Pope Francis called during the Sunday prayer on Azerbaijan and Armenia to dialogue on the situation of forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh, Rai Radio 1 reports.
He also prayed for “suffering Ukraine and all lands wounded by war”.
More than 100,000 people left their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh and fled to Armenia after Azerbaijan’s September 19 military aggression against Karabakh.
A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in Turkey’s capital Sunday, near the Interior Ministry building, killing himself and injuring two police officers.
Turkey’s interior minister said a second assailant was killed in a shootout with police, The Associated Press reported.
The blast occurred just hours before the parliament was set to re-open after a three-month recess with an address by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It was not immediately clear who the assailants were.
No one has claimed responsibility for the assault.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
No one picked the winning numbers for Saturday’s Powerball lottery.
The Powerball jackpot now rises to $1.04 billion for Monday’s game.
Most people who win choose to take a lump sum, which for Monday’s game would be close to half a billion dollars after taxes – not a bad deal for a $2 ticket.
The jackpot has grown so incredibly large because there have been 30 consecutive games without a big winner.
On September 28, the president of the self-declared republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Samvel Shahramanyan, announced that it would cease to exist on January 1, 2024. According to a decree that he has signed, all state institutions will have been dissolved by this date.
It follows Azerbaijan’s military takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh and the subsequent flight of large parts of the ethnically Armenian population, a dramatic turn in the long-running conflict over the region, which revolves largely around the question of the disputed region’s independence. Azerbaijan, which is predominantly Muslim, is supported by Turkey, while Russia has acted as a protective power for Armenia, which is majority Christian.
Geopolitical consequences
The self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which declared independence in 1991, has a predominantly Armenian population but is located on Azerbaijani territory. According to international law, it belongs to Azerbaijan, not Armenia.
Armenia has never recognized the breakaway republic. Even though some consider the region to be an “inseparable part” of Armenia, draft laws to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence have been blocked in the Armenian parliament and by the government.
The conflict has geopolitical relevance far beyond the two states due to several major oil and gas pipelines in the region that transport millions of barrels a day from the Caspian Sea to Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Azerbaijan has been supplying the EU with more gas.
Disputed for centuries
The conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis has its origins in the seventh century, when Christian Byzantines fought for control against Muslim Arabs. Under later Ottoman rule, the Armenian population looked to Russia for protection.
As Christian Armenians came under pressure from Persia in the 18th century, the Russian tsarina, Catherine the Great, issued letters of protection for them.
After Nagorno-Karabakh came under Russian control as a result of the Russo-Persian War of 1804 to 1813, the Christian Armenian population received preferential treatment over the Turkic Muslims of the wider region, later known as Azerbaijanis.
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide of 1915-1916 in the Ottoman Empire led many Armenians to flee to Nagorno-Karabakh, and exacerbated the conflict with the Azerbaijani population. In March 1918, there were pogroms against Azerbaijanis, and then there were anti-Armenian pogroms in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. In 1920, pogroms in the city of Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh claimed the lives of over 30,000 Armenians.
After the fall of the Russian Empire, the Russian Revolution, and the First World War, the region continued to be disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which both enjoyed a brief period of independence.
In 1922, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia formed the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, but it was dissolved in 1936 and disintegrated into individual Soviet republics. However, riots and pogroms between Armenians and Azerbaijanis did not stop.
There have been tens of thousands of casualties on both sidesImage: AP/dpa/picture alliance
Collapse of Soviet Union
In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia and Azerbaijan declared their independence. The region of Nagorno-Karabakh followed suit on September 3, 1991. Two months later, Azerbaijan lifted its autonomy and launched an energy blockade.
The conflict escalated again and in early 1992, there were more mass killings in both Azerbaijani and Armenian villages. On May 12, 1994, a cease-fire agreement came into force that strengthened Nagorno-Karabakh.
Some 35,000 people are estimated to have died in the 1990s and over 1.1 million were displaced.
