Category: Azer News

The latest cooperation between Azerbaijan’s Alat Port and Turkmenistan’s Turkmenbashi International Seaport may appear to be a technical development involving customs procedures and cargo monitoring. In reality, it points to a much broader transformation taking place across the Caspian Sea. As trade routes between Asia and Europe are being reshaped, the ability of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to coordinate their ports could become one of the factors determining whether the Middle Corridor develops into a genuinely competitive Eurasian trade route.

The most important change is that the Middle Corridor is moving beyond the stage of simply building infrastructure. Railways, ports, ships and roads remain essential, but the next challenge is to make these separate elements function as one integrated logistics system.

This is particularly important for the Caspian crossing. A cargo shipment travelling from Central Asia to Europe does not care whether it is moving through the territory of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan or another country. What matters to the cargo owner is how quickly and predictably the shipment reaches its destination. Delays at ports, repeated document checks, weak information exchange or poor coordination between transport authorities can make an otherwise modern corridor less competitive.

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan appear increasingly aware of this challenge. In June, their customs authorities exchanged technical specifications for the initial exchange of information on goods and vehicles transported between the two countries, as well as a protocol on cooperation in customs statistics. The two sides have also discussed information technology, risk management and the organization of customs operations at seaports.

This matters because the Caspian is no longer simply a geographical obstacle between Central Asia and the South Caucasus. It is gradually becoming an integrated logistics platform. The more efficiently cargo can move between Turkmenbashi and Alat, the less the sea crossing becomes a bottleneck in the wider Europe-Asia supply chain.

The growth of Azerbaijan’s port activity demonstrates why this issue is becoming increasingly important. Baku International Sea Port handled 8.2 million tons of cargo in 2025, an 8.1 percent increase from the previous year. Transit cargo accounted for 5.59 million tons, while transit non-oil cargo reached 4.5 million tons, rising 9.1 percent. More than 62 percent of the wagons handled at the port moved on the Baku-Turkmenbashi-Baku route.

These figures show that the Turkmen route is not a secondary connection for Azerbaijan. It is already an important component of the country’s transit infrastructure.

The physical connection is also being strengthened. In May, the first dry cargo vessel, Gadamly, built in Turkmenistan for Azerbaijan Railways, arrived at Baku International Sea Port. The vessel is designed for regular container transportation between Baku and Turkmenbashi and can carry 6,100 tons of cargo or 240 twenty-foot equivalent units. A second vessel for the route is also under construction.

This combination of ships, ports, railways and customs cooperation is far more significant than any individual project. It indicates that Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are gradually building a system in which the Caspian crossing can operate with greater predictability.

That is precisely what the Middle Corridor needs.

For years, discussions about international transport corridors have focused heavily on infrastructure capacity. But modern logistics is increasingly about coordination and digitalization as much as physical infrastructure. A port can have sufficient cranes and berths, but if customs information arrives late, cargo can still wait. A railway can have sufficient capacity, but if schedules are poorly synchronized with ships, the advantage is reduced.

The Middle Corridor therefore does not simply need more infrastructure. It needs more integration.

This is where Azerbaijan has an opportunity to move from being a transit country to becoming a logistics coordinator. The country has invested heavily in the Baku International Sea Port, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and related logistics infrastructure. Azerbaijani officials have increasingly emphasized that the Middle Corridor should function not merely as a transit route but as a platform for regional economic integration.

The Alat-Turkmenbashi connection can become one of the strongest examples of this approach. If customs procedures, cargo information, port schedules, railway operations and maritime services become increasingly synchronized, the Caspian crossing can offer something that international shippers value enormously: predictability.

That could also benefit Turkmenistan. A more efficient connection to Alat gives Turkmen cargo better access to the South Caucasus, Trkiye and European markets. For Azerbaijan, meanwhile, stronger links with Turkmenistan expand the country’s role as a gateway for Central Asian trade.

The strategic significance extends beyond bilateral relations. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Trkiye are gradually creating a chain of interconnected transport infrastructure linking Central Asia with Europe. Each section of that chain must work efficiently if the whole route is to compete with alternative corridors.

