Category: Azer News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Sunday that Russia’s latest overnight assault involved the launch of 50 missiles and 500 drones targeting multiple regions across the country, Azernews reports.

In a Telegram post, Zelensky listed the affected areas as Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, and Kirovohrad. According to preliminary reports, the attacks resulted in five fatalities and left ten others injured.

The president emphasized that rescue operations and restoration efforts are currently underway. ‘We urgently need enhanced protection and faster implementation of all defense agreements,’ Zelensky urged, stressing the crucial role of the United States and Europe in applying pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the aggression.

The 3rd Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games are in full swing across seven cities in Azerbaijan, showcasing intense competition and strong performances from participating nations.

Azernews reports that Russia currently tops the medal table with an impressive total of 157 medals – 89 gold, 40 silver, and 28 bronze. Host country Azerbaijan is in second place with 139 medals: 23 gold, 44 silver, and 72 bronze. Belarus follows in third with 84 medals, including 20 gold, 23 silver, and 41 bronze.

So far, athletes from 9 of the 13 participating countries have secured medals in the Games, which continue to serve as a key platform for athletic development and regional cooperation among CIS member states.

Advisor to the President of the Azerbaijan Badminton Federation, Ajdar Jafarov, has commended the performance of the national badminton team during the 3rd CIS Games, Azernews reports.

Speaking to journalists in Gabala, where the badminton events were held, Jafarov highlighted the athletes’ strong preparation and promising results.

‘I rate our athletes’ performance positively,’ he said. ‘We didn’t rely on regional players this time. The fact that our junior athletes performed well on the international stage is truly encouraging. I believe these Games will play an important role in their development.’

Jafarov noted that while the team showed technical strength, a lack of experience was a key factor in missing out on gold:

‘In my view, what we lacked was experience, not skill. Our technical preparation was at a high level. Some of our players were competing internationally for the first time. Hosting the Games added pressure and responsibility, but I’m confident these athletes will achieve strong results in the future.’

Azerbaijan’s badminton team concluded the 3rd CIS Games with one silver and six bronze medals.

Azerbaijani badminton player Leyla Jamalzade has claimed a silver medal at the 3rd Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games.

Azernews reports that Jamalzade competed in the girls’ singles final, where she faced Russia’s Marina Tarasova. Despite a strong effort, the Azerbaijani athlete was defeated 0-2, securing second place on the podium.

Prior to this, Azerbaijan’s badminton team had already earned six bronze medals in various categories, bringing their total tally in the sport to seven.

The badminton competitions at the 3rd CIS Games are set to conclude today.

As part of the ‘Korkut Ata’ Turkic World Film Festival held in Aktau, the National Center for State Support of National Cinema of Kazakhstan has signed memorandums of cooperation with state film institutions from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Trkiye, and Uzbekistan.

Azernews reports, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information, the agreements are part of a broader effort under the umbrella of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY) to strengthen cultural unity among Turkic nations through cinema – a powerful medium that reflects shared values and historical heritage.

The memorandum signed with the Azerbaijan Cinema Agency outlines a wide range of collaborative initiatives, including co-production of feature films, documentaries, and animation projects; organization of masterclasses and workshops; and joint efforts in translation and dubbing.

Among the key priorities is the promotion of mutual cultural understanding and the preservation of friendly relations between the peoples of the Turkic world.

In connection with the ongoing 3rd CIS Games being hosted in Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has implemented around-the-clock security operations in the city of Gabala to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.

Azernews reports, according to the Ministry’s press service, additional police forces have been deployed throughout the district, particularly at venues where the competitions are taking place.

Police officers and members of the Internal Troops are working in continuous shifts to maintain public order and swiftly prevent any potential unlawful activities.

The enhanced security measures reflect Azerbaijan’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all athletes, officials, and guests attending the Games.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the opposition’s alleged attempt to incite unrest and overthrow the government has failed, calling it the fifth such effort in recent years.

Azernews reports that speaking at a briefing held at the ruling Georgian Dream party’s headquarters, Kobakhidze claimed that members of the former ruling United National Movement (UNM) party had tried to stage a ‘Maidan-style’ uprising in Georgia, referencing the 2014 protests in Ukraine.

‘As is now clear, the attempt to overthrow the government has failed,’ he said. ‘Over the past four years, this marks the fifth attempt to organize a so-called ‘National Maidan’ in our country.’

The Prime Minister’s remarks come amid heightened political tensions in Georgia, where opposition groups have accused the government of democratic backsliding, while the ruling party has pushed back with accusations of foreign interference and attempted coups.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 was recorded in the Caspian Sea early this morning, Azernews reports.

According to the Republican Seismological Service Center, the tremor occurred at 05:36 local time.

It should be noted that the Caspian Sea region lies within a seismically active zone influenced by the ongoing collision between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Although Azerbaijan is not typically associated with large-scale earthquakes, small to moderate tremors are relatively common, especially in offshore and coastal areas.

Earthquakes in the Caspian Sea usually occur at shallow depths and are often not strongly felt on land. However, seismologists monitor these events closely as part of ongoing efforts to understand regional seismic activity and assess potential risks.

The city’s War Memorial Center quietly removed an exhibit honoring a three-generation military legacy-ignoring both local history and the lasting geopolitical imprint of the MacArthurs.

