Japan urges fair trade as U.S. plans new tariffs
As Washington prepares to impose new tariffs, Japan has voiced concern over global trade tensions, urging stronger support for multilateral economic s...
Azerbaijan Railways and China State Railway Group agreed on Thursday to raise freight traffic on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line to as many as 10 trains a day, aiming to turn the route into a high-capacity artery between East and West.
The memorandum of understanding, signed in Baku, commits the two state rail operators to expand track, port and container facilities so that goods from Chinese factories can reach Türkiye and onward European markets more quickly, the companies said.
Central to the deal is the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway, a 846-kilometre link that forms the spine of the so-called Middle Corridor running from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. Under the agreement, daily block-train capacity will rise to “up to ten” by the end of the decade, from only a handful today.
The partners will also deepen co-operation on Caspian Sea logistics, increase container services and explore joint investment in rolling stock. Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) completed a major modernisation of the Georgian section of the BTK in 2023–24, paving the way for heavier loads and faster transit times.
EU-backed studies estimate that east-west trade volumes through the Middle Corridor could triple by 2030 if bottlenecks are removed. By linking into Türkiye’s rail network, the BTK bypasses congested Black Sea ports and avoids Russian territory—a route that has gained importance since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Officials in Baku say the deal with Beijing cements Azerbaijan’s role as a regional hub. China already uses the line for test shipments of electronics and auto parts bound for Europe, but limited track capacity has so far capped throughput.
Further talks will focus on digital customs systems and harmonised tariffs to make the corridor competitive with maritime services via the Suez Canal.
Both sides said the memorandum “opens a new chapter” in Sino-Azeri transport ties and supports wider Belt and Road initiatives.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,500-year-old city in northern Peru that likely served as a key trade hub connecting ancient coastal, Andean, and Amazonian cultures.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged stronger sanctions and defence support for Ukraine as the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia nears approval.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia have met in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in what many analysts describe as a qualitatively new stage in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
Central Asia’s fastest supercomputer, powered by the high-end NVIDIA H200 graphics processor, has been launched in Kazakhstan at the National Supercomputer Center "Alemcloud."
Northern Cyprus said it's ready to expand cooperation with Azerbaijan, particularly in tourism and education according to TRNC President Ersin Tatar.
Yemen's Houthi group said on Thursday (10 July) they had attacked Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv area with a ballistic missile, while the Israeli military said the missile from Yemen was intercepted after air raid sirens were triggered in several parts of the country.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are currently holding high-level bilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, signalling a renewed push for a long-term peace agreement between the two countries.
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