Category: Azer News

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that a facility at the Moscow oil refinery suffered damage in a Ukrainian drone attack. The large-scale drone raid on the capital is still ongoing, he added.

At the same time, footage appeared online seemingly showing a large fire at the site of the strike. Sobyanin stated emergency services were activated to deal with the situation, but there were no casualties. Previously, the mayor announced the downing of around 150 drones in one of the largest drone incursions against the Russian capital in recent times.

Shortly after the announcement, Sobyanin reported that 35 more drones were shot down over the city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would hold accountable those responsible for two attacks in the northern West Bank, after one person was killed in a shooting near the Neve Tzuf settlement.

“No terrorist is immune, nor are those who assisted them,” Netanyahu said. “We will hold them all accountable – in Gaza, in Lebanon, and in Judea and Samaria.” He said he ordered security forces to reinforce troops in the West Bank, impose closures, and carry out arrests.

Netanyahu also ordered the immediate demolition of the home of a Palestinian attacker who was killed after a separate attempted vehicle-ramming attack earlier in the day. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later said soldiers apprehended the attacker suspected of carrying out the Neve Tzuf shooting after he fled to a nearby hospital. According to the IDF, a soldier had earlier fired at and wounded the attacker near the scene.

The Embassy of Pakistan in Azerbaijan has extended its congratulations to the government and people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of State Sovereignty Day.

‘Heartiest felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the occasion of their State Sovereignty Day!’ the embassy said in a post on social media.

Robert Kraft has said he has supported initiatives benefiting Palestinians, while an analysis by The Intercept has highlighted his long-standing donations to organizations supporting the Israeli military and pro-Israel advocacy groups.

Days after reportedly pressuring pop singer Ed Sheeran to remove rapper Macklemore from his tour over Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ remarks, Kraft said in a statement posted to social media that he had ‘for decades’ supported efforts that create opportunities for Palestinians.

Kraft said those initiatives included efforts ‘to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships’ between Israelis and Palestinians. The statement accompanied his pledge to provide $2 million in aid to the region.

Kraft did not disclose which organizations would receive the funds.

The Intercept reported that Kraft has a history of donating to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), an organization that raises money on behalf of Israeli soldiers, as well as the United Democracy Project, the super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The Intercept also reported that Kraft has donated to other pro-Israel advocacy organizations that have criticized Israel’s opponents and defended Israeli policies.

According to The Intercept’s analysis of tax filings dating back to 2006, Kraft’s Kraft Family Foundation donated $196,000 to Friends of the IDF. It also donated an additional $123,000 to Brothers for Life and Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans, organizations that directly benefit Israeli military personnel.

In seven separate donations to Friends of the IDF, Kraft earmarked the funds to ‘Promote education for young Jewish soldiers,’ according to The Intercept.

Since 2020, Friends of the IDF has spent more than $20 million on its lone soldier program, which supports young Jewish Americans and Israelis without familial support who serve in the Israeli military’s reserve soldier program, The Intercept reported. The program has continued during Israel’s war in Gaza.

Kraft has also organized trips to Israel for former and current NFL players. During a 2017 trip, he led a delegation of former players on a visit to an Israeli Air Force base organized by Friends of the IDF.

In 2019, Kraft donated $20 million to establish a new organization, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, now known as the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate.

At the organization’s founding, Kraft pledged to oppose the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, describing the movement and ‘other efforts to delegitimize and undermine the State of Israel’ as among the most concerning issues for the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Kraft at the time, saying, ‘Israel does not have a more loyal friend than Robert Kraft.’

Over the years, Kraft’s foundation has also donated $63,500 to the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), a right-wing media watchdog group.

The Intercept reported that CAMERA has conducted pressure campaigns targeting news outlets, journalists, students and scholars it considers anti-Israel and has rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza, referring to evidence of such allegations as the ‘Gaza GenoLie.’

A $36,000 donation from Kraft to CAMERA in 2018 included the memo ‘fighting antisemitism,’ according to The Intercept.

First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has shared a post on the occasion of September 20 – State Sovereignty Day.

AZERTAC presents the post: ‘I congratulate the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of State Sovereignty Day and wish every compatriot good health, love and happiness! May the solidarity of our people, our sovereignty, and the peace and tranquility prevailing in our country be eternal!’

Azerbaijan’s Internal Affairs (MIA) has released a video highlighting its participation in the counterterrorism operation.

According to the ministry’s post, the 44-day Patriotic War and the localized counterterrorism measures conducted in September 2023 were important stages in the historic process that resulted in the full restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The ministry noted that during the fighting, MIA military personnel and police officers carried out their assigned duties with a high level of professionalism, courage and dedication.

‘The heroism of the martyrs, the bravery of the veterans and the perseverance of the military personnel will forever hold a place in Azerbaijan’s chronicle of victory,’ the ministry said.

U.S. President Donald Trump will not meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly session in New York next week.

According to The Times of Israel, the information was provided by senior Trump administration officials.

