Category: Azer News

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, departed for an official visit to the People’s Republic of China.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the visit to Azernews.

According to the statement, during the trip, Minister Bayramov is scheduled to meet with China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, on January 28.

Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, General Oleksandr Syrsky, has inspected frontline units in the Pokrovsky and Ocheretyn directions, where Russian forces have significantly intensified their attacks, underscoring the growing pressure along key sectors of the eastern front, Azernews reports.

Describing the situation as ‘operationally difficult,’ Syrsky said that around 400 combat clashes were recorded in these areas over the past week alone. He noted that Russian forces continue to pursue breakthrough attempts, increasing pressure through persistent assaults.

‘The aggressor does not abandon his breakthrough attempts, increases pressure, intensifies his attacks. Our main task is to inflict maximum losses on the enemy, destroy his reserves and consistently reduce his offensive potential,’ Syrsky said.

According to the commander-in-chief, Russian troops are still relying heavily on tactics involving small infantry groups advancing in waves. Countering these methods, he stressed, requires constant battlefield surveillance, tight coordination between units, and flexible tactical decision-making.

Syrsky said he worked directly with division commanders on the ground to closely analyze battlefield dynamics and adjust defensive responses in real time. Particular emphasis, he added, is being placed on expanding Ukraine’s unmanned systems units, especially the use of strike drones to disrupt Russian advances and the integration of robotic systems into logistics operations.

‘War is changing – we are changing approaches to its conduct,’ Syrsky said, noting that modern technologies now play a decisive role in combat effectiveness while helping to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.

In a related development, Deputy Defense Minister Sergey Boev stated that Ukraine plans to implement seven production programs in 2026 aimed at manufacturing more than one million drones, highlighting Kyiv’s strategic shift toward large-scale deployment of unmanned and high-tech systems.

Syrsky concluded by thanking Ukrainian servicemen for their coordinated actions and professionalism, praising their role in repelling attacks and degrading Russian offensive capabilities amid an increasingly demanding battlefield environment.

Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, has arrived in the United Arab Emirates on a working visit to take part in the 2nd Session of the Women Parliamentarians Forum of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.

Azernews reports, citing the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis, that the visit is aimed at participating in the forum’s official events.

At Abu Dhabi International Airport, the parliamentary delegation led by the Milli Majlis speaker was welcomed by Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council; Maryam bint Theneya, Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council and Chair of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean’s Women Parliamentarians Forum; Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Elchin Bagirov; and other officials.

As part of the visit, Sahiba Gafarova is scheduled to address the session of the Women Parliamentarians Forum and hold a series of meetings.

The Azerbaijan State Agency for Science and Higher Education, in partnership with the Uzbekistan Innovative Development Agency, has launched a joint scientific competition as part of their collaboration, Azernews reports.

The competition will accept joint scientific projects in the following areas: energy, petrochemicals and materials science, agriculture and biotechnology, information technologies, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, ecology and environmental protection, climate change and water resources management, architecture, construction, design and urban sciences, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical sciences.

Researchers who wish to participate in the competition must identify a partner from the other country and submit a joint scientific project on the same topic that meets the criteria of both countries. Only projects that receive positive feedback from both parties at all stages will advance to the next round.

The deadline for submitting scientific projects on the Azerbaijani side is March 15. Projects should be submitted in the prescribed form to the email address: science@eatda.edu.az.

For more detailed information about the competition, interested parties can refer to the official announcement.

The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry has taken significant steps to modernize the management system of state theatres across Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

The new measures are designed to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and strengthen the overall governance of the nation’s theatre institutions.

In line with the requirements of the “Law on Theatre and Theatre Activities,” the charters, organizational structures, and staff schedules of state theatres have been revised and officially approved.

These changes were developed through extensive consultations involving theatre directors, sector experts, and relevant commissions, beginning last year.

The newly approved regulations are designed to streamline theatre operations, improve management efficiency, and clearly define functional responsibilities.

The measures aim to ensure sustainable development for theatre institutions, elevate the quality of both creative and administrative work, and strengthen transparency and consistency in management processes.

In addition, the recently adopted “Azerbaijani Culture-2040” Concept sets forth key strategic goals for the development of theatre arts. Within this framework, the legal foundation for theatre will be gradually refined, including potential updates to theatre legislation, supporting the future growth of Azerbaijani theatre and reinforcing its position on the international cultural stage.

On January 14, 2026, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree formally approving the “Azerbaijani Culture – 2040” Cultural Concept, a long-term strategic plan designed to guide the nation’s cultural development over the next twenty years.

The Concept emphasizes harmonizing tradition with modernity, safeguarding national identity while fostering sustainable growth in the cultural sector and enhancing Azerbaijan’s presence on the international stage.

Its aim is to establish a contemporary cultural framework that upholds national and moral values while promoting systematic, long-term development across all cultural fields.

