Category: Azer News

From August 24 to 28, the price of one troy ounce of gold (31.1034768 grams) in Azerbaijan decreased by AZN 96.679 ($56.87), or 1.2%.

According to data from the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), the average weekly price of gold rose by AZN 321.9307 ($189.37), or 4.3%, compared with the previous week, reaching AZN 7,857.4748 ($4,622.04).

Meanwhile, the price of one troy ounce of silver increased by AZN 0.0427 ($0.0251), or 0.03%, over the week. Its average weekly price climbed by AZN 4.78828 ($2.82), or 4.3%, to AZN 116.8486 ($68.73).

The price of one troy ounce of platinum declined by AZN 58.123 ($34.19), or 1.8%, during the week. However, its average weekly price rose by AZN 137.5147 ($80.89), or 4.5%, to AZN 3,161.9558 ($1,859.97).

Meanwhile, the price of one troy ounce of palladium increased by AZN 3.4085 ($2.01), or 0.1%. Its average weekly price went up by AZN 36.5738 ($21.51), or 1.6%, compared with the previous week, reaching AZN 2,287.5965 ($1,345.64).

The Azerbaijani manat remained stable against the U.S. dollar during the week of August 24-28, with the weekly weighted average exchange rate holding at 1.7000 manat per $1.

According to calculations based on data from the Azerbaijan Central Bank (CBA), the manat recorded mixed movements against other major currencies during the week.

The official exchange rate against the euro declined by 0.0063 manat, while the weekly weighted average rate rose by 0.00648 manat from the previous week to 1.9822 manat per pound 1.

Against the Russian ruble, the manat’s official rate for 100 rubles fell by 0.0795 manat. The weekly weighted average rate decreased by 0.00124 manat compared with the previous week, reaching 2.0195 manat per 100 rubles.

The manat also strengthened slightly against the Turkish lira. Its official exchange rate decreased by 0.0002 manat, while the weekly weighted average rate fell by 0.00018 manat to 0.0353 manat per lira.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly expressed serious concern in a resolution adopted in 2010 over the growing number of cases of enforced disappearances worldwide. Such cases include the arrest, detention and abduction of individuals.

Under the same resolution (A/RES/65/209), the General Assembly declared August 30 the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Enforced disappearances have become part of strategies aimed at creating an atmosphere of terror and, according to experts of the UN General Assembly, have evolved into a global problem.

Various public organizations are involved in addressing the issue of missing persons. Traditionally, on this day, these organizations appeal to governments to take all possible measures to prevent and eliminate such cases.

An important instrument in this effort is the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, adopted in 2006.

The problem remains unresolved. Hundreds of thousands of cases of enforced disappearance have yet to be investigated, while new cases continue to occur every year. The disappearance of people against their will is one of the most serious and grave violations of human rights.

Enforced disappearance causes severe suffering both for victims and their families. Victims are often subjected to torture and live under constant threat to their lives. Their relatives, unable to obtain information about the fate of their loved ones, remain between hope and despair, waiting anxiously for news for years and, in some cases, never receiving it.

Victims who are deprived of legal protection and effectively “disappeared” from society are stripped of all their rights and become entirely dependent on those who abducted them. Even when a person ultimately survives and escapes this nightmare, the physical and psychological wounds caused by violence, along with the lasting effects of cruelty and torture that often accompany it, never fully heal.

Children may also be among the direct or indirect victims of enforced disappearances. The disappearance of a child constitutes a direct violation of several provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to recognition of their identity. A child who loses one of their parents as a result of enforced disappearance also suffers a serious violation of their rights.

For this reason, on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, activists and public organizations call on civil society to draw attention to the issue and take all necessary measures within their means to help eliminate it.

4,010 people registered as missing as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan

The Republic of Azerbaijan has faced the humanitarian issue of persons missing as a result of armed conflict, as well as the broader problem of war victims, since Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan began in 1988. For many years, Azerbaijani citizens and state institutions have worked tirelessly to address the moral and psychological consequences of this grave situation.

