Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the country must be "ten times stronger" than Armenia "every day," explaining this by the need to maintain military superiority even after the initialing of a peace agreement between the two countries. He outlined his position on October 2 at the 8th Congress of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party in Baku.
Yulia Volkova, a professor at Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg, found herself at the center of a scandal over offensive remarks directed at an Azerbaijani child. After photos of her former student Rashad Agayev's family were published, she called his daughter "ugly" and made derogatory remarks about the appearance of children in Azerbaijani families.
The situation became public after a relative of the girl published a video detailing her health problems and her need for treatment. Her father, Rashad Agayev, confirmed that the professor had made similar statements before and demanded her dismissal, emphasizing that they had previously had a normal relationship. Volkova herself admitted she had made a mistake and did not intend to offend anyone.
The reaction from UrFU's leadership was immediate. Vice-Rector Alexander Ivanov declared his support for the professor's dismissal. Now Yulia Volkova must provide an official explanation, after which the case will be sent to the university's ethics committee for review.