Chongqing residents seek shelter as heatwave hits China's southwest
As temperatures soared past 40°C in late July, Chongqing residents sought relief in subway stations, rivers, and bomb shelters, prompting a red alert...
107 years have passed since the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on May 28, 1918—the first secular democratic state in the Muslim East.
Following the February Revolution in Russia in 1917, the Tsarist Empire was overthrown. This triggered national liberation movements among the oppressed peoples under tsarist rule. On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920) was founded as the first secular democratic state in the Muslim East.
Founded by Mammad Amin Rasulzade, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) became the first parliamentary republic and the first democratic, legal, and secular state model in the Turkic and Islamic world.
The first head of the provisional Azerbaijani government was Fatali Khan Khoyski. After functioning in Tiflis (modern-day Tbilisi) for 10 days, the National Council moved to Ganja. Only after the liberation of Baku from Armenian-Russian Dashnak forces by Ottoman troops in September 1918 did the national government relocate to Baku.
Despite its short existence, independent Azerbaijan achieved major milestones. It granted women the right to vote for the first time, ensured gender equality, and established a national army, currency, democratization process, national bank, free elections, and international relations, along with efforts for international recognition of Azerbaijan’s independence, territorial integrity, and economic reforms.
The first country to officially recognize the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the Ottoman Empire, on June 4, 1918.
On November 9, 1918, based on Rasulzade’s proposal, the three-color flag of the ADR was adopted. Until then, the flag had been red.
The ADR only survived for 23 months, operating under extremely tense and complex political conditions. Unfortunately, before it reached its second anniversary, the Republic was invaded and overthrown by the Bolsheviks.
Soviet Russia forcibly incorporated Azerbaijan, ending its independence. However, the idea of freedom never faded. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan regained its independence.
Today, a monument to the Declaration of Independence stands in Baku to honor the ADR.
From 1991 to 2021, May 28 was celebrated as Republic Day. On October 15, 2021, the Azerbaijani Parliament adopted a new law renaming the holiday as Independence Day, which was immediately signed by President Ilham Aliyev.
With this law, May 28 is now officially known as Independence Day.
In Azerbaijan, Independence Day is a national holiday, observed annually as a public holiday.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Kazakhstan ramped up uranium production by 13% in the first half of 2025, according to Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium producer, reinforcing its position as a global nuclear fuel supplier despite falling market prices and weak sales.
Over 140 delegates from 52 countries gathered in Shusha for the third Global Media Forum. The focus was clear—AI’s rising influence on journalism and the urgent questions it brings.
Kazakhstan is preparing to raise oil exports through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline to 1.7 million tonnes next year, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported on Thursday, citing Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.
Türkiye and Gabon have signed eight significant agreements in Ankara on 31 July. During an official ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, joint cooperation documents between the two countries were formalised.
Traces of organic chlorides have been detected in some batches of crude oil sent to global markets via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, one of Azerbaijan’s main export routes.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment