Category: Azer News

Former US Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard, who spent three decades in prison for spying for Israel, has called on Israel to prepare for potential conflict with Egypt and Trkiye, describing the two countries as its next major strategic threats.

Pollard made the remarks in an interview with Israeli news channel ILTV on Sunday, as he launched his campaign for a seat in Israel’s Knesset ahead of the country’s October election.

‘I hate to put it that way, but Trkiye and Egypt are coming up next as our major strategic threat,’ Pollard said.

‘And unless we have all these other fronts eliminated by that time, we’re going to be in a terrible situation,’ he added.

The remarks are notable because both Egypt and Trkiye maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, while Egypt has had a peace treaty with Israel since 1979.

Pollard nevertheless portrayed the two countries as potential future adversaries as he called for Israel to expand its military operations across the region.

Israel has carried out military operations and strikes in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Qatar, Yemen and Iran in recent years, in addition to its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

Pollard also called for Israel to unilaterally determine Gaza’s future and advocated territorial expansion in Lebanon.

‘As far as Lebanon is concerned … I have been in favour of officially pushing our border north to the Litani River,’ he said.

He further urged Israel to attack Iran without waiting for the United States to authorize or support such action.

‘We have the resources, we just don’t have the willingness to go ahead and take Iran off the map,’ Pollard said.

Pollard’s comments come as Israel continues to rely heavily on US military assistance and diplomatic support. Washington has provided Israel with at least $23 billion in military aid since October 2023, according to estimates cited in the report.

Pollard, who was born in the United States, was arrested in 1985 after being accused of passing a large collection of classified US intelligence documents to Israel while working as a civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Pollard spent 30 years in US prison before being released in 2015. He subsequently moved to Israel and became an Israeli citizen.

Europe’s natural gas storage facilities are currently 61.6% full, compared with 74% during the same period last year.

According to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), natural gas prices in Europe have risen by as much as 5% amid low storage levels and supply disruptions. At the Netherlands’ TTF hub, the price of natural gas has reached pound 68.36 per megawatt-hour.

Analysts say the increase has been driven by storage levels remaining below those of last year, as well as the risk of further supply disruptions. They warn that if storage levels remain low natural gas prices could rise sharply between November and March.

The European Union aims to increase gas storage levels to 80% by December 1. However, ongoing disruptions to supplies are expected to make it more difficult to achieve this target.

The US-Iran war is also negatively affecting gas supplies to Europe from countries in the Middle East.

Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said Europe could face serious risks this winter due to supply disruptions in the Middle East and the suspension of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from Russia.

According to research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, historically low natural gas storage levels in Europe pose a risk to the security of supply during the winter of 2026-2027.

A large-scale drone attack was reported overnight in several Russian regions, including Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Region, with damage reported at residential areas and an oil refinery facility.

According to Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, drone debris fell on the territory of the Afipskaya railway station in the settlement of Afipsky. Two people were killed and two others were injured in the incident.

At least 10 private houses were also damaged in Afipsky, according to local authorities. A fire broke out at one of the damaged homes, while another blaze was reported on the territory of an oil refinery.

The attack also reportedly targeted the Novoshakhtinsk oil products refinery in Rostov Region. The Supernova+ Telegram channel reported that drones attacked the facility. However, Rostov Region Governor Yuri Slyusar did not mention the refinery in his morning statement.

Slyusar said that four private houses in Novoshakhtinsk were damaged as a result of falling drone debris. He reported that no one was injured in the incident.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 148 aerial targets during the night. According to the ministry, the targets were intercepted over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk and Rostov regions, as well as Krasnodar Krai and the Republic of Crimea.

The ministry also said that aerial targets were intercepted over the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has represented the country at the 40th International Folk Art Festival in Budapest for the second year in a row.

During the festival, visitors attended master classes on carpet weaving and kelaghayi, gaining insight into traditional techniques and the cultural meanings of the patterns and colours associated with these crafts.

