As conflict escalates in the Strait of Hormuz, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has introduced legislation to repeal a 34-year-old ban on direct U.S. aid to Azerbaijan to bolster the strategic Middle Corridor energy route.
The Hill•Hollie McKay, opinion contributor21 Sept
Click to expand Image Ruben Vardanyan, a former senior official in Nagorno-Karabakh de facto administration, attending a court hearing in Baku, Azerbaijan, February 17, 2026. Screen grab taken from a video. © 2026 Reuters TV via Reuters Ruben Vardanyan, a former senior official in Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto administration who is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Azerbaijan, says that he and 18 other Armenian prisoners are being denied regular family contact, adequate exercise, medical tests, and other rights provided under Azerbaijani law. In an audio appeal recorded on September 16 and published two days later, Vardanyan addressed Azerbaijan's human rights commissioner, Sabina Aliyeva. He said some prisoners at Umbaki prison do not receive weekly phone calls and none can make video calls. "When my cellmate was arrested, his child was 10 months old," Vardanyan said. "Now the child is more than 3 years old and has not seen his father." Vardanyan said he has been unable to get medical tests even at his own expense, access notary services, or receive written responses to complaints. He said prisoners get only 20 to 40 minutes of outdoor exercise once a week, rather than an hour a day. Human Rights Watch has not independently verified these allegations. On September 19, Aliyeva’s office rejected the allegations that the prisoners’ rights were being violated. The prisoners' contact with their families became more difficult after the Azerbaijani government closed down the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation there in September 2025. The ICRC says Geneva-based representatives visited detainees in December, met them privately, offered opportunities to communicate with their families, and assessed their treatment and detention conditions. However, visits are now less regular. Vardanyan was detained in September 2023 while leaving Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia, along with more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians who fled following Azerbaijan's military takeover of the region. The Baku Military Court sentenced him on February 17, 2026, on charges including terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The proceedings raised serious fair trial concerns. Civilians, including Vardanyan, were tried before a military court in hearings largely closed to independent scrutiny. Amnesty International reported that evidence was presented in a language the defendants didn’t understand and was not adequately translated. Azerbaijan should ensure that all prisoners can maintain regular family contact, receive letters and permitted parcels, obtain necessary medical care, and have adequate daily outdoor exercise. It should also allow the ICRC regular access to conflict-related detainees. "Regardless of how much longer we spend in Umbaki," Vardanyan said, "I ask you, at least comply with your own laws."
A recent visit to the Caucasus region reveals a country exposed to two wars, but also one that must not wait to chart its economic and diplomatic future.
Atlantic Council•Andrew D’Anieri21 Sept
EU sanctions on Russia are at risk of expiring as France pushes to remove Uzbek-Russian Usmanov from the blacklist in a deal that could secure the release and pardon of two French nationals in Azerbaijan.
Euronews21 Sept
The Honey Festival celebrates Kalbajar’s long beekeeping tradition, bringing local producers together as they promote the region’s honey and explore opportunities to reach new audiences beyond Azerbaijan.
Euronews18 SeptPublished at 2300PDT 17SEP26 / 0600GMT 18SEP26 Azerbaijan Airlines from late-September 2026 plans to resume Baku – Astrakhan service, on board Embraer E190 aircraft. Last served until February 2025, the airline will operate 3 weekly flights from 30SEP26. J28235 GYD0735 – 0900ASF E90 357 J28236 ASF1000 – 1125GYD E90 357
Formula 1 will race in Azerbaijan on a Saturday as the sport returns to the Baku City Circuit for what often proves one of the season's most incident-filled events.
Sky Sports18 Sept
UAE Economy Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri told the Euronews Forum that "resilience is the insurance of economies," while Azerbaijan's Hajiyev said his country was "winning in the peace" and Georgia's foreign minister flagged sustained disinformation campaigns.
Euronews17 Sept
Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. Strengthening asylum, protection, and legal frameworks to ensure access to territory, fair procedures, and durable solutions for refugees Delivering protection and solutions on the ground, including legal aid, community-based protection, livelihoods and inclusion, and support to refugee-led initiatives. Building preparedness and response capacity, working with government, municipalities, and partners to strengthen contingency planning, emergency readiness, and protection-sensitive responses. HIGHLIGHTS Advancing National Framework on Inclusive Livelihoods for refugees and host communities UNHCR, together with UNDP and UNRCO, supported the Government of Armenia and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office to develop and launch a national livelihoods and employment framework for refugees from Karabakh, strengthening coordination with development and humanitarian partners. The framework focuses on jobs and skills, access to social protection and services, housing and local economic development, and private-sector engagement, benefiting both refugees and host communities through a whole-of-government, multi-partner approach.
