A private TV channel, Channel-S, opened in Azerbaijan’s western Shaki District on Monday. The new broadcaster with a 50-member technical support and creative staff, which has a new three-story office, will present programs in Azeri eight hours a day. The TV channel will be initially broadcast only in Shaki and some adjacent regions. It will be broadcasted through satellite from 2011.*... читать

The Icharishahar underground station in Baku was reopened on Monday after renovation operations. President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the station located in the center of the capital. Head of the Baku subway administration, Taghi Ahmadov, said 15 million manats ($18.75 million) had been spent on the overhaul. Special transparent glass was used in the design of the facility. The upgrade work at the subway station, which was earlier called Baki Soveti, had commenced in November 2007...... полностью

One person has been killed and 15 others injured in 13 incidents involving mines and unexploded ordnances in Azerbaijan this year, according to a local group working to counter explosives. 14 of the affected persons were civilians, including the killed individual, and two were servicemen. The explosions took place in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, Terter, and Khojavand districts, which are located on the frontline with Armenia, Hafiz Safikhanov, head of the Azerbaijan Public Union for Campaign against Mi...... полностью

An Azerbaijani woman held hostage in the Russian republic of Daghestan has been released. Nisbat Farhadova, a resident of the Azerbaijani capital Baku, had called the Interior Ministry’s service in charge of duty centers, and informed the law enforcers that she had been locked up in a village of the Kyzylyurt district. According to her, the kidnappers - five to six individuals - had presented themselves as employees of the prosecutor’s office and police officers, the ministry said. The outlaws ...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s leading cellular operator, Azercell, has launched international roaming services with UK’s Jersey Telecom and Belarusian Best companies. The deal is Azercell’s sixth roaming agreement with the United Kingdom and the third one with Belarus. Currently, Azercell subscribers can benefit from the services of UK’s Vodafone, One2One (T-Mobile), Hutchison 3G UK Ltd, Orange, O2 (Cellnet) Telefonica, and Belarusian Velcom–MDC and JLLC Mobile TeleSystems operators. So far, Azercell Telecom...... полностью

Education Minister Misir Mardanov has dismissed allegations that the stabbing of a teacher at the Baku College of Finance on Monday was caused by a bribe. Mardanov told reporters Tuesday that the ministry had immediately scrutinized circulating reports about the instructor’s killing and some reports linking it to bribery were proven to have no merit. “This incident is very unfortunate for the field of education,” the minister said. “Yesterday, I was personally involved throughout the day in s...... полностью

Turkic nations meeting in Ankara have launched discussions on a common language. The 10-day congress of Turkic-speaking nations is focusing on relations among these countries and researching ancient monuments with inscriptions in Turkic languages. About 20 Azerbaijani linguists are participating at the event. Associate member of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof. Nizami Jafarov said problems regarding a common language of Turkic countries have been essentially solved. “Accepting Turkey...... полностью

Turkish and Azerbaijani humanitarian organizations will sign an agreement on cooperation soon. The document is to be inked either in Ankara or in Baku in the near future, as a delegation of the Turkish Red Crescent Society (TRCS) is in Baku to discuss the issue. The Turkish delegates held a meeting in the head office of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society (AzRCS) on Tuesday. The priorities of cooperation were in focus at the discussions. The TRCS President Tekin Kucukali told reporters that...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s leading cellular operator, Azercell, held an “Open Doors” event at the Caucasus University on Tuesday to kick off a scholarship program for students with outstanding academic achievements. Students attending the event received comprehensive information about the program. Those mastering such sciences as computer engineering, computer systems and networks, as well as business administration, were advised by the company’s specialists about training sessions pertinent to their fields ...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s leading cellular operator, Azercell, continues making effort to expand the scope of its coverage and quality of mobile communication. Azercell Telecom LLC praised the results achieved in August, saying it had installed 20 new radio base stations for subscribers. Six of the stations are located in the capital Baku, one in Absheron, while the rest are located in Astara, Imyshly, Lerik, Gabala, Gobustan, Guba, Terter, Tovuz, Ujar and Zagatala districts. Azercell has installed a tota...... полностью

A meeting of the CIS countries’ border service heads will start in Baku on Wednesday. Issues relating to fighting terrorism, human and drug trafficking as well as illegal migration will be discussed during the two-day meeting.*... читать

An ATR 72-500 passenger plane purchased from France will be delivered to Azerbaijan on Wednesday, according to state airline AzAL. The delivery will be realized under an agreement reached with French-Italian regional turboprop manufacturer Avions de Transport Regional (ATR). This will be the sixth aircraft brought to the country in accordance with the agreement signed between AzAL and the foreign company.*... читать

The salaries of Azeri employees in educational institutions funded from the state budget were increased 25% from September 1 under a presidential decree. Minister of Education Misir Mardanov told reporters that the measure would serve to the improved welfare of a great number of teachers. He said that the presidential decree would cover up to 400,000 people working in all fields of education, except higher education. “By issuing such a decree on the eve of the start of a new academic year, th...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s leading cellular operator, Azercell, continues its Golden Number and Telephone campaign which started late in 2007. Taking into account great interest of the subscribers participating in the campaign, Azercell Telecom LLC has started to present a new series of golden numbers to the campaign’s subscribers. For example, whereas only those who bought such cell phones as Samsung SGH-i710, Samsung SGH-G600, Nokia 6500, Nokia 6120, Sony-Ericsson P1, and Sony-Ericsson K810 have so far be...... полностью

Bakcell Company, the first cellular operator in Azerbaijan, has updated its website. New design of the company’s Internet resource, www.bakcell.com, fully complies with the image of Bakcell. The new design of the web-page is based on three key values: accessibility, cutting-edge technology and simplicity. Owing to the up-to-date Java script technology applied in developing the site, navigation of the site has been improved, fast and handy information access provided, and the titles panel allow...... полностью

