World Cup Traditions: FIFA announced the first-ever championship rings for the 2026 World Cup—2,026 limited-edition rings, with the winning captain and coach getting temporary commemoratives right after the final. Culture & Diplomacy: Azerbaijan’s Culture Ministry ran a professional state protocol training for staff, covering diplomatic etiquette, international event organization, and cultural cooperation. Music Spotlight: The Jahangir Jahangirov Choir represented Azerbaijan at Istanbul’s International Choir Festival, praised for its mugham choral tradition. Urban Heritage & Return: Azerbaijan is rolling out New Urban Agenda principles across Karabakh and East Zangezur, with master plans, housing authorizations, and upgraded transport links supporting the “Great Return” program. Education in the Region: Participants in Azerbaijan’s Culture Summer School toured Karabakh’s historical and cultural sites and also visited an Uzbek Language and Culture Center in Ganja. International Cooperation: Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said Jeyhun Bayramov and Sergey Lavrov discussed bilateral political, economic, transport, humanitarian, and people-to-people ties, including culture and education. Coffee Culture: A new specialty coffee business story highlights how Azerbaijani cafés are shifting from tea toward origin-focused, freshly roasted brews. Turkology in Baku: A book on the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress was presented, spotlighting the congress’s role in Turkic scholarship and the Latin alphabet push.