Category: Azer News

South Africa has announced plans to withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement issued late on Saturday.

AzerNEWS reports via TRT World that the decision has been communicated to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and was driven by the need to reallocate and realign the resources of South Africa’s armed forces, the statement said.

South Africa has been involved in UN peacekeeping operations in the DRC for 27 years and currently has more than 700 soldiers deployed as part of the mission. The UN force, whose mandate was renewed in December, comprised nearly 11,000 troops and police personnel at the time of the extension.

The UN mission is tasked with countering numerous armed groups operating in eastern DRC, a region plagued by decades of conflict and a recent surge in fighting that has heightened regional and international concern.

According to the statement, South Africa will coordinate closely with the United Nations to determine the timeline and practical arrangements for the withdrawal. The process is expected to be completed before the end of 2026.

Despite the drawdown, Pretoria said it would maintain strong bilateral relations with the Congolese government and continue to support multilateral initiatives aimed at achieving long-term stability and peace in the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed two decrees enforcing decisions by the National Security and Defence Council to impose sanctions on 66 individuals and 62 legal entities, including citizens and companies linked to Russia, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan and the United Arab Emirates, AzerNEWS reports via Ukraine’s Presidential website.

According to official statements, the measures are designed to undermine Russia’s military-industrial and financial infrastructure, particularly networks involved in supplying components for missile and drone production and in helping Moscow bypass international sanctions.

The first decree targets 24 individuals and 27 companies connected to Russia’s defence industry. These entities are accused of supplying goods used in the manufacture of Russian missiles and drones, weapons that Ukraine says were deployed during overnight attacks into Saturday. Ukrainian officials stressed that such weapons systems rely heavily on foreign components, making external supply chains a critical vulnerability.

The second decree focuses on 42 individuals and 35 legal entities involved in Russia’s financial ecosystem, including those facilitating sanctions evasion imposed by Ukraine, the European Union and the United States.

Among those sanctioned is the A7 cryptocurrency network, which Ukrainian authorities say has been used to process payments for components used in Russian missile production. Measures were also imposed on organisations supporting Russia’s crypto market and industrial cryptocurrency mining, as well as on payment service providers, crypto exchanges and digital asset holders.

Ukrainian officials said parts of the measures are expected to be incorporated into the European Union’s upcoming 20th sanctions package, which is currently in its final stages and could be adopted by the end of the month.

‘Our approach is systematic and practical,’ said Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Advisor and Commissioner to the President of Ukraine for Sanctions Policy. ‘By targeting those who manufacture weapons for Russia and finance component supplies, we directly limit the capacity of Russia’s military-industrial complex.’

On 8 February 2026, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, held a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional developments.

According to AzerNEWS, citing the Ministry’s official release, the two ministers reviewed Azerbaijan-Turkiye allied relations, focusing on cooperation within international organisations and multilateral platforms. They also exchanged views on the regional security situation, underlining the importance of close coordination between the two countries.

The discussion further covered developments in the Middle East, as well as the ongoing Azerbaijan-Armenia normalisation process. Both sides shared assessments on these issues and addressed other matters of mutual interest.

The call reaffirmed the close political dialogue between Baku and Ankara, reflecting their strategic partnership and continued engagement on regional and international affairs.

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.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday to discuss recent Iran-US talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, his office said.

The meeting follows indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran in Oman on Friday, which appeared to return discussions to an early impasse over the scope and framework of future talks.

In a brief statement, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader believes that any negotiations with Iran must go beyond the nuclear issue, insisting on restrictions on ballistic missile development and an end to Iran’s support for allied militant groups across the region, often referred to by Israel as the ‘Iranian axis’.

The Omani talks marked another attempt to revive dialogue between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear activities, though neither side signalled a breakthrough. The discussions reportedly highlighted continuing differences over whether negotiations should focus narrowly on the nuclear file or address a broader set of security concerns.

US President Donald Trump, however, described the talks as ‘very good’ and said further discussions were planned for early next week.

The US delegation in Oman was led by Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Iranian officials have not publicly commented in detail on the outcome of the talks.

The upcoming Trump-Netanyahu meeting is expected to focus on coordinating US-Israeli positions ahead of the next round of discussions with Iran, amid regional tensions and international concern over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

The Gabala Festival, widely recognised not only as a music event but also as a platform for intercultural dialogue, continued on 7 February with a chamber music evening titled ‘Baku-Naples: A Musical Bridge’ as part of the 2nd Winter Tale International Music Festival.

