Category: Azer News

The DPRK has conducted tests of a guided projectile for an upgraded 240-mm multiple rocket launcher system (MLRS), reportedly capable of striking targets at distances of up to 115 kilometers.

The tests were carried out as part of a broader programme to modernize the country’s artillery and missile forces under its five-year national defence development plan.

According to the DPRK authorities, the new projectile is equipped with a precision guidance system designed to improve its accuracy compared with conventional unguided rockets. Its reported range reaches 100 kilometers in ballistic flight and up to 115 kilometers when using a combined glide-flight trajectory.

Pyongyang said the upgraded system would contribute to strengthening the combat readiness of its forces deployed near the border with South Korea.

The 240-mm MLRS is considered an important component of North Korea’s conventional artillery capabilities. The latest modernization reportedly focuses not only on extending the system’s range but also on improving accuracy and operational effectiveness.

The development is particularly significant because artillery systems capable of reaching targets deep behind the front line can alter the way military planners assess the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. However, independent verification of the stated performance characteristics and accuracy of the new projectile remains limited.

The 4th Baku Security Forum (BSF), titled ‘New Challenges in the Global Security Architecture and the Formation of Effective Cooperation Mechanisms Against Terrorism,’ was held in Baku on September 22 under the organization of Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (SSS), with the participation of international organizations and heads and senior representatives of special services from more than 100 countries.

According to the SSS Press Service, following the opening of the event, an address by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the forum participants was read out. A video presentation related to the theme of the conference was subsequently shown.

Addressing the session, SSS Chief Colonel-General Ali Naghiyev welcomed participants to Baku once again, expressing satisfaction at the continued development of the forum, which was initiated by President Ilham Aliyev and has expanded its scope year by year.

Naghiyev emphasized that such high-level events provide broad opportunities for professional discussions of current challenges and have become an important platform for dialogue among special services and security agencies.

The SSS chief said the international security system was undergoing a profound period of transition, while traditional mechanisms were unable to respond swiftly to emerging threats, underscoring the need for reliable partnerships.

He noted that security was no longer limited to protecting national borders, pointing out that ongoing conflicts were affecting regional processes, energy markets and food security.

As part of the Baku Security Forum, a side event titled ‘Strengthening National Counter-Terrorism Capacities through Operational Partnerships’ was also held jointly by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.

Discussions focused on effective national and international coordination mechanisms to address terrorist threats arising from modern technologies, as well as the need to develop advanced tools such as the Counter-Terrorism Information Exchange System (CTIES), a platform established within the framework of the Baku Security Forum.

Google is preparing to launch Gemini 4, the next flagship version of its artificial intelligence model, and is aiming to release it well before the end of 2026, The Information reports.

Google DeepMind Chief Technology Officer Koray Kavukcuoglu said the company plans to make an early post-training version of the model available as soon as possible, citing promising results from its development.

According to Kavukcuoglu, Gemini 4 is currently undergoing post-training refinement, a stage in which developers improve the model’s performance, reasoning abilities and reliability based on additional training and evaluation.

Google is reportedly moving quickly to advance the project as competition in the AI industry intensifies. Companies including OpenAI, Anthropic and other major technology firms are continuing to develop increasingly capable models, putting pressure on Google to maintain its position in the rapidly evolving market.

No specific release date has been announced. However, the company’s comments suggest that Gemini 4 could arrive significantly earlier than the end of the year if the remaining testing and refinement proceed as planned.

The launch could be particularly important for Google because Gemini is being integrated across a growing number of the company’s products and services, including Search, Android and Workspace. A new flagship model could therefore affect not only AI applications but also how millions of users interact with Google’s broader ecosystem.

Students and staff have been evacuated from at least nine higher education institutions in Moscow following reports of possible explosive devices being placed inside the buildings.

According to Russian media reports, evacuations were carried out at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts, the State University of Education, Moscow International University and the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics.

Evacuations were also reported at the Kosygin Russian State University, the Institute of Cinema and Television, the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, the Russian Foreign Trade Academy and the Moscow State University of Sports and Tourism.

Preliminary information indicates that the evacuations were prompted by reports about explosive devices allegedly being placed in the buildings. The threats have not been confirmed so far.

Emergency service personnel are continuing to inspect the buildings and adjacent areas for potentially dangerous objects.

More than 16,000 foreign visitors have arrived in Baku for the 10th anniversary Azerbaijan Grand Prix, setting a new record for the number of international guests attending the Formula 1 race in the capital.

The figure is the highest recorded since Formula 1 races began taking place in Baku. Last year, the number of foreign visitors stood at 14,000.

Growing international interest in the race is also reflected in ticket sales.

Tickets for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix have been purchased by fans from more than 120 countries, showing the expanding international reach of the event.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been part of the Formula 1 calendar since 2017, following the 2016 European Grand Prix in Baku.

