Latest news with #Armenian
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
'I was valued so much more at Man Utd – now I'm a Champions League finalist'
Matteo Darmian arrived at Manchester United in 2015, and while his time there was lacklustre and his value has since plummeted, he's now a Champions League finalist with Inter Milan Matteo Darmian endured a tough time at Manchester United, though his plummeting transfer value hasn't stopped him from becoming a Champions League finalist with Inter Milan. The Italian right-back was poached from Torino in 2015 for a respectable £12.7million, and he started his United career with an impressive 1-0 Premier League win against Tottenham under Louis van Gaal. He was named the club's Player of the Month for that August. In the years to come, Darmian would prove himself as a dependable squad player, aiding in FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League victories under different managers. Although he was never quite the first name on the team sheet, he carved out a respectable top-flight career as a versatile, solid option at full-back. Darmian left Old Trafford in 2019, heading back to his homeland and Serie A with Parma. A year later, after some solid outings, he joined Inter on loan, before signing permanently at the end of that season. Since then, Darmian has proven to be an underrated piece of Inter's continuous hunt for silverware, winning a pair of Scudettos, three Italian Super Cups and two Coppa Italia trophies. Now he has the opportunity to add the Champions League to that roll of honours when Inter take on PSG on Saturday night. But he'll line up for the match with his value vastly reduced from his time with the Red Devils. Upon signing for United, Darmian was valued at £12.5m, which was similar to the fee United paid for him, according to Transfermarkt. This depreciated over time as the defender got older and failed to leave too much of a mark at Old Trafford. As a result, in 2018, he was valued at £10m. When Darmian moved to Parma at the age of 30 in 2020, his value stood at £7m. Just before his move to Inter, aged 31, this plummeted to around £3m. This sum is where the Champions League finalist's value remains at the age of 35. However, Darmian will not be the only ex-United star who is part of Inter's showpiece-reaching squad, as the Henrikh Mkhitaryan will also be present in Munich. The Red Devils purchased the Armenian in 2016 for £26m from German side Borussia Dortmund, though his estimated value at the time was £31m. Mkhitaryan's form at Old Trafford was sketchy, but he featured regularly under Jose Mourinho before moving to Arsenal as part of the deal that saw Alexis Sanchez go in the opposite direction. Upon joining the Gunners, he was valued at £29m, though this dropped to £21m the following year before he sealed a transfer to Roma. There, his value would decrease again, despite the fact he won the Conference League. By 2022, when he moved to Inter, he was valued at just £7m. As of this year, at the age of 36, the Armenian has a valuation of just £3.3m. Nevertheless, he has compiled a brilliant collection of silverware over an impressive career, winning a Scudetto, the Carabao Cup and the Europa League, among other honours.
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt's Ambassador: Armenia–Egypt Relations Enter 'Golden Era' of Cooperation
H-Tayea Egypt's Ambassador to Armenia, Serenade Soliman Gamil, has described current Armenia–Egypt relations as entering a 'golden era,' marked by deepening diplomatic, economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties. In an interview with Armenpress, the Ambassador praised the growing cooperation between the two historically connected nations, noting a wave of recent high-level exchanges and agreements that are reshaping bilateral engagement across multiple sectors. Ambassador Gamil credited the historic visit of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Armenia in January 2023 as a turning point, which was soon followed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Egypt in March 2024. These visits were marked by the signing of numerous cooperation documents across education, culture, technology, environment, and investment. 'We are now living in the golden period of our relations,' Ambassador Gamil said. 'Our peoples have shared a deep connection for centuries—this new chapter is only building on that foundation.' She highlighted the significance of mutual endorsements, including Armenia's support for Egypt's candidate to lead UNESCO, and emphasized how both nations are now actively advancing cooperation in fields such as renewable energy, information technology, and environmental protection. Economic exchange, while historically modest, is expected to grow substantially due to targeted efforts in trade facilitation and joint business initiatives. The Ambassador also celebrated the strong cultural and tourism ties between the two nations. Thousands of Armenians visit Egypt annually, especially to destinations like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. She expressed confidence that the opening of Egypt's Grand Egyptian Museum in July would further boost cultural tourism and joint heritage initiatives. On regional matters, Ambassador Gamil expressed full support for Armenia's 'Crossroads of Peace' initiative, describing it as an inclusive strategy for connectivity and long-term regional peace. She drew parallels with the founding of the European Union, noting how shared economic interests can lay the foundation for political stability. The Ambassador praised the Armenian government's growing engagement with Arab nations, reflected in the opening of several Arab embassies in Yerevan. She confirmed that additional high-level Egyptian ministerial visits to Armenia are currently being planned. Reflecting on her personal experience, Ambassador Gamil spoke fondly of the Armenian community in Egypt and her admiration for Armenian cultural resilience and environmental consciousness. 