Category: Azer News

Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Gler, alongside Chief of the General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroglu and various force commanders, arrived in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Turkish Armed Forces’ peace operation on the island, AzerNEWS reports.

According to a statement from the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, the high-level military delegation was received by TRNC officials to mark the historic July 20 anniversary.

The high-profile visit comes just days after the Turkish Ministry of National Defense strongly condemned the European Parliament over a controversial resolution regarding Cyprus. In its statement, the ministry recalled the numerous atrocities committed against Turkish Cypriots prior to the 1974 intervention.

“The actions of the Turkish military saved the Turkish Cypriot people from total annihilation amid systematic attacks, massacres, and forced displacement,” the ministry emphasized, reaffirming Turkey’s unwavering commitment to the security and sovereignty of Northern Cyprus.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is reportedly launching a fresh bid to restore his state-funded security detail so he can bring his family to the United Kingdom more frequently, according to reports from The Mirror, AzerNEWS reports.

Sources indicate that the prince plans to meet directly with the Home Secretary to request a comprehensive review of his family’s security arrangements. The Duke is highly motivated to establish a safer environment in his homeland, allowing his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to spend meaningful time with their grandfather, King Charles III.

Since relocating to the United States in 2020, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have rarely brought their children back to the UK. The Duke is eager to have his family accompany him to the Invictus Games, which are scheduled to be hosted in Birmingham. Currently, he is forced to personally fund private security teams out of his own pocket during his travels to the country.

The security battle remains an ongoing legal hurdle for the Duke. Last year, the Court of Appeal rejected his challenge against the Home Office, upholding a previous decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) to downgrade his automatic, taxpayer-funded security to a flexible, case-by-case evaluation.

The administrative building of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ukraine sustained damage following a massive overnight missile strike launched by Russian forces on Kyiv early Sunday morning.

AzerNEWS reports that a missile struck in front of the Lukyanovka metro station, roughly 200 to 250 meters from the embassy grounds. The force of the nearby explosion shattered the embassy’s windows and caused cracks to form across its ceilings.

Embassy officials confirmed that no staff members or personnel were injured in the blast.

This is not the first time the diplomatic mission has been caught in the crossfire. The administrative building has sustained damage multiple times during previous air raids on the Ukrainian capital over the course of the ongoing war.

An Azerbaijani delegation led by Indira Hajiyeva, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, participated in a series of events at the United Nations Headquarters during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).

AzerNEWS reports that the sessions focused on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the critical role young people play in driving this global process.

According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Deputy Minister Hajiyeva met with Felipe Paullier, Head of the UN Youth Office and Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, during the visit. The two officials discussed expanding bilateral cooperation and creating pathways for Azerbaijani youth to secure placements in future UN Youth Office internship programs.

As part of Azerbaijan’s ongoing chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the delegation also co-hosted a photo exhibition titled “Volunteerism in CICA Member States” alongside the CICA Secretariat and Kazakhstan. Additionally, Azerbaijan led a specialized side event exploring best practices for youth volunteerism across CICA member nations.

Areas surrounding Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Kyiv came under the impact of Russian ballistic missile strikes after Russian forces launched an attack on the Ukrainian capital, AzerNEWS reports.

According to available information, explosions, structural damage and a fire were reported approximately 200 to 250 meters from the embassy’s administrative building. No damage to the Azerbaijani diplomatic mission or casualties among its staff have been reported.

The primary target of the attack was the area surrounding the Lukyanivska metro station. The station’s entrance sustained significant damage, while nearby residential buildings were also affected. Several vehicles caught fire as a result of the strike.

The Kyiv City Military Administration said one person was killed and seven others were injured during the air attack.

Emergency services were deployed to the affected area to extinguish the fires, clear debris and assist the victims, while authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage caused by the missile strike.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned Greece’s decision to shut down eight more primary schools belonging to the Western Thrace Turkish minority, accusing Athens of systemic discrimination and violating international treaties, AzerNEWS reports.

In an official statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Önc Keçeli revealed that Greece implemented the closures under the pretext of insufficient student enrollment. The move dramatically reduces the total number of operational Turkish minority primary schools in the region to just 76.

According to Keçeli, the closures are part of a broader, deliberate policy aimed at eroding the educational autonomy of ethnic Turks. The spokesperson also flagged arbitrary administrative hurdles placed on first-grade enrollment at the 1st Turkish Minority Primary School of Xanthi as further evidence of systematic efforts to restrict the community’s right to education.

