Category: Azer News

Azerbaijan’s delegation to the XXV Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo has been paying close attention to the preparation and well-being of its athletes, officials said on Wednesday.

AzerNEWS reports, citing Azertag that Chingiz Huseynzade, vice-president of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Azerbaijan, NOC secretary general Azer Aliyev, and Fuad Naghiyev, president of the Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation, visited the Olympic Athletes’ Village in Milan.

During the visit, the officials met with members of the Azerbaijani delegation and figure skater Vladimir Litvintsev. Anar Baghirov, the team’s chef de mission, provided a detailed briefing on accommodation, training facilities, meals, and overall preparations for the competitions.

The discussions also reviewed the progress of training and preparations for upcoming events, with officials praising the facilities and support provided to the athletes.

Huseynzade, Aliyev, and Naghiyev wished the Azerbaijani team success in the Games, expressing confidence that the country’s athletes would represent Azerbaijan with distinction.

Azerbaijan is represented at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics by two athletes: alpine skier Anastasia Papatoma and figure skater Vladimir Litvintsev.

The XXV Winter Olympics features nearly 3,000 athletes from 92 countries competing across 16 sports, with 116 medal sets up for grabs. The Games are scheduled to conclude on 22 February 2026.

Azerbaijani products are being showcased at international exhibitions and fairs for foreign goods held in Beijing, organized jointly by China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing Municipal People’s Government.

As reported by AzerNEWS, citing Azerbaijan’s Economy Ministry, the events are taking place on the eve of the Chinese New Year and are held under the slogan ‘A Big Market for All: Export to China.’ The exhibitions are designed as a shopping-festival-style showcase of international premium products.

With the support of Azerbaijan’s Trade Representation in China, the Azerbaijan Trade House in Beijing is presenting products manufactured under the ‘Made in Azerbaijan’ brand at the capital’s Ritan and Wanyuan-Wangfujing Outlet shopping centers. The dedicated pavilions feature Azerbaijani wines and other alcoholic beverages, pomegranate juices, compotes, jams, and tea. Visitors can also explore a selection of traditional Azerbaijani sweets and souvenirs reflecting the country’s national culture.

The series of fairs will run for six days and is being held across Beijing’s Chaoyang and Tongzhou districts.

The 19th round of the Misli Premier League gets under way today, with two fixtures scheduled for the opening matchday.

According to AzerNEWS, citing Azertag, the action begins with league leaders Sabah hosting Araz-Nakhchivan at the Bank Respublika Arena. Kick-off is set for 16:00 local time. Sabah currently sit top of the table with 43 points, while Araz-Nakhchivan are sixth on 27 points.

Later in the evening, Zira travel to face Sumgayit in the second fixture of the day. The match will take place at the Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium in Sumgayit, with kick-off at 18:30.

Sumgayit, known as the ‘Kimyachilar’, occupy fourth place with 30 points, while Zira, nicknamed the ‘Qartallar’, are just one point behind in fifth place with 29 points, setting the stage for a closely contested encounter.

The remaining matches of Round 19 are scheduled to be played on February 9-10, as teams continue their push for league positions in the second half of the season.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and U.S. businessman, has pledged to cover the legal expenses of anyone who agrees to testify in court in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein case.

As reported by AzerNEWS, citing foreign media outlets, Musk made the statement in a post on the social media platform X.

‘I will pay the legal costs for anyone who tells the truth about this and is sued as a result,’ Musk wrote in response to another user’s post.

He also questioned why the list of Epstein’s alleged clients had not been submitted to the U.S. Congress earlier or subsequently made public.

Jeffrey Epstein was arrested by law enforcement authorities in New York State on July 6, 2019. Prosecutors said they had evidence indicating that between 2002 and 2005 he arranged for dozens of underage girls to be brought to his Manhattan residence, with the youngest reportedly being 14 years old.

Epstein’s circle of friends and associates reportedly included numerous current and former officials, major business figures, and entertainment celebrities from the United States and other countries, including former heads of state. Criminal proceedings against the financier in the United States were discontinued after his death in a jail cell in August 2019.

The Indian Coast Guard has detained three oil tankers on suspicion of illegally transporting oil, the service said in a statement published on its official social media page, AzerNEWS reports via BelTa.

According to the statement, the operation led to the disruption of what was described as an international oil smuggling network. The action was carried out during a carefully planned maritime and aerial operation conducted off India’s western coast.

The coast guard reported that three suspicious vessels were intercepted about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai. Following a detailed inspection, including searches of the ships, verification of electronic data, and interrogation of crew members, authorities identified a consistent pattern of illicit activity linked to a globally operating network of organizers.

It was also noted that the vessels had frequently changed their names, a tactic often associated with attempts to evade detection and sanctions.

The detained tankers are currently being escorted to Mumbai, where further legal proceedings and investigations will be carried out by the relevant authorities.

United States President Donald Trump criticized the Super Bowl LX halftime show as “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER.” The headliner, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, sang entirely in Spanish for the first time in the show’s history, AzerNEWS reports.

