Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that his country has lifted restrictions on goods transit to Armenia. He shared this news at a joint press conference with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana.

Events are unfolding in Armenia surrounding the arrest of Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Gyumri, the second-largest city. Thirty-three people were detained following yesterday's protest outside the city hall.

The Tbilisi City Court sentenced Keta Tsitskishvili, a journalist for the opposition television channel Formula TV, to five days of administrative arrest. She is accused of blocking a road during a protest on Rustaveli Avenue.

Former political prisoner and Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli expressed surprise at the situation surrounding Igor Kartavykh, editor-in-chief of the Russian state news agency Sputnik Azerbaijan. He noted that, despite an ongoing criminal case and official house arrest, the country's authorities released Kartavykh, who is already in Moscow and broadcasting his opinions from there.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court found serviceman Akromat Bersanov-Tsaroyev guilty of leaving his unit without leave (Part 5, Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code). He was sentenced to five years and one month in prison.

The political party led by former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has decided to retake parliamentary seats. This was announced at a briefing by one of its leaders, Giorgi Sharashidze, and later by the party's leader.

More than 20 people were detained in the Armenian city of Gyumri on Monday during a protest in support of detained Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. According to reports, 23 people were detained.

The Republic of Ingushetia scored 5.56 points out of a possible 100, taking 85th place in the ranking of Russian regions based on scientific and technological development. The Jewish Autonomous Oblast and Altai also ranked among the worst three.