Latest news with #SeaBreeze
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nicole Scherzinger puts on a racy display in a sheer lace catsuit as she models TWO stylish looks while attending Dream Fest in Baku
Nicole Scherzinger turned heads as she modelled two stylish outfits during the international Dream Fest music festival at Sea Breeze in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday. The former Pussycat Doll, 47, looked nothing short of sensational in a sheer black lace catsuit as she took to the stage alongside a slew of backup dancers to perform several of her best hits including Don't Cha, Buttons, and Jai Ho! Her risqué ensemble featured a mesh and sequinned body as well as fringe sleeve detailing and shoulder pads. Commanding attention on stage, Nicole further elevated her look with a pair of black ankle boots. The singer-turned-Broadway star appeared in very high spirits as she put on an energetic performance, sending the crowd wild. Earlier in the evening, Nicole cut a glamorous figure in a white figure-hugging jumpsuit as she graced the red carpet ahead of the event. The eye-catching ensemble featured a silver jewel embellishment at the neckline and waist, dramatic cape sleeves, and flared legs. Posing up a storm for the cameras, Nicole further accessorised the glamorous ensemble with a stack of silver earrings. Discussing Nicole's performance at the festival, founder and Azerbaijani singer-songwriter Emin said: 'She has to be the hardest working person in showbusiness. Nobody would do this, not even me, and it's my own festival.' The international Dream Fest music festival will take place from July 23 to July 26 on the scenic shores of Sea Breeze Resort. Four days of open-air celebrations, dancing, music, and endless energy, over 50 artists are set to take to the stage to perform, including Tyga and Blue. Nicole has been very busy as of late with her Sunset Boulevard show on Broadway, and earlier this week, the star took to the stage one last time as Norma Desmond to bring the house down with a dramatic farewell performance. The star left fans stunned with her chilling finale look, which featured theatrical blood dripping down her neck. Nicole has won rave reviews for her role in the gritty Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, with her haunting portrayal of the character. In the lead up to her final show, tributes poured in to her via Nicole's social media. Her vocal coach described her as 'an absolute force of nature'. He revealed that on their first session, she looked at him right in the eyes and said: 'I'm a good student. Tell me what I need to do and I'm gonna get it done.' Nicole herself said that her final show would be 'magic in the making'. In a lengthy post to her Instagram, she wrote: 'Today, the sun sets on Sunset Blvd for the final time. 'After living and breathing Norma Desmond for the past two years, it's almost impossible to grasp that today is the last show. What began as a limited run, then extended, now somehow, nearly 10 months on Broadway have flown by. 'Norma's story is for anyone who's ever felt alone. Lonely. Abandoned. Outcast. 'For anyone who never felt like they belonged. 'For those who once loved something deeply and had it taken from them, aching to reclaim it. 'For the dreamers. The fighters. The believers. The warriors. For those unshakable in their purpose and power, doing what they love most. ''This is my life. It always will is nothing else.'' She added: 'Norma has changed me forever. Thank you, Broadway 'for the magic in the making.' 'Thank you and to the entire beautiful, brilliant @andrewlloydwebber @jamielloyd @alanwilliamsmd @fabianaloise and to the entire beautiful, brilliant @sunsetblvdmusicalcompany, for everything.' Fans flocked to her comment section and penned: 'Just absolutely incredible. I saw it 3 times and I would have seen it more if I could lol. You are a force my love. So proud of you!!!!!! Love you queen!!!!!' 'So happy I saw it twice. Wish I could have seen it 20 more times!' 'So beyond happy for you. Saw the show four (or was it five) times and every time you were even more nuanced, took different risks and had the audience in the palm of their hands. Brava! She's a Hawaiian Tony Winner!!!!!' 'You have given Norma the stage she deserves for a new Audience and a new generation! Saw it 3 times it was incredible every time! Brava my dear.' 'You have changed OUR lives forever with your talent, wisdom, bravery, and most of all your willingness to open up your heart and reveal it to us night after night. You are the North Star for all that it means to be a performer, and I am so beyond grateful that I got to live at a time in history to witness such beautiful art. Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you. ❤️ You are the GREATEST STAR OF ALL' The critically acclaimed musical runs for approximately two hours and 35 minutes and has earned Nicole a Tony at this year's awards. Nicole took over the role from acting legend Glenn Close, 78, who won her third Tony Award in 1995 for playing the part. After watching Nicole's performance earlier this year, Glenn said: 'You can't approach Norma with a faint heart. She tests your metal [and] demands that you dig deep.' She continued: 'Nicole's performance is an act of raw artistry and astounding bravery. 'She and the entire production blew me away. I loved meeting Nicole, [her co-star] Tom Francis, and many members of the ensemble backstage afterwards!' Sunset Boulevard has been a huge success and grossed more than $1.08 million during its first week of six previews alone at the St. James Theatre in New York City.
