themoscowtimes--2020-10-09--Mysterious Disaster Devastates Marine Life in Russia’s Kamchatka

Hundreds of dead marine animals washed up onshore in Russia ’ s Far East region of Kamchatka this month in @ @ @ @ @ disaster .
While the cause of the disaster is still unknown , Russia 's Investigative @ @ @ @ @ case into pollution .
Senior scientists told The Moscow Times that the mass die-off may @ @ @ @ @ emitted by rapid algae bloom caused by climate change .
Scientists say that almost 95 @ @ @ @ @ life in the Avacha Bay has been completely wiped out by the mysterious tragedy .
@ @ @ @ @ the event sparked a public outcry as Russians begin to wake up to the harmful @ @ @ @ @

Hundreds of dead marine animals washed up onshore in Russia’s Far East region of Kamchatka this month in what environmentalists call an ecological disaster.
While the cause of the disaster is still unknown, Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into pollution.
Senior scientists told The Moscow Times that the mass die-off may be the result of toxins emitted by rapid algae bloom caused by climate change.
Scientists say that almost 95% of all sea-bed marine life in the Avacha Bay has been completely wiped out by the mysterious tragedy.
No matter the cause, the event sparked a public outcry as Russians begin to wake up to the harmful effects of climate change.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-09--New Clashes as Kyrgyzstan Slips Deeper Into Crisis

At least five people were injured during fresh clashes between rival groups in Kyrgyzstan on Friday as the volatile Central Asian country slipped deeper into crisis .
Political factions were jostling for power as President Sooronbay Jeenbekov ordered military forces to enter the capital after claiming he was ready to resign to calm tensions .
Fresh clashes broke out Friday afternoon between followers of rival politicians in the center of capital Bishkek , where one of the groups -- an opposition bloc representing several parties -- was holding a rally .
One of the five injured during the violence was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloc has proposed as the country 's new deputy prime minister .
Tilek Toktagaziyev , 29 , suffered concussion and was hospitalized after being struck by stones , the health ministry told AFP .
Almazbek Atambayev , a former president who was released from jail by supporters during a night of tumult this week , claimed that his car was struck by bullets during the clashes in a video shared on social media .
`` The former president 's car was hit with live ammunition , '' Kunduz Joldubayeva , a spokeswoman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assailants were believed to be loyal to Sadyr Japarov , a populist politician who is pressing his own claim to be head of government after hundreds of his supporters flooded the capital in the aftermath of the vote .
The conflict between the two groups began with fistfights , said an AFP correspondent , who heard shots fired but could not verify the former president 's claim .

At least five people were injured during fresh clashes between rival groups in Kyrgyzstan on Friday as the volatile Central Asian country slipped deeper into crisis. Political factions were jostling for power as President Sooronbay Jeenbekov ordered military forces to enter the capital after claiming he was ready to resign to calm tensions. Fresh clashes broke out Friday afternoon between followers of rival politicians in the center of capital Bishkek, where one of the groups -- an opposition bloc representing several parties -- was holding a rally. One of the five injured during the violence was a prominent youth activist, whom the bloc has proposed as the country's new deputy prime minister. Tilek Toktagaziyev, 29, suffered concussion and was hospitalized after being struck by stones, the health ministry told AFP. 'Live ammunition' Almazbek Atambayev, a former president who was released from jail by supporters during a night of tumult this week, claimed that his car was struck by bullets during the clashes in a video shared on social media. "The former president's car was hit with live ammunition," Kunduz Joldubayeva, a spokeswoman for the ex-leader, told AFP. The assailants were believed to be loyal to Sadyr Japarov, a populist politician who is pressing his own claim to be head of government after hundreds of his supporters flooded the capital in the aftermath of the vote. The conflict between the two groups began with fistfights, said an AFP correspondent, who heard shots fired but could not verify the former president's claim.
Оказывается выстрелы были предположительно по уезжающей машине Атамбаева. Тилека Токтогазиева ранили в голову, ещё весь окровавленный без сознания лежит якобы телохранитель Атамбаева. pic.twitter.com/jUEgdfxhz1 — Nurjamal Djanibekova (@NurjamalD) October 9, 2020
There has been little evidence of a central authority in Bishkek since a disputed parliamentary vote on Sunday sparked protests that morphed into violent unrest leaving one dead and more than a thousand injured. On Friday, Jeenbekov signed off on the resignation of the government in place before the election, which opposition parties say was rigged by massive vote-buying in favor of parties close to the president. Election officials said a date for fresh elections would be set before November 6. Jeenbekov said in a statement early Friday that he was prepared to step down once a new government is formed "and we are back on the path of lawfulness." Later the same day he declared a 12-day state of emergency in Bishkek, including tight controls on movement in and out of the capital. Eyewitnesses saw heavy military vehicles rolling into the city on Friday night. Russia is the dominant foreign power in Kyrgyzstan and has attempted to broker disputes in the past.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-09--Moscow Hosts Armenia-Azerbaijan Talks as Fighting Continues

