Category: Azer News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed Kyiv’s readiness to pursue de-escalation and a peaceful settlement, saying corresponding steps could follow if Russia stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure and food exports.

Zelenskyy made the remarks on X in response to US President Donald Trump’s comments that Russia had lost control of its diesel fuel production as a result of the war and his renewed call to end what he described as a ‘ridiculous, endless war against Ukraine.’

‘Indeed, this Russian war against Ukraine and against common sense must be stopped,’ Zelenskyy wrote.

He emphasized the consequences of the full-scale war, saying each additional year brings more problems, while stressing that Ukraine has consistently sought peace.

‘We have already put forward dozens of diplomatic proposals on how to end this war with dignity, guarantee security, and prevent new Russian invasions. Dialogue with President Trump and the US is currently ongoing. Ideas for bringing peace closer are also under consideration, starting with decisive de-escalation steps,’ Zelenskyy said.

‘Ukraine’s energy sector, its critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this would lead to corresponding de-escalation steps on our part. Solutions are possible,’ he added.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to work on such measures and discuss them with its partners on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He also thanked those involved in efforts to advance the peace process.

‘It will no longer be the case that only the country that was attacked suffers. The nature of the war now is such that the aggressor also incurs losses. Technology makes this possible. The strength of countries’ leadership can and must ensure de-escalation, security, and peace,’ Zelenskyy said.

Hamas convened Palestinian factions in Cairo to deliberate legislative and National Council elections, a statement on Telegram showed on Monday.

A delegation led by Hossam Badran met with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, the Democratic Reform Current of Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Palestinian Al-Ahrar Movement, the PFLP-General Command, the Resistance Committees in Palestine, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).

Participants asserted Palestinians’ right to free, fair elections, rejecting appointment and unilateralism. They also resolved to draft a unified strategy to “confront the occupation, settlement, Judaization, displacement, and annexation, end the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people.”

The Middle East appears to be becoming increasingly volatile again, as the Houthi advances in the region may have reignited Iran’s influence.

The crisis in Yemen involving Saudi Arabia is taking a significant diplomatic turn. After Pakistan reportedly declined to engage the Houthis on foreign soil, Riyadh has allegedly sought Israeli intelligence assistance through the U.S. Central Command. With the Houthi forces applying pressure on Bab el-Mandeb and jeopardizing vital oil export routes, the conflict is reshaping alliances across West Asia and highlighting the region’s fragile security balance. Following the Houthis’ seizure of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Saudi Arabia has sought Israeli intelligence support via U.S. Central Command.

Despite being part of the Mecca Defense Alliance with Saudi Arabia and Trkiye, Pakistan has reportedly refused to deploy forces for combat operations in Yemen. The U.S. and U.K. have ruled out direct military strikes, opting instead to provide intelligence and advisory support.

Meanwhile, Trkiye has expressed its support for Saudi Arabia’s security amid the escalating Houthi attacks. ‘We see there are very serious attacks on Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty. We have an alliance agreement in our pact. We are in serious solidarity on this point … They may have some military needs, especially on some technical issues. We would have no issues in meeting these,’ Fidan told broadcaster NTV.

He added that proposals had been conveyed to all sides in an effort to end the fighting, without elaborating on what they are. ‘There are many initiatives, but the sides need to accept these,’ he said.

Now, with increasing tensions in the region, including Houthi threats to close Saudi airports, warnings issued by the U.S. mission in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to travelers, and Iran’s claim that the U.S. plans to resume its “actions” against Tehran, questions arise about the future of the region.

Lebanon-based analyst Hazem Al-Tawil told AzerNEWS that the Mecca Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Trkiye and Pakistan could face its first serious test amid the renewed Houthi threat and growing tensions across the Middle East:

“Indeed, the Middle East appears to be entering another dangerous phase. Renewed Houthi pressure, attacks threatening Saudi territory and infrastructure, mounting concerns over the Bab el-Mandeb and the possibility of a wider US-Iran confrontation are testing the region’s emerging security arrangements.

At the centre of that test is the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Trkiye and Pakistan. The pact commits the three countries to treating an armed attack against one member as an attack against all, while expanding military and defence cooperation. On paper, this gives Riyadh something it has long sought: a broader regional security framework that is not entirely dependent on the United States. In practice, however, the current crisis is exposing an important question: what exactly can each member contribute when one of them comes under sustained attack”.

