Category: Azer News

A video highlighting the inauguration of the pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Pirallahi Industrial Park has been shared on President Ilham Aliyev’s social media accounts.

AzerNEWS presents the video.

The Azerbaijani President attended the inauguration of the pharmaceutical manufacturing plant of Gen Pharma Caucasus Manufacturing Operations LLC in Pirallahi Industrial Park on October 5.

An extremely unusual Land Rover has appeared for sale on eBay. While it may look like a classic British off-roader at first glance, there is much more going on underneath. The project combines the body of a Land Rover Series III with a heavily modified and shortened chassis based on a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.

The result is a bizarre but fascinating custom car called Slamd-Rover – a machine that takes the classic Land Rover concept and turns it completely upside down.

The current owner bought the unfinished project in 2020 and completed it with the help of British workshops Dropworks Customs and Lowdown Transporters. A 1968 Beetle was used as the donor car, although only a small number of its original components remain.

The chassis was shortened, while the suspension was replaced with an adjustable air suspension system operated by remote control. Each wheel can be adjusted independently, allowing the entire body to drop almost all the way down to the road surface.

Naturally, this means the Slamd-Rover has virtually no off-road ability. In fact, a normal speed bump could be a serious challenge for this extremely low machine. But while it may be useless on a muddy trail, it is almost guaranteed to attract attention wherever it goes.

The car rides on 17-inch Porsche alloy wheels, with an additional matching wheel mounted on the hood. The Land Rover Series III body has been finished in a distinctive matte green color.

The beige roof comes from the rare Safari version and has been chopped to make the vehicle even lower. Most of the windows have also been removed, leaving the characteristic split windshield and the small upper windows in the roof.

Power comes from a 1.6-liter air-cooled boxer engine taken from a Volkswagen Type 2 Bus. The engine has been upgraded with twin carburetors, 3D-printed intake manifolds and a custom exhaust system with twin headers.

Inside, the unconventional theme continues. The cabin features a custom-built bench seat, a wooden steering wheel, three gauges and a high-mounted gear lever.

According to the seller, the Slamd-Rover is ‘the perfect car to infuriate the army of Land Rover purists.’ The owner also says that one of the best parts of driving it is watching the reactions of people who see it on the street.

There is also an amusing irony behind the project: the original Land Rover Series III was designed to conquer difficult terrain, while this particular example has been modified so extensively that it may struggle with something as simple as a speed bump.

Despite that, the Slamd-Rover is clearly not meant to be a practical off-roader. It is a rolling piece of automotive madness, built primarily to stand out, start conversations and turn heads at car shows.

The seller is asking £15,000 (around $20,000) for this one-of-a-kind creation. For someone looking for a conventional Land Rover, it makes little sense. For a collector who wants one of the strangest British-American-German automotive hybrids ever built, however, it could be exactly the right car.

Azerbaijan plans to establish greenhouses covering a total area of 230 hectares in its territories liberated from occupation, Agriculture Minister Majnun Mammadov said.

Mammadov made the remarks during a panel discussion titled ‘State Support Mechanisms in Agriculture,’ held as part of the 100th Jubilee Agricultural Business Festival in Aghdam.

According to the minister, Azerbaijan has set the expansion of greenhouse facilities as a target in order to increase the production of higher-value agricultural products.

‘This is not about simple greenhouses, but about expanding greenhouse facilities where intensive production methods and modern technologies are applied,’ Mammadov said.

He noted that, unlike previous practices, the new program envisages developing greenhouse facilities primarily within agricultural and industrial zones.

‘One of the projects in this area envisages establishing greenhouses across 230 hectares in a single zone in the liberated territories. At the next stage, the expansion of greenhouse facilities in other regions of the country is also planned,’ the minister added.

Estonia is permanently moving troops closer to its border with Russia and acquiring long-range weapons capable of striking deep inside Russian territory as part of a new ‘active defense’ strategy, the Financial Times reports, citing Estonian military and intelligence officials.

Under the new approach, Estonia’s main combat formation, the First Infantry Brigade, is being relocated from Tapa to Jõhvi, around 50 kilometers from the Russian border. New facilities are being built in Jõhvi to accommodate the troops. Estonia is also constructing a military base in the border city of Narva that could accommodate up to 1,000 personnel during a crisis.

The country has signed contracts for nine US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers equipped with M57 ballistic missiles, as well as nine South Korean Chunmoo systems. Both systems have ranges of up to 300 kilometers, putting targets in and around St. Petersburg within potential striking distance.

