International

* Strategically important city called Shusha by Azeris, Shushi by Armenians * Armenia denies city capture, says battle continues * Turkey's Erdogan congratulates Azerbaijan  Azeris celebrated on the streets of Baku after President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday his country's forces had taken Shusha, the second-largest city in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, but Armenian officials denied the city had been captured. Shusha, which Armenians call Shushi, is of cultural and strategic importance to both sides and is located 15 km south of the enclave's largest city Stepanakert. At least 1,000 people have died in nearly six weeks of fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians. "(This day) will become a great day in the history of Azerbaijan," Aliyev said, announcing that Baku's troops had taken Shusha/Shushi. In Baku, Azeris gathered in large numbers to celebrate, waving flags and chanting slogans, while drivers sounded their car horns. Officials from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and Armenia's Defence Ministry denied Aliyev's statement. "Shushi remains an unattainable pipe dream for Azerbaijan. Despite heavy destruction, the fortress city withstands the blows of the enemy," the Nagorno-Karabakh Rescue Service said. Armenia's defence ministry said that heavy fighting for the strategic site continues, while the Defence Army of Nagorno-Karabakh said they had repelled multiple attempts by the Azeri side to advance on the town. Turkish leaders congratulated Azerbaijan on Sunday. "I congratulate my Azeri brothers' Shusha victory... I believe (it) is a sign that the rest of the occupied lands will be liberated soon too," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said, addressing crowds in Turkey's northwestern province of Kocaeli. The city could serve as a key staging post for an Azeri assault on the enclave's largest city, Stepanakert. Both have come under heavy shelling in recent days. Azerbaijan's defence ministry said allegations that it had shelled civilian areas were 'misinformation'. The town is also culturally significant to both sides, Thomas de Waal, analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said. Its population was predominantly made up of Azeris before the previous conflict, making it historically significant for Azerbaijan. For Armenians, it is the site of Karabakh's cathedral, de Waal said. 

Armenia reported Saturday that "fierce combat" with Azerbaijani forces took place overnight near the town of Shusha, a key stronghold in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. After weeks of heavy fighting over the mountainous province, Azerbaijan appears to be closing in on the strategic town, 15 kilometres from Karabakh's main city Stepanakert. The hilltop town of Shusha is located on a main road that links the unrecognised republic's capital with the territory of Armenia, which backs the separatists fighting for Karabakh's independence. Armenian defence ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan reported "especially intensive and fierce combat" overnight outside Shusha, adding that numerous attacks from Azerbaijan were thwarted. Armenia also said that throughout the night there was regular shelling on Shusha, home to a beloved Armenian cathedral that was damaged in attacks last month. The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry rejected this claim saying the information of shelling on Shusha is "completely untrue". A second Armenian army spokesman, Artsun Ovanissian, wrote on Facebook that there had been "no loss, no retreat" at Shusha and that "fighting continues". Meanwhile Karabakh authorities said the territory's main city Stepanakert had been hit by Soviet-era Grad and Smerch rockets, although no-one was hurt. Clashes broke out late September between Azerbaijan and Armenia-backed separatists over control of Karabakh, a region that proclaimed its independence from Baku during a war in the 1990s. The recent flare-up has been the worst in decades, killing more than 1,000 people, including civilians, although the death toll is believed to be much higher. The fighting has continued despite several attempts by Russia, France and the United States to help reach a lasting ceasefire. Those three countries make up the Minsk group of mediators which helped broker a truce between the ex-Soviet rivals in 1994 but are yet to find a lasting solution to the long-simmering conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron's office said Saturday that he had spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin by phone and agreed that "fighting must be stopped" in Karabakh "to allow negotiations to restart on a realistic basis". Armenia and Azerbaijan have each accused the other of targeting civilian areas and the United Nations this week decried indiscriminate attacks that could amount to "war crimes".

