Category: Azer News

An oil tanker was struck near Oman’s coast in the Strait of Hormuz, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, the vessel was hit in its engine room, causing it to lose propulsion and become disabled. The incident occurred approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the Omani port of Lima.

No injuries were reported, the UKMTO said. Local coast guard authorities have been notified, and an investigation into the incident is underway.

The dispute over navigation through the strategic waterway, a key transit route for global oil, gas and fertilizer shipments, has become a central flashpoint in the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, holding significant strategic importance as approximately 20% of global oil supplies and around 25% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports pass through it. Essentially, it serves as an energy artery for countries in Asia, Europe, and even the United States.

The strait separates Iran from Oman, and in some areas, the width of the shipping channel is only two miles on each side. Given its critical role in global energy supply chains, ensuring the safety and security of this vital waterway is paramount for international trade and economic stability.

Kazakhstan has dismissed reports suggesting a complete shutdown of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), AzerNEWS reports.

Asel Serikpayeva, spokesperson for Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, said media reports claiming that the consortium’s operations could be fully suspended are not true.

The ministry noted that on July 31, the consortium temporarily suspended its operations. However, oil deliveries from shippers and the filling of storage facilities have continued without interruption.

According to the ministry, daily oil transportation volumes reached 100,000 tonnes starting on August 1. It added that further increases in shipment volumes will depend on the timely availability of tankers at the marine terminal for loading.

The Ministry of Energy stressed that it remains in constant contact with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium and cargo shippers, adding that the current situation is under control.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) is a major international oil transport project and pipeline system that moves crude oil from giant fields in Kazakhstan to a Russian port on the Black Sea. It carries about 1% of the world’s oil supply and handles roughly 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports.

French authorities have detained 328 people as part of investigations into the country’s ongoing wildfires, AzerNEWS reports.

According to BFMTV, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the figure during a press briefing.

“A total of 328 individuals have been detained as suspects in connection with the wildfires,” Nuñez noted.

Earlier, the minister confirmed that a major wildfire in the Gironde department in southwestern France had been brought under control. According to the regional prefecture, 198,000 of the 220,000 residents who were evacuated have now been cleared to return to their homes.

This year, Europe has experienced a record wildfire season, with France and Spain among the hardest-hit countries.

The European Commission previously announced that, under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, 13 firefighting aircraft, four helicopters, and hundreds of firefighters from across the European Union had been deployed to help combat the blazes.

The UN noted that more than 250,000 hectares of forest have burned across Europe, with 1,254 fires recorded since the beginning of 2026. Record-breaking wildfires have affected France, Spain and other parts of Europe amid heatwaves, triggering mass evacuations and putting pressure on regional and national economies.

It is worth adding that more than 330,000 people have been evacuated across Europe, while thousands of hectares of forest have been destroyed as a new wave of extreme heat threatens to undermine firefighters’ efforts to contain the blazes.

Europe could be heading toward its worst wildfire season on record. By the end of July, fires had already destroyed more than 250,000 hectares of land – an area roughly equivalent to the size of Luxembourg.

Latvia has temporarily closed its border with Belarus due to technical issues.

According to AzerNEWS, the announcement was made by Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava in a post on social media.

Kristine Petersone, a public relations specialist at the Latvian State Border Guard, clarified that the closure was caused by a malfunction in the country’s information systems. The cause of the technical failure and the timeframe for restoring normal operations have not yet been determined.

A day earlier, Dombrava urged Latvian citizens not to travel to Belarus and advised those already in the country to return home as soon as possible.

Reports of a worsening migration crisis on the European Union’s eastern border emerged at the same time as a new wave of migrants illegally crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa. The developments have renewed concerns over the security of the EU’s external borders and could prompt the temporary reintroduction of internal border checks within the Schengen Area, as Italy has already done.

It is worth adding that in September 2025, Poland completely closed its border with Belarus during the joint Russian-Belarusian “Zapad” military exercises, citing security concerns and heightened tensions along the frontier.

Turkish authorities have detained a suspected member of the FETÖ terrorist organization who was wanted for his alleged role in the attempted assassination of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the failed 2016 coup attempt, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Trkiye’s Interior Ministry.

According to the information, the suspect, identified by the initials B.K., was part of the special forces team accused of attempting to assassinate President Erdogan in the Marmaris district during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

The ministry said B.K. is a former army captain and helicopter pilot who was dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces. He had been wanted under an Interpol Red Notice before being apprehended.

The arrest followed a joint intelligence operation conducted by police units in the provinces of Afyonkarahisar and Eskisehir under the coordination of the Intelligence Department of the General Directorate of Security. The suspect was ultimately detained by counterterrorism officers in Afyonkarahisar.

The Interior Ministry reaffirmed that Trkiye remains committed to combating FETÖ and its affiliated networks.

A post has been shared on the social media accounts of President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of August 1 – Azerbaijani Alphabet and Language Day.

The post says: “Today, the Azerbaijani language is the native language of over 50 million people. We are the guardians of the clear, pure, literary Azerbaijani language – an independent state of Azerbaijan.”

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have signed an obituary honoring the memory of People’s Poet Nariman Hasanzada, at the age of 95, AzerNEWS reports.

The obituary describes Hasanzade as one of the most distinguished figures of modern Azerbaijani literature, a recipient of the Heydar Aliyev Award, an individual presidential scholarship holder, an Honored Art Worker, and a People’s Poet of Azerbaijan.

Nariman Hasanzade was born on February 2, 1931, in the village of Poylu in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district. After graduating from secondary school, he studied at the Faculty of Language and Literature of the Hasan bey Zardabi Ganja State Pedagogical Institute between 1949 and 1953. He later continued his education at the Maxim Gorky Literary Institute in Moscow from 1957 to 1961.

