Category: Azer News

The 8th Congress of the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation (ATUC) is being held in Baku, Azernews reports.

The congress will feature delivery of speeches by foreign guests and representatives of the social partners of the ATUC, and reports.

The event also schedules speeches by representatives of the ATUC member organizations, discussion of issues on the agenda, and adoption of decisions.

The event is expected to feature speeches focusing on trade union rights, as well as the protection of members’ labor, social, and economic rights and legal interests. Discussions will also address the development of trade unions in Azerbaijan, efforts to safeguard workers’ labor rights, the creation of safe and decent working conditions in line with established standards, the organization of workers’ leisure time, and the protection of their health.

President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 8th Congress of Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation, Azernews reports.

President Ilham Aliyev’s address was read by Shahmar Movsumov, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Head of the Department of Economic Issues and Innovative Development Policy of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

“Dear Congress participants!

I greet you on the occasion of the 8th Congress of the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation.

The trade unions of Azerbaijan occupy an important place in the public and social life of the republic through their multifaceted activities, their role in the development of labour relations, and their contribution to strengthening civil society.

Significant steps are being taken in our country to protect workers’ labour and socio-economic rights, create decent working conditions, and improve social partnership mechanisms. In this context, particular importance is attached to flexibly adapting to the challenges of the modern era, establishing close ties with trade union members, digitizing services, expanding the application of artificial intelligence in relevant areas, and enhancing service quality and satisfaction levels. Activities aligned with international labour standards, cooperation with the global trade union movement, and the mutual exchange of experience further contribute to strengthening the prestige of trade unions. Trade unions carry out important work in the development of a strong and healthy civil society and in reinforcing solidarity.

The dynamic socio-economic development of our republic, the just transition to a ‘green economy,’ and the impact of artificial intelligence on the labour market place responsible and strategic tasks before trade unions, encouraging them to take a more active role. As key partners in social dialogue between workers and employers and as guardians of labour values, trade unions must actively participate in strengthening professional associations, educating workers, and enhancing their knowledge and skills in the field of labour rights. All these efforts serve to ensure the proper regulation of labour relations, social justice, and mutual responsibility.

The Azerbaijani state fully guarantees the right of trade unions to independent and free activity within the legislative framework and has created broad opportunities for their unhindered operation.

Particular attention should be paid to deepening effective cooperation between sectoral trade unions and social partners, fostering an environment of mutual trust, and enhancing collective responsibility.

Dear Congress participants!

I am confident that the trade unions of Azerbaijan will continue to resolutely defend the rights and interests of their members, contribute to the regulation of labour relations on modern and civilized foundations, and support the overall socio-economic development of our country.

I believe that this Congress will play an important role in determining the future directions of the trade union movement in line with new challenges and in shaping an improved strategy of activity.

I wish the 8th Congress of the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation every success,” the address reads.

For the first time in its 88-year history, Volkswagen is forced to close one of its factories in Germany. The last car will roll off the assembly line at the Dresden plant on Tuesday, just over 20 years after the facility first opened, Azernews reports.

The plant is set to be leased to the Technical University of Dresden and will be repurposed for artificial intelligence research. In addition, it will become a unique tourist attraction, allowing visitors to explore the history and future of automotive technology.

This closure underscores the challenges facing the German automotive industry, including weak demand in China and ongoing tariff disputes with the United States. Volkswagen is now navigating a complex path to allocate its investment budget of around pound 160 billion over the next five years, while also adapting to a market where gasoline-powered vehicles are expected to have longer service lives. The company’s annual investment budget has been gradually reduced in recent years.

Volkswagen’s CFO, Arnaud Antlitz, suggested in October that the company’s net profit for 2025-previously projected to be near zero-could turn slightly positive. Yet analysts warn that external pressures are likely to persist. Bernstein Center expert Steven Reitman noted that Volkswagen is actively exploring ways to cut costs and boost operating profits. He added that the expected extended lifespan of fossil-fuel engines requires fresh investments: ‘We need to develop new generations of gasoline technologies,’ Reitman explained.

