Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed his support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. He made this statement at a meeting in Baku with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa.

The Armenian government has approved the start of the ratification process for the framework agreement with the US regarding the TRIPP project ("Trump’s Road to International Peace and Prosperity"). The document will now be submitted to the Constitutional Court and subsequently—provided it is deemed constitutional—to the National Assembly.

A court in Kazakhstan has extended the extradition detention of Chechnya native Mansur Movlaev until January 13, 2027. Human rights activist Maxim Rudnev reported the news, noting that the hearing took place without the participation of Movlaev himself or his lawyers.

Kabardino-Balkaria has taken first place among the regions of the North Caucasus in terms of meat production. In the first five months of 2026, the republic produced 46,900 tons of livestock and poultry for slaughter in live weight—a 1.2% increase compared to the previous year.

Georgia is among the countries whose scores in the Global Freedom and Prosperity Index have declined most significantly in recent years, according to the Atlantic Council's 2026 report, which covers 171 countries.

The United Russia party nominated Ramzan Kadyrov as its candidate for a new term as head of Chechnya. After his nomination, Kadyrov stated that he was running "under duress" and that, if the decision were entirely up to him, he would nominate another candidate. Learn more in our video.

Scientists from the Chechen Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with specialists from the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have developed a technology that enables speech synthesis systems to correctly pronounce words in the Chechen language. This innovation will allow voice assistants, digital announcers, and other digital services to read texts aloud with greater accuracy. The *Chechnya Segodnya* newspaper reported the development, citing the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

Despite the absence of diplomatic relations and an unfinished peace process, trade between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues to grow. In the first six months of 2026, Azerbaijan exported goods worth $17.1 million to its neighbor. These figures come from Azerbaijan's State Statistical Committee.

In a column for the conservative publication *Townhall*, American political commentator Brian Leib described the current stage of US-Azerbaijan relations as the most successful in the republic's history of independence.

An attempt by the Georgian opposition to unite may have been derailed by interference from the ruling party. Salome Zourabichvili, the fifth President of Georgia, voiced this suggestion while speaking to viewers during a live Facebook broadcast.