ReliefWeb•UN High Commissioner for Refugees17 Sept
In a Euronews Forum panel in Dubai, Azerbaijan’s presidential advisor Hikmet Hajiyev said peace with Armenia is “an uphill struggle,” but Azerbaijan is committed to preserving the Christian heritage on its territory as it is part of its history.
Euronews16 Sept
The country has committed €540 million to climate-resilient irrigation and launched an AI-based farmer-scoring system, developed with the FAO, to channel subsidies to smallholders who adopt water-saving and soil-regenerating techniques.
Euronews15 Sept
Baku has implemented a simplified visa entry procedure for international visitors planning to attend the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. From 25 August to 30 September, eligible travellers can obtain a visa on arrival at the country’s international airports.
Euronews15 Sept
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people. The initiative does not include the U.S., Canada, Australia, the UK, and European markets, but it is clearly more than a promotional offer, since Apple TV and Apple Arcade will stop being sold as individual subscriptions through Apple in countries where it has launched. Apple says existing standalone subscriptions will be cancelled as customers transition to access through iCloud+, while Arcade saves and progress are preserved. Countries where Apple is launching the new iCloud+ bundle include the following: Albania Algeria Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Armenia Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana British Virgin Islands Burkina Faso Cameroon Cape Verde Cayman Islands Chad Côte d'Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Dominica Egypt Eswatini Fiji Gabon Gambia Georgia Ghana Grenada Guinea-Bissau Guyana India Iraq Israel Jamaica Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyz Republic Lebanon Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Maldives Mali Mauritania Mauritius Micronesia Moldova Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Niger Nigeria North Macedonia Oman Pakistan Palau Papua New Guinea Qatar Republic of the Congo Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands Sri Lanka Suriname Tajikistan Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Türkiye Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vanuatu Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Apple says existing iCloud+ subscribers in these countries will "automatically gain access" to TV and Arcade, while someone subscribing individually to TV or Arcade but not iCloud+ will be notified that they are now subscribed to iCloud+, and their old standalone subscription will be cancelled. What's particularly interesting is that Apple One is effectively being wound down in these markets. New customers will no longer be able to subscribe, although existing Apple One subscribers can keep their plans. It's a clear sign that Apple is shifting away from Apple One toward iCloud+ in smaller markets. "We're excited to bring Apple TV and Apple Arcade to iCloud+ users in over 100 countries in one convenient subscription," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services and Health. "iCloud+ users can now securely store and share personal content across their devices, enjoy the absolute best in original storytelling from Apple TV, and explore an incredible lineup of hundreds of games through Apple Arcade." As part of the iCloud+ changes, Apple is also including an additional service called Apple Music Select that offers ad-free Apple-curated music stations. The stations are included to entice iCloud+ subscribers to upgrade to full Apple Music at a discounted monthly rate. For example, Apple's Mozambique announcement quotes $2.79/month for Individual and $4.49/month for Family plans. With the introduction of iCloud+ with Apple TV and Apple Arcade, Apple TV is also expanding to 59 new countries, making the streaming service now available in 170 countries across the globe. Related Roundup: Apple TV Tags: Apple Arcade , Apple Music , Apple One , iCloud Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy) Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater , Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+ This article, " iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The 2026 Formula 1 campaign is reaching its end with 14 of the currently scheduled 23 rounds now complete after last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli took the chequered flag in Madrid on Sunday, which marked an end to the European leg of the calendar, with Azerbaijan up next before a series of Asian and American flyaway races. But the Baku contest is taking place on a Saturday ... Keep reading
Paris replicates Viktor Orbán’s tactics in bid to free French nationals from Azerbaijan
The Formula 2 championship has announced a "supersized" meeting for its next round in Baku. The move will see it host an additional feature race in Azerbaijan and comes just 10 days before the race weekend is due to kick off. It is an unusual and late decision that inevitably raises eyebrows at a time when the end of the Formula 1 season remains uncertain. At present, the Qatar and Abu Dhabi ... Keep reading
The Formula 2 championship has announced a "supersized" meeting for its next round in Baku. The move will see it host an additional feature race in Azerbaijan and comes just 10 days before the race weekend is due to kick off. It is an unusual and late decision that inevitably raises eyebrows at a time when the end of the Formula 1 season remains uncertain. At present, the Qatar and Abu Dhabi ... Keep reading
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya expects Williams to take a "huge step" forward at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the Grove outfit prepares to introduce a much-needed upgrade package. Williams endured another difficult weekend at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit. Carlos Sainz's home race ended in retirement and his team-mate Alex Albon finished ... Keep reading
It is almost exactly 10 years since Formula 1 first took to the streets of Baku in June 2016. Everyone was curious to see what Azerbaijan's Grand Prix debut would bring, and plenty had predicted a chaotic race littered with crashes on the street circuit. In the end, things turned out rather differently, and the European Grand Prix sent plenty of Formula 1 fans to sleep - and that was in the early ... Keep reading