Category: Azer News

Ramiz Mehdiyev has been relieved of his membership in the Security Council of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree.

Mehdiyev was included in the Security Council by the Presidential decree dated October 23, 2019.

The Sabail District Court of Baku has made a decision in the criminal case against Mehdiyev.

The court granted the petition regarding Mehdiyev, who was brought to criminal responsibility for particularly serious crimes, and chose a preventive measure in the form of house arrest for a period of four months.

He is accused under Articles 278.1 (actions aimed at seizing state power), 274 (treason) and 193-1.3.2 (legalization of property obtained by criminal means) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

German flag carrier Lufthansa plans to scale back its domestic flight operations as part of efforts to cope with soaring operational costs, mounting taxes, and rising airport fees, Azernews reports, citing Germany’s media outlets.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told local media that expenses have doubled since 2019, prompting the airline to cancel approximately 100 domestic flights per week next summer. He warned that further reductions would be inevitable if local costs are not brought under control.

Spohr noted that certain routes – including Munich-Mnster/Osnabrck and Munich-Dresden – are particularly at risk, as operations on these lines have become unprofitable.

While international travel has largely recovered to pre-pandemic levels, domestic routes in Germany continue to lag behind. Business travel, in particular, remains significantly lower than before 2020. Lufthansa attributes this ongoing decline to the widespread shift toward videoconferencing, which has reduced the need for in-person meetings.

First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has shared a post on her social media accounts on the occasion of the Day of Restoration of Independence, Azernews reports.

The post reads: ‘May Azerbaijan’s state independence, sovereignty, and the peace and tranquility in our country be eternal!’

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, shared a post on his official X page regarding the visit of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva to the Vatican, Azernews reports.

Hajiyev stated that the First Vice President’s productive meetings, including her meeting with Pope Leo XIV, clearly demonstrate Azerbaijan’s commitment to interfaith understanding and intercultural dialogue.

“The visit of the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, to the Vatican; her intense, productive meetings; and especially her audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the country’s support for the restoration of Catholic Christian heritage, and its long-term cooperation in this field vividly demonstrate Azerbaijan’s commitment to interfaith understanding and dialogue among religions, cultures, and civilizations. This visit is also a bright example of Azerbaijan’s cultural and humanitarian diplomacy.

Azerbaijan-a secular nation with a Muslim-majority population, rich Islamic traditions, and a long history of peaceful coexistence among Muslims, Christians, Jews, and representatives of other faiths-stands today as a shining example of inclusivity, tolerance, and multicultural harmony.

Proud of its strong record in women’s empowerment transforming the entire South Caucasus region into a space of peace and stability, Azerbaijan continues to advance a positive global agenda focused on peace, dialogue, and cooperation,” the post reads.

Iran said on Saturday that it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear program as a landmark 10-year deal between it and world powers expired, though Tehran reiterated its ‘commitment to diplomacy,’ Azernews reports, citing Arab News.

The 2015 deal – signed in Vienna by Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States – saw the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic republic in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

But the pact had already been in tatters after Washington unilaterally withdrew during President Donald Trump’s first term, with Iran later pulling back from its commitments.

The reimposition last month of UN sanctions at the urging of three of the deal’s European signatories rendered the accord effectively moot.

From now on, ‘all of the provisions (of the deal), including the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program and the related mechanisms are considered terminated,’ Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement on the day of the pact’s expiration.

‘Iran firmly expresses its commitment to diplomacy,’ it added.

Western powers have long accused Iran of secretly seeking nuclear weapons – something it has repeatedly denied, insisting its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production.

The deal’s ‘termination day’ was set for October 18, 2025, exactly 10 years after it was enshrined in the UN’s Security Council resolution 2231.

The accord capped Iran’s uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent in exchange for sanctions relief and provided for strict supervision of its nuclear activities by the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

But Washington left the deal in 2018 and reinstated sanctions, after which Tehran began stepping up its nuclear program.

According to the IAEA, Iran is the only country without a nuclear weapons program to enrich uranium to 60 percent. That is close to the threshold of 90 percent required for a bomb, and well above the level needed for civilian nuclear use.

