Category: Azer News

On October 3-4 and 10-11, GastroFest 2026 will bring residents and visitors together in Icherisheher with the partnership of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration.

GastroFest is a four-day festival that brings together gastronomy, music, creativity and a variety of cultural experiences under one festival concept, offering a rich and diverse program for people of different age groups.

The festival will give visitors an opportunity to discover new flavors, take part in creative activities, attend engaging meetings and enjoy live music, creating a vibrant and dynamic festival atmosphere.

Held in the unique setting of Icherisheher, GastroFest will showcase the combination of historical and cultural heritage with contemporary creative and gastronomic experiences, creating a distinctive connection between the historic setting and modern festival culture.

Gastronomy will be at the heart of the festival. Meetings with renowned chefs, a variety of cuisines, street food and new flavors will form the core of GastroFest’s culinary program.

The program has been designed to appeal to different age groups. Children will have access to special master classes, interactive activities and entertainment programs, while adults will be able to join gastronomic presentations, take part in creative workshops and explore the festival atmosphere.

Music will also be an important part of GastroFest, with performances by local and international DJs, live music and stage shows bringing contemporary rhythms to the historic surroundings of Icherisheher. Special zones featuring handicrafts, works of art and creative projects will add another dimension to the festival.

GastroFest will offer visitors a range of experiences to suit different interests: gastronomic discoveries for those looking to try new flavors, live performances for music lovers, art and handicraft zones for those interested in creativity, and enjoyable activities for families to share memorable moments together.

GastroFest is more than a gastronomy festival. It is a large-scale celebration that brings together food, music, creativity and entertainment against the backdrop of Icherisheher’s historical and cultural heritage, creating a shared space for people of different generations.

Restoration work is continuing on the Agdam-Khankendi railway line, which is set to become one of the new transportation routes in Karabakh.

According to Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, 90% of the design work and 48% of the construction work on the railway line have been completed.

The 30.8-kilometer railway line is planned to include a total of 130 engineering structures, including six bridges, five road underpasses, two pedestrian crossings and 47 emergency crossings.

The conceptual designs for the Aghdam-Khankendi railway stations in Aghdam and Khojaly have already been completed.

Meanwhile, construction of the Khankendi Railway and Bus Station Complex is progressing rapidly. The complex is expected to serve hundreds of passengers daily once completed.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Trkiye and Pakistan have convened for a quadrilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The meeting brings together the foreign ministers of four influential Muslim-majority countries as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, according to Al Arabiya, as reported on a social media account.

The discussions are expected to focus on regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East, ongoing conflicts and efforts to strengthen coordination among the four countries.

The meeting comes amid heightened tensions across the Middle East, with the conflict involving Iran, developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and wider regional security concerns featuring prominently on the international agenda.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Trkiye and Pakistan have maintained diplomatic contacts on major regional issues and have sought to coordinate positions on developments affecting the wider Muslim world.

Further details on the outcome of the quadrilateral meeting are expected to emerge following the talks.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to “depopulate Gaza City” on Tuesday in case of kidnappings of Israeli citizens or soldiers.

While speaking at a military ceremony on the occasion of Yom Kippur, Katz revealed that there are intelligence indications that Hamas is planning new kidnappings of Israelis. “In light of various intentions and intelligence, I warn the terror organization and its supporters, from Iran to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan: if even one Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped, the entire Gaza City’s … one million residents will be evacuated southward,” he said.

“This is the language that the jihadist terror organizations in Gaza and Lebanon understand, and this is the language we speak,” Katz concluded.

US Congressman Joe Wilson has voiced support for Turkiye’s return to the F-35 fighter jet production program and the lifting of sanctions imposed on Ankara under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Wilson made the remarks in an interview with Anadolu Agency.

Asked whether he supports delivering the F-35 fighter jets already purchased by Turkiye and restoring the country to the aircraft’s production program, Wilson answered in the affirmative.

‘Yes, I support that, and I hope the existing issues can be resolved. Ultimately, let’s go back to the starting point: Turkiye is a great ally of America, America is an ally of Turkiye, and we want to achieve mutual benefit,’ the congressman said.

