Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan will host either a World Cup or European Championship in skiing every year. The initiative aims to complement the country's summer Formula One races by boosting winter tourism. This year's World Cup event is set for Shahdag.
Reported by AI
Samantha Power, a prominent human rights advocate and USAID administrator under President Joe Biden, drew sharp criticism for the administration's response to Azerbaijan's blockade and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. In late 2022 and 2023, Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor, cut off aid, and forced around 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee the region. Critics argue that despite Power's background in genocide prevention, the U.S. failed to impose consequences on Azerbaijan.