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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 15 July 2020
Armenia-Azerbaijan border fighting escalates; 16 killed

By AVET DEMOURIAN day accused Azerbaijan of
Associated Press provoking the clashes and
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — warned that it would "bear
Armenia and Azerbaijan responsibility for the unpre-
forces fought Tuesday with dictable consequences."
heavy artillery and drones, Azerbaijani President Ilhan
leaving at least 16 people Aliyev denounced what
killed on both sides, includ- he described as "another
ing an Azerbaijani general, provocation of Armenia"
in the worst outbreak of and vowed to protect
hostilities in years. Azerbaijan's national terri-
Skirmishes on the volatile tory.
border between the two Turkey, which has close
South Caucasus nations ethnic and cultural ties
began Sunday. Azerbai- with Azerbaijan, has voiced
jan said it has lost 11 ser- strong support to Baku in
vicemen and one civilian the conflict.
in three days of fighting, The United States and Rus-
and Armenia said four of its sia, which co-chair the
troops were killed Tuesday. Minsk group of the Orga-
The two neighbors in the nization for Security and
South Caucasus have Cooperation in Europe that
been locked in conflict has tried to negotiate a
over Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian soldiers take their position on the front line in Tavush region, Armenia, Tuesday, July 14, settlement of the Nagorno-
a region of Azerbaijan that 2020. Karabakh conflict, have
has been under the control Associated Press condemned the violence
of ethnic Armenian forces and called for restraint.
backed by Armenia since blamed each other for Stepanyan said that one on Facebook where she Russian Foreign Minister Ser-
a war there ended in 1994. starting the fighting and of Azerbaijani drones was posted images of the Azer- gey Lavrov had separate
International efforts to set- said that sporadic shelling downed. baijani artillery around the calls with his counterparts
tle the conflict have stalled. has continued. Stepanyan also charged village. in Armenia and Azerbaijan
Armenian and Azerbai- Azerbaijan's Defense Minis- that the Azerbaijani military The Azerbaijani military de- on Monday to call for an
jani forces have frequently try said two senior officers, used civilians as shields, nied losing a drone and in immediate ceasefire.
engaged in clashes. The Maj. Gen. Polad Hashimov placing artillery close to the turn claimed that its forces U.N. Secretary-General
current skirmishes appear and Col. Ilgar Mirzayev, village of Dondar Gushchu shot down an Armenian Antonio Guterres also ex-
to mark the most serious were killed in fighting Tues- in the Tovuz district about drone and destroyed an pressed worry. His spokes-
spike in hostilities since 2016 day along with five other 10 kilometers (six miles) from Armenian artillery system man, Stéphane Dujarric,
when scores were killed in servicemen. the border. along with its crew. said in a statement that the
four days of fighting. Armenian officials claimed "The Azerbaijani side has As hostilities continued, Ar- U.N. chief "urges an imme-
The latest incident began that Azerbaijani drones surrounded its own popu- menia also accused Azer- diate end to the fighting
Sunday when Armenian launched an attack on the lation with artillery batter- baijan of launching cyber- and calls on all involved
and Azerbaijani troops ex- Tuvush province town of ies, making them a target, attacks on Armenian gov- to take immediate steps
changed fire in the north- Berd, targeting civilian in- and then complained that ernment websites. to deescalate the situation
ern section of their border. frastructure. Defense Minis- the Armenian forces fired Armenian Prime Minister and refrain from provoca-
Officials in both countries try spokeswoman Shushan in that direction," she said Nikol Pashinyan on Mon- tive rhetoric."q

Canada, U.S. poised to extend border restrictions to Aug. 21

By ROB GILLIES Canadian Prime Minister reopening. The U.S. has
Associated Press Justin Trudeau said this more confirmed cases and
TORONTO (AP) — The U.S. week that a decision on deaths from COVID-19 than
and Canada are poised the border would be an- any country in the world
to extend their agreement nounced later this week. while Canada has flat-
to keep their shared bor- "We're going to continue to tened the epidemic curve.
der closed to non-essential work hard to keep Cana- "We've done a good job
travel to Aug. 21, but a final dians safe and to keep our of flattening the curve.
confirmation has not been economies flowing, and We have an average of
given, a person familiar we will have more to say about 300 cases per day.
with the matter said Tues- later," Trudeau said. In the U.S. they have about
day. Mexican Foreign Affairs 60,000 cases per day," said
The agreement would like- Secretary Marcelo Eb- Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's
ly extend the closure by rard said on Friday that an Deputy Chief Public Health
another 30 days. The offi- opening between the U.S. Officer.
cial was not authorized to and Mexico "wouldn't be Njoo suggested the border
speak publicly ahead of an prudent right now," given could reopen if Canada
announcement this week, that coronavirus cases in and the U.S. had a simi- A Canada-U.S. border marker stands in Surrey, British Columbia,
as people gather at Peace Arch Historical State Park in Blaine,
and spoke on condition of "the states of the southern lar situation in the number Wash., Sunday, July 5, 2020.
anonymity. The restrictions United States, California, of cases and the ability to Associated Press
were announced on March New Mexico, Arizona and contact trace. "They don't
18 and were extended in Texas, are on the rise." have a good handle or take some time ... It's more and months, or a month or
April, May and June. Most Canadians fear a control," he said. "It will a matter of several weeks so as opposed to days."q