Armenia and Azerbaijan held their first high-level talks in Moscow on Friday after nearly two weeks of fierce clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region , amid hopes that a ceasefire could be brokered .
The talks between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia continued for some six hours but it was not immediately clear if the ministers would speak to reporters afterwards .
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova did not provide an immediate comment on the progress of the negotiations .
A spokesman for the Armenian defense ministry told reporters that fighting continued despite the talks in Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has repeatedly vowed to use his military to retake the breakaway province , said earlier in the day that the talks represented a historic opportunity for Armenia .
`` We are giving Armenia a chance to settle the conflict peacefully , '' he said .
`` This is their last chance . ''
Armenia 's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his country was `` ready for the resumption of the peace process '' led by international brokers .
France , which along with Russia and the United States is part of a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said there was a chance of a breakthrough at the talks but it was far from certain .
`` We are moving towards a truce tonight or tomorrow but it 's still fragile , '' President Emmanuel Macron 's office said in a statement to AFP .
Armenian and Azerbaijani defense officials said heavy clashes continued into Friday and reported further civilian deaths , after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the meeting in Moscow late Thursday and appealed for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds .
Shelling started again on Friday in Stepanakert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where an AFP journalist heard several loud explosions and saw the remains of a rocket in a crater next to a cemetery for dead soldiers .
Waving flags of Nagorno-Karabakh , hundreds of demonstrators in an Armenian suburb of Lebanese capital Beirut took part in a show of solidarity with the embattled enclave .
Renewed fighting over Karabakh -- an ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan that broke from Baku 's control in a devastating war in the early 1990s -- has claimed some 400 lives and forced thousands of people from their homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , with both sides blaming the other for the biggest outbreak in violence since a 1994 ceasefire left the status of Karabakh in limbo .
The region 's declaration of independence has not been recognized by any country -- even Armenia -- and the international community regards it as part of Azerbaijan .
The Kremlin said late on Thursday that following a series of calls with Pashinyan and Aliyev , Putin had invited their foreign ministers to Moscow and called for an end to hostilities `` to exchange dead bodies and prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks came shortly after international mediators from France , Russia and the United States launched their first efforts to resolve the fighting in Geneva .
The countries make up the `` Minsk Group '' that has sought a solution to the Karabakh conflict for decades but have failed to stop sporadic outbreaks of fighting .
The negotiations in Geneva went ahead without Armenia , which refused to participate while the fighting was ongoing , and there were no public statements following the closed-door talks .
During a visit to Armenian capital Yerevan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia was prepared to help bring about peace alongside Minsk Group members .
`` It 's important to make sure that all hostilities are halted and to start a diplomatic settlement of the conflict , '' he said .
Since the fighting restarted both sides have accused the other of shelling areas populated by civilians and thousands of people have been displaced by the clashes .
Stepanakert is dotted with damaged buildings and unexploded ordnance following days of shelling .
AFP journalists have also witnessed destruction in villages in Azerbaijan near the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hitting the iconic Ghazanchetsots ( Holy Saviour ) Cathedral leaving a gaping hole in its roof and several journalists injured .

