Category: Azer News

South Korea, the United States and Japan have launched a trilateral naval exercise called Freedom Edge in international waters south and east of Jeju Island.

The five-day military exercise includes several areas of training, including naval and air operations. According to the organizers, the drills are aimed at improving the three countries’ operational capabilities and their ability to respond together to various threats at sea, in the air and in cyberspace.

The exercises are being held in international waters and are expected to continue for five days.

Seoul has stressed that the drills are defensive in nature and are being conducted in accordance with international law. South Korean authorities have not specified which ships will take part in the exercise, but they say the size of the participating forces will be similar to last year’s drills.

An interesting fact is that ‘Freedom Edge’ is designed to strengthen cooperation between the three countries at a time of growing security tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. The exercise also demonstrates how the US, South Korea and Japan are trying to improve coordination and prepare for possible emergencies in the region.

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks did not come as a complete surprise to U.S. authorities, as the United States had been warned for decades about the possibility of terrorists using aircraft for attacks.

The National Interest makes this point in an article marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The publication notes that U.S. authorities had been dealing with the threat of aviation terrorism since the late 1960s. In 1974, General Benjamin Davis, who was responsible for civil aviation security, warned of the risk of a mass-casualty aviation disaster.

In the following years, U.S. intelligence agencies repeatedly received information about terrorist plans to use aircraft as weapons. After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the discovery of the “Bojinka” plot and other incidents, the threat became increasingly apparent.

In July 2001, FBI agent Kenneth Williams warned about the possibility of Osama bin Laden supporters being sent to U.S. flight schools. On August 6, President George W. Bush received an intelligence briefing titled ‘Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US.’

According to The National Interest, a key problem was the insufficient sharing of intelligence between government agencies. On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda militants hijacked four passenger aircraft. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people.

Baku Film and Comic Con will take place at Baku Expo Center on September 13, with films, television series, anime, comics, video games and cosplay among the main themes of the festival.

The event will run from 12:00 to 19:00 and is expected to attract more than 4,000 visitors. The festival will cover more than 10,000 square metres, according to the organizers.

German actor Tom Wlaschiha will be the main international guest. He is known for playing Jaqen H’ghar in Game of Thrones and Dmitri Antonov, also known as Enzo, in Stranger Things. Wlaschiha will appear on the main stage and take part in a question-and-answer session with visitors. Photo and autograph sessions will also be available.

Cosplay will have a major place in the programme. Professional and amateur competitions are planned, along with appearances by invited international cosplayers. Visitors will also be able to attend K-pop performances and other stage events.

The festival will include a gaming zone, an Artist Alley with artists, illustrators and comic creators, themed photo areas, workshops and stands selling merchandise related to films, television series, anime, comics and video games. A food court will also be available at the venue.

Another guest listed by the organizers is Azerbaijani actor and content creator Islam Gandzhaev, who will take part in photo and autograph sessions. The festival programme is still being expanded, with further guests and activities expected to be announced.

The event is organized by Azerbaijan Cosplay Festivals, which has held pop-culture events in Azerbaijan since 2019. The organizers describe Baku Film and Comic Con 2026 as the largest pop-culture festival in the Caucasus.

Tickets are available on iTicket.Az. VIP ticket holders can enter the venue from 10:00.

Azerbaijan expects wind power generation to increase nearly sixfold and solar power generation by more than 26 percent by the end of this year, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said.

Shahbazov made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the Fourth Climate Week of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku.

The minister said recent energy crises, along with growing energy demand driven by electrification, digitalization, artificial intelligence and data centers, have demonstrated that a hasty phase-out of fossil fuels does not necessarily constitute a successful energy transition.

‘The key issue is to establish a clean, secure and sustainable energy system at an optimal pace that enables the resolution of all environmental challenges. In this new reality, alongside the development of new generation capacity, the expansion of electricity grids, energy storage systems, energy efficiency and the interconnection of energy systems are equally important,’ Shahbazov said.

According to the minister, the initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan during its COP29 presidency were based precisely on this approach.

‘To date, 74 countries have joined the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, 70 countries have joined the Hydrogen Declaration, and 64 countries have joined the Green Energy Pledge,’ Shahbazov said.

Shahbazov said the strategic vision defined by President Ilham Aliyev remains the guiding principle of Azerbaijan’s energy policy.

‘This strategic vision is based on aligning energy security with the green transition, using Azerbaijan’s existing energy potential to build a sustainable and low-carbon energy system, while also strengthening our country’s position as a regional green energy hub through the diversification of energy connections,’ he added.

The minister noted that, alongside the implementation of solar and wind energy projects with a combined capacity of approximately 8 GW, Azerbaijan is strengthening its electricity grids, introducing energy storage systems, increasing the flexibility of its energy system and developing new energy interconnectors.

‘The results are already reflected in our energy balance. By the end of this year, we expect wind power generation to increase nearly sixfold and solar power generation by more than 26 percent,’ Shahbazov said.