During the First Karabakh War, amid intensive military operations, and throughout the occupation period from 1994 to 2020, Armenian armed formations committed crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide. Azerbaijani civilians were killed on a mass scale, while those taken prisoner or hostage were held in inhumane conditions and subjected to horrific torture, deprivation and treatment contrary to the principles of humanity. These circumstances resulted in Azerbaijani citizens going missing and their fate remaining unknown. Despite all the difficulties, issues concerning war victims, including citizens who were taken prisoner or hostage and those who went missing, have remained under the constant attention of National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and, subsequently, President Ilham Aliyev. According to data as of June 30 this year, 4,010 people have been registered by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons as missing as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan. Of these, 4,004 went missing during the First Karabakh War, while six disappeared during the 44-day Second Karabakh War in 2020. Of the 4,010 missing persons, 3,228 are military personnel and 782 are civilians. Among the civilians, 71 are minors, 288 are women and 319 are elderly people.

Under the framework agreement on the “Collection and Centralized Management of Ante Mortem Information on Missing Persons”, signed in 2008 between the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons and the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan, the collection of biological samples from close relatives of missing Azerbaijani citizens began in 2014. Since 2023, this work has been carried out by the Genetic Research Center established within the Main Department of Military Medicine of the State Security Service on the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev. According to data as of June 30 this year, biological samples from 11,542 donors connected to persons missing as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan have been collected and systematized. DNA profiles obtained from the collected biological samples are extracted and archived by the Genetic Research Center of the Main Department of Military Medicine of the State Security Service.

The nearly 30-year occupation of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized sovereign territories prevented the fate of missing Azerbaijani citizens from being established. Following the 44-day war in 2020 and the anti-terror measures carried out in 2023, identifying burial sites belonging to missing citizens in the liberated territories, together with conducting the necessary excavation and exhumation work, became the foremost task assigned to the State Commission by President Ilham Aliyev. Accordingly, intensive searches for burial sites belonging to missing persons, along with excavation, exhumation and identification of discovered human remains, have been conducted in these territories since February 2021.

According to data as of June 30 this year, human remains believed to belong to 893 missing persons have been discovered. Since search and excavation operations began in the liberated territories, 32 mass graves have been identified. Human remains believed to belong to 253 individuals have been recovered from these mass graves and exhumed in the presence of representatives of the investigative authorities.

Iran considers itself the winner of the recent conflict because the United States “failed to achieve its stated objectives”, Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Amir Hatami told the Fars news agency.

Hatami moted that the US had sought to weaken Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, but Iranian forces continued using their available weapons against the opposing side “with maximum intensity until the very end.”

He explained that, under conventional military logic, the attacking side is regarded as victorious if it manages to accomplish its objectives. In a defensive war, however, the situation is different: if the attacker fails to achieve its goals, the defending side can be considered the winner.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated again on July 8. The US carried out several waves of strikes on Iranian territory, saying they were in response to an attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes came after a memorandum had been signed between the two countries.

US President Donald Trump announced the end of the ceasefire with Iran on the same day. Tehran subsequently launched attacks against US facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Oman.

Brexit is costing the United Kingdom around £11.7 billion in export revenues every year, according to new estimates by Logistics UK, one of the country’s largest trade associations.

The organization said the decline in export revenues compared with 2019 amounts to approximately £400 per household per year.

Logistics UK has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to seek closer alignment with European Union rules. At the same time, various campaign groups are increasing pressure on the government to rejoin the EU single market and customs union,The Independent reported.

A new business survey conducted by European Movement UK found that 72.8% of companies believe Brexit has had a negative impact on their operations.

Meanwhile, 96.4% of respondents said Brexit had negatively affected the communities where they live, while 98.2% said they wanted the UK to rejoin the EU single market.

Trade groups and politicians are urging the government to slash red tape and reduce border complexity by aligning more closely with EU regulations.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Friday that there was no increase in radiation levels at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZPNN) following recent strikes.

“One drone attack on 25 August reportedly occurred near the cooling pond, injuring two plant employees. The following day, another drone detonated on the site of the dry spent nuclear fuel storage while a third drone – also on 26 August – reportedly hit the sprinkling device of the ZNPP’s power units system. Radiation levels at the site remain normal,” the agency said in a statement.

Furthermore, the IAEA cited Director General Rafael Grossi, who stated that attacks on nuclear infrastructure are “unacceptable” and urged maximum military restraint to avoid incidents.

The next seven to eight months will be among the most critical periods for the security of Ukraine, Poland and Europe as a whole, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, according to Rzeczpospolita.

“We must prepare ourselves for various scenarios, and it is absolutely clear that the next seven to eight months will be critical. The Russia-Ukraine war is at a turning point,” Tusk noted.

