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State investigator Eva Bergqvist has submitted a new proposal that would make the use of illegal IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) services punishable by law for private individuals in Sweden. According to Bergqvist, as many as 15% of Swedish households currently access such services, which she describes as a serious and growing problem, Azernews reports.

The proposed legislation includes fines for end users and stricter penalties for those who provide or distribute illegal IPTV content. Authorities such as the police, public prosecutors, the Tax Agency, and the Swedish Patent and Registration Office are expected to ramp up their efforts in combating the issue.

The report also outlines technical and regulatory measures, including the possibility of blocking illegal streams at the IP level and restricting advertisements and payment services connected to such platforms. Similar approaches have already been implemented in several other European countries, such as the UK, Italy, and Germany.

Bergqvist stressed that illegal IPTV poses not only an economic risk to Sweden’s entertainment industry but also a potential national security threat. ‘One can only imagine news broadcasts manipulated with artificial intelligence-this isn’t just about pirated movies anymore,’ she warned.

Sweden’s Minister of Culture, Parisa Liljestrand, expressed strong support for the initiative, stating that the government intends to act swiftly. ‘We take this issue seriously and will move forward with the legislative process without delay,’ she said.

The popularity of illegal IPTV services has surged across Europe in recent years, largely due to the high cost of legal subscriptions and the growing demand for on-demand content. However, authorities are increasingly concerned that many of these services are linked to organized crime networks, money laundering, and even malware distribution. As governments begin to crack down, users may soon face real consequences for streaming pirated content from the comfort of their homes.

A literary-musical gathering dedicated to the creativity of the prominent Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan has taken place at the Cultural Centre of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris, Azernews reports.

Representatives of French literature and intellectual circles, poets and writers, as well as journalists, attended the literary gathering.

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to France, Leyla Abdullayeva, delivered a speech at the event, discussing Khurshidbanu Natavan, the famous 19th-century Azerbaijani poetess and daughter of the last ruler of the Garabagh Khanate. She spoke about Natavan’s rich creative work, her contributions to the development of Azerbaijani literature and art, as well as her charitable activities. The Ambassador provided the participants with insights into the life and legacy of this prominent female figure of her time.

At the gathering, French representatives, including Alain Tremolye, a graduate of the Marseille Conservatory of Dramatic Arts and a classical vocal performer, Fatima Chbiban, the president of the “Rives Méditerranéenes” cultural organization and author of six poetry collections, and Sitara Guliyeva, a literature theory student currently studying at the University of Strasbourg in the field of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean studies and a translator of literary works, spoke about Natavan’s literary contributions. They also recited her ghazals in both Azerbaijani and French.

The presentation of the ghazals was accompanied by Azerbaijani national music and mugham. The performance featured Elchin Naghiyev, the head of the Instrumental Performance Department at the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, playing the tar, and Elshan Mansurov, an associate professor at the Faculty of Arts at Garabagh University, a People’s Artist and master of the kamancha.

The harmonious blend of mugham and the poetic depth of the ghazals not only showcased the richness of Azerbaijani culture but also touched the hearts of the listeners.

At the end of the event, the participants of the Natavan poetry gathering took a commemorative photo in front of the statue of the prominent poetess located in the garden of the Cultural Center.

Azerbaijani taekwondo national team member Ziya Hasanli (63 kg) has secured the country’s first gold medal at the 3rd CIS Games, Azernews reports.

This accomplishment represents a historic moment for Azerbaijani taekwondo.

Following his win, Hasanli expressed his feelings, mentioning that he had undergone rigorous preparation over a long period to achieve the championship:

“I achieved my goal, and I’m happy. The final fight was especially tough, but I managed to win. Winning the first taekwondo gold in the history of the CIS Games is an incredible feeling.”

On his way to the gold medal, Hasanli competed in three matches, showcasing remarkable strength and determination throughout:

“I faced three opponents. The toughest was the last fight, but I was ready, and I’m very happy with my performance. My next goal is to become an Olympic champion”, he concluded.

The third Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games are underway in Azerbaijan from September 28 to October 8, 2025, marking a major highlight in the region’s sports calendar.

This multi-sport event unites athletes from CIS member nations and invited countries, aiming to foster friendship, cooperation, and sporting excellence.

For the first time in the history of the CIS Games, competitions are being held across seven Azerbaijani cities: Ganja, Mingachevir, Gabala, Shaki, Goygol, Yevlakh, and Khankandi.

Each city is hosting different sports, with Ganja, the country’s second-largest city, serving as the central hub and officially recognised as the CIS Sports Capital for 2025.