The (resigned) Kosovar President Hashim Thaci was arrested and transferred to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers detention center in The Hague, Netherlands, to face charges of war crimes. Earlier Thursday, Thaci resigned from his post upon learning that Kosovo Specialist Chambers, an international court that examines war crimes, had approved his war crimes indictment. Tachi and three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) are accused of overseeing an illegal detention facility where the movement's opponents were held in inhuman conditions and sometimes tortured and killed. The outgoing Kosovar president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He told a news conference in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, that he felt the need to resign ‘to protect the integrity of the state’. Tachi arrived at Pristina military airport on Thursday afternoon and took a plane to The Hague, where he was seized there by the Kosovo Tribunal. Prosecutors blame Thaci for nearly 100 civilian murders during the 1998-1999 war. On Thursday, the European Union welcomed Thaci's cooperation with the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, in which he is expected to appear in the coming days before a pre-trial judge. (QNA)

More than 1.2 million people have died of coronavirus around the globe, according to an AFP tally from official sources at 0745 GMT on Monday. A total of 1,200,042 deaths have been recorded from 46,452,818 cases, with nearly one death in every five in the United States, the world's worst-hit country. More than 100,000 fatalities have been registered since October 16. And in the last seven days alone, there have been more than 6,500 deaths daily, almost 40 percent of them in Europe, where the virus is currently progressing the most rapidly. Overall, the US has seen 230,996 deaths from 9,207,364 infections with Brazil registering 160,074 fatalities from 5,545,705 cases, India 122,607 deaths and 8,229,313 cases, Mexico 91,895 deaths and 929,392 cases and Britain 46,717 deaths from 1,034,914 cases. Latin America and the Caribbean is the region reporting the most deaths with 402,787 morts, followed by Europe 280,109, the United States and Canada 241,175 and Asia 171,423. bur-rbj/aud/txw/bp

The World Health Organization warned that some countries may need to shut down their nonessential businesses again as a way to take the "heat" out of their worsening coronavirus outbreaks. WHO officials said they are still hopeful most countries won't need to impose nationwide lockdowns, which were imposed by some world leaders earlier in the year as a way to slow the spread of the virus. But as Covid-19 cases now accelerate across the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in the United States and Europe, some countries may need to impose those stricter mitigation measures again, the agency said. Executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program Dr Mike Ryan said during a press conference at the agency's Geneva headquarters that the world will have to "get ahead of this virus, and that may require sacrifice for many, many people in terms of their personal lives," according to CNBC. "It may require shutting down and restricting movement and having stay-at-home orders in order to take the heat out of this phase of the pandemic," he added. The agency also criticised some countries for not investing in mitigation efforts during the first wave of the pandemic. "When we look across Europe as a whole, you could certainly ask yourself the question of whether there was enough invested through the first wave and ensuring there were full and adequate resources in each of those critical areas," Ryan said. When adjusting for population, the number of new infections in Europe has overtaken that in the United States, with Europe reporting 324 new Covid-19 cases per 1 million people, based on a seven-day average, compared with 209 new Covid-19 cases per 1 million people in the US. Overall, Europe, which includes 27 European Union countries and the UK, is seeing nearly 168,000 new cases per day, while the US has reported an average of about 68,767 new cases every day, according to the US Johns Hopkins University data.

Better preparation, listening to the science and acting together in solidarity, are some of the main ways that countries across the world can overcome the on-going Covid-19 crisis, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the World Health Summit on Sunday. The Berlin-based summit is backed by the UN World Health Organiation (WHO), involving 100 countries, and around 2,500 participants, geared towards improving health worldwide and respond to global health challenges. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his video message, ran through the many disruptive effects of the coronavirus pandemic beyond the loss of more than 1,147,000 lives as of Sunday, and 42.5 million cases. Around 500 million jobs have disappeared, with a monthly loss to the global economy of around $375 billion, he said. "Covid-19 is driving us even farther off-course from achieving the vision and promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", said the UN chief, who said the first hard lesson of the crisis was that "we were not prepared." "Global health and emergency response systems have been tested and found wanting. Access to health is a human right denied to billions of people around the world. Universal Health Coverage is the path to high-quality, equitable, affordable healthcare. Strong public health systems and emergency preparedness are essential steps to greater resilience," the UN Secretary-General said. He added that "if we follow the science, and demonstrate unity and solidarity, we can overcome the pandemic. Public health measures including masks, physical distancing and hand washing, are proven means of keeping the virus at bay." Protecting the vulnerable is key, and staying away from events that simply spread the virus. Governments need to work with communities everywhere to share reliable information and build trust. "We need global solidarity every step of the way. Developed countries must support health systems in countries that are short of resources", said Guterres, prioritising the development of vaccines for everyone, everyone, as a public good. "Vaccines, tests and therapies are more than lifesavers. They are economy savers and society savers", he said. "Relief will come not through one single step, but through smartly combining cutting-edge research with basic public health." He told delegates that misinformation and disinformation are "deadly allies of the virus. They are contributing to deaths and infections, and to social tensions that have led to violence. "Unless we counter rumours, conspiracy theories and lies, they will negate our other efforts," he pointed out. He also highlighted the UN's Verified campaign, to ensure people have access to accurate advice that protects and promotes health. "Let us use this opportunity to confront the Covid-19 crisis together, with the urgency and integrity it requires", the Secretary-General concluded.