“These oppressive decisions and practices openly violate the provisions of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne,” Keçeli stated. “We once again call on Greece-which consistently avoids implementing international court rulings and European institutional recommendations regarding the rights violations of the Western Thrace Turkish minority-to act in accordance with its international obligations concerning minority and fundamental human rights.”

The Ministry reaffirmed that Turkey will firmly support the Western Thrace Turkish minority in its legal struggle to protect its cultural identity, heritage, and educational rights against state-enforced reductions.

Iran has launched a series of kamikaze drone attacks targeting two military bases used by United States forces in Kuwait, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

The Iranian military deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strike the Al-Adiri camp and the Ali Al Salem Air Base. Reports indicate that the operations specifically targeted US ammunition depots at the sites.

Additionally, the strikes aimed to disable the US military’s defensive capabilities, focusing on radar systems and Patriot air defense batteries stationed at the Ali Al Salem Air Base.

Tehran stated that it carried out the drone strikes in direct retaliation for recent US attacks.

Heavy torrential rains have once again triggered severe infrastructure complications across Georgia, with the western region of Imereti bearing the brunt of the latest storm damage, AzerNEWS reports.

The downpours caused a local river to overflow its banks near the Sakdri Bridge, sending floodwaters surging across the Kutaisi-Tskaltubo-Tsageri-Lentexi highway and forcing authorities to implement an emergency road closure.

According to the Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, the flooding has severely compromised the road infrastructure at the 98th kilometer mark of the Kutaisi (Tskaltubo bypass)-Tskaltubo-Tsageri-Lentexi-Lasdili domestic state highway. Officials warned that the saturated ground has significantly heightened the risk of sudden landslides in the area.

To ensure public safety, traffic management teams have banned all types of vehicular movement along the affected stretch of the highway until the floodwaters recede and engineers can guarantee the structural integrity of the route.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has strongly condemned a United States missile strike targeting the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant, AzerNEWS reports.

According to an official statement issued by the AEOI, US forces launched multiple projectiles at a facility within the Darkhovin site at approximately 3:39 a.m. local time. The agency slammed the operation as a blatant violation of international law and a direct assault on Iran’s national sovereignty and scientific achievements. Tehran maintains that the attack was specifically designed to disrupt the country’s technological and infrastructure development.

The AEOI emphasized that the Darkhovin plant-a planned 300-megawatt pressurized water reactor-falls under the comprehensive safeguards agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The statement noted that the facility is strictly intended for peaceful energy production and operates under full international oversight. Citing IAEA Resolutions 444 and 533, the organization recalled that attacking or threatening peaceful nuclear facilities violates the UN Charter and agency statutes.

Tehran has formally called on the IAEA Director-General to break his silence and condemn the strike, warning that failing to act further weakens the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and international nuclear safety frameworks.

The missile strike marks a major escalation in the latest wave of US-Iran hostilities, which reignited on July 8. The friction flared after the US military launched cross-border strikes against Iranian territory following a commercial shipping clash in the Strait of Hormuz. In tandem with the initial strikes, US President Donald Trump announced the suspension of the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire memorandum with Iran. In retaliation, Tehran began targeting US military assets and installations across Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Oman.

Researchers at Northwestern University in the United States have developed an experimental drone called “Phantom Twist” that is nearly invisible to the human eye, AzerNEWS reports.

The project uses artificial intelligence to optimize the drone’s design, making it extremely difficult to detect with the naked eye while operating at high speed.

The technology is based on the same principle that makes the blades of a fast-spinning fan appear nearly invisible. Equipped with a single motor and one rotor, the prototype spins at 25 revolutions per second, exceeding the speed at which the human eye can clearly perceive its movement.

During development, researchers generated approximately 20,000 different design configurations using computer simulations. AI algorithms then analyzed each model to optimize the placement of the battery, motor, electronic board, and balancing components.

The virtual prototypes were also tested in 100 different environments. According to the research team, the resulting Phantom Twist drone is about ten times less visible than a conventional quadcopter.

The scientists believe the technology could have applications beyond the military. In the civilian sector, it could help wildlife researchers observe animals with minimal disturbance. Future versions of the drone are expected to feature even lower noise levels, further improving its suitability for environmental and conservation work.