Category: Azer News

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has expressed his condolences to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar.

“Your Highness,

We received with deep sorrow the news of the passing of your father, the distinguished statesman and Father Amir, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was a great leader of his people who left an indelible mark on the history of the State of Qatar, demonstrated unwavering devotion to his homeland throughout his life and public service, and worked tirelessly for its prosperity.

He also made an exceptional contribution to the establishment and development of the friendly relations and cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State of Qatar. I remember with the warmest feelings his visits to Azerbaijan and my meetings with him. The cherished memory of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani will always live in our hearts.

Sharing your grief over this profound loss, I extend my deepest condolences to you, all members of your family, and the brotherly people of the State of Qatar, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan.

May Allah rest his soul in peace!,” the letter reads.

Azerbaijan’s trampoline gymnastics and tumbling team delivered an impressive performance at the traditional SCALABISCUP international tournament in Santarém, Portugal, finishing the competition with a total of 12 medals.

AzerNEWS reports that thirteen Azerbaijani gymnasts competed across various age categories in trampoline gymnastics and tumbling, achieving multiple podium finishes.

In the senior trampoline competition, Maqsud Mahsudov claimed the gold medal with 60.240 points, while Selcan Mahsudova also secured gold after scoring 57.190 points. Huseyn Abbasov added a bronze medal with 57.730 points.

In the 13-14 age category, Muhamm?d H?s?nli won silver with 49.350 points.

Among the 15-16 age group competitors, Ammar Baxsaliyev captured gold with 54.540 points, while F?rhad Mustafayev earned silver with 51.470 points. Baxsaliyev also claimed a second gold medal after winning the double mini trampoline event with a score of 23.900.

In tumbling, Azerbaijan’s senior team of Bilal Qurbanov, Aleksey Karatasov and Hseyn ?s?dullayev won the team title with 148.100 points. Qurbanov also secured an individual silver medal after scoring 46.200 points.

S?nan Rzazad? took gold in the 13-14 age category with 22.600 points.

In the 15-16 age category, Ilham M?simov won gold with 84.400 points, while Riad Cavadov claimed silver with 83.900 points.

The 12-medal haul highlighted Azerbaijan’s strong showing at one of the leading international competitions in trampoline gymnastics and tumbling.

Georgia has officially opened its first Human Milk Bank at the Iashvili Central Mother and Child Hospital in Batumi, marking a major milestone in the country’s maternal and neonatal healthcare system, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Georgia’s Ministry of Health, the facility was inaugurated during an official ceremony attended by Mikheil Sarjveladze, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs.

Sarjveladze said the establishment of the Human Milk Bank represents an important step toward improving maternal and child healthcare services, particularly by supporting the healthy growth and development of premature and other high-risk newborns.

Ajara Health and Social Protection Minister Nino Nijaradze said the program is expected to make a significant contribution to safeguarding the health of preterm infants and newborns requiring specialized medical care.

According to Nijaradze, the project’s primary objectives are to provide safe treatment conditions, promote healthy infant development, and reduce the risk of serious complications such as severe infections and developmental delays.

The Ministry of Health stated that donor breast milk will be provided exclusively to high-risk newborns based on medical indications. Hospitals will receive donor milk through a voucher-based system, ensuring that eligible infants have access to this critical resource under clinical supervision.

The opening ceremony was also attended by members of the Georgian Parliament, representatives of the Ajara government, healthcare institutions, neonatologists, pediatricians, and other medical professionals.

Former members of the Wagner Group have established a lucrative drug trafficking network in the upper Ubangi River basin of the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing sources familiar with the matter, AzerNEWS reports.

The newspaper reported that the group is operating independently of the Kremlin and that local law enforcement authorities have been unable to curb its activities. According to the report, the former Wagner contingent is currently led by Pavel Prigozhin, the son of the late Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

According to the report, the group’s primary source of income has become the illegal trade in tramadol, an opioid painkiller sometimes referred to as the “cocaine of the poor.” The Wall Street Journal said the group distributes tramadol tablets with doses increased to 200 milligrams, compared with standard medical doses of 50-100 milligrams.

The report alleges that tramadol manufactured in India is smuggled through the Democratic Republic of the Congo into the Central African Republic before being distributed to neighboring countries.

The newspaper said the operation is overseen by approximately 500 former Wagner fighters who remained in the Central African Republic following Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death in a plane crash in 2023.

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies has previously claimed that Wagner has established de facto control over parts of the Central African Republic, alleging that the group has infiltrated the country’s military and local armed factions. According to the organization, Wagner’s influence has grown to the point that it has allegedly supplied tramadol even to members of the presidential guard.

The claims reported by The Wall Street Journal have not been independently verified.

Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of misappropriating trade secrets and confidential information to support the development of its hardware business, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple alleges that the theft of its proprietary information was part of a “coordinated pattern of misconduct” involving former Apple employees who later joined OpenAI. The complaint also names former Apple executives Tang Tan and Chang Liu as defendants.

Apple claims that OpenAI improperly used its intellectual property and confidential data, alleging that prospective Apple employees considering a move to OpenAI were encouraged to disclose trade secrets and confidential information during the recruitment process. The company also alleges that candidates were asked to bring information or materials related to unreleased Apple products and technologies to interviews.

OpenAI has denied the allegations.

“We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets,” an OpenAI spokesperson said, adding that the company remains focused on developing innovative technology.

The State of Palestine has condemned the recent Iranian attacks targeting the sovereignty, security and stability of several Arab countries, expressing solidarity with the affected states, AzerNEWS reports.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Palestinian presidency rejected the attacks directed at Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan.

The statement affirmed Palestine’s “support and full solidarity” with the targeted Arab countries in confronting what it described as acts of aggression aimed at undermining their security, sovereignty and stability.

The Palestinian presidency also expressed full support for the policies and measures adopted by the affected states to protect their populations, preserve national security and maintain their sovereignty.

In addition, the statement renewed Palestine’s call for dialogue as the primary means of resolving regional disputes, stressing that solutions should be pursued in accordance with international law.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that around 500,000 civilians are at risk in El-Obeid, the capital of Sudan’s North Kordofan state, as intensifying fighting forces families and children to flee, AzerNEWS reports via UNICEF.

In a statement posted on Saturday, UNICEF said the escalating violence was driving widespread displacement and placing children in increasing danger.

“Intensified fighting in El-Obeid, Sudan, is forcing children and families to be displaced and seek refuge,” the agency said, warning that “500,000 civilians are at risk, with children in immediate and growing danger of being killed, injured, displaced, or exposed to other grave violations.”

UNICEF called for an immediate de-escalation, stressing that “further escalations must be prevented for children’s safety.”

El-Obeid was once home to around 500,000 people, but unofficial estimates suggest its population has swelled to nearly three million as it has become a major refuge for people displaced by the conflict elsewhere in Sudan.

The warning comes days after the UN Human Rights Council ordered an urgent investigation into alleged violations and abuses in El-Obeid, citing the imminent risk of large-scale atrocities.

For the past month, the city has reportedly come under repeated drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have targeted the main power station, fuel facilities and other civilian infrastructure, leaving dozens of people dead or injured.

In May, the UN warned of a sharp increase in drone attacks across the Kordofan region, saying at least 880 civilians had been killed between January and April.

North, West and South Kordofan have witnessed fierce clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since last October. Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted over plans to integrate the RSF into the national military. The war has since killed tens of thousands of people and displaced an estimated 13 million, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Six Americans were killed in an Iranian drone attack on Kuwait during the second day of the Iran-Iraq conflict after military commanders allegedly failed to act on warnings that the targeted facility was vulnerable, AzerNEWS reports via The Washington Post.

The newspaper reported that the March 1 drone strike on the industrial port of Shuaiba Port triggered a deadly fire at a U.S. command center, killing six American personnel.

According to The Washington Post, interviews with 17 witnesses, including survivors of the attack, indicate that the facility’s two commanders allegedly ignored intelligence warnings that the port was a likely target for an Iranian strike.

The report also claims that the command center lacked adequate defenses against drone attacks.

Soldiers injured in the strike reportedly voiced frustration with the U.S. military’s healthcare system and its response to the incident.

According to the newspaper, the attack is considered one of the deadliest and most costly incidents for the U.S. military and the administration of President Donald Trump since the outbreak of the conflict.

The allegations published by The Washington Post have not been independently verified, and no official response from the U.S. military was included in the report.

The United States Embassy has urged American citizens in Bahrain to avoid large gatherings and areas with a heightened security presence and to take shelter immediately upon activation of sirens as air raid sirens sound all over the country, AzerNEWS reports.

The embassy also delayed its opening until 10:00 am local time.

Furthermore, Fars News reported thick smoke rising from the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in the country after earlier Iranian missile attacks.

US forces renewed their shelling of cities in southern Iran, targeting Mahshahr in Khuzestan province and Kangan.

Simultaneously, Iranian media said strong explosions shook Kuwait, amid still unverified information of the start of Iranian retaliatory attacks on US bases in the region. In Bahrain, the authorities said air alarms were activated, urging citizens to seek safety.