He emphasized that the situation on the battlefield could change rapidly, warning that Europe could see Ukraine gaining a strategic advantage one day, only to face a very different reality shortly afterward.

“From Europe, it may seem one day that Ukraine has gained a certain strategic advantage, but two days later it may become clear that the risks of losing this war are also very real,” Tusk said.

Polish PM added that some information must remain confidential when it comes to security issues, but this did not mean that the public should be deprived of information about the most important threats.

Donald Tusk stressed that the issue was now no longer limited to the CIA director’s visit to Moscow.

The funeral ceremony for Norway’s King Harald, who died at the age of 89, will be held on September 5.

Following the ceremony, the monarch will be laid to rest in a new sarcophagus at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. The design of the sarcophagus is being kept secret and will only be revealed after it has been used.

Around 3,000 military personnel are expected to take part in the funeral, which is being organized by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Preparations for the military participation are being overseen by Brigadier General Gyda Ellefsplass Olssen, commandant of Akershus Fortress. She has held the position since 2024 and is the first woman to serve as commandant since the post was established in 1653.

Queen Sonja will also be buried in the same crypt in the future.

Two years ago, the Norwegian government allocated 20 million kroner for the construction of the new sarcophagus. The project was entrusted to the award-winning architectural firm Snøhetta and Professor Kjetil Trædal Thorsen.

During his lifetime, King Harald spoke about his future burial place with his characteristic sense of humor.

On the day of the monarch’s death, 21 artillery salutes were fired at Akershus Fortress at 30-second intervals. A ceremony of this kind had last been held in Norway in 1991.

Interestingly, the guns used for the salute were purchased from Sweden before the dissolution of the Swedish-Norwegian union in 1905. At the time, Norway acquired 146 guns from the Swedish state, which were considered modern for their era.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) conducted its second non-binding straw poll as part of the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General, with Guyana’s Ambassador to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, emerging as the frontrunner among the declared candidates.

Uganda’s Olara Otunnu gained the sharpest percentage increase support for his candidacy. Yet no nominee drew the required nine yes votes from the Council poll to fully command a lead.

The secret straw polls are designed to gauge the level of support among the 15 members of the Security Council and gradually narrow the field before the Council makes a formal recommendation to the UN General Assembly. The General Assembly typically endorses the Security Council’s choice.

During the confidential voting procedure, Security Council members are asked to mark each candidate on the ballot as “encourage,” “discourage,” or “no opinion.” The results are not officially published, but the assessments are confidentially communicated to the countries that nominated the candidates.

The term of current UN Secretary-General António Guterres expires at the end of December 2026. The candidates seeking to succeed him include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa, and Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

Whoever succeeds Guterres will face significant challenges amid escalating global conflicts and growing criticism of international institutions from far-right populist movements.

The next UN chief will therefore be tasked with revitalizing an organization facing a decline in influence and mounting pressure for institutional reform.

In a formal Security Council vote, a candidate must secure at least nine of the 15 votes to advance. However, any of the five permanent members – the United States, China, France, Russia, or the United Kingdom – can veto a nominee, making the support of the permanent members crucial to the selection process.

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Russia Rahman Mustafayev and Astrakhan Region Governor Igor Babushkin discussed the development of freight transportation along the International North-South Transport Corridor during a meeting in Astrakhan.

During the working meeting, the sides discussed the current state and prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Astrakhan Region, particularly in the trade, economic, cultural, and transport sectors. Particular attention was paid to developing freight transportation between the region and Azerbaijan along the International North-South Transport Corridor.

Speaking about humanitarian cooperation, Babushkin proposed considering the possibility of holding joint opera gala concerts and open-air performances in front of the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, involving the M.F. Akhundov Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and the Astrakhan State Opera and Ballet Theater.

“The Republic of Azerbaijan is our most important partner in the Caspian region. I intend to continue making every effort to further strengthen comprehensive cooperation,” Babushkin noted.

At the Governor’s invitation, Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev attended as an honored guest the premiere of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, staged by the Astrakhan State Opera and Ballet Theater. The performance was held as part of the “Russian Operas in the Astrakhan Kremlin” project, which has become something of a hallmark of the region.

The Azerbaijani diplomat also visited several facilities built in Astrakhan by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, including the monument to Grand Prince Vladimir the Great and infrastructure facilities on Baku Street, which has become a center of modern urban development in Astrakhan.