Category: Azer News

A march and tree-planting campaign titled “Love for the Homeland, Care for Nature, Respect for History” has been organized jointly by the Ganja District Executive Authority and the Avey State Historical and Cultural Reserve, Azernews reports.

As part of the event, faculty and students from the Ganja branch of Baku State University and the Ganja State Social-Economic College, along with young people, planted Eldar pines, almonds (80 trees), and other tree species suitable for the climate at the foot of the Goyazan Mountain at the “Goyazan” branch of the reserve.

Afterwards, the participants, carrying the three-colored flag of Azerbaijan, marched towards the summit of Goyazan Mountain.

Upon reaching the top, the excursion guides provided detailed information to the students about the historical monuments in the area and the archaeological excavations that had been conducted there.

Continuing the event, the participants visited the reserve’s Damjili branch. There, a video presentation about the monuments was shown, and information about the scientific and archaeological excavations carried out in the Damjili cave and surrounding areas was shared with the youth.

The participants also had the opportunity to view an exhibition showcasing exhibits discovered during excavations conducted by Japanese and Azerbaijani archaeologists, as well as various printed materials related to the reserve.

China is observing three days of mourning for those who died in the Tai Po district fire in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Estate, where eight residential blocks were affected, Azernews reports citing Trkiye Today.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and local government officials held a three-minute moment of silence on Saturday morning, while the flags of China and Hong Kong were lowered to half-mast.

To honor the victims, condolence books were opened in all 18 districts of Hong Kong for residents to express their feelings and offer sympathies throughout the day.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Hong Kong office, along with the People’s Liberation Army’s barracks and facilities, also held commemorative ceremonies.

Death toll reaches 128; hundreds still unaccounted for

Authorities reported Friday that 128 people, including one firefighter, lost their lives in the blaze.

Another 79 people were injured, 11 of whom were firefighters.

Firefighting efforts continued for nearly two days at the estate, which is believed to house around 4,000 residents.

As search and rescue operations remain underway, the status of 200 people, including those whose remains have not been identified and those reported missing, remains uncertain.

Fire spread through scaffolding and exterior materials

The fire began around midday on Nov. 26 at Wang Fuk Estate, which contains more than 1,900 apartments.

It spread rapidly after bamboo scaffolding and combustible exterior insulation materials ignited, accelerating the blaze across building facades.

Hong Kong uses a five-tier emergency rating system for fires.

The Tai Po incident prompted a level-5 alarm, the highest classification, for the first time in 17 years.

The blaze has been recorded as the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in the past 70 years.

Arrests made in ongoing investigation

Police detained three individuals, two managers from the construction company responsible for renovation work at the estate and a consultant engineer, on suspicion of ‘causing death by negligence.’

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) separately detained 11 people in a corruption probe regarding irregularities in the renovation project.

The Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), Vugar Suleymanov, has met with Houssam-Eldine Reda, the newly appointed Egyptian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

The sides touched upon ANAMA’s tasks and objectives, the extent of contamination of the liberated territories with mines and other explosive devices, as well as the humanitarian demining activities carried out under the “Great Return” program.

During the discussion, opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation and experience sharing in mine risk management were explored, including potential support from Egypt in this field.

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) is a public legal entity tasked with overseeing demining operations, providing mine risk education, and coordinating mine action efforts across Azerbaijan. Founded in 1998 and restructured in 2021, its core responsibilities include removing mines and unexploded ordnance from liberated and conflict-affected areas, developing detailed mine maps, and ensuring compliance with international mine action standards.

ANAMA also focuses on safeguarding the population from threats posed by mines and explosive devices through awareness programs, supporting survivors, and collaborating with both domestic and international partners.

Professors Aysel Ersoy and Rya Samli from Istanbul Cerrahpasa University, and Associate Professor Serdar Birogul from Dzce University, have visited Baku Engineering University (BMU), Azernews reports.

The visit, which took place at the invitation of the BMU leadership, aimed to support the teaching of core specialization subjects in the SABAH program groups.

The delegation participated in courses related to Information Technology, Information Security, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science at the Faculty of Information and Computer Technologies.

Turkish professors delivered lectures on subjects such as “Fundamentals of Computer Engineering,” “Introduction to Computer Science,” “Basics of Programming,” “Web Programming,” and “Web Systems and Technologies,” while practical sessions and laboratory classes were also organized.

Meetings were held between the faculty leadership, professors, and lecturers.

During these meetings, issues such as expanding mutual cooperation, updating subject programs, implementing advanced teaching methodologies, conducting joint scientific research, preparing and publishing scientific articles, and co-supervising PhD students were discussed.

The parties agreed that it would be beneficial to continue the collaboration in a regular and systematic manner.

Baku Engineering University was founded by a decree from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on November 8, 2016.

The mission of Baku Engineering University is “to train engineers across all levels of higher education, offer higher and supplementary education programs in this field, and carry out both fundamental and applied scientific research.”

Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs are offered in Azerbaijani, English, and Russian languages.

