The United Kingdom announced the complete lifting of the arms embargo on Azerbaijan and Armenia, which had been in place since 1992. The corresponding statement was published on the parliamentary website.

Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream, has prepared a package of amendments to the Administrative and Criminal Codes that will toughen penalties for illegal actions committed during assemblies and demonstrations. This was announced by the party's parliamentary leader, Irakli Kirtskhalia.

Major General Vladimir Kotov, previously deputy head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Voronezh Region, has been appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of Ingushetia. The ceremony to introduce the new head of the department was held in Magas.

In Moscow, blogger Areg Shchepikhin was sentenced to five years in prison. The defense announced its intention to appeal the verdict.

Lawyers for Russian citizen and billionaire Samvel Karapetyan reported that investigators in Armenia have brought new economic charges against him. The defense claims the charges are unfounded and lack any legal basis.

Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, commented on the release in Yerevan of Georgi Kinoyan, who was detained while crossing the Georgian-Armenian border.

Due to discovered cases of vote manipulation, the Bank of Russia has cancelled the results of the vote for the design of the back of the new 500-ruble banknote. As of yesterday, the image of Mount Elbrus was ahead of the image of "Grozny-City."

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili accused the European Union of double standards, stating that Brussels continues to side with extremism until it condemns the violent events of October 4.

The Kremlin hopes for a quick resolution of the accumulated differences with Baku, stated Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.

Chechnya's Minister for National Policy, Akhmed Dudayev, accused the Russian Central Bank of "failing to ensure objectivity and fairness" during the online vote for the symbol of the new 500-ruble banknote dedicated to the North Caucasus Federal District.