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By the end of 2024, Malta, Taiwan, South Korea, and Spain have emerged as the countries with the lowest fertility rates globally, Azernews reports.

Malta tops the list, with an average of just 1.06 children born per woman over her lifetime. Taiwan follows closely with 1.11, while South Korea and Spain share third place at 1.12 each. Singapore rounds out the top five, registering a fertility rate of 1.17.

Other countries in the bottom ten include Lithuania (1.18), Poland (1.20), Italy (1.21), Ukraine (1.22), and both Macau and Hong Kong at 1.24.

Russia finds itself within the top 30 of this ‘anti-ranking,’ with a fertility rate of 1.4, alongside nations like Japan, Cyprus, and Norway.

In stark contrast, the highest fertility rates continue to be recorded in African countries. Niger leads globally with an average of 6.64 children per woman. The rest of the top five includes Angola (5.7), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (5.49), Mali (5.35), and Benin (5.34).

Addressing concerns over declining birth rates, Russian State Duma deputy Tatyana Butskaya announced in May that from 2026, birth rate indicators will be incorporated into the key performance metrics (KPIs) for regional governors. She emphasized that every working day for governors will begin with a review of demographic data. Moreover, not only regional authorities but also educational institutions and employers will be involved in monitoring and addressing birth rate trends.

This move reflects growing recognition worldwide of the demographic challenges posed by declining fertility rates-issues that have profound implications for economic growth, social welfare, and long-term national development.

OpenAI has launched an exciting new integration that lets users connect external app controls directly within ChatGPT. This means you can now create a Spotify playlist or browse local real estate listings on Zillow – all without leaving the chatbot interface, Azernews reports.

This innovation is reminiscent of the ‘mini-apps’ seen on messaging platforms like Telegram and Discord, allowing users to interact with various services seamlessly. Thanks to this integration, you can continue chatting with ChatGPT while giving it instructions on how to operate connected apps.

Leading services such as Spotify, Canva, and Zillow have already begun piloting these built-in application interfaces within ChatGPT.

Looking ahead, OpenAI plans to open the door wider later this year, inviting a broader community of developers to submit their own applications. These will be showcased in a user-accessible app catalog. According to OpenAI’s app development guidelines, submitted apps should be ‘consistent, useful, and trustworthy,’ enhancing ChatGPT’s capabilities by offering genuine value to users. Examples include apps for booking trips, ordering food, checking availability, or tracking deliveries.

Importantly, the guidelines caution developers against using apps to generate lengthy content, build complex workflows, serve ads, or send irrelevant messages-ensuring the chatbot experience remains smooth and focused.

This integration marks a significant step forward in making ChatGPT a versatile hub for managing everyday digital tasks, potentially transforming how we interact with apps through conversational AI.

In a constructive step toward strengthening international dialogue, the leadership of the Azerbaijan National Anti-Doping Agency (AMADA), headed by Dr. Tahmina Taghi-zada, held fruitful discussions with Dr. Mondher Gabouj, Director General of the Tunisia National Anti-Doping Agency (ANAD), Azernews reports.

The discussions focused on possible avenues of collaboration, with education and science identified as potential priority areas.

Among the ideas raised were training and capacity-building programs for athletes and athlete support personnel (ASP), as well as co-hosted educational workshops and seminars.

Both sides noted that further consultations will be needed to develop these ideas into concrete initiatives.

The meeting reflected a shared interest in exploring cooperation that could support clean sport, mutual learning, and scientific development in the years ahead.

President of the Republic of Trkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan has completed his visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

A guard of honor was lined up for the Turkish President at Gabala International Airport.

President Erdogan was seen off by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev and other officials.

Footage from the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States in Gabala has been shared on the social media pages of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

Azernews presents the post:

“The 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Gabala.”

Azerbaijan’s national chovqan team has been crowned the champion, Azernews reports.

In the final, the national team faced off against the team from Uzbekistan.

Before the start of the match, the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan were played.

In an exciting game, our national team secured a 3-0 victory. With this result, our team became the champion of the third CIS Games.

Within the framework of the third CIS Games, the chovqan tournament was held from September 28 to October 7, with the participation of teams from six countries, including Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkiye, and Kuwait.

The Azerbaijani team took first place in the chovqan tournament, the Uzbek team came in second, and the Kyrgyz team placed third.

Chovqan is a traditional equestrian sport played between two teams riding Garabagh horses, a breed native to Azerbaijan. Considered the ancestor of modern polo, chovqan was historically played during festive celebrations and holidays.

Each team consists of five riders-two defenders (fullbacks) and three attackers (forwards).

The match begins at the center of the field, where players use wooden mallets to strike a small ball made of leather or wood, aiming to score goals against the opposing team. A standard game lasts for 30 minutes.

In recognition of its cultural significance, UNESCO inscribed chovqan on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2013.

Azerpost LLC has launched a new collaboration with the international e-commerce platform Temu as part of its efforts to expand digital logistics solutions, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport.

A meeting was held between representatives of Azerpost and Temu, leading to a formal agreement. As a result, Azerpost’s parcel delivery brand, Postcargo, will now work directly with Temu to handle international shipments for customers in Azerbaijan. This partnership is expected to significantly improve the speed and convenience of deliveries, especially for users in regional areas, where packages will be delivered directly by couriers.

With more than 800 service branches and pickup points across the country, Postcargo is well-positioned to support this expanded service. The collaboration also aims to strengthen Azerbaijan’s role in global e-commerce and promote national logistics capabilities. By integrating Temu’s global product range into the local market, the partnership will make international goods more accessible and affordable for Azerbaijani consumers.

Temu, which operates in over 90 markets, connects millions of manufacturers and brands with customers worldwide, focusing on offering high-quality products at competitive prices.

On October 7, in Gabala, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and other heads of state and government participating in the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) attended a ceremony to lay, in an online format, the foundation stone for a mosque to be built by Turkmenistan in Fuzuli, Azernews reports.

The mosque complex to be constructed in Fuzuli by Turkmenistan will cover an area of over one hectare. The building will feature two 40-meter-high minarets and a main dome reaching 30 meters in height. The mosque will accommodate up to 500 worshippers at a time.

Member and observer states of the OTS are also contributing to the restoration efforts in Karabakh and East Zangezur initiated by the Azerbaijani state. These contributions include the construction of this mosque in Fuzuli by Turkmenistan, the Mirzo Ulugbek School built by Uzbekistan in Fuzuli, the Kurmangazy Children’s Creativity Center constructed by Kazakhstan in Fuzuli, the Manas School built by Kyrgyzstan in Aghdam, the school building under construction in Jabrayil by Hungary, as well as the participation of Turkish companies in the construction of numerous tunnels, bridges, and roads.

A jubilee medal will be established to mark the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of Azerbaijan (1995-2025), Azernews reports.

A relevant draft law has been submitted to the Milli Majlis.

The proposed amendment to the law ‘On the Establishment of Orders and Medals of the Republic of Azerbaijan’ envisions the creation of the jubilee medal of the Republic of Azerbaijan titled ’30th Anniversary of the Constitution of Azerbaijan (1995-2025).’

The draft has been included in the agenda of the plenary session of the parliament scheduled for October 10.

On October 7, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomed the heads of state and government participating in the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Gabala, Azernews reports.

The heads of state and government posed for a group photograph.