2026 Armenian parliamentary elections
Pashinyan orders dismissal of four school principals for letting teachers and students attend Civil Contract rally
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the resignation letters were submitted per his instruction.
News Stories
Today, 14 May 2026
Today, 14 May 2026
Imedi
Pro-government Georgian TV Imedi temporarily banned from European Parliament
Imedi noted that it had received an official letter regarding the matter.
Georgia–EU Relations
Georgians rank second after Turks in deportations from EU
Over 10,000 Georgians and 13,000 Turks were deported from the EU in 2025.
Armenia
Armenian billionaire vows to build Noah’s Ark after construction of world’s tallest Jesus statue
Gagik Tsarukyan, also an opposition figure, had earlier dubbed his signature campaign platform a ‘political and civic Noah’s Ark’.
Iran
Iran reportedly revokes passport of anti-government activist in Armenia
The Iranian Embassy in Armenia has declined to comment.
Armenia
Buckets, sticks, and stories — Inside Armenia’s woman-led tradition khabukhaz
Khabukhaz is a woman-led milk exchange now only practiced in a few villages in Armenia’s Shirak province.
Daily Brief
Thursday, 14 May 2026
Regional * In an incident of apparent vandalism at the Armenian Surb Nshan Church in Akhaltsikhe, Georgia, church icons were thrown near the rubbish, prompting an official investigation. Armenia * The US and the EU welcomed the lifting of restrictions on bilateral trade between Armenia and Turkey. * Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan hosted a delegation from AECOM, which had come to Armenia under the US State Department to begin site survey work for the Trump Route. * The Akanates obse
Reviews
Review | Small Town of Anara — a subversive Soviet Georgian exploration of drinking culture
Georgian director Irakli Kvirikadze’s 1976 film turns a drinking tradition into a portrait of a society trapped in itself.
Yesterday, 13 May 2026
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan imposes travel ban on mother of jailed journalist
Dilruba Amanova’s daughter Aytaj Ahmadova (Tapdig) was one of 12 journalists detained as part of a 2024 crackdown on independent Azerbaijani media.
2026 Armenian parliamentary elections
Karapetyan hits back at Pashinyan as more affiliates arrested on vote-buying charges
Armenian authorities have launched several vote-buying cases against Samvel Karapetyan’s affiliates in the past months.
Georgia
Former Georgian rugby captain and players receive lengthy bans amidst doping accusations
The bans affected six players, as well as a doctor.
South Ossetia
Seven contract soldiers dismissed after scuffle outside South Ossetian Interior Ministry
Another soldier has been declared wanted.
Armenia–Turkey Relations
Turkey opens bilateral trade with Armenia after decades of closure
Goods can now pass between Armenia and Turkey without needing additional registration, but further steps remain until the border is officially opened.
Georgia–France relations
French Parliament calls for sanctions on Ivanishvili, with far-right and far-left voting against
The resolution condemned the ruling party’s ‘authoritarian drift’.
Karachay–Cherkessia
Karachay–Cherkessia court confiscates almost $900,000 in assets from former minister, including 22 properties and 3 cars
Prosecutors secured the transfer to the state of 22 properties, three vehicles, and more than $870,000.
Daily Brief
Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Armenia * Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan received a US delegation to discuss the Trump Route (TRIPP). According to the Armenian readout, the sides ‘discussed and agreed on a number of operational and legal issues related to the implementation of TRIPP’. * Armenian authorities have arrested an unclarified number of Russian–Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan’s affiliates over electoral bribery offering material incentives for people to attend his alliance’s rally. Azerbaijan * Azerbaij
Tuesday, 12 May 2026
2026 Armenian parliamentary elections
Karapetyan’s nephew says Trump Route could become target for Iran
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused the opposition of intending to ‘revise’ the peace settlement with Azerbaijan, saying it would lead to war.
Chechnya
Chechen security forces reportedly kill man in car crash while chasing drone
It was also reported that security forces opened fire at an aircraft while attempting to shoot down a drone.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani opposition leader Karimli denied permission to attend father’s funeral
He now awaits permission to attend his father’s wake scheduled for 15 May.
Georgia
Report finds Georgian Dream’s 2025 income, including donations, far outstrip all other parties combined
As in previous years, donations remained the main source of political parties’ income in 2025 as well.
Armenia–Russia Relations
Pashinyan rejects Putin’s ‘divorce’ offer
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Armenia to choose between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Daily Brief
Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Regional * Armenia’s Catholicos Karekin II has congratulated the newly elected Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Shio III. Armenia * Responding to recent comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin suggesting Armenia should choose between closer ties with the EU and its current membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that ‘until this moment, when there is no need to make a choice [...] we are not placing such an issue on the agenda’
Monday, 11 May 2026
2026 Armenian parliamentary elections
Armenia’s election season kicks off with Armenian lessons and heated foreign relations accusations
The parliamentary elections are set for 7 June.
South Ossetia
South Ossetian Defence Ministry employees detained after attacking police
Two people involved in a road traffic accident assaulted police officers who arrived at the scene.
Nikol Pashinyan
Hand-hearts and drum solos — Pashinyan’s populist social media strategy
The Armenian Prime Minister has turned his social media into a viral regional sensation — but does his charm survive contact with reality?
The Georgian Orthodox Church
Shio Mujiri elected Patriarch of Georgia
The senior bishop, who will now be known as Shio III, is widely seen as the government’s favoured candidate.
Daghestan
Daghestani soldiers fighting in Ukraine ask Putin for help in dispute over seized Makhachkala homes
The soldiers said more than 500 families in a Makhachkala neighbourhood could lose their homes.
Armenia–Russia Relations
Putin offers Armenia an amicable ‘divorce’
Putin also issued a veiled threat, drawing a parallel between Armenia’s path towards the EU and Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
2026 Armenian parliamentary elections
Leaked Russian document outlines planned ‘anti-Pashinyan’ campaign ahead of Armenia elections
The plan aims to ‘reduce the popularity’ of Pashinyan’s government.