OC Media
10-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Water supply in Azerbaijan — a story of coordinated corruption and impunity
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Despite the illusion of transparency, water supply in Azerbaijan's Nardaran district shows high levels of corruption and state interference. 'In Nardaran, we see water in only two seasons of the year. Only at the end of October do we get drinkable water. This continues until March, but during the hot spring and summer months, we have only our well water for drinking', a local resident, who asked to remain anonymous due to security concerns, tells OC Media. Located within Nardaran is the famous Sea Breeze project created by Emin Aghalarov, an Azerbaijani-Russian businessperson and pop star who decided to build a resort and residential housing complex in the shape of a cruise liner along the shore of the Caspian Sea. Aghalarov is directly connected to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, having been married to Aliyev's daughter, Leyla Aliyeva, from 2005 to 2015. The couple have two children. A representation of the Sea Breeze Caspian Dream Liner project. Official image. Given the high-profile nature of the project, Nardaran residents could not understand why drinkable water consistently disappeared every spring and summer, especially given that money was being spent from the state budget annually to provide water to the resort. However, public procurement documents show that rather than fulfilling the water needs of the resort and its surroundings, funding has instead been transferred to family members of officials or their close associates, leaving local residents out to dry. The mirage of a fair public procurement Public procurement documents from 2023–2024 show that three companies — Nardaran Invest LLC, the Euro-Asian Construction Corporation EVRASCON OJSC, and the Turkish Eren Construction Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company — implemented a project to construct the Jeyranbatan–Mashtaga–Nardaran water pipeline along with a reservoir on behalf of the state agency Azersu, which is in charge of organising state policy and strategy in regards to water supply and sanitation services. The amount of the tender was around ₼25 million ($15 million). At the same time, a second project was also announced to build a waste management plant. According to public procurement records, ₼15 million ($8.8 million) from the state budget allocated to the Sea Breeze resort was paid to the same three companies used to construct the Pirshaghi–Bilga sewage collection plant. Advertisement According to data from the Azerbaijani Tax Ministry, the juridical address of Sea Breeze matches that of one of the construction companies, Nardaran Invest LLC. The person in charge of the company, however, is listed as Jamila Aghalarova, a likely relative of Emil Aghalarov's, though the direct connection is unknown. The chair of the Board of Directors of the Euro-Asian Construction Corporation EVRASCON OJSC, Hamzat Ismiyev Ismayil-Afandiyevich, also has a connection to Sea Breeze — he is listed as belonging to the Sea Breeze Energy company, one of the offshoots of the main Sea Breeze project owned by Aghalarov. According to Azerbaijan's Law of Public Procurement, 'suppliers shall not be allowed to participate in procurement in the following cases if the supplier has a legal, financial, or organisational dependence on the procuring entity or the procuring entity and the supplier have the same legal entity; one of the suppliers is the beneficial owner of the other, or at least two suppliers are controlled by the same beneficial owner; if one of the suppliers is a member and/or participant of the management body of the other, or if the member and/or a participant of the management body of at least two of the suppliers is the same person'. While on paper the procurement was won by the three above-mentioned companies, only the Euro-Asian Construction Corporation, EVRASCON OJSC, along with a fourth company known as Ensol LLC, actually implemented the construction of the water pipeline. Construction of the Jeyranbatan–Mashtaga–Nardaran water pipeline by Ensol LLC. Official photo. When OC Media asked why different companies were involved in the construction process than were listed in the public procurement documents, Azersu responded that winning companies are free to choose any contracting companies. Even so, according to Azerbaijani law, all companies involved in state-funded projects should be publicly listed. OC Media also reached out to Ensol LLC and the Euro-Asian Construction Corporation EVRASCON OJSC, but has not received a response as of publication. Separately, the ability to supply the materials, equipment, and licenses required for the ultrafilter water treatment plant provided by Azersu was won by Maybo LLC for an amount of ₼1.7 million ($970,000). The legal owner of Maybo LLC is Musayev Araz Sovet, while a sister company, Maybo Calibration LLC, is owned by Midhat Gurbanaliyev. Gurbanaliyev's father, Chingiz Gurbanaliyev, was honoured by Aliyev in 2014 for his 'contribution to the socio-cultural development of Ganja'. When OC Media contacted Chingiz Gurbanaliyev to clarify what standards his son's company followed and how they followed the government's procurement regulations, he responded that 'if my son needs anything, he will call you back'. No further attempts to contact either Chingiz Gurbanaliyev or his son Midhat were successful. 