A third attempt at halting weeks of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh collapsed quickly on Monday with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading accusations of violating the US-brokered ceasefire within minutes. As fighting over the disputed region enters its second month, international mediators are scrambling to bring a stop to frontline clashes and shelling of civilian areas that have left hundreds dead. The latest "humanitarian ceasefire" was announced by Washington on Sunday, after truces brokered by Russia and France fell apart over previous weekends. It took less than an hour after the ceasefire was due to begin at 8:00 am (0400 GMT) for the first accusations to be made. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said Armenian forces had shelled the town of Terter and nearby villages in "gross violation" of the truce. Armenia's defence ministry said Azerbaijani forces had "grossly violated" the ceasefire with artillery fire on combat positions in various parts of the frontline. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a bitter conflict over Karabakh since Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized control of the mountainous province in a 1990s war that left 30,000 people dead. Karabakh's self-declared independence has not been recognised internationally, even by Armenia, and it remains a part of Azerbaijan under international law. The current fighting broke out on September 27. Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of having targeted civilians and of breaking the previous truces. Repeated calls for calm do seem to have had any effect. After coming under heavy shelling at the start of the fighting, Nagorno-Karabakh's main city Stepanakert has been quieter in recent days. AFP journalists in the city on Monday said the night had been calm. Ten minutes before the ceasefire took effect an explosion was heard and a plume of smoke seen on a nearby hill. There were fewer sounds of fighting coming from the frontline on Monday morning than in previous days, though rounds of shelling could be heard in the distance. More than 1,000 people have been reported dead in the fighting, mainly Armenian separatist fighters but also dozens of civilians. Azerbaijan has not released any figures on its military casualties and the death toll is believed to be substantially higher, with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying last week that close to 5,000 people had been killed. Russia, France and the United States are leaders of the "Minsk Group" which has failed since the 1990s to bring about a negotiated settlement to the conflict. The latest ceasefire push came after US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun met in Washington Saturday with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and the co-chairs of the Minsk Group. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that the negotiations had been "intensive". The State Department said the Minsk co-chairs and the foreign ministers "agreed to meet again in Geneva on October 29" to seek "all steps necessary to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict". Azerbaijan has claimed to be making significant gains since the fighting began by retaking areas it lost in the 1990s war, in particular in a buffer zone outside Karabakh seized by the Armenians. Armenia has admitted to suffering losses and called on volunteers to join the fighting at the front.