The Dresden plant’s transformation highlights a broader trend: even historic automotive giants are embracing innovation and research to stay competitive in an era of shifting technology and global market pressures.

The Azerbaijan Literature Foundation continues its “Western Azerbaijan in Literature” project with the preparation of a new novel titled “There are no moles left in Iravan” or in its Azerbaijani “Ir?vanda Xal Qalmadi”.

According to Varis Yolchuyev, the Foundation’s director and a noted writer, the novel is dedicated to the early 19th-century occupation of Azerbaijani lands by the Russian Empire. Drawing on important historical archival sources, the work vividly portrays the material and moral hardships inflicted by this occupation. In particular, it depicts, in a highly artistic manner, the process through which the Russian Empire established an Armenian state at the expense of Azerbaijan’s historical territories.

The narrative frames this national tragedy through the poignant story of Ulukhan and Seljan, two young lovers whose lives are marked by the hardships of the era.

The novel is intended for a broad readership and aims to bring this critical period of Azerbaijani history to life. The project is supported by the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organisations.

Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov took to the stage of London’s prestigious Royal Ballet and Opera House yesterday, delivering a performance that captivated audiences.

Azernews reports that the celebrated cast presented Puccini’s world-renowned opera Turandot on the London stage. Eyvazov, a People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, played the role of Calaf, while the acclaimed soprano Anna Netrebko portrayed Princess Turandot. The opera will continue its London run with performances on December 18, 20, and 23.

Looking ahead, the orchestra and performers of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, under Eyvazov’s leadership, will embark on another international tour. In January, they will stage Tosca at the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman.

The Cloudflare platform has released its 2025 Internet traffic report, revealing some striking trends. Human activity now accounts for less than half of global web traffic, with non-AI bots generating 47.9% of traffic and AI-powered bots contributing an additional 4.2% of HTML query traffic, Azernews reports.

According to Cloudflare, Googlebot remains the largest single source of bot traffic, used both for search indexing and AI training purposes. Microsoft’s Bingbot performs similar functions but on a smaller scale. Geographically, the United States dominates bot traffic, generating 40% of the total.

Overall, global Internet traffic grew 19% in 2025, compared to 17% in 2024. Mobile devices accounted for 43% of requests, up from 41% last year. Cloudflare’s security systems blocked or restricted 6.2% of all traffic as potentially malicious, and the company recorded over 25 record-breaking DDoS attacks during the year. Notably, almost half of the observed Internet outages were government-imposed, often to prevent exam cheating or enforce regulations.

In terms of the most visited services, Google remains at the top, followed by Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft. Among social networks, X dropped to sixth place, behind LinkedIn and Snapchat. In the AI sector, ChatGPT was the most visited service, with Anthropic Claude in second place, ahead of Perplexity and Google Gemini. Elon Musk’s Grok ranked ninth, slightly ahead of China’s DeepSeek.

The year also saw two internal Cloudflare outages, highlighting the fragility of even advanced digital ecosystems. In November, a change in database access rights caused widespread disruptions, and in December, a web firewall adjustment temporarily disabled many websites of large organizations.

Cloudflare’s report also points to structural vulnerabilities in the Internet beyond cyber attacks. One notable issue is the slow adoption of IPv6, designed to solve the IPv4 address shortage. Less than a third of requests from dual-stack devices (supporting both IPv4 and IPv6) use IPv6, as providers continue relying on NAT technology to extend the life of IPv4 infrastructure. While this approach preserves legacy systems, it slows the transition to a more scalable and secure architecture-critical for combating DDoS attacks and the growing presence of AI-training bots.

The report underscores a key trend: the Internet of 2025 is increasingly automated and bot-driven, and its resilience depends not only on cybersecurity but also on technological modernization.

Azerbaijan and Turkiye are set to reinforce their mutual military security, according to discussions held during today’s plenary session of the National Assembly.

The session highlighted that the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Mutual Military Security between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Turkiye’ was signed on July 22, 2025, in Istanbul by the respective defense ministers of both countries.

The memorandum aims to enhance defense cooperation between the two nations to ensure the security and territorial integrity of their states, as well as to safeguard their sovereignty and independence.

Under the agreement, both countries commit to providing mutual assistance in the event of armed aggression against either party, in accordance with the right of individual and collective self-defense recognized under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Military assistance between the parties will be provided upon request and in line with the procedures established by their national legislation. During peacetime, Azerbaijan and Turkiye will regularly conduct joint military exercises and maneuvers to strengthen operational readiness.

The memorandum focuses exclusively on military cooperation and security matters, covering mutual defense support, training, logistics, and measures to enhance joint operational capabilities.

Additionally, both parties will strengthen the exchange of military information and intelligence cooperation, in accordance with their national laws. This includes sharing data obtained in the field of military security and using it for joint operations if necessary.

The law approving the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Mutual Military Security between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Turkiye’ was put to a vote and adopted in its first reading.

General Motors Co. announced on Monday that Apple Music will be integrated into its upcoming vehicles, starting with select 2025 and newer Cadillac and Chevrolet models. The rollout begins today, offering drivers a seamless in-car music experience, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

The automaker emphasized that Apple Music will leverage GM’s software platform, as well as each vehicle’s processing power and premium audio systems. Audio streaming will be available as a standard feature in all 2025 and newer models in the United States and Canada through the OnStar Basics subscription, at no additional cost.

‘We are bringing the Apple Music app to GM vehicles in a way that fully utilizes our industry-leading audio capabilities,’ said Tim Twerdahl, GM’s Vice President of Global Product Management. ‘This is the latest example of how we are expanding entertainment options directly built into our vehicles, creating a richer in-car experience for our customers.’

Industry analysts note that this integration reflects the growing trend of infotainment ecosystems in modern vehicles, where music, streaming services, and connected apps are increasingly central to the driving experience. By combining Apple Music’s extensive library with GM’s advanced audio technology, the company aims to differentiate its vehicles in a market where in-car entertainment is becoming a key selling point.

President Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to His Majesty the King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Azernews reports.

“Your Majesty,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I am pleased to extend to you, and through you to your entire people, my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of the national holiday of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The establishment of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Bahrain this year is a clear reflection of our bilateral relations reaching a new level and demonstrates the importance we attach to developing our relations, which hold great potential, across all areas.

I am confident that we will successfully continue our joint efforts to deepen the traditional friendly relations and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bahrain, built on mutual trust and respect, in line with the interests of our peoples and countries.

On this remarkable day, I wish you good health, happiness, and success in your high state duties, as well as lasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Bahrain,” the letter reads.

Over the years since its establishment, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) has carried out extensive inspection, supervision, and rescue activities across the country, conducting on average nearly 70,000 fire safety inspections annually, according to official data.

As reported by Azernews, speaking at an event held at the MES Academy to mark the Professional Holiday of MES employees and the 20th anniversary of the ministry, Emergency Situations Minister, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, highlighted the scope of the ministry’s work. He also noted annual inspections at around 4,000 construction sites, technical examinations of more than 3,300 high-risk facilities and equipment, oversight of nearly 200 sites for nuclear and radiological safety, and technical inspections of over 1,700 small vessels each year.

Heydarov emphasized that MES fire and rescue units have demonstrated a high level of professionalism in responding swiftly and effectively to a wide range of emergencies. These include fires in residential, industrial, and commercial facilities, such as large shopping centers, as well as forest and open-area fires, floods, landslides, collapses, earthquakes, industrial accidents, and other emergency situations.

According to the minister, the number of recorded natural and man-made incidents increased from 4,517 in 2007 to 14,856 in 2024, reflecting growing urbanization and industrial activity. Despite this rise, the number of fatalities declined significantly – from 131 deaths in 2007 to 83 in 2024 – a trend Heydarov described as a key indicator of the ministry’s rapid and effective response capabilities.

Since its establishment and through 2024, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has rescued nearly 29,000 people during fires, collapses, and other emergencies, including around 5,700 individuals at risk of drowning in water bodies.

The minister also noted the growing public reliance on emergency services, stating that the ministry’s ‘112’ emergency hotline received nearly 2.2 million calls last year, averaging more than 6,000 calls per day.