Something is off at Milwaukee County’s War Memorial Center (WMC). For decades, the institution rallied veterans and civilians around a simple credo-‘honor the dead by serving the living.’ Today, many in that community feel alienated. The spark: a quiet decision in February 2024 to remove the ‘MacArthurs of Milwaukee’ exhibit, which celebrated Judge Arthur MacArthur, General Arthur MacArthur Jr., and his son, General Douglas MacArthur-two Medal of Honor recipients whose family ties to the city once animated the very identity of the memorial.

The exhibit, dedicated on April 26, 2017 and loaned by the VCRT MacArthur Forum, was taken down without prior notice, according to the Forum. WMC leaders have suggested that commemorations should emphasize all veterans rather than focusing on individual heroes. But that framing misunderstands what the MacArthur collection did for the Memorial. It did not crowd out broader remembrance; it deepened it-placing the names on the Honor Roll Pool, the statue in MacArthur Square, and the center’s own origin story in a narrative arc that visitors could see and touch. Douglas MacArthur himself endorsed the creation of the WMC during an April 1951 visit to Milwaukee; when the Memorial opened five years later, his words were etched in marble beside the pool: ‘In tribute to those who did their duty as God gave them the light to do that duty.’

Milwaukee has marked that connection across generations. In 1979, Jean Faircloth MacArthur, the general’s widow, traveled to the city for the first MacArthur Memorial Week and the dedication of his statue in MacArthur Square. In 2014, the Veterans Community Relations Team organized a second MacArthur Memorial Week, moved the statue to Veterans Park on Lake Michigan, and launched what became the annual Kiwanis MacArthur-Nimitz Patriotism Luncheon in Memorial Hall. Three years later, the WMC unveiled the MacArthur family exhibit-positioning it as a permanent, living extension of the Memorial’s mission.

The removal achieved little beyond discord. Veterans who saw the display as a point of civic pride now see a blank wall. No equally compelling replacement has emerged. The episode culminates at a precarious moment for the WMC, which faces existential questions about governance and financing, even as the Milwaukee Art Museum looms as a potential inheritor of the lakefront complex. An institution with survival on the line should be looking for ways to unite its core constituency, not to fracture it.

This is not antiquarian fussing over a bronze likeness or a nameplate. The MacArthurs matter for reasons that reach far beyond Milwaukee. As Supreme Allied Commander in Japan from 1945 to 1951, Douglas MacArthur played a pivotal role in one of the most consequential transformations of the 20th century, guiding a defeated imperial military state into a democratic ally that now anchors U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific. In the shadow of China’s maritime buildup, Japan’s role-militarily restrained yet increasingly forward-leaning-owes something to MacArthur’s statecraft and to the constitutional and civic architecture put in motion under his watch. Recognizing that legacy isn’t hero worship; it’s historical literacy.

None of this argues for a Memorial that celebrates one family at the expense of every other veteran. It argues for telling Milwaukee’s story in full. The MacArthurs are part of that story-woven through the center’s courtyard inscriptions, its programming, and its public art. Removing the exhibit without community consultation suggests not a philosophy of inclusion but a philosophy of subtraction: if everyone is honored in the abstract, no one is honored in particular.

There are straightforward remedies. First, restore the exhibit or, if space or curatorial direction has shifted, reinstall an updated, well-interpreted version that connects the MacArthur lineage to the broader tapestry of Wisconsin service. Second, establish a transparent process for adding, recontextualizing, or retiring displays, with input from veterans’ groups and lending partners. Third, publish a coherent plan for the WMC’s financial and institutional future. Absent such steps, the Memorial risks drifting toward a future decided for it rather than one it decides for itself.

Milwaukee’s veterans deserve a home that remembers with precision and speaks with confidence. The War Memorial Center can be that place again. However, it will require leadership that views the MacArthur legacy not as a distraction from the mission, but as a doorway into it-a means to teach visitors why this lakefront building exists at all and why the words carved in stone there still hold meaning.

Editor’s note: This article reflects concerns raised by stakeholders over the removal of the ‘MacArthurs of Milwaukee’ exhibit and the families’ historical ties to the War Memorial Center.

The fifth day of the 11th Baku International Book Fair was marked by a rich and engaging program, leaving a memorable impression on attendees, Azernews reports.

The Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC), the official media partner of the fair, is actively participating with its own exhibition stand, which has attracted significant interest from visitors.

As part of the event, Chairman of AZERTAC’s Board Vugar Aliyev met with Vasif Qurbanzade, Head of the Book Industry Department at the Ministry of Culture and a writer-publicist. Their discussion focused on the state of book publishing in Azerbaijan, promoting reading habits among youth, and the media’s role in supporting these efforts.

During the fair, Mr. Aliyev also visited the stands of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, ‘Sharq-Qarb’ Publishing House, and the F. Kocharli Republican Children’s Library. In a meeting with Sevil Ismayilova, Director of ‘Sharq-Qarb,’ both sides expressed satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation between the publishing house and AZERTAC, and discussed opportunities for expanding their partnership.

In a conversation with Shahla Gambarova, Director of the Republican Children’s Library, an agreement was reached to jointly implement projects with AZERTAC aimed at children with autism and other special needs.

Later, the AZERTAC delegation visited the stand of the State of Qatar, the fair’s Guest of Honor. There, the agency’s leadership was introduced to various elements of Qatari culture, including books, brochures, and cultural artifacts on display. A demonstration of poetry generation using artificial intelligence also captivated visitors.