Category: Azer News

The death toll has risen to 41 following the derailment of two high-speed trains in Spain, Azernews reports.

Earlier, official figures had reported 40 fatalities. Rescue and search operations continue amid the wreckage at the site of the railway accident.

The serious rail incident occurred on January 18 near the town of Adamus in the Andalusia region. One of the trains, operated by Iryo and carrying approximately 300 passengers from Malaga to Madrid, derailed and crossed onto adjacent tracks. A second train, operated by Renfe and traveling from Madrid to Huelva, was on the neighboring tracks at the time, resulting in its derailment as well. The causes of the accident remain under investigation.

Authorities have described it as one of the worst high-speed rail accidents in recent Spanish history, and emergency services continue efforts to assist survivors and recover victims.

On January 20, the Day of National Mourning, Prime Minister Ali Asadov, Speaker of the National Assembly Sahiba Gafarova, Head of the Presidential Administration Samir Nuriyev, and other government officials visited the Martyrs’ Lane.

Azernews reports that the officials laid fresh flowers on the graves of the heroic sons of Azerbaijan who sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom, paying their respects and honoring their memory.

January 20, known in Azerbaijan as the Day of National Mourning, commemorates the tragic events of January 20, 1990, when Soviet troops entered Baku, violently suppressing the Azerbaijani independence movement. Dozens of civilians were killed, and hundreds were injured during the crackdown. The events marked a turning point in Azerbaijan’s struggle for sovereignty, galvanizing public opposition to Soviet rule and strengthening the national independence movement. Each year, the country observes the day with ceremonies at Martyrs’ Lane, laying flowers and honoring those who sacrificed their lives for Azerbaijan’s freedom and independence, keeping their memory alive for future generations.

In the glittering heights of Davos-Klosters, where billionaires rub shoulders with heads of state and policy wonks compete with tech gurus for airtime, this year’s World Economic Forum opened against an unusually jagged global backdrop. The 56th Annual Meeting, convened under the theme ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ arrives at a moment when cooperation is both at a premium and in peril. A record turnout, nearly 400 political leaders, more than 850 chief executives and luminaries from almost 130 nations, underscores the urgency of the moment.

Amid sharply diverging economic blocs, simmering conflicts, and accelerating technological disruption, President Ilham Aliyev landed in Switzerland on January 19 to press Baku’s case in the world’s premier stage for geopolitical and economic discourse. Welcomed at Zurich airport alongside the First Lady, Mehriban Aliyeva, the president’s presence in Davos is both familiar and strategic: an exercise in global positioning that extends far beyond ceremonial diplomacy.

For more than half a century, Davos has been where big ideas are nurtured, and agendas are sketched, sometimes ambitiously, sometimes in unravelling fashion. Traditional emphases on macroeconomics and trade have ceded ground to a mosaic of sustainable development, technological governance, climate mitigation and social inequality. In recent years, the Forum’s agenda has shifted more towards questions of resilience in an age of fragmentation, testing its own claim to be a mouthpiece of globalisation.

This year’s Global Risks Report, released on the eve of the Forum, illustrates why. For 2026, the most acute threat facing the world is not environmental catastrophe or armed invasion, but geoeconomic confrontation: the use of tariffs, sanctions, investment restrictions and supply-chain controls as tools of strategic competition. Such economic rivalry has leapfrogged traditional military conflict as the chief concern of global leaders, highlighting how markets themselves have become a theatre of strategic rivalry.

For Azerbaijan, these assessments are more than academic. The WEF identifies several country-specific vulnerabilities, cybersecurity threats, environmental pollution, disinformation, inflation, and infrastructure-related natural disasters, that resonate with Baku’s own developmental ambitions and its geopolitical calculus. Meanwhile, the spectre of fragmentation articulated in the report mirrors real-world pressures on supply chains, energy corridors and emerging trade routes that traverse the South Caucasus.

President Aliyev’s Davos appearances are rarely pro forma. Over the years, he has used the platform to elevate Azerbaijan from a regional energy exporter to a broker of connectivity and cooperation. In speeches and bilateral meetings, he has underscored the country’s contribution to global energy security, framed Azerbaijan as a reliable supplier, and pitched Baku’s own investment climate to potential partners. This is not merely about prestige: it is about anchoring foreign capital and expertise at a moment when global flows are under strain.