AzerNEWS reports that the concert took place at the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center in Gabala and brought together representatives of the festival’s organising bodies, local music enthusiasts and visiting guests. The programme symbolised the long-standing cultural friendship between Azerbaijan and Italy.

Before the concert, Zahra Guliyeva, Professor at the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Baku Academy of Music and People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, addressed the audience. She noted that the evening’s repertoire focused on the romance genre, featuring works by both Azerbaijani and Italian composers, and outlined the stylistic characteristics of this musical form.

The programme included Vincenzo Bellini’s Melancholia, Said Rustamov’s Intizar and Hardasan, Sevda Ibrahimova’s Wake Up, Bulbul, as well as several works by Tofig Guliyev, including I Am from Baku, Lyric Song, I Became Lucky, and Golden Ring. Also performed were Vasif Adigozalov’s Carnation and Song about Baku, Polad Bulbuloglu’s Happy Azerbaijan, alongside Italian classics such as Rodolfo Falvo’s Dicitencello vuje, Salvatore Cardillo’s Neapolitan song Katari, two romances by Francesco Paolo Tosti, and Cesare Andrea Bixio’s Parlami d’amore Mariù.

The concert featured performances by People’s Artists Farhad Badalbeyli, Murad Adigozelzade, and Honoured Artist Emil Afrasiyab on piano, alongside vocal soloists Afag Abbasova (soprano), Aytaj Shikhalizade (mezzo-soprano), Azer Zade (tenor), Mahir Tagizade (baritone) and Aysun Mahmudzade (soprano). Their performances were warmly received by the audience.

The evening concluded with all soloists performing Tofig Guliyev’s ‘Friendship Song.’

The Winter Tale International Music Festival will close on 8 February with a gala concert at the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center. Artists and dancers from Spain will headline a flamenco-jazz programme titled ‘Azerbaijan-Spain: Two Countries, One Music.’

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.

Famine is spreading in Sudan’s western Darfur region, UN-backed experts warned on Thursday, as a grinding war between the army and paramilitary forces has left millions hungry, displaced and cut off from aid, Azernews reports, citing Tribune.

Since April 2023, the conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 11 million and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

In an alert issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), global food security experts said that “famine thresholds for acute malnutrition have now been surpassed” in North Darfur’s contested areas of Um Baru and Kernoi, near the border with Chad.

“These alarming rates suggest an increased risk of excess mortality and raise concern that nearby areas may be experiencing similar catastrophic conditions,” the IPC experts said.

They added that the spread of famine came as the paramilitary takeover of North Darfur capital El-Fasher led to “massive displacement” of civilians into surrounding areas, “straining the resources” of local communities and “driving up acute food insecurity and malnutrition”.

El-Fasher, long the Sudanese army’s final stronghold in western Darfur, fell to the RSF last October after 18 months of bombardment and starvation.

The White House is preparing to host a leaders’ meeting of the Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ on February 19 in Washington, D.C., Axios has reported, citing a US official and diplomats from countries that have joined the initiative, Azernews reports.

The meeting, planned at the U.S. Institute of Peace, is expected to focus on advancing the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and mobilizing international funding for reconstruction efforts. It also comes ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled visit to the White House on February 18.

The Board of Peace was formally launched by US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026, with the stated aim of overseeing Gaza’s stabilization, governance, and rebuilding after the war. Trump serves as the board’s chairman for life, and the organization has been positioned as a mechanism to support peace, reconstruction, and conflict resolution.

According to details reported about the board’s structure and charter, countries invited to join commit to a three-year term, but states can secure a permanent seat by contributing $1 billion to the board within its first year. The funds are intended to support reconstruction work in Gaza and related priorities, although some observers have raised concerns about the high contribution level and transparency of financing arrangements.

So far, a number of countries – including several from the Middle East, Asia, and beyond – have accepted invitations or been invited, while several major Western powers have opted not to join. The board’s role and long-term mandate have sparked debate, with supporters viewing it as a new vehicle for peacebuilding and critics warning it could overlap with or undermine traditional multilateral institutions such as the United Nations.

Azerbaijan has also been listed among invited participants alongside countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Kazakhstan, and others, although individual commitments or contributions by specific states remain subject to official confirmations.

