Category: Azer News

Head of the Government of Dagestan Magomed Ramazanov visited the Yarag-Kazmalyar automobile checkpoint on the border with Azerbaijan to review ongoing modernization works, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the official portal of the Government of the Republic of Dagestan, the checkpoint provides Russia with road links to Azerbaijan and, through Azerbaijan, to Iran, India, the Caspian region and other countries across Asia. The facility is considered one of the key links of the North-South International Transport Corridor.

Large-scale reconstruction of the checkpoint began in 2020.

The facility’s throughput capacity increased by 11% in 2025. Currently, up to 640 freight vehicles pass through the checkpoint each day.

Modern digital systems are also being introduced for customs control. Under the modernization plan, the time required to inspect a single freight vehicle is expected to be reduced to 10 minutes by the end of 2026.

On July 30, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, together with President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, attended the opening of the golf club at the Issyk-Kul Golf Resort complex in the city of Cholpon-Ata.

The event began with a video presentation showcasing the Issyk-Kul Golf Resort complex and its golf club, according to AzerNEWS.

The golf club is located on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul within the multifunctional Issyk-Kul Golf Resort tourism complex. The resort covers 120 hectares, of which 103 hectares are occupied by the golf club.

The project is expected to help attract visitors to the Issyk-Kul region throughout the year, rather than only during the summer season. To support this objective, the golf course has been designed to operate for up to 10 months a year. An 80-room hotel equipped with the necessary infrastructure will also serve visitors to the golf club. Plans also envisage establishing a golf academy and hosting tournaments at various levels.

Combining tourism, sports, wellness and entertainment facilities, the Issyk-Kul Golf Resort complex will include several four- and five-star hotels, restaurants, beaches, and the golf club.

President of the Kyrgyz Golf Federation Khomeni Ergeshov delivered welcoming remarks, followed by an address from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov.

The heads of state then toured the resort complex and took part in a ceremonial tee-off marking the official opening of the golf course.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Thursday that it destroyed three F-35 fighter jets belonging to the United States military and damaged three others in an attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, Jordan, earlier today, AzerNEWS reports.

It also alleged that it killed “several enemy officers and technical and maintenance personnel.”

The IRGC said it targeted the deployment ramp and maintenance facility at the base with several ballistic missiles. The attack was a response to a US strike that allegedly hit two houses on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing three and injuring two children.

American journalist Lindsey Snell has accused Mohammed Qantri, Syria’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, of participating in her 2016 abduction while he was a member of Jabhat al-Nusra, then al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, AzerNEWS reports.

Snell published video footage and excerpts from an interview she conducted with a masked al-Nusra member in 2016, claiming the individual was Qantri before he entered Syria’s diplomatic service. She alleges he was among those involved in detaining her after she interviewed him in opposition-held territory.

According to Snell, she had received permission to report from areas controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra before being detained. She said she later escaped captivity with the assistance of a local Syrian.

Qantri has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Before being appointed Syria’s top diplomat in Washington earlier this year, Qantri served in the country’s post-Assad transitional government. His appointment came as the United States and Syria began restoring diplomatic engagement following the fall of the government of Bashar al-Assad.

The allegations have resurfaced amid Washington’s efforts to normalize relations with Syria’s new leadership. US President Donald Trump recently announced plans to remove Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, citing progress by the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, while US officials have expanded diplomatic contacts with Damascus.

Neither the United States Department of State nor Syrian authorities have publicly commented on Snell’s accusations against Qantri.

A suspected drone strike hit a US-owned floating gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday, triggering a fire that spread to a second vessel amid escalating tensions across the Middle East, AzerNEWS reports.

British maritime security firm Ambrey said its initial assessment indicated that a drone struck the Energos Winter, a floating storage tanker, raising concerns that regional hostilities are expanding into new areas.

Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry confirmed that a fire had broken out at the Damietta port but did not specify the cause of the incident or mention a drone attack.