Last year’s Forum was already illustrative. In 2025, Aliyev’s delegation walked away with substantive discussions on energy, sustainable development and security partnerships, with meetings often initiated by foreign counterparts. an indicator of Baku’s rising profile amid shifting geopolitics.

In 2026, those dynamics have sharpened. With supply-chain resilience a mantra in boardrooms and geopolitics reconfigured around economic leverage, Azerbaijan’s strategic location between Europe and Asia has acquired renewed salience. Energy corridors, transit routes and digital links are now as politically charged as they are commercially promising.

On the sidelines of this year’s Forum, Aliyev has already engaged with senior figures such as the Director-General of the World Health Organization, reflecting Baku’s intent to be seen not only as a regional actor but as a constructive partner in global governance.

Yet for all its optimism, Davos remains a forum of contradictions. As participants call for deeper cooperation, global markets are bracing for protectionist shocks, and geopolitical rivalries are increasingly shape economic policy. European stock markets dipped sharply this week on the back of renewed tariff threats from Washington, a reminder that consensus on free tradean, d by extension on the open investment environment that Azerbaijan seeks, cannot be taken for granted.

For Baku, the calculus is clear: to navigate an increasingly fragmented global order, Azerbaijan must cultivate multiple vectors of engagement. Davos offers a rare convergence of political heft and commercial clout, a chance to signal reliability to investors and partners alike. But it also exposes the limits of dialogue when underlying structural rivalries, whether economic, technological or strategic, are intensifying.

In this fraught environment, Azerbaijan’s growing visibility in Davos is neither incidental nor symbolic. It reflects a broader shift in how middle powers are forced to operate, too significant to ignore, too nimble to be boxed in by old geopolitical categories. For Aliyev and his colleagues, the challenge extends beyond merely being present among the world’s powerful; they need to convert that presence into tangible economic and strategic gains. In an era where cooperation is as contested as competition, the current geopolitical landscape makes it imperative that the key discussions at the meeting could significantly influence global politics and economics moving forward.

Night fell over Baku on 20 January 1990 not as a veil of rest, but as a shroud. The Caspian wind carried no calm that evening; it carried the metallic growl of tanks and the heavy silence of a people about to be tested by history. Streets that only hours earlier echoed with chants for dignity, sovereignty, and independence were suddenly transformed into corridors of fear and blood.

Without warning, Soviet troops rolled into the city. Russian tanks crushed asphalt and hope alike, advancing not against a foreign enemy, but against unarmed civilians-men and women who had stepped outside not to wage war, but to demand the right to decide their own future. They stood with flags, not weapons; with voices, not bullets. Yet the response they received was steel, fire, and death.

Bullets tore through the darkness. Ambulances were shot at. Doctors and journalists were targeted. Ordinary citizens-workers, students, fathers, mothers-fell where they stood, struck down in streets that had become killing fields. The city lights went out, as if even electricity recoiled from what was unfolding. Baku was cut off from the world, but the world’s conscience should never have been cut off from Baku.

This was not a clash. It was a massacre.

The Soviet leadership called it the restoration of order. History would name it differently: Black January. A night when an empire revealed its true nature, choosing violence over dialogue, tanks over truth. The very state that claimed to represent equality and brotherhood answered peaceful demands for independence with mass murder.

Blood stained the pavements of Neftchiler Avenue, 20 Yanvar Circle, and countless unnamed streets. Some died instantly; others bled out while help was deliberately delayed. Families searched hospitals through the night, clinging to hope, only to find silence where voices once lived. Mothers would never again hear their sons’ footsteps. Children would grow up with photographs instead of parents.

Yet even in that darkness, something unbreakable was born.

The people of Azerbaijan did not retreat into fear. The funeral procession that followed became one of the largest acts of collective mourning and defiance the city had ever seen. Hundreds of thousands walked together, not in chaos, but in dignity. Flowers replaced slogans. Tears replaced chants. And resolve replaced doubt.

The tanks had entered Baku to crush the independence movement. Instead, they sealed its fate.

