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Azerbaijan’s rich cultural heritage was showcased at the “International Intercultural Day” festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Held under the theme “Heritage in Harmony – Let’s Celebrate Cultures Together,” the festival took place at Fairview International School.

The event was supported by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Malaysia and organized by members of the Azerbaijani community living in the country whose children study at the school.

The Azerbaijan stand introduced visitors to the country’s history, traditions and cultural heritage. Guests were provided with information about Azerbaijan’s national customs and cuisine and had the opportunity to sample traditional Azerbaijani dishes.

The display also featured souvenirs, kelaghayi – traditional Azerbaijani women’s headwear – as well as various items reflecting the country’s history, culture, national traditions and culinary heritage.

The festival provided students, families and visitors from different cultural backgrounds with an opportunity to learn more about Azerbaijan and experience elements of its national heritage.

The Istanbul Global E-Export Summit (IGEXX 2026) was held at the Halic Congress Center under the coordination of Turkiye’s Trade Ministry and in cooperation with the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) and the Electronic Commerce Operators Association (ETID).

Trade Minister Omer Bolat, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol, TIM Chairman Mustafa Gultepe, ETID Chairman Hakan Cevikoglu and leading representatives of the business community attended the opening session of the event.

Speaking at the summit, Bolat said digital channels had now become the most important means of reaching consumers.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had triggered major changes in the information technology and e-commerce sectors.

‘The COVID-19 pandemic, which erupted at the beginning of 2020, provided an opportunity for the information technology and e-commerce sectors to advance at an enormous and rapid pace. While e-commerce accounted for 4.5% of total trade in 2019, both globally and in terms of Turkiye’s national income, these figures rose rapidly. The share of e-commerce in total trade increased from around 4.5% to 20%,’ Bolat said.

Bolat said Turkiye’s e-commerce sector recorded an annual growth rate of 80% between 2019 and 2025, while its share of the overall retail sector also increased rapidly, reaching around 20%.

Referring to global e-commerce data, Bolat said global gross domestic product grew by 33% between 2019 and 2025, while the overall retail sector expanded by 28%.

‘The overall retail sector reached $32 trillion, while the size of global production reached $118 trillion,’ he said.

Bolat noted that business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce had experienced even faster growth during the period.

‘The volume of B2C, or direct business-to-consumer e-commerce, grew by 91% and reached $6.5 trillion. E-commerce’s share of total global retail sales is 20%. This is also the global average, and the same applies to Trkiye,’ he said.

The minister said the Trade Ministry had undertaken a range of initiatives to make it easier for companies to access the information they need to expand their e-export operations.

‘So far, we have made approximately 40 guides and manuals available on our ministry’s websites for companies, covering e-export roadmaps and customs procedures for 25 countries, as well as 28 marketplaces and five digital channels,’ Bolat said.

He added that Turkiye aims to reach $6 billion in e-exports by the end of this year.

The number of companies generating more than $10,000 in e-exports annually increased from 8,132 in 2022 to 11,420 by the end of 2025, according to Bolat.

Istanbul ranked first among Turkish provinces in terms of e-export volume, while the ready-to-wear and apparel sector ranked first among industries, he said.

Bolat identified the United States, Germany, Azerbaijan, Romania and Saudi Arabia among Turkiye’s leading partner countries in e-commerce exports.

A Republican member of the US House of Representatives has threatened to block British companies from doing business with the state of Florida if they comply with a planned UK ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Rep. Randy Fine said companies that participate in what he described as a boycott of Israel could be excluded from contracts with Florida’s state and local governments.

Fine also claimed that Britain could face billions of dollars in economic losses as a result of the planned restrictions.

The warning comes as the UK government prepares measures targeting trade and investment linked to Israeli settlements, reportedly citing the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful.

The proposed British restrictions have already triggered a wider diplomatic dispute, with Israel warning London against taking punitive measures over its settlement policy.

Fine’s threat could add a US dimension to the dispute, potentially putting British companies in the position of choosing between complying with restrictions imposed by their own government and maintaining eligibility for lucrative public-sector contracts in Florida.

Trkiye and Jordan has welcomed and supported measures taken by 12 countries, led by the United Kingdom, France and Canada, to ban trade and business relations with illegal settlements in the West Bank, according to a statement issued by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 8.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a more than $34 million initiative to create a public portal containing hundreds of thousands of pages of records documenting the city’s response to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Speaking ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, Mamdani said the portal would provide unprecedented public access to records from numerous city agencies, including documents concerning the air quality around Ground Zero and the city’s efforts to limit potential liability.

‘These are documents that show what the city knew about the toxic air around Ground Zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability,’ Mamdani said.

Mamdani said the release would include some previously sought-after records, including the Harding Memo, 68 boxes of documents from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) discovered several years ago, and records relating to Seven World Trade Center.

