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Israelis protest against overhaul plans ahead of key court decision


2023-09-09T19:45:29Z

Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in cities across the country on Saturday ahead of a key decision by the Supreme Court over legislation passed by the coalition which stripped the court of some of its oversight powers.

Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition presented plans to strip the court of much of its powers with a package of legislation but, due to overwhelming public pressure, passed only one part of the plan.

Proponents say the judicial overhaul plans would restore balance to the branches of authority but critics say it removes vital checks on government powers.

The latest legislation, an amendment to one of Israel’s basic laws, removes the court’s power to strike down government decision’s or appointments on the basis of being “unreasonable.”

“I am demonstrating for Israel democracy,” protester Nattie Schwartz-Kershberg said in Tel Aviv. “I want to make sure that Israel will stay democracy and not a dictatorship.”

The overhaul plans have sparked weekly nationwide protests but the latest demonstrations held special significance as they came before the Supreme Court, for the first time in Israeli history, convenes its entire 15-judge bench on Sept. 12 to hear an appeal against the amendment.

Related Galleries:

Protesters display a large banner as they take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government’s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg

People take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government’s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Corinna Kern

Protesters take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government’s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg

People take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government’s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Corinna Kern

People take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government’s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Corinna Kern

People take part in a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government’s judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Corinna Kern

The post Israelis protest against overhaul plans ahead of key court decision first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.


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Morocco earthquake kills more than 1,300 people, survivors sleep rough


2023-09-09T19:50:54Z

The most powerful earthquake to strike Morocco in decades has killed more than 1,000 people and injured hundreds more. Many were killed in remote Atlas mountain villages, and the historic old city of Marrakech was damaged. Lucy Fielder has more.

Moroccan earthquake survivors huddled for a night in the open on the High Atlas Mountains on Saturday, a day after the country’s deadliest quake in more than six decades killed over 1,300 people and laid waste to villages.

Neighbours were still searching for survivors buried on the slopes, where houses of mud brick, stone and rough wood were cracked open and mosque minarets toppled by the quake that struck late on Friday. The historic old city of Marrakech also suffered extensive damage.

The Interior Ministry said 1,305 people had been killed and 1,832 injured by the quake, gauged by the U.S. Geological Survey at a magnitude of 6.8 with an epicentre some 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech.

In the village of Amizmiz near the epicentre, rescue workers picked through rubble with their bare hands. Fallen masonry blocked narrow streets. Outside a hospital, around 10 bodies lay covered in blankets as grieving relatives stood nearby.

“When I felt the earth shaking beneath my feet and the house leaning, I rushed to get my kids out. But my neighbours couldn’t,” said Mohamed Azaw. “Unfortunately no one was found alive in that family. The father and son were found dead and they are still looking for the mother and the daughter.”

Rescuers stood atop the pancaked floors of one building in Amizmiz, bits of carpet and furniture protruding from the rubble. A long queue formed outside the only open shop as people sought supplies. Underlining the challenges facing rescuers, fallen boulders blocked a road from Amizmiz to a nearby village.

Nearly all the houses in the area of Asni, some 40 km south of Marrakech, were damaged, and villagers were preparing to spend the night outside. Food was in short supply as roofs had collapsed on kitchens, said villager Mohamed Ouhammo.

Montasir Itri, a resident of Asni, said the search was on for survivors.

“Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village,” he said.

The village of Tansghart in the Ansi area, on the side of a valley where the road from Marrakech rises up into the High Atlas, was the worst hit of any Reuters saw. Its once-pretty houses, clinging to a steep hillside, were cracked open by the shaking ground. Those still standing were missing chunks of wall or plaster. Two mosque minarets had fallen.

Abdellatif Ait Bella, a labourer, lay on the ground, barely able to move or speak, his head bandaged from wounds caused by falling debris.

“We have no house to take him to and have had no food since yesterday,” said his wife Saida Bodchich, fearing for the future of their family of six with their sole breadwinner so badly hurt. “We can rely on nobody but God.”

The village is already mourning ten deaths including two teenage girls, an inhabitant said.

Tremors were felt as far away as Huelva and Jaen in southern Spain. The World Health Organization said more than 300,000 people were affected in Marrakech and surrounding areas.

Street camera footage in Marrakech showed the moment the earth began to shake, as men suddenly looked around and jumped up, and others ran for shelter into an alleyway and then fled as dust and debris tumbled around them.

In the heart of the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a mosque minaret had fallen in Jemaa al-Fna Square. Some houses in the tightly packed old city collapsed and people used their hands to remove debris while they waited for heavy equipment, said resident Id Waaziz Hassan.

Morocco declared three days of national mourning, during which the national flag will be flown at half staff throughout the country, the royal court said on Saturday.

The Moroccan armed forces will deploy rescue teams to provide affected areas with clean drinking water, food supplies, tents and blankets, it added.

Turkey, where powerful earthquakes in February killed more than 50,000 people, was among nations expressing solidarity and offering to provide support.

Algeria, which broke off ties with Morocco in 2021 after escalating tensions between the countries focused on the Western Sahara conflict, said it would open airspace for humanitarian and medical flights.

The quake was recorded at a depth of 18.5 km, typically more destructive than deeper quakes of the same magnitude. It was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake since 1960 when a quake was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Mohammad Kashani, Associate Professor of Structural and Earthquake Engineering at the University of Southampton, compared scenes of the aftermath to images from Turkey in February: “The area is full of old and historical buildings, which are mainly masonry. The collapsed reinforced concrete structures that I saw … were either old or substandard.”

Marrakech is due to host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank from Oct. 9.

An IMF spokesperson, asked about the planned meetings, said: “Our sole focus at this time is on the people of Morocco and the authorities who are dealing with this tragedy.”