Estonian military and intelligence officials do not believe Russia is seeking a full-scale war with NATO within the next two years. However, they are concerned about a possible limited Russian operation designed to test NATO’s collective defense commitments.

Estonia incorporated the concept of ‘active defense’ into its national security policy in May. Officials say the strategy is intended to ensure that any potential conflict is confronted from the border rather than after an adversary has gained territory.

A concert celebrating vocal and opera music has been held at the historic German Lutheran Church in Azerbaijan’s Shamkir district.

The event was organized as part of the 3rd International Opera Festival of People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Fidan Hajiyeva’s Vocal Music School.

The concert at the historic German Lutheran Church in Shamkir was one of the cultural events contributing to the strengthening of Azerbaijani-German ties and the development of musical diplomacy.

The event was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the German-Azerbaijani Society and was dedicated to October 3, German Unity Day.

At the beginning of the event, German-Azerbaijani Society Chairman Professor Chingiz Abdullayev presented Fidan Hajiyeva with the society’s “Bridge” diploma on the occasion of her 50th anniversary.

Speaking at the event, Hajar Verdiyeva, a board member of the German-Azerbaijani Society and Doctor of Historical Sciences, spoke about the history of German settlements in Azerbaijan, their contribution to the country’s social and cultural life, and the historical and cultural aspects of Azerbaijani-German relations. She also provided information about the history of the German Lutheran Church in Shamkir.

The concert programme featured works by Azerbaijani and German composers, as well as various examples of vocal and opera music.

The concert featured People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Fidan Hajiyeva, young soloists Altun Suleymanov, Zahrahanim Abdullayeva and Asim Muradov, as well as the Mezzo Chamber Orchestra. The event was hosted by artistic reader Lala Hasanzade.

The concert was sold out and received an enthusiastic response. The artists’ performances generated strong interest among the audience and were met with prolonged applause. Fidan Hajiyeva’s performance of excerpts from Georges Bizet’s opera “Carmen” made a particularly strong impression on the audience.

German-Azerbaijani Society Chairman Professor Chingiz Abdullayev told Trend that the concert was an important cultural event for Shamkir.

“The concert dedicated to German Unity Day was very successful. Undoubtedly, one of the main reasons for this success was our respected People’s Artist Fidan Hajiyeva and her team,” he said.

According to him, holding the performance in the historic German Lutheran Church created a special atmosphere for the event.

“A new breath and new voices were heard in this church in Shamkir. These were voices capable of spanning more than a century of this place’s history,” the professor noted.

Chingiz Abdullayev recalled that the church was built in the early 20th century and had been used for its intended purpose since 1912. It was later closed and, following Azerbaijan’s restoration of independence, restored and once again became a venue for various events.

“Yesterday’s event had a special atmosphere. Fidan Hajiyeva has a very beautiful aura, while the open atmosphere of this space further highlighted the beauty of her performance. The same can be said about the performances of her students,” he emphasized.

According to the chairman of the society, the concert attracted considerable interest not only among residents of Shamkir but also among guests who came from Baku and Ganja.

“The guests were truly impressed. Both classical German music and Azerbaijani music were performed. Fidan Hajiyeva’s performance of works from ‘Carmen’ made a particularly strong impression. It was met with enthusiastic applause,” Chingiz Abdullayev said.

He emphasized that the event helped create a warm atmosphere of interaction between the performers and the audience.

“All the performers were presented with flowers. It was a very warm and engaging atmosphere. It was clear that residents of the Shamkir district have a strong interest in such events,” he noted.

Chingiz Abdullayev expressed hope that similar concerts would continue to be held at the historic church.

“I think this initiative should develop further. As the German-Azerbaijani Society, we would like to continue this format periodically, both with the participation of Fidan Hajiyeva and other classical music performers,” he added.

The 3rd Fidan Hajiyeva International Opera Festival is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Fidan Hajiyeva and the 30th anniversary of her artistic career.

For the first time in Azerbaijan, a classical arts festival of this scale is being held over a three-month period, from September 7 to December 7.

Around 30 musical and other cultural events are scheduled to take place in Baku and various regions of Azerbaijan, as well as in Paris, London, Milan and Minsk.

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

Demand for services and technologies designed to protect commercial vessels from drone attacks has increased dramatically amid a series of airstrikes in the Red, Black Seas and the Persian Gulf.

According to the Financial Times, shipowners, cargo operators and naval forces are facing an increasingly asymmetric threat, driving a sharp rise in inquiries about anti-drone technologies.

“The threat posed by drones is no longer limited to areas of active conflict,” the newspaper quoted a representative of D-Fend Solutions as saying.

