Azerbaijan: Health of imprisoned government critics at risk as another political activist faces extradition threat - Amnesty International

Heading into this week’s World Championships in Rotterdam, two-time world still rings finalist Nikita Simonov has a medal on his mind – and ample training and credentials to justify his optimism. The 30-year-old Simonov’s career medal tally includes 23 World Cup and World Challenge Cup medals, plus a Europeans silver, and he is in optimistic pursuit of his first world championships medal in Rotterdam. In this International Gymnast Online interview, Simonov shares the reasons for his success thus far, his status as a gymnastics icon in Azerbaijan and his expectations for Rotterdam. IGO: After placing fifth at the 2023 Worlds, how have you improved your routine so you can challenge for a medal in Rotterdam? NS: Compared to the 2023 World Championships, significant work was done on combinations, errors and the cleanliness of execution. IGO: What do you feel distinguishes you from the other top rings specialists? NS: There is a photo from the 2026 World Cup Series poster in Baku, which captures my hold on the rings. Even if it were made black and white, many fans would recognize me by my perfectly fitted socks and beautiful lines. IGO: What enables you to excel in execution?

Stellar Entertainment has expanded its partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) to include creative design, editorial production, and inflight advertising sales through 2029. The agreement introduces a new in-flight entertainment (IFE) concept that will showcase Azerbaijan while giving the airline more control over its passenger-facing screens. Stellar will first launch the concept on AZAL’s Panasonic Astrova-equipped aircraft, making it the first content service provider (CSP) to create a full passenger-facing interface through Panasonic MI Studio. The agreement builds on AZAL’s decision to name Stellar its exclusive content service provider in 2025. Under that partnership, Stellar took responsibility for content curation, licensing, metadata preparation, and technical delivery while helping AZAL expand its mix of Azerbaijani and international entertainment.