Category: Azer News

On February 11, a solo exhibition titled “Looking out of Credible” by the renowned Hungarian tapestry artist Zsuzsa Péreli will open at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, AzerNEWS reports.

The exhibition will present 29 works that reflect Zsuzsa Péreli’s worldview, creative potential, and high level of professional mastery, as she is considered one of the leading representatives of textile art.

In the tapestries created through the synthesis of silk, wool, and cotton, the artist organically combines themes such as the relationship between humans and nature, the universe, time, memory, eternity, and others with mythological imagery and abstract motifs. Her works, distinguished by profound philosophical content, impeccable composition, and rich color solutions, preserve classical European tapestry traditions while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of this art form through the use of new materials, techniques, and innovative creative approaches. Acting as a mediator between the material and immaterial worlds, Zsuzsa Péreli’s tapestries convey emotions and spiritual realities that are difficult to express in words, using symbolic language. These qualities lend individuality and timelessness to the works of the artist, who occupies a unique place in contemporary tapestry art.

In 2001, Zsuzsa Péreli became the first foreign artist to hold a solo exhibition in Aubusson, France, regarded as the center of tapestry art. Her works are housed in museums and private collections in various countries.

Organized by the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation, and the Kovács Gábor Art Foundation, the exhibition makes a significant contribution to the development of intercultural cooperation and to the promotion of contemporary trends in textile art.

The exhibition will run until February 28, 2026.

Nigar Manafli’s solo exhibition “The Heritage of Oil” has solemnly opened at D’Art Gallery in Baku, AzerNEWS reports.

The ceremony commenced with a welcome address by Dilara Muzaffarli, art historian, founder and director of D’Art Gallery, who briefly presented the exhibition and extended her best wishes to all attendees for an enjoyable evening.

People’s Artist of Azerbaijan and distinguished graphic designer, Professor Arif Huseynov, together with Aydin Yagubov, Senior Manager at Turan Drilling, highlighted Nigar Manafli’s artistic achievements.

They congratulated her on the occasion of her first solo exhibition and conveyed their best wishes for her continued success and forthcoming projects.

In turn, the author of the exhibition, Maintenance Superintendent at Central Azeri, Nigar Manafli, expressed her sincere gratitude to the organizers, provided an overview of her personal project “The Heritage of Oil”, and thanked all guests for sharing in this significant moment, which she had long anticipated and meticulously prepared for.

Following the formal proceedings, attendees were invited to view the exhibition.

The event brought together prominent representatives of Azerbaijan’s cultural and art figures, professionals from the oil and gas sector, as well as art connoisseurs.

“The Heritage of Oil” is a conceptual art project that merges 15 years of professional experience in the oil and gas sector with extensive industrial expertise and the capabilities of modern AI technologies. The project is the creation of Nigar Manafli.

Born in 1992, Nigar Manafli graduated in 2013 from the Azerbaijan State University of Oil and Industry with a degree in Geological Exploration. That same year, she embarked on her career as one of Azerbaijan’s first female well-logging specialists working on offshore platforms.

For seven years, she worked directly on offshore rigs, engaging in high-risk operations in real production environments. Her responsibilities included handling radioactive materials, explosives during perforation and specialized logging procedures, and managing high-pressure technological processes-complex tasks demanding exceptional expertise, precision, and strict adherence to safety protocols.

In 2023, Nigar Manafli was appointed Maintenance Superintendent at Central Azeri, becoming the first woman to hold this position. She continues to maintain professional connections with offshore platforms, conducting periodic technical audits and inspections.

The years she spent immersed in an environment defined by risk, responsibility, and the raw power of nature gradually shaped a vivid internal visual memory. This memory inspired her to express her experiences through art, giving rise to “The Heritage of Oil”, which highlights the often unseen human and emotional aspects of life on offshore platforms.

The project captures the hidden dimensions of offshore work: the scale and rhythm of towering metal structures, the quiet weight of responsibility alongside high-risk operations, the force of storms, the stillness of night shifts, and the silent dialogue between people and the sea.

By blending technical knowledge with personal recollection, “The Heritage of Oil” transforms industrial experience into a contemporary visual language, encouraging viewers to consider the delicate balance between human effort and technological achievement.

As one of Azerbaijan’s first public presentations of AI-driven art, the exhibition offers a fresh, personal perspective on the country’s rich oil history.

The collection features 29 original works and will remain on display until February 10, 2026.

President of Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Azernews reports.

“Dear Ilham Heydar oglu,

I sincerely congratulate you on being awarded the prestigious Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

This recognition is yet another testament to your consistent efforts and firm determination to achieve lasting peace and stability through the promotion of constructive policies and tolerance.

We consider the signing of a peace agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia as a significant milestone in strengthening friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two states, as well as in consolidating peace and security in the Caucasus region and beyond.

As a peace-loving country, Tajikistan once again welcomes this constructive, positive, and historic achievement and reaffirms its commitment to resolving conflicts exclusively through political and diplomatic means.