Meanwhile, port services provider Inchcape reported that two gas tankers caught fire at the facility.

According to three shipping sources familiar with the incident, the Energos Winter was struck before the fire spread to the nearby Gaslog Salem. Two security sources also said preliminary assessments pointed to a drone strike as the likely cause of the explosion.

British maritime risk management company Vanguard said the Energos Winter was hit by an unidentified projectile on its starboard side, igniting a fire that was later brought under control.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The incident occurred shortly after Iran launched missile strikes against US forces in Jordan and the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out attacks on Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, further fueling concerns over a widening regional conflict.

The “List of officials provided with special state communications” has been amended in Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree. The document text was published on the official website of the President of Azerbaijan.

According to the decree, the list of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency includes the deputy head of the agency’s staff, assistants to the chairperson, advisers, department heads, as well as the chairperson of the Board of Directors of the “Directorate of Construction Facilities” and his/her deputies, the executive director of “Regional Water Reclamation” CJSC and his/her deputies, the executive director of “Water Supply of Large Cities” CJSC and his/her deputies.

Azerbaijan’s representative in the UEFA Conference League, Zira FC, will take to the field today for the decisive second leg of the competition’s second qualifying round, AzerNEWS reports.

The Baku-based club will host Estonia’s Paide Linnameeskond at SOCAR Polymer Arena, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 local time. The match will be officiated by Croatian referee Patrik Kolaric.

Zira face an uphill battle after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, played in Parnu, Estonia.

The Azerbaijani side must overturn the one-goal deficit to keep their European campaign alive and secure a place in the next qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.

The 2026-27 UEFA Conference League marks the sixth edition of UEFA’s third-tier European club competition, bringing together teams from across the continent to compete for continental success.

The tournament champions will earn an automatic place in the league phase of the 2027-28 UEFA Europa League, provided they have not already qualified for the UEFA Champions League or the Europa League through their domestic league results.

Defending champions Crystal Palace will not have the opportunity to retain their Conference League title, having already secured a place in the 2027-28 UEFA Europa League league phase.

Under UEFA’s current competition format, clubs competing in the Europa League league phase can no longer drop into the Conference League later in the season.

Global electric vehicle (EV) sales increased significantly in the second quarter of 2026, reaching record levels despite an overall decline in global car sales, AzerNEWs reports.

According to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global vehicle sales fell by around 5% year-on-year during the first half of 2026, with economic difficulties and rising fuel prices in China and the United States.

However, electric vehicle sales followed a different trajectory. After declining in the first quarter, largely due to weak performance in the Chinese and US markets, global EV sales rebounded sharply in the second quarter. Sales increased by 35% compared with the first quarter and reached record levels in 50 countries.

Strong growth in Australia, Europe, South Korea and several other markets largely offset weaker demand in China and the United States.

Several major emerging EV markets recorded particularly strong growth. In Australia, Brazil, India, South Korea and Vietnam, electric vehicle sales between March and June were approximately twice as high as during the same period in 2025.

Overall, more than 90 countries recorded year-on-year growth in electric vehicle sales during the first half of 2026, highlighting the continued expansion of the global EV market despite challenging conditions in the broader automotive industry.

The IEA noted that the shift toward electric mobility also has major implications for global energy markets. Road transport accounts for approximately half of global oil consumption, making the sector particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in fuel prices and supply risks.

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said fighter jets were scrambled to safeguard the country’s airspace amid a Russian attack on Ukraine, AzerNEWS reports.

“Fighter aircraft and an early warning aircraft have begun operations, while ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness,” the statement on X said.

It stressed that the measures are “of a preventive nature” and aimed at “securing and protecting the airspace, particularly in areas adjacent to the threatened regions.”

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in the Kyrgyz Republic for a state visit on July 30.

A guard of honor was lined up in honor of the head of state at the Issyk-Kul International Airport in the city of Cholpon-Ata.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were welcomed by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov and First Lady Aigul Zhaparova.