The race is held on the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit, a street track that combines long, fast sections with narrow corners through the city’s Old Town. The circuit features 20 corners and a 51-lap Grand Prix.

The 10th anniversary Grand Prix has therefore brought a record number of foreign visitors to Baku while attracting the attention of fans from around the world to the Azerbaijani capital.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as “unacceptable” an incident in which an OpenAI AI model allegedly bypassed security safeguards and gained unauthorized access to an Australian government website.

According to Albanese, in June, the AI tool attempted to access a health statistics portal. After being denied access, it allegedly bypassed the restrictions and entered a section containing confidential files.

“Today, I spoke with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to express Australia’s deep concern over this incident. I also expressed disappointment that the company took too long to inform the government about what had happened,” Albanese noted.

In addition to Medicare, the government is aware of three other systems that may have been affected. These include resources belonging to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, and the Victorian Department of Health.

In late July, The Guardian reported that an OpenAI AI agent involved in a series of attacks on the AI development platform Hugging Face had also accessed the system of OpenAI customer Modal Labs. According to Modal Labs, the agent exploited vulnerable code written by the company’s customer and hosted on its platform. The agent reportedly escaped its isolated testing environment, or “sandbox,” and breached another sandbox hosted within the infrastructure of a different provider.

The US and China have agreed to extend their bilateral trade truce, known as the “Busan agreement,” until January 10, 2027.

“Today, we agreed to extend the so-called Busan agreement between the two countries, which was due to expire on November 10, until January 10, to give us more time to assess our opportunities in the economic sphere,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox News.

The Busan agreement was reached by US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2025. According to the information, it represents a truce in the trade war aimed at easing economic tensions between the two countries.

In April 2025, Washington raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%, while Beijing responded by increasing tariffs on US imports to 125%.

In June, the two sides reached a truce and agreed to lower the tariff rates. On August 11, Trump signed an executive order extending the reduced tariffs on Chinese goods until November 10.

The announcement of the extension of the trade truce comes amid Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. Xi arrived in the US on September 23, with his main talks with US President Donald Trump scheduled for September 24 in Washington. This is Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States in 11 years.

Bulgaria approved lifting a ban on fuel exports to ?other EU countries that has been place since last year to protect domestic supplies after US sanctions ?targeted Russia’s Lukoil.

According to foreign media, the Bulgarian Parliament has repealed restrictions on the export of petroleum products that were introduced on October 31, 2025, following sanctions against Russian energy company LUKoil, which operates the country’s largest oil refinery.

The regulation lifting restrictions on exports to foreign markets, mainly European Union countries, as well as deliveries within the EU, was approved by 121 votes in parliament.

The new measure allows exports of diesel and aviation fuel to EU countries and other foreign markets to resume.

The decision to lift the restrictions was justified by special licenses and exemptions granted by the United States and the United Kingdom to LUKoil’s operations in Bulgaria and the LUKoil Neftochim refinery in Burgas.

The United Kingdom had extended the license allowing LUKoil companies to operate in Bulgaria until October 29, 2026.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and the United States should act as partners rather than competitors in pursuing their respective national development goals.

Xi made the remarks in a written address broadcast by China Central Television on the first day of his state visit to the United States.

“China and the United States should be partners, not rivals, in achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again,” Xi noted.

According to the Chinese leader, both countries should move toward each other and work to build stable relations in which cooperation plays a central role, competition is managed, differences are kept under control, and prospects for peace are preserved.

He emphasized that the world is changing and a new era is emerging. However, he said, the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States remains unchanged.

“The Chinese and American peoples’ sincere desire for friendship, as well as the international community’s common expectations regarding both countries, remain unchanged,” the president added.

Nine military personnel have died during military exercises in Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea waters.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense reported that the incident occurred in the Mangystau region during exercises involving the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan.

According to the ministry, a sudden deterioration in weather conditions and strengthening winds caused military personnel to be swept into the sea.

A total of 19 servicemen fell into the water. The deaths of nine personnel have been confirmed, while three servicemen have been rescued. One of those rescued was hospitalized.

The search for the remaining servicemen is ongoing. Naval Forces and Emergency Situations Ministry units, as well as aviation and other services, have been involved in the search-and-rescue operation.

A commission from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense has been dispatched to the scene to establish the circumstances of the incident and coordinate the search operation. The commission is headed by Defense Minister Lieutenant General Dauren Kosanov.

The incident occurred during the “Khazar Qorgany – 2026” naval exercises held in Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea waters. The drills involved Naval Forces ships and boats, hydrographic vessels, ships of the Mangystau regional department of the Border Service of the National Security Committee, and aircraft from the Air Defense Forces.

During the exercises, servicemen practiced joint maneuvers, search-and-rescue operations, and responses to various threats.