Taking this opportunity, I wish you, dear Ilham Heydar oglu, good health and success, and the people of friendly Azerbaijan – new achievements, peace, and continued prosperity,” the letter reads.

The People’s Bank of China has continued to increase its gold reserves since November 2024, official data showed on Saturday, with the country’s holdings rising by 40,000 troy ounces in January, AzerNEWS reports.

The update comes amid heightened volatility in precious metals markets. In January, a surge in speculative interest pushed gold and silver prices to new all-time highs, before a sharp pullback later in the month sent prices to record lows. Although the market has since partially recovered, analysts say volatility remains elevated.

According to the World Gold Council (WGC), central banks worldwide, the largest institutional players in the gold market, boosted gold purchases in the final quarter of 2025, lifting annual net buying to more than 860 tonnes.

While this figure is below the roughly 1,000 tonnes per year accumulated by central banks over the previous three years, the WGC expects official sector demand to remain strong, reinforcing gold’s role as a key component of sovereign reserve portfolios amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.

The US House Judiciary Committee has released a report alleging that European Union institutions interfered in at least eight national elections across Europe by exerting pressure on digital platforms in the run-up to key votes, Azernews reports.

According to the document, the committee claims that officials from the European Commission held meetings with major online platforms ahead of elections in several EU member states, including the Netherlands (2023 and 2025), France (2024), Germany (2024), Poland (2023), Spain (2023), Belgium (2024), and Ireland (2024 and 2025). The report argues that these engagements went beyond routine regulatory coordination and may have influenced how political content was moderated during sensitive electoral periods.

Particular attention is given to Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, which is accused of hosting so-called ‘Digital Services Act (DSA) election roundtables.’ The committee claims these meetings created indirect ‘censorship pressure’ on platforms, encouraging more aggressive content moderation under the framework of the EU’s DSA, especially regarding political speech.

The report also references claims related to Romania’s annulled 2024 presidential election, stating that TikTok informed EU officials it had found ‘no evidence’ of a coordinated Russian influence campaign on the platform. The committee notes, however, that this assertion has not been independently verified, and raises concerns about how such conclusions may have shaped regulatory and political responses.

Republican members of the committee argue that the findings point to a broader pattern of EU overreach that could undermine democratic processes and freedom of expression, particularly when regulatory bodies interact closely with private platforms during elections. The report frames these actions as part of a growing transatlantic dispute over content moderation, digital regulation, and the balance between combating disinformation and protecting political speech.

EU institutions have not formally responded to the report’s allegations. Brussels has previously maintained that the Digital Services Act is designed to ensure transparency, platform accountability, and election integrity, not to influence electoral outcomes.

A new report by US Republican lawmakers alleges the European Commission has orchestrated a ‘decade-long campaign’ to censor political speech globally, including on American soil.

The accusations, detailed in a 160-page interim staff report released Tuesday (3 February) by the House Judiciary Committee, claim that commission officials held over 100 ‘closed-door meetings’ with social media platforms since 2020 ‘where regulators had the opportunity to pressure platforms to censor content more aggressively.’

‘Though often framed as combating so-called ‘hate speech’ or ‘disinformation,’ the commission worked to censor true information and political speech about some of the most important policy debates in recent history – including the Covid-19 pandemic, mass migration, and transgender issues,’ the report states.

The document, dramatically titled ‘The Foreign Censorship Threat, Part II,’ is, according to itself, based on tens of thousands of pages of internal communications from 10 Big Tech companies including Meta, Google, TikTok, and X, obtained under congressional subpoena.

The report is likely to intensify debates in Washington and Europe over digital sovereignty, election security, and the role of regulators in shaping online political discourse.

Leyla Aliyeva and Alena Aliyeva familiarized themselves with the ‘Zarif Natural’ brand established by female entrepreneur Fidan Zari in Ganja.

They held a warm and sincere conversation with the entrepreneur, showing interest in the idea behind the brand, the story of its creation, and the production process. Later, Leyla Aliyeva and Alena Aliyeva jointly prepared various cold-pressed oils and other products at the facility.

Leyla Aliyeva and Alena Aliyeva wished the entrepreneur success in her activities, highly appreciated her initiative and dedication, and took commemorative photos together.

The ‘Zarif Natural’ brand specializes in the production and offering to consumers of cold-pressed oils, additive-free nut butters, and gluten-free flours, based on the principles of healthy and balanced nutrition.

The IR?LI Public Union has launched the project “Discover the Heritage of Western Azerbaijan”, organized with the support of the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, Azernews reports.

The project, which will run from February to April, aims to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of Western Azerbaijan, introducing the region’s history, traditions, folklore, and artistic legacy to a wide audience.

At the same time, the initiative seeks to channel the potential of talented and creative young people toward this theme and support their activities in the field. By encouraging initiative and innovative approaches among youth, the project targets the sustainable preservation of Western Azerbaijani culture and its transmission to future generations.

Within the framework of the project, which is designed for talented and creative young people aged 16 to 29, a series of events is planned. These include conferences, photo exhibitions, an intellectual championship, an artistic program, and a youth forum to be held in Baku and Sumgayit.

