Category: Azer News

The Vagif Poetry Days, organized jointly by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, have concluded in Shusha with a concert program titled “The Triumph of the Word – The Echo of Victory,” AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the concert, held in front of the house of Khurshidbanu Natavan, featured works by prominent Azerbaijani composers, including Rauf Hajiyev, Jahangir Jahangirov, Vasif Adigozalov, Elza Ibrahimova, Alakbar Taghiyev, Ogtay Kazimi, and others.

The program also included performances of Azerbaijani folk songs, while the Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble presented national dances.

Musical performances by Honored Artists Rashad Ilyasov, Babak Niftaliyev, and Agshin Abdullayev, as well as soloists Ayshen Mehdiyeva, Fakhri Kazim-Nijat, Gunay Imamverdiyeva, Nurlana Abdullayeva, Arif Mehmandost, Habil Mammadov and his students, along with Mehdi Niftaliyev, winner of the 2nd Children’s Art Festival, were warmly received by the audience.

The 2026 Vagif Poetry Days took place from July 16 to 18 in Gazakh and Shusha under the theme “The Story of the Word.”

The event was dedicated to celebrating the literary heritage of renowned Azerbaijani poet and statesman Molla Panah Vagif, while also supporting the development of modern literature.

The festival opened in Gazakh, the poet’s birthplace, and later continued in Shusha, Azerbaijan’s cultural capital. Its program featured poetry performances, literary discussions, artistic presentations, and cultural events with the participation of poets, writers, and representatives from Turkic countries.

The official opening ceremony was held near the Molla Panah Vagif Museum-Mausoleum Complex in Shusha, gathering cultural figures, government representatives, and international guests.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Monday that Tehran is aware that the United States is bringing additional military assets into the region, while claiming that they are pursuing peace, AzerNEWS reports.

“Americans keep bringing new military equipment to the region and claim they’re after stopping the war. They’ve bet on our intelligence being as brief as their own IQ,” the official wrote in a social media post.

Ghalibaf emphasized that Iran has reached “the stage of mastery in recognizing these American games,” adding that his country is prepared for any scenario. “Actions must confirm claims, not contradict them,” he concluded.

The United States is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East as fighting with Iran intensifies, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.

F-35 fighter jets will deploy from RAF Lakenheath in England, while F-16 jets will arrive from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. Aerial refueling tankers are also reportedly heading to the region.

The buildup follows an Iranian missile and drone attack on an air base in Jordan, which killed two US servicemen.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Justice Farid Ahmadov has held talks with a delegation headed by Aqeel Malik, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law and Justice, to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in the legal and judicial fields, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Justice, the meeting highlighted that relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan have developed into a strategic partnership, with regular high-level contacts and reciprocal visits contributing to the steady expansion of bilateral ties.

The officials reviewed progress made under the existing Memorandum of Cooperation and bilateral cooperation program, noting that several joint initiatives have already been implemented to deepen collaboration between the justice institutions of both countries.

The two sides also emphasized the significance of the training program currently being held in Baku, describing it as an important platform for sharing expertise, enhancing professional skills, and strengthening institutional cooperation between Azerbaijani and Pakistani justice officials.

The Azerbaijani side also expressed gratitude to Pakistan for the excellent organization of the training held in Islamabad in May. It was announced that another training program is planned to take place in Islamabad in October of this year.

The participants expressed confidence that joint training programs and other cooperative activities would further strengthen collaboration between the justice institutions of the two countries.

Every year on July 20, people around the world celebrate International Moon Day, a global observance that recognizes one of humanity’s greatest achievements in space exploration, AzerNEWS reports.

The date marks the anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, when humans landed on the Moon for the first time. It is also a reminder of the importance of international cooperation in the peaceful exploration of outer space.

International Moon Day was officially established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2021 after a proposal was presented to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Since then, July 20 has become an opportunity to celebrate scientific progress while encouraging countries to work together in exploring the Moon and beyond.

The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and has fascinated people for thousands of years. It is about 384,400 kilometers from Earth and is believed to have formed around 4.5 billion years ago after a massive collision involving the young Earth. Throughout history, the Moon has inspired myths, literature, art, and scientific discovery. It has also played an important role in calendars, navigation, and cultural traditions across the world.

Human interest in the Moon changed dramatically during the Space Age. The Apollo 11 landing showed that reaching another world was possible and opened the door to further exploration. Since then, countries including the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, and several European nations have sent spacecraft to study the Moon. More than 70 successful lunar missions have provided valuable information about its surface, geology, and potential resources.

The United Nations continues to support the peaceful use of outer space through international agreements and cooperation. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty established basic principles for the exploration and use of space, including the Moon, emphasizing that space should be used for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all humanity.

International Moon Day is celebrated with public talks, astronomy events, planetarium shows, educational activities, and telescope observations. These events help people learn more about the Moon and the history of space exploration while inspiring future generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers.