Saudi Arabia is not a fledgling state, says the analyst, adding that it is a wealthy and increasingly capable regional middle power:

“Equipped with advanced Western-supplied weapons, a large air force, and notable missile defense capabilities, its strategic vulnerability extends beyond mere military weakness. The kingdom’s most important assets are concentrated around energy infrastructure, airports, population centres and maritime routes. A prolonged campaign involving ballistic missiles, drones and attacks on shipping can therefore impose costs that cannot simply be solved by acquiring additional conventional weaponry. The Houthi threat illustrates the problem. Saudi Arabia may possess considerable military resources, but defending a vast territory and critical infrastructure against repeated low-cost attacks can become an expensive war of attrition. This makes the Mecca pact significant, but it also exposes its central contradiction.”

But if Saudi Arabia is already a substantial military and economic power, why does it need this alliance? In response, the expert adds that the answer may lie in its partners’ complementary capabilities.

“Trkiye possesses something Saudi Arabia cannot build overnight, and that is a large indigenous defence-industrial base, extensive conventional military capacity and growing expertise in drones, missiles, electronic warfare and other systems suited to contemporary regional conflicts. Pakistan offers a different strategic asset. Its conventional forces provide additional military depth, while its nuclear capability gives the alliance a latent strategic-deterrence dimension that neither Riyadh nor Ankara possesses. But there is an important qualification. The Mecca agreement does not publicly establish an automatic Turkish military intervention or a formal Pakistani nuclear umbrella. Its collective-defence language creates a political commitment, but the precise military response to a particular attack remains a matter for the governments involved.”

According to al-Tawil, Saudi Arabia may be the alliance’s most powerful member economically, but it could also become its strategic weak link.

That is not because Riyadh lacks money, weapons or military personnel. It is because Saudi Arabia remains dependent on outside partners for several layers of its security architecture. Its conventional military capabilities have been built heavily around foreign technology and procurement. Its air-defence requirements are enormous. And its strategic geography leaves it exposed to threats that can be launched relatively cheaply by non-state actors. In this sense, the relationship with Trkiye is particularly important. Ankara can provide conventional military capabilities that complement Saudi resources, but Trkiye will also have its own calculations about how much risk it is willing to assume for Riyadh. A defence alliance becomes credible not simply when its members sign a document, but when each member has sufficient strategic interests in the security of the others to make intervention worthwhile. This is where economic integration could become just as important as military cooperation. A deeper Turkish economic, industrial and infrastructure presence in Saudi Arabia would create precisely the kind of mutual dependence that can transform a political security agreement into a durable strategic relationship. One possible long-term vehicle could be a modern revival of the Hejaz Railway concept. This would not mean simply rebuilding the historic Ottoman railway. Rather, a contemporary Saudi-Turkish transport and logistics corridor could connect the Arabian Peninsula with Trkiye and wider regional trade networks. Such a project would give Ankara something that a defence agreement alone cannot provide: strategic sunk costs.”

The current Houthi crisis could therefore become an important test of whether the Mecca agreement can evolve from a political declaration into a functioning security architecture, assumes the Lebanese expert:

‘If the conflict remains limited, Trkiye can provide technical and military assistance while Pakistan maintains its distance from direct combat. But if Saudi infrastructure, airports and energy routes come under sustained attack, the alliance will have to demonstrate what its collective-defence commitments actually mean. The real test is not simply whether the Houthis can strike Saudi Arabia. It is whether such attacks expose differences between Riyadh and its partners over how much they are prepared to pay for collective security,’ he said.

Israel has classified wheelchairs, toilet seats, tarps and portable toilets among items subject to restrictions on entry into Gaza, designating them as ‘dual-use’ goods that could potentially have military applications, according to rights groups and Palestinian media.

Israeli rights organization Gisha said items including flashlights, non-electric wheelchairs, tarps, sleeping bags and portable toilets have been classified as dual-use by Israel since October 7, 2023.

The restrictions on mobility equipment come as demand for such items has increased sharply amid the large number of people injured during the war.

According to World Health Organization figures cited by the humanitarian organization Humanity and Inclusion, nearly 42,000 people in Gaza have sustained life-changing injuries, with children accounting for about one in four of those injured.

