Baku

Azerbaijan's court convicted nine journalists and activists from Toplum TV on financial crime charges, sentencing them to prison terms ranging from 12 to 15 years. International media rights groups condemned the verdicts as politically motivated and an attack on media freedom.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirmed secret talks between former German and Russian officials in Baku to discuss ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, stating Azerbaijan was not officially informed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denied German government involvement, raising concerns about unofficial diplomacy without Ukraine's participation.

A senior Azerbaijani water official stated that a legal framework could be established this year to monitor and adapt to the rapidly shrinking Caspian Sea through regional cooperation. The framework aims to address accelerating water level declines in the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan criticizes Israel's recognition of the Armenian genocide, calling it a 'distortion of historical facts' and urging Jerusalem to reconsider. Azerbaijan, an ally of Israel, aligns with Turkey's position in rejecting the genocide label for World War I-era atrocities.

The Sudan Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning secured a $7 million humanitarian grant during the Islamic Development Bank Group's Annual Meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan. The grant aims to address the humanitarian consequences of the war in Sudan.

Israel deployed elite forces in Azerbaijan and operated a base in Somaliland during the Iran war, according to a report. Operations by Israeli commandos and Mossad troops included the killing of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) special operations chief, though Azerbaijan denied the allegations.