
Explainer | Who is Vardan Ghukasyan, Gyumri’s long-time mayor now facing corruption charges?
A long-time fixture in Gyumri’s political scene — Ghukasyan has emerged as a new government target ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

A long-time fixture in Gyumri’s political scene — Ghukasyan has emerged as a new government target ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

Azerbaijan and Russia have been at odds since the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in December 2024, which Baku has blamed on Russian air-defence missiles.

While new Chinese funding has appeared to reinvigorate the long-stalled and controversial deep-sea port in Anaklia, scepticism remains.

While some Georgians will vote in partially boycotted municipal elections on 4 October, calls for a ‘peaceful revolution’ are also being made.

Azerbaijan’s stature as a regional player has significantly increased in recent years.

Karapetyan, one of Armenia’s richest men, was arrested in June after challenging the government over their attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Six major opposition leaders have already been sentenced to months-long sentences. So who remains free?