For emerging economies, particularly those structurally tied to energy exports, the management of external liabilities serves as a primary litmus test for long-term fiscal sustainability. It is within this context that Azerbaijan’s recent fiscal trajectory demands careful analysis. As reported by the State Statistics Committee, Azerbaijan’s external public debt descended to $4.6168 billion as of July 1, 2026. This reflects a commendable 7.9% year-on-year decline, down from approximately $5.0128 billion twelve months prior. By systematically retiring nearly $396 million in foreign liabilities over a single year, the Azerbaijani government is not merely executing a balance-sheet adjustment; it is actively securing a strategic macroeconomic dividend that will resonate across its domestic economy for decades to come.

To truly appreciate the value of this aggressive deleveraging strategy, one must understand the multifaceted vulnerabilities inherent to external debt. When a nation borrows extensively in foreign currencies, such as the United States dollar or the Euro, it exposes its structural integrity to external shocks beyond its control. Fluctuations in international interest rates, tightening global liquidity, and domestic currency depreciation can exponentially inflate the real cost of servicing foreign debt. By aggressively driving down its absolute debt stock, Azerbaijan systematically immunizes its public finances against these external systemic contagions. This proactive reduction in foreign currency liabilities provides a formidable buffer, ensuring that national financial planning remains driven by domestic developmental priorities rather than volatile international debt obligations.

Furthermore, the most immediate and quantifiable consequence of this debt reduction is the dramatic optimization of state budgetary allocations. Every dollar that is borrowed externally carries an ongoing price tag in the form of interest payments. For many developing nations, debt servicing functions as a persistent fiscal drain, cannibalizing vital capital that could otherwise fund domestic growth. As Azerbaijan minimizes its external obligations, it simultaneously curtails the volume of capital leaking out of the country to foreign creditors. The financial capital preserved through lowered interest obligations transforms directly into a fiscal surplus that can be productively reinvested at home. These freed-up public funds can be strategically deployed into high-yield domestic sectors: upgrading transport infrastructure, modernizing the healthcare framework, funding advanced education, and strengthening the social safety net. In essence, paying off foreign lenders today directly expands the economic sovereignty and financial capacity of the state tomorrow.

Beyond immediate budgetary relief, the systematic contraction of external debt acts as a powerful catalyst for institutional investor confidence and sovereign prestige. Global capital markets and credit rating agencies closely monitor a nation’s debt-to-GDP ratio and its trajectory of external liabilities. Azerbaijan’s consistent commitment to lowering its debt profile sends an unambiguous signal to international markets regarding its fiscal discipline and macroeconomic maturity. This deliberate deleveraging bolsters the country’s sovereign credit ratings, positioning it as an island of stability in a turbulent regional environment. Higher creditworthiness reduces the cost of capital across the entire economy. Should the government or prominent domestic enterprises require external financing in the future for large-scale industrial or green-energy transitions, they will be able to secure these funds at significantly more favorable interest rates. Thus, reducing debt today establishes a foundation for cheaper, more sustainable financing in the future.

Simultaneously, this fiscal policy acts as a crucial anchor for domestic monetary stability, specifically supporting the stability of the national currency, the Azerbaijani Manat. Servicing external debt requires the steady outflow of foreign exchange reserves. When external debt pressures are high, a central bank faces constant pressure to liquidate foreign assets to meet these obligations, which can imperil the domestic currency’s exchange rate. Azerbaijan’s strategy reduces this structural demand for foreign currency, allowing the Central Bank to preserve and accumulate robust foreign exchange reserves. A heavily fortified reserve position enhances the central bank’s capacity to absorb speculative shocks, maintain exchange rate predictability, and anchor domestic inflation. For businesses and consumers alike, a stable currency mitigates transaction risks, stimulates domestic demand, and fosters a predictable environment conducive to long-term private capital investments.

Finally, the philosophical dimension of Azerbaijan’s fiscal strategy centers on intergenerational equity and sustainable diversification. Over-reliance on foreign debt often shifts the economic burden of contemporary spending onto future generations of taxpayers. By aggressively retiring debt during periods of fiscal viability, the current administration ensures that future generations inherit a lean, agile, and unburdened sovereign balance sheet. This structural agility is vital as Azerbaijan aggressively pursues its non-oil economic diversification strategy. An unburdened economy possesses the fiscal space required to experiment, innovate, and subsidize emerging sectors like digital technology, logistics, and agriculture without the constant fear of a debt crisis.

In conclusion, the marginal slowing of the debt reduction pace by a fraction of a percentage point between June and July 2026 does nothing to obscure the grander narrative. The overriding trajectory remains clear, purposeful, and profoundly beneficial. Azerbaijan’s systematic dismantling of its external public debt represents a masterclass in forward-thinking macroeconomic stewardship. By insulating the nation from currency risks, optimizing the national budget for internal development, lowering the cost of future capital, and securing intergenerational equity, this strategy does not merely protect existing wealth-it builds a bulletproof foundation for the country’s future prosperity.