Day: March 13, 2026

A book exhibition titled “Honored Art Worker Zakir Baghirov -110” has been presented to users at the National Library, AzerNEWS reports.

The United States has temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil that is already loaded onto tankers at sea, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed, AzerNEWS reports.

The Georgian Dream government adopted a decree on March 12 that envisions a gradual ban on the production, import, and sale of plastic bottles, citing environmental concerns.

In particular, from July 1, 2026, restaurants, cafes and other public catering establishments will no longer be allowed to serve drinks to customers in plastic bottles, and starting February 1, 2027, the production, import, and sale of drinks in plastic bottles will also be banned, except for export.

Exceptions, besides export purposes, include plastic bottles of three liters or more for water and 20 liters or more for other drinks, including alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and soft drinks. The production and supply of drinking water for Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Defense Ministry, and military personnel are also exempt.

“Plastic products, including those intended for contact with food, have a significant impact on the environment and natural ecosystems,” said the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, citing this as the reason for the ban. The ministry cited several nationwide studies which found that approximately 88% of waste in rivers is plastic, with the “vast majority” being single-use items. According to the ministry, roughly 41% of these are plastic bottles.

Business Media Georgia, citing “diverse open sources,” presumes there is no precedent for such a ban on plastic bottles worldwide, including in the U.S., the EU, or OECD countries.

Also Read:

• 12/03/2026 – GD Authorities Replace Six-Year-Older Car Import Ban with Up to Fivefold Excise Tax

Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister signals that strong foundations are no longer sufficient.

Saying the quiet part loud, the setting was a policy forum, with the audience composed of tax administrators and economic technocrats. But the message Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov delivered in Baku last week, at a forum titled ‘A Look into the Future of the Tax System: A New Governance Model and Data-Driven Decisions’, carried a frankness unusual for ministerial addresses in the region. Azerbaijan’s economy, he said plainly, is not growing as fast as it should, and that is not acceptable.

From March 13-15, 2026, Bangkok, Thailand will host the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup, bringing together the world’s leading national teams, AzerNEWS reports.

On March 13, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), during her visit to Azerbaijan for participation in the Global Baku Forum.

Young Azerbaijani researcher Gular Zeynalova has recently been elected as a member of several prestigious international scientific organizations, including the Biochemical Society, the American Chemical Society, and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, AzerNEWS reports.