila, Galati and Tulcea were warned to take cover.

Romanian law allows it to shoot down drones during peacetime if lives or property are at risk, but it has not yet done so.

In Friday’s incident, a fire broke out in a 10th-floor apartment after ‌the drone ⁠struck the building’s roof and exploded, Romania’s emergency response agency said. Two people were receiving medical treatment on site, it said, adding 70 people had evacuated.

The Armenian men’s ice hockey team will compete in the 2027 IIHF World Championship in Division IV Group A.

According to a press release issued by the Armenian Ice Hockey Federation, the Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has approved India and Morocco to participate in the Championship. As a result, Division IV now includes eight national teams, and the federation has decided to split it into two subgroups, A and B.

The Armenian national team will compete in Group A of Division IV against Kuwait, Indonesia, and Singapore.

The top-performing team will be promoted to Division IV Group B in 2028.

Kuwait and Indonesia have submitted bids to host the tournament.

The host will be announced later.

The presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan haveadopted a joint statement proposing that Armenia hold a nationwidereferendum “as soon as possible” on whether to join the European Unionor remain a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The jointstatement was published on the Kremlin’s official website.

The statement, adopted in Astana on May 29, says the position wasformed in light of Armenia’s recent steps towards European Unionmembership. Those steps include the adoption in 2025 by Armenia’sNational Assembly, and the subsequent signing by the President of theRepublic, of the law “On the launch of the process of the Republic ofArmenia’s accession to the European Union”, as well as the EuropeanUnion’s reaffirmation of Armenia’s European aspirations in the jointdeclaration adopted following the first Armenia-European Union summitheld on May 5, 2026.

“We share the position that it is necessary to hold a nationwidereferendum in the Republic of Armenia within the shortest possibletimeframe on the issue of accession to the European Union or continuedmembership in the Eurasian Economic Union,” the statement said.

The document also states that “the leaders of the EAEU member statessee significant economic security risks for the Union’s membercountries linked to Armenia’s preparations for accession to theEuropean Union.”

In this regard, it was decided that representatives of the Republic ofBelarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and theRussian Federation in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council willpresent a report at the next meeting of the Supreme Eurasian EconomicCouncil, scheduled for December 2026, on the possible consequences ofsuspending the application of the Treaty on the Eurasian EconomicUnion with respect to the Republic of Armenia.