Rights groups have raised concerns that restrictions on equipment needed by people with disabilities and those recovering from severe injuries could further complicate access to essential humanitarian and rehabilitation services in Gaza.

The Pakistani military has carried out strikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Paktika provinces, according to Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid.

Mujahid said the strikes resulted in deaths and injuries in Kunar province. According to his statement, three people were killed, and four others were wounded.

The Taliban spokesman condemned Pakistan’s actions, describing the strikes as unacceptable, and said the Afghan side intended to respond.

The reported strikes come amid tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with security issues and cross-border attacks remaining a source of friction between the two sides.

Mujahid did not provide further details on the targets or the circumstances surrounding the strikes.

There has been no immediate independent confirmation of the reported casualties or further details about the Pakistani military operation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russia struck 10 Ukrainian regions overnight and was “sending many signals that it is ready to expand the war.”

Zelensky wrote on X that five people were injured in Zaporizhzhia, where “nine-story residential buildings, a university facility, a shopping mall, and a boiler house were damaged.” In Lozova in the Kharkiv region, a woman was killed in a drone strike and three others were wounded.

“Russia is not backing down from its escalation,” Zelensky stressed, adding that diplomacy must work alongside pressure on Moscow. “At the UN General Assembly, we will discuss how we can achieve peace through joint efforts,” he said.

Since 2016, the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has delivered thrilling moments for F1 drivers and fans alike. Over the years, each of the drivers who have written their names into the history of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has developed their own story with Baku.

Nico Rosberg, winner of the inaugural race, Max Verstappen, a two-time winner in Baku, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, pole record-holder Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez, who has claimed five podium finishes, are among the drivers who have left a special mark on this history.

As the Azerbaijan Grand Prix prepares for its 10th running, we take a look back at the most memorable moments and results of these five drivers at the Baku City Circuit.

Nico Rosberg – Formula 1’s first winner in Baku

Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg holds a special place in the history of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The German driver was the winner of the first Formula 1 race held in our capital in 2016. That weekend, Rosberg claimed pole position, led every lap of the race, set the fastest lap and crossed the finish line first to secure the ‘Grand Slam’ for the second time in his career.

Nico Rosberg made his Formula 1 debut at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix. He raced for ‘Williams’ from 2006 to 2009 and for ‘Mercedes’ from 2010 to 2016. Nico is also the son of Keke Rosberg, the 1982 Formula 1 world champion.

Following his historic victory in Baku, Rosberg finished second at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the end of the 2016 season, edging Lewis Hamilton by just 5 points in the overall standings to become Formula 1 world champion for the first time in his career. Just five days after securing the championship, Rosberg unexpectedly announced his retirement from Formula 1.

Max Verstappen – A story that began with a challenge in Baku

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen claimed his first victory in Baku only on his sixth attempt. The Dutch driver, who has raced at the Baku City Circuit since 2016, crossed the finish line first for the first time in 2022. In 2025, Verstappen claimed his second victory in Baku, securing pole position, setting the fastest lap and leading every lap of the race to complete the ‘Grand Slam’.

Verstappen’s appearances in Baku have also been marked by dramatic moments. In 2018, a collision with his ‘Red Bull’ teammate Daniel Ricciardo brought both drivers’ races to an end. In 2021, Verstappen was leading the race when a tyre failure just a few laps from the finish cost him his chance of victory and prevented him from finishing the race.

Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. In 2016, at the age of 18, he won the Spanish Grand Prix, becoming the youngest race winner in Formula 1 history.

Lewis Hamilton – Victory and drama on the streets of Baku

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has claimed just one victory in nine races in Baku. Yet the British driver came very close to doing so as early as 2017: starting from pole, Hamilton was leading the race and heading towards victory. However, a technical problem with his car forced him into the pits and cost him a potential win. A year later, Hamilton secured his revenge in Baku by winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while in 2019 he finished second to return to the podium.

Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut in 2007 and missed out on the championship by just one point in his first season. He has won seven world championships during his career.

The history of Hamilton’s famous number 44 dates back to his karting years. When he started racing at the age of eight, he chose the number ’44’ from the registration plate of his father’s car and later kept the number in Formula 1.

Now, a new chapter awaits him in Baku. Can Lewis Hamilton make his mark once again on the streets of Baku with ‘Ferrari’?

