Category: Azer News

Donald Trump’s portrait has made its way onto a US coin.

The US Treasury issued $1 coins featuring the US president on September 2, making Trump the first living president to appear on US currency in a century.

The coins, minted to mark the 250th anniversary of the US founding this year, are valid currency and can be used for purchases, just like a $1 bill.

Putting Trump’s likeness on a coin with monetary value runs counter to federal law, which bars living presidents from appearing on US currency.

An awareness conference was held on September 4 as part of the “STRONG HOPE – HEALTHY FUTURE” project, with organizational support from the EMEDIA GROUP media organization to mark World Leukemia Day.

The main goal of the conference was to raise public awareness of leukemia, highlight the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment, provide greater moral support to people living with the disease and their families, and encourage cooperation among government institutions, the healthcare sector, civil society and the media.

The conference opened with the national anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan. A minute of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs who lost their lives defending Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Members of the Azerbaijani Parliament, representatives of government institutions, doctors and other healthcare professionals, representatives of non-governmental organizations and the media, parents of children living with leukemia, and members of the public attended the event.

Speakers included Elshan Aliyev, chairman of EMEDIA GROUP; Mehriban Baghirova, chairwoman of the “Fight Against Leukemia” Public Union; Mushfig Mammadli, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament’s Health Committee; Gunay Aghamali, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament’s Committee on Family, Women and Children; as well as representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan and other officials.

Elshan Aliyev said that one of the project’s main objectives is to strengthen public awareness efforts concerning leukemia and draw attention to the importance of early diagnosis.

He added that providing moral support to people battling the disease and their families is another key focus of the initiative.

“Fighting leukemia is not only a healthcare issue. It is also an important social issue that must be addressed at the family, community and state levels. Our initiative is aimed at providing public and media support to the social policy implemented by the state and contributing to greater public awareness,” Aliyev said.

Mehriban Baghirova said that although a leukemia diagnosis can be a serious medical and psychological challenge for patients and their families, it is not a death sentence.

She noted that advances in modern medicine, early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, as well as social and moral support play an important role in the fight against the disease. Baghirova also stressed the importance of public awareness, promoting a culture of blood donation and expanding support for voluntary donors.

Baghirova noted that the “Fight Against Leukemia” Public Union has been active since September 29, 2006. Over the years, the organization has held meetings with patients and their families, studied the social challenges they face, provided information about legal and social support opportunities, and organized awareness campaigns, charity projects and volunteer initiatives.

Mushfig Mammadli, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament’s, spoke about government measures to combat leukemia and other oncological diseases, as well as healthcare financing.

He said that AZN 118 million has been allocated in the 2026 state budget for state oncology programmes, while up to AZN 5 million has been earmarked separately for bone marrow transplantation.

Mammadli added that healthcare spending under the consolidated budget amounts to around AZN 3.7 billion, representing a significant increase compared with figures from a decade ago.

He also noted that coverage of healthcare services has been gradually expanding with the introduction of compulsory health insurance. A number of services related to blood and blood components, as well as the diagnosis of oncological diseases, are already included in the insurance package.

Gunay Aghamali, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament’s Committee on Family, Women and Children, said that early intervention is important not only for medical outcomes but also for patients’ psychological well-being.

She highlighted the importance of psychological and moral support for parents of children living with leukemia.

“Sometimes people become exhausted while dealing with difficulties and want to give up halfway through. It is therefore very important to recognize the role of parents, especially mothers, in supporting their children’s recovery and helping them continue the fight, as well as to value their efforts,” Aghamali said.

She noted that supporting people, including children, who require special care is one of the priorities of state policy. Aghamali stressed that social unity and solidarity can make an important contribution to the fight against disease.

One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the social awareness video “STRONG HOPE – HEALTHY FUTURE.”

Produced by Alioglu Media Group, the video is inspired by real events and portrays the strength of hope, determination, moral support and faith in life in the face of leukemia.

Actress Ayshan Abdurahmanova portrays a leukemia survivor in the video, while the childhood version of the character is played by a young girl named Ahu, who is currently battling leukemia.

Amil Ali, head of Alioglu Media Group, spoke about the concept behind the project and the creative process involved in producing the video.

The participation of parents whose children are battling leukemia was another important part of the conference. Discussions addressed the difficulties families face during treatment, the need for psychological and emotional support for parents, children’s social adaptation and society’s attitude toward these families.