20 January did not kill the dream of freedom-it sanctified it. The blood spilled that night became the moral foundation of Azerbaijan’s path to sovereignty. Each victim became a witness, each grave a reminder that independence is never granted freely by empires; it is paid for by people.

This tragedy was not an isolated act of violence. It was part of a broader pattern as the Soviet Union struggled to suppress national movements across its collapsing territory. But in Baku, the cruelty was unmistakable. The use of overwhelming military force against civilians demanding lawful political rights stands as a grave violation of human dignity and fundamental principles that the modern world claims to uphold.

And yet, accountability never truly came.

No international tribunal convened for the victims of 20 January. No perpetrators stood before a court of justice. The silence of the global community added another layer of injustice to an already open wound. But memory itself became a form of resistance. Every year, Azerbaijan remembers. Every year, flowers line the graves at the Alley of Martyrs. Every year, the city pauses-not out of weakness, but out of respect.

An elegy is not only a lament. It is a promise.

A promise that those who died will not be reduced to numbers. A promise that tanks will never again define the destiny of Baku’s streets. A promise that independence, once paid for in blood, will be guarded with memory and responsibility.

On 20 January, Azerbaijan lost lives-but it gained an irreversible truth: freedom demands courage, and courage often demands sacrifice. The city that bled that night still stands, not as a victim, but as a testament.

The tanks are gone. The empire is gone.

But the memory remains-and so does the independence it helped forge.

The Black January remains one of the most painful moments in Azerbaijan’s contemporary history, when Soviet forces ruthlessly targeted unarmed civilians in an effort to suppress the nation’s yearning for freedom and independence.

This fateful day, marked by profound loss and heroism, has since become a pivotal event in shaping Azerbaijan’s national identity and its relentless pursuit of sovereignty.

In remembrance of those who gave their lives, the National Museum of Azerbaijani Literature has organized a scientific session to examine the historical, literary, and international significance of the January 20 events, Azernews reports.

The session was opened by the museum’s director, Academician Rafael Huseynov, with a report titled “Courage at the Pinnacle of Martyrdom”.

He noted that the bullets fired at peaceful civilians during the night of January 19-20, 1990, were intended to extinguish the Azerbaijani people’s desire for freedom and break their dignity.

In his speech, Rafael Huseynov noted that, as in other Soviet republics of the time, a national movement had already begun in Azerbaijan.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, thousands of Azerbaijanis flocked to Azadliq (Freedom) Square, creating a powerful image that resonated worldwide, earning the Azerbaijani people recognition as the People of the Year.

The Academician also reflected on Azerbaijan’s history of tragic days, including the March 1918 genocide, the January 20 tragedy, and the Khojaly massacre, noting that today, the souls of all martyrs are honored because an independent Azerbaijan has achieved victory. He attributed this success to the country’s strong and wise political leadership, which ensures national security and stability.

Huseynov further highlighted the role of Azerbaijani intellectuals who gave voice to the people’s demands during those fateful days, citing literary figures such as Khalil Rza Uluturk, Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh, and Zalimkhan Yagub, whose creative works reflected the nation’s struggle and resilience.

Professor Shafag Alibayli, head of the museum’s department, spoke about how the events of Bloody January reverberated even in Moscow, particularly at Azerbaijan’s then-Permanent Mission, highlighting the international impact of the tragedy.

The museum’s scientific secretary, PhD in Philology Nurana Asadullayeva, presented a report titled “The Theme of January 20 in Our Literary Thought”, emphasizing that the events had a profound and lasting impact on Azerbaijani literature from the very first days. The tragedy has been widely reflected in poetry, journalistic prose, memoirs, and essays, illustrating the deep resonance of January 20 in the nation’s cultural memory.

Another museum researcher, PhD in Philology and Senior Researcher in the International Relations and World Museums Department, Gulnar Agig, presented on “The January 20 Tragedy in the World Media”.

She noted that following a special appeal from National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the Azerbaijani diaspora around the world became aware of the tragedy in Baku and expressed moral support for the Azerbaijani people through letters, articles, and other media publications.

The session highlighted both the historical significance and the cultural memory of January 20, underscoring the interplay between national struggle, literary expression, and global awareness.