Related Galleries:

Rescuers carry a search operation following a powerful earthquake, in Amizmiz, in Morocco, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki

A general view of damage in the historic city of Marrakech, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9. REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki

People run, as a powerful earthquake hits, in Marrakech, Morocco September 8, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a video. Video obtained by REUTERS/via REUTERS

Rescuers carry out a search operation following a powerful earthquake, in Amizmiz, Morocco, September 9. REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki

People work next to damage in the historic city of Marrakech, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki

A view of a damaged vehicle in the historic city of Marrakech, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki

View of debris in the aftermath of an earthquake in Marrakech, Morocco September 9, 2023 in this screen grab from a social media video in this picture. Al Maghribi Al Youm/via REUTERS

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What’s Jewish about the jam band Phish? Many things, according to a new book.


(JTA) — Those who are Jewish, or Phish fans — or both — have likely noticed at one point: Jews really seem to love Phish.

There are many possible reasons for this, starting with the fact that the genre-bending jam band has many ardent fans of all stripes, having sold millions of albums and played to enormous festival crowds for decades. Two of the band members — bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman — are also Jewish, and the group has been known to play Jewish songs such as “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” and “Avinu Malkeinu” live.

But there’s something else — a certain kind of spiritual aspect to Phish fandom that seems to attract the average modern Jewish fan.

“Phish is one of many vehicles through which Jewish fans connect on a meaningful level with their cultural Jewish identity,” University of San Francisco Professor Oren Kroll-Zeldin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2019. “Phish provides an alternative venue to build Jewish community and Phish shows become a site where fans can have meaningful Jewish experiences outside the confines of traditional Jewish life.”

A new book titled “This Is Your Song Too: Phish and Contemporary Jewish Identity,” published this week by Penn State University Press, explores the ins and outs of the relationship through essays from several Phish fans and an interview with Gordon. It’s edited by Kroll-Zeldin and Ariella Werden-Greenfield of Temple University, who in 2019 hosted a conference — likely the first of its kind in academia — on the topic.

“There are so many connections and synergies between Jewish identity and Phish fandom,” Werden-Greenfield told JTA. “What we really have tried to highlight in this book… is the answer is different for every Phish fan who identifies Jewishly in and around Phish.”

As Phish’s legend grew in the 1990s, many Jews learned about them at Jewish summer camps, Kroll-Zeldin said. “Time and time again, people said ‘I learned about Phish from my camp counselor, and then I passed the music down to my campers, who then passed the music down to other campers,” in a process he compared to the Jewish tradition of passing the Torah down through the generations.

Since Phish is also known for their extensive live shows, Phish fans also love to intensely analyze setlists (along with their lyrics, musical styles and more).

“It’s’ very similar to how Jews engage with textual exegesis of Torah and Talmud,” Kroll-Zeldin added.

Another big part of the connection is a healthy sense of humor found in Phish’s lyrical themes and stage presence.

“They are playful and curious and experimental, and that is something that resonates with a lot of Jewish listeners,” Werden-Greenfield said of Phish.

Phish frontman Trey Anastasio performs at the Sixth and I synagogue in Washington, D.C., in 2018. (Andrea Nusinov)Phish frontman Trey Anastasio performs at the Sixth and I synagogue in Washington, D.C., in 2018. (Andrea Nusinov) Image by

Kroll-Zeldin and Werden-Greenfield were friends and college classmates at Skidmore College — where Phish played an early show in 1990. In the years afterward, they would see each other at Phish shows and then, once they both pursued careers as religious studies academics, at conferences. Both said they have lost track of how many Phish shows they have personally attended.

Their 2019 conference led to a call for papers, some of which ended up in the book.

While many Jewish Phish fans are secular, the book includes essays from devotees of the band who are more observant and often must reconcile the timing of shows with that of Shabbat. Religious services have been held during set breaks at Phish shows, with kosher food sometimes sold in the “shakedown” area, outside of concerts.

There’s also a chapter about Phish and food. The Jewish ice cream purveyors Ben and Jerry — natives of Vermont, where Phish formed — have been offering their Phish Food flavor for years, while Federal Donuts, owned by Philadelphia-based Israeli-American chef Michael Solomonov, has created out multiple special editions of Phish-themed donuts.

In addition to the essays, the book features numerous photographs, of everything from parking lot prayers to Phish-themed dreidels, bat mitzvah invitations and wedding ketubahs.

The band has always seemed to happily nod to its large Jewish fan base. The band got its start playing in cities, towns and colleges in areas with large Jewish populations, and the majority of their performances are still close to metro areas with large Jewish populations. Frontman Trey Anastasio played a solo show at the Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, D.C., in 2018.

A big part of the book, mentioned by several essayists, is Phish’s performance of “Avinu Malkeinu.” Phish does not play the song often — once every 23.9 shows, according to phish.net‘s exhaustive database — but the band has played it a total of 83 times over many years, between 1987 and 2022.

Why “Avinu Malkeinu”? The book shares the heretofore untold story of how Phish’s Gordon, while growing up in suburban Boston, first heard the song from Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, a prominent rabbi and author in the Reform movement, who happened to be Gordon’s childhood rabbi. Kushner would sing the melody, sometimes wordlessly, “for everything,” including during Havdalah services. While, per the book, Gordon “admits that he never fully accepted Judaism’s belief system or rituals or and even rebelled against them,” that song stuck with him.

Phish drummer Jon Fishman, shown performing with the band in Brooklyn in 2004, is one of two Jewish members of the group. He’s known for performing in a colorful dress. (Scott Gries/Getty Images)Phish drummer Jon Fishman, shown performing with the band in Brooklyn in 2004, is one of two Jewish members of the group. He’s known for performing in a colorful dress. (Scott Gries/Getty Images) Image by

“[Aveinu Malkeinu] was getting not just into my ears but into my soul,” Gordon says in the book. “And so, when I’m bringing that song to the table [with Phish], in some ways… I’m referring back to an experience that was a deep soul experience for me, using that melody.”