The museum’s stand featured examples of Azerbaijan’s carpet-weaving and kelaghayi traditions, both included on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Visitors could also explore books dedicated to these traditional art forms.

The museum took part in the festival with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the State Committee on Work with the Diaspora, and the Azerbaijan House in Hungary.

Founded in 1967, the National Carpet Museum holds more than 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets.

The museum, initiated by eminent carpet artist Latif Karimov, is beautiful inside and out. The museum’s new building is designed in the form of a rolled carpet.

Now, the museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences and various exhibitions.

In 2019, the museum received national status for its significant contribution to the popularisation and promotion of the Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art.

In 2020, the Carpet Museum enriched its collection with beautiful pile carpets purchased by the Culture Ministry at the Sartirana Textile Show in Italy.

The 19th-century Guba carpet “Ugakh” was donated to the Carpet Museum, while the Garabagh carpet “Chelebi” enriched the collection of the museum’s Shusha branch.

Moreover, the Carpet Museum won Travelers’ Choice Awards for the fourth time in a row last year.

The award proves once again that the professional activity of the National Carpet Museum is highly appreciated by visitors from all over the world.

President of the Republic of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, congratulated Azerbaijan’s First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva on the occasion of her birthday.

According to AzerNEWS, the letter reads:

Dear Mehriban Arifovna,

Please accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of your birthday.

Your patriotism and selfless service to Azerbaijan, as well as your attention to and contribution to key areas of the country’s development, evoke feelings of deep respect and admiration.

In Belarus, we highly appreciate your contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between Minsk and Baku, as well as to fostering an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. Our relations have rightly become a true example of friendship.

I am confident that your fruitful activities will continue to facilitate the implementation of joint projects and the further expansion of cooperation between Belarus and Azerbaijan in a spirit of open and constructive dialogue.

Dear Mehriban Arifovna, I sincerely wish you good health, prosperity, and success in achieving new accomplishments.

Respectfully,

Aleksandr Lukashenko

President of the Republic of Belarus

The “ALUFAR IRONMAN 70.3 BAKU” triathlon will be held in Baku on September 5, marking the first time in Azerbaijan’s sporting history that the city hosts an “IRONMAN 70.3” event.

The race is being organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Azerbaijan Triathlon Federation, and the Baku City Circuit Operating Company.

Hosting an “IRONMAN 70.3” event in Baku is a significant milestone for Azerbaijani sport. The event will place Baku among the cities around the world that host international “IRONMAN 70.3” races. Athletes from 62 countries are expected to take part, with around 1,500 participants in total.

The race will begin with a 1.9-kilometre swimming segment in the Caspian Sea. The 90.1-kilometre cycling course will pass through various parts of Baku, offering participants views of different parts of the city. The 21.1-kilometre running segment will take place along the Baku Boulevard, with the finish line located near the “Seven Beauties” fountain.

The top 25 male and female athletes will qualify for the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon World Championship in the United States.

IRONMAN is one of the world’s best-known international triathlon series. The first IRONMAN race was held in Hawaii in 1978. As part of IRONMAN Week, the “IRONKIDS” and “Fun Run” races will also take place on September 4 for participants of different age groups. Children aged 5-8 will run 500 metres, those aged 9-13 will cover 1 kilometre, and participants aged 14-17 will complete a 2-kilometre course in the “IRONKIDS” race. The 5-kilometre “Fun Run” will be open to participants aged 18 and above.

Alongside the main triathlon, these events will expand the IRONMAN Week programme and bring together participants from different age groups.

A triathlon consists of three disciplines: swimming, cycling and running.

It is worth noting that Baku holds the title of World Sports Capital for the first time in 2026. Hosting the “ALUFAR IRONMAN 70.3 BAKU” further strengthens Baku’s position as a host city for major international sporting events.

A fire broke out at the Atyrau Oil Refinery (ANPZ), one of Kazakhstan’s largest oil-processing facilities, the plant’s press service reported.

