Azerbaijani swimmers win another medal at CIS Games [PHOTOS]

Swimming competitions continue at the Ganja Sports Palace as part of the 3rd CIS Games, Azernews reports.

According to Idman.biz, Azerbaijani swimmers Ogtay Huseynov, Yegor Maynitskiy, Farhad Shirmammadli, and Suleyman Ismayilzade won the bronze medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay.

Athletes from Russia took the gold medal, while swimmers from Kazakhstan earned the silver.

Azerbaijan is hosting the third Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games from September 28 to October 8, 2025, marking a significant event in the region’s sports calendar.

This multi-sport competition brings together athletes from CIS member states and invited countries, aiming to promote friendship, cooperation, and athletic excellence.

For the first time in the history of the CIS Games, competitions are being held across seven cities in Azerbaijan: Ganja, Mingachevir, Gabala, Shaki, Goygol, Yevlakh, and Khankandi.

Each city hosts events in different sports, with the second-largest city, Ganja, serving as the main hub and officially designated the CIS Sports Capital for 2025.

Around 23 sports are being contested across 12 venues, highlighting a broad and inclusive athletic program.

A total of 1,624 athletes from 13 countries had confirmed participation. Event mascots Babir and Leyla are helping to generate enthusiasm among young fans.

Putin signs law to denounce EU anti-torture treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday to denounce the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment from 1987, after submitting a bill to withdraw Russia from the treaty three weeks ago, Azernews reports.

The denunciation follows the Council of Europe’s decision to withdraw Russia’s membership in March 2022 as a consequence of Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine.

Russia’s State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin previously condemned the decision and claimed that Moscow’s requests for representation were being ignored, despite the European Convention’s principle of cooperation.

Sangachal Terminal to benefit from major renewable energy injection

SOCAR Green plans to allocate more than 500 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity under a 240 MW innovative renewable energy project aimed at decarbonizing the Sangachal oil and gas terminal.

Azernews reports that this was announced by Elchin Tarquliyev, solar and wind energy expert at SOCAR Green, during his speech at Baku Climate Action Week 2025.

Tarquliyev explained that the company will feed electricity into the national grid and then draw it from another part of the country specifically to support carbon reduction at the Sangachal terminal. ‘This is a 240 MW project, and over 500 million kWh of electricity will be allocated for the terminal’s decarbonization efforts,’ he noted.

He also highlighted SOCAR Green’s focus on developing small- and medium-scale renewable energy projects, primarily targeting the business sector, including SOCAR itself. These projects are designed to help companies reduce both emissions and electricity costs, with power sold slightly below national tariffs. While the company’s primary focus remains on solar and wind energy, it is also actively exploring the potential of geothermal and biogas resources, which are currently in the assessment phase.

Azercell congratulates top-performing female IT students [PHOTOS]

The mobile operator continues to empower young women in the IT and ICT

Azercell Telecom continues its commitment to support the professional development of young women in the IT and ICT fields. As part of the ‘Ugur qizlarimizindir’ (‘Success for Girls’) initiative, launched last year, a special meeting was held with female students who achieved the highest entrance scores in Computer Science and Information Security programs.

Congratulating the students, Azercell’s Chief Legal and Data Strategy Officer, Shirin Aliyeva, said: ‘The achievements of young women in IT are both their personal success and valuable contribution to the country’s digital future. At Azercell, we remain committed to creating new opportunities to help them advance further on this path and fully realize their potential.’

Director of the Corporate and Marketing Communications Department at Azercell, Sona Abbasova, highlighted the company’s corporate responsibility strategy, particularly its focus on women’s empowerment and development: ‘Supporting education, as well as the continuous enhancement of knowledge and skills, are among Azercell’s key priorities. We strongly believe that such initiatives help to unlock the potential of young people and foster their growth in the IT field.’

Azercell’s Talent Management and Business Partnering section manager, Vusala Hasanova, in turn underlined that the company remains committed to maintaining strong connections with students, providing them with new opportunities, guidance, and continuous support for their future professional development.