A Second Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out in 2020 after which the region suffered major territorial losses despite support from Armenia. The war came to an end due to a cease-fire agreement brokered by Moscow that helped Azerbaijan regain parts of the disputed territory.
From the Armenian perspective, Azerbaijan at no time guaranteed autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, stated repeatedly that it recognized “broad autonomy” for the region, but not independence.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev Monday.
The Prime Minister’s Office informed that Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the close cooperation and consistent work between the Ministries of Internal Affairs of the two countries in the fight against crime and in other fields.
Kolokoltsev touched upon the results of discussions with Armenian partners and joint programs.
Members of Turkish Police Special Forces secure an area following an explosion near the Interior Ministry in Ankara, Turkey October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey’s interior minister said on Sunday that two “terrorists” carried out a bomb attack in front of the ministry buildings in Ankara, adding one of them died in the explosion and the other was “neutralized” by authorities there.
Turkish media earlier reported that an explosion was heard near the parliament and ministerial buildings.
Ali Yerlikaya, the minister, said on social media platform X that two police officers were slightly injured in the incident at 9:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).
Russia’s defence spending is set to surge next year – UK’s MoD (Image: GETTY)
The British Defence Ministry reported that Russia is set to dramatically increase its defence spending in 2024, a worrying sign Moscow is preparing to continue its fight in Ukraine for years to come.
Mentioning documents “apparently leaked from Russia’s Finance Ministry”, the UK’s MoD said in its latest intelligence update shared on X, formerly Twitter, that “Russia’s defence spending is set to surge to approximately 30 percent of total public expenditure in 2024.”.
The assessment continued: “The ministry proposes a defence budget of 10.8 trillion roubles, equivalent to approximately 6 percent of GDP and a 68 percent increase over 2023.”
Russia, Britain’s MoD believes, can bear the brunt of a similar level of defence spending through the next year, “but only at the expense of the wider economy”.
The assessment also warned such a dramatic demand on the wider economy signals the Kremlin wants its troops to remain on the Ukrainian battlefields for years.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (Image: Getty)
It read: “Full details on Russian defence spending are always classified, but these figures suggest that Russia is preparing for multiple further years of fighting in Ukraine.
Mr Shoigu told Russian top military commanders during a meeting last week that their army “continues increasing its combat capacity”.
He continued: “Consistent implementation of measures within the framework of the action plan until 2025 will allow us to achieve the intended goals.”
This came after Russian President Vladimir Putin approved several manoeuvres to beef up the number of Russia‘s troops, including raising the conscription age for Russian men from 27 to 30.
Last winter, it also emerged the president wanted to bolster his country’s armed forces from 1.15 million to 1.5 million combat personnel.
Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Following a lightning advance on Kyiv, many Russian commentators expected Volodymyr Zelensky‘s government and army to capitulate and concede defeat in just days.
But as Ukraine came together to resist Russia and the Western world provided military aid to Kyiv and economic sanctions against Moscow, the invasion turned into a long conflict.
While Russian air strikes regularly target several areas across Ukraine, the ground fighting has been focused in recent months on the southern and eastern fronts, where Kyiv is trying to gain back territories occupied and illegally annexed by Moscow.
México is swimming against a tide of Western crackdowns on Russian espionage. While more than 600 suspected spies have been expelled from Russian embassies across Europe since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Mexican government in recent months has authorized 37 new diplomats in the Russian Embassy in Mexico City on top of the 49 already there, for a staggering 86, according to the foreign ministry´s Directory of Foreign Missions (which is no longer available to the public but I obtained). Russia currently has by far the largest diplomatic contingent than any other legation in Mexico City, including the American Embassy, which has 46 diplomats, not including diplomatic personnel in their nine consulates across the country.
