Category: Azer News

Against the backdrop of intensifying global competition in robotics and artificial intelligence, South Korea plans to invest 2.3 trillion won, or approximately $1.66 billion, by 2030 to support the domestic development of humanoid robots.

The plans were outlined in a statement by South Korea’s Ministry of Planning and Budget. The government wants to strengthen the country’s position in the rapidly growing robotics industry and reduce its dependence on foreign technologies.

According to the document, South Korea plans to establish mass-production systems for humanoid robots designed for use in 10 key industries. The government also aims to increase the share of locally produced key components from the current 45% to 80%.

As part of the initiative, the government plans to purchase 250 domestically developed humanoid robots in 2027. By 2030, the total number is expected to reach 1,080 units. These robots will be distributed among universities and government-funded research institutes to support research, testing, and practical applications.

Another important goal is to develop a fully domestic humanoid robotics ecosystem, including the hardware, software, and key components needed to operate these machines. The original text mentioned 2021 as the target year, but this appears to be a mistake, since that date has already passed. The intended target year is likely 2031 or another future date specified in the government’s latest plan.

South Korea is already one of the world’s leading countries in industrial robotics, particularly in automobile and electronics manufacturing. However, humanoid robots represent a new and much more challenging area because they need to walk, maintain balance, recognize objects, interact with people, and perform complex tasks in environments designed for humans.

Interestingly, the country sees humanoid robots not only as factory workers but also as a potential solution to its aging population and labor shortages. In the future, such machines could potentially be used in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, construction, and other industries.

The new investment program shows that South Korea wants to compete with the United States, China, Japan, and other countries in the race to develop commercially viable humanoid robots. If the plan succeeds, South Korean companies could become important suppliers of both robots and the technologies that power them.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov received Etienne Berchtold, Austria’s newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan.

According to the press service of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Berchtold presented Bayramov with a copy of his credentials. The minister congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and wished him success in his diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for developing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Austria in political, economic, energy, transport, tourism, humanitarian and other fields.

The importance of political dialogue between the two countries was emphasized, along with the role of mutual visits and contacts, political consultations and interparliamentary relations in strengthening bilateral ties.

The sides also discussed cooperation on multilateral platforms, particularly within the United Nations, OSCE and European Union, stressing the importance of further coordination.

Bayramov once again congratulated Austria on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2027-2028 and expressed hope for continued cooperation.

The meeting also covered economic, energy and transport cooperation, including strategic energy and transport projects involving Azerbaijan. The sides noted Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security and welcomed the start of Azerbaijani natural gas supplies to Austria in January this year.

The sides also discussed regional developments, the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalisation process, efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability, and large-scale reconstruction projects in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.

Berchtold said Austria considers Azerbaijan an important and reliable partner and pledged to contribute to further expanding bilateral cooperation in all areas during his tenure.

The sides also exchanged views on other regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Azerbaijan has strongly condemned a provocation involving the placement of images targeting the country outside the Guest House of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia, calling on Moscow to investigate the incident and take measures to prevent similar acts in the future.

“We strongly condemn the placement of provocative images targeting Azerbaijan by unidentified individuals in front of the Guest House of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation around midday on 27 August,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said.

The Ministry added that It is not excluded that this unacceptable provocation, in addition to serving to artificially strain Azerbaijan-Russia relations, is part of the ugly and biased campaign against Azerbaijan being conducted by a number of Russian media outlets in recent times.

“The Azerbaijani side calls on the relevant authorities of the Russian Federation to provide an appropriate legal assessment of such provocative acts, ensure a comprehensive investigation into the incident, and take the necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such acts.

We expect the Russian side, in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to fully comply with its obligations to ensure the safety and security of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its personnel, as well as to prevent any provocative actions that may interfere with the normal functioning of the diplomatic mission,” MFA concluded.

Norway’s King Harald V is in an extremely serious condition after spending more than a week in hospital undergoing treatment for a rare blood disorder, according to reports.

The 89-year-old monarch is being treated for haemolytic anaemia at Oslo University Hospital, where members of the Norwegian royal family have gathered at his bedside.

Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon have cancelled all royal engagements as concern grows over the King’s condition. The monarch’s sister, Princess Astrid, is also reportedly at the hospital.

King Harald, who has been on the Norwegian throne since 1991, is Europe’s oldest reigning head of state.

His prolonged hospitalisation comes as the Norwegian monarchy faces renewed attention over the health of a sovereign whose reign has spanned more than three decades.

Haemolytic anaemia is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them. The severity and underlying cause can vary considerably, particularly among older patients.

The Norwegian royal family has yet to announce any change to the King’s constitutional role.

The gathering of senior members of the family and the cancellation of royal engagements underline the seriousness of the situation, while further details about the King’s condition remain limited.

Russian drones reportedly struck Moldovan territory again during Russia’s latest aerial assault on Ukraine on August 27.

According to international media outlets, five drones struck areas of Moldova during the overnight attacks.

The incidents were reported in the Palanca and Belyaevca areas near Moldova’s border with Ukraine. The strikes caused damage, but no casualties were reported.

The incidents came as Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack against Ukraine involving hundreds of drones and missiles. According to Ukrainian authorities, five drones crossed into Moldovan airspace during the attack.