On January 20, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to Euronews TV in Davos.

Azernews presents the interview.

Correspondent: Hello and welcome to Eurasia Talks from Davos, and I’m delighted to be joined today by Azerbaijan’s President, Mr. Ilham Aliyev. Thank you so much for joining us today. It’s wonderful to see you. As you join world leaders here in Davos, we are at this moment witnessing a fundamental reassessment of the existing international system. Now, you’ve warned about this shift before. How does your country engage with this changing world order, and what is your message to world leaders?

President Ilham Aliyev: Well, actually, as you mentioned, we’ve been facing a situation in which international law norms were not obligatory for all the actors of the international community. Therefore, our strategic goal was to achieve results based on our national interest, and with all respect to international law, do what we thought was right. Everything that we’ve done, whether it’s political development or restoration of our sovereignty and territorial integrity, was in line with international law and common values. Today, as you mentioned, international relations are entering a new era, where it is not the rule of law, but the rule of strength that is ruling the situation. We can see it in different parts of the world. Therefore, it once again signals that every country should base their strategy and policy on their potential, establish good relations with as many countries as possible, first in your region, and second on a global scale. That’s what Azerbaijan managed to achieve.

– I want to congratulate you. I learned yesterday that you will be receiving the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity for all of your efforts. And obviously, this brings me on to the next question. Amid the historic peace deal in Armenia, the South Caucasus is evolving fast in a global context, you know, after decades of competing interests, influences, and shifting alliances. How do you assess the current balance between risk and opportunity in the region?

– First of all, thank you for the congratulations. It’s a big honor for me to receive this prestigious award, especially as it bears the name of the founder of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed. I consider it as appreciation of our efforts to establish peace in the Caucasus after more than 30 years of bloodshed, conflict, and wars. Today, the Southern Caucasus also enters a new stage of development. We have lived in peace only for five, six months; we are learning to do it. We never lived in peace in all our independent history. It’s a special feeling. And of course, it’s a great opportunity. Today, the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan is already evolving into cooperation. We lifted all the restrictions on cargo transportation to Armenia. Moreover, we started to supply critical commodities to Armenia, primarily oil products, which the country is largely dependent on. It’s a win-win situation. So, I think that by the joint efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the civil society, we will achieve not long-lasting peace, but peace forever in the Caucasus. This is our goal.

– We hope so, yes. With Iran as your neighbor, I want to also mention, how is Azerbaijan engaging with the evolving crisis that we are seeing there? And what is your assessment of its impact of stability across Eurasia, also including the energy markets?

– Every country, including Azerbaijan, should think about stability around and beyond its borders. With respect to Azerbaijan, we do not have any potential risks inside the country. All the potential risks can come from outside. Therefore, for us, stability in our neighborhood is something that we always think about. We’ve been concerned about some destabilization in Iran. And for us, stability, predictability, and peace in the region are the biggest asset. We suffered from occupation, from war, from losing thousands of victims. And today, stability and security for every country are the only way to succeed.

With respect to the energy market, as you see today, the oil price is stable. It is at the appropriate level, at least for Azerbaijan. It demonstrates that the situation in Iran, the situation in Venezuela, and in other parts of the world do not seriously influence the price of oil. This is a good sign, because producers and consumers, they need to know the predictability of the situation in order to plan their future.

So I hope that the situation in the South Caucasus and around it will not deteriorate. This is what we really wish to see. I hope that every country will contribute to regional stability and security.

– Where do you feel that the South Caucasus sits in terms of being an emerging force in the energy sector and moving towards the EU as well?

– With respect to the energy sector, Azerbaijan is the only country in the Southern Caucasus which has energy resources and exports them to other countries of the Southern Caucasus. Other countries of the region import energy resources from Azerbaijan – Georgia for many years, and now Armenia. With respect to Europe and the European Union, our energy cooperation is growing. We already supply natural gas to 16 countries, and 10 of them are members of the European Union. So by this coverage, by the geographical coverage of supply of pipeline gas, Azerbaijan is number one in the world.

We have resources, we have a transportation system, modern pipelines. We have good relations with many European countries, and for them it’s a way to strengthen their energy security. For us, it’s an opportunity to sell our resources on the premium market. Though we sell gas not only in Europe, we have also started to export gas to Syria recently, but the European market, of course, is the best from the point of view of prices.

