Category: Azer News

Azerbaijan is commemorating the memory of servicemen who lost their lives during the 44-day Patriotic War.

Commemorative ceremonies have been held across the country’s cities and districts, including the liberated territories, since the morning of September 27. Citizens are paying tribute to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland.

September 27 was designated as Remembrance Day by a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on December 2, 2020. The day serves as an expression of deep respect for the soldiers and officers who fought heroically in the Patriotic War that began in 2020 and sacrificed their lives for the country’s territorial integrity, as well as for all martyrs.

Azerbaijan’s tricolor flag is flying in streets, avenues and squares, as well as from balconies of homes. Azerbaijanis living in different countries around the world are also commemorating the memory of the martyrs.

At 12:00, a one-minute silence will be observed across the country in memory of the martyrs.

Greenland and Antarctica lost a combined 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice between 1979 and 2023, contributing about 31.4 millimeters to global sea-level rise, according to a major scientific assessment.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Data, combines 42 independent assessments of ice-sheet mass balance based on data from 27 satellite missions. Researchers analyzed changes in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets over several decades to produce a long-term record of ice loss.

The assessment found that the two ice sheets lost an estimated 11,309 billion tonnes of ice during the period. Antarctica accounted for 4,780 billion tonnes of the loss, while Greenland lost 6,215 billion tonnes. Together, the losses contributed 31.4 millimeters to global mean sea-level rise.

Researchers found that about 84 percent of the ice loss was driven by glaciers flowing into the ocean faster, while the remaining 16 percent was linked to changes in surface mass balance, including surface melting.

The study also shows that ice loss has accelerated since the 1990s. Greenland’s rate of mass loss increased substantially in the 2000s and 2010s, while changes in Antarctica have also contributed to the long-term rise in global sea levels.

The researchers used satellite observations covering different aspects of ice-sheet change, including variations in ice flow, elevation and gravitational attraction. The record extends back to 1972 for Greenland and 1979 for Antarctica.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Victory Park in Baku on September 27 on the occasion of Remembrance Day.

The head of state laid a wreath at the Victory Monument and honored the memory of the martyrs.

Then, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva paid tribute to the memory of the martyrs with deep respect.

The emergence of a new respiratory pathogen could lead to a pandemic with consequences comparable to those of COVID-19, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned.

Tedros made the remarks at a press briefing in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

He said the possibility of a new respiratory pathogen emerging was among the concerns that kept him awake at night, warning that such a pathogen could have consequences similar to those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO chief also stressed that another pandemic should be regarded as a matter of when, rather than if, indicating that the world needs to remain prepared for a future global health emergency.

Tedros pointed to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a reminder that infectious disease outbreaks can emerge anywhere and at any time. He said such outbreaks can pose a threat not only to local communities but also to neighboring countries and the wider world.

His remarks came during a UN high-level meeting focused on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The meeting reviewed progress made since the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasized the need for continued international cooperation, investment in resilient health systems and stronger preparedness for future outbreaks.

Tedros said that although the world has made progress in strengthening pandemic preparedness since COVID-19, countries cannot assume they are sufficiently prepared for future threats. He called for continued efforts to improve global health security and international cooperation.

US President Donald Trump has said that he is continuing efforts to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump made the remarks while answering questions from journalists.

He said that he had resolved eight wars and noted that most of those conflicts had not been connected to him.

Referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump said that he was working toward a resolution but described it as the most complicated of the conflicts he had addressed.

The US president’s remarks come amid continued diplomatic efforts to find a way to end the fighting between Russia and Ukraine.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has concluded a productive High-Level Week in New York, where he held a series of meetings and discussions and signed documents on behalf of Azerbaijan.

The country’s active diplomatic agenda provided an important opportunity to advance Azerbaijan’s foreign policy priorities and strengthen bilateral partnerships. The discussions once again confirmed Azerbaijan’s active contribution to the multilateral agenda. Azerbaijan will continue to engage actively with international partners in promoting peace, stability, connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation.

