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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 12 october 2020
Azerbaijan, Armenia report shelling of cities despite truce

By AIDA SULTANOVA sides accused each other
Associated Press of continuing attacks in vio-
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — lation of the deal.
Azerbaijan on Sunday ac- The situation in the region
cused Armenia of attack- was "relatively calm" on
ing its cities and villages in Sunday morning, accord-
violation of the cease-fire ing to Nagorno-Karabakh
deal brokered by Russia leader Arayik Harutyunyan,
that seeks to end the worst with only minor hostilities
outbreak of hostilities in the along the front line. But it
separatist Nagorno-Kara- was unclear whether the
bakh region. calm would last, he said.
The Azerbaijani Defense Later Sunday, Armenian
Ministry said that Armenian Defense Ministry spokes-
forces shelled villages in woman Shushan Stepanian
the Aghdam, Terter, Agh- reported attacks by Azer-
jabedi and Fizuli regions baijani forces on southern
of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani and northeastern direc-
authorities earlier accused tions, saying that Nagorno-
Armenian forces of firing Karabakh's forces "reso-
missiles at Ganja, the coun- lutely suppress all enemy
try's second largest city, operations."
and the city of Mingache- Nagorno-Karabakh's army
vir overnight. Nine civil- A man walks past a damaged building in a residential area in Ganja, Azerbaijan's second largest in a statement Sunday
ians were killed and more city, near the border with Armenia, after rocket fire overnight by Armenian forces, early Sunday, promised a "dispropor-
Oct. 11, 2020.
than 30 others wounded in Associated Press tionately harsh" response
Ganja, officials said. Azer- if Azerbaijan "continues to
baijani President Ilham Ali- capital, and other towns in menian forces backed by sponsored by Russian For- violate the cease-fire." The
yev called the attack on violation of the truce. Armenia. The foreign min- eign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Azerbaijani Defense Min-
the city "a war crime" and The recent bout of fighting isters of Armenia and Azer- The deal stipulated that the istry said that "the political
a "gross" violation of the between Azerbaijani and baijan signed a truce in cease-fire should pave the and military leadership of
cease-fire on Twitter, prom- Armenian forces started Moscow after Russian Presi- way for talks on settling the Armenia bears the responsi-
ising "a befitting retaliation." Sept. 27 and left hundreds dent Vladimir Putin had conflict. If the truce had bility for the aggravation of
Nagorno-Karabakh's mili- of people dead in the brokered it in a series of held, it would have marked the situation in the region."
tary officials denied at- biggest escalation of the calls with Azerbaijani Presi- a major diplomatic coup Azerbaijan's president said
tacking Ganja and said the decades-old conflict over dent Ilham Aliyev and Ar- for Russia, which has a se- in an interview with the Rus-
territory's army is observing Nagorno-Karabakh since a menian Prime Minister Nikol curity pact with Armenia sian RBC news outlet that "if
the cease-fire. They add- separatist war there ended Pashinian. but also cultivated warm the Armenian side is com-
ed that during the night in 1994. The region lies in The cease-fire took effect ties with Azerbaijan. mitted to the cease-fire re-
Azerbaijani forces shelled Azerbaijan but has been at noon Saturday, after However, minutes after the gime ... the phase of politi-
Stepanakert, the region's under control of ethnic Ar- talks in Moscow that were cease-fire took force, both cal settlement will begin."q

Israeli protests against Netanyahu draw tens of thousands

tionwide lockdown that Netanyahu is on trial for levels, Israel imposed an-
has barred them from pro- fraud, breach of trust and other lockdown last month,
testing at the usual site out- accepting bribes for his role further hurting business
side Netanyahu's official in a series of scandals, and owners and entrepreneurs
residence in Jerusalem. The the demonstrators have who have been a key com-
current lockdown regula- staged weekly gatherings ponent of the protests. The
tions allow people only to for the past four months economy has been devas-
gather within one kilometer demanding that he step tated by the closures, and
(less than a mile) of their down. Netanyahu denies many of the protesters are
home. the charges and accuses young Israelis who have lost
The largest gathering at the protesters of being "left- their jobs.
Habima Square in central ists" and "anarchists." Netanyahu's trial, the pan-
Tel Aviv drew thousands of The marches have also demic and the plummeting
protesters, who blew horns been fueled by the gov- economy are adding fur-
and pounded on drums ernment's response to the ther pressure on his emer-
Israeli protesters wave flags and chant slogans during a and tambourines. The pro- pandemic. After appear- gency government, which
demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin testers waved pink and ing to contain the outbreak was formed in May in part-
Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. black flags symbolizing last spring through a tight nership with his rival Benny
Associated Press various grassroots protest lockdown, it reopened the Gantz.
By SEBASTIAN SCHEINER saying he is unfit to rule movements. Some of the economy quickly and the The government was
Associated Press while on trial for corruption banners, using Netanyahu's infection rate soared. The meant to address the coro-
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tens charges and accusing him nickname, said: "Bibi, you country of 9 million people navirus crisis and the par-
of thousands of Israelis call- of mismanaging the na- are destroying my future." has one of the highest in- ties formed it after three
ing on Prime Minister Ben- tion's coronavirus crisis. Others read "Go!" fection rates in the devel- inconclusive elections in
jamin Netanyahu to resign Protesters gathered at hun- Police reported clashes oped world and the death under year. Instead it has
demonstrated across the dreds of locations across with the protesters in Tel toll is approaching 2,000. been hobbled by nonstop
country Saturday evening, the country due to a na- Aviv and Jerusalem. With infections at record infighting. q