New fighting erupted between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces on Sunday over the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh as both sides blamed each other for blocking a peaceful settlement to the conflict. Armenia accused Azeri forces of shelling civilian settlements. Baku denied killing civilians and said it was ready to implement a ceasefire, provided that Armenian forces withdrew from the battlefield. The weekend's clashes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians, came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the foreign ministers of both countries in a new peace push on Friday. The collapse of two Russia-brokered ceasefires had already dimmed the prospect of a quick end to fighting that broke out on Sept. 27 over Nagorno-Karabakh. Local officials in Nagorno-Karabakh accused Azeri forces of firing artillery on settlements in the areas of Askeran and Martuni during the night. Azerbaijan said its positions had been attacked with small arms, mortars, tanks, mortars, and howitzers. "I am absolutely confident in the effectiveness of the peace negotiations but this also depends on the will of the Armenian side to take part in them," said Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev. "Why can Azerbaijani and Armenian people live together in Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, and other countries but not in Nagorno Karabakh?" he added in a Fox News interview that was reprinted by the state Azertag News Agency. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian accused Baku of being "aggressively stubborn and destructive". Sarkissian, in comments reprinted by the Armenpress news agency, called on "global players" to step in immediately to bring about a ceasefire. "In the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russia is a trusted and pro-active mediator between the conflicting sides. Russia plays a crucial role here," he said. Aliyev said it was "very hazardous" for Armenia to want Russian military support in the conflict and third parties should not get involved militarily. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he hoped that the United States would help Moscow broker a solution to the conflict. The defence ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh said on Saturday the total number of Armenians killed in the fighting had risen by 36 to 963, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. Azerbaijan says 65 Azeri civilians have been killed and 298 wounded, but has not disclosed its military casualties. About 30,000 people were killed in a 1991-94 war over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenians regard the enclave as part of their historic homeland; Azeris consider it illegally occupied land that must be returned to their control.

Close quarters, poor ventilation and no masks: in the cellars of Stepanakert, the capital of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh province, residents who have not fled fierce fighting may be safe from shelling, but not coronavirus. Adjoining basements beneath one unassuming three-storey building in the city have been repurposed as a bomb shelter, where residents are seeking refuge from frequent bouts of shelling by Azerbaijan's forces, including on Friday evening. The majority of Stepanakert's 60,000 residents fled after fighting erupted late last month between separatists in the Armenian-majority mountainous region and the Azerbaijani army. The largest room in the basement -- around 50 square metres with a ceiling lower than 2 metres - serves as the sleeping quarters. Around ten mattresses and blankets are placed on stone benches built against the walls and the earthen floor is carpeted with cardboard boxes. A few dim lamps hang from the ceiling over an ageing wood stove in the middle of the room, its chimney running to an outside wall. Lusine Tovmasyan used to run a medical testing centre in Stepanakert. But when fighting erupted four weeks ago, the 44-year-old began working for the health authorities, carrying out coronavirus tests at the city's main hospital or at the homes of residents unable to travel. On Friday morning she arrived at the building to test two women aged 63 and 76 thought to be possibly infected. Bundled up in a coat, the older woman waits to be swabbed, sitting on a chair in the middle of the dormitory cellar. She coughs and groans when a cotton swab is pushed up her nose and then down her throat. The sixty-year-old woman with a shawl over her shoulders is tested in the living room of her apartment on the ground floor and experiences similar discomfort, muttering a few words in a weak voice and grimacing. "We do an average of 60 tests per day," says Tovmasyan, the only person among a half-dozen women in the cellar to be wearing a mask. "The infection rate is quite high," she says because "people are living in groups in basements without masks". "Between 40 and 60 percent of people test positive. It depends on the day". After swabs are processed in the Armenian capital Yerevan -- around four hours away by road -- Tovmasyan says health workers compile lists of whose returned positive and the people they were in contact with. There is no testing at an infectious diseases clinic near the central hospital in Stepanakert, but the facility does treat patients with coronavirus symptoms. Nurses are busy in one of the wards administering intravenous drips for three seated and masked men. Samvel Galstyan, 62, doesn't know whether or not he has coronavirus. He came to the facility because he had "a high temperature". "It's cold in the basement. You go to bed and get up without changing your clothes. You can't stay there so you come in and out often. Hot, cold, hot, cold, and here I am," he said. The chief doctor on the ward, 63-year-old Raya Simonyan, estimates that 90 percent of Stepanakert's remaining residents have coronavirus, but admits she has no official figures. "The situation is very bad (...) A majority of residents are sick," she says. Back in the basement, a brown-haired 15-year-old teenage girl briefly emerges from under a large blanket before disappearing again. Next to her on the edge of the bed, the girl's mother is staring vacantly. Her husband and son are fighting at the front, she says, and she does not know where exactly they are although she speaks to them regularly. "We want peace and for the war to end as soon as possible," she says tearfully.

Ethiopia on Saturday summoned the US ambassador