Sevil Jalilova, head of the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Department at Yeni Klinika, and physician-therapist Vusala Mammadova of the Scientific Research Institute of Medical Rehabilitation also spoke at the conference.

They discussed the early diagnosis of leukemia, modern treatment options and patient rehabilitation.

The conference emphasized that effective action against leukemia goes beyond medical treatment alone. Alongside early diagnosis and modern treatment options, sustained cooperation among government institutions, healthcare facilities, non-governmental organizations, donors, the media and society as a whole is essential.

The participants also stressed the importance of continued social and moral support for patients and their families.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.

Nvidia has announced plans to acquire the Hugging Face platform for $12.93 billion.

Nvidia has assured users that Hugging Face will remain an open platform for the entire AI ecosystem. Developers will still be able to choose the AI models, cloud services, providers, and computing platforms that best suit their needs. They will not be required to use Nvidia’s resources to create or deploy applications through Hugging Face.

Hugging Face was founded in 2016 as an entertainment app for teenagers. However, by 2020, it had transformed into a major platform for artificial intelligence development. Today, developers can use it to store, download, and test AI models, datasets, and various tools, many of which are available for free.

In 2023, Hugging Face raised $235 million from several major technology companies, including Nvidia. At that time, the platform was valued at approximately $4.5 billion. According to The Information, Hugging Face currently generates around $150 million in annual revenue.

The acquisition could be a major step for Nvidia as it continues to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing AI industry. Hugging Face has a large community of developers, so the deal could help Nvidia reach even more people working with AI. It will be interesting to see how the platform develops under Nvidia’s ownership while keeping its open and independent approach.

Qatar has taken fourth place in the world in terms of living standards, according to the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index. The country also leads the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, highlighting its continued progress in improving the quality of life for both citizens and residents.

Qatar also ranked eighth in the world in the Development Index, which evaluates a combination of factors such as living standards, healthcare, and education. This result reflects the country’s progress in developing modern infrastructure and improving essential public services.

The results are closely connected to Qatar’s national development plans, particularly the Third National Development Strategy, which supports the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. Social and human development are among the key priorities of the strategy, as the country aims to build a more sustainable and prosperous future.

According to QNA, the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index results demonstrate the effectiveness of Qatar’s comprehensive development policies and long-term investments in its people and infrastructure.

Interestingly, Qatar’s progress is not based only on economic growth. The country has also been investing heavily in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and technology. This shows that a high standard of living depends not only on wealth, but also on how effectively a country uses its resources to improve everyday life.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has warned that Israel will retaliate if Britain takes action against the country over its settlement policies in the occupied West Bank.

‘If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain,’ Sa’ar said in an interview with Israeli outlet Ynet, warning that London would be making a ‘big mistake’ if it proceeded with measures against Israel.

‘There are tools. I’m saying this clearly and unequivocally. If they act, I think they will be making a major mistake,’ Sa’ar said when asked how Israel would respond.

Pressed on whether Israel was preparing diplomatic measures, Sa’ar declined to provide details.

‘Why hint at it? What I’ve said is enough. We are preparing. I hope they will not make a mistake. If they do, there will be a response,’ he said.

The remarks came amid an escalating diplomatic dispute between Israel and the United Kingdom over Israeli settlement expansion in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has condemned Israel’s plans for E1, saying the project would cut across the West Bank, risk separating it from East Jerusalem and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution. On August 19, Miliband said Britain would introduce a ‘comprehensive set of measures’ in response to Israeli government policies, including possible sanctions targeting those involved in settlement expansion.

The UK government has also said that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and warned businesses about the legal and reputational consequences of participating in E1 construction projects.

Sa’ar, meanwhile, accused the British government of being driven by domestic political considerations and said London had already taken steps affecting Israel, including measures against Israeli ministers and defence exports.

The Israeli foreign minister also argued that British action could amount to interference in Israel’s domestic political process, pointing to the upcoming Labour Party conference.

Reports have separately suggested that Israel is considering retaliatory steps, potentially including restrictions on British participation in the US-led International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat. However, Sa’ar did not publicly specify which measures Israel is preparing.

The dispute marks a further deterioration in relations between London and Jerusalem as Britain prepares additional measures over Israeli settlement expansion and the wider situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

More than 13 million passenger trips were recorded on the Baku Metro in August 2026, according to Baku Metropolitan CJSC.

