Opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in Georgia for attempting to commit a terrorist act. The sentence was handed down by Judge Giorgi Gelashvili during a closed-door hearing at the capital's court.

Israel has suspended its push for an initiative to recognize the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire as the "Armenian genocide" following a sharp reaction from Azerbaijan. According to the Greek publication *ProtoThema*, Jerusalem decided not to advance the document further to avoid complicating relations with one of its strategic partners.

Residents of most North Caucasus republics would need between 9 and 12 years to save enough money to buy their own apartment. According to a new housing affordability ranking by RIA Novosti, these timeframes are the longest in the country.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze sharply criticized a statement by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, in which she said the European Union does not intend to support the country's government but will support only its people. According to the Georgian head of government, this stance demonstrates that the European bureaucracy has "reached the point of absurdity."

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared that the tense period in relations between Baku and Moscow is behind us, and cooperation between the two countries has returned to normal.

Earlier this week, the press service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic reported the arrest of 66 individuals in the region suspected of involvement in the activities of the At-Takfir wal-Hijra organization, banned in Russia. A criminal case has been opened against the suspects under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Organization of the Activities of an Extremist Organization and Participation Therein").

Georgia is no longer among the countries moving toward EU membership. 

Russia’s Supreme Court has refused to grant the cassation appeal in the case of Dagestani journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev, entrepreneur Kemal Tambiev, and lawyer Abubakar Rizvanov, thereby upholding their earlier convictions.