While Armenia's attention is focused on the work of the new parliament and disputes over parliamentary mandates, processes are unfolding outside the country that could have a far greater impact on its future. Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan has drawn attention to this.

Ukrainian drones struck two major Wildberries logistics centers in southern Russia overnight, targeting facilities in the cities of Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, Russian authorities and the company’s founder said. Russian officials reported one death and at least 10 injuries.
 

Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the opposition party "For Georgia," supported the European Union's intention to press the new Syrian authorities to revoke their recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He stated that Brussels' position on the self-proclaimed republics is particularly important given the "treacherous silence of the Georgian government regarding the ongoing de facto annexation of the Tskhinvali region."

Ilham Aliyev arrived in Berlin for an official visit at the invitation of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During the visit, he held talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Chancellor. Energy was a key topic of the discussions. The parties also addressed transport corridors, economic cooperation, and the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

A basketball school is set to be established in the Chechen Republic. It will bear the name of Uvais Akhtaev—a renowned Soviet basketball player of Chechen descent and one of the tallest players in the history of the sport.

The Supreme Court of Russia’s North Ossetia republic has rejected an appeal filed by the defense of 27-year-old Vladikavkaz resident Zarina Tomaeva, leaving her in pretrial detention. Her lawyers had sought to have the preventive measure changed to house arrest, citing her deteriorating health.

The lawyer for the man detained following a dispute with a foreign female tourist at the Agarani Estate hotel in Kakheti has presented his version of the events leading up to the altercation. The defense maintains that the conflict began well before the events shown in the video circulating online and was provoked by the actions of the tourists themselves.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the deaths of at least 9,450 military personnel from the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts have been publicly confirmed. These figures come from *Kavkazsky Uzel* (Caucasian Knot), which maintains an independent tally based on public announcements from government bodies, security agencies, and other official sources.

Georgian police continue their investigation into the conflict that occurred on the evening of July 18 at the Agaranis Mamuli Hotel in Telavi, where a wedding was taking place and a group of Russian tourists were vacationing. One of the guests at the celebration, Giorgi Chigladze, has been arrested in connection with the case. He is accused of intentionally causing minor bodily harm. The parties involved and their representatives continue to publicly present conflicting versions of the events.

Risan Saralieva from the village of Geldagan mastered welding and artistic metal forging—traditionally considered a male craft in Chechnya—and turned it into her own business. Today, she makes furniture, railings, swings, and decorative structures, with some orders costing up to 700,000 rubles.