Latest news in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, summary. Live

● Of the 30 university students injured in a bus accident near the Haghartsin Monastery, 20 have now been discharged. Six were transferred from Tavush to hospitals in Yerevan. One student remains in a stable but serious condition after undergoing surgery and is under medical supervision.

The students were traveling to Dilijan on an educational trip organized by the student council of Brusov University.

● The brother and nephew of the Catholicos of All Armenians have been detained following a complaint filed by Echmiadzin mayoral candidate and “Republic” party member Arutyun Mkrtchyan. He accuses Geworg and Ambartsum Nersisyan of hooliganism and obstructing his campaign activities.

Attorney Ara Zohrabyan rejected the allegations as baseless and released CCTV footage as evidence.

● Three-year-old Tigran Hovhannisyan, who went missing nearly a week ago in Tsapatagh village in Gegharkunik province, has been found dead near the neighboring village of Chil. The child had been playing with his older brother, who returned home alone.

● President Vahagn Khachaturyan attended the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum — the world’s largest archaeological museum, with up to 100,000 artifacts, including previously unseen treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Delegations from 80 countries took part in the ceremony.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan again attended a liturgy led by defrocked cleric Stepan Asatryan. Levon Zurabyan, deputy chairman of the opposition ANC party, said the government had “tried to use a popular movement to pressure the Church, but the propaganda campaign has failed.”

● The Skevra reliquary containing relics of more than 18 saints has been brought to the Mother See of Etchmiadzin.

● A poetic performance by French choreographer Yoann Bourgeois, titled Attempts to Reach a Point of Suspension, took place in Yerevan as part of the International Festival of Performing Arts. On a stage where bodies tilt, freeze, fall and rise again, Bourgeois explores the space between physics and philosophy. His “point of suspension” symbolizes the human soul in search of balance.

●  A hunger strike by opposition figures outside Parliament has entered its second week. Among the six participants are Gedevan Popkhadze, leader of the Coalition for Change, and Darejan Tskhvitariya of the United National Movement. They are demanding the release of “political prisoners” and the scheduling of new parliamentary elections.

●  Reporters Without Borders has placed Georgia’s shadow leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, on its list of 34 “predators of press freedom” — alongside Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Ilham Aliyev and Nicolás Maduro.

The report notes that despite officially withdrawing from politics, Ivanishvili continues to wield decisive influence, while independent journalists face pressure and harassment.

●  Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili defended the decision of Georgia’s parliamentary delegation to refuse participation in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. She argued the platform has turned into a “tool of pressure”:

“Euronest is not a meeting of homeroom teachers instructing neighboring countries on how to conduct domestic policy… No one can dictate the path of development to the Georgian people.”

Earlier, Euronest adopted a resolution citing a “serious democratic backsliding” in Georgia, “rigged elections,” and pressure on media and NGOs.

●  The Interior Ministry confirmed Goga Memanishvili’s appointment as head of the Tbilisi Patrol Police Department. He replaces Lasha Jokhadze, who resigned on October 28.

●  Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, sharply criticized new amendments to the civil service law, which restrict civil servants from taking secondary employment (including teaching) without written approval from their superiors:

“This is not one specific Russian-style law — it is a copy of the entire Russian model, aimed at changing the very nature of the Georgian state.”

She said the changes lead to full political control of the civil service and undermine academic freedom.

●  A march titled “Mothers for Freedom” took place in Tbilisi. Participants carried Georgian and EU flags and banners reading: “Russian Dream destroys the future” (a play on the ruling party’s name), “Fight for your children,” and “Our children deserve quality education.” Protesters demanded fair new elections and the release of those detained during demonstrations.

●  Yesterday, Ppolice detained at least three participants of the ongoing protest outside Parliament. Witnesses say the detentions followed an attempt to block the road — a symbolic action protesters have carried out every evening for more than 340 days.

Among those detained is 71-year-old Aza Chilachava (pictured), who had previously faced administrative charges for protest activity. On October 22, a court accused her of covering her face with a mask — an offense that, under new rules introduced by Georgian Dream, carries administrative arrest. She received only a verbal warning at the time. Her repeat detention now means she could face real jail time.

●  According to the Interior Ministry, 29 protesters have been detained over the past five days for violating assembly rules and illegally blocking Rustaveli Avenue.

●  The 2025 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award from the National Press Club will be presented to nine imprisoned Azerbaijani journalists who worked on programs of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Among them is Farid Mekhralizade, a journalist and economist from Radio Liberty. He was charged with smuggling and other economic crimes and sentenced to nine years in a criminal case against the investigative outlet AbzasMedia, known for its anti-corruption reporting. Mekhralizade and other journalists arrested in this case deny the accusations, saying they are being punished for their investigative and essential public-interest work.

The National Press Club’s Board of Directors stated that the award aims to draw attention to the U.S. government’s failure to protect journalists imprisoned for advancing the principles of free speech. “Their arrest should outrage anyone who believes in America’s commitment to freedom,” said Club President Mike Balsamo.

USAGM previously funded independent media abroad and was shut down in March this year as part of Donald Trump’s order to cut funding for seven government agencies to optimize budget spending.

●  The investigation has been completed in the criminal case against a group of former leaders of the former unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (“NKR”). They are accused of war crimes, terrorism, attempts to overthrow state power, and other serious offenses. These charges carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment. The state agency AZERTAC reported that on October 31, a judge of the Baku Military Court announced the end of the process. Today, November 3, a court hearing will take place where prosecutors will present their sentencing recommendations.

●  “The global community will witness cooperation among states across the territories from the Caspian to the Mediterranean,” said U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack, speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies forum in Bahrain. “U.S. President Donald Trump has reshaped the balance of power on the world’s geopolitical chessboard,” he said.

●  Member states of the Organization of Turkic States are exploring the possibility of launching tourist trains between their countries and beyond. A special working group has been established including representatives of railway administrations and tourism agencies. In July 2025, member states signed a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation in Ankara. The share of tourists from OTS countries in Azerbaijan’s total tourism flow is 24.9%.

●  Azerbaijan and Ukraine signed an updated agreement on cooperation in healthcare and medical science following the visit of a Ukrainian delegation to Baku led by the Minister of Health.

●  Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev posted on X a photo of completed railway tracks (see below) that will become part of the “Trump Route” — from Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia. The opening of this route was agreed during the historic meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington on August 8 with the participation of Donald Trump. “Zangezur Corridor,” Hajiyev captioned the photo.

●  Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Georgia, Fuad Azizov, announced that Batumi will host a series of ceremonial events on November 8 — officially marked as Azerbaijan’s Victory Day in the 2020 Second Karabakh War. Members of the government of Georgia’s Adjara region, executives and employees of the state oil and gas company SOCAR, staff of the Kulevi oil terminal, and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Batumi will take part.

●  Azerbaijan reports a significant increase in olive production. Domestic market demand will be fully met, and export opportunities will also expand, said Agriculture Minister Majnun Mammadov.

●  Azerbaijani judoka Kenan Nasibov (+100 kg) won gold at the European U-23 Judo Championship held in Chisinau, Moldova. In the final, he defeated Polish athlete Jakub Sordyl. The day before, Azerbaijani judoka Islam Rahimov (66 kg) also won gold at the European Championship.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 27-31 October, 2025