Category: Azer News

Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry is close to completing its investigation into the crash of an ‘Azerbaijan Airlines’ (AZAL) aircraft near Aktau on December 25, 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev told journalists, Azernews reports, citing the local media outlets.

‘The criminal aspect of the incident is being handled by the Prosecutor General’s Office, while the technical aviation investigation is under the Transport Ministry,’ Bozumbayev said. ‘The ministry has reached the final stage of its inquiry. Specialists are currently awaiting assessments from foreign licensing bodies – including the heads of technology, equipment and aeronautical navigation systems. Once these documents arrive, the ministry will be ready to finalize its part of the investigation either by the end of this year or early next year.’

He added that progress has also been made in the criminal investigation: ‘You have seen statements from the leaders of neighboring countries. We hope the investigative work being carried out in those states will also be completed.’

The AZAL passenger flight operating the Baku-Grozny route crashed last December 25 near Aktau, Kazakhstan. On board were 62 passengers – including 37 Azerbaijani, 16 Russian, 6 Kazakh and 3 Kyrgyz citizens – as well as five crew members. The crash claimed 38 lives, while 29 people, including three children, survived.

According to preliminary findings, the aircraft went down as a result of external physical and technical interference that occurred while it was flying through Russian airspace over Grozny.

Russia views the development of the North-South International Transport Corridor as a strategic priority and one of its most important infrastructure goals for the coming years, Azernews reports, citing the press service of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

Speaking at the VTB ‘Russia Calls!’ investment forum, Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said that more than 100 individual projects are currently being implemented within the corridor. According to him, this direction will significantly boost Russia’s transit capacity and deepen trade relations with the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

Reshetnikov stressed that Russia is providing all necessary resources for the corridor’s development, including full financing.

The Minister placed special emphasis on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Russia’s contribution to this segment includes the modernisation of the Makhachkala port, the expansion of the special economic zone in Astrakhan, and the deepening of the Volga-Caspian Canal. Alongside this, direct ferry and container services to Iranian ports are being established.

He also highlighted new projects with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Azerbaijan is expanding the port of Alat, while Kazakhstan is developing the ports of Aktau and Kuryk.

Reshetnikov noted that Russia and Azerbaijan also plan to jointly build river-sea tankers. ‘These are large-scale, promising projects. We invite foreign companies to actively participate in our joint work,’ he said.

A master class has been held at the Mingachevir State Drama Theater, Azernews reports.

The event was held as part of the project “Professional Theater Lessons in the Regions,” organized by the Culture Ministry’s Scientific, Methodological and Qualification Center for Culture (MEMIM).

The classes were conducted by Honored Artist Gasim Nagi and theater expert, MEMIM employee Daglar Yusif.

During the lessons, issues such as repertoire selection, the author’s concept, acting techniques, stage culture, and the execution of specific stage movements were discussed.

The project, which has been implemented since October 2024, aims to enhance the professionalism of theater companies, foster an active creative environment, familiarize participants with contemporary trends in theater arts, and promote experience exchange.

Earlier, master classes were held at the theater in Gusar, Lankaran, Gakh, and Gazakh, as well as within the “M?d?niyy?t rzgari” project at the theaters of Agdam and Fuzuli.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.

Tickets for the FC Qarabag vs Ajax UEFA Champions League Group F match on December 10 at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium will soon be available for purchase, Azernews reports.

Tickets can only be bought through the official sales channels authorised by the club. Fans are urged to purchase their tickets exclusively from these trusted platforms.

Given the high demand, tickets are expected to sell out fast, so supporters are advised to stay updated through the club’s official channels for the latest details and sale times.

The UEFA Champions League is a continental tournament that brings together the best teams from Europe’s top domestic leagues.

It is widely regarded as the pinnacle of club football, attracting millions of fans around the world.

Clubs from UEFA’s member countries compete for the title, which is seen as the ultimate achievement for European club teams.

The format of the UEFA Champions League has evolved over time.

The current structure includes several stages: Qualifying Rounds, Group Stage, Knockout Rounds and Final.

The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League marks the 71st edition of Europe’s top club football competition, and the 34th since it was rebranded from the European Cup to the UEFA Champions League.

The final will take place on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.

Hosting the 26th International Conference of the heads of fire and rescue services from member states of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers is of great significance for Azerbaijan, Minister of Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov said at the event in Baku, Azernews reports.

He noted that Azerbaijan regards the conference as an important step toward expanding international cooperation in the field.

‘Throughout history, humanity has faced natural and man-made disasters,’ the minister stated. ‘Azerbaijan is a country exposed to both natural and technological risks. The rapid development of industrial and infrastructure networks in recent years has placed strong emphasis on strengthening disaster preparedness.’

