Parliament once again failed to convene its plenary session on Wednesday as the required number of lawmakers were absent.

Deputy Speaker Hakob Arshakyan said that, pursuant to the rules of procedure, registration will remain open for up to four hours.

Aside from Arshakyan, only two MPs were present – Hovik Aghazaryan and Hakob Aslanyan.

The MPs are busy campaigning ahead of the parliamentary elections. Parliament failed to ensure a quorum earlier on Tuesday as well.

UEFA has revealed the schedule for the European competition qualifiers for the 2026–2027 season.

According to the schedule, Armenian Premier League champions Ararat-Armenia will begin their European campaign in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.

Armenian Cup winners Noah will enter the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Alashkert and Pyunik will start in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) has repaid another portion of its loan obligations to international banks, amounting to around $9 million, the company’s interim administrator Romanos Petrosyan said in a statement.

Petrosyan noted that the company’s current loan portfolio stands at approximately $347.6 million.

He said that ENA’s loan portfolio has been reduced by more than $50 million during the period of interim management.

The Armenian government enacted emergency legislation in 2025 to take over management of ENA, owned by Samvel Karapetyan’s Tashir Group, accusing the power distributor of mismanagement. It then revealed plans to nationalize the company through eminent domain law.

“In recent days, Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) has repaid another portion of its loan obligations to international banks, amounting to around $9 million.

As of July 2025, at the time when the head of the Public Services Regulatory Commission initiated administrative proceedings against ENA, the company had total loan obligations to international and local banks, as well as issued bonds (including accrued interest), of about $396.8 million, of which around $123.3 million was owed to international banks (with the company’s 100% shares pledged as collateral). At present, ENA’s loan portfolio stands at approximately $347.6 million, of which $93.2 million is in international loans.

Accordingly, during the period of interim management, the company’s financial obligations to international and local banks have been reduced by about $50 million (including early repayments),” Romanos Petrosyan said in a statement on social media, adding that the payments were made exclusively from ENA’s own funds, alongside normal financial and operational activity, without involving any additional financing.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that the agenda of meetings to be held within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union in Kazakhstan on May 28 will not be easy due to the situation surrounding Armenia.

“Beyond integration-related topics, you know that the situation concerning Armenia is not simple. Armenia’s integration with the European Union is incompatible with membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. Armenia has chosen a course toward integration with another bloc. These are mutually exclusive processes. Yerevan, in accordance with Armenian legislation, must orient itself toward the European Union. A corresponding law has been adopted in Armenia, which essentially legally obliges the government and all levels of state administration to orient themselves toward European integration,” the Russian state agency TASS quoted Peskov as saying.

The Kremlin spokesperson also said that membership in the European Union is not a near-term prospect even for countries that hold candidate status. He cited Türkiye as an example, stressing that despite having been an EU candidate country for decades, Ankara has still not come close to joining the bloc.

At the same time, Peskov emphasized that the benefits Armenia receives from the EAEU are guaranteed, while whether similar guarantees could come from European integration is for Armenians themselves to decide.

“It is not for us to judge what dividends European integration may bring Armenia, but we can point to the dividends Armenia receives from membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. This amounts to annual GDP growth of several percentage points. Whether the European Union can ensure the same is probably something Armenians themselves, not us, should decide,” Peskov said.

He added that no one can convince Armenia not to leave the Eurasian Economic Union, but stressed that clarifications will nevertheless be needed.

“Of course, no one can ask Armenia otherwise, especially since it has already legally oriented itself toward the European Union. But, naturally, some clarifications will be necessary. For us, it is important that the actions of any country do not harm integration processes within the Eurasian Economic Union, because this integration is of paramount importance to us – it is an absolute priority,” Peskov underlined.

He also said it would be wrong to claim that Armenia’s fate would be decided at the May 28 meeting of EAEU member-state leaders in Kazakhstan, which Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not attend due to the election campaign.

“Armenia remains a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, and in any case the country will participate in the EAEU summit at the working level. The country’s top leadership is occupied with the election campaign, which is understandable,” he said.

Peskov also noted that no contacts are currently planned between the Armenian prime minister and Russian President.

“There have been contacts recently. At the moment, there are no such plans,” the Kremlin spokesperson said.

A teachers’ conference titled “The Role of Technological Innovations in Education” was held in Yerevan, bringing together officials, international partners and members of the education community to discuss the opportunities and challenges of using technology, AI and innovative solutions in the education system.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Araksia Svajyan said that Armenia’s general education system is among the regional leaders in technological education.

