Azerbaijan Boycotts Weightlifting Championship in Armenia Over Flag Burning

Azerbaijan protested after its national flag was grabbed and burned during the opening ceremony of a weightlifting championship in Armenia, calling it a "barbaric act" and evidence of ethnic hatred and racism. Armenia rejected the criticism, saying the incident had been resolved quickly and without danger to competitors. The two countries have had hostile relations since the collapse of the Soviet Union and have fought two major wars over Nagorno-Karabakh.