‘Irresponsible actions’

In July, Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA following the war with Israel, with Tehran pointing to the agency’s failure to condemn Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

The unprecedented bombing campaign by Israel and the retaliation by Iran during the 12-day war derailed ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

At the initiative of France, Britain and Germany, widespread UN sanctions against Iran returned into force in late September for the first time in a decade.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter addressed to the United Nations on Saturday that the expiration of the 2015 deal renders the sanctions ‘null and void.’

Britain, France and Germany accuse Iran of not cooperating with the IAEA and would like it to return to negotiations with the United States.

‘Iran’s efforts to revive the exchanges (with the IAEA) that led to the agreement in Cairo were also sabotaged by the irresponsible actions of the three European countries,’ the Iranian foreign ministry said in Saturday’s statement, referring to a recent framework to resume cooperation.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense has extended its congratulations to Azerbaijan on the 34th anniversary of the restoration of its independence.

According to Azernews, the brotherly nation’s defense ministry marked the occasion with a social media post emphasizing the unbreakable bond between the two countries.

‘We sincerely greet the brotherly people of Azerbaijan. We will always stand united within the spirit of the saying, ‘One nation, two states.’ Long live Trkiye and Azerbaijan!’ the message read.

The post highlighted the enduring solidarity between the two nations, underscoring their shared history, mutual support, and common vision for peace and stability in the region.

‘The political relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan today are distinguished by a high degree of strength and mutual trust,’ President Ilham Aliyev said during his interview with Kazinform News Agency.

‘Over the past decades, based on the historical bonds of brotherhood, friendship, and mutual support, as well as on the solid foundation of our shared Turkic identity, similar cultural traditions, and spiritual values of our peoples, we have built relations of genuine strategic and allied partnership,’ the head of state emphasized.

The ‘CyberCell Hackathon,’ jointly organized by Azercell Telecom and Baku Engineering University (BMU), will be held on October 18-19, 2025, uniting young talents in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. The two-day competition aims to enhance participants’ digital competencies, provide opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios, and foster teamwork capabilities.

During the competition, participants will work on Red Team (attack) and Blue Team (defense) scenarios to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities and develop innovative solutions for detecting, responding to, and preventing cyberattacks. Teams will also employ AI-powered tools to design solutions for anomaly detection, log analysis, and threat forecasting.

The ‘CyberCell Hackathon’ received nearly 200 applications. Following a rigorous selection process, 25 teams from the country’s leading universities, including Azerbaijan State University of Economics, ADA University, Baku Higher Oil School, Baku Engineering University, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, the French-Azerbaijani University, the Academy of the State Customs Committee, Azerbaijan Cooperation University, Khazar University, and Azerbaijan Technical University, earned the right to compete.

The top-performing team will be awarded a cash prize of 4,000 AZN, while the second and third place winners will receive 3,000 AZN and 2,000 AZN, respectively.

On October 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Brad Cooper, Commander of the US Central Command and admiral of the US Navy.

Admiral Brad Cooper conveyed his congratulations to President Ilham Aliyev on the achievements in advancing the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which were witnessed by the US President in Washington.

Expressing gratitude for the congratulations, the head of state highlighted the special role of President Donald Trump in this process. Emphasizing that the documents signed in Washington create ample opportunities for the region’s development, President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan and Armenia have already adapted to living in conditions of peace.

During the conversation, they hailed the recent development of Azerbaijan-US bilateral relations and exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation in military and military-technical fields.

Germany will deploy three members of the Bundeswehr to Israel to help monitor compliance with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Azernews reports, citing local media and the German Defense Ministry’s press service.

According to the ministry, two officers and one brigadier general will travel to Israel next week to perform their duties ‘in uniform but unarmed.’ The German contingent will operate in southern Israel at the Civil-Military Coordination Center, which is still under construction.

The center will host around 200 military personnel in total. Its mission includes monitoring adherence to the ceasefire and coordinating the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.