The future success of the Middle Corridor will therefore depend not only on how much cargo it can carry, but on how reliably it can move that cargo.

The cooperation between Alat and Turkmenbashi should be viewed in this context. It is a relatively small step in institutional terms, but it reflects a much larger trend: the Caspian is becoming less of a barrier between Central Asia and the South Caucasus and more of a bridge connecting them.

Circassian activists have alleged that Nurdin (Nazhmuddin) Karaf was forcibly mobilised by the Russian military and subsequently died after being subjected to severe torture at a mobilisation camp, AzerNEWS reports via OC Media.

The International Circassian Committee made the allegations in a statement published on August 11, citing sources familiar with the case.

According to the committee, Karaf was taken to a mobilisation camp after allegedly refusing to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Activists claim he was subjected to severe torture at the undisclosed facility and later died from his injuries.

The circumstances surrounding Karaf’s death remain unverified independently.

The committee also said Karaf’s family had been denied a request to receive his body. Relatives reportedly fear that even if the remains are eventually returned, their condition could make it difficult to determine the cause of death.

The case gained wider attention after Karaf’s father, Khalid Karaf, began searching for his son. Earlier reports said Khalid received threatening phone calls during his efforts and was allegedly warned that his son’s life could be endangered if he continued activities related to Circassian rights.

After Khalid spoke publicly about the calls, he and his wife were reportedly taken by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to an FSB facility in Nalchik. According to activists, officers there threatened to forcibly enlist him to fight in Ukraine.

Khalid later released a video saying that his son had voluntarily served in the Russian army under contract. Circassian activists familiar with the case dispute this account, arguing that the statement was made under pressure and should therefore not be treated as reliable evidence of Karaf’s military status.

The International Circassian Committee said sources it described as being close to Russian security services provided a different account. According to those sources, Karaf was not a contract soldier but had been forcibly mobilised and was preparing to be sent to the war in Ukraine.

The committee further alleged that Karaf resisted deployment and was subsequently taken to a mobilisation camp, where he allegedly died following severe torture.

An image circulating on social media purportedly showing Karaf in a Russian military uniform and holding a weapon has also been questioned by the committee, which believes the image may have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.

Neither the Russian authorities nor the Russian military has publicly confirmed the allegations concerning Karaf’s alleged forced mobilisation, detention or death.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the statement, which was reported by the ISNA news agency, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the minister, despite mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan to relay messages and maintain communication, no final decision has yet been made on resuming negotiations.

Araghchi said that the communication channels previously used have lost their effectiveness. Iran is currently developing a temporary communication mechanism, which could eventually become a permanent arrangement. The minister did not specify which communication channel he was referring to.

He also recalled that under the Islamabad Memorandum, the parties committed to ending military operations. According to Araghchi, the United States violated the agreement.

Azerbaijan’s Khankendi and Romania’s Baia Mare are set to become sister cities, AzerNEWS reports.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between Elchin Yusubov, the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Khankendi city and the Aghdara and Khojaly districts, who is visiting Romania, and Ioan Doru Dancus, the mayor of Baia Mare.

The meeting also covered the establishment and development of ties between Khankendi and Baia Mare, the implementation of joint projects, the exchange of experience and other matters of mutual interest.

Train services between Baku Metro’s 28 May and Nizami stations have been temporarily suspended starting today as major construction work gets underway to separate the Red and Green lines.

AzerNEWS reports that the construction phase of the project is expected to last approximately 10-11 months. The project is being implemented under Azerbaijan’s 2025-2030 State Program on Improving Transport Infrastructure in Baku and Surrounding Areas, approved by President Ilham Aliyev.

Separating the Red and Green lines is intended to eliminate the existing operational dependence between the two lines, ease passenger congestion at stations, reduce intervals between trains and make metro operations more reliable and efficient.

At present, passengers traveling in different directions share the same platform at 28 May station. This creates significant overcrowding, particularly during peak hours, making it more difficult for passengers to board and leave trains.

Once the works are completed, passengers traveling toward Icherisheher will use the platform at 28 May station, while those heading toward Darnagul will use the platform at Jafar Jabbarli station.

