Category: Azer News

On July 31, First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, alongside with First Lady of the Kyrgyz Republic Aigul Zhaparova and First Lady of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva, visited the ‘Altyn Balalyk’ Health and Rehabilitation Center in the city of Cholpon-Ata, AzerNEWS reports.

Operating since May 2022, the ‘Altyn Balalyk’ Health and Rehabilitation Center has been committed to offering children high-quality medical and rehabilitation services alongside wholesome recreational opportunities.

The center features 136 rooms and 800 beds, welcoming 8,000 to 8,500 children each summer from across Kyrgyzstan and neighboring countries. Throughout the year, from September to June, it is dedicated to accepting children with disabilities for rehabilitation.

The 3rd meeting of the Interstate Council of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan commenced in the city of Cholpon-Ata with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov.

Azerbaijan and Iran have discussed synchronizing the clearance of vehicles at border checkpoints and introducing electronic data exchange to streamline customs procedures and facilitate cross-border trade, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee, the issues were discussed during a meeting in the Iranian city of Bilasuvar between a delegation led by Committee Chairman Shahin Bagirov and an Iranian delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance and Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, Foroud Asgari.

The sides exchanged views on improving the efficiency of bilateral customs cooperation and ensuring its coordinated development. Particular attention was given to transit procedures, including measures to maintain the smooth movement of freight vehicles traveling between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via Iranian territory.

The two delegations also explored practical opportunities to implement synchronized vehicle clearance at border checkpoints and establish an electronic customs data exchange system to accelerate border procedures.

The meeting concluded with the signing of a protocol outlining the agreed areas of cooperation.

Following the talks, the Azerbaijani delegation visited Iran’s Bilasuvar customs post, while the Iranian delegation inspected operations at Azerbaijan’s Bilasuvar state border checkpoint.

“Azerbaijan will expand cooperation with Central Asian countries,” President Ilham Aliyev said at an informal meeting of the Heads of State of Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries held in the Kyrgyz city of Cholpon-Ata, AzerNEWS reports.

“I want to assure you that Azerbaijan will be an active member of the consultative format and will, for its part, make every effort to further expand cooperation and bring our countries and peoples even closer together,” the head of state emphasized.

A wave of drone attacks targeted key industrial and logistics facilities in the Russian city of Volgograd overnight on July 31, triggering large fires at both sites, AzerNEWS reports, citing the monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+.

Among the reported targets was a Wildberries logistics center covering approximately 44,000 square meters. The facility serves as the company’s primary distribution hub for the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, as well as several neighboring areas.

The drones also reportedly struck the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil refining facilities. The extent of the damage to the refinery has not been independently verified.

Volgograd Region Governor Andrey Bocharov confirmed that drones had hit the area, stating that fires broke out at a fuel and energy sector industrial facility in southern Volgograd and at warehouse buildings in the city’s Dzerzhinsky District.

Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Russian ambassador following an incident involving a missile that crossed into Polish airspace.

According to AzerNEWS, it was stated by Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a post on social media platform X.

“Today, the Polish Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in connection with the missile that hit Polish territory yesterday,” Tusk noted.

At least one Palestinian was shot and several others suffered tear gas inhalation in clashes with Israeli settlers near the city of Nablus in the West Bank, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Palestine News Agency, “dozens” of Israeli settlers stormed areas around Nablus, setting fire to agricultural land, as well as firing stun grenades, tear gas canisters and live ammunition, allegedly under the protection of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Meanwhile, while the IDF conceded that Israeli settlers entered the outskirts of Nablus, it also claimed that Palestinians threw stones and that one Israeli citizen fired into the air, causing no casualties. The military added that its forces were prepared in advance for the settlers’ arrival and “rushed to disperse the crowd” and remove them from the area. The IDF reiterated that entering the area, which is under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, is “prohibited and dangerous for Israelis.”

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Germany stood at 6.4% in July, up by 0.2 percentage point from the previous month, the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit) revealed in its report on Friday, AzerNEWS reports.

The number of unemployed people in Germany came in at 3,007,200 in the reported month, increasing by 71,350 compared to June and by 27,710 compared to July 2025.

The underemployment rate, encompassing unemployment and those unable to work due to labor market policies or short-term work incapacity, remained virtually unchanged compared to the previous month and stood at 7.6%. The total number of underemployed people rose by 33,270 on a monthly basis and by 27,940 on an annual basis to 3,645,100 in the reported month.

UEFA has taken a firm stance against FIFA’s proposal to sell part of the commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup to private investors, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

At an emergency meeting attended by representatives of UEFA’s 55 member national associations, a unanimous decision was reportedly reached that if FIFA President Gianni Infantino proceeds with the initiative, UEFA members will boycott all FIFA-organized competitions.

The proposed boycott would not only affect the 2030 FIFA Men’s World Cup, but also all FIFA tournaments, including the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Brazil next year.

UEFA stated that the FIFA World Cup is one of football’s most prestigious and historic competitions, and that turning it into a commercial asset for private investors is unacceptable.

It is also worth noting that the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has announced that it does not support FIFA’s plans.

As a result, with opposition from UEFA’s 55 member associations and CONCACAF’s 41 member associations, FIFA’s proposal now faces serious uncertainty over whether it can secure the required majority of votes.

Germany is building a new generation of submarines for Israel, with the first of three Dakar-class vessels expected to enter service only in the 2030s, AzerNEWS reports.

The submarines are being constructed by German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Kiel and will replace Israel’s ageing Dolphin-class submarines, which have formed a key part of the Israeli Navy’s capabilities since the 1990s.

Unlike standard production models, the Dakar-class submarines are being developed according to Israeli specifications, featuring a larger hull, customized sail design, and specialized sensor systems. The project represents the third generation of Germany-built submarines operated by Israel.

The vessels will use diesel-electric propulsion combined with air-independent propulsion technology, allowing them to remain submerged for extended periods compared with conventional submarines.

Although Israel has not officially confirmed the role of its submarine fleet, the Dakar-class submarines are widely believed to contribute to the country’s strategic deterrence capabilities, including a potential second-strike capability.

Germany is also providing significant financial support for the project, continuing a long-standing defence cooperation relationship with Israel. However, Berlin’s financial involvement in Israeli submarine programs has previously faced political debate within Germany.

The new submarines will also carry a name with historical significance. The first Israeli submarine named INS Dakar disappeared in 1968 with all 69 crew members on board. Its wreckage was discovered more than three decades later, in 1999, in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Dakar-class program marks another major chapter in the decades-long naval cooperation between Germany and Israel, with the new vessels expected to strengthen Israel’s underwater capabilities well into the future.