Canada's wildfires could continue into fall, says government
Canada is facing its second-worst wildfire season on record, with 7.8 million hectares already burned, and the fires could persist for weeks, accordin...
The Kremlin on Sunday voiced regret over Azerbaijan's reaction to the recent arrests of several Azerbaijani nationals in Russia’s Yekaterinburg region, after a controversial police operation tied to a decades-old criminal case sparked diplomatic tension between the two countries.
Speaking to journalists, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the decisions made by Azerbaijani authorities in response to the incident but urged continued dialogue to clarify the nature and legal basis of the operation.
“We sincerely regret the decisions that were taken,” Peskov said. “It is probably important to continue work to explain the reasons and nature of the events that, in the opinion of the Azerbaijani side, served as the reason for such demarches. We believe that everything that is happening is connected with the work of law enforcement agencies, and this cannot and should not be a reason for such a reaction.”
Tensions escalated after Russian special forces conducted a series of raids on Azerbaijani households in Yekaterinburg on June 27, detaining nine individuals in connection with an unresolved criminal case dating back to the early 2000s. According to Azerbaijani state news agency AZERTAC, the operation resulted in the deaths of two Azerbaijani nationals, brothers Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, and left several others injured and hospitalized.
The arrests have drawn sharp criticism in Azerbaijan, where civil society figures and officials have questioned the timing, legality, and reported use of force in the operation. Allegations have emerged that some confessions were extracted under duress, with detainees and their families claiming they were threatened or physically coerced.
Court proceedings began the same day in Yekaterinburg, but were immediately closed to the public at the request of prosecutors. Six individuals have since been issued detention orders, including Mazahir, Akif, and Ayaz Safarov, who each received 22-day detention measures. Other detainees, including Shahin Lalayev, Ahliman Ganjiyev, and Bakir Safarov, were ordered detained for shorter periods ranging from 72 hours to three days.
Local media footage has shown at least one detainee with visible injuries. Legal representatives and Azerbaijan’s acting Consul General Shohrat Mustafayev have attended court sessions, raising concerns about the defendants’ physical condition and access to fair legal proceedings.
As hearings continue and diplomatic sensitivities grow, the Kremlin’s remarks suggest an effort to contain bilateral fallout while asserting the independence of Russian law enforcement procedures. However, the episode may test the already fragile dynamics between Moscow and Baku amid broader regional shifts.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Honduras has brought back mask mandates as COVID-19 cases and a new variant surge nationwide.
Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel that would see half of the hostages in Gaza freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, an Egyptian official said on Monday.
On Monday, Russian drones deliberately struck a SOCAR oil depot in Ukraine's southern Odesa region for the second time in two weeks, according to Ukrainian officials.
Afghanistan's growing flour industry now supplies more than half the country's annual demand, with domestic mills producing 3.5 million tons out of the 6 million-ton national requirement.
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has arrived in Beirut for his fourth visit since June, seeking to reinforce a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, days after the Cabinet backed a plan to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state groups.
Since January, more than 1.7 million Afghan citizens have returned from Iran and Pakistan, the United Nations said on Friday, warning of mounting humanitarian pressures.
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