Wilson also expressed hope that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump will succeed in resolving their differences over Russia’s S-400 air defense systems and Turkiye’s participation in the F-35 program.

Wilson is co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on US-Turkiye Relations.

‘We resolved all issues related to electricity and created a very robust potential. Today, our reserve generating capacities are quite substantial,’ said President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting dedicated to the State Program on the development of the mining and metallurgical industry.

‘Certain volumes are also exported, but in the coming years, this export will become large-scale-especially considering that there is great concern and a shortage in global markets regarding energy resources, including electricity, fuel, and natural gas-all essential products that ensure energy security. In short, the global picture is right before our eyes,’ the head of state added.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Trkiye and Pakistan have convened for a quadrilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The meeting brings together the foreign ministers of four influential Muslim-majority countries as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, according to Al Arabiya, as reported on a social media account.

The discussions are expected to focus on regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East, ongoing conflicts and efforts to strengthen coordination among the four countries.

The meeting comes amid heightened tensions across the Middle East, with the conflict involving Iran, developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and wider regional security concerns featuring prominently on the international agenda.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Trkiye and Pakistan have maintained diplomatic contacts on major regional issues and have sought to coordinate positions on developments affecting the wider Muslim world.

Further details on the outcome of the quadrilateral meeting are expected to emerge following the talks.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdoulkader Houssein Omar on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81).

The meeting focused on the current state and prospects of Azerbaijan-Djibouti relations, with both sides stressing the importance of maintaining high-level contacts and political dialogue.

Particular attention was paid to expanding cooperation in trade, the economy, education and humanitarian affairs, with the sides discussing ways to make more effective use of existing opportunities.

Bayramov and Omar also discussed coordination and mutual support within the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other multilateral platforms.

Azerbaijan’s preparations to host the OIC Summit in 2027 and its upcoming chairmanship of the organisation were also discussed.

The ministers exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the broader Middle East, stressing the importance of reducing tensions and resolving the situation through peaceful means.

China has successfully grown more than 20 varieties of plants from 14 species in orbit, laying the groundwork for the large-scale cultivation of crops aboard a space station.

The information was reported by the Chinese Astronaut Research and Training Center.

Lettuce, carrots, sunflowers, potatoes, and wheat are among the plants being cultivated aboard China’s Tiangong space station. In 2025, a more efficient aeroponic system – a method of growing plants without soil, in which their roots receive nutrients through a fine mist – was delivered to the station.

Wheat has already completed a full growth cycle in space. A second generation, grown from seeds produced during the first experiment, is now nearing the end of its growth cycle. This is an important step toward understanding whether crops can reproduce successfully in microgravity.

According to the center, two plant-growing systems are operating continuously aboard the station: one uses a traditional growing substrate, while the other relies on aeroponics. The experiments are part of efforts to develop closed-loop life-support systems capable of producing food and recycling water and air directly in space.

Scientists believe such technologies could become essential for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. Growing fresh food in space would not only reduce the amount of supplies that astronauts need to take from Earth, but could also provide psychological benefits by making spacecraft environments more similar to Earth.

China is also planning to create a so-called ‘lunar garden’ as part of its future lunar exploration program. If successful, such experiments could represent an important step toward making plants a permanent part of human life beyond Earth.

Senior leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party will gather for a major meeting in October.

According to the state news agency Xinhua, the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee, the party’s top decision-making body, will be held in Beijing from October 26 to 29.

The dates were set on Monday at a meeting of the 21-member Politburo chaired by Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping.

The Central Committee, which has around 200 members, holds closed-door plenary sessions roughly once a year. These meetings typically set or reaffirm the party’s key policy priorities.

The meeting also reviewed a draft decision of the CPC Central Committee on several important issues related to advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. After being revised in light of the opinions expressed during the meeting, the document is expected to be submitted for consideration at the fifth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

The upcoming session will be the fifth since the current Central Committee was formed following the Communist Party’s 20th National Congress in 2022. It is also expected to be among the final major meetings of the current committee before the next party congress, scheduled for autumn 2027.

It should be noted that the previous plenary session held in October 2025.