During his visit to New York, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister held 37 bilateral meetings with counterparts, heads of international organizations and government officials and signed 17 bilateral documents.

Bayramov also addressed 11 high-level events, including the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the G-77 and China, the Global Development Initiative, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of Turkic States, the Landlocked Developing Countries, the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, a session on the Trans-Caspian and TRIPP routes, the US Chamber of Commerce Roundtable, and the World Trade Organization’s World Economic Leaders’ Lunch.

The meetings and events provided important platforms for expanding Azerbaijan’s cooperation with international partners and advancing the country’s multilateral diplomatic agenda.

Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov has met with Robert F. Smith, founder and chairman of Vista Equity Partners, to discuss investment opportunities and prospects for attracting international capital to the Azerbaijani economy.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum.

The sides exchanged views on Azerbaijan’s investment potential, economic reforms being implemented in the country and opportunities available to international investors.

They also discussed new opportunities emerging in global financial markets and their potential to support investment flows into Azerbaijan.

The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest, including potential new investment directions and prospects for expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Vista Equity Partners.

On September 27 – Remembrance Day, Khachmaz District Executive Authority Head Elnur Rzayev, Chairman of the Khachmaz District Organization of the New Azerbaijan Party Emil Taghiyev, heads of local law enforcement agencies, families of martyrs, veterans and members of the public visited the Martyrs’ Alley in Khachmaz city.

Elnur Rzayev laid a wreath before the eternal flame at the memorial complex. The participants also visited the bust of National Hero of Azerbaijan Yavar Shahbazov and placed fresh carnations before the memorial plaques dedicated to martyrs from Khachmaz.

The executive authority head spoke with family members of the martyrs and inquired about their concerns. Elnur Rzayev said that the historic Victory achieved under the leadership of Victorious Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, has become a source of pride for the Azerbaijani people. He noted that the country’s territorial integrity had been restored through the bravery of the Armed Forces and that the sacrifice of the martyrs had not been in vain.

He also stressed that the Azerbaijani Army remains firmly committed to safeguarding the country’s security, while highlighting the special attention and care provided by the head of state to families of martyrs and war veterans.

At 12:00, a one-minute silence was observed in memory of the martyrs as part of Remembrance Day commemorations. During the tribute, traffic and pedestrian movement was suspended, and drivers sounded their horns.

While the world keeps its eyes on wars, tariffs, and oil prices, a story is quietly unfolding in the corridors of the UN headquarters in New York, one that will largely shape the face of the organization for the decade to come. On December 31, 2026, António Guterres steps down as Secretary-General after serving two terms, and as early as January 1, 2027, his seat will be taken by the tenth head of the UN. Seven candidates are officially in the race, four of them women. Whoever ends up the winner, difficult tasks await, because the significance, the influence, and the financial capacity of the UN are all under ever closer scrutiny from the global public.

According to the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is “equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO.” The person holding this post oversees several key UN bodies, among them the Security Council, which carries the responsibility of maintaining peace and security across the planet. The new Secretary-General will be elected by the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, whose permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. That is why the pool of potential contenders is limited, and the process itself promises to be complicated and strewn with obstacles.

Seven candidates are officially in the race, four of them women. They are Latin Americans and Africans with solid diplomatic credentials behind them. The former president of Senegal and ex-chairman of the African Union, Macky Sall. The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, a man used to putting out the hottest nuclear crises. The economist Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who currently leads the UN Conference on Trade and Development. The former president of the General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador, and her compatriot, the diplomat Ivonne A-Baki. Guyana’s permanent representative Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and the veteran of UN diplomacy from Uganda, Olara Otunnu. Until recently the list also included the former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, but she was the first to drop out of the running, having received only a single vote of support last week.

The heated arguments are already beginning. Yet behind this outwardly orderly process lies a genuine battle of meanings. And the main dividing line runs along the fault of West versus Global South.