The company said passenger traffic declined by 12.22% in August compared with the same month last year.

The Koroglu station was the busiest station during the month, serving 1,400,424 passengers. Meanwhile, August 3 recorded the highest daily passenger traffic, with 548,751 passengers using the metro.

The metro also recorded a total of 6,802,045 payments made via NFC and QR ticketing during the month. These payments accounted for 53.5% of all paid metro journeys in August, marking a 0.5 percentage-point increase compared with July.

Meanwhile, 79 requests were fulfilled under the Baku Metro’s ‘Accessible Metro’ service.

The figures highlight the continued expansion of digital payment methods in Baku’s public transport system, even as overall metro passenger traffic declined in August.

The United States government is planning to start using artificial intelligence (AI) when hiring new employees.

According to the channel’s website, the US federal government will begin using AI in the coming days to conduct interviews with some job applicants.

The technology will be tested as part of the Tech Force initiative, which was launched to attract specialists from the private technology sector to work for the government for a period of two years. One of the channel’s sources reported that the CodeSignal platform will be used to evaluate candidates and assess their technical skills.

However, not all federal agencies will start using AI in the hiring process immediately. The new technology is expected to be introduced gradually and tested before it becomes more widely used.

This development shows how quickly AI is changing the workplace. In the future, artificial intelligence could help governments process thousands of applications faster, but it also raises questions about whether AI can make fair and unbiased decisions when evaluating people.

President Ilham Aliyev shared a post on his X social media account congratulating Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni.

“Heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on becoming the longest-serving Prime Minister in the history of the Italian Republic. This historic milestone reflects her strong leadership, political determination, and the confidence of the Italian people. I highly appreciate Prime Minister Meloni’s personal role and valuable contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Italy. I am confident that our friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation will continue to deepen and expand for the benefit of our countries and peoples,” the post reads.

The Indian GSLV-F17 launch vehicle has successfully placed the EOS-05 (GISAT-1A) Earth observation satellite into orbit.

The launch was reported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The satellite is designed to provide round-the-clock monitoring of natural disasters, weather conditions, and agricultural land across India.

The launch took place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island, located in southeastern India.

The new satellite is expected to provide valuable data that can help authorities monitor floods, cyclones, droughts, and other natural disasters more effectively. It could also support farmers by providing information about changes in agricultural areas.

Interestingly, Earth observation satellites play an increasingly important role in modern life. They can collect information over large areas in a short period of time, helping governments make faster decisions during emergencies and improve environmental monitoring.

Billionaire investor Leon Black has failed to appear before a US congressional committee investigating the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, instead filing a lawsuit challenging subpoenas requiring him to provide documents and testify under oath.

Black’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington on Thursday, argues that the subpoenas issued by the House Oversight Committee are ‘invalid’ and have ‘no legitimate connection’ to the committee’s stated legislative purpose.

The subpoenas require Black to provide nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and sit for an on-camera deposition under oath.

Black previously appeared voluntarily before the committee in June but walked out of the hearing after lawmakers questioned him about NDAs he may have signed, according to members of the committee.

Black has denied wrongdoing in connection with his dealings with Epstein.

In his lawsuit, Black argues that forcing him to disclose the NDAs could expose women who have no known or public connection to Epstein and who had agreed to confidentiality.

‘This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr Black,’ Susan Estrich, an attorney for Black, said in a statement.

‘We were left with no choice but to file this lawsuit in response to an abuse of Congressional power.’

Following Black’s failure to appear, Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, a member of the House Oversight Committee, accused him of defying two congressional subpoenas.

‘His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable. We must hold him in contempt immediately,’ Garcia said.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer also criticized Black for resorting to litigation rather than testifying.

‘Mr Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation,’ Comer said.

Failure to comply with congressional subpoenas can lead to a contempt referral to the Justice Department, potentially exposing an individual to prosecution.

Black previously told the committee that he had employed Epstein as a wealth-management adviser and paid him $158 million over the course of their years-long association for what he described as legitimate services.

He has said he was unaware of Epstein’s ‘nefarious activity’ until Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in July 2019.

Black’s name also appears in files released by the US Justice Department as part of its investigation into Epstein. The records include photographs, videos and investigative documents.

However, appearing in the Epstein files does not in itself indicate wrongdoing, and Black has not been charged with a crime in connection with Epstein’s activities.