Azerbaijan to hold snap parliamentary elections on September 1
Al Jazeera
President Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan Party is expected to win a new majority in the oil-rich country’s legislature.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has called snap parliamentary elections for September 1 that are unlikely to radically change the legislature’s makeup.
On Friday, Aliyev issued a decree ordering the dissolution of parliament, which is dominated by his New Azerbaijan party.
The 62-year-old president, who has been in power since 2003, won a fifth presidential term in February. That vote was set to be held in 2025.
His party, which holds 69 of 125 seats in the outgoing parliament, is expected to win a new majority in the oil-rich country, which has been courted by the West, Russia and Turkey.
Western energy firms such as BP operate in Azerbaijan, which is party to the OPEC+ pact between the OPEC oil producers’ club and other key exporters such as Russia to restrict output to support world prices.
Former rivals team up before new tennis season as Djokovic seeks record 25th singles and 11th Australian Open title.
Zambian striker Barbra Banda scored the only goal as Orlando beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the championship game.
Florida State Senator Randy Fine, who celebrated Israel’s killing of a US citizen, gets president-elect’s support.
Relentless Israeli bombardment continues in Gaza, Lebanon, as Hamas says a captive was killed in an Israeli air attack.
Director of the Kamal Adwan hospital says several staff wounded in Israeli bombardment.
Immigrant rights groups fear harsh policies and potential legal pressure could accelerate in second Trump term.
Small islands and least-developed nations say their climate finance interests were ignored.
Global lender says it will release about $333m to crisis-hit nation as signs of economic recovery emerge.
At least four people have been killed in the attack on the Basta neighbourhood, according to the Health Ministry.