Russia’s defence spending is set to surge next year – UK’s MoD (Image: GETTY)The British Defence Ministry reported that Russia is set to dramatically increase its defence spending in 2024, a worrying sign Moscow is preparing to continue its fight in Ukraine for years to come.Mentioning documents “apparently leaked from Russia’s Finance Ministry”, the…
ShareMéxico is swimming against a tide of Western crackdowns on Russian espionage. While more than 600 suspected spies have been expelled from Russian embassies across Europe since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Mexican government in recent months has authorized 37 new diplomats in the Russian Embassy in Mexico City on top of the 49 already…
Protests erupted in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi this month after the country’s national bank refused to enforce sanctions placed on individuals by the US, UK and EU. Hundreds of individuals deemed to be acting on Russia‘s behalf or in Russia‘s favour were added to a list, although some appear to have been protected by the Georgian government….
UNION CITY, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey defiantly pushed back against federal corruption charges on Monday, saying nearly half a million dollars in cash authorities found in his home was from his personal savings, not from bribes, and was on hand for emergencies. Rejecting rising calls for him to resign, the influential…
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In an address marking a year since the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, Putin insisted it was carried out “in full accordance with international norms.” READ MORE : https://www.euronews.com/2023/10/01/ukraine-war-putin-marks-one-year-since-illegal-annexation-of-ukrainian-regions Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/euronews?sub_confirmation=1…
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Saudi Arabia will not hold up a peace deal even if Israel does not offer major concessions to Palestinians in their bid for statehood, three regional sources familiar with the talks said.The Palestinians could get some Israeli restrictions eased but such moves would fall short of their aspirations for a state. As with other Arab-Israeli deals forged…
UNION CITY, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey defiantly pushed back against federal corruption charges on Monday, saying nearly half a million dollars in cash authorities found in his home was from his personal savings, not from bribes, and was on hand for emergencies.Rejecting rising calls for him to resign, the influential…
Protests erupted in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi this month after the country’s national bank refused to enforce sanctions placed on individuals by the US, UK and EU.Hundreds of individuals deemed to be acting on Russia’s behalf or in Russia’s favour were added to a list, although some appear to have been protected by the Georgian government.On top…
The United States House of Representatives approved Saturday a stopgap measure to fund the federal government for 45 days and avoid an imminent government shutdown at midnight, Azernews reports, citing foreign media sources.
Russia’s defence spending is set to surge next year – UK’s MoD (Image: GETTY)
The British Defence Ministry reported that Russia is set to dramatically increase its defence spending in 2024, a worrying sign Moscow is preparing to continue its fight in Ukraine for years to come.
Mentioning documents “apparently leaked from Russia’s Finance Ministry”, the UK’s MoD said in its latest intelligence update shared on X, formerly Twitter, that “Russia’s defence spending is set to surge to approximately 30 percent of total public expenditure in 2024.”.
The assessment continued: “The ministry proposes a defence budget of 10.8 trillion roubles, equivalent to approximately 6 percent of GDP and a 68 percent increase over 2023.”
Russia, Britain’s MoD believes, can bear the brunt of a similar level of defence spending through the next year, “but only at the expense of the wider economy”.
The assessment also warned such a dramatic demand on the wider economy signals the Kremlin wants its troops to remain on the Ukrainian battlefields for years.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (Image: Getty)
It read: “Full details on Russian defence spending are always classified, but these figures suggest that Russia is preparing for multiple further years of fighting in Ukraine.
Mr Shoigu told Russian top military commanders during a meeting last week that their army “continues increasing its combat capacity”.
He continued: “Consistent implementation of measures within the framework of the action plan until 2025 will allow us to achieve the intended goals.”
This came after Russian President Vladimir Putin approved several manoeuvres to beef up the number of Russia‘s troops, including raising the conscription age for Russian men from 27 to 30.
Last winter, it also emerged the president wanted to bolster his country’s armed forces from 1.15 million to 1.5 million combat personnel.
Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Following a lightning advance on Kyiv, many Russian commentators expected Volodymyr Zelensky‘s government and army to capitulate and concede defeat in just days.
But as Ukraine came together to resist Russia and the Western world provided military aid to Kyiv and economic sanctions against Moscow, the invasion turned into a long conflict.