The fire started at approximately 12:35 p.m. local time at a closed-type mechanical wastewater treatment settling facility. Oil sludge inside the unit caught fire.

The cause of the incident is currently being investigated.

No injuries were reported in the fire at Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Oil Refinery, the country’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

“The causes of the fire are being established. The situation is under control,” the ministry noted.

About 65 emergency personnel and 19 pieces of equipment were involved in firefighting operations.

The Atyrau refinery is one of Kazakhstan’s three major oil refineries. The facility was built during the Second World War and was commissioned in 1945.

About 99 percent of the refinery’s shares are owned by KazMunayGas, Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company. The plant has a designed processing capacity of 5.5 million tonnes of crude oil per year.

Global crude steel production declined 0.3% to 149.2 million tons in July, the World Steel Association stated on Monday, AzerNEWS reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Output from the top producer China dropped 3.6% to 76.9 million tons.

India boosted its production by 1.9% to 14.4 million tons, US producers increased their output by 4.4% to 7.4 million tons, and Trkiye’s production jumped 7% to 3.4 million tons.

Japan recorded a 0.4% rise, reaching a total of 6.9 million tons while Russian production increased by 3.3% to an estimated 5.7 million tons.

Estimated data showed Germany produced 2.8 million tons with a 3% increase, and Brazil reached 2.8 million tons with a 0.1% rise.

January-July

Global crude steel production totaled 1.08 billion tons in the January-July period, falling 0.6% compared to the same period last year.

China’s production dropped 3.1% to 577 million tons in the first seven months, while India increased its output by 6.1% to 101.1 million tons.

The US produced 50.2 million tons with a 6% increase, and Japan’s output fell 0.3% to 47.3 million tons.

Estimated data revealed a 6.1% drop in Russian production to 38.1 million tons, while South Korea boosted its output by 2.7% to 37.4 million tons.

Trkiye maintained its strong growth by increasing its crude steel production by 7.9% to 23.2 million tons in the first seven months.

Germany increased its production by 8.1% to 21.4 million tons, whereas Brazil experienced a 1.2% decline to 19.1 million tons.

Iranian state television has broadcast a video targeting Barron Trump, the 20-year-old son of US President Donald Trump, claiming that his movements have been monitored and that a $10 million bounty has been placed on him.

The roughly three-minute video was produced by media affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and aired on Channel 3 of Iranian state television under the title ‘Where and how should we kill Barron Trump?’

The footage purports to identify the location of Barron Trump’s university, his escort vehicles and the positions of his US Secret Service protection, while claiming that his movements have been ‘fully monitored.’ The reported $10 million bounty, however, could not be independently verified.

The broadcast also claimed that a woman had managed to get past Barron Trump’s security detail and meet him privately before allegedly providing information to those behind the programme. It further claimed that he communicates privately through voice and text on Xbox away from his security detail. These claims could not be independently verified.

The broadcast is the latest in a series of threats and targeting efforts by Iranian state-affiliated media involving members of the Trump family. A similar IRGC-linked video released in July focused on Melania Trump, purporting to detail her movements and potential security vulnerabilities.

The Azerbaijani women’s volleyball team secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Romania in their Group C match at the European Volleyball Championship, held at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.

Playing in front of a home crowd, Azerbaijan delivered a strong performance to claim a hard-fought victory.

The result keeps Azerbaijan at the top of Group C with eight points and marks the team’s third consecutive win in the tournament. They previously defeated Portugal 3-1 and Spain 3-0.

Azerbaijan’s next matches will be against Belgium and the Netherlands.

The 2026 CEV Women’s Volleyball European Championship is jointly hosted by Azerbaijan, Turkiye, the Czech Republic and Sweden from August 21 to September 6.

Group C matches are being played in Azerbaijan, with the national teams of Azerbaijan, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania and Spain competing in the group.

Baku is hosting the Group C matches at the National Gymnastics Arena from August 21 to 28.