Industry experts said the largest number of inquiries is coming from companies involved in transporting oil and gas. Operators are seeking reliable protection for their vessels so they can continue using higher-risk routes and benefit from the risk premiums offered on such journeys.

The cost of installing equipment such as radar systems, cameras and electronic countermeasures is significantly lower than the losses companies can face when vessels are forced to remain idle, experts said.

Drone Defence Chief Executive Richard Gill said inquiries from tanker and liquefied natural gas carriers have increased. John Stoppard, maritime director at the International Chamber of Shipping, said the threat posed by drones to commercial shipping has grown in recent years, particularly in conflict zones such as the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Black Sea.

According to the International Maritime Organization, more than 20 seafarers have been killed in drone and missile attacks in the Persian Gulf since late February, while around 30 people have died in attacks in the Black Sea this year.

Maritime energy infrastructure, including pipelines, undersea cables and wind farms, has also come under attack.

Some of the eight officers killed aboard a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber-missile carrier that crashed in the Amur region on September 29 had been involved in organizing and providing methodological support for missile strikes against Ukraine, according to Mediazona.

All eight people killed in the crash were reportedly associated with Russia’s strategic aviation forces. Mediazona said that some of the officers had taken part in the organization and methodological support of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine.

The aircraft crashed near the village of Krasnoyarovo in Russia’s Amur region while conducting a training flight from the Ukrainka air base.

Russia’s Defense Ministry had previously said that the aircraft crashed outside populated areas during an unarmed training flight. At the time, the ministry reported that six crew members had been killed.

The Saudi-led coalition will continue providing operational support to the Yemeni army in its fight against the Houthis.

Major General Turki al-Maliki, the coalition’s official spokesperson, said the aim is to help Yemen’s internationally recognized government restore control over the country and ensure the functioning of state institutions.

Al-Maliki also stressed that necessary measures would be taken to prevent Houthi attacks on Saudi cities and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

The warning follows a series of Houthi attacks against the Kingdom. The coalition said last week that the militia targeted the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina with a drone, damaging a transformer but not disrupting the wider electricity grid. The facility provides electricity services to the Prophet’s Mosque, according to the coalition.

Saudi defenses have also intercepted ballistic missiles and drones targeting areas including Khamis Mushait and Jazan in recent days.

Earlier Sunday, Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced comprehensive military operations against the Houthis to reclaim the remaining territory under their control.

The Yemeni army has also launched a “battle for liberation” aimed at restoring state institutions and ending Houthi control.

The armed conflict between the Houthis and government forces backed by Saudi Arabia has continued in Yemen since 2014.

Debris believed to belong to a medical evacuation aircraft has been discovered in the Atlantic Ocean after contact was lost with the plane while it was flying from Bermuda to Boston.

The Gulfstream G100 was carrying six peopl, four crew members and two passengers, on a medical evacuation flight when it lost contact with air traffic control as it approached the coast of Nantucket Island.

Before communication was lost, the pilot reportedly informed air traffic controllers of a problem with the aircraft’s electrical system and declared an emergency.

Search operations were subsequently launched in the area, with debris believed to be from the missing aircraft later discovered in the ocean.

According to reports, four of the six people aboard the aircraft were Canadian citizens, while the remaining two were citizens of Bermuda.

The US Coast Guard is continuing search-and-rescue operations by air and sea.

There has been no confirmed information regarding the fate of the six people aboard the aircraft.

Authorities have not yet announced the cause of the incident, and search operations remain ongoing.

Azerbaijan and Trkiye have discussed ways to expand cooperation in the areas of labor and social protection.

A meeting was held at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population with a Turkish delegation led by Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security Adnan Ertem.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Anar Aliyev said relations between the two countries are based on brotherhood and strategic alliance. He noted that cooperation in labor and social protection, like ties in other areas, has continued to develop and expand.

Aliyev briefed the Turkish delegation on the achievements of social reforms carried out in Azerbaijan in recent years under the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev. He also highlighted successful cooperation with Trkiye’s Ministry of Labor and Social Security throughout the reform process.

The importance of the Joint Permanent Commission established by the two ministries was also emphasized, particularly its efforts to advance cooperation in labor and social protection. The sides noted that regular contacts and mutual visits have made an important contribution to strengthening bilateral ties.

Adnan Ertem welcomed the continued development and expansion of cooperation between the two countries and stressed the importance of exchanging experience.

The meeting also addressed the cooperation agenda between the two ministries and ways to further develop ties in the field of social protection.