While Russian air strikes regularly target several areas across Ukraine, the ground fighting has been focused in recent months on the southern and eastern fronts, where Kyiv is trying to gain back territories occupied and illegally annexed by Moscow.
México is swimming against a tide of Western crackdowns on Russian espionage. While more than 600 suspected spies have been expelled from Russian embassies across Europe since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Mexican government in recent months has authorized 37 new diplomats in the Russian Embassy in Mexico City on top of the 49 already there, for a staggering 86, according to the foreign ministry´s Directory of Foreign Missions (which is no longer available to the public but I obtained). Russia currently has by far the largest diplomatic contingent than any other legation in Mexico City, including the American Embassy, which has 46 diplomats, not including diplomatic personnel in their nine consulates across the country.
Russia’s defence spending is set to surge next year – UK’s MoD (Image: GETTY)The British Defence Ministry reported that Russia is set to dramatically increase its defence spending in 2024, a worrying sign Moscow is preparing to continue its fight in Ukraine for years to come.Mentioning documents “apparently leaked from Russia’s Finance Ministry”, the…
ShareMéxico is swimming against a tide of Western crackdowns on Russian espionage. While more than 600 suspected spies have been expelled from Russian embassies across Europe since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Mexican government in recent months has authorized 37 new diplomats in the Russian Embassy in Mexico City on top of the 49 already…
Protests erupted in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi this month after the country’s national bank refused to enforce sanctions placed on individuals by the US, UK and EU. Hundreds of individuals deemed to be acting on Russia‘s behalf or in Russia‘s favour were added to a list, although some appear to have been protected by the Georgian government….
UNION CITY, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey defiantly pushed back against federal corruption charges on Monday, saying nearly half a million dollars in cash authorities found in his home was from his personal savings, not from bribes, and was on hand for emergencies. Rejecting rising calls for him to resign, the influential…
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated the defenders of Ukraine on their holiday, noting that no one will manage to ‘switch off’ Ukrainian resilience and courage.
On the night of October 1, 2023, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the city of Kharkiv. Three enemy S-300 missiles hit the territory of a civilian enterprise.
AI disinformation is a threat to elections − learning to spot Russian, Chinese and Iranian meddling in other countries can help the US prepare for 2024 Devdiscourse
In an address marking a year since the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, Putin insisted it was carried out “in full accordance with international norms.” READ MORE : https://www.euronews.com/2023/10/01/ukraine-war-putin-marks-one-year-since-illegal-annexation-of-ukrainian-regions Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/euronews?sub_confirmation=1…
Congress passes 45-day funding bill to avert government shutdown CBS NewsMcCarthy: ‘It’s only failure if you quit’ ReutersHouse adopts ‘clean’ stopgap funding bill possibly averting shutdown Fox NewsSenate approves 45-day funding extension, sends to Biden for signature KGUN 9 Tucson News
Saudi Arabia will not hold up a peace deal even if Israel does not offer major concessions to Palestinians in their bid for statehood, three regional sources familiar with the talks said.The Palestinians could get some Israeli restrictions eased but such moves would fall short of their aspirations for a state. As with other Arab-Israeli deals forged…
UNION CITY, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey defiantly pushed back against federal corruption charges on Monday, saying nearly half a million dollars in cash authorities found in his home was from his personal savings, not from bribes, and was on hand for emergencies.Rejecting rising calls for him to resign, the influential…
Protests erupted in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi this month after the country’s national bank refused to enforce sanctions placed on individuals by the US, UK and EU.Hundreds of individuals deemed to be acting on Russia’s behalf or in Russia’s favour were added to a list, although some appear to have been protected by the Georgian government.On top…
The United States House of Representatives approved Saturday a stopgap measure to fund the federal government for 45 days and avoid an imminent government shutdown at midnight, Azernews reports, citing foreign media sources.
There have been tens of thousands of casualties on both sidesImage: AP/dpa/picture alliance 
Russia’s defence spending is set to surge next year – UK’s MoD (Image: GETTY)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (Image: Getty)