'It is simply abuse, corruption' Lawyer Akram Hasanov tells OC Media that in Azerbaijan, as a rule, public procurement is carried out 'according to a pre-agreed scenario'. 'Very rarely, and precisely for such a small amount, or in conditions of unemployment, when no one wants to do this, real tenders are held', he says. Hasanov emphasises that though the law on public procurement was amended two years ago, there are still many gaps and problems. 'Government agencies still do not comply with them. And, of course, this law does not establish liability. That is, liability occurs under a criminal article or something similar', Hasanov says, emphasising that a state tender should be held exclusively for 'state needs'. 'Of course, this should be in the sphere of state affairs. If this is the case, then it is simply abuse, corruption. This needs to be dealt with and sorted out', Hasanov says. A separate expert, who wished not to be named due to safety concerns, believes that if the government did not want corruption, 'it should be interested in disclosing the reports and financial statements of its four companies, at least for six months, for three months. And the finances should have been transparent. Everyone should have known that what they were doing was supposed to be public procurement and competition'. 'The most important thing is that the biggest problem with our state-owned companies is the lack of transparency, there is no transparent pricing environment, there is no public oversight, there is no effective system of state oversight. And we couldn't say how much money was invested, and if this money was spent efficiently', he added. 'In other words, the problem with state-owned companies is not the lack of information. It also depends on the presentation of expenses. It is also about exaggerating costs'. Besides winning the public tenders, Nardaran Invest also played a role in hosting the UN's COP29 climate summit in Baku from 11–22 November 2024. A presentation at COP29 focusing on the Sea Breeze resort. Photo via social media. In March 2024, the chair of Azerbaijan's Small and Medium Business Agency, Orkhan Mammadov, wrote on X that the 'next incentive document for strategic investment projects' had been issued to Nadaran Invest LLC to create a 'hospitality project' within the framework of COP29. The project was supposed to invest around ₼1 billion ($590 million) into the economy and employ around 3,000 people. Aghalarov made sure to thank Aliyev for supporting his business, noting that Sea Breeze would house up to 5,000 guests as part of COP29. No clean drinking water for 30 years According to the state agency, the Unified Water Supply Service of Large Cities, 'the recently implemented Nardaran Reservoir project will help provide centralised drinking water to coastal areas, as well as residential and garden areas. Of course, since Sea Breeze is located in the Nardaran area, this area will also be able to be supplied with water from the centralised water supply network'. The agency highlighted that the project was designed to improve the drinking water supply of the entire north-eastern part of the Absheron Peninsula, 'especially the coastal areas of the villages of Mashtagha, Nardaran, and Bilgah, as well as newly built residential areas'. Despite the construction work, local residents say nothing has changed — for 30 years, they have failed to receive adequate drinking water. Indeed, due to the poor water quality, homemade water purification devices are widely used by local residents. 'For purifying water, we manually created a water purifier from a plastic bottle. I cut the plastic bottle in the middle and pierced the lid. Then I put cotton in the hole of the lid. And we change this cotton piece after several days. The colour of the cotton turns nearly black', one local resident told OC Media. A homemade water filter being used by a Baku resident. Courtesy photo. According to the Unified Water Supply Service of Large Cities, water quality tests, which are conducted by 12 chemical and bacteriological analysis laboratories, are in place to determine the quality and safety of water from the source to the consumer. The current state standard for the quality of purified drinking water only came into force in 2023 — prior to this, drinking water quality control in Azerbaijan was carried out on the basis of standards adopted by the Soviet Union. According to the new standard, microbiological, physical-chemical, and radiological indicators will be studied; it received a positive opinion from the relevant state, scientific, and civil society institutions. Yet, according to a Gazakh resident, who wished to remain unnamed, they choose not to use the water supplied by Azersu due to its poor quality. 'We're taking our water from the Armenian side's reservoir, because this water is of higher quality than was supplied by Azersu,' they told OC Media. 'This water was not suitable for drinking or irrigation. Once we were watering our garden, but it was bad, and our trees dried up. After that, we decided not to use this water for drinking and watering the gardens'. A man drinks from discoloured local water during a campaign for the 2024 parliamentary elections. Screengrab from video. The Gazakh resident noted that the sewage system in the village was installed in 1984, leading the residents to instead get their drinking water from the Armenian Jogazchay (Joghaz) reservoir. 