Heydarov added that the Ministry of Emergency Situations, established in 2005 by presidential decree of Ilham Aliyev, ensures swift and effective responses to emergencies across the country.

The Turkestan region of Kazakhstan is set to host the largest cotton cluster in Central Asia, covering an area of 60,000 hectares, Azernews reports.

The complex will not only cultivate natural cotton fiber but will also produce ready-made garments on site. The project will attract over 200 billion tenge in investment, with a Chinese company serving as the main investor.

The agreement was previously reached between the corporation’s head, Zhang Qihai, and Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov.

As part of the project, 196 pumping stations equipped with highly efficient drip irrigation systems will be constructed, along with 500 km of irrigation and distribution channels. The complex will also feature integrated fertilizer supply systems and modern agricultural machinery sourced from the world’s leading manufacturers.

Once operational, the new cluster is expected to boost domestic processing, strengthen Kazakhstan’s textile industry, expand exports, and create new business opportunities. Currently, the country produces approximately 75,000 tons of cotton fiber, most of which is exported.

An interesting aspect of the project is its potential to transform Kazakhstan into a regional hub for textile innovation, integrating smart farming technologies and sustainable practices that could set new standards for cotton production in Central Asia

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has approved the law of Azerbaijan on state services, Azernews reports.

According to the document, the law determines the organizational, legal and economic foundations of activities in the field of state services, as well as regulates relations in the field of providing state services.

The American company Apple has developed a technology codenamed PARS for analyzing electroencephalograms (EEG) using artificial intelligence and headphones, Azernews reports.

Unlike traditional methods, which require costly manual annotation of data by specialists, the new system uses a self-learning algorithm based on raw, unmarked data. The algorithm learns to predict time intervals between different brainwave segments, enabling the detection of deep structures of neural activity.

The technology has already demonstrated impressive results in tests, surpassing or matching modern methods in three of the four standard EEG datasets. Of particular interest is the use of the EESM17 dataset, which contains information collected using intra-auricular brain activity monitoring systems during sleep. This confirms the ability to record key neurological indicators-including sleep stages and epileptic patterns-through sensors located directly in the ear canal.

Apple’s 2023 patent documentation details the technical implementation: the system places an array of redundant electrodes around the AirPods’ ear pads, where intelligent algorithms select in real time the sensor combinations with the best signal. This approach solves the problem of maintaining constant skin contact, taking into account the unique anatomy of each ear.

Future versions of PARS could potentially do more than track sleep or epileptic events. They might also monitor a user’s emotional state or fatigue levels in real time-directly through their headphones. This opens the door to a highly personalized ‘smart’ audio assistant that adapts to your brain activity throughout the day.

Krakow has been named the cleanest city in the world, making it one of the most comfortable destinations for travelers, Azernews reports.

The ranking comes from a study conducted by Radical Storage, a company specializing in secure luggage storage services. According to the report, 98.5% of tourist reviews mentioning cleanliness in this Polish city were positive – an exceptionally high score that reflects Krakow’s long-standing efforts to maintain tidy streets, efficient waste management and well-preserved historical areas.

Sharjah in the UAE ranked second with 98% positive comments, while Singapore, known globally for its strict cleanliness rules, came in third with 97.9%.

Other cities that made it into the top 10 include Warsaw (Poland), Doha (Qatar), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Prague (Czech Republic), Muscat (Oman), Dubai (UAE) and Fukuoka (Japan).

Study also noted that travelers increasingly associate cleanliness not only with hygiene but also with overall safety and quality of public spaces – factors that significantly influence their choice of travel destinations. Krakow’s appearance at the top suggests that well-maintained historic cities can successfully compete with ultra-modern global hubs when it comes to traveler satisfaction.

The Azerbaijan Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gayibov, has participated in the World Conference on Doping in Sport 2025 in Busan, South Korea, Azernews reports.

The Minister addressed global issues related to anti-doping policy and provided information on Azerbaijan’s anti-doping activities, international cooperation, and future priorities.

Farid Gayibov also spoke about the mass sports events hosted by Azerbaijan, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle (sport lifestyle), and other successful initiatives.

During the visit, Farid Gayibov held meetings with South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Chae Hwi-young; the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Witold Banka; and the Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, Park Heong-joon.

The sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport is taking place at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center.

The conference brings together athletes and approximately 1,500 participants from the sports sector, including representatives from governments, national and regional anti-doping organizations, laboratories, service providers, researchers, and the media.

This edition of the World Conference focuses on engaging the anti-doping community in high-level discussions about the World Anti-Doping Program.

A key topic of the conference is the approval of the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and International Standards.

The process to update the 2027 Code and Standards began in September 2023, allowing stakeholders to contribute to enhancing the global anti-doping system.