Category: Azer News

A farewell ceremony for renowned theatre figure, director and People’s Artist Aleksandr Sharovsky was held at the S. Vurgun Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre.

According to Azertag, Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli and prominent figures in culture and the arts attended the ceremony.

The coffin of the deceased was placed on a pedestal on the theatre stage, which had been decorated in mourning. Wreaths from President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, as well as on behalf of state and government institutions, were laid around the pedestal.

Sharovsky’s colleagues, friends, prominent cultural and artistic figures, and admirers came to the theatre to pay their final respects to the renowned artist.

The farewell ceremony began with a one-minute silence in memory of Aleksandr Sharovsky.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Culture Adil Karimli expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and relatives on behalf of the Ministry of Culture.

The minister said that Aleksandr Sharovsky had devoted nearly 60 years of his life to theatre: “Aleksandr Sharovsky breathed theatre and lived for theatre. He made exceptional contributions to the development of the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre, where he worked for more than 50 years. His work as a prominent artist and public figure was always in the focus of the Azerbaijani state.”

Adil Karimli noted that, alongside his multifaceted activities in theatre and the arts, Aleksandr Sharovsky also made an important contribution to the development of the Russian theatre school in Azerbaijan, which has deep-rooted traditions in the country.

People’s Artist and Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of Azerbaijan Haji Ismayilov also addressed the ceremony, speaking about Aleksandr Sharovsky’s rich and multifaceted creative career. He noted that the renowned artist created more than 50 memorable characters at the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre in productions based on Azerbaijani, Russian and world drama. Among them were Sheikh Sanan in “Sheikh Sanan” by Huseyn Javid and Farhad in “Farhad and Shirin” by Samad Vurgun. As a director, Aleksandr Sharovsky was also highly productive, staging more than 50 productions.

“Aleksandr Sharovsky received numerous prestigious awards throughout his creative career, including the Shohrat (Glory) and Sharaf (Honour) orders. One of his finest qualities was his contribution to strengthening friendship among peoples. The characters he created, the productions he staged and his cherished memory will always remain in our hearts,” Haji Ismayilov said.

Sharovsky’s wife, Nataliya Sharovskaya, also addressed the ceremony and said that Aleksandr Sharovsky deeply loved Azerbaijan. She expressed her sincere gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the theatre management and everyone who took an active part in organizing the farewell ceremony.

“Aleksandr Sharovsky loved premieres, full houses and this stage very much. He was especially happy when spectators presented flowers to the actors. Today, too, the stage has been decorated with flowers and his beautiful portraits,” Nataliya Sharovskaya said.

The coffin of People’s Artist Aleksandr Sharovsky was then taken from the theatre and transported to the Second Alley of Honor.

Prayers were recited for the deceased. The renowned artist was laid to rest, and wreaths and bouquets of flowers were placed on his grave.

Aleksandr Sharovsky passed away on September 9 at the age of 78.

He was awarded the honorary titles of Honored Artist (1987) and People’s Artist (1998), as well as the Shohrat (Glory) Order (2008), the Sharaf (Honour) Order (2018) and the Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2023). Aleksandr Sharovsky had been a recipient of an individual pension from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2005.

At a time when the confrontation between the United States and Iran continues without any sign of easing, it is still too early to say that Washington has achieved all of its objectives. The war is ongoing, and Tehran retains the ability to resist. However, when the conflict is viewed from the perspective of Iran’s regional power, a different picture emerges. As US military pressure increases, the system of influence Iran has built across the Middle East is gradually weakening, with its various components disappearing one by one.

The confrontation between the United States and Iran did not begin today. Its foundations were laid after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Following the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, Tehran became one of Washington’s main regional rivals. Over the following decades, Iran expanded its political and military influence beyond its borders. Its ties with various political and armed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the Palestinian territories became one of the main instruments of Iranian regional policy.

The advantages this model provided Tehran were clear. Iran was able to create additional threats for the United States and its allies beyond its own territory. Instead of confronting Iran in a direct war, its opponents also had to deal with the problems created by Tehran’s proxies across the region.

However, the weaknesses of this strategy had long been debated. Iran’s economic capabilities are extremely limited compared with those of the United States. The US has one of the world’s largest economies, while Iran has far fewer economic resources because of sanctions and structural problems. The technological gap is also substantial. US capabilities in air defense, intelligence, satellite systems, aviation, precision strikes and electronic warfare significantly exceed those of Iran.

Against this backdrop, many experts argued that Iran would be better served by concentrating its resources on its own defense rather than spreading them across the region. Tehran and its supporters, however, took a different view. Their main argument was that the outcome of a war is not determined solely by economic power and technology. Willpower, long-term resistance and the ability to inflict sustained losses on the opposing side also play an important role. Based on this approach, Iran provided political, financial and military support to its regional allies, creating multiple channels of pressure against the United States.

In recent years, however, the confrontation gradually evolved into an open war. With Donald Trump’s return to power, the US-Iran confrontation reached one of its most intense phases. Washington began carrying out direct strikes against Iran’s military and economic capabilities, while Tehran responded with retaliatory attacks.