'The village of Garapapag is located on the border with Armenia. And natural water comes to them from the forest, from a spring', he says, noting that the villagers prefer this water for drinking because of its purity. A long history of corruption and scandal Looking beyond his various construction projects in Azerbaijan, Aghalarov and his father Aras have garnered significant attention in the West, namely due to the involvement of Emin in the so-called 'Russiagate' scandal in 2016 involving alleged illegal Russian collusion with the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. Through his publicist Rob Goldstone, Emin Aghalarov helped arrange the now-infamous meeting at Trump Tower in 2016 between Donald Trump Jr., his son-in-law Jared Kushner, former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. At the meeting, Trump Jr. and others were reportedly promised compromising information about Hillary Clinton, who was at the time the leading Democratic nominee for president — the meeting became central to the lengthy investigation into the Trump campaign by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and has continued to be one of Trump's primary conspiracy-tinged fixations. While the Trump Tower meeting was the most high-profile illustration of the connection between Trump and the Aghalarovs — both father and son — it was not the first. Their friendship reportedly dates back to a Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas 2013, attended by both the Aghalarov's and Trump, where they discussed holding another pageant in Moscow later that year. Emin Aghalarov (left) with Donald Trump (right) at the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant. Photo: Moskva News Agency. Aras Aghalarov (right) with Donald Trump (left) at the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant. Photo: TASS. Trump and the Aghalarovs then signed a multi-million dollar deal, according to sources, and Trump traveled to Russia to 'bring' the pageant to Moscow. During his trip, Trump also had a cameo role in a music video for Emin Aghalarov's song, 'In Another Life'. The Aghalarovs and Trump remained friendly, and Emin reportedly tried to broker a personal meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, but the meeting never came to fruition. Following the scandal and investigations surrounding the Trump Tower meeting, the Aghalarov's stepped back from their public relationship with Trump, which was bringing undue attention to their businesses. With the investigation remaining in the headlines, Emin Aghalarov cancelled his planned North America concert tour in 2019. In a comment to BBC News, Aghalarov cited the possibility that he could be summoned for questioning as the reason the tour was cancelled, blaming 'the inability of the other side to guarantee that I will be able to leave the USA before the investigation is over'. 'The investigation has been going on for over a year', he said. 'It could be going on for years from now. And I'm not able to stay on US soil for unlimited time because of the obligations I have for my tours and other events that I have planned for this year'. The Aghalarovs, particularly Aras, have maintained close connections with Putin and the Kremlin, and have been sanctioned in relation to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
CBS News
08-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Heat index nears 100 as Saharan dust gradually thins out Sunday across South Florida
A nice sea breeze will help thin out the Saharan dust over South Florida A nice sea breeze will help thin out the Saharan dust over South Florida A nice sea breeze will help thin out the Saharan dust over South Florida Saharan dust will gradually thin out Sunday, but rain chances remain low with only a few storms expected over the inland areas in the afternoon. The sea breeze will advance through the metro areas Sunday morning, providing some relief from the hazy sun and heat index, which will be near 100 degrees. A brief shower is possible in areas right up against the everglades early this afternoon. CBS News Miami Temperatures will stabilize or even cool off a few degrees near the coast and just inland this afternoon. Eventually, a few showers will develop along the breeze over the inland metro areas and the Everglades Sunday afternoon. A brief shower is possible in areas right up against the Everglades early Sunday afternoon. A brief break from the heat can be expected in and around these storms. Sunday evening, the storms will diminish, leading to another calm and clear night. This may let fog develop in open areas by Monday morning. Expect higher rain chances with passing showers and storms this week as the dust moves out and moisture returns from the south. With the persistent southeast breeze, these will be morning showers and storms that push inland each afternoon. There is a little more dust which is forecast to move back into the area next weekend, which could lower the rain chances slightly Friday and Saturday. Sunday evening the storms will diminish leading to another calm and clear night. CBS News Miami
Business Upturn
02-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
May the Force of Fast and Reliable Cellular Internet Be With You!