US consumers pulled back sharply in July while inflation stayed stuck well above target, a combination the CEO of global financial advisory deVere Group says investors are not taking seriously enough.

New Commerce Department data released today shows inflation adjusted consumer spending was flat in July, a sharp slowdown from a 0.4% gain in June.

At the same time, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the gauge the Federal Reserve uses for its 2% inflation target, held its annual rate at 3.7%, above the 3.6% economists had forecast.

Core PCE, which strips out food and energy, came in at 3.3% annually.

He says: ‘Growth is stalling while inflation refuses to fall. Put those two trends together and you get the looming spectre of stagflation.

Nigel Green says the combination puts the Federal Reserve in a genuinely difficult position heading into its next decision.

‘A central bank can fight high inflation by raising rates, or it can support weakening growth by cutting them, but not both. This data suggests the US economy may now need both at once.’

The Fed’s target range currently sits at 3.50% to 3.75%, and its next rate decision lands on 16 September. Ahead of today’s inflation data, futures markets were already leaning toward a hold rather than a cut or a hike.

Nigel Green says this report makes a hold even more likely, but for the wrong reasons.

‘Markets are reading a hold as caution. I read it as a Fed that’s run out of good options.

‘Cutting into inflation this sticky risks reigniting price pressures investors thought were behind them. Hiking into spending this weak risks tipping an already slowing consumer over the edge.’

He says the flat spending figure deserves more attention than it is getting.

‘Consumers pulling back while prices keep climbing is the clearest signal you can get that household budgets are being squeezed from both directions.

‘Wages aren’t stretching as far, and now people are buying less to compensate. This is not a resilient economy absorbing higher rates comfortably, and investors treating it as one are misreading the data in front of them.’

The deVere CEO warns against assuming the current calm in markets will hold until September. ‘Stagflation scares tend to arrive quietly and then move fast once bond markets start repricing growth and inflation expectations at the same time.

‘The label alone should encourage investors around the world to revise how their portfolios are built heading into autumn.

‘America has not seen this combination take hold since the 1970s, and it took years of policy mistakes to shake off back then.

‘Investors treating today’s inflation data as a temporary blip are gambling on history not repeating itself.’

The Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia has ordered former President Robert Kocharyan to be detained for two months as part of a criminal investigation into alleged corruption and money laundering.

Robert Kocharyan was charged with large-scale money laundering, abuse of power and accepting large-scale bribes, according to Sputnik Armenia.

The hearing, presided over by Judge Sarkis Dadoyan, began on Wednesday. Armenian media reported that Kocharyan was taken to hospital overnight on doctors’ orders, after which the proceedings continued without his participation.

According to investigators, during his presidency Kocharyan allegedly colluded with other individuals to acquire several objects of public and economic importance at prices below their market value.

Six people, including Kocharyan and his son, have been detained as part of the criminal proceedings.

The case marks another major development involving Kocharyan, who served as Armenia’s president from 1998 to 2008 and remains a prominent figure in the country’s opposition political landscape.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova.

This was reported by the press service of the President of Azerbaijan.

“Dear Madame President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you and, through you, all your people on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Moldova and convey my best wishes.

Today, the development of traditional ties of friendship and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Moldova along an upward trajectory is gratifying.

I am confident that we will continue to make consistent efforts to comprehensively develop relations between our countries and further enhance our cooperation in line with the will of our peoples, who are bound together by the bonds of friendship.

On such a remarkable day, I wish you robust health, happiness, success in your high state activities, and everlasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Moldova,” the letter reads.

The implementation of new migration rules in the European Union has brought the capabilities of the Eurodac database and the allocation of responsibility among member states back into focus.

In 2025, the system identified more than 210,000 cases in which asylum seekers had previously been registered in another EU country. However, the implementation of return procedures under the Dublin mechanism remains weak.

According to the European Commission, only 16,620 of 111,708 transfer requests made last year were actually carried out. Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain and France accounted for 74% of the data entered into Eurodac.

Experts note that although the expanded system collects more data, this does not automatically ensure cooperation among member states. The new Migration and Asylum Pact provides for the distribution of the burden through a solidarity mechanism.

The main stage at Sea Breeze became a major attraction for electronic music fans. It hosted a large-scale concert by Haitian-American DJ and producer Francis Mercier, one of the prominent names in the global Afro House and melodic house scene.

Known for his energetic sets and atmospheric performances, Francis Mercier has already captivated audiences at some of the world’s leading music venues and festivals. These include Zamna Tulum, Burning Man and Coachella, as well as club scenes in New York, Paris, Dubai, Ibiza and Tulum. His performances regularly draw packed crowds. His signature blend of Afro House, melodic house and contemporary electronic rhythms turns each set into a captivating musical journey.

The evening’s musical programme began with performances by Aryme, Ciza and Nicolas Mun. Their sets established the mood for the evening. They gradually prepared the audience for the arrival of the headline artist. The performers’ diverse styles and sounds came together in a dynamic programme filled with dance rhythms and the atmosphere of a major summer celebration.

The highlight of the evening was Francis Mercier’s performance. It transformed the final musical night of the season into a vibrant closing event. The evening concluded with a spectacular fireworks show, providing a symbolic finale to Sea Breeze’s 2026 summer music programme.

The concert was organised by Star Breeze with the partnership support of Dream Group International.