Eurovision 2026: Where did it all go wrong for the South Caucasus?
Eurovision Song Contest once again proved how unpredictable its outcome can be, with Bulgaria’s Dara turning a late surge into a...
Anti-corruption authorities in Armenia have arrested 14 people linked to a pro-Russian opposition party on suspicion of vote buying, just weeks before June’s parliamentary elections.
Officials raided several offices of the Strong Armenia party, Yura Dilanyan, a lawyer for the party, told Armenian media.
“We've been trying to determine where these individuals were transferred, under what circumstances, and for what reason," she said.
Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee said more than a dozen people had been detained following an investigation into alleged electoral bribes distributed to voters in Artashat province.
A Strong Armenia member described some of those arrested as “supporters” in a Facebook post.
On Tuesday, two other members of the party were arrested and accused of violating a ban on charity work during the election period.
Strong Armenia, led by Armenian-Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, is currently polling second behind the ruling Civil Contract party, according to a February survey by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute.
The 60-year-old is currently on trial, accused of making public calls to overthrow the government and of alleged money laundering.
He was arrested in June 2025 after accusing the government of waging a campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, saying he would act "in his own way" to stop it.
Karapetyan denies attempting to overthrow the government and says the case against him is politically motivated.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has held a series of high‑level meetings with world leaders and delegations on the sidelines of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku, with discussions focusing on energy, economic cooperation and international partnerships.
Thousands of displaced families in Gaza are facing growing infestations of rats and insects as worsening sanitation conditions and mounting waste deepen the humanitarian crisis across overcrowded camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Uzbekistan has launched a nationwide environmental initiative titled ‘Day Without Cars’, which will take place twice a month as part of efforts to improve air quality and reduce vehicle emissions.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum will open in Baku on Sunday, bringing together government representatives, city leaders, urban planners, international organisations, businesses and civil society to discuss the future of sustainable urban development.
Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, has travelled to Baku to attend the 13th World Urban Forum, where climate change and safer cities will be discussed.
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