The event’s mascots, Babir and Leyla, are engaging young fans and building excitement around the games.

About 23 sports are taking place at 12 venues, showcasing a diverse and comprehensive program.

CIS Games 2025 brought together approximately 1,624 athletes from 13 countries.

The Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) has held a meeting to discuss key strategic initiatives, Azernews reports.

One of the main topics on the agenda was the Academy’s participation in the upcoming 11th Baku International Book Fair.

In his speech, President of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Isa Habibbayli, stated that the 11th Baku International Book Fair.

Academician Isa Habibbayli emphasized that the relevance of the theme “Technohuman: Yesterday’s Legend, Today’s Reality” stems from the need to thoroughly analyze, on scientific and philosophical grounds, the changing position and functional role of humans in society against the backdrop of rapidly developing technologies, as well as the influence of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on human activity.

He also spoke about the recent reforms carried out by ANAS in line with state policy in the field of artificial intelligence and particularly highlighted comprehensive measures aimed at applying AI technologies in the humanities and social sciences.

Touching on the importance of ANAS’s high-level participation in the 11th Baku International Book Fair, academician Isa Habibbayli noted that this would not only support the state’s science and technology development strategy but also serve as an important platform to showcase ANAS’s modernized scientific priorities.

He gave instructions to ensure the active participation of all ANAS scientific institutions and organizations in the fair and to present the latest scientific publications to the public.

Following this, Sabuhi Gahramanov, Director of the ANAS Elm Publishing House and PhD in Philology, provided information on the preparations for the fair.

He noted that ANAS publications would be presented in two segments: on October 1, under the theme “At the Academy: Bibliographic Publications and Serial Academic Editions,” and on October 4, under the theme “The Academy’s Zangazur-name: From Folklore Collections to Academic Research.”

He added that preparations have been finalized and all necessary measures have been taken to ensure ANAS’s participation at a high level.

Taking all of the above into account, a relevant Commission has been established to ensure ANAS’s participation in the fair and to organize the necessary events and discussions within the framework of the book fair.

Organized by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, the 11th Baku International Book Fair will be held from October 1 to 7 at the Baku Expo Center.

This year’s fair, themed “Technoman: yesterday’s legend, today’s event”, will create opportunities for broad discussions on the impact of technology on human life in the scientific and cultural context of the modern era.

The fair will feature participation from 41 foreign organizations from 18 countries and more than 100 local publishing, printing, and book-related institutions.

Throughout the fair, a variety of events will be organized, including masterclasses for children and adults, book presentations on inclusion and other relevant topics, book signings, conferences, symposiums, contests, reading and music hours, and collaboration platforms for stakeholders in the book industry.

More than 250 events in various formats are planned over the course of the fair.

Prominent writers and scholars from countries such as Turkiye, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Qatar, and others will also take part.

Special shuttle buses will be available for visitors from the “Elml?r Akademiyasi,” “28 May,” and “Koroglu” metro stations to the Baku Expo Center. Admission to the fair is free of charge.

The exhibition will be open daily from 10:00 to 20:00.

SOCAR Green plans to allocate more than 500 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity under a 240 MW innovative renewable energy project aimed at decarbonizing the Sangachal oil and gas terminal.

Azernews reports that this was announced by Elchin Tarquliyev, solar and wind energy expert at SOCAR Green, during his speech at Baku Climate Action Week 2025.

Tarquliyev explained that the company will feed electricity into the national grid and then draw it from another part of the country specifically to support carbon reduction at the Sangachal terminal. ‘This is a 240 MW project, and over 500 million kWh of electricity will be allocated for the terminal’s decarbonization efforts,’ he noted.

He also highlighted SOCAR Green’s focus on developing small- and medium-scale renewable energy projects, primarily targeting the business sector, including SOCAR itself. These projects are designed to help companies reduce both emissions and electricity costs, with power sold slightly below national tariffs. While the company’s primary focus remains on solar and wind energy, it is also actively exploring the potential of geothermal and biogas resources, which are currently in the assessment phase.

Swimming competitions continue at the Ganja Sports Palace as part of the 3rd CIS Games, Azernews reports.

According to Idman.biz, Azerbaijani swimmers Ogtay Huseynov, Yegor Maynitskiy, Farhad Shirmammadli, and Suleyman Ismayilzade won the bronze medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay.

Athletes from Russia took the gold medal, while swimmers from Kazakhstan earned the silver.

Azerbaijan is hosting the third Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games from September 28 to October 8, 2025, marking a significant event in the region’s sports calendar.