'Armenians are educated, peaceful, and forward-looking. Their deep connection to culture and identity is admirable,' she said. 'I hope for Armenia's continued prosperity—and I am confident that Egypt and Armenia will continue learning from and supporting one another.' read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Spectator
3 days ago
- Spectator
The lost art of getting lost
One of the quietly profound pleasures of travel is renting cars in 'unusual' locations. I've done it in Azerbaijan, Colombia, Syria and Peru (of which more later). I've done it in Yerevan airport, Armenia, where the car-rental guy was so amazed that someone wanted to hire a car to 'drive around Armenia' that he apparently thought I was insane. Later, having endured the roads of Armenia, I saw his point – though the road trip itself was a blast. Recently I rented a motor in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where they were slightly less surprised than the Armenian had been, but nonetheless gave me lots of warnings and instructions, chief of which was: 'Don't rely on Google Maps, it doesn't work out here.' As soon as I was told that I felt my heart lift, because it meant there was a fair chance of getting lost – and if I like renting cars in remote spots, I love getting lost, anywhere. And yet sadly, as technology gets ever more efficient, it becomes harder to end up completely clueless as to where you are. We are losing the fine art of getting lost. Before the advent of Google Maps, GPS, Starlink and the rest, getting lost was a doddle. I've done it everywhere. Africa, Asia, the Americas, Surrey, the Antarctic peninsula (in a storm), Dartmoor. I've been really lost in south London without an A to Z (remember the A to Z?). Amid this lexicon of lostness, some adventures still stand out. In Peru, while researching a thriller in the grey, weird, eerie Sechura desert north of Lima, I went looking for an ongoing archaeological dig, the excavations of which have revealed the unsettling sacrificial rites of the 2nd- to 9th-century Moche people, known for their incestuous sexual practices, culminating, it is thought, in the strangling of their own teenage children. So it was that I got completely lost in the dusty scrub, failed to find the dig, panicked for an hour, then, as I finally worked out where I'd parked, I felt a scrunch underfoot.
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Toronto Star
Germany charges three people with spying for Russia, potentially with intent to kill
BERLIN, Germany (AP) — Three people in Germany were charged with working for one of Russia's intelligence agencies and could have been plotting to kill a man, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday. The three men arrested in the 'particularly serious case' on June 19, 2024 in Frankfurt were identified as Robert A., a Ukrainian citizen; Vardges I., an Armenian national; and Arman S., a Russian citizen. Their full names weren't released in line with German privacy rules.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Germany charges three with spying on Ukrainian in possible assassination plot
BERLIN (Reuters) -German prosecutors have charged three people - a Ukrainian, a Russian and an Armenian - with foreign agent activity, on suspicion of spying on a Ukrainian man in Germany with the possible aim of killing him, prosecutors said on Wednesday. The target of the operation was a man who had taken part in combat operations for the Ukrainian armed forces following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a statement from the federal prosecutor said. The Armenian man, identified only as Vardges I, was tasked with spying by the Russian intelligence service, the statement added. He is said to have recruited Ukrainian national Robert A. and Russian national Arman S. to assist with the operation. The plot involved a planned meeting with the target at a cafe in central Frankfurt in June 2024, but he did not show up after being tipped off by German authorities, the prosecutor said. "The spying operation presumably served to prepare further intelligence operations in Germany, possibly including the killing of the target person," the statement said. The three suspects have been in custody since their arrest on June 19, 2024, the day of the attempted meeting. European security officials have warned of the increased threat of hybrid attacks by Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war, including espionage and sabotage targeting critical infrastructure. In 2019, a Georgian man and former Chechen militant was shot dead in central Berlin by a hit man that Germany said was working for Russia. (Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
