Georgia
After presiding over Georgia’s free speech crackdown, Kobakhidze calls for ‘healthy’ public debates
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze blamed the ‘deep state’ for the disappearance of public debates in Georgia.
News Stories
Today, 23 January 2026
Today, 23 January 2026
Chechnya
Adam Kadyrov shares first post since his car accident, along with Game of Thrones quotes
The video shows 18-year-old Adam Kadyrov wearing a cowboy hat.
Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians
Eleven Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians transferred to Armenia, authorities in Yerevan say
The number of Armenians remaining in the region is unclear, with some estimates suggesting there could be as few as three.
United National Movement
UNM issues statement in support of ex-Ukrainian PM Tymoshenko, jailed on corruption charges
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Tymoshenko has close ties to former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who headed the UNM.
Ingushetia
Father of Ingush woman who fled domestic abuse says he’s using official channels to track her down
According to him, even Russian MPs are involved in the search for his daughter.
Azerbaijan
Aliyev, with family in tow, meets Trump in Davos
Also attending the meeting were Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Georgia
Georgia’s Security Services seize documents from supermarkets and distributors in food prices probe
The probe into high prices was launched following the prime minister’s call.
Armenia
Armenia and Azerbaijan join Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace
The signing ceremony of the charter was held in Davos, Switzerland.
Georgia
Georgian court arrests first protesters for standing on the pavement
Two demonstrators were sentenced, with other hearings also scheduled.
Daily Brief
Friday, 23 January 2026
Armenia * Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signed the Charter of the Board of Peace, created by US President Donald Trump. Later, the Armenia Foreign Ministry told Armenpress that the country joined the board without the mandatory $1 billion membership fee ‘for a period of up to three years’. * The Armenian Apostolic Church has filed two lawsuits against the defrocked pro-Pashinyan priest Stepan Asatryan. The Church is demanding Asatryan return the keys to the Ohanavan village church, where
Yesterday, 22 January 2026
Georgia
Conditions for Russian activist imprisoned in Georgia reportedly tightened amid health concerns
Anastasia Zinovkina was sentenced in September 2025 and is held in the Rustavi women’s prison.
Azerbaijan
Aliyev talks cooperation with asset management giant BlackRock
The details of the proposed agreement are scant, but could involve more than $1 billion.
Armenia–Azerbaijan Relations
Pashinyan says Armenian and Azerbaijani energy systems of ‘will definitely’ be interconnected
In turn, Ilham Aliyev said that the ‘day is not too far away’ when Armenian cargo would go directly through Azerbaijan.
Ingushetia
Russian military court sentences two Ingush men for assassination of Russian general
Ramazan Padiev and Batukhan Tochiev did not plead guilty.
Georgia
Georgian Interior and Defence Ministry employees charged over restaurant brawl
The scuffle took place in the Tkibuli municipality in western Georgia.
The United States
Trump calls the Caucasus Russia’s ‘territory’
The seemingly offhand comment came during US President Donald Trump’s retelling of his involvement in ‘solving’ the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict.
Armenia–Russia Relations
Mirzoyan says Lavrov’s comments about Gyumri mayor could be ‘interference’ in Armenia’s affairs
Lavrov claimed that Gyumri’s mayor was facing criminal charges over remarks advocating for a union state between Armenia and Russia.
Iran
What would the collapse of Iran’s regime mean for Armenia and Azerbaijan?
With limited military or economic power and a demonstrated lack of public legitimacy, sizable change in Iran’s regime seems inevitable.
Daily Brief
Thursday, 22 January 2026
Armenia * Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has left for Switzerland, where he is set to participate in the signing of the Charter of the Board of Peace as a founding member at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. * Pashinyan said on Wednesday that the energy systems of Armenia and Azerbaijan ‘will definitely and unconditionally be interconnected’. Azerbaijan * The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)’s annual report says Azerbaijan ranks third in Europe and Central Asia with 24 im
Reviews
Review | The Pear Field — a look at life in Tbilisi’s ‘school for idiots’
Nana Ekvitimishvili’s debut novel is a short, intense work that confronts society’s silence and ethical blind spots.
Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Georgia
Georgia’s Epiphany pardon fiasco leaves families freezing outside prisons in vain
Families, journalists, and activists spent two snowy days outside Georgian prisons hoping for a presidential pardon for imprisoned government critics.
Chechnya
Chechnya again named the region with the lowest crime rate in Russia
Official statistics do not take into account reports by human rights groups of abductions, torture and extrajudicial killings
South Ossetia
Gagloev dissolves South Ossetian government
As part of the dissolution, President Alan Gagloev dismissed Prime Minister Konstantin Dzhussoev.
Armenia
Armenian miners strike in demand for higher wages
The mining company has rejected raising wages, claiming a lack of capacity.
Chechnya
Kadyrov supporter in Moscow admits destroying plaque to murdered journalist Politkovskaya
The woman admitted that she destroyed two of the three plaques recently installed.
Azerbaijan
Despite holding no official position, Aliyev’s son attends Davos meetings
Heydar Aliyev Jr. appeared in several official photos at Davos, but his presence has not been commented on by the government.
Ingushetia
Ingush schoolchildren receive drone operation training
Children will be taught to operate drones starting from year seven.
Azerbaijan
Running out of time — Azerbaijan looks to tax hikes to counter shrinking hydrocarbon reserves
While economically necessary, these fiscal adjustments may carry political consequences, including the potential for civilian unrest.
Armenia–Russia Relations
Lavrov says it is ‘impossible’ for Armenia to switch to EU standards while in the EAEU
The statement came after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia ‘unequivocally and without question’ wants to become an EU member state.