Meanwhile, construction of a second passenger staircase connecting 28 May and Jafar Jabbarli stations is nearing completion. Once opened, the new connection is expected to allow passengers to move between the two stations more quickly and conveniently.

Additional measures have also been introduced to accommodate passengers who may shift to bus services during the metro disruption. The Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency (AYNA) launched six new express bus routes on August 14.

The new express routes are:

M1: Elmler Akademiyasi and 28 May metro stations;

M2: Inshaatchilar, Nizami and 28 May metro stations;

M3: 20 Yanvar, Nizami and 28 May metro stations;

M4: 20 Yanvar and Koroglu metro stations;

M5: 20 Yanvar and Ganjlik metro stations;

M6: Elmler Akademiyasi and Ganjlik metro stations.

In addition, the number of buses operating on 20 regular routes – 2, 6, 7A, 9, 10, 14, 17, 18, 26, 61, 65, 79, 85, 88, 88A, 93, 133, 165, 199 and 202 – has been increased.

Further changes concern routes 32, 49, 120E and 125, which serve the 28 May Transport Interchange Center. From August 15, the final stops of these routes have been relocated to areas around Samad Vurgun Garden.

The new terminal stop for routes 32 and 49 is on Dilara Aliyeva Street, while the terminal stops for routes 120E and 125 are located on Pushkin Street.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused what he described as the ‘deep state’ and a ‘global war party’ of seeking to weaken Georgia’s economy by discouraging Russian tourists from visiting the country and undermining economic ties between Tbilisi and Moscow, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking at a briefing at the Georgian government administration on Wednesday, Kobakhidze claimed that the alleged campaign was ultimately aimed at drawing Georgia into a military confrontation with Russia.

According to the prime minister, the plan represents a continuation of what he described as earlier attempts to involve Georgia in Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

He said that in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, domestic groups had allegedly called on the Georgian government to open a ‘second front’ against Russia and send volunteers to fight in Ukraine.

Kobakhidze argued that the alleged strategy has now shifted toward discouraging Russian citizens from travelling to Georgia.

‘If in 2022, at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, on the instructions of the ‘deep state’, a local radical agency called on the government to open a second front and send volunteers to Ukraine, while at the same time foreign agents offered to ‘walk’ with military force in Georgia’s Sukhumi and Tskhinvali, according to the new plan of the ‘deep state’, their local agency should do everything to ensure that Russian tourists no longer come to Georgia,’ he said.

Kobakhidze claimed that such a campaign could eventually prompt Russia to suspend economic relations with Georgia.

‘The goal of all this, as well as the opening of a second front and joining the sanctions imposed on Russia, is to collapse the Georgian economy, incite hostility between nations, and lead the processes to a military conflict,’ he said.

The prime minister also accused unnamed foreign partners and domestic opposition groups of previously attempting to push Georgia toward joining Western sanctions against Russia and sending volunteers to Ukraine.

He said that after those efforts failed, the alleged campaign focused on Georgia’s relations with the European Union and what he called ‘Russophobic’ initiatives.

As examples, Kobakhidze referred to protests over the arrival of the Russian cruise ship Astoria Grande in Batumi in 2023, as well as opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria’s protest over a wedding involving Russian citizens at the Kvareli Lake resort.

The wedding was attended by Ekaterina Lavrova, daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and her husband, Aleksandr Vinokurov.

‘This campaign was directly directed against tourists. They portrayed Russian tourists as a threat,’ Kobakhidze said, arguing that such attitudes were incompatible with Georgian culture.

He stressed that Georgia should maintain ties between Georgian and Russian societies despite political disagreements, particularly given the existence of mixed families and Georgian and Russian diasporas in both countries.

‘No matter what the ‘deep state’ plan is, we should not allow political disagreements, political mistakes made in the past, or the plan of the global war party to involve Georgia in the war and open a second front with Russia to become the basis for hostility between peoples,’ he said.

2026 could become the hottest year in the history of meteorological observations, according to a forecast by Berkeley Earth, a US-based nonprofit organization specializing in climate research. The organization currently estimates a 69% chance that 2026 will set a new global temperature record, while the probability of it ranking second is around 30%, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Berkeley Earth, July 2026 was the second-hottest July ever recorded. Record-high monthly temperatures were observed across approximately 8.5% of the Earth’s surface, including parts of the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, western Russia, Siberia and Central Asia. In total, new July temperature records were reported in 32 countries.