Trump said Bad Bunny’s performance “makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.”

He claimed that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying” and called the show a “slap in the face to our Country.” According to the 2024 US Census Bureau data, around 45 million people in the US speak Spanish at home.

The average Super Bowl halftime show pulls in around 127 million, while last year Kendrick Lamar set a record with 133.5 million.

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is the first male solo Latin artist to perform the halftime show, as well as the first to perform their set entirely in Spanish.

Toward the end of his set, Bad Bunny was handed a ball with the words, ‘Together, we are America’ written on it, and a message on the big screen read: ‘The only thing more powerful than hate is love.’

But the message of unity clearly did not go down well with the president.

‘Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,’ Trump raged.

‘This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day – including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History!’ the president fumed. ‘There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD.’

Zelensky noted that Washington invited both delegations to meet in Miami next week. He confirmed Ukraine’s participation but said no breakthrough had been achieved in earlier US-brokered discussions in Abu Dhabi.

Zelensky told reporters that territorial concessions remain unresolved and described them as “difficult issues.” He added that leaders may consider a trilateral meeting, though preparations are still required.

There was no immediate comment from Washington or Moscow, but US President Donald Trump has been pushing for an end for the conflict since he took office again more than a year ago.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure – causing further widespread blackouts during freezing conditions.

In comments released on Saturday, Zelensky told reporters what had taken place during the second round of US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, which ended on Friday with no reports of a breakthrough.

Zelensky said “difficult issues remained difficult”, including territorial concessions that Ukraine is under pressure to make.

He said the parties discussed, for the first time, the possibility of a trilateral meeting between leaders, not simply representatives, but cautioned “preparatory elements are needed for this”.

Asked whether a time frame had been given for an agreement, the Ukrainian leader replied: “The Americans say that they want to do everything by June.”

“Why before this summer?” he added. “We understand that their domestic issues in the US will have an impact.” These issues include the November midterm elections, which could affect the balance of power in the US government.

As the diplomacy continues, so too are Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities.

“Russian criminals carried out another massive attack on Ukraine’s energy facilities,” Ukraine’s energy minister, Denys Shmyhal, wrote on Telegram.

Substations, which control the flow of electricity, and overhead power lines that “form the backbone of Ukraine’s power grid” were targeted, Shmyhal said. Power plants were also struck.

Ukraine’s state-owned energy operator, Ukrenergo, said “the power deficit in the power system of Ukraine significantly increased” as a result of the latest attacks.

Shmyhal said neighbouring Poland had been asked for emergency power supplies.

Zelensky wrote on social media that Friday night’s attack involved more than 400 drones and 40 missiles. Air-defence systems intercepted most, but not all, of them, the Ukrainian military said.

Young artists have successfully demonstrated their vibrant art pieces at the Vajiha Samadova Exhibition Hall of the Azerbaijan Artists’ Union, Azernews reports citing Azerbaijan Artists’ Union.

The exhibition showcased strong support for emerging talent and the dynamic evolution of contemporary art in the country. The show featured bold experiments with color and texture, offering a glimpse into the inner world of a new generation striving to define its own distinctive artistic voice.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Farhad Khalilov, People’s Artist, Professor and Chairman of the Azerbaijan Artists’ Union, stressing the significance of initiatives like this.

He added that each work by the young creators adds a vivid stroke to a broader palette of visual impressions and emotional experiences, reflecting the spirit of the new generation and their meaningful dialogue with the world and surrounding reality.

The exhibition aroused great public interest. The artworks on display were notable for their thematic diversity, ranging from expressive portraits and picturesque landscapes to charming still lifes and original sculptural compositions.

Executed in a variety of artistic techniques, the pieces incorporated elements of realism, impressionism, cubism, abstraction and other styles, drawing keen interest from visitors with their rich stylistic variety and vibrant color schemes.

Azerbaijan Defence Ministry has shared a weekly report on Azerbaijani Armed Forces’ recent participation in the joint operational-tactical exercise Peace Shield – 2026 in Abu Dhabi as well as overall activities, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Defence Ministry.

Recall that on February 3, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and United Arab Emirates’ President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan observed the joint operational-tactical exercise Peace Shield – 2026, conducted with the participation of servicemen from the armed forces of both countries in Abu Dhabi.

The Coca-Cola Company and its strategic bottling partner, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, have agreed a new soft drinks partnership with the Irish Football Association (Irish FA) and the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL).

The partnership aims to support and promote both national and domestic football teams across Northern Ireland through a range of coordinated activations and initiatives.

Under the agreement, Coca-Cola will activate the sponsorship across several brands in its portfolio, including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Powerade. This will include providing drinks on match days, delivering branding and social media campaigns, and offering fans exclusive access to football-related events and experiences.

The Coca-Cola Company has a long history of supporting football globally, including sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championship and the English Premier League.

The announcement underscores Coca-Cola’s commitment to investing in and promoting grassroots and domestic football, while also supporting the communities it serves across Northern Ireland.