There are two unwritten rules at the UN that this time work against the established order. The first is the principle of regional rotation. By long tradition the post is meant to pass from region to region, and now, by common consensus, it is Latin America and the Caribbean’s turn. In the entire history of the UN there has been only one Secretary-General from there, the Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, and even he served back in the eighties. In 2016 this tradition was already broken once, when, contrary to expectations, the Portuguese Guterres was chosen rather than a representative of Eastern Europe, which has never yet led the organization. Skipping the regional queue a second time in a row will be far harder. As the International Crisis Group expert Richard Gowan aptly noted, if Latin America’s claim is disregarded again, it will come back to haunt everyone next time.

The second rule is even more sensitive. In eight decades the UN has never once been led by a woman. All nine previous Secretaries-General were men. In September 2025 a resolution appeared that directly calls on states to nominate women. And at the latest BRICS summit, which by now gathered 21 countries, the final communiqué sounded almost like a reproach aimed at the UN. It reminded everyone that a woman has never been elected to this post, that only one person came from Latin America and the Caribbean, and only two each from Africa and Asia.

The economic outlook is hardly encouraging either. Today there is stubborn inflation, which may be driven in large part by the surge in energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East as well as in Ukraine. This hits hardest those who already struggle with the high cost of living. Because of inflation, central banks are forced to raise rates at a time when debt levels are already very high. Under these conditions the UN has to operate in an even tougher situation. The Security Council can barely pass weighty decisions, and the withdrawal of the United States under the Trump administration has forced cuts to operations. Some institutions, such as the International Criminal Court, are under direct attack. The security architecture that was patiently built after the Second World War lies in ruins, and the chances of creating a new one are close to zero.

Between now and the end of the year, a candidate needs to gather at least nine votes out of fifteen, and at the same time none of the five permanent members may cast a veto. And that permanent five is the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, among whom lately there has been no agreement. That is precisely why three rounds of secret balloting have still failed to reveal a clear favorite.

But whoever is chosen in the end, the inheritance handed to them will be a heavy one. The Security Council, in Guterres’s own words, is practically paralyzed by constant vetoes. The main donor, the United States, has slashed its funding, and hopes that the shortfall would be covered by China or Europe have so far come to nothing. What is more, experts admit that many states are, deep down, even glad that Trump is forcing a regime of austerity on the UN. The superpowers are no longer able to solve the world’s problems on their own.

There is one more paradox here. People, on the whole, believe in the UN more than its own leaders do. According to a GeoPoll survey for the UN Foundation, six people out of ten trust the organization on the things that truly matter to them. Yet at the same time 85 percent admitted that they had heard almost nothing about how the new Secretary-General is being chosen.

So what is at stake? At first glance, just a single post, largely ceremonial and, as they say, “remarkably powerless.” But behind the argument over the candidate hides a far more fundamental question. Who really sets the tone in the planet’s main international institution. The answer we will learn by the end of this year.

Azerbaijan’s national football team will begin its UEFA Nations League campaign on September 27.

The team, competing in League D, will face Lithuania away in the opening match of Group 2.

The match will take place in Kaunas and will kick off at 17:00 Baku time. The game will be officiated by FIFA referee Menelaos Antoniou of Cyprus.

The Azerbaijani national team will play its second group match against Liechtenstein in Baku on October 1.

The UEFA Nations League is a national-team competition organized by UEFA to provide more competitive international matches and reduce the number of friendly fixtures. The tournament was introduced in 2018 and brings together European national teams in leagues based on their sporting level.

The competition is divided into four leagues – A, B, C and D. Teams compete in groups within their respective leagues, with promotion and relegation providing movement between the divisions. The top teams in League A advance to the knockout stage, which culminates in the Nations League finals.

The 2026/27 edition is the fifth UEFA Nations League. The league phase began on September 24, 2026, and will run through November 17. League A, B and C teams play six matches in the league phase, while teams in League D play four.