By GlobeNewswire Published on May 2, 2025, 20:26 IST Grapevine, TX, May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On this May the Fourth weekend, Patriot Mobile announces fast and reliable cellular internet on-the-go whether you are out on your boat, in your remote cabin, or doing business in a galaxy far, far away. For a limited time, customers who purchase a 25 GB data plan or higher are eligible for a FREE Patriot Puck or $150 off a Patriot Router or Sea Breeze device with code: SUMMERFREE. Patriot Mobile's wireless hotspot devices provide secure Wi-Fi on-the-go utilizing multiple nationwide networks. Cellular routers and hotspots use patented vSIM technology to seamlessly connect to the best local mobile networks, no SIM cards or tedious configuration needed. With Patriot Mobile's hotspot and router products, customers get connections to a cellular tower with the strongest signal from either AT&T, T-Mobile, or U.S. Cellular. 'We offer pay as you go data plans with no contracts or commitments from 2 to 1,000 gigs to suit any need,' said Scott Coburn, Patriot Mobile Chief Marketing Officer. 'Don't go over to the Dark Side, contact our all U.S.-based customer service today to order your device and stay connected.' Patriot Mobile has nationwide coverage with a variety of data plans and three different products to meet your every on-the-go cellular internet need. The Patriot Puck is ideal for business travel when you want a secure internet connection in your hotel room. Small enough to fit in Baby Yoda's pocket, or even a small purse, it is a portable 4G LTE hotspot that allows 10 connections with a wireless range of 50 feet from the device and has a battery life of 16 hours. The Patriot Router is ideal for rural or remote locations where wired internet may not be available, or as a backup to your existing wired internet. The force is strong with this one. It is a multi-functional wireless LTE Router that allows 32 connections, has a wireless range of 100 feet from the router and plugs into a power outlet. The Sea Breeze is a marine grade wireless 4G LTE router with offshore capabilities that allows 16 connections with a wireless range of 100 feet from the router. This product is also ideal for RV travelers and land speeders. So, throw all your Wookies in the RV and get to exploring! You must unlearn what you have learned about cellular service providers. Patriot Mobile is one of the only mobile carriers offering wireless coverage on all three major networks. We provide dependable 4G and 5G nationwide coverage with exceptional all U.S- based customer support. Patriot Mobile contributes a portion of every dollar we earn to support organizations that fight for our freedom. As America's ONLY Christian conservative wireless provider, we know the true force of the galaxy is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Patriot Mobile's mission is to passionately defend our God-given rights and freedoms, and to glorify God always. Do. Or do not. There is no try. Go to or call (972)-PATRIOT today for details and may the true force be with you. Attachment Patriot Mobile Connect Cellular Internet Products Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Associated Press
02-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
May the Force of Fast and Reliable Cellular Internet Be With You!
Grapevine, TX, May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On this May the Fourth weekend, Patriot Mobile announces fast and reliable cellular internet on-the-go whether you are out on your boat, in your remote cabin, or doing business in a galaxy far, far away. For a limited time, customers who purchase a 25 GB data plan or higher are eligible for a FREE Patriot Puck or $150 off a Patriot Router or Sea Breeze device with code: SUMMERFREE. Patriot Mobile's wireless hotspot devices provide secure Wi-Fi on-the-go utilizing multiple nationwide networks. Cellular routers and hotspots use patented vSIM technology to seamlessly connect to the best local mobile networks, no SIM cards or tedious configuration needed. With Patriot Mobile's hotspot and router products, customers get connections to a cellular tower with the strongest signal from either AT&T, T-Mobile, or U.S. Cellular. 'We offer pay as you go data plans with no contracts or commitments from 2 to 1,000 gigs to suit any need,' said Scott Coburn, Patriot Mobile Chief Marketing Officer. 'Don't go over to the Dark Side, contact our all U.S.-based customer service today to order your device and stay connected.' Patriot Mobile has nationwide coverage with a variety of data plans and three different products to meet your every on-the-go cellular internet need. The Patriot Puck is ideal for business travel when you want a secure internet connection in your hotel room. Small enough to fit in Baby Yoda's pocket, or even a small purse, it is a portable 4G LTE hotspot that allows 10 connections with a wireless range of 50 feet from the device and has a battery life of 16 hours. The Patriot Router is ideal for rural or remote locations where wired internet may not be available, or as a backup to your existing wired internet. The force is strong with this one. It is a multi-functional wireless LTE Router that allows 32 connections, has a wireless range of 100 feet from the router and plugs into a power outlet. The Sea Breeze is a marine grade wireless 4G LTE router with offshore capabilities that allows 16 connections with a wireless range of 100 feet from the router. This product is also ideal for RV travelers and land speeders. So, throw all your Wookies in the RV and get to exploring! You must unlearn what you have learned about cellular service providers. Patriot Mobile is one of the only mobile carriers offering wireless coverage on all three major networks. We provide dependable 4G and 5G nationwide coverage with exceptional all U.S- based customer support. Patriot Mobile contributes a portion of every dollar we earn to support organizations that fight for our freedom. As America's ONLY Christian conservative wireless provider, we know the true force of the galaxy is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Patriot Mobile's mission is to passionately defend our God-given rights and freedoms, and to glorify God always. Do. Or do not. There is no try. Go to or call (972)-PATRIOT today for details and may the true force be with you. Attachment Patriot Mobile Patriot Mobile [email protected]