The transition to open warfare exposed a fundamental weakness in Iran’s regional strategy. The network of influence Iran had built over decades appeared powerful, but its individual components were unable to maintain their previous positions under intense military pressure.

First, Hezbollah came under heavy pressure in Lebanon. The killing of Hassan Nasrallah, who had led the group for many years, had a major impact on its structure and influence. Hezbollah also lost some of its previous weight in Lebanon’s domestic political balance.

Then came Syria. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government removed one of Iran’s most important regional pillars. For years, Syria had served as a key logistical and political link for Tehran toward Lebanon. Assad’s departure from the country significantly reduced Iran’s ability to maintain influence along that route.

Now attention has turned to Yemen.

Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have launched a new offensive against the Houthis. Fighting has intensified in the provinces of Al Jawf, Taiz and Al Bayda. On September 8, the Yemeni army announced that it had recaptured the Al-Yatmah area in Al Jawf province from the Houthis. The area is located near the Saudi border and has strategic importance.

The Houthis remain a powerful force, and it is difficult to predict that they will be defeated in the near future. In fact, attacks carried out against cities and energy facilities in southern Saudi Arabia on September 8 showed that the group still retains significant strike capabilities. More than 70 people were reportedly wounded in the attacks.

However, the significance of the latest developments in Yemen extends far beyond the country itself for Iran. The Houthis are among Iran’s main remaining regional partners. If Yemeni government forces achieve their objectives and retake territory currently controlled by the Houthis, Tehran could lose an important source of influence along the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb.

As a result, Iran’s regional map of influence is undergoing a series of changes. Hezbollah has been weakened in Lebanon, Iran’s main ally in Syria has been removed from power, and Hamas has suffered heavy losses in Gaza. Now Iran’s position is also being tested on the Yemeni front.

This process could have serious political consequences inside Iran as well. Tehran has spent years presenting the network of proxy forces it built across the region as one of the main instruments of its power. The weakening of these forces and their loss of territory and influence damages the image of strength cultivated by the Iranian leadership. Tehran no longer appears as capable as before of maintaining its influence beyond its own borders. As the war continues, the economic and military costs also rise. Iran has to devote substantial financial resources to military operations, weapons and the maintenance of allied forces. This creates additional pressure on the government at a time when the country is already facing economic difficulties.

For this reason, the developments on the Yemeni front should be seen as part of a much broader process. The Houthis currently occupy an important position in Iran’s regional strategy. If Yemeni government forces succeed in retaking territory under Houthi control, Tehran will lose another important regional pillar. This would weaken Iran’s influence along the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb and increase Washington’s strategic pressure on Tehran.

This could become one of the war’s most serious consequences for Iran. Even if the United States does not defeat Iran directly, it can gradually dismantle the regional defensive network Tehran has built around itself. As Iran’s regional influence declines, so too will the tools available to Tehran for resisting US pressure. Yemen could become the next link in that chain.

Albanian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan Besart Kadia held a meeting with Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Embassy of Albania in Azerbaijan said the meeting focused on prospects for expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Albania in the tourism sector.

The sides exchanged views on developing tourism ties, sharing experience, increasing mutual tourist flows, and promoting the tourism potential of both countries more widely.

It was noted that Azerbaijan and Albania have significant potential for closer cooperation in tourism. The parties emphasized opportunities to establish new ties among government institutions, representatives of the tourism industry, and the peoples of the two countries.

The Embassy of Albania in Baku said it would continue supporting the development of institutional ties and joint initiatives between the two countries in the tourism sector.

The meeting also highlighted the role of tourism in bringing people closer together and helping them discover each other’s history, culture, heritage and national traditions.

The seasons will turn in the early hours of September 23, when astronomical autumn arrives in Azerbaijan at exactly 04:05:08 Baku time.

According to the Astrophysics Department of the Faculty of Physics at Baku State University (BSU), this precise moment marks the autumnal equinox – the point in the year when day and night are nearly equal in length.

At the equinox, the Sun rises almost exactly in the east and sets almost exactly in the west. Yet the two sides of the day are not perfectly balanced: atmospheric refraction and the apparent size of the Sun’s disk make daylight slightly longer than nighttime.

The equinox also marks an important point in the Sun’s annual journey across the sky. The Sun crosses the celestial equator from the Northern Hemisphere into the Southern Hemisphere, bringing the start of astronomical autumn to the Northern Hemisphere and spring to the Southern Hemisphere. From then on, days in the north gradually grow shorter while nights become longer.

The changing seasons are not caused by Earth moving closer to or farther from the Sun. Instead, they result from Earth’s yearly orbit around the Sun and the tilt of its rotational axis relative to the plane of its orbit. This tilt changes the angle at which sunlight reaches Earth’s surface throughout the year, producing the familiar cycle of seasons.