The Phish bassist has a sister-in-law who is a cantor, and at the time of the interview, he was planning to sing with his daughter as part of a Zoom-based “Havdalah coffee shop.”

“Looking out into the crowd, it was easy to see who the Jews were because their eyes would light up when we went into it, and that was kind of fun,” Gordon said in the book of the band’s earliest performances of “Avinu Malkeinu.” “When we were playing in clubs and theaters and Jewish people wandering in having no idea that they were going to hear anything in Hebrew, there it was. A look of shock. I liked that part of it.”

For all of its Jewish connections, one thing Phish has not ever done is perform in Israel. There’s been a great deal of campaigning over the years for such a visit by Phish fans who live there, including one woman named Rachel Loonin Steinerman, interviewed in the book, who created the “OhKeePah,” a kippah made from the same fabric as the signature muumuu sported by drummer Fishman during shows. She inscribed #PhishInIsrael on the inside of each.

Music journalist Shirley Halperin says in the book that she spent time in Israel with drummer Fishman in 1993 — including an early-morning hike to the top of Masada — and that Gordon had reached out to her when he was trying to learn how to sing “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav.”

“What is it about Phish and Jews? I don’t know, but a lot of Jews are doing Jewish stuff at Phish shows, which makes it a very joyful way to be Jewish,” Kroll-Zeldin said.

This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

The post What’s Jewish about the jam band Phish? Many things, according to a new book. appeared first on The Forward.

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Woman in Brooklyn shot, left fighting for her life after daytime assault near Home Depot store: cops


Two people in Brooklyn were shot and wounded steps away from a big box home improvement store on Saturday afternoon, and the gunman responsible remains at large, police reported.

One of the victims, a 26-year-old woman, is now fighting for her life at a local hospital after being shot in the head.

Law enforcement sources said the gunfire erupted at about noon on Sept. 9 at the corner of Willoughby Avenue and Sandford Street, near the entrance to The Home Depot, in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Officers from the 79th Precinct, in responding to a 911 call about the shooting, found the 26-year-old woman shot in the head and the second victim, a 35-year-old man, with a bullet wound to his right knee.

EMS rushed both victims to Kings County Hospital. The woman remains there in critical condition, while the man was listed in stable condition, police sources said.

The motive for the shooting remains unknown and under investigation. Sources familiar with the case indicated that police are investigating whether road rage was a factor, but an NYPD spokesperson could not confirm that report.

Detectives and officers scoured the crime scene looking for evidence, including the victims’ bullet-riddled car.

Officers at Brooklyn shooting scenePolice officers stand guard near the shooting scene.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell Closed off Home Depot parking lot after shootingThe entrance to the Home Depot parking lot in Brooklyn near where the shooting occurred.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell A bullet-riddled car after two people were shot in Brooklyn on Sept. 9, 2023.Police officers stand near a bullet-riddled car after two people were shot in Brooklyn on Sept. 9, 2023.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell Detectives at the scene of the shootingPhoto by Lloyd Mitchell

One local resident, while observing the police response, lamented the violence.

“Young people are dying over silliness,” said the resident, who did not provide their identity. “There is no love in New York City anymore.”

Meanwhile, the search continues for the suspected shooter, described by police as a Black man standing at about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red hat, a white shirt and black jeans while fleeing southbound on foot along nearby Nostrand Avenue.

So far, no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting or the suspect’s whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

Year-to-date through Sept. 3, the 79th Precinct has seen 16 shootings with 17 victims, down from the 20 shootings and 27 victims reported at the same point in 2022, according to the most recent CompStat report.

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Howie Carr: You have choices to vote out the clown show, er, Boston City Council


Casting a ballot in a Boston City Council election is usually about as meaningful as picking up your cellphone and dialing in a vote for your favorite D-list celebrity on Dancing with the Stars.

But this Tuesday, going to the polls could be important, because it might help determine who becomes mayor next year if (or when) Michelle Wu decides to move on.

Rumors are rampant that two years after her election, the 37-year-old drifter from Chicago is “despondent” over the job, as well she should be, as abysmally as she’s performed her duties.

Last week, Wu was asked by reporters if she’s been talking to Harvard about a job. She denied it, sort of.

Maybe they should have asked her about MIT. That’s the other rumor.

If Wu resigns, she would be replaced by the president of that third-rate clown-show known as the City Council.

The current president is Ed Flynn, son of former mayor Ray Flynn. Not a bad guy, but Ed’s never been on the short list for Mensa. When a riot breaks out at a Council meeting, he bangs the gavel and yells “Clear the galleys!”

Not galleries, galleys.

Under no circumstances is Ed Flynn going to become the next mayor. So if she wants out, Wu will have to wait until his term expires in January. Then her faction of comrades and card-carrying fellow travelers on the Council can vote in a successor to keep the program going.

What’s the program, you ask? To paraphrase Che Guevara on Vietnam in 1967:

“Two, three, many Mass & Casses.”

If Wu flees across the river, the local Reds want to replace her with Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune. Like Wu, she’s an acolyte of the fake Indian, Elizabeth Warren, who raised big bucks for the Haitian-American in her 2021 race.

Louijeune’s far-left bona fides are all in order — after Harvard Law she worked for Perkins Coie, the corrupt Democrat law firm that in 2016 served as a cut-out for funneling Hillary Clinton’s cash to concoct the phony Steele dossier used in the Russian collusion hoax.