She noted that the introduction of technology in education brings both significant opportunities and certain risks.

“On the one hand, technologies ensure innovation, stimulate students’ creativity and contribute to the creation of new ideas and products. On the other hand, numerous studies show that they can negatively affect children’s health, motivation to learn and other processes. Therefore, it is very important to find the right balance and understand which technologies can be used for which age groups,” Svajyan said.

She emphasized that the goal of the conference is to present successful practices and share experience.

Svajyan said that many interesting projects are currently being implemented in general education schools, some of which evolve into startup prototypes and can become the basis for students’ future professional activities.

“We also organized today’s conference in an expo format so that school representatives could learn about existing programs in general education and students’ initiatives. It is truly inspiring to see children’s interest and creativity,” she said.

Addressing the use of technology, Svajyan stressed that its introduction into schools is inevitable in modern education.

“No matter how interestingly a teacher presents the material, technological tools, videos, laboratory experiments and interactive methods can still make learning more effective and engaging,” she said.

At the same time, the deputy minister emphasized the importance of clearly defining the limits of artificial intelligence use, noting that while it can create major opportunities, it may also pose risks if students become fully dependent on such tools.

Yerevan State University (YSU) Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, in his remarks, said that since its founding, YSU has been an important center of knowledge, science and educational progress.

He noted that today the rapid transformation of the education system is driven by technology, including artificial intelligence, digital learning platforms, interactive content and personalized approaches.

“Today, many universities around the world are developing regulations and approaches to ensure that artificial intelligence tools serve higher-quality education,” Hovhannisyan said.

He emphasized that technology cannot replace the human presence of a teacher, their professional responsibility and ability to inspire, but when used correctly, it can expand teachers’ capabilities and make learning more effective.

Silvia Mestroni, UNICEF Representative ad interim in Armenia, noted that the teachers’ conference has already become an important annual platform for discussing urgent issues in the education sector.

She said that the relationship between technology and education is currently one of the most widely debated topics in the field worldwide.

“Technological progress is advancing very rapidly, and this can sometimes create challenges for teachers. However, many teachers have turned this challenge into an opportunity and have become pioneers in the effective use of technology,” Mestroni said.

She emphasized that discussions on the use of technology in education should not be limited to devices or platforms alone.

“The quality of education also depends on pedagogical methodology, the learning environment, policies and, most importantly, the teacher,” she said.

Mestroni stressed that technology alone cannot solve all existing problems in education systems and may, in some cases, even deepen existing gaps. She noted that access to technology is not equal across communities in different countries, which can also affect educational opportunities.

Within the framework of the conference, students from several schools presented innovative projects of their own, which could in the future serve as a basis for new and useful technological solutions.

An Israeli tank column has crossed the Litani River and is advancing toward the city of Nabatieh, the administrative centre of Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon, Al Hadath television reported.

According to the broadcaster, Hezbollah fighters attempted to slow the advance of Israeli forces, putting up fierce resistance in the areas of Arnoun and Al-Ghandouriya. Clashes are reportedly still continuing in some locations.

Israeli artillery has shelled the area around the medieval Beaufort Castle near Nabatieh, where movements of opposing forces were observed. Several settlements have fallen within the bombardment zone.

There are reported casualties and injuries among civilians, although the exact number has not yet been confirmed.

Israeli military commanders had earlier instructed residents of 14 communities in the Western Bekaa region to evacuate their homes ahead of air strikes targeting Hezbollah bases and military facilities in the area.

Similar warnings were also issued to residents of 12 villages in the border district of Tyre.

U.S.-based company Anthropic has raised $65 billion in its latest funding round, bringing its valuation to $965 billion, The Hill reported.

It marks a massive gain in value for Anthropic, which just three months ago raised $30 billion at a $380 billion valuation. The company leapfrogs OpenAI, whose latest funding round in February put the ChatGPT maker at $852 billion.

“This funding will help us serve the historic demand we are experiencing, stay at the research frontier, and bring Claude to more of the places where work happens,” Krishna Rao, Anthropic’s chief financial officer, said in a statement.

Both Anthropic and OpenAI are widely expected to go public this year, as the pair of AI rivals seek access to additional funding to cover the vast amount of computing power required to continue developing the technology.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is also considered part of the AI horse race following its merger with xAI, has already filed for an initial public offering (IPO). It is reportedly eyeing a $1.75 trillion valuation.