Armenia and Azerbaijan held their first high-level talks in Moscow on Friday after nearly two weeks of fierce clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, amid hopes that a ceasefire could be brokered.
The talks between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia continued for some six hours but it was not immediately clear if the ministers would speak to reporters afterwards.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova did not provide an immediate comment on the progress of the negotiations.
A spokesman for the Armenian defense ministry told reporters that fighting continued despite the talks in Moscow.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who has repeatedly vowed to use his military to retake the breakaway province, said earlier in the day that the talks represented a historic opportunity for Armenia.
"We are giving Armenia a chance to settle the conflict peacefully," he said. "This is their last chance."
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his country was "ready for the resumption of the peace process" led by international brokers.
France, which along with Russia and the United States is part of a group mediating the two countries' long conflict, said there was a chance of a breakthrough at the talks but it was far from certain.
"We are moving towards a truce tonight or tomorrow but it's still fragile," President Emmanuel Macron's office said in a statement to AFP.
Armenian and Azerbaijani defense officials said heavy clashes continued into Friday and reported further civilian deaths, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the meeting in Moscow late Thursday and appealed for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.
Shelling started again on Friday in Stepanakert, the provincial capital of Karabakh, where an AFP journalist heard several loud explosions and saw the remains of a rocket in a crater next to a cemetery for dead soldiers.
Waving flags of Nagorno-Karabakh, hundreds of demonstrators in an Armenian suburb of Lebanese capital Beirut took part in a show of solidarity with the embattled enclave.
Mediation efforts
Renewed fighting over Karabakh -- an ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan that broke from Baku's control in a devastating war in the early 1990s -- has claimed some 400 lives and forced thousands of people from their homes.
The heavy clashes erupted late last month, with both sides blaming the other for the biggest outbreak in violence since a 1994 ceasefire left the status of Karabakh in limbo.
The region's declaration of independence has not been recognized by any country -- even Armenia -- and the international community regards it as part of Azerbaijan.
The Kremlin said late on Thursday that following a series of calls with Pashinyan and Aliyev, Putin had invited their foreign ministers to Moscow and called for an end to hostilities "to exchange dead bodies and prisoners".
Putin's announcement of the talks came shortly after international mediators from France, Russia and the United States launched their first efforts to resolve the fighting in Geneva.
The countries make up the "Minsk Group" that has sought a solution to the Karabakh conflict for decades but have failed to stop sporadic outbreaks of fighting.
The negotiations in Geneva went ahead without Armenia, which refused to participate while the fighting was ongoing, and there were no public statements following the closed-door talks.
Mounting civilian toll
During a visit to Armenian capital Yerevan, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reiterated that Russia was prepared to help bring about peace alongside Minsk Group members.
"It's important to make sure that all hostilities are halted and to start a diplomatic settlement of the conflict," he said.
Since the fighting restarted both sides have accused the other of shelling areas populated by civilians and thousands of people have been displaced by the clashes.
Stepanakert is dotted with damaged buildings and unexploded ordnance following days of shelling. AFP journalists have also witnessed destruction in villages in Azerbaijan near the front line.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan on Thursday of hitting the iconic Ghazanchetsots (Holy Saviour) Cathedral leaving a gaping hole in its roof and several journalists injured.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-10--Armenia, Azerbaijan Trade Accusations of Breaching Karabakh Ceasefire

Its separatist government is strongly backed by Armenia , which like Azerbaijan gained independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union .
An ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan , Karabakh broke from the country 's control in a war in the 1990s that killed some 30,000 people .
The two sides agreed to implement the ceasefire from noon on Saturday , after 11 hours of talks in Moscow , but it took only minutes after the deadline for their forces to claim new attacks .
Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations of new attacks on Saturday in breach of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of heavy fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region .
There have been heavy clashes since the war erupted on Sept. 27 , with more than 450 people reported dead , thousands forced to flee their homes and fears the fighting could escalate into a devastating all-out conflict .
Armenian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said that `` in disregard of the previously declared humanitarian ceasefire '' Azerbaijani forces launched an attack on the frontline at 12:05 pm ( 0805 GMT ) .
Azerbaijan 's Defence Ministry said Armenian forces had also carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two populated areas .
`` Armenia is blatantly violating the ceasefire regime , '' the ministry said in a statement .
The two sides had also accused each other of attacks just before the ceasefire deadline .
Karabakh 's ombudsman Artak Beglaryan said missiles had been fired at the region 's main city Stepanakert while Azerbaijan said at least five populated districts were under heavy shelling .
An AFP journalist in Stepanakert reported hearing blasts in the city before the ceasefire took effect , but it was calmer after noon , with isolated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were venturing out of their homes after days of taking shelter from shelling , rocket fire and drone attacks .
The ceasefire had been announced after talks between the two countries ' top diplomats mediated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov .
He announced in the early hours of Saturday that the truce had been agreed `` on humanitarian grounds '' and would allow for exchanges of prisoners and bodies .
He also said that Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed `` substantive negotiations '' on resolving the dispute over Karabakh , with France , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longtime mediators .
The region 's declaration of independence has not been recognised by any country — even Armenia — and the international community regards it as part of Azerbaijan .
The return of fighting has stoked fears of a full-blown war embroiling Turkey , which strongly backs Azerbaijan , and Russia , which has a military treaty with Armenia .
Since the conflict restarted both sides have accused the other of shelling areas populated by civilians and thousands of people have been displaced by the clashes .
Stepanakert is dotted with damaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelling .
AFP journalists have also witnessed destruction in villages in Azerbaijan near the front line .
Dozens of civilians have been confirmed killed and the Armenian side has acknowledged more than 400 military deaths , while Azerbaijan has not admitted to any fatalities among its troops .

Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to the ceasefire after 11 hours of talks in Moscow but it took only minutes after the deadline for their forces to claim new attacks.
An AFP journalist in Stepanakert said some explosions were heard in the distance after the ceasefire came into force, but there was none of the bombing that hit the city in recent days.
The agreement, which was reached in the early hours of Saturday and took effect at noon, did seem to be having some impact, with the regional capital Stepanakert calmer after days of shelling.
Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations of new attacks on Saturday in breach of a ceasefire deal to halt nearly two weeks of fierce fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
An ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan, Karabakh broke from the country's control in a war in the 1990s that killed some 30,000 people.
Its separatist government is strongly backed by Armenia, which like Azerbaijan gained independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, and Baku accuses Yerevan of occupying the region.
The clashes that erupted on Sept. 27 have been the heaviest since the 1990s war, with more than 450 people reported dead, thousands forced to flee their homes and fears the fighting could escalate into a devastating all-out conflict.
Armenian defence ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said that "in disregard of the previously declared humanitarian ceasefire" Azerbaijani forces launched an attack on the frontline at 12:05 pm.
Azerbaijan's defence ministry said Armenian forces had also carried out attacks on the frontline and shelled populated areas.
"Armenia is blatantly violating the ceasefire regime," the ministry said in a statement.
Armenian foreign ministry spokeswoman Anna Nagdalyan said efforts were being made "using all diplomatic channels" to implement the agreement.
'These people hate us'
In Stepanakert, sirens that had sounded for days to warn of attacks had stopped and some residents were emerging from shelters to get supplies. But few had much hope of the ceasefire taking hold for long.
"I lived for nearly 20 years in Azerbaijan, these people hate us," Vladimir Barseghyan, 64, told AFP in a workshop making uniforms for fighters at the front. "We don't believe in a ceasefire, they just want to gain some time."
In Barda, an Azerbaijani town about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the conflict zone, many residents who spoke to AFP were against the ceasefire and in favour of Baku pressing on with its campaign to restore its control of Karabakh.
"We don't want a ceasefire. They should leave our lands," said Zemfira Mammadova, a 71-year-old retiree.
"They should get out and let our people live a normal life. We have nothing to do with them and they should stay away from us."
The ceasefire deal was announced after talks between the two countries' top diplomats mediated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
He said the truce had been agreed "on humanitarian grounds" and would allow for exchanges of prisoners and bodies.
A senior Azerbaijani official said the truce was only meant to be "temporary".
"It's a humanitarian ceasefire to exchange bodies and prisoners. It's not a (proper) ceasefire," the official said, adding that Baku had "no intention to backtrack" on its effort to retake control of Karabakh.
Call for 'substantive negotiations'
Lavrov said that Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed at the Moscow talks to "substantive negotiations" on resolving the dispute over Karabakh, with France, Russia and the United States continuing as longtime mediators.
France called for the ceasefire to be strictly respected "in order to create the conditions for a permanent cessation of hostilities."
Karabakh's declaration of independence has not been recognised by any country — even Armenia — and the international community regards it as part of Azerbaijan.
The return of fighting has stoked fears of a full-blown war embroiling Turkey, which strongly backs Azerbaijan, and Russia, which has a military treaty with Armenia.
Turkey said the ceasefire agreement was an important first step but that Armenia had a "last chance" to withdraw from Karabakh.
Since the conflict restarted both sides have accused the other of shelling areas populated by civilians and thousands of people have been displaced by the clashes.
Stepanakert is dotted with damaged buildings and unexploded ordnance following days of shelling. AFP journalists have also witnessed destruction in villages in Azerbaijan near the front line.
More than 50 civilians have been confirmed killed on both sides and the Armenians have acknowledged over 400 military deaths, while Azerbaijan has not admitted to any fatalities among its troops.