But there’s a problem with the Louijeune succession. Some of the councilors from the Mass & Cass crew are jammed up legally. If the electorate votes them off the island, there’s an off chance someone who’s occasionally worked for a living could become the next mayor.

On the Council get-rid-of list, let’s start with incumbent Kendra Lara, a/k/a Hicks, who was recently busted for unlicensed driving of an uninspected, uninsured, unregistered motor vehicle. I don’t have the room (or stomach) to go into every sordid stunt this shrew has been mixed up in, but now she’s demanding to have all the latest charges against her dropped.

Which is amusing, because the guy prosecuting her is Kevin Hayden, the district attorney, whom she vehemently tried to defeat last year. Payback is a… Kendra Lara.

Who to vote for instead

In her West Roxbury-Jamaica Plain District 6, vote for William King to get rid of Lara. He is not known to DCF, and he has a driver’s license. In other words, he’s normal.

In District 5, which includes Hyde Park, Roslindale and Mattapan, incumbent Ricky Ricardo Arroyo is a boil on the body politic. He tried to rig the DA’s race last year against the aforementioned Hayden.

And he’s got other legal problems besides getting the shady U.S. attorney fired in his scheme to fix the election by leaking fake news to the corrupt Boston Globe.

Arroyo was just fined $3,000 by the State Ethics Commission for a different offense. And then there’s that ongoing investigation against him by the Board of Bar Overseers regarding a photo finish he had with the BPD during high school.

Jose Ruiz is running against Arroyo. He is a 30-year Boston cop. Vote Ruiz, not the sleaze.

Next, Tania Fernandes Anderson, the Roxbury city councilor, will be more difficult to knock off. She recently made a mysterious visit to Mass & Cass on a Saturday night at dusk and had her cell phone stolen. She claimed she had double-parked to deliver food to the junkies.

Anderson canoodles with a convicted thug doing life for murdering a (legal) immigrant. She brags of being the first African Muslim illegal alien elected to the City Council. She too has been fined by the State Ethics Commission — $5,000, for hiring both her son and her sister as aides.

Her most well-known statement on the City Council floor, after being told she had to fire her two nationwide searches:

“What the bleep does a black woman have to do on the bleepin’ Council to get some respect as a black woman?”

Maybe stop breaking the law, for starters.

In Roxbury, District 7, vote for Althea Garrison. She’s served on both the City Council and in the state legislature, and never disgraced herself, not once. Go Althea!

Incumbent Frank Baker is not running for reelection in Dorchester District 3. The Globe has endorsed one Ann Walsh — how much more do you need to know? She says she’s against the “secret knock” — meaning, I guess, the old-boy network.

Which is fine, but how is the “secret knock” any less odious, or racist, than “checking the box,” which is the sine qua non for every last one of these scoundrels in the Mass & Cass crew.

In District 3, vote for John FitzGerald, even if his father was the crooked state rep and bag-lady stalker Kevin “Money Fitz” FitzGerald. Even a FitzGerald spalpeen is preferable to a Globe stooge.

Meanwhile, to return to the subject of Michelle Wu’s likely departure, I’ve been futilely trying for 11 months now to get the Boston Police Department to hand over its dispatch records for her home in Roslindale.

The cops have dragged their feet, stonewalled me, given me spread sheets I didn’t ask for, told me I had to go to other agencies etc. etc.

Finally, last week the BPD admitted they have the records I’m seeking. They reveal all calls to an address by first responders — including ambulances.

But the BPD still won’t turn them over to me. I wonder why.

You’d almost think City Hall was trying to hide something. What’s in those records for the mayor’s house on Augustus Avenue that they’re so desperate not to release?

Anyway, vote Tuesday and then vote again Nov. 7, unless you want a Mass & Cass in every neighborhood in the city — their dream, everyone else’s nightmare.

At the top of this column, I compared a Council election to voting in Dancing with the Stars. But this year’s fight is more like The Gong Show.

On Tuesday, if you live in Boston, you can be Chuck Barris. Bang the gong on all these clowns. See ya later, Kendra, Ricky, Tania and all the rest!

Vote like your neighborhood depended on it, because it does.

Order Howie’s new book, “Paper Boy: Read All About It!” at howiecarrshow.com or amazon.com.

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Azerbaijan agrees to reopen Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh


Azerbaijan agrees to reopen Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh

GettyImages-1252523760-scaled.jpg

YEREVAN, Armenia — Azerbaijan has agreed to reopen the only highway linking Armenia to the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a senior Azerbaijani official told POLITICO on Saturday.

The news comes after authorities in the ethnic Armenian-controlled exclave — inside Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders — announced earlier in the day that it would accept humanitarian shipments from the Russian Red Cross via an alternative road from Aghdam, inside Azerbaijani government-held territory.

According to Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, “Azerbaijan expressed its consent as a goodwill gesture to ensure simultaneous opening” of the so-called Lachin Corridor, which connects the mountainous territory to Armenia. “In the Lachin checkpoint, Azerbaijan’s customs and border regime must be observed,” he said.

For close to two months, aid organizations including the International Red Cross have said they have been unable to transport supplies of food and fuel into Nagorno-Karabakh, despite a 2020 ceasefire agreement between the two sides guaranteeing free use of the road under the supervision of Russian peacekeepers. With essential provisions running low, local Armenians say a humanitarian crisis is already unfolding and the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, last month issued a report warning that a “genocide” was under way.

Both the U.S. and the EU have urged Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin Corridor. The South Caucasus country denies it is orchestrating a blockade, and has insisted the Karabakh Armenians must accept humanitarian supplies from inside Azerbaijan.

Arayik Harutyunyan, the former de facto president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, told POLITICO in July that he would refuse to accept the supplies despite a deteriorating humanitarian situation because “Azerbaijan created this crisis and cannot be the solution to it.”

