Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has submitted her resignation to the Verkhovna Rada. Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, announced the move in a post on Facebook. “The Verkhovna Rada has received the resignation letter of Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko,” Stefanchuk wrote. According to Stefanchuk, parliament will consider the matter in the near future. He also thanked Svyrydenko for her service during an exceptionally difficult period for the country. Svyrydenko became Ukraine’s prime minister on July 17, 2025, following the resignation of Denys Shmyhal. Before her appointment, she served as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy. Earlier, she was Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. On July 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a comprehensive government reshuffle, saying Ukraine was changing its political strategy and that the shift required personnel changes. At the same time, Zelensky proposed that Svyrydenko remain part of his team and lead a new key area of work, without providing further details.

Armenia has issued a commemorative postage stamp dedicated to the 150th birth anniversary of Hrachia Acharian as part of the “Prominent Armenians” series.

The stamp, issued on July 13, 2026, has a face value of 320 drams and features renowned Armenian linguist, lexicographer, Honored Scientist of the Armenian SSR, and Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR Hrachia Acharian (1876–1953) against the background of his manuscripts.

The stamp also bears the inscriptions “150th Anniversary” and “Hrachia Acharian” in both Armenian and English.

The UNESCO logo appears on the stamp, as the 150th anniversary of Hrachia Acharian’s birth has been included in UNESCO’s 2026-2027 Calendar of Anniversaries of Eminent Personalities and Important Events.

Technical details

Issue date: July 13, 2026

Designer: David Dovlatyan

Printer: bpost Philately & Stamps Printing (Belgium)

Stamp size: 30 × 40 mm

Stamps per sheet: 10 Print run: 10,000

The Yerevan Mayor’s Cup International Boxing Tournament will be held at the Dinamo Sports Hall in Yerevan from July 21 to 26.

According to the Yerevan Municipality, the tournament is included in the official calendar of European Boxing, the continental federation of World Boxing.

Competition will begin at 11:00 a.m. on July 21.

The finals are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on July 25, while the closing ceremony will take place on July 26.

Armenia’s U16 men’s national basketball team won the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division C title on home soil in Yerevan.

According to the Basketball Federation of Armenia, the Armenian team defeated Malta 97-68 in the final to claim the gold medal.

Armenia finished the tournament undefeated, winning all of its matches.

Armenia U16 national team player Anthony Sargsyan has been named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the FIBA U16 European Championship Division C, held in Yerevan. The Basketball Federation of Armenia announced the award in a statement. During the tournament, Sargsyan averaged 21.0 points, 14.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and an efficiency rating (EFF) of 36.0, making a major contribution to Armenia’s unbeaten run to the Division C title. “Anthony was also named to the tournament’s All-Star Five, confirming that he was one of the standout players of the championship,” the statement said.

FC Noah have signed 22-year-old Serbian centre-forward Marko Lazetić, the Armenian club announced.

According to the club’s press service, Lazetić began his professional career at Red Star Belgrade (Crvena zvezda), where he won two Serbian league titles and the Serbian Cup before joining AC Milan in 2022. He went on to become an Italian champion with the Rossoneri.

During his career, Lazetić has also played for Fortuna Sittard of the Netherlands, Serbian side TSC Bačka Topola, and Austrian club Rheindorf Altach.

His most recent club was Scotland’s Aberdeen, from which FC Noah completed his transfer.

Lazetić will wear the No. 8 shirt at the Yerevan club.

Students from the Gyumri Branch of the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography (YSITC) have won international recognition at the 38th International Festival of University Theatre of Casablanca (FITUC 2026).

Their production, The Labyrinth of Striped Squirrels, received high praise from both audiences and the professional jury, winning the Best Director award.

The production was directed by Artush Mikayelyan and Ludwig Harutyunyan, while Arsen Mikayelyan served as speech coach.

According to Harutyunyan, the play is based on Don Nigro’s Animal Tales series. It explores the psychological world of the individual through a multilayered system of animal symbolism, examining contemporary human identity and existential questions.