Astronomical autumn in 2026 will last 89 days, 21 hours, 45 minutes and 1 second. The season will come to an end with the winter solstice on December 22, marking the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and astronomical summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Jerusalem District Court rejected on Tuesday petitions from three activist groups to halt tenders for further development of the E1 area, a land strip in which the Israeli government plans to build settlements and effectively cut off East Jerusalem’s ground connection to the West Bank and the rest of the Palestinian territories.

The tenders seek investors and operators for 1,234 planned Israeli settlement units in the E1 zone.

Judge Nimrod Flax added that the petitions are still under review as there is enough time between the tenders and the actual realization of the plan. However, the tenders can proceed, he ruled.

The petitions were brought to court by peace activist organizations Ir Amim, Bimkom and Peace Now.

The Azerbaijani cultural community has suffered a great loss. A prominent representative of Azerbaijani theatre, Chief Director of the S. Vurgun Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre, recipient of an individual pension from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, People’s Artist Aleksandr Yakovlevich Sharovsky passed away on September 9, 2026, in the 79th year of his life.

Aleksandr Sharovsky was born in Baku on February 10, 1948. After graduating from secondary school, he received higher education at the Faculty of English Language and Literature of the Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages from 1968 to 1973.

Aleksandr Sharovsky began his professional career at the Azerbaijan State Young Spectators Theatre while he was still a student. Devoting his life to theatre, he worked at the S. Vurgun Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre for half a century from 1976, serving as an actor, assistant director and stage director, and as chief director from 1993.

Aleksandr Sharovsky made a significant contribution to the achievements of Azerbaijani theatre as an artist who skillfully drew on the classical traditions of theatre as well as contemporary trends in its development. He created characters distinguished by their naturalness on the theatre stage. As a director, through his extensive creative work and artistic searches, he staged numerous valuable works from Azerbaijani and world dramatic literature. Many of these productions stood out for their strong stage interpretations and were warmly received by the theatre community. These productions were also successfully performed at prestigious theatres outside the country, contributing to the promotion of Azerbaijani culture.

Aleksandr Sharovsky was also known for his extensive public activities. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre and head of the Baku religious community of European Jews, he devoted all his efforts to bringing the realities of Azerbaijan to the attention of the international community and preserving multicultural values in the country.

Aleksandr Sharovsky’s services to the development of Azerbaijani culture were duly recognised by the state. He was awarded the honorary titles of Honored Artist (1987) and People’s Artist (1998), as well as the Shohrat (Glory) Order (2008), the Sharaf (Honour) Order (2018), among the highest state awards of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2023).

The cherished memory of Aleksandr Yakovlevich Sharovsky, a renowned artist and public figure, as well as a sincere and kind person, will forever live in the hearts of those who knew him.

May he rest in peace!

Ilham Aliyev

Mehriban Aliyeva

Ali Asadov

Sahiba Gafarova

Samir Nuriyev

Eldar Azizov

Farah Aliyeva

Adil Karimli

Ramin Mammadov

Polad Bulbuloglu

Anar Rzayev

Haji Ismayilov

Shafika Mammadova

Lyudmila Dukhovnaya

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are working to resume passenger transportation across the Caspian Sea between the ports of Aktau and Baku, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel said.

The initiative was proposed by Kazakhstan and has received support from Azerbaijan, with transport authorities from both countries now working to restore the passenger connection, according to the ambassador.

‘Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan will resume passenger transportation in the Caspian. I am pleased that Azerbaijan supports Kazakhstan’s proposal. Currently, the transport agencies of the two countries have begun work to restore passenger relations as soon as possible,’ Bayel said.

Passenger services between the two ports were suspended in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and have not resumed since.

Before the suspension, around 1,500 passengers a year travelled between the Kazakh and Azerbaijani ports by sea, according to Bayel.

The planned restoration of the route is expected to strengthen tourism links between the two countries and expand passenger connectivity across the Caspian Sea.

The initiative also comes as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan deepen cooperation on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor, which connects Central Asia with the South Caucasus and European markets.

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.”

Industrial production in France fell by 0.8% in July compared with the previous month, following a modest 0.1% increase in June, the country’s statistics office, INSEE, reported on Wednesday.

Manufacturing output declined by 0.4% in July, after falling by 1.2% a month earlier. Production decreased across almost all major industrial sectors, with the sharpest drop recorded in the refining industry, where output fell by 3.8%.

The transport equipment sector also weakened, with production declining by 1.9%. The figures point to continued pressure on several key areas of French manufacturing.

At the same time, output in the energy, water supply, and extractive industries increased by 5%. The rise was largely driven by higher electricity generation and consumption during the country’s second heat wave, as households and businesses increased their use of air conditioning and cooling systems.

Despite the monthly decline, the broader picture remains somewhat more positive. Overall industrial production increased by 0.8% in the three months through July compared with the same period in 2025. However, manufacturing production fell by 0.4% over the same period.

The latest figures highlight an unusual feature of the French economy this summer: extreme weather is increasingly influencing industrial activity. Heat waves can boost electricity demand while simultaneously putting pressure on factories, transport networks, and other infrastructure. This means that climate conditions are becoming an increasingly important factor when assessing short-term economic performance.

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.