He added that Azerbaijan plans to integrate approximately 2 GW of solar and wind power capacity into the electricity grid by the end of next year.

‘This will enable a reduction of 2.4 million tons of emissions annually,’ the energy minister said.

The Fourth Climate Week of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (CW4) is currently being held in Baku, hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan and organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

Government and state officials from various countries, representatives of international organizations, experts, financial institutions, the private sector and civil society are participating in the events.

As part of the Fourth Climate Week and Baku Climate Action Week, a series of sessions, panel discussions and other events will address climate change, climate finance, sustainable development and ways to accelerate climate action.

The events are expected to further strengthen Baku’s active role in the global climate agenda and make an important contribution to enhancing international climate cooperation ahead of COP31.

Russia ordered the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg to end its operations by September 18 and instructed all of its employees to leave the country by that date, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The move follows Germany’s decision earlier this month to close Russia’s Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in the city.

Bilateral ties have deteriorated following Berlin’s accusations that Moscow was behind a drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that Germany’s allegations against Russia mark the “beginning of a real war.”

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has described Greece’s expanding military capabilities as giving Athens ‘superiority’ over Trkiye, arguing that the country cannot simply leave the resulting advantage unused.

Mitsotakis pointed to Greece’s upgraded F-16 fighter jets, Rafale aircraft and the arrival of F-35s as evidence of a significant transformation in the country’s military capabilities.

‘This gives us a very significant advantage; I would even dare to call it superiority,’ Mitsotakis said. ‘And this is an advantage that we could never simply leave unused.’

The Greek prime minister said Athens had significantly strengthened its armed forces in recent years and would independently determine its defense policy.

‘Greece is not going to ask anyone’s permission regarding how it arms itself,’ he said.

Athens highlights airpower buildup

Mitsotakis placed particular emphasis on Greece’s combat aviation capabilities. Athens has been upgrading its F-16 fleet, acquiring French-made Rafale fighters and beginning to receive F-35 aircraft as part of its broader military modernization program.

The buildup has taken place against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between Greece and Trkiye over territorial, maritime and security issues in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.

Mitsotakis comments on Trkiye’s F-35 prospects

Mitsotakis also addressed the possibility of Trkiye eventually obtaining F-35 fighter jets, while stressing that decisions regarding U.S. arms sales ultimately rest with Washington.

He said Greece did not consider itself responsible for determining which countries should receive American defense systems.

At the same time, Mitsotakis argued that Trkiye currently faces significant legal obstacles to acquiring the F-35 and said he did not see a way for those restrictions to be overcome at present.

*The following news report is sourced from ClashReport, and all responsibility for its content and accuracy rests with them.

Azerbaijan’s freestyle wrestling team has started a training camp at the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation’s (AGF) training base ahead of the 2026 Galaxy U-23 Wrestling World Championships.

The camp, which will continue until September 19, focuses on general and specific physical preparation. The team is training under coaches Teymuraz Kokoyev and Arif Abdullayev.

The 57-kilogram group includes Muhammad Ismayilov, Huseyn Rzazade and Ibrahim Hasanov. Jeykhun Allahverdiyev will compete at 61 kilograms, while Musa Aghayev, Huseyn Huseynov and Aykhan Abdullazade are in the 65-kilogram category.

Ramik Heybatov and Haji Karimov are training at 70 kilograms, while Aganazar Novruzov and Nihad Abbasov are in the 74-kilogram division.

Eljan Ismayilzade and Elkhan Garayev will compete at 79 kilograms, with Sabuhy Amiraslanov at 86 kilograms. Tabriz Bayramov and Anar Jafarli are in the 92-kilogram category, while Said Pashayev and Zafar Aliyev will compete at 97 kilograms.

The heavyweight group consists of Khetag Karsanov, Mukhamad Gantemirov and Yusif Dursunov in the 125-kilogram division.

The training camp is part of the team’s preparations for the U-23 World Championships, which will be held in Las Vegas, United States, from October 12 to 18.

The championship will feature men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling competitions. The freestyle events will be held from October 16 to 18 across 10 weight categories, ranging from 57 to 125 kilograms.

The third volume of the “Explanatory-Encyclopedic Dictionary of Nasimi’s Works in His Native Language” has been published.

The dictionary was compiled by Khadija Heydarova, head of the Department of History of the Azerbaijani Language at the Institute of Linguistics named after Nasimi of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).

The publication is a major lexicographical study that systematically examines the lexical, semantic, terminological and cultural-historical foundations of works written by Imadaddin Nasimi in Azerbaijani Turkish.

The dictionary explains words and expressions used by the poet not only through their dictionary meanings but also by taking into account the shades of meaning they acquired in classical texts, as well as their figurative, symbolic and terminological functions.

