Category: Azer News

The US virtual embassy in Iran on Friday urged American citizens to leave the country immediately if possible, warning that they should not rely on US government assistance to do so, Azernews reports.

In a security alert published on its website, the embassy said Iran is facing increased security measures, including road closures, public transportation disruptions, and widespread internet blockages. It added that Iranian authorities continue to restrict access to mobile, landline, and national internet networks, while airlines are limiting or canceling flights to and from Iran.

‘U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Trkiye,’ the alert said.

The advisory warned that US citizens in Iran face a significant risk of questioning, arrest, or detention, urging them to avoid demonstrations and maintain a low profile. Those unable to leave were advised to remain in a secure location and to stock essential supplies, including food, water, medications, and other necessities.

The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. Earlier, Ebrahim Rezai, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Iran’s ‘red lines’ remain unchanged, cautioning that talks would fail if the US insists on demands such as zero uranium enrichment.

The developments coincide with ongoing diplomatic uncertainty surrounding negotiations between the US and Iran, as well as growing regional security concerns.

France has opened a consulate general in Nuuk, becoming the first European Union country to establish a diplomatic mission at that level in Greenland, Azernews reports, citing France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

According to the ministry, Jean-Noël Poirier officially took up his post as consul general on Monday. The opening of the consulate is part of France’s broader effort to strengthen its global consular network and expand its presence in the Arctic region, an area of growing strategic, economic and environmental importance.

The new consul general will be responsible for working with the French community in Greenland and for further developing existing cooperation projects with Greenland in the cultural, scientific and economic fields. France also aims to deepen political dialogue with local authorities through the new diplomatic mission.

France’s move underscores rising European interest in the Arctic, as climate change, new shipping routes and access to natural resources reshape the region’s geopolitical landscape.

Shares of U.S. technology giant Amazon fell after the company announced plans to allocate around $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, a significant portion of which is expected to be directed toward the development of artificial intelligence technologies, Azernews reports.

Following these statements, Amazon shares dropped by nearly 10% during after-hours trading on February 5 on the Nasdaq exchange. By the close of the regular trading session, the stock ended at $222.69, down 4.4% from the previous level.

Despite strong overall financial results for the fourth quarter, investors were unsettled by the sheer scale of the planned spending. Market participants increasingly fear that investments in AI are growing faster than their returns, and that not all tech giants will ultimately succeed in the intensifying race for leadership in the sector.

Amazon forecasts capital expenditures of approximately $200 billion in 2026, significantly above the $146.6 billion expected by analysts surveyed by CNBC. For comparison, the company’s capital spending in 2025 amounted to about $131 billion. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company sees a ‘unique opportunity’ to scale its AWS business and cloud division, prompting aggressive investment with the expectation of substantial long-term returns.

Some of the funds will be used to develop a satellite project designed to compete with Starlink, further automate deliveries through robotics, and expand the Whole Foods store network. However, the majority of the investment will go toward expanding computing capacity for customers working with artificial intelligence, reflecting surging demand for AI-related infrastructure.

AWS revenue grew 24% year-over-year in the fourth quarter to $35.6 billion, marking the fastest quarterly growth rate in the past three years. The total size of AWS’s order backlog reached $244 billion, up 40% year-on-year, underscoring the division’s strong momentum.

Amazon’s total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025 rose 14% to $213.4 billion, while net income reached $21.2 billion, or $1.95 per share. The company’s core e-commerce segment remains the primary revenue driver, with sales increasing 10% to $83 billion. Meanwhile, Amazon’s advertising business continued to gain traction, posting 23% growth to $21.3 billion, and is increasingly viewed as one of the company’s most profitable segments.

At the same time, Amazon continues to streamline costs. In January, the company laid off 16,000 employees, bringing the total number of job cuts to 30,000, as previously announced. The contrast between massive AI investments and workforce reductions highlights a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are betting heavily on automation and artificial intelligence even as they seek to improve efficiency and protect margins.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has appointed a new chairman of the Board of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, Azernews reports.

The decision was formalized by a decree signed by the president, appointing Vusal Nasirli as chairman of the agency’s Board.