Saudi Arabia’s stock market experienced a volatile first week following a landmark decision to fully open the market to foreign investors – a move analysts view as essential to funding the Kingdom’s sweeping economic transformation plans, Azernews reports. citing Arab News.

The Tadawul All Share Index began the week with a sharp decline, falling 1.89 percent on Feb. 1, the same day new regulations eliminating key restrictions on international investment officially came into force.

The index rebounded the following session and remained in positive territory for three consecutive days before slipping once more, ultimately ending the week down 1.34 percent.

Ownership data from Tadawul as of Feb. 1 indicated that foreign non-strategic investors reduced their holdings in nearly half of the companies listed on the TASI.

An analysis conducted by Al-Eqtisadiah’s Financial Analysis Unit showed that foreign ownership declined in 120 firms, increased in 97 others, and remained unchanged across the remainder. Despite these shifts, the total number of shares held by foreign investors showed no overall change.

Speaking to Arab News, economist Talat Hafiz addressed the initial volatility in the TASI, explaining: ‘Stock markets in the Kingdom and globally naturally experience fluctuations driven by profit-taking and price corrections.’

He added that the index’s decline and subsequent recovery ‘appears to be primarily the result of technical and sentiment-related factors rather than a direct reaction to the opening of the market to foreign investors.’

Hafiz emphasized that this was particularly evident given that foreign participation in the Saudi market is not entirely new, having previously existed under alternative regulatory structures.

The market turbulence followed sweeping reforms enacted by the Capital Market Authority and announced in January. The recent volatility in Saudi stocks following the full opening of the market is the latest chapter in a near-decade-long strategic evolution. This journey began in earnest with the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, which identified the capital market as essential for diversifying the oil-dependent economy and funding transformative projects like Neom.

The first major step came in 2015, when the Tadawul opened to direct investment by ‘Qualified Foreign Investors,’ albeit under a restriction requiring a $500 million minimum. A pivotal milestone was reached in 2019 with Tadawul’s inclusion in major global indices like FTSE Russell and MSCI, which forced passive funds to invest and validated the market’s progress.

The removal in January of the final barriers – the QFI framework and swap agreements – marked the culmination of this process, creating a level playing field for global institutional investors. The reforms aim to attract billions of dollars in fresh investment while improving overall market liquidity.

Hafiz noted that an initial surge of foreign capital was widely expected to generate short-term volatility as portfolios were rebalanced and liquidity dynamics adjusted. However, the rapid recovery of the index suggests that the market’s underlying fundamentals remained strong and that investor confidence was not significantly undermined.

Earlier in January, experts had told Arab News that the reforms could unlock as much as $10 billion in new foreign inflows. Tony Hallside, CEO of STP Partners, described the move as a pivotal evolution, signaling that the Kingdom is committed to building the most accessible, liquid, and globally integrated financial markets in the region.

Hafiz reinforced this optimistic outlook, stating that broader market access is likely to yield positive effects by boosting liquidity, widening participation, and supporting overall market recovery – ultimately contributing to greater long-term stability once near-term adjustments ease.

He said: ‘TASI’s swift rebound reflects the market’s constructive response to increased openness and deeper investor participation.’

Hafiz said he does not believe the market opening is primarily intended to function as a conventional financing channel. Instead, he argued that its broader objective lies in the internationalization of the Saudi market, a goal underscored by its inclusion in major global indices.

He explained that attracting foreign capital should be understood less as a short-term funding solution and more as a structural reform aimed at strengthening market depth, efficiency, transparency, and global integration.

The Saudi economist added that while increased foreign participation can indirectly support Vision 2030 by enhancing liquidity and reducing the cost of capital, the opening of the market is ‘not designed as a direct mechanism to revive or fast-track projects that may have faced funding constraints.’

Rather, it creates a more resilient, globally connected financial ecosystem that can sustainably support long-term development ambitions, according to Hafiz.

As the market continues to stabilize, investors and observers are monitoring which sectors are expected to attract the largest share of investment in the coming weeks and months.

Hafiz told Arab News that foreign investment is expected to initially focus on companies operating in strategically significant, high-growth sectors such as healthcare, transportation, and technology, in addition to mining, energy, and telecommunications.

He added that experienced foreign investors are likely to gravitate toward firms demonstrating strong financial disclosure practices, sound corporate governance, adherence to environmental, social and governance standards, and a track record of consistent dividend payouts.