The extreme heat has been particularly noticeable in Europe. On August 10, reports said that the United Kingdom and France were preparing for a fifth heatwave of the year. The unusually hot conditions began affecting parts of Europe in late May and have persisted for months, putting pressure on both residents and critical infrastructure.

The consequences of the heat are going far beyond uncomfortable temperatures. Prolonged hot and dry conditions are increasing the risk of wildfires, putting additional pressure on electricity networks and reducing water supplies in some regions. In July, global sea-surface temperatures also reached a record high for that month, adding another warning sign for the climate system.

What makes the situation particularly striking is how consistently recent years have broken temperature records. Berkeley Earth says that 2025 was already the third-warmest year on record, behind only 2024 and 2023. Moreover, all 11 years from 2015 to 2025 rank among the 11 warmest years ever measured.

If 2026 does become the hottest year on record, it would be another indication that extreme heat is becoming an increasingly persistent feature of the global climate rather than an occasional anomaly.

Liverpool’s majority owner, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), has reached an agreement with 1892 Holdings to sell a 30% stake in the English football club. One of the company’s major investors is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

AzerNEWS reports that the agreement was announced by Liverpool’s official communications team.

The transaction values the 30% stake at £1.65 billion ($2.23 billion), while Liverpool’s overall valuation is estimated at more than $6 billion.

FSG acquired Liverpool in 2010 for approximately £300 million. The latest deal highlights the substantial increase in the club’s value over the past 16 years.

Bezos, who is among the world’s wealthiest individuals, ranks third on Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people, with an estimated fortune of $271.4 billion.

Apple is developing a large language model specifically for the Chinese market in partnership with Chinese technology giant Alibaba. The information was reported by three sources familiar with the matter, AzerNEWS reports.

Previously, Apple had planned to use AI models from local Chinese technology companies for its users in the country, as foreign AI services such as ChatGPT and Claude are not officially available in China. The new model is expected to take into account China’s strict regulatory requirements and content restrictions.

Apple Intelligence could become available to Chinese users in the coming months following the release of the next major iOS update. Developing its own localized AI model would give Apple greater control over its AI features and could help the company adapt them more effectively to the Chinese market.

The move is particularly important as Apple faces growing competition from Huawei and other Chinese smartphone manufacturers, which are rapidly integrating AI into their devices. A potential partnership with Alibaba could help Apple speed up the launch of Apple Intelligence in China.

Interestingly, the project could also signal a broader shift in Apple’s AI strategy. Instead of relying on a single global AI system, the company may increasingly develop region-specific solutions to meet different countries’ regulations and requirements. For Apple, successfully launching Apple Intelligence in China could be an important step in maintaining its position in one of the world’s largest smartphone markets.

A major oil spill has been recorded in the Strait of Hormuz, with the oil slick covering more than 300 square kilometers and reaching Iran’s coastline, AzerNEWS reports, citing international media outlets.

Satellite imagery indicates that the spill is likely linked to the Minoan Pioneer, a bulk carrier that was attacked near Oman on August 3. Initial estimates suggest that more than 380,000 liters of oil may have entered the sea as a result of the incident.

The oil has reached Iran’s Qeshm Island, raising serious concerns about potential damage to mangrove forests, coral reefs, sea turtles and local fishing grounds. Environmental experts have warned that prolonged leakage could cause significant harm to marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

The Minoan Pioneer, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, was reportedly struck by an unidentified projectile while sailing near Oman. Maritime security sources have described the incident as a suspected Iranian attack. Satellite analysis has subsequently linked the vessel to the oil slick that reached Qeshm Island.

However, the circumstances surrounding the attack and the source of the pollution remain politically sensitive. Iranian officials have blamed a foreign vessel for the environmental damage and called for compensation, while independent satellite analysis has pointed to the Minoan Pioneer as the likely source.

The spill comes amid heightened tensions and a series of attacks involving commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, adding to concerns over the environmental consequences of the ongoing maritime conflict.