As international visitors gather in Baku, Azerbaijan, for Formula 1’s European Grand Prix on June 19, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“The government of Azerbaijan tries to use sporting events like the Formula 1 race to portray itself as a modern, benign authority even as it conducts a brutal crackdown on its citizens’ fundamental freedoms and muffles all dissent,” said Daniel Calingaert, executive vice president. “We urge the journalists and corporate sponsors arriving in Baku to look beyond the glossiness of the race by examining the government’s repressive policies, including the unjustified detention of more than 80 political activists, human rights defenders, and reporters.”
Azerbaijan is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2016, Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2016, Partly Free in Freedom on the Net 2015, and receives a democracy score of 6.86 on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 as the worst possible score, in Nations in Transit 2016.. -0-
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On November 12, the summit of world leaders commenced at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku. According to "Euronews," citing sources from the UN, the event is attended by around 100 heads of state.
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On Wednesday, rain is expected in the capital during the night and morning hours. The northeast wind will change to the southeast in the afternoon. The air temperature at night will be +7 to +9°C, and during the day, it will reach +10 to +12°C. Humidity will be 70-75% at night, and 60-65% during the day.
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Amid the bustling scenes of this year’s COP29 climate conference, a protest against whaling and deep-sea mining, organized by a group calling itself the FINS Initiative, drew significant attention from delegates and observers. However, questions have arisen about the legitimacy of the group, as an internet search yields little evidence of its existence beyond scattered mentions.
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In the last two days, a "news" story appeared on TikTok about a whale spotted on Baku's seaside boulevard. The most "observant" users posted videos, commenting on the size of the animal. Later, other "witnesses" claimed it wasn't a whale, but a shark. Even later, a version emerged suggesting it was a submarine.
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