In 1962, Hasanzade enrolled in postgraduate studies at what is now Baku State University, where he completed his dissertation and earned a Candidate of Sciences degree in 1965.

Beginning his professional career in 1962, Hasanzade worked for the “Azerbaijan Youth” newspaper, the “Azerbaijan” literary magazine, and the Azerbaijan State Television and Radio Committee. From 1978 to 1991, he served as editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Literature and Art”, playing a significant role in strengthening its influence on the country’s literary and cultural life.

Between 1991 and 2001, he held the positions of First Deputy Minister and Acting Minister of Press and Information of Azerbaijan. From 2001 until the end of his life, he headed the Department of Humanities at the National Aviation Academy.

The obituary highlights Hasanzade’s outstanding contribution to Azerbaijani literature, noting that his poetry brought a fresh voice while remaining faithful to the rich traditions of national literature. His works, centered on patriotism, national freedom, traditional values, and moral integrity, earned him a lasting place among Azerbaijan’s leading literary figures.

His poems, known for their sincerity, lyrical style, and expressive language, reflected the emotions and aspirations of contemporary Azerbaijani society. His narrative poems and verse dramas explored key moments and prominent personalities in the nation’s history through the lens of patriotism and statehood. Many of these works were successfully staged in theaters and warmly received by audiences. Numerous songs based on his poetry continue to enjoy widespread popularity.

Beyond his literary achievements, Hasanzade was recognized as a scholar, educator, and public figure. Throughout his career, he actively participated in Azerbaijan’s cultural and public life, serving as director of the Azerbaijan branch of the USSR Literary Fund and as a deputy in local councils and the 12th convocation of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan.

The obituary also notes that Hasanzade consistently demonstrated a deep sense of civic responsibility and devoted himself to the preservation and promotion of Azerbaijan’s cultural and spiritual values.

His decades of service to Azerbaijani literature and culture were recognized with some of the country’s highest state honors, including the “Shohrat Order” (2001), the “Sharaf Order” (2011), the “Istiglal Order” (2021), and the “Heydar Aliyev Order”, which he received in 2026.

A video about the state visit of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the Kyrgyz Republic was posted on his social media accounts.

AzerNEWS presents the video.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded in Azerbaijan’s Lerik district, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Earthquake Research Bureau of the Republican Seismological Service Center, the earthquake originated at a depth of 26 kilometers.

The tremor was not felt by residents.

No immediate information was available regarding casualties or damage to infrastructure.

Seismologists continue to monitor the situation.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan’s latest inflation forecast may appear modest at first glance, but it offers an important clue about the direction of monetary policy over the coming year. While the institution has slightly raised its inflation expectations, the revised outlook still points to price growth remaining within its target range. If that assessment proves correct, there is little reason to expect any major change in interest rates in the near future.

According to the Central Bank, annual inflation is now expected to average 6,1% in 2026, compared with an earlier forecast of 5,9%. The projection for 2027 has also been revised upward from 4.5% to 5.8%. The changes reflect a somewhat less favorable external environment, including higher global food prices, stronger inflation among Azerbaijan’s trading partners and a weaker disinflationary effect from the nominal effective exchange rate. These factors suggest that imported inflation will remain an important source of price pressure over the coming quarters.

Despite the revisions, one fact stands out. The projected inflation rates remain within the Central Bank’s medium-term target corridor of 4% plus or minus 2 percentage points. In other words, inflation is expected to hover around the boundary of 6%, even after the forecast was revised higher. That distinction matters because central banks typically respond aggressively only when inflation threatens to move persistently outside their target range or when inflation expectations become unanchored.

The latest projections therefore do not describe an economy facing an inflation problem that requires immediate monetary tightening. Instead, they describe an economy where inflation risks have increased somewhat but remain manageable. This is an important difference. Raising interest rates is a costly policy decision because it slows borrowing, investment and economic activity. If inflation is already expected to remain within the desired range, policymakers have little incentive to impose additional costs on the economy.

The Central Bank’s latest statement also contains no indication that policymakers believe the current level of the refinancing rate has become insufficient. On the contrary, the revised forecasts suggest that the existing policy stance is still expected to bring inflation back toward the 4% objective over time. From a monetary policy perspective, this is an argument for patience rather than action.

Of course, monetary policy is never predetermined. Unexpected shocks could still alter the outlook. A renewed surge in global commodity prices, stronger-than-expected domestic demand, significant fiscal expansion or geopolitical developments affecting supply chains could all push inflation above current expectations. Likewise, a sharp decline in inflation or weaker economic growth could eventually justify lower interest rates. Central banks continuously adjust their decisions as new information becomes available.

However, monetary policy should be assessed based on probabilities rather than possibilities. At present, the Central Bank’s own forecasts imply that inflation will remain relatively stable over the forecast horizon. Although the institution has become slightly more cautious by raising its projections, it has not signaled that inflation is expected to move beyond its acceptable range. That is perhaps the most important message contained in the latest update.

Viewed through that lens, the most likely scenario is one of policy continuity. If inflation evolves broadly in line with the Central Bank’s projections, the refinancing rate is likely to remain unchanged through the remainder of 2026. Extending that logic further, the same conditions would also support keeping interest rates broadly unchanged through at least the middle of 2027. This should not be interpreted as a firm prediction, since monetary policy always depends on incoming economic data, but rather as the baseline scenario implied by the Central Bank’s own inflation outlook.

Financial markets often focus on whether inflation forecasts move higher or lower. In this case, however, the more important story may be where those forecasts ultimately remain. Despite the upward revision, inflation is still expected to stay under control rather than accelerate. As long as that assumption holds, stability-not further tightening or easing-appears to be the most probable course for Azerbaijan’s monetary policy over the coming year.