Harutyunyan, who resigned last month amid the ongoing crisis, was due to be replaced on Saturday in a presidential election. However, according to Hajiyev, the “sham elections” are a “serious setback and counterproductive” for the situation.

Instead, he reiterated a call from the Azerbaijani government for the Karabakh Armenians to lay down their arms and accept being governed as part of Azerbaijan. “It is the only way to a lasting peace where Armenian and Azerbaijani residents of Karabakh can live and coexist,” he said. 

Selected Articles – The News And Times

Azerbaijan agrees to reopen Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh
YEREVAN, Armenia — Azerbaijan has agreed to reopen the only highway linking Armenia to the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a senior Azerbaijani official told POLITICO on Saturday. The news comes after authorities in the ethnic Armenian-controlled exclave — inside Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders — announced earlier in the day that…
 
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Azerbaijan Defense Minister recieves representatives of Iranian Armed Forces [PHOTOS]
On September 9, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov received the delegation of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, led by Major General Mohammad Ahadi visiting Azerbaijan to participate in the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Iran Joint Commission, Azernews reports, citing Defense Ministry….
 

Nagorno-Karabakh must obtain status, direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, says NK President-elect
16:18, 9 September 2023 YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) must receive a status and direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, President-elect Samvel Shahramanyan has said. “Nagorno-Karabakh must receive a status, and we must have direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, while other routes…
 

Azerbaijan again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting
11:15, 9 September 2023 YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Azeri authorities have falsely accused the Armenian military of firing at their outposts across the border in an ongoing disinformation campaign, the Ministry of Defense warned Saturday. “The statement of the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan as if on September 9, at around 03:55 a.m.,…
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Azerbaijan agrees to reopen Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.


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Azerbaijan agrees to reopen Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh


GettyImages-1252523760-scaled.jpg

YEREVAN, Armenia — Azerbaijan has agreed to reopen the only highway linking Armenia to the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a senior Azerbaijani official told POLITICO on Saturday.

The news comes after authorities in the ethnic Armenian-controlled exclave — inside Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders — announced earlier in the day that it would accept humanitarian shipments from the Russian Red Cross via an alternative road from Aghdam, inside Azerbaijani government-held territory.

According to Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, “Azerbaijan expressed its consent as a goodwill gesture to ensure simultaneous opening” of the so-called Lachin Corridor, which connects the mountainous territory to Armenia. “In the Lachin checkpoint, Azerbaijan’s customs and border regime must be observed,” he said.

For close to two months, aid organizations including the International Red Cross have said they have been unable to transport supplies of food and fuel into Nagorno-Karabakh, despite a 2020 ceasefire agreement between the two sides guaranteeing free use of the road under the supervision of Russian peacekeepers. With essential provisions running low, local Armenians say a humanitarian crisis is already unfolding and the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, last month issued a report warning that a “genocide” was under way.

Both the U.S. and the EU have urged Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin Corridor. The South Caucasus country denies it is orchestrating a blockade, and has insisted the Karabakh Armenians must accept humanitarian supplies from inside Azerbaijan.

Arayik Harutyunyan, the former de facto president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, told POLITICO in July that he would refuse to accept the supplies despite a deteriorating humanitarian situation because “Azerbaijan created this crisis and cannot be the solution to it.”

Harutyunyan, who resigned last month amid the ongoing crisis, was due to be replaced on Saturday in a presidential election. However, according to Hajiyev, the “sham elections” are a “serious setback and counterproductive” for the situation.

Instead, he reiterated a call from the Azerbaijani government for the Karabakh Armenians to lay down their arms and accept being governed as part of Azerbaijan. “It is the only way to a lasting peace where Armenian and Azerbaijani residents of Karabakh can live and coexist,” he said.

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Azerbaijan Defense Minister recieves representatives of Iranian Armed Forces [PHOTOS]


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On September 9, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov received the delegation
of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, led by Major
General Mohammad Ahadi visiting Azerbaijan to participate in the
meeting of the Azerbaijan-Iran Joint Commission,
Azernews reports, citing Defense Ministry.

First, the Iranian delegation visited the Alley of Shehids
(Martyrs) and paid tribute to the memory of the heroes of the
Motherland, who sacrificed their lives for the independence and
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as laid a wreath at
the Eternal Flame monument.

At the meeting held at the Ministry of Defense, Colonel General
Z. Hasanov welcomed the guests and spoke about the reconstruction
works carried out in the liberated territories under the leadership
of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief
of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, as well as the operational
situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional border and in the
Karabakh economic region.

The Minister of Defense emphasized that recently, the number of
provocations committed by the Armenian armed forces units and the
illegal Armenian armed detachments in the territory of Azerbaijan,
where the Russian peacekeeping forces are temporarily stationed,
has increased, and these provocations have been immediately and
resolutely suppressed by the Azerbaijan Army Units.

Expressing gratitude for the hospitality, Major General M. Ahadi
conveyed the greetings of the Chief of the General Staff of the
Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Lieutenant General
Mohammad Hossein Bagheri. He noted that Azerbaijani-Iranian
relations are based on ancient historical roots, as well as
highlighted the importance of mutual visits in terms of expanding
friendly and neighborly relations.

Expressing satisfaction with the reconstruction work carried out
by Azerbaijan in the liberated territories, the Iranian delegation
expressed concern about Armenia’s activities that could pose a
threat to stability and security in the region.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the prospects
for the development of cooperation between the countries in the
military sphere, regional security issues, as well as on other
issues of interest.

In the end, Colonel General Z.Hasanov wished the members of the
Azerbaijan-Iran Joint Commission success in their activities,
expressed hope that such meetings will make a positive contribution
to the bilateral military cooperation, and asked to convey his
greetings to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of
the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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Nagorno-Karabakh must obtain status, direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, says NK President-elect


Nagorno-Karabakh must obtain status, direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, says NK President-elect
16:18, 9 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) must receive a status and direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, President-elect Samvel Shahramanyan has said.