The students were presented with special gifts along with a complimentary one-year subscription to the ‘Digimax 10GB’ tariff package.

Azercell has consistently been supporting youth development through scholarship programs, internship opportunities, and a wide range of social initiatives, contributing to the formation of highly qualified professionals.

The company congratulates all students admitted to higher education institutions this year and wishes them continued success!

The list of students was provided by the State Examination Center of the Republic of Azerbaijan, based on the results of the academic program selection process.

Second day of Baku Climate Action Week kicks off

The second day of the Baku Climate Action Week has begun, bringing together senior Azerbaijani officials and international participants to discuss the country’s clean energy transition and climate resilience, Azernews reports.

Speakers at the event include COP29 President and Special Envoy of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Change Mukhtar Babayev, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Deputy Director of the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources Rena Humbatova, and other officials.

The agenda highlights Azerbaijan’s potential in solar energy, offshore wind power, blue and green hydrogen production, and geothermal resources. Participants are also set to explore ways of strengthening climate resilience through international cooperation and advancing corporate sustainability as part of the legacy of COP29 under the theme ‘From Pledges to Action.’

ANAS to be represented at Baku Int’l Book Fair [PHOTOS]

The Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) has held a meeting to discuss key strategic initiatives, Azernews reports.

One of the main topics on the agenda was the Academy’s participation in the upcoming 11th Baku International Book Fair.

In his speech, President of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Isa Habibbayli, stated that the 11th Baku International Book Fair.

Academician Isa Habibbayli emphasized that the relevance of the theme “Technohuman: Yesterday’s Legend, Today’s Reality” stems from the need to thoroughly analyze, on scientific and philosophical grounds, the changing position and functional role of humans in society against the backdrop of rapidly developing technologies, as well as the influence of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on human activity.

He also spoke about the recent reforms carried out by ANAS in line with state policy in the field of artificial intelligence and particularly highlighted comprehensive measures aimed at applying AI technologies in the humanities and social sciences.

Touching on the importance of ANAS’s high-level participation in the 11th Baku International Book Fair, academician Isa Habibbayli noted that this would not only support the state’s science and technology development strategy but also serve as an important platform to showcase ANAS’s modernized scientific priorities.

He gave instructions to ensure the active participation of all ANAS scientific institutions and organizations in the fair and to present the latest scientific publications to the public.

Following this, Sabuhi Gahramanov, Director of the ANAS Elm Publishing House and PhD in Philology, provided information on the preparations for the fair.

He noted that ANAS publications would be presented in two segments: on October 1, under the theme “At the Academy: Bibliographic Publications and Serial Academic Editions,” and on October 4, under the theme “The Academy’s Zangazur-name: From Folklore Collections to Academic Research.”

He added that preparations have been finalized and all necessary measures have been taken to ensure ANAS’s participation at a high level.

Taking all of the above into account, a relevant Commission has been established to ensure ANAS’s participation in the fair and to organize the necessary events and discussions within the framework of the book fair.

Organized by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, the 11th Baku International Book Fair will be held from October 1 to 7 at the Baku Expo Center.

This year’s fair, themed “Technoman: yesterday’s legend, today’s event”, will create opportunities for broad discussions on the impact of technology on human life in the scientific and cultural context of the modern era.

The fair will feature participation from 41 foreign organizations from 18 countries and more than 100 local publishing, printing, and book-related institutions.

Throughout the fair, a variety of events will be organized, including masterclasses for children and adults, book presentations on inclusion and other relevant topics, book signings, conferences, symposiums, contests, reading and music hours, and collaboration platforms for stakeholders in the book industry.

More than 250 events in various formats are planned over the course of the fair.

Prominent writers and scholars from countries such as Turkiye, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Qatar, and others will also take part.

Special shuttle buses will be available for visitors from the “Elml?r Akademiyasi,” “28 May,” and “Koroglu” metro stations to the Baku Expo Center. Admission to the fair is free of charge.

The exhibition will be open daily from 10:00 to 20:00.