In a separate decree, President Aliyev dismissed Saleh Mammadov from his position as Board chairman.

Prior to his appointment, Nasirli served as deputy minister of labor and social protection of the population.

Equity markets across the Asia-Pacific region opened sharply lower on Friday, extending a global risk-off move triggered by a tech-led selloff on Wall Street and fresh signs of cooling momentum in the U.S. labor market, Azernews reports.

In early trading, South Korea’s KOSPI was among the hardest hit, plunging by more than two percent as investor sentiment deteriorated across the region. The broader downturn followed a significant decline in U.S. equities overnight, where losses in major technology stocks spilled over into global markets and pressured risk-sensitive assets.

Market specialists said sectors that had driven much of the rally in recent months – notably technology, artificial intelligence, precious metals, and cryptocurrencies – were now facing broad-based corrections. This shift has made the week particularly difficult for investors with heavy exposure to high-growth and alternative assets, as gold, industrial metals, and digital currencies also retreated.

Sentiment was further weakened by new U.S. labor data, which showed monthly job openings falling to their lowest level since 2020. At the same time, jobless claims increased and corporate job-cut announcements reached their highest level for January since the global financial crisis, raising concerns about the resilience of the U.S. economy.

By mid-session, South Korea’s KOSPI had fallen to 5,057.77. Australia’s ASX 200 slid to 8,737.00, while Japan’s NIKKEI edged higher to 53,968.45, bucking the regional trend. In China, Shanghai’s SSEC declined to 4,057.81 and Shenzhen’s SZI dropped to 13,850.80. Hong Kong’s HSI also came under pressure, falling to 26,434.26.

U.S. markets closed lower on Thursday, reinforcing the cautious mood. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped to 48,908.72, while the NASDAQ and S and P 500 also posted notable declines. Market volatility spiked sharply, with the VIX jumping to its highest level in weeks, reflecting growing investor anxiety.

In commodities, oil prices settled lower after news that the United States and Iran were planning to begin talks in Oman, easing fears of potential disruptions to Iranian oil exports. Brent crude closed at $67.55 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate finished at $63.29. Prices were largely unchanged in early trading on Friday.

Gold futures also came under pressure, falling to $4,813.60 per troy ounce, as investors reduced exposure to safe-haven assets amid broader deleveraging across markets.

Overall, analysts say markets are entering a more fragile phase, with investors increasingly sensitive to U.S. economic data, monetary policy expectations, and geopolitical developments that could shape global risk appetite in the weeks ahead.

Iran appears to have rapidly repaired several ballistic missile facilities damaged in strikes last year, but it has made only limited fixes to major nuclear sites struck by Israel and the United States, a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery suggests, Azernews reports.

The uneven pace of reconstruction offers clues about Iran’s military priorities as the United States amasses forces near it and President Trump weighs new military action. If the United States were to attack, Iran would most likely retaliate with ballistic missiles targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the region.

The United States and Iran were expected to meet in Oman on Friday in an attempt to stave off another conflict. The scope of the talks were not immediately clear, but Iran’s nuclear program was likely to be a key focus.

Experts who closely track Iranian nuclear and missile programs corroborated the analysis by The Times, which looked at around two dozen locations struck by Israel or the United States during the 12-day conflict last June. The Times found construction work at more than half of them.

The experts cautioned that the full extent of the repairs remains unclear, given that satellite imagery offers only an aboveground view of the construction.

Key vehicle models from Hyundai Motor and Kia have received a series of prestigious awards from leading U.S. automotive publications, further boosting the brands’ competitiveness in the American market, the automakers announced on Friday, Azernews reports, citing Korean media.

At Car and Driver magazine’s 2026 Editors’ Choice Awards, a total of 17 Hyundai and Kia models were recognized as best-in-class vehicles, according to a press release from the companies.

Hyundai’s Palisade SUV was named best in its segment for the seventh consecutive year, praised for its stylish design, spacious interior, and wide range of convenience features. The Palisade also earned the title of Best Large Utility Vehicle at MotorWeek’s 2026 Drivers’ Choice Awards, while Kia’s K4 sedan was recognized as Best Family Car by the same publication.

