Category: Azer News

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.

Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that he will scrap the government’s controversial digital ID scheme immediately upon taking office on Monday, July 20, AzerNEWS reports.

According to a statement from Burnham’s office, the decision represents a major “reset of priorities” aimed at redirection. The new Labour leader intends to divert the funding and administrative resources previously earmarked for the digital ID program into lowering the cost of living and addressing everyday challenges facing British citizens.

The digital ID system was originally unveiled last autumn by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of the annual Labour Party conference. Starmer had championed the compulsory “Brit card” framework as a modern tool to crack down on illegal employment and streamline public services. However, the proposal faced an intense public and political backlash, including a petition that garnered over three million signatures, prompting ministers to scale back the plans to a voluntary system earlier this year.

The financial scope of the project had also fueled fierce debate. Last November, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) projected the national ID initiative would cost taxpayers roughly £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) over three years-an estimate the previous prime minister’s office had disputed. By abandoning the project completely, Burnham’s team hopes to distance the incoming administration from unpopular Whitehall policies and signal a swift transition toward regional devolution and economic relief.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it intercepted and halted four vessels attempting an unauthorized crossing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, AzerNEWS reports.

According to an official IRGC statement broadcast by the Al-Hadath television network, the ships allegedly ignored multiple maritime warnings before attempting to navigate the chokepoint. Revolutionary Guard officials stated that two of the vessels were disabled and rendered immobile as a direct result of military strikes, while the remaining two were forced to turn back.

Simultaneously, the IRGC claimed to have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone in southern Iran. State-aligned Iranian media outlets broadcast footage showing the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being brought down over Bushehr province by naval defense forces.

The escalation follows a series of early morning air strikes launched by the United States military against Iranian positions. Washington declared its operations were direct retaliation for a series of continuous attacks directed at US forces stationed in Jordan, which recently resulted in the deaths of two American servicemen.

The Chinese Literature Congress, a major international scientific conference organized by the Institute of Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has convened in Beijing to foster intercultural dialogue and global academic cooperation, AzerNEWS reports.

The prestigious event drew more than 100 leading scholars from China’s top scientific and higher education institutions, alongside international researchers from Azerbaijan, Italy, Spain, and other nations. The congress served as a vital platform for expanding scientific collaboration and addressing contemporary issues in literary studies.

Azerbaijan was represented at the conference by Dr. Agshin Aliyev, Head of the Azerbaijani Language Department at the Faculty of Asian Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University. Dr. Aliyev delivered a keynote lecture titled “Azerbaijan’s Literary Relations on the Ancient and Modern Silk Roads: Chinese Motifs in Azerbaijani Literature.”

In his presentation, Dr. Aliyev highlighted how Azerbaijan’s strategic geographic position bridging East and West played a critical historical role in shaping cultural and literary exchanges along the ancient Silk Road trading routes. He noted that Chinese motifs have been woven into Azerbaijani literature since the era of oral folklore, persisting through classical and contemporary literary works as a testament to the rich, enduring cultural heritage shared by the two nations.

The congress also featured the official book launch of Chinese Modernization and New Mass Art and Literature, prepared by the Institute of Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Attendees emphasized the publication’s significance in analyzing the evolving trends of contemporary Chinese art and literature.

As part of the ongoing Vagif Poetry Days, Shusha has officially launched its first-ever open-air library, named “Kitab Dayanacagi” (Book Stop), right in the center of the historic city, AzerNEWS reports.

The project is the result of a collaborative partnership between the Ministry of Culture, the Shusha City State Reserve Administration, Azercell Telecom LLC, and Aztelekom LLC. According to the Ministry of Culture, the initiative aims to showcase the cultural and literary heritage of Azerbaijan’s cultural capital while expanding reading opportunities for both residents and visitors.

The grand opening ceremony drew notable figures, including Orkhan Fikratoglu, Advisor to the Minister of Culture; Tural Novruzov, Executive Director of the Shusha City State Reserve Administration; and Sona Abbasova, Director of the Corporate Communications Department at Azercell.

Speakers at the event highlighted that the 24-hour open-air facility will allow locals and tourists to freely access and enjoy the library’s diverse collection of books at any time of day.

Renowned People’s Poet Vahid Aziz, a prominent figure in contemporary Azerbaijani poetry, was honored as the library’s very first guest. The opening concluded with a literary session focusing on the poet’s career, moderated by Farid Huseyn, poet, essayist, and Chairman of the Youth Council of the Writers’ Union of Azerbaijan. During the gathering, Vahid Aziz recited some of his most celebrated poems and took questions from the audience.