The officials said the decision was due to the U.S. president’s ‘busy schedule.’

Another source in the U.S. administration said Netanyahu’s presence in New York would be limited because of the upcoming elections.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that his country could have experienced a situation similar to Ukraine’s if attempts to distance Belarus from Russia had succeeded during the political crisis that followed the 2020 presidential election.

Speaking at the ‘Youth. Belarus. Future’ forum in Minsk, Lukashenko said Western countries had sought to separate Belarus from Russia during the unrest that followed the August 2020 presidential election.

‘They tried to do this in 2020,’ Lukashenko said, according to Russian media reports. ‘If it had succeeded, we would have had what is happening in Ukraine now.’

Lukashenko has long portrayed Belarus’s close relationship with Russia as a central element of the country’s security. His latest remarks again linked the survival of Belarus’s political system to maintaining its alliance with Moscow.

The 2020 election triggered mass protests after Belarusian authorities declared Lukashenko the winner. Western governments rejected the official result, while Russia backed Lukashenko as the political crisis intensified. In August 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had prepared a reserve of law-enforcement personnel that could be deployed to Belarus if the situation deteriorated, although he said there was no immediate need to use the force.

Claims regarding violations of the rights of ethnic Armenian prisoners are completely unfounded.

This was stated in a statement issued by the Ombudsman’s Office.

It was reported that, within the framework of the Ombudsman’s activities as part of the National Preventive Mechanism, meetings were held with ethnic Armenian individuals, including Ruben Vardanyan, both during the preliminary investigation and court proceedings, as well as after they were convicted and transferred to correctional facilities. The conditions in which they were held, the situation regarding the protection of their rights, and issues related to their treatment were continuously monitored.

It was noted that these monitoring activities were carried out in accordance with international standards, and the situation regarding the protection of human rights and freedoms was kept under constant observation.

‘During unannounced visits conducted by myself, as well as by members of the Ombudsman’s National Preventive Group, the rights of these individuals, including R. Vardanyan, were explained to them in their native language. Their current health condition was examined by the doctor who is a member of the NPG, and relevant publications and legislative acts in their native language were provided to them in accordance with their requests. In addition, numerous works of fiction in various languages were provided to them upon their requests.

It should be noted that each of these individuals has the opportunity to contact the Ombudsman’s 916 Call Center, and every appeal they made received a timely response in accordance with the law.

During our consecutive visits, it was observed that the conditions in the facility where the aforementioned prisoners are serving their sentences meet modern standards, that no cases of discrimination against these prisoners have been allowed, and that their rights and freedoms established by international documents and national legislation are ensured, including their rights to engage in sports, take walks, and organize their leisure time. It should be noted that, despite having no funds in their accounts when they were transferred to correctional facilities, they were provided with unrestricted access to telephone calls with their family members and access to information.

It was also observed by us that the aforementioned prisoners’ requests concerning notary and medical services were addressed in accordance with the legislation.

Most recently, Araik Harutyunyan’s request concerning notary services was fulfilled, and as it coincided with the day of a visit, members of the Ombudsman’s National Preventive Group also observed on site that this service was being provided.

In addition, requests submitted by these individuals to the Ombudsman for additional medical examinations, additional telephone calls with family members, and their consecutive appeals to state institutions, both personally and through their lawyers, were also addressed.

As a result of the monitoring and visits independently conducted by the Ombudsman, we would like to state that the rights of these individuals, who were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment after their commission of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, and other serious crimes were proven in court, are ensured without any discrimination. Claims made on behalf of the aforementioned individuals on internet websites in this regard are completely unfounded, do not reflect the truth, and serve biased political purposes,’ the statement said.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) is expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 6.5% at its meeting next Wednesday.

According to an analytical review by Dutch banking group ING, the CBA is likely to maintain the key rate at 6.5% at its upcoming meeting.

‘Current inflation in Azerbaijan remains stable at around 5.6-5.8%, which is within the 4% ± 2% target range,’ ING said.

At the same time, ING analysts believe that against the backdrop of rising inflation and interest rates globally and across the region, the CBA’s comments could place greater emphasis on inflation risks.

The bank also does not rule out the possibility that the regulator could issue more hawkish signals regarding future monetary policy.

The CBA last kept its key interest rate unchanged on July 31, 2026.

Under a decision by the CBA Board, all parameters of the interest rate corridor were left unchanged. The key interest rate was maintained at 6.5%, while the lower and upper bounds of the interest rate corridor remained at 5.5% and 7.5%, respectively.

According to the CBA, the decision on the parameters of the interest rate corridor took into account actual and projected inflation dynamics, as well as developments in the domestic financial market.

On the one hand, an upward revision to the inflation forecast creates conditions for tighter monetary policy. On the other hand, the significant excess of foreign currency supply over demand in the foreign exchange market supports a more accommodative monetary policy.

The CBA said the balance between these factors resulted in the decision to keep the parameters of the interest rate corridor unchanged.