The theme for International Moon Day 2026 is “One Moon, One Vision, One Future.” It reflects the idea that the Moon is a shared destination for all humankind and that future exploration should be guided by cooperation, scientific discovery, and a common commitment to peaceful exploration.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan extended congratulations to the Republic of Colombia on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day, AzerNEWS reports.

“Warm greetings to the people and government of the Republic of Colombia on the occasion of Independence Day. Happy Independence Day, Colombia!” the MFA said in a post on X.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Colombia were established on December 12, 1994. The Azerbaijani Embassy in Colombia has been operating in Bogota since 2014. The Embassy of Colombia in Azerbaijan has been operating in Baku since the same year.

The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has opened in Busan, South Korea, AzerNEWS reports.

Representatives of 21 member states elected from among the 195 countries that are parties to the World Heritage Convention, as well as Azerbaijan’s delegation as a member of the Committee, are taking part in the session.

The World Heritage Committee is one of UNESCO’s main governing bodies responsible for the implementation of the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Committee meets annually to assess new sites proposed for inclusion on the World Heritage List and to review the conservation status of properties already included on the list. Decisions are made based on expert evaluations prepared by UNESCO’s advisory bodies and Secretariat.

During the 2026 session, key discussions focus on new nominations submitted from different regions of the world, the condition of heritage sites facing threats, and measures needed for their protection. The agenda includes evaluations of both cultural and natural heritage sites.

According to UNESCO’s latest data, the World Heritage List currently includes more than 1,200 cultural, natural, and mixed heritage sites located in over 170 countries. Azerbaijan is represented on the UNESCO World Heritage List with 24 heritage examples.

Alongside the expansion of the list, each session also addresses growing challenges affecting heritage preservation, including climate change, armed conflicts, urban development, and the impact of mass tourism.

The Committee is expected to announce its decisions on new World Heritage sites and conservation measures at the conclusion of the Busan meeting.

The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will continue until July 29, 2026.

An explosion was heard in the Iranian city of Isfahan, where one of the country’s largest nuclear sites is located, on Monday morning, AzerNEWS reports.

The outlet said the cause of the blast is still unknown, adding that no official statement from local authorities has been issued.

Over the weekend, the United States forces struck Iran’s Darkhovin nuclear power plant, currently under construction. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had contacted Tehran following the attack, stressing that the plant contained no nuclear material during the last visit by the IAEA.

Iranian Atomic Energy Organization on Sunday condemned an overnight United States strike targeting the Darkhovin nuclear power plant, which is currently under construction.

“The terrorist and criminal US regime, whose nature is nothing but bullying and law-breaking, in an aggressive and brutal act violating international law, attacked the under-construction site of the Darkhovin power plant -one of the symbols of the Iranian nation’s dignity and scientific self-sufficiency – with several projectiles on Sunday, July 19, at approximately 3:39 AM local time,” the organization shared.

The Darkhovin facility is a planned pressurized water reactor situated along the Karun River in Iran’s Khuzestan province. The agency did not provide details on the damage.

The United States is facing the risk of a broader military conflict with Iran following the deaths of American service members in Iraq and Jordan, AzerNEWS reports, citing The Washington Post.

According to the information, the Pentagon is increasing the number of military aircraft deployed to the Middle East as tensions continue to escalate.

However, the newspaper noted that any expansion of military operations could be complicated by dwindling stocks of air defense systems and long-range munitions, as well as limited capacity to deploy additional troops and aircraft to the region.

The official quoted by The Washington Post said it remains unclear whether the United States currently has sufficient resources to safely sustain large-scale military operations if the conflict were to intensify.

The latest escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran began on July 8, when U.S. forces launched several rounds of strikes against targets inside Iran for the first time since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding. U.S. officials said the attacks were carried out in response to an assault on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Later that day, President Donald Trump announced that the ceasefire with Iran had come to an end.

In response, Tehran launched strikes against U.S. facilities across the Middle East. The attacks targeted American facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, further heightening tensions across the region.

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Peru on Sunday, according to seismic monitoring authorities, AzerNEWS reports.

The earthquake’s epicenter was located approximately 131 kilometers southeast of Huancayo, a city with a population of more than 300,000, while the hypocenter was recorded at a depth of 22 kilometers.

There have been no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage, although authorities continue to monitor the situation for any potential aftershocks or further developments.

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has escalated significantly, with the total number of confirmed infections reaching 2,267 and the death toll climbing to 893, foreign media reported via official data, AzerNEWS reports.

The latest statistics reveal a sharp 24-hour surge, tracking 86 new infections and 29 additional deaths.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that this has quickly become the third-largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history, noting that the virus has spread at a faster initial rate than any previous epidemic.

The WHO chief highlighted the alarming speed of the current crisis. During the country’s previous major Ebola outbreak, it took more than 10 months to reach the 2,000-case threshold. That devastating epidemic eventually resulted in approximately 3,500 total cases and claimed 2,300 lives. Health officials are working intensely to contain the current transmission vectors as global agencies call for immediate response funding and resources.