At Cars.com’s 2026 Best of Awards, Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid were named Best Family Car, and Kia’s all-electric EV9 was selected as Best Electric Vehicle, highlighting the brands’ growing presence in the EV segment.

A Hyundai Motor Group representative said the awards reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation and quality, and emphasized that Hyundai and Kia will continue to strengthen their competitiveness in the U.S. and other major global markets.

Industry analysts note that these accolades not only enhance brand image but also demonstrate the companies’ successful push into electric and hybrid vehicles, a key factor in the rapidly evolving automotive market.

A meeting of the ‘Green Energy Space’ Working Group was held in a hybrid format to discuss the draft annual report on the 2025 implementation of the ‘Socio-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022-2026’, Azernews reports, citing the Energy Ministry.

Chairing the meeting, Deputy Minister of Energy Samir Valiyev emphasized that the ‘Green Energy Space’ objective holds a key place within the national development strategy and represents one of the main pillars of Azerbaijan’s future development model. He noted that the measures envisaged under this pillar aim to facilitate the country’s transition to a sustainable, environmentally friendly and innovative energy system, while also contributing to global climate goals.

Valiyev highlighted the implementation status of 18 measures planned for the previous year, stating that the overall execution of the Strategy continues to demonstrate positive momentum.

Deputy Chair of the Working Group Ramil Huseyn, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), delivered a presentation on the measures planned for 2025 and their implementation progress. Participants exchanged views on the draft report and submitted comments and recommendations.

The ‘Green Energy Space’ Working Group includes representatives from the Ministry of Energy, CAERC, and the Ministries of Economy, Ecology and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Digital Development and Transport, Finance, and Emergency Situations, as well as the State Statistics Committee, State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, State Customs Committee, SOCAR, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Investment Holding, the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the State Water Resources Agency, and major state energy companies including Azerenerji, Azerishiq, and Azeristiliktechizat.

The Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Group recently hosted Seymur Fataliyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Mexico, at the House of Deputies to review preparations for the official installation of the group on February 10, Azernews reports.

The meeting focused on enhancing dialogue between legislators, exploring opportunities for collaboration in trade, technology, education, and tourism, and reinforcing mutual understanding. It highlighted the important role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting cooperation, allowing lawmakers to exchange ideas, share best practices, and support long-term partnerships.

The Friendship Group aims to foster initiatives that encourage cultural exchange, economic development, and sustainable collaboration, strengthening ties between Mexico and Azerbaijan at both governmental and societal levels.

The Expert Council on Identification of Immovable Cultural Assets, under the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, has conducted a session to review and discuss significant developments in the protection and registration of cultural landmarks, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, the Deputy Culture Minister, Saadet Yusifova, shared the results of the work carried out by the Expert Council. She noted that the activities of the Council over the past period had been marked by a number of significant achievements. In the course of the meetings, 500 monuments and newly discovered examples were discussed, and, in accordance with the legislation, opinions were obtained from the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

In 2025, amendments were made to the information about 8 state-protected monuments in the Binagadi district, and 7 newly discovered monuments in that area, along with 44 in the territories liberated from occupation, were included in the list of immovable historical and cultural heritage sites. Additionally, by the Cabinet of Ministers’decision of January 9, 2026, amendments were made to the information about 87 monuments.

The chairperson of the Expert Council, Professor Gulchohra Mammadova, Rector of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, provided information about the matters discussed during the meeting. She reported that 41 historical and architectural objects were presented to the Council for discussion regarding their inclusion in the state protection registry.

During the meeting, the inclusion of 41 newly discovered examples from various regions, including Astara, Khachmaz, Khizi, Gobustan, Guba, Gusar, Lankaran, Neftchala, Siyazan, Shabran, Ucar, and Tartar districts, as well as the cities of Baku and Sumgayit, in the list of immovable historical and cultural heritage was discussed.

The members of the Expert Council provided their feedback and suggestions on the matter, and decisions were made to take appropriate measures for registering these historical and architectural objects for state protection.