This multi-sport competition brings together athletes from CIS member states and invited countries, aiming to promote friendship, cooperation, and athletic excellence.

For the first time in the history of the CIS Games, competitions are being held across seven cities in Azerbaijan: Ganja, Mingachevir, Gabala, Shaki, Goygol, Yevlakh, and Khankandi.

Each city hosts events in different sports, with the second-largest city, Ganja, serving as the main hub and officially designated the CIS Sports Capital for 2025.

Around 23 sports are being contested across 12 venues, highlighting a broad and inclusive athletic program.

A total of 1,624 athletes from 13 countries had confirmed participation. Event mascots Babir and Leyla are helping to generate enthusiasm among young fans.

On September 30, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held an expanded meeting with Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic.

Addressing the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev said:

– Dear Mr. President,

Distinguished guests,

I sincerely welcome you to Azerbaijan. We attach great importance to your visit. This is a manifestation of the relations of friendship and partnership between Italy and Azerbaijan.

We meet quite often in Rome. At the same time, this is your second official visit to Azerbaijan. During our meeting last year, I invited you to Azerbaijan, so I thank you for accepting my invitation. Today, the development of Italian-Azerbaijani relations is evident. We have already discussed several important issues. Our cooperation is multifaceted. We can state that it covers many areas, from energy to industrial production. Currently, our collaboration, which also covers the education sector, is of truly strategic importance, and I can say that the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed five years ago, is being fully implemented.

Our relations are also crucial for the development of the region in which we are located and have a positive impact on our relations with the European Union. Italy has always supported our efforts to build closer relations with the European Union, and we are grateful to you for that.

Of course, there are many significant results in the energy sector. We have already talked about this. We will now continue this discussion in a broader format. Of course, we can rightly congratulate each other on the results already achieved. But our plans are broader. The implementation of new projects in the energy sector, both in a bilateral format with Italy and with the European Union as a whole, is very important, and we are successfully working on these issues.

Tomorrow there will also be a wonderful event – we will jointly participate in the opening of the new building of the Italy-Azerbaijan University. This is, in fact, our friendship project. Only three years have passed from the start of the project to its implementation. In 2022, I issued a relevant Order, and hundreds of students are already involved in education. Of course, they will become ambassadors of Italian-Azerbaijani friendship. They will both receive a wonderful education and further strengthen the friendship between us.

I greet you once again and say ‘Welcome!”

X X X

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said:

– Thank you, Mr. President. As I mentioned during our meeting, I am pleased to be visiting Baku again. I am truly delighted to see you in Baku again after seven years. This is evidence of the deep friendship that binds our countries together and of the multifaceted strategic partnership between us.

Your visit to Rome is another vivid example of our friendly relations. We attach great importance, in particular, to the strategic partnership between our countries. These relations continue to expand, cover multiple areas and are of great importance for the future.

It is a great honor for me to participate in the opening of the new university campus together with you tomorrow. This once again proves that the partnership between our countries is not limited to the economic sphere. This is also an example of the high level of cultural relations between us and the fact that they will open new horizons for the cooperation between our young people in the future.

Let me express my sincere gratitude to you for your invitation. This is also an occasion for more meetings in the future.

A one-on-one meeting between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Italy Sergio Mattarella has kicked off in Baku, Azernews reports.

The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland – Johann Wadephul, Jean-Noel Barrot, and Radoslaw Sikorski – called on Russia on Monday to cease its violations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) members’ airspace, Azernews reports.

Speaking at a meeting with Ukrainian chief diplomat Andrii Sybiha amid their joint appearance at the Warsaw Security Forum, Wadephul pressed for closer defense cooperation between European countries. He also insisted that “no member state will be left alone with this threat.”

Previously, at the same event, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed that his country, Poland, and their allies create a joint defense shield against Russian air threats.

Azerbaijan is preparing a new climate plan – its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) – which will serve as a roadmap for building the country’s future energy system, COP29 President and Special Envoy of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Change Mukhtar Babayev said during his speech at Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW2025), Azernews reports.

According to Babayev, the new framework envisions an energy system that will be cleaner, smarter, and more resilient.

‘It outlines how we will diversify beyond oil and gas, how we will scale up renewable energy, and how we will integrate energy efficiency and innovation into our economy,’ he emphasized.

Babayev stressed that NDCs are both international commitments under the Paris Agreement and national priorities for Azerbaijan.

‘These documents are the cornerstones of the global fight against climate change. At the same time, they provide a ‘green light’ for green investments, define timelines and targets, identify national priority sectors, and demonstrate the government’s commitment to concrete action,’ he added.