“Nagorno-Karabakh must receive a status, and we must have direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, while other routes could be opened, but they shouldn’t replace the corridor,” Shahramanyan said after being elected President by the parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Negotiations must take place, the format [of talks] can be both multilateral and bilateral, with guarantees from a third party, Stepanakert must be a subject in the negotiations,” Shahramanyan added.

He called for the strengthening of the statehood, domestic stability, exercising the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, improving the socio-economic situation and establishing law and order.

The post Nagorno-Karabakh must obtain status, direct connection with Armenia through Lachin Corridor, says NK President-elect first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.


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Selected Articles – 3:06 PM 9/9/2023 | Azerbaijan again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting – News Review In 200 Brief Posts


 Azerbaijan again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting

Azerbaijan again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting 11:15, 9 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Azeri authorities have falsely accused the Armenian military of firing at their outposts across the border in an ongoing disinformation campaign, the Ministry of Defense warned Saturday.

“The statement of the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan as if on September 9, at around 03:55 a.m., the units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire against the Azerbaijani combat positions in the southwestern part of the border, does not correspond to reality,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

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Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemns so-called “presidential elections” held on the territory of Garabagh
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Ukraine Claims Another Small Gain as Counteroffensive Pushes On
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Azerbaijan says Armenian forces fired on its troops
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MSN
 

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Azerbaijani FM, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State hold phone talk
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Armenian PM ready for urgent talks with Azerbaijani President
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Georgian Prime Minister expresses readiness to contribute to regional peace and stability
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Georgian Prime Minister expresses readiness to contribute to regional peace and stability
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Azerbaijan–Israel relations
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Iran experts may carry out humanitarian demining in Armenia – NEWS.am
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Armenia denies Azerbaijan’s charge its troops opened fire as … – Reuters
Armenia denies Azerbaijan’s charge its troops opened fire as …  Reuters
 
Armenia, Iran leaders discuss escalation of tensions in the region … – Public Radio of Armenia
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Something went wrong. Wait a moment and try again.
 

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Zelensky awarded Budanov the rank of Lieutenant General – Odessa Journal
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A new face at Ukraine’s defence ministry: Emerging Europe this week – Emerging Europe
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Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: Could it escalate again? – DW (English)
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: Could it escalate again?  DW (English)
 
Pashinyan Says Peace Will Guarantee Armenia’s Independence – Hetq Online
Pashinyan Says Peace Will Guarantee Armenia’s Independence  Hetq Online
 
Karabakh separatist leader resigns amid deepening blockade crisis – Yahoo News
Karabakh separatist leader resigns amid deepening blockade crisis  Yahoo News
 
Arman Tatoyan: Azerbaijan concentrating special military units … – NEWS.am
Arman Tatoyan: Azerbaijan concentrating special military units …  NEWS.am
 
Kidnapped Nagorno-Karabakh students reportedly released after 10-day detention in Azerbaijan – ARMENPRESS
Kidnapped Nagorno-Karabakh students reportedly released after 10-day detention in Azerbaijan  ARMENPRESS
 
Revealed: Autocrats’ children who own £250m of British properties include Azerbaijan’s ruling family, the fugi – Daily Mail
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Karabakh army: Azerbaijan continues carrying out information preparations for another provocation – NEWS.am
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How to prevent the hunger in Artsakh – Armenian Weekly
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Armenian Foreign Minister meets with UAE Federal National Council President – ARMENPRESS
Armenian Foreign Minister meets with UAE Federal National Council President  ARMENPRESS
 
Armenian Foreign Minister meets with Emirati counterpart in Abu Dhabi – ARMENPRESS
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President Ilham Aliyev received Chief of General Staff of Turkish … – AZERTAC News
President Ilham Aliyev received Chief of General Staff of Turkish …  AZERTAC News
 
Ilham Aliyev receives Ministers of Turkic states – AKIpress
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President of Nagorno-Karabakh convenes Security Council session to discuss measures for returning kidnapped citizens – ARMENPRESS
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Azerbaijan prevents illegal Armenian armed formations to install … – AzerNews.Az
Azerbaijan prevents illegal Armenian armed formations to install …  AzerNews.Az
 
Azerbaijan – safe country for Israelis, 50,000 visit country annually … – Trend News Agency
Azerbaijan – safe country for Israelis, 50,000 visit country annually …  Trend News Agency
 
Nagorno-Karabakh: ‘People are fainting queuing up for bread’ – BBC
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Azerbaijan starts contradicting itself, official’s statement falsely denying blockade exposes ‘aid’ was publicity stunt – ARMENPRESS
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Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearing on crisis in … – Public Radio of Armenia
Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearing on crisis in …  Public Radio of Armenia
 
UAE President meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia – Gulf News
UAE President meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia  Gulf News
 
Pro-Armenia Protesters Blockade Freeway – Burbank Leader – OutlookNewspapers.com
Pro-Armenia Protesters Blockade Freeway – Burbank Leader  OutlookNewspapers.com
 
Ararat Mirzoyan holds telephone conversation with senior U.S. … – mediamax.am
Ararat Mirzoyan holds telephone conversation with senior U.S. …  mediamax.am
 
Pro-Russian blogger, Sputnik journalist detained in Armenia – Ukrinform
Pro-Russian blogger, Sputnik journalist detained in Armenia  Ukrinform
 
Armenian Foreign Minister holds phone call with U.S. acting Assistant Secretary of State for European, Eurasian Affairs – ARMENPRESS
Armenian Foreign Minister holds phone call with U.S. acting Assistant Secretary of State for European, Eurasian Affairs  ARMENPRESS
 