One of the publication’s important scholarly features is that it reveals the broad lexical-semantic system of Nasimi’s language. Alongside commonly used vocabulary of classical Azerbaijani literary language, the dictionary examines the meanings of religious and philosophical terms, Sufi and Hurufi concepts, Quranic vocabulary, literary and poetic expressions, and terminology from various fields of knowledge.

The volume also examines semantic processes reflected in Nasimi’s works, including polysemy, the expansion and narrowing of meaning, metaphorization, symbolization and terminologization.

The dictionary is therefore valuable not only for the study of Nasimi’s language but also for research into the historical lexicology, historical semantics, lexicography and terminology of the Azerbaijani language. The material presented in the publication provides researchers with a rich source for tracing the historical development of Azerbaijani literary language, changes in the meanings of words over the centuries and the expressive possibilities of classical Azerbaijani Turkish.

The publication’s editor-in-chief is Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Nadir Mammadli. Its scientific editor is Academician Mohsun Nagisoylu, while the scientific adviser is Doctor of Philosophy in Philology Elnur Heydarov.

The reviewers are Doctors of Philological Sciences and Professors Sevil Mehdiyeva and Ismayil Mammadli, as well as Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, Associate Professor Teyyub Guliyev.

The first volume was published in 2025, the second in early 2026, and the third in August 2026. The publication of the third volume marks another stage in the scholarly documentation of the lexical and semantic system of Nasimi’s works written in Azerbaijani.

The third volume was published by a decision of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Linguistics named after Nasimi of ANAS at its meeting on October 23, 2025.

Few journalists in the 20th century had a career as unusual as Israel Epstein: born to Jewish parents in Warsaw, raised in China, a committed Communist, a member of the Chinese Communist Party and eventually one of the country’s most prominent foreign-born political figures.

Epstein was born in 1915 in Warsaw and arrived in China with his family when he was just two years old. He grew up in Tianjin and began working as a journalist while still a teenager. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he reported on China and developed close ties with the Chinese Communist movement.

His relationship with the Communist Party deepened after he visited the Communist base at Yan’an, where he reported on Mao Zedong’s movement. Chinese state records later described Epstein as a foreign-born Communist who helped bring the party’s message to the English-speaking world.

Epstein eventually became one of the rare foreign-born members of the Chinese Communist Party. He obtained Chinese citizenship in 1957 and formally joined the CCP in 1964. He later became a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

His work also put him unusually close to Mao’s political project. In the early 1960s, Epstein was part of a team of Chinese and foreign scholars working on English translations and revisions of Mao Zedong’s Selected Works. The group included several foreign-born Jewish intellectuals who had committed themselves to the Chinese Communist cause.

But Epstein’s loyalty to the Communist system did not protect him from the Cultural Revolution.

In 1968, during Mao’s campaign of political purges, Epstein was arrested on allegations of plotting against Premier Zhou Enlai. He spent several years imprisoned before being released in 1973. According to biographical accounts, Zhou later apologized to him, and Epstein’s political privileges were restored.

What makes Epstein’s story particularly striking is that imprisonment did not lead him to abandon communism. Academic research into his life describes him as a fervent supporter and defender of the Cultural Revolution even after experiencing its repression personally.

He remained in China for the rest of his life, continuing to write and participate in political and cultural institutions. In 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao personally visited him shortly before his death in Beijing at the age of 90. Epstein was buried at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, traditionally reserved for prominent figures of the Chinese Communist revolution.

The paradox of Israel Epstein is what makes his life so remarkable: a Jewish child born in Warsaw became a Chinese journalist, a Communist Party member, a translator of Mao, a political prisoner during Mao’s own Cultural Revolution – and, after surviving that imprisonment, remained a committed Communist until his death.

Another Azerbaijani judoka has won a gold medal at the European Judo Championships Juniors Podgorica 2026, Montenegro.

Suleyman Shukurov, competing in the 90-kilogram weight category, defeated Germany’s Konstantin Distel by ippon to become European champion for the second time in his career.

Davud Namazli (100 kg) and Ramazan Ahmadov (+100 kg) finished the competition with bronze medals.

With these results, Azerbaijan’s judokas have won a total of five medals at the European Judo Championships Juniors Podgorica 2026.

Earlier, Aykhan Mirzazada (60 kg) and Mahammad Musayev (66 kg) claimed European titles.

A total of 400 judokas from 44 countries, including 222 men and 178 women, competed at the championships.

Azerbaijan is represented by 14 judokas, including nine men and five women across 10 weight categories.

Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art worldwide.

The President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation is Rashad Nabiyev, who also serves as the Minister of Digital Development and Transportation.

The country’s modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.

A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.

However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.

The list of the country’s top judo fighters includes Hidayat Heydarov, Zelym Kotsoiev, Zelim Tckaev, Balabay Aghayev, Ushangi Kokauri, Gultaj Mammadaliyeva, Leyla Aliyeva, Fidan Alizade, Aisha Gurbanli, etc.