The announcement comes alongside the release of a trove of approximately 170,000 documents detailing conditions in Lower Manhattan following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

According to the newly released records, hazardous air conditions were detected in Manhattan soon after the attacks, while officials publicly downplayed the potential health risks associated with the dust and smoke.

Mamdani said asbestos was found ‘nearly everywhere’ in areas tested around Ground Zero.

The health consequences of the attacks have extended far beyond September 11 itself. US health authorities have said that illnesses associated with exposure to dust, smoke and other contaminants from the World Trade Center collapse have ultimately claimed more lives than the attacks themselves.

The planned public portal is part of Mamdani’s stated push for greater transparency in City Hall and could provide researchers, first responders, survivors and affected families with access to records that have remained difficult to obtain for decades.

The initiative comes as New York prepares to mark 25 years since the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and transformed the city’s security, public-health and emergency-response policies.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced that early parliamentary elections will be held on October 25, 2026, following a decision to dissolve the National Assembly.

The next parliamentary elections had originally been scheduled for December 2027. However, nearly two years of student-led anti-government protests have put increasing pressure on Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

Vucic said on September 8 that the parliamentary vote would take place on October 25 and that he would formally announce the dissolution of parliament and call the election on September 9.

Vucic has previously indicated that he intends to leave the presidency and seek the position of prime minister. The ruling SNS has nominated him to lead the ‘United Serbia’ electoral list and become its candidate for prime minister if the alliance wins the election.

The early parliamentary vote is expected to become a major test of Vucic’s political influence amid sustained protests and growing opposition pressure.

The Grape and Wine Festival, which will be held in Shamakhi on 19-20 September, will not only offer visitors an opportunity to learn more about Azerbaijan’s winemaking and viticulture traditions, but will also feature an exciting entertainment programme.

The festival, which will be held on the grounds of the viticulture and winemaking complex of Shirvan Wines LLC in Meysari village, will welcome guests on 19 September with a performance by the Shirvan folk ensemble.

A ceremonial parade of wine producers will also take place, accompanied by a drum show.

Visitors will be able to enjoy concerts by popular performers Roza Zargarli, Kazim Jan, Joseph U.O, Teymur Suleymanbeyli and his band, as well as performances by DJ Kamo and others.

The festival’s entertainment programme will also include various competitions and quizzes.

There will also be a dedicated children’s entertainment zone, where younger visitors can enjoy an interactive programme, activities with entertainers and other attractions.

The two-day festival aims to promote local grape and wine production, increase the export potential of wine products, and raise public awareness of Azerbaijan’s history of viticulture and winemaking, as well as the work being carried out in these fields.

European champion and two-time World Championships medalist Orkhan Safarov has met with fans at a special fan zone dedicated to the upcoming World Judo Championships in Baku.

The autograph session was held at Deniz Mall Shopping Center, Safarov spoke with fans, signed autographs and posed for commemorative photographs.

Orkhan Safarov is one of Azerbaijan’s leading judokas. Competing in the 60kg and 66kg weight categories during his career, he won bronze at the 2013 World Championships and silver at the 2017 World Championships in the 60kg division. In 2020, he became European champion in the 66kg category.

The judoka also represented Azerbaijan at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, finishing fifth in the men’s 60kg event. Safarov has won medals at the World Championships, European Championships, Masters and Grand Slam tournaments.

The fan zone is part of activities organized ahead of the 2026 World Judo Championships, which will bring leading judokas from around the world to Baku.

The individual competitions will be held from October 4 to 10, followed by the mixed team event on October 11. The championships will take place at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.

The tournament will feature competitions in seven men’s and seven women’s weight categories, with the mixed team event concluding the championships.

The Baku championships will give Azerbaijani fans an opportunity to watch top international judokas compete on home soil, while the country’s athletes will seek strong results in front of their home crowd.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Kyiv believes Russia could resume mobilization after the State Duma elections on September 18, 19, and 20.

Speaking to the press, Zelensky claimed that, according to information Ukraine has, the Russian leadership expects to mobilize an additional 30,000 troops. He added that it remains uncertain whether the process will be a “covert mobilization or an open one.” Furthermore, Zelensky insisted that the operation is costly to Russia.

“Russia will now communicate that there is no mobilization. They need to calm society,” Zelensky said.

“Not to show mobilization, not to scare anyone with anything, because the Duma elections are taking place in Russia.”

Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov has met with World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus Roland Price.

According to the Economy Ministry, the meeting focused on the current state of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the World Bank, ongoing projects and new project initiatives.

The sides highlighted the importance of cooperation with the World Bank in expanding SMEs’ access to financial resources and exploring new opportunities for economic growth and diversification. They noted that joint initiatives in these areas could contribute to the development of Azerbaijan’s private sector and support sustainable economic growth.

The meeting also touched on the World Bank Group’s move to a unified country office model in Azerbaijan. It was highlighted that the new structure would help make cooperation between the two sides more effective and better coordinated.