Armenia FM, acting US assistant secretary of state discuss regional … – NEWS.am
Armenia FM, acting US assistant secretary of state discuss regional …  NEWS.am
 
Azerbaijan presidential assistant continues claiming there is no … – NEWS.am
Azerbaijan presidential assistant continues claiming there is no …  NEWS.am
 
Abkhazia doesn’t want to be part of Russia / JAMnews – JAMnews
Abkhazia doesn’t want to be part of Russia / JAMnews  JAMnews
 
A tragic lesson – Economy and ecology – IPS Journal
A tragic lesson – Economy and ecology  IPS Journal
 
‘This Is Ethnic Cleansing… They Want to Finish What They Started’: Inside the Siege of Nagorno-Karabakh – Byline Times – Byline Times
‘This Is Ethnic Cleansing… They Want to Finish What They Started’: Inside the Siege of Nagorno-Karabakh – Byline Times  Byline Times
 
President Ilham Aliyev examined construction progress of Lachin … – AZERTAC News
President Ilham Aliyev examined construction progress of Lachin …  AZERTAC News
 
NSS confirms release of three kidnapped Nagorno-Karabakh students from Azeri custody – ARMENPRESS
NSS confirms release of three kidnapped Nagorno-Karabakh students from Azeri custody  ARMENPRESS
 

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: Could it escalate again? – DW – 08/13/2023
The stores in Stepanakert are still open, but the shelves are empty. Food, medicine, toiletries, fuel — everything is in short supply in the de facto capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognized as the territory of Azerbaijan. The disputed region is inhabited mainly by Armenians. Goods are supplied via one access…
 

France’s Macron makes phone call to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
On August 29, President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron made a phone call to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, News.Az reports. During the telephone conversation, the situation in the region, the issue of the opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads were discussed.The head of state said that Armenia and…
 

Military-Political Tensions Escalate in South Caucasus: A Comprehensive Look – BNN Breaking
President Lula da Silva’s Symbolic Ride: Unifying Brazil through Tradition Alarming Rise of Wild Poliovirus Cases in Peshawar and Karachi Sparks Concern Facing Annexation Claims: Israel’s Legalization of West Bank Outposts Romania’s Defense Ministry Responds to Russian Attacks on Ukraine: No Direct Military Threat…
 

Radio Free Europe ‘pro-Azerbaijan’ scandal deepens
Radio Azadliq underwent a leadership transition after the closure, with a new director, Ilkin Mammadov, put in charge of Azadliq’s Prague office – where RFE/RL is also headquartered – in early 2015.Mammadov’s arrival kickstarted a process of pushing out journalists who produced content critical of the Azerbaijani government – and producing content that…
 

 

 
Demonstrators in Amsterdam call for sanctions against Aliyev regime for genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh – ARMENPRESS
Demonstrators in Amsterdam call for sanctions against Aliyev regime for genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh  ARMENPRESS
 

 

 

 
Austrian lawmakers call on Azerbaijan to open Lachin Corridor in line with ICJ order – ARMENPRESS
Austrian lawmakers call on Azerbaijan to open Lachin Corridor in line with ICJ order  ARMENPRESS
 
United States again calls for reopening of Lachin Corridor – ARMENPRESS
United States again calls for reopening of Lachin Corridor  ARMENPRESS
 
US State Department: We reiterate our call to immediately reopen Lachin corridor – NEWS.am
US State Department: We reiterate our call to immediately reopen Lachin corridor  NEWS.am
 

 
EU ‘strongly believes’ Lachin Corridor must be unblocked, calls for … – ARMENPRESS
EU ‘strongly believes’ Lachin Corridor must be unblocked, calls for …  ARMENPRESS
 
Azerbaijan starts contradicting itself, official’s statement falsely denying blockade exposes ‘aid’ was publicity stunt – ARMENPRESS
Azerbaijan starts contradicting itself, official’s statement falsely denying blockade exposes ‘aid’ was publicity stunt  ARMENPRESS
 
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Azerbaijani President Aliyev – United … – Department of State
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Azerbaijani President Aliyev – United …  Department of State
 
Council of Europe Committee of Ministers discusses Lachin Corridor, Nagorno-Karabakh crisis and genocide warnings – ARMENPRESS
Council of Europe Committee of Ministers discusses Lachin Corridor, Nagorno-Karabakh crisis and genocide warnings  ARMENPRESS
 
United States tells Azerbaijan to reopen Lachin Corridor – ARMENPRESS
United States tells Azerbaijan to reopen Lachin Corridor  ARMENPRESS
 
Congressional Human Rights Commission holds hearing on Lachin … – Public Radio of Armenia
Congressional Human Rights Commission holds hearing on Lachin …  Public Radio of Armenia
 

 
In Calling on Aliyev to Lift Artsakh Blocakade, Blinken Backs Baku’s Alternate Road Option – Asbarez.com – Asbarez Armenian News
In Calling on Aliyev to Lift Artsakh Blocakade, Blinken Backs Baku’s Alternate Road Option – Asbarez.com  Asbarez Armenian News
 
Artsakh Political Factions Agree On New President – Asbarez.com – Asbarez Armenian News
Artsakh Political Factions Agree On New President – Asbarez.com  Asbarez Armenian News
 
Pashinyan warns of Azerbaijan’s intentions to commit new military provocations,calls on UNSC members to prevent outbreak – ARMENPRESS
Pashinyan warns of Azerbaijan’s intentions to commit new military provocations,calls on UNSC members to prevent outbreak  ARMENPRESS
 

 