Overseen by the Culture Ministry, the Concept proposes a phased and integrated implementation strategy spanning three periods: 2026-2030, 2031-2035, and 2036-2040, with each stage featuring clear objectives and institutional mechanisms to monitor and ensure progress.

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists have created one of the most detailed high-resolution maps of dark matter ever produced, revealing how this invisible, ghostly material overlaps and intertwines with the ordinary matter that forms stars, galaxies, and everything else we can see, Azernews reports.

The new map builds on previous research and provides fresh insights into how dark matter shapes the universe on the largest scales-from massive clusters of galaxies millions of light-years across to the eventual formation of galaxies, stars, and planets like Earth. The results were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

“This is the largest dark matter map ever created using space telescope data, and it is twice as accurate as any map compiled by other observatories,” said Diana Scognamillo, lead author of the study from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We’ve seen blurry images of dark matter before, but now, thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, we can observe the invisible side of the universe in astonishing detail.”

Unlike ordinary matter, dark matter does not emit, reflect, or absorb light, nor does it interact directly with atoms-it is, in a sense, a cosmic ghost. Yet it interacts with the universe through gravity, and the map demonstrates this interaction with unprecedented clarity. Researchers point to the degree of overlap between dark and ordinary matter as evidence that the alignment is not accidental, but the result of dark matter’s gravitational pull over billions of years.

The new map focuses on a region in the constellation Sextans, covering an area roughly 2.5 times larger than the visible surface of the Moon. A global team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Cambridge, is observing this region with 15 ground-based telescopes and one space telescope as part of the COSMOS (Cosmic Evolution Survey) project. Their goal is to accurately locate ordinary matter and compare it with the position of dark matter. The first dark matter map of this region was created in 2007 using data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

JWST observed the Sextans region for about 255 hours, cataloging nearly 800,000 galaxies, including many previously unknown. Scientists analyzed how the mass of dark matter distorts space itself, bending the light traveling from distant galaxies to Earth-a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.

This research highlights the crucial role of dark matter in determining the large-scale structure of the universe. By accelerating the formation of galaxies and stars, dark matter indirectly set the stage for planet formation, providing the conditions necessary for complex elements to form. The first generations of stars transformed the primordial hydrogen and helium of the early universe into a rich array of elements, eventually giving rise to planets like Earth. In essence, dark matter gave the universe more time and structure for complex worlds to emerge.

Looking ahead, Scognamillo and her team plan to use NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to map dark matter over an area 4,400 times larger than the COSMOS region. Their objectives include studying the fundamental properties of dark matter and how they have evolved throughout cosmic history. However, the Roman Telescope will not surpass JWST in resolution, and truly detailed studies of dark matter will likely require the next-generation flagship space telescope, NASA’s ambitious concept for the future of astrophysics.

This new map not only illuminates dark matter itself but also provides a cosmic roadmap showing how invisible forces sculpt the visible universe-essentially revealing the hidden scaffolding of galaxies and the blueprint of cosmic evolution.

UK authorities plan to introduce AI-powered chatbots to handle non-urgent calls from the public to the police, Azernews reports.

According to The Times, the announcement came from Shabana Mahmood, head of the UK Home Office. The virtual assistant will be able to assess whether a call needs to be forwarded to a human operator, a police officer, or another emergency service.

“We are creating a new national center for artificial intelligence – Police.AI,” Mahmood said. “AI will be implemented across all police departments to reduce paperwork and free up to 6 million working hours annually, equivalent to about 3,000 police officers, allowing more resources to be focused on frontline duties.”

The plan also includes using AI to analyze surveillance footage, smart video doorbells, mobile devices, and data from automatic facial recognition systems. Coverage is expected to expand fivefold, eventually encompassing all of England and Wales.

In addition to AI integration, the Home Office intends to reduce the number of police services in England and Wales from 43 to 12 through a series of mergers. However, this process will be gradual. By 2029, authorities aim to complete only one merger as a model for future system-wide optimization.

Experts note that the initiative could revolutionize policing in the UK, streamlining routine tasks, improving response times, and potentially making communities safer. Critics, however, have raised concerns about privacy, data security, and algorithmic bias, emphasizing that oversight will be crucial to ensure AI is used responsibly.

The move reflects a broader trend in law enforcement worldwide, where AI and automation are increasingly being explored to enhance efficiency and support human officers, rather than replace them entirely. Some analysts predict that successful implementation in the UK could serve as a blueprint for smart policing in other countries in the coming decade.