The sales prices of six newspapers published in Azerbaijan were increased from September 1. Paper owners explained their move with a rise in the prices of printing materials and gross expenses. The opposition Azadlig, Bizim Yol and Baku Khabar, as well as sports publications Football+, Het Trick and Champion are currently selling for 40 Gapiks (about 50 cents).*... читать

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) started in Baku on Tuesday. Speaking at the meeting, head of the President’s Office department for political analysis and provision of information, Elnur Aslanov, said that the Azerbaijani authorities believed there were favorable conditions for the development of the country’s media. Aslanov said the role of information was assuming a global scale. At the same time, he regretted that information was ...... полностью

The US Department of State will implement a new program for young teachers and pensioners working in Azerbaijani universities. Winners of the contest to be held within the program will undergo an intern in a chosen field in the United States within five months. Those willing to participate in the contest can submit their documents to the Baku office of the American Council for Collaboration in Education and Language Study (ACCELS) by August 29.*... читать

The number of those who choose Azerbaijan’s leading cellular provider Azercell continues to grow. During the first seven months of 2008, the number of the company’s subscribers increased by 500,000. Today, Azercell, with its 3.5 million clientele, covers the entire territory of the country and offers the highest quality communication services. While commenting on this achievement, Azercell Telecom General Manager Halim Ates said: “We are growing constantly in the conditions of tough competit...... полностью

About ten political columnists and journalists of several influential US publications have arrived in Azerbaijan. During the visit organized by the Azerbaijan Diplomacy Academy, the US media representatives will keep in spotlight the political and economic changes taking place in Azerbaijan, economic development in the country, as well as the living conditions of citizens. The US journalists will also attend an international conference entitled “How do Azerbaijanis and Americans see each othe...... полностью

A human skeleton was discovered in Caspian waters near a village in Azerbaijan’s Siyazan district on Monday evening. Siyazan Prosecutor Hasan Hanifayev said the law enforcers were looking into the possibility that the skeleton belonged to one of the pilots of a MIG 29 fighter jet which crashed in the Shurabad section of the sea on January 29. The theory was put forth after an initial check-up by forensic experts. The facts will be established after the samples taken from the bones are genetica...... полностью

A senior Azerbaijani official has said appointing a media ombudsman in the country was not a hot issue on the agenda. The head of the President’s Office socio-political department, Ali Hasanov, emphasized that media watchdog Press Council was currently in charge of regulating relations of the media with citizens and government agencies. The Council has begun to gain more public confidence of late. Hasanov said a separate law On the Press Council may be passed in the country in the future. “I...... полностью

The 133rd anniversary of the Azerbaijani press was marked across the country on Tuesday. Azerbaijan’s first newspaper, Akinchi, was published on July 22, 1875 by Hasan Bay Zardabi, who was one of the greatest enlighteners in the country. A total of 56 issues of the newspaper came out until September 1877. There are about 2,500 journalists in Azerbaijan. Although some 3,500 mass media have been registered, only 650 of them, including about 400 newspapers, some 50 electronic mass media and 20...... полностью

87 Azerbaijani peacekeepers who have completed their mission in Iraq returned home Monday night. Talking to journalists at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport of Baku, the commander of the peacekeeping contingent Sadig Yahyazada said that the Azerbaijani military men were serving with their US counterparts. They were guarding Iraq’s Hadid water reservoir and the US military base located in the area. The Azerbaijani servicemen shared experience with their US counterparts within six months. ...... полностью

A representative of the Azerbaijani Diaspora in Ukraine has been appointed to the post of Vice-President of the country’s state-run Ukrtransstroy construction company, according to the Ukrainian media reports. Isa Aliyev will be responsible for the company’s cooperation with Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Ukrtransstroy company, which incorporates 51 enterprises, is carrying out construction work in Bulgaria, Syria, Iraq, Finland, Argentine, R...... полностью

The number of young smokers in Azerbaijan has increased in 2008, a recent study revealed. Irada Yagubova, head of the ELS Independent Research Center, which conducted the survey in six higher and 14 secondary schools, said 34 per cent of the 800 students said they smoked. The figure among male students has risen from 39 per cent in 2007 to 46 per cent, while the number of female smokers - from 8 to 17 per cent. 52 per cent of those polled said they were exposed to cigarette smoke the...... полностью

The number of Turkish citizens working in Azerbaijan has increased. Whereas 629 Turkish nationals came to the country to work in 2006, the figure was 632 in 2007, the Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Security said. In total, over 142,000 Turkish citizens left for 55 countries over the past two years to work in the construction, catering, trade and other sectors. The number of Turkish nationals, who have attained the right of temporary residence in foreign countries, has reached 3.7 m...... полностью

Azerbaijan is a leader in South Caucasus on global technologies, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said. The country ranked 67th in the group’s report covering 127 countries, surpassing the neighboring republics of Georgia and Armenia, which were rated 91st and 106th respectively. Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland topped the list, while Central Asian state Kazakhstan ranked 71st, a point ahead of Russia. The report aims to determine the factors affecting the development... читать

The Baku railway police have discovered four kilograms of hashish in the Baku-Moscow train. The drugs smuggled from Iran were impounded from an Azerbaijani citizen who was supposed to take them to Moscow. Parvana Khashalova, 25, a resident of the western Zagatala District, said in her first testimony during the investigation that she had taken the narcotic substance from a person she did not know.*... читать

Azerbaijan will become the first ever purchaser of Russia’s BE-200 amphibious aircraft. The plane manufactured by the Irkutsk scientific production enterprise will be used for fire extinguishing. The BE-200 aircraft has been tested successfully and will be delivered to Azerbaijan in mid-April.*... читать