The one-hour performance addresses themes including the conflict between the individual and society, isolation, addiction, human vulnerability, and the search for identity. Its characters struggle against indifference while seeking to preserve faith in their dreams, freedom of choice, and inner liberty.

The students’ participation in the festival was made possible through the support of the Hovnanian Foundation.

Founded in 1988, the International Festival of University Theatre of Casablanca (FITUC) is organized by Hassan II University of Casablanca and is regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms for university theatre. Held under the High Patronage of the King of Morocco, the festival annually brings together student theatre companies, theatre professionals, and artists from around the world, promoting cultural dialogue, artistic exchange, and emerging talent.

In addition to its competition program and awards, the festival features masterclasses, conferences, and professional discussions aimed at fostering international cooperation through theatre.

Armenia’s school team won two silver and three bronze medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad, held in Bucaramanga, Colombia, from July 4 to 12. The Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport announced the results in a statement. The Olympiad consisted of theoretical and experimental rounds and brought together more than 400 participants from 91 countries. Armenia was represented by Gor Hovsepyan, a 12th-grade student at the A. Shahinyan Specialized Physics and Mathematics School; Edgar Baghmanyan, an 11th-grade student at the same school; Garnik Gavaljyan and Emil Harutyunyan, 12th-grade students at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia High School; and Samvel Harutyunyan, a 12th-grade student at Quant Gymnasium. Silver medals were awarded to Gor Hovsepyan and Garnik Gavaljyan, while Edgar Baghmanyan, Emil Harutyunyan and Samvel Harutyunyan received bronze medals. The team was led by Bilor Kurghinyan, chairman of the National Physics Olympiad Committee and a teacher at the A. Shahinyan Specialized Physics and Mathematics School, and Hovsep Karapetyan, a physics instructor at the A. Shahinyan Specialized Physics and Mathematics School and the National Polytechnic University of Armenia High School. Artyom Gasparyan, a physics club instructor at the A. Shahinyan Specialized Physics and Mathematics School and the National Polytechnic University of Armenia High School, attended the Olympiad as an observer. Last year, at the 55th International Physics Olympiad held in Paris, France, the Armenian team won two bronze medals and two honourable mentions

Russia and Armenia are bound by special ties and the genuine affection between their peoples, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

“For us, Armenia is not just a sovereign state, although it certainly is. It is also a country with which we share special relations, given our common history and the many things that unite us — families, projects, businesses, and intertwined destinies. The genuine affection between our peoples and cultures, and mutual understanding – these are the real bonds,” Zakharova said in an interview with Olga Blagoveshchenskaya, as quoted by TASS.

Zakharova added that, in her view, Moscow has always provided Armenia with assistance and support, which she said had been driven both by geopolitical considerations and, in her words, by what she described as love.

She also said the two countries are united by shared cultural values that make up what she called “a truly vast world.”

“I am not even referring to how much Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally done to stop bloody conflicts, provide support during difficult periods, and do everything possible to help Armenia develop. In fact, much has also been done in the fields of the economy, energy, industry, and beyond. This is our approach, and we remain consistent in following it,” Zakharova said.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Albania Tigran Mkrtchyan (resident in Athens) met with Igli Hasani, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Albanian Parliament and former foreign minister.

According to the Armenian Embassy, the sides discussed prospects for advancing Armenia-Albania bilateral relations, strengthening interparliamentary ties, and developing new formats of cooperation.

Ambassador Mkrtchyan thanked Hasani for Albania’s support for hosting the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan and briefed him on recent developments in Armenia’s foreign policy agenda, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, the normalization of Armenia-Türkiye relations, and Armenia’s European agenda.

Hasani welcomed the initiative to intensify interparliamentary cooperation and expressed readiness to facilitate contacts between the relevant committees of the Armenian National Assembly and the Albanian Parliament.

He also stressed the importance of developing direct air links, a liberalized visa regime, trade and economic cooperation, and business-to-business contacts between the two countries.

The two sides also discussed opportunities to export Armenian products to the markets of Albania and the Western Balkans.