Charles Leclerc – The Azerbaijan Grand Prix’s pole record-holder

Charles Leclerc is the true master of pole position at the Baku City Circuit. The ‘Ferrari’ driver claimed pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix four consecutive times in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 – a feat no other driver has achieved in Baku. However, Leclerc is yet to win in Baku. His best result came in 2024, when he finished second.

Leclerc finished sixth in Baku with ‘Sauber’ in 2018, the year he made his Formula 1 debut. In 2019, already racing for ‘Ferrari’, he set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:43.009. That time remains the official lap record of the Baku City Circuit to this day.

In 2026, however, the main question remains unchanged: can Charles Leclerc finally complete his run of poles in Baku with a victory?

Sergio Perez – ‘The King of the Baku Circuit’

Sergio Perez, known as ‘Checo’ in Formula 1, has a special relationship with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mexican driver won in Baku in 2021 and 2023 and has claimed a total of five podium finishes. Perez is the only driver to have secured five podiums at the Baku City Circuit, and these results have earned him the unofficial title of the ‘King of the Baku Circuit’.

Perez made his Formula 1 debut with ‘Sauber’ in 2011. Of the six victories he has claimed throughout his career, two have come in Baku. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the only race in Formula 1 where he has won more than once.

In 2026, however, ‘Checo’ returns to Baku with a completely different status. Returning to Formula 1 after a one-year break, Perez will this time compete behind the wheel of the new ‘Cadillac’ team’s car at one of his favourite circuits. Can the ‘King of the Baku Circuit’ produce another surprise with his new team?

The 10th Anniversary Race

Throughout the 10-year history of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Baku City Circuit has hosted victories by some of Formula 1’s most renowned drivers and witnessed a host of memorable events. From Rosberg’s maiden victory and Hamilton’s podium finishes to Perez’s success in Baku, Leclerc’s records and Verstappen’s two victories, each driver has left a distinct mark on the history of the race.

The 10th anniversary Grand Prix, taking place in 2026, will add a new chapter to this history. Another Formula 1 weekend awaits at the Baku City Circuit, and the race will reveal who will claim the next memorable result, victory or record.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Defense Forces have shot down a U.S.-made MQ-1 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC said.

According to the statement, the drone was tracked and destroyed using a new air defense system operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force.

The IRGC noted that the MQ-1 UAV was known for completing 2,000 flight hours in Afghanistan and had been removed from the U.S. military and Marine Corps arsenals years ago, after being replaced by the MQ-9. The statement claimed that the United States had been forced to resume using MQ-1 drones because many of its MQ-9 UAVs had been shot down.

It should be noted that the latest escalation in U.S.-Iran relations began on July 8. On that day, U.S. forces carried out several rounds of strikes on Iranian territory, reportedly in response to an attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, following the signing of a memorandum between Washington and Tehran.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the same day that the ceasefire with Iran had been terminated. In response, Tehran began launching strikes against U.S. facilities located in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

An oil tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, injuring two crew members, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.

According to the information, a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the incident, the vessel continued its journey.

Two crew members were reportedly injured in the incident. The nationality or ownership of the vessel has not been disclosed.

UKMTO also said there had been no reports of environmental pollution following the incident.

Vessels operating in the area have been advised to exercise increased caution and report any suspicious activity or circumstances to UKMTO.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, holding significant strategic importance as approximately 20% of global oil supplies and around 25% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports pass through it. Essentially, it serves as an energy artery for countries in Asia, Europe, and even the United States.

The strait separates Iran from Oman, and in some areas, the width of the shipping channel is only two miles on each side. Given its critical role in global energy supply chains, ensuring the safety and security of this vital waterway is paramount for international trade and economic stability.

Calls to slow down the development of artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly common within OpenAI. AI experts and policymakers have also warned that the rapid pace of AI development could create risks that are difficult to control. For example, OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki published an essay warning about potential dangers that, he argued, few are prepared for. The resignation of Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon also went viral. Coxon, who had previously worked at OpenAI, accused both companies of “playing with people’s lives” after leaving Anthropic. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has also revisited his long-standing concerns about AI, recalling that he warned about the serious risks posed by the technology more than a decade ago.

But is artificial intelligence really as dangerous as some claim, or is the growing alarm simply overblown?