China’s decision to open 14 futures and options products-including nickel and lithium carbonate-to foreign investors marks one of its most significant steps toward strengthening its role in global commodity markets. While officially presented as financial market liberalization, the move carries deeper geo-economic and strategic ambitions. For decades, China has been the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, yet it has remained on the sidelines when it comes to setting global prices. Despite driving demand for metals, energy, and agricultural products, the benchmarks that determine costs are largely controlled by Western financial hubs such as the London Metal Exchange (LME), New York Mercantile Exchange, and Singapore’s commodity markets. This imbalance has left Beijing exposed to price volatility and dependent on external mechanisms, a situation that has long frustrated policymakers in the Chinese capital.

On January 27, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev participated in the opening ceremony of the mirror sheet production plant of ‘Azermirror’ LLC in the Sumgayit Industrial Park, Azernews reports.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov first briefed the head of state on the industrial zones established across the country and the activities of the Sumgayit Industrial Park.

It was reported that currently, 104 enterprises operating in industrial zones nationwide have commenced production activities. To date, more than 7 billion manats have been invested in industrial zones, resulting in the creation of over 11,000 permanent jobs. In the next phase, investments totaling nearly 1.74 billion manats are planned under ongoing projects. Thus far, industrial zones have produced goods worth a total of 19.4 billion manats, of which 6.1 billion manats’ worth has been exported. Products manufactured in these zones are currently exported to 70 countries worldwide.

The establishment of industrial parks and districts across the country, along with the creation of a favorable environment for entrepreneurial activity, reflects the successful industrialization policy aimed at diversifying the economy and accelerating the development of the non-oil sector. Industrial zones play a key role in increasing innovation and production efficiency, promoting high-tech manufacturing, expanding export potential, and boosting employment. Currently, eight industrial parks operate in Azerbaijan, including Sumgayit, Garadagh, Pirallahi, Mingachevir, Balakhani, Hajigabul, Aghdam, and the ‘Araz Valley Economic Zone’ in Jabrayil district. Efforts are underway to establish the Nakhchivan Industrial Park and the new Western Industrial Park covering the territories of Ganja city and Shamkir district. In addition, industrial districts in Masalli, Neftchala, Sabirabad, and Sharur contribute to the development of production and entrepreneurial activity.

The Sumgayit Industrial Park covers a total area of 640 hectares and currently hosts 40 resident enterprises. The total value of the projects amounts to 6.7 billion manats, with actual investments reaching 5.5 billion manats. These projects are expected to create nearly 8,800 jobs, of which 6,135 have already been filled. The total sales volume of resident enterprises has reached 15.4 billion manats, including 5.7 billion manats in exports.

Rustam Abbasov, founder of ‘Azermirror’ LLC, informed the President about the enterprise. It was noted that the company was granted resident status in the Sumgayit Industrial Park in 2023. Built on a one-hectare plot, the mirror sheet production plant provides permanent employment for 30 people and has an annual production capacity of 900,000 square meters of mirror sheets. In addition to meeting domestic demand, the products are planned for export. The project, based on Chinese technology, has an investment value of 6.13 million manats. The Azerbaijan Business Development Fund under the Ministry of Economy allocated a preferential loan of 1.5 million manats for the project. In line with incentives available to industrial park residents, ‘Azermirror’ LLC has also benefited from tax and customs exemptions amounting to 600,000 manats.

The development of the non-oil industry remains a key priority of Azerbaijan’s state policy under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Ongoing measures focus on the effective use of resources, the application of innovative approaches and advanced technologies, the formation of new industrial sectors, and the expansion of competitive production.

Azerbaijan’s Media Development Agency (MEDIA) has warned of a growing wave of disinformation circulating across foreign online news platforms and social media, aimed at undermining the strategic alliance between Azerbaijan and Trkiye, Azernews reports.

According to a statement released by MEDIA and reported by Azernews, preliminary investigations indicate that the disinformation campaign originated from ‘Tsargrad.tv,’ a Russian-language online resource. The agency said the content being spread relies on dubious sources, distorts reality, and seeks to manipulate public opinion.

‘We strongly condemn and emphasize that such disinformation acts aimed against Azerbaijan, which seek to confuse public opinion with false and manipulative content, and which serve to target the brotherly and allied relations existing between Azerbaijan and Trkiye, are unacceptable,’ the statement said.

MEDIA called on Azerbaijani and Turkish journalists and media organizations to take a principled stance against such attempts, urging them to avoid spreading unverified information and to act responsibly in safeguarding the information environment.

The agency also appealed directly to the public in both countries, advising citizens not to trust false reports and to rely solely on statements issued by official authorities.

In the statement, MEDIA emphasized that it will continue close cooperation with the Public Relations Department of the Turkish Presidential Administration to prevent similar incidents in the future and to ensure a coordinated and unified response to disinformation campaigns targeting Azerbaijan-Trkiye relations.

The warning comes amid heightened sensitivity around information security and strategic partnerships in the region, with officials stressing the need for vigilance against coordinated information manipulation.