– How do you feel and how do you react to this constant criticism of Azerbaijan from the EU Parliament?

– Well, we do not react any longer.

– Very diplomatic answer.

– Yeah. We stopped reacting. We did react in the past, but of course, it’s so obvious that this biased situation towards Azerbaijan is generated by special lobbying groups, by special forces which cannot digest Azerbaijan’s independent policy.

So actually we have for many years already stopped any cooperation with the European Parliament and also with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. We cooperate with the European Commission, and for us it is enough.

But I think European Parliament puts itself in a very awkward situation, accusing us of what we have never done, including so-called our aggressive position towards Armenia, while Armenia itself appreciates the relationship with Azerbaijan.

Last August, the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan was initialed in the White House. So I hope that members of the European Parliament will find the courage to reconsider their unfair policy towards Azerbaijan.

– Mr. President, always a pleasure talking to you. Thank you for joining us on Euronews this morning.

– Thank you for the invitation.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine lost all off-site power due to “widespread military activity” this morning local time, Azernews reports.

He added that other nuclear power plants in Ukraine were also affected as attacks damaged several electrical substations.

“The IAEA is actively following developments in order to assess the impact on nuclear safety,” Grossi said.

Last month, the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost power overnight following strikes, the 12th time since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall will host a commemorative ceremony dedicated to the cherished memory of the victims of the January 20 tragedy, Azernews reports.

The event will feature a performance by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mustafa Mehmandarov.

The concert program will present notable works from both Azerbaijani and world classical music.

Among the featured pieces are the final scene from G.Garayev’s ballet “The Path of Thunder”, A. Melikov’s symphonic poem “The Last Pass”, the final movement of A. Alizadeh’s Symphony No. 4 “Mugamvari” and the internationally renowned “Adagio” by S. Barber.

This musical evening will not only pay tribute to the victims of the January 20 tragedy, a defining moment in the nation’s memory, but will also convey, through the universal language of music, the sorrow, pride, and indomitable spirit of the Azerbaijani people.

The Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic warmly invites all to participate in this meaningful commemorative event. Admission is free.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has made a post on his social media accounts on the occasion of the 20 January tragedy.

Azerbaijan Composers’ Union has hosted a commemorative event dedicated to the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, Azernews reports.

The event featured a speech by the Chairperson of the Azerbaijan Composers’ Union, Corresponding Member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), People’s Artist, and Professor Firangiz Alizadeh.

In her remarks, she spoke about the horrific tragedy committed against the civilian population in Baku on January 20, 1990. She particularly emphasized the fact that National Leader Heydar Aliyev was the first to give a political assessment of these events and to bring them to the attention of the international community. Firangiz Alizadeh also presented a list of numerous works composed by Azerbaijani composers in connection with this tragedy and shared her reflections on these compositions.

At the event, presentations were delivered by Jala Gulamova, PhD in Art Studies and Professor at the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, on the topic “The Artistic and Aesthetic Representation of the January 20 Tragedy in Azerbaijani Musical Culture,” and by Leyla Guliyeva, PhD in Art Studies and Associate Professor, titled “The Theme of January 20 in Symphonic Music.”

In addition, Leyla Zohrabova, Secretary of the Azerbaijan Composers’ Union, Doctor of Art Studies, and Associate Professor, spoke about the creative legacy of the renowned composer, Honored Art Worker Tahir Akbar, who was born on January 20, 1946.

Following the presentations, speeches were delivered by Elnara Dadashova, Secretary of the Azerbaijan Composers’ Union, Honored Art Worker and Professor; members of the Board including Honored Art Worker Mammadaga Umudov, composer Rana Gadimova, Doctor of Philosophy and Professor Mina Hajiyeva, and others.

The artistic segment of the event featured an audio recording of Tahir Akbar’s poem-composition ‘Ya Rabb.’ Young composer Kamran Nasirov also shared his thoughts on his work “January Elegy” for oboe and piano. The piece was performed by international competition laureates Murad Taghiyev (oboe) and Emil Ahmadzadeh (piano).