Day: February 5, 2026

Newly declassified documents from the US Justice Department have brought Argentina into the growing international fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein case, revealing previously unknown connections between the late financier and Argentine businessman Federico ‘Fred’ Machado, who was recently extradited to the US on drug-related charges.
According to files seized by the FBI that were made public this week, Epstein in 2015 attempted to acquire a Gulfstream private jet worth more than US$10 million from Machado, the Argentina-born financier then operating out of Fort Lauderdale with clients across Latin America, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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The material includes emails, technical data sheets and draft contracts recovered from Epstein’s residence.
Talks were conducted through Epstein’s close operational circle, particularly his longtime pilot Larry Visoski, who managed the expansion of his private aircraft fleet. 
In one email sent to Epstein, an aviation intermediary wrote that a Gulfstream 2000 aircraft “is currently owned by Fred Machado,” adding that the plane was available for immediate inspection. 
The proposed deal valued the aircraft at up to US$12.5 million, depending on whether full mechanical reviews and interior refurbishment were included. A 24-page technical report prepared by Gulfstream in Machado’s name was also found among Epstein’s personal papers. 
Investigators say there is no evidence the sale was ever finalised. Records show Epstein later purchased a different aircraft in 2017.
Investigators flagged three loan contracts signed by Machado in 2016 for the purchase of another private jet.
Machado gained notoriety in Argentina after it was revealed he had donated funds to the 2019 presidential campaign of economist José Luis Espert, sparking political controversy. 
Espert, who last year attempted to run for office as a national deputy on the ticket of La Libertad Avanza, the party of President Jaiver Milei, dropped his candidacy after links between him and Machado were exposed in the press.
Epstein, convicted of sex crimes, was found dead in a New York jail in August 2019 in a case officially ruled a suicide.
The financier was long alleged to have been a purveyor of sex with underage girls to some of the world’s most powerful men.
The mere mention of someone’s name in the files does not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing by that person. 

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According to the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), normal to above-normal rainfall is expected in the northern coast and western Lake Victoria Basin. However, the northeastern highlands and parts of the Lake Victoria Basin are forecast to receive normal to below-normal rainfall, News.az reports, citing Xinhua.
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The rains are expected to begin between late February and mid-March, with April projected to see the most intense activity, the TMA said in a statement.
The authority warned that areas with heavy rains could face flooding and infrastructure damage, while drier regions may experience declining water levels, affecting irrigation and hydropower generation.
It said health risks are also anticipated, including outbreaks of vector-borne and waterborne diseases due to water contamination during heavy rains and increased reliance on unsafe water sources in drier areas. 

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, leading a diplomatic delegation, departed Tehran for Muscat on Thursday night to engage in nuclear talks with the United States on Friday.
In a post on his X account on Thursday night, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei wrote that the top Iranian diplomat departed for Muscat to head an Iranian negotiating team in nuclear talks with the United States delegation, News.Az reports, citing Iranian media.
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The talks will be held in Muscat tomorrow as mediated by Oman. 
“Foreign Minister Dr. Araghchi headed a diplomatic delegation to Muscat to hold nuclear talks with the United States. This diplomatic engagement is being conducted with might and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually agreeable, and honorable deal on the nuclear issue,” the spokesman wrote in a Farsi post.
“The bitter experiences of the past, including previous breaches of commitments, the military aggression in June last year and foreign interventions in January riots, are before our eyes, while we always consider ourselves obligated to call for the rights of the Iranian people. At the same time, we have a responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy to secure the interests of the Iranian people and preserve peace and tranquility in the region,” Baghaei also said.
He went on to conclude the post by saying that “We appreciate all the friendly neighboring and regional countries that played a responsible role in shaping this process, and we hope that the American side will also participate in this process with feeling responsibility, realism, and seriousness.”

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After the inaugural meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a Joint Declaration, according to the Uzbek president’s press service.
Among them were documents on the establishment of the Uzbek-Pakistani Business Council and the Uzbek-Pakistani Interregional Forum, as well as a protocol to expand the list of goods covered under the Preferential Trade Agreement, News.Az reports, citing local media.
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The sides also signed agreements on cooperation in port services, mining and geology, agriculture, agricultural research, pharmaceutical regulation, textiles, and digital technologies.
In addition, agreements were reached in the areas of radiation and nuclear safety, ecology, and disaster management.

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A powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit south of Indonesia’s Java Island on Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake occurred south of Java Island at 18:06 GMT, with a depth of 58.4 kilometers (about 36.29 miles), News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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No immediate damage reports were received. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency recorded the quake at a 6.4 magnitude but confirmed there was no tsunami threat.

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On Thursday, Germany denounced Russia’s expulsion of a German diplomat from Moscow, describing it as an unfounded action with no factual basis.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to Brunei, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accused Russia of escalating already heightened tensions between the two countries, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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“The expulsion of a German diplomat from Russia lacks any factual basis and is completely unacceptable,” he said. “While our diplomats abide by the law, Russia relies on escalation and espionage under the guise of diplomacy.”
Russia’s expulsion came in retaliation for Berlin’s decision last month to expel a Russian Embassy official over espionage allegations. German authorities claimed the embassy staffer was an intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned German Ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff earlier Thursday to inform him of the decision, declaring a German Embassy in Moscow staffer persona non grata.
“It was emphasized that the unsubstantiated accusations of intelligence activity brought against him (the Russian official) by Berlin officials are baseless and fabricated in the spirit of the spy mania being promoted in Germany,” the ministry said in a statement.

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On February 5, Leyla Aliyeva visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum and the Abrahamic Family House.
Leyla Aliyeva first toured the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, News.Az reports, citing AZERTAC.
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The Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first international branch of the renowned Louvre Museum in Paris, is located on Saadiyat Island. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the museum opened to the public in November 2017. Its permanent collection features a vast array of works of art spanning different historical periods and civilizations. The museum also hosts exhibits on loan from partner museums.
Leyla Aliyeva also familiarized herself with the Abrahamic Family House.
The creation of the Abrahamic Family House was announced in 2019 by President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This unique complex comprises three houses of worship – the Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque, the St. Francis Church, and the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue – aimed at promoting interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence. The complex also includes a central educational center where visitors can learn about different religions.

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