Russia & CIS

Currency reserves of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) increased by $352.8 million (8.9 percent) up to $4,327.2 million in January 2017 as compared to December 2016, according to the statistics posted on the CBA website Feb. 3.

US President Donald Trump’s administration is reviewing policies on Cuba introduced by former President Barack Obama, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Friday, Sputnik reported.

The US has moved a Navy destroyer to off the coast of Yemen to protect waterways from Houthi militia aligned with Iran, two US officials said Feb. 3, amid heightened tension between Washington and Tehran, Reuters reported.

Chairman of the State Committee of Azerbaijan for Work with Refugees and IDPs, Chairman of the Republican Commission on International Humanitarian Assistance Ali Hasanov on Friday met with refugees settled in “Shafaq” sanatorium situated in Sariqaya, Binaqadi district.

The US has expanded sanctions against Iran, RIA Novosti reports citing the US Department of Treasury.

Armenia pushes foreign citizens to visiting Azerbaijan’s occupied territories by fraud and other ways, and later tries to turn these people into a tool in its propagandist political games, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, told APA on Feb. 3.

The United Nations hopes for further expansion of cooperation with Azerbaijan to conduct joint activities in order to respond to new challenges effectively at international level, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a letter addressed to Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the National Coordination Council on Sustainable Development Ali Ahmadov.

The Armenian leadership is infamous for its fascist statements, Vahid Bayramov, a representative of the Israel-Azerbaijan International Association in Azerbaijan, told Trend Feb. 3.

The first issue of the monthly children’s magazine “Qaranqush” (Swallow) by TEAS Press Publishing House was presented at the European Azerbaijan School (EAS) on Friday (www.qaranqush.az).

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that Belarus sees no reason that would prevent Minsk from handing over Russian-Israeli blogger Andrei Lapshin to Azerbaijan, APA reported.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan has announced USD/AZN rate for February 6.

Recent reports about the analysis that US military departments conduct into consequences of nuclear strikes on Russia and China have generates heated discussions in the world. The nuclear potential of China remains classified. According to experts' estimates, it does not exceed the power of a quarter of a thousand of warheads

As of 2016, Russia has reached 90 percent of self-sufficiency in vegetables. The domestic production of greenhouse vegetables has increased by 8% - to 691,000 tons. Russia's food embargo had affected the domestic restaurant industry. Surprisingly, however, Russia has demonstrated an impressive culinary revolution unfolding

Russia faces the danger of depopulation: the generation of the 1990s has entered the childbearing age. This generation is too small in size and is unlikely to ensure natural reproduction of the Russian population. Russia experienced a monstrous decline in the birth rate during the 1990s. Nowadays, the phenomenon may occur again

Armenians have violated ceasefire with Azerbaijan 7 times.

The conference dedicated to the results of the third year of implementing the “State program on socio-economic development of Azerbaijani districts in 2014-2018” has kicked off in Baku, APA reports.

At least two law enforcement officers and three militants have been killed during a police operation in Russian Chechen Republic.

Armenian Defence Minister Vigen Sargsyan will visit Iran.

Germany should not accept the asylum requests of 40 former Turkish soldiers allegedly linked to the July 15 defeated coup.

"Iran's foreign ministry called the decision 'illegal, illogical and contrary to international rules'."