We all remember Hollywood movies where technology created by people becomes the end of humanity. Take Westworld, where in a future world androids and humans fight for supremacy on Earth. Maybe this has settled so firmly into the human brain that we simply fear the same fate for humanity. If you believe the warnings voiced in recent weeks by AI developers, then such a nightmarish scenario could become reality – and even in the timeframe indicated in the series.

“Those who are serious about AI believe it could destroy us all by the end of the decade,” wrote Jacob Coxon on September 8 on social media X. He didn’t specify exactly how this could happen, adding: “No other area of human endeavor carries this level of danger.”

The 27-year-old Coxon resigned from Anthropic in protest against what he called the irresponsible pursuit by AI companies to develop increasingly advanced self-regulating superintelligence. The AI researcher warned that algorithms could begin independently analyzing and improving their own source code, reducing development cycles from several months to several minutes and thus making them uncontrollable. But it’s worth noting that Jacob Coxon is not some lone eccentric. Nobel Prize laureate in physics Geoffrey Hinton, one of the “godfathers of AI,” has been speaking about the serious consequences of self-regulating superintelligence for many years. In 2023, he resigned from Google to publicly warn about the dangers of his own developments.

American technology company Anthropic has already identified cases where its chatbot Claude was used to develop potentially dangerous biological weapons. In a recent corporate report, it speaks of five episodes where users managed to bypass protective mechanisms. With the help of neural networks, they attempted to plan experiments on virus enhancement and find ways to overcome immune defences. The report also mentions the discovery of attempts to use AI for cyberattacks and propaganda dissemination. After their detection, company specialists blocked the accounts. Experts warn that as AI develops, the risk of its negative use grows. In the wrong hands, the technology can increase the potential threat to humanity.

As if all this wasn’t enough, Middle East Eye published that Yemen’s Houthi group “Ansar Allah” used the artificial intelligence platform Claude to develop ballistic missiles. A recent incident involving about 700 OpenAI AI agents precisely proves the existence of enormous risks. During testing, they attempted to hack the company’s external systems. First, the agents created a closed chatbot to coordinate their actions. Later, some of them deleted or altered records of their operations to cover their tracks. In total, employees documented around 300 such cases. Experts believe the main problem lies in the absence of sufficient protective mechanisms.

It’s worth noting that all these statements didn’t arise out of nowhere. Discussions about the potential danger of smart machines have been going on for decades. Back in the 1950s, British mathematician and cryptanalyst Alan Turing wrote that machines that acquire intellectual abilities could eventually gain control over humans.

Modern artificial intelligence developers are competing not only for profit, but also to create systems they call artificial superintelligence. This refers to a theoretical technology that will surpass humans in a broad spectrum of intellectual tasks. The ordinary tools used by millions of people are capable of creating texts, generating images, helping with emails, or editing videos. Superintelligence systems, as envisioned by developers, will be able to perform much more complex tasks requiring analysis, planning, and decision-making.

Open access to advanced AI models is dangerous because it can put tools in the hands of psychopaths and criminal organizations. Current language models are already smart enough to help people commit crimes that previously required specialists. For example, a criminal can use the latest version of GPT not just for stealing money, but for automating complex fraud schemes. At a higher level, open models allow malicious actors to develop dangerous viruses – the system is advanced enough to help an average person create biological weapons. On the other hand, closed access creates a different problem: power becomes concentrated in the hands of a single company or state. If this entity decides to use superintelligence for its own purposes, no one will be able to stop it. Thus, a dilemma is emerging: open access gives weapons to all hands, closed access gives unlimited power to one actor.

Experts also speak about potential economic consequences. Extremely powerful systems can disrupt the functioning of individual markets or entire economies. At the same time, it’s important to distinguish between theoretical scenarios and proven facts. The concerns described above outline possible future risks, rather than confirming that humanity is already on the brink of destruction.

The risks are obvious, but there’s a problem: how do you hit the brakes on an entire industry at once? If OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic agree to slow development at the same time, it could look like collusion among competitors and violate US antitrust law. This is exactly why Sam Altman is trying to figure out whether it’s legally possible to organize such collective deceleration. But then a second dilemma arises: even if American corporations agree to temporarily abandon ideas about ultra-powerful artificial intelligence, their Chinese colleagues won’t wait for anyone.