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Friday January 9 2026
Iran’s protests no longer speak language of reform [OPINION]

Iran’s protests no longer speak language of reform [OPINION]

Iran’s streets have always spoken loudly, but the refrains they echo today tell a story far different from those heard in earlier years. Over the past decade and a half, the language of protest in Iran has not only shifted, but it has transformed the political imagination of a generation. What began in 2009 as religiously infused calls for reform has, by late 2025, increasingly given way to open invocations of Iran’s monarchist past and chants for the return of the Pahlavi dynasty. This evolution reflects a widening disillusionment with factional politics inside the Islamic Republic and a deeper search for alternatives to the status quo.

Nation
Modern school built by Heydar Aliyev Foundation opens in Azerbaijan's Ujar [PHOTOS]

Modern school built by Heydar Aliyev Foundation opens in Azerbaijan's Ujar [PHOTOS]

The new building of Secondary School No. 2 in Ujar city has been put into operation. The former school building, constructed between 1958 and 1960, had become unfit for use due to its age.

Oil & Gas
TotalEnergies enters Block 8 offshore exploration permit [PHOTO]

TotalEnergies enters Block 8 offshore exploration permit [PHOTO]

TotalEnergies (35%, operator), together with its partners Eni (35%) and QatarEnergy (30%), have signed an agreement with the Lebanese government to enter Block 8 exploration permit offshore Lebanon, Azernews reports.

Business
Azercell expands payment options for Kinon App with bank card integration

Azercell expands payment options for Kinon App with bank card integration

Azercell continues to enhance the digital user experience by expanding payment flexibility within the Kinon streaming application. Subscribers can now pay for Kinon subscriptions using bank cards in addition to the existing mobile balance payment option.

Analysis

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
Baku citizens question how far trade with Armenia can go [COVERAGE]

Baku citizens question how far trade with Armenia can go [COVERAGE]

Rolling sluggishly from Guzdek station on January 8, 2025, the tank cars opened a new chapter in Azerbaijani-Armenian history. On the platform, a middle-aged man in a reflective jacket, half-jokingly, half-seriously whispered, “We have lived to see this day,” as the screeching wheels of the fuel-laden train echoed around him. Against this backdrop, it is impossible to reproach him: the two countries have been locked in war for three decades, and the history of their enmity stretches far beyond the dawn of their independence.

Armenian Aggression
Babayan breaks silence as Garabagh Armenians’ fate becomes political weapon

Babayan breaks silence as Garabagh Armenians’ fate becomes political weapon

Samvel Babayan, once the “commander” of the so-called Artsakh Defense Army and ex-“secretary” of the self-proclaimed Artsakh National Security Council, has returned to the spotlight with a blunt and uncompromising critique of the Armenian authorities. His timing, right before the June parliamentary elections, raises eyebrows, but his words strike at the unresolved legacy of Garabagh and the failures of Armenian leadership.

World
Russian sweets hit US import record

Russian sweets hit US import record

Imports of Russian confectionery products to the United States from January to October 2025 reached their highest levels since 2021, Azernews reports.

Travel
Azerbaijani pilgrims currently at Medina international airport

Azerbaijani pilgrims currently at Medina international airport
Second group of Azerbaijani pilgrims to depart for Hajj this month

Second group of Azerbaijani pilgrims to depart for Hajj this month
Astana celebrates Novruz with festive events and cultural celebrations [PHOTOS]

Astana celebrates Novruz with festive events and cultural celebrations [PHOTOS]
Albania’s impeccable hospitality and exuberant architecture

Albania’s impeccable hospitality and exuberant architecture
Experience charm of autumn season at Shahdag National Park

Experience charm of autumn season at Shahdag National Park
Georgian foreign travelers arrive in Shusha

Georgian foreign travelers arrive in Shusha

Lifestyle
Nizami Ganjavi's words set tone for harrowing tale of survival and resilience

Nizami Ganjavi's words set tone for harrowing tale of survival and resilience

Released in December 2025, the American thriller "Not Without Hope" opens with a powerful quote from the renowned Azerbaijani poet and philosopher Nizami Ganjavi: "In our hour of adversity, be not without hope, for crystal rain falls from the black clouds."

Culture
Ramil Gasimov fulfills his 27-year dream with first performance as Cavaradossi [PHOTOS]

Ramil Gasimov fulfills his 27-year dream with first performance as Cavaradossi [PHOTOS]

The Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater has presented the opera "Tosca" by the outstanding Italian composer Giacomo Puccini on the stage of the Opera Studio of the Baku Music Academy, Azernews reports.

Events
Will Maduro’s detention trigger sharp decline in oil or set stage for higher prices?

Will Maduro’s detention trigger sharp decline in oil or set stage for higher prices?

The arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States has sent shockwaves through global politics, but oil markets have responded with something closer to indifference. Prices did not spike. There was no panic buying, no immediate surge driven by fears of supply disruption. Instead, oil remained under pressure, reflecting a market that, at least for now, sees this dramatic political event as insufficient to alter the near-term balance of supply and demand.

Sports
Judo Federation expands access to tatami across country

Judo Federation expands access to tatami across country

Over the past year, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation (AJF) has supplied nearly 6,000 "Taishan" brand tatami mats to 80 sports halls nationwide, Azernews reports.

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