Baku/17.05.19/Turan: Arsenal are expecting to leave Henrikh Mkhitaryan at home for the Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku on May 29 for fear that his presence would be a security risk and distraction for the rest of the squad and staff, reads The Times.
Diplomatic tensions between Mkhitaryan"s native Armenia and Azerbaijan, the host nation for the final, exist because of a longstanding conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. The midfielder could be a target for an attack because of unconfirmed rumours that he has visited the disputed region in recent years.
There is significant anger within the club that he could be forced to miss such an important match, the winners of which qualify for next season"s Champions League. -0-
Politics
-
On January 7, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes began an investigation into the case of the activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) Mehman Aliyev, who is accused of illegal drug trafficking.
-
On January 7, the head of state, Ilham Aliyev, gave an interview to local TV channels. As of 18:00, the content of the interview had not been published.
-
In late December, the Nakhchivan Court for Serious Crimes concluded the trial of former Minister of Finance of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR), Rafael Aliyev, and former head of the Nakhchivan Customs Committee’s department, Mansur Askerov. Both were accused of embezzling state budget funds in collusion with others. In his testimony, Askerov revealed that illegal fees were being collected for cargo and from passengers. Sahat Habibbeyli, appointed head of Nakhchivan Customs in 2020, had instructed Askerov to include only a portion of the collected funds in the Transport and International Relations (TIR) program.
-
The "Republican Alternative" Party (REAL) has proposed a program to reform local governance ahead of the municipal elections on January 29, aiming to expand opportunities for economic activity at the municipal level. The new program has been developed with consideration of the existing economic problems in the country. The government of Azerbaijan seeks to obtain external loans for its projects, the economic feasibility of which raises doubts.
Leave a review