Anthropic’s latest funding round comes as the company separately announced Thursday that it plans to release its Mythos model more widely.

Last month, it offered a limited group of companies and government agencies early access to the new, more powerful model. The model, which can spot decades-old security flaws, sparked concerns that it could boost the capabilities of hackers to find and exploit these vulnerabilities in critical systems.

“Models of this capability level require stronger cyber safeguards before they can be generally released,” the company noted in a press release. “We’re making swift progress on developing these safeguards and expect to be able to bring Mythos-class models to all our customers in the coming weeks.”

Qatari authorities have rejected an official request from Tehran to unconditionally unfreeze $12 billion in Iranian assets as part of efforts aimed at resolving the situation in the Middle East, the London-based Iran International television channel reported, citing sources.

According to the broadcaster, Qatari authorities rejected Tehran’s firm call for the immediate and unconditional release of the $12 billion alongside the publication of a memorandum of understanding with the United States. Instead, Doha agreed to unfreeze only half of the funds and under strict conditions.

The report said Qatar had proposed unfreezing $6 billion in the form of a credit facility that would be used by Iran to purchase goods produced in Qatar.

Speaking in Singapore on May 30 at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister said that Doha and other countries in the region are seeking to develop a comprehensive strategy towards Tehran, including on political and trade-related issues.

He acknowledged that the Arab states of the Gulf have yet to reach a common approach to engagement with Iran.

The Qatari deputy prime minister also said that the permanent imposition of fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz would be unacceptable.

According to him, the only issue that could be considered within the framework of negotiations is the introduction of a temporary charge, provided that the funds raised are used for mine-clearance operations in the strait and the restoration of navigation.

He also stressed that such fees should not become a precedent or be applied in other straits around the world, warning that doing so would disrupt international maritime transport and communications.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper has ruled that the renaming of the Kennedy Center as the Trump-Kennedy Center was unlawful, finding that the institution should remain dedicated exclusively to former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Politico reported on May 29.

President Donald Trump’s effort to rebrand the Kennedy Center in his own name is illegal, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said the rebranding of the institution that honors President John F. Kennedy as the “Trump-Kennedy Center” violated the clear language of federal law that requires the building to honor “President Kennedy and President Kennedy alone.”

The order to revert to the original, longstanding name came as part of a broader ruling that also overturned a plan announced in March to close the center for two years for renovations. Cooper, an Obama appointee, said repairs to the campus can proceed and an outright closure in the future might be lawful if the center’s board is more thoroughly consulted.

But he blasted the board for making its closure decision based on “an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information” that “neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations and potential adverse consequences of closure on programming and memorial functions.”

Hours after the ruling, Trump said in a social media post that he would abandon his pursuit of a Kennedy Center redesign and direct his administration to transfer oversight of the center to Congress.

Cooper’s ruling is a stinging blow for Trump, who has made clear his personal stake in the rebranding and remodeling of the Kennedy Center. Officials at the performing arts center told Cooper in evidentiary hearings about Trump’s direct involvement even in the minutiae of the redesigned campus and ballrooms, from the details of the chairs to the plans for exposed steel on the exterior to the design of the decorative columns.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department said it “will continue to defend President Trump’s ability to restore the Center to its former glory as the finest performing arts center in the country — if not the world.”

Roma Daravi, the center’s vice president of public relations, said it remains “committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”

During the litigation, the Justice Department also contended that the renaming of the building as the Trump-Kennedy Center was legal because it was merely an informal nickname, despite the fact that Trump’s name was added to the building’s marble facade last December.

But Cooper cited official statements from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt describing the formal “renaming” of the center and other efforts to tout the rebranding, concluding that they “reflect far more than an innocuous nicknaming.”

Cooper’s ruling against Trump’s plans came in a lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), who serves as an ex officio member of the center’s board. She argued in the lawsuit that the Trump administration’s moves illegally deprived her of her power to vote on the closure and remodeling plan, and frustrated board members’ legal duty to maintain a presidential memorial and present arts programming.

In another ruling Friday, Cooper denied a bid by a preservation group to force the Kennedy Center to consult with outside groups before undertaking its planned renovations. The judge said the scope of the work described by the current executive director of the center, Matt Floca, did not appear to require such consultation.