The Azerbaijani manat maintained its stability against the US dollar at the end of this week, according to the official exchange rate set by the Azerbaijan Central Bank (CBA), Azernews reports.

The weighted average rate closed the week at 1.7 manat per dollar.

Against the Russian ruble, the official exchange rate of the manat increased by 0.0302, with the weighted average rising by 0.05694 manat, reaching 2.16334 manat per 100 rubles.

In contrast, the manat slightly weakened against the Turkish lira, with the official rate decreasing by 0.0001 manat over the week and the weighted average falling by 0.00008 manat, settling at 0.04006 manat per lira.

Polad Bulbuloglu, member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, has made the remarks at the closing ceremony of CIS Cultural Capital 2025 in Lachin, Azernews reports.

He stated that when choosing cultural capitals, the emphasis should be on cities of significant cultural and historical value rather than capital cities.

“When selecting cultural capitals, the main focus should not be on capital cities, but on cities that hold significant cultural and historical interest in their respective countries. I should note that the idea to nominate Lachin for the status of CIS Cultural Capital belongs to President Ilham Aliyev, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to the head of our state on behalf of all of us,” Polad Bulbuloglu said.

“Lachin is the border of Azerbaijan; it is Garabagh land. It was very important for the CIS community to correctly understand the processes currently underway to revive the Karabakh region. Everyone present here witnessed the rapid revival of Lachin in the truest sense. Everything here had been destroyed, and within a short period of time, Lachin now represents Azerbaijan in the CIS space,” he added.

Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli and Armenian Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan have met in Istanbul to discuss expanding economic, trade, and logistics cooperation, Azernews reports citing Azertag.

The ministers stressed the importance of regular contacts between the two countries, reaffirming their commitment to continue dialogue.

During the conversation, the sides discussed the key topics such as the potential resumption of rail links between Kars and Gyumri, as well as exploring new economic, logistical, and trade opportunities through the TRIPP initiative.

The parties highlighted the need to diversify energy markets, establish new routes, and broaden mutual economic interests.

The discussions also focused on agricultural cooperation, including farm insurance and the joint fight against animal diseases.

The event titled “The Role of Community Leaders in Building a Safe Life: A New Social Approach in Surakhani” has taken place in Baku’s Surakhani district, organized by the Azerbaijan State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs and the Surakhani District Executive Power, Azernews reports.

Deputy Head of the Surakhani District Executive Power, Konul Akhundova, addressed the event. In her speech, she emphasized that efforts continue to strengthen social support and awareness-raising activities for families in Surakhani district.

A total of 7,557 families live in the area, and various programs are being implemented to ensure their social protection.

Konul Akhundova noted that over the past 10 months, more than 800 applications were submitted in the district, 14,200 discussions were held on protecting citizens’ rights, the rights of 291 children were safeguarded, and food assistance was provided to 1,100 low-income families.

Around 73 disputes and housing and household issues of 55,846 people were resolved through commissions.

She pointed out that the work being carried out in the district is of great importance for protecting women’s rights, ensuring the social welfare of families, and strengthening awareness-raising initiatives.

The chairman of the National Council, Jamil Hasanli, has been summoned to the State Security Service for questioning, Azernews reports.

He has been called to the State Security Service as a witness for questioning in connection with the ongoing criminal case related to the former head of the Presidential Administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev.

Note that Jamil Hasanli, the chairman of the National Council and former MP, attempted to flee Azerbaijan.

A city tour was arranged for participants attending the closing ceremony of the “CIS Capital of Culture – 2025” in Lachin city, Azernews reports.

The excursion, organized by Azerbaijan Culture Ministry in collaboration with the Special Representative of the President in the Lachin district, began at the “Hochazfilm” creative studio, part of Garabagh’s unique multi-purpose cultural center.

The studio provides comprehensive support for film producers, including expert guidance, access to prime locations that highlight the region’s natural beauty and distinctive features, and the necessary production equipment.

Guests explored a variety of exhibits within the pavilion, including an airplane, a helicopter, a prison, a scientific laboratory, and a three-sided green screen.

Following the studio visit, participants toured the Gilabi Ceramics Creative Center and the Yurd Gallery, both of which create works reflecting the history and culture of Lachin and the broader Garabagh region.

Note that Lachin city has been officially designated as the CIS Cultural Capital for 2025, a title announced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Humanitarian Cooperation Council in October 2024.

The official opening ceremony took place on June 3, 2025, organized by Azerbaijan Culture Ministry in partnership with the Special Representative of the President in the Lachin district.

As part of its activities under the CIS Cultural Capital program, Lachin has already hosted an International Youth Film Festival and a CIS Youth Camp. These events brought together young participants from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, enhancing collaboration through masterclasses in theater, media, painting, ceramics, photography, and other creative fields.

The city has also featured cultural and culinary exhibitions, showcasing traditional Azerbaijani dishes alongside offerings from other CIS countries. These events aim to promote mutual understanding and celebrate shared heritage.