World Judo Championships in Baku: President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony at the National Gymnastics Arena, with Azerbaijan highlighting its sports hub status as the tournament runs through Oct. 11 and features 622 judokas from 93 countries. Azerbaijan on the global cultural stage: Azerbaijan’s ashug music was showcased at Vietnam’s “Cultures of the World” festival in Hanoi, while an Azerbaijani music group performed at South Korea’s “ACC X” event in Gwangju. Documentary film spotlight: The 10th DokuBaku International Documentary Film Festival opens in Baku under the theme “Stellar Civilization,” with free screenings supported by ARKA and the Nizami Cinema Center. Theatre exchange in Shaki: The 5th Shaki International Theatre Festival continues, bringing productions from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran. Sports diplomacy: Azerbaijan’s NOC vice-president met Belarus’s Olympic committee delegation to discuss deeper sports cooperation. International sport achievement: Azerbaijani-linked judo and karate coverage also surfaced this week, including a karate silver medal at an international series event. Regional arts-and-society note: A debate around Azerbaijan’s post-war strategy and ideological security also drew attention in the wider coverage.