The project emphasizes active youth participation rather than passive listening.

Through interactive presentations, audiovisual materials, and meetings with experts and guest speakers, participants will gain comprehensive knowledge about the heritage of Western Azerbaijan.

At the same time, they will form initiative groups to work on creative ideas. During practical sessions, young participants will develop digital content, social media initiatives, and public campaigns aimed at promoting cultural heritage.

The project “Discover the Heritage of Western Azerbaijan” is being implemented within the framework of the 2025 Culture Ministry’s grant competitions for non-governmental organizations – the “General Grant Competition in the Field of Culture.”

The project is carried out in partnership with the Western Azerbaijan Community and the Ministry of Culture’s Scientific-Methodological and Professional Development Center for Culture, and is organized by the IR?LI Public Union.

The IR?LI Public Union has previously implemented a number of successful initiatives in this area. Under its organization, conferences, festivals, camps, information sessions, and film screenings have been held to increase the role of youth in the process of returning to Western Azerbaijan and to promote the cultural heritage of the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has raised concerns over unexploded ordnance at nuclear facilities hit by United States airstrikes last year, warning that inspections by international agencies must take account of security risks.

Speaking to Iran’s Young Journalists Club news agency on Sunday, Araghchi said he had asked International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi whether any legal framework or protocol existed for visits to nuclear sites previously targeted by the US.

‘No, there is nothing of that sort,’ Grossi reportedly replied, prompting Iran to call for an agreement on inspection procedures before any visits take place. Araghchi emphasised that unexploded bombs and other hazards at the facilities must be addressed in advance.

‘Iran remains in contact with the agency in this regard,’ he added, noting that inspections should proceed only once a protocol is established.

The comments come in the aftermath of a 12-day military escalation last June, during which Israel, with US support, launched attacks on Iranian military and nuclear sites, as well as civilian facilities, while assassinating several commanders and scientists. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israeli military and intelligence targets. During the conflict, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities before announcing a ceasefire.

Araghchi expressed scepticism about the current US-Iran negotiations, which resumed in Muscat, Oman, on Friday following weeks of heightened tensions due to a US military buildup in Gulf waters.

‘They tried everything and failed, and now they have returned to the negotiating table, but it is unclear where these talks will lead,’ he said. ‘We do not trust them. There is a possibility they may resort to deception. All institutions in Iran must continue performing their duties regardless of these developments.’

The US-Iran meeting in Oman, which initially seemed impossible to everyone, once again showed that bloody wars can always be replaced by a meeting at the table. The result that will be achieved here, by comparison, may not outweigh the losses that war can cause. But when it comes to the clash of two irreconcilable forces, negotiations begin to take on more importance.

Despite the first round of Iran-US talks in Muscat delivered no breakthrough, but what it did provide was time. Whether that time is used to build a framework for de-escalation or simply to delay a more dangerous confrontation will become clear in the weeks ahead.

When Iranian and American negotiators wrapped up several hours of discussions in the Omani capital on 6 February, neither side publicly signalled any movement from its opening position. Tehran insisted the talks be confined strictly to the nuclear file. Washington arrived seeking a broader agenda, encompassing ballistic missiles, Iran’s regional allies and armed groups, and wider concerns it has repeatedly raised, including human rights. Neither position prevailed. Instead, both sides agreed to reconvene.

As reported by Aljazeera, at first glance, the outcome appeared uneventful. In reality, it was not.

The Muscat meeting marked the first high-level diplomatic engagement between Iran and the United States since joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025-an escalation that Tehran says killed more than 1,000 people and targeted three nuclear sites. The decision to return to the same palace near Muscat’s airport that hosted earlier talks in 2025, and to commit to further meetings, carries symbolic and strategic weight.

Yet symbolism should not be mistaken for progress. The gap between the two sides remains substantial. Iran seeks sanctions relief and international recognition of its nuclear programme within tightly defined parameters. The United States, meanwhile, continues to frame the nuclear issue as inseparable from Iran’s regional posture and military capabilities.

For now, Muscat has offered both sides a diplomatic pause rather than a pathway to resolution. Whether that pause becomes the foundation for renewed negotiations-or merely a holding pattern before the next escalation-will define the trajectory of Iran-US relations in the coming weeks.

Employees of the Main Drug Control Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) have discovered and seized 21 kilograms of narcotics during a special operation, Azernews reports.

According to the MIA, two individuals, 28-year-old Ismayil Muradov and 32-year-old Chingiz Guliyev, were detained in connection with the case. During the operation, law enforcement officers found 21 kilograms of marijuana containing added harmful substances.

The investigation established that Muradov and Guliyev had entered into a criminal relationship with an Iranian citizen, whose identity is currently being determined. The suspects reportedly planned to distribute the narcotics by placing them at pre-arranged locations for sale.

A criminal case has been initiated on the facts, and by a court decision, a preventive measure of arrest has been chosen against the detained individuals.