Russia Urges Azerbaijan To Unblock Road Connecting Armenia To Nagorno-Karabakh
A Ukrainian Grad launcher fires rockets at Russian positions in the Zaporizhzhia region. The General Staff of the Ukrainian military said 34 combat clashes took place on the front line during the day on September 7 and that the situation in the east and south of Ukraine “remains difficult.” The Ukrainian military repelled attacks…
 

Russia Appoints New Commander for Peacekeeping Mission in Karabakh Region
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Monday the appointment of a new commander for its temporary peacekeeping contingent in the Karabakh (Garabagh) region of Azerbaijan. Major-General Kirill Kulakov officially assumed his position, succeeding Alexander Lentsov, on September 3, as confirmed by the ministry. Kulakov, aged 54, previously led a branch…
 
Medvedev says Russia may annex Abkhazia and South Ossetia – Yahoo News
Medvedev says Russia may annex Abkhazia and South Ossetia  Yahoo News
 

 
Armenia says Azerbaijan preparing fresh ‘military provocation’ – FRANCE 24 English
Armenia says Azerbaijan preparing fresh ‘military provocation’  FRANCE 24 English
 
Ukraine conflict: Five Russian anti-war songs – openDemocracy
Ukraine conflict: Five Russian anti-war songs  openDemocracy
 
Kremlin Responds to Pashinyan as Rift Between Yerevan and Moscow Widens
Tensions between Yerevan and Moscow continued to escalate as the Kremlin on Tuesday reacted to remarks by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who told an Italian publication that Armenia’s heavy reliance on Russia has proven to be a “strategic mistake.” The Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov hit back at Pashinyan’s assertions, saying Russia has no intention…
 

THE VISIT OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF GEORGIA MR IRAKLI GARIBASHVILI TO THE PATRIARCHATE
Archives Select Month September 2023  (5) August 2023  (16) July 2023  (19) June 2023  (19) May 2023  (18) April 2023  (29) March 2023  (18) February 2023  (10) January 2023  (30) December 2022  (19) November 2022  (22) October 2022  (13) September 2022  (14) August 2022  (20) July 2022  (11) June 2022  (28) May 2022  (22)…
 

Georgian PM tells Ukraine’s Zelenskiy not to meddle in his country | Reuters
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili arrives for his address to the 77th Session of the United Nations Generl Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsMarch 13 (Reuters) – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili accused Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of…
 

Wagner’s North Caucasian mercenaries fail to wash away their sins with Ukrainian blood
The demise of Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin and the diminishing role of mercenaries in Ukraine has done little to assuage fears inside the North Caucasus of the return of thousands of mercenaries formerly convicted of robbery, rape, and murder. In April, a 38-year-old resident of Tskhinvali (Tskhinval), South Ossetia, was stabbed to death in the…
 

 

 

 

 

 
Medvedev says Russia can annex Georgia’s breakaway regions of … – Anadolu Agency | English
Medvedev says Russia can annex Georgia’s breakaway regions of …  Anadolu Agency | English
 

 
Georgia Moves to Impeach President Who Defied Foreign Trips Ban – Bloomberg
Georgia Moves to Impeach President Who Defied Foreign Trips Ban  Bloomberg
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
PM Garibashvili Touts China Ties in CGTN Interview – Civil Georgia
PM Garibashvili Touts China Ties in CGTN Interview  Civil Georgia
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Georgian PM hosts EU High Representative Borrell at official dinner – Agenda.ge
Georgian PM hosts EU High Representative Borrell at official dinner  Agenda.ge
 

 
Azerbaijan continues military buildup along border with Armenia and line of contact in NK, warns Pashinyan – ARMENPRESS
Azerbaijan continues military buildup along border with Armenia and line of contact in NK, warns Pashinyan  ARMENPRESS
 

 
Azerbaijan rejects Armenian accusation of military build-up – Al Arabiya English
Azerbaijan rejects Armenian accusation of military build-up  Al Arabiya English
 

 

 
Tensions Mount Between Russia, Armenia – The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
Tensions Mount Between Russia, Armenia  The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
 
Visit of Pashinyan’s wife to Ukraine JAMnews – JAMnews
Visit of Pashinyan’s wife to Ukraine JAMnews  JAMnews
 

 

 

 

 
‘Very bad news’: Russia deplores US decision to supply Ukraine … – Anadolu Agency
‘Very bad news’: Russia deplores US decision to supply Ukraine …  Anadolu Agency
 

Putin Faces Geopolitical Setback in South Caucasus
By Robbie Gramer  Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s SitRep! Robbie here, flying solo as Jack takes some well-deserved time off. Happy Thursday! We’ve got news on lots of stuff today, including what the Pentagon knows about UFOs, so keep on scrolling. Alright, here’s what’s on tap for the day: Putin loses ground in the South Caucasus, a blockade on…
 

 
Russia has no plans to leave the South Caucasus region, Kremlin Spokesman says – Public Radio of Armenia – Public Radio of Armenia
Russia has no plans to leave the South Caucasus region, Kremlin Spokesman says – Public Radio of Armenia  Public Radio of Armenia
 

 

 

 

 

 
Nagorno-Karabakh: ‘People are fainting queuing up for bread’ – bbc.co.uk
Nagorno-Karabakh: ‘People are fainting queuing up for bread’  bbc.co.uk
 
Lavrov and Fidan to analyze “issues of deepening cooperation in … – Mediamax.am
Lavrov and Fidan to analyze “issues of deepening cooperation in …  Mediamax.am
 

 
Kremlin rejects Armenian PM’s suggestion that Russia is quitting South Caucasus – Al Arabiya English
Kremlin rejects Armenian PM’s suggestion that Russia is quitting South Caucasus  Al Arabiya English
 

The post Selected Articles – 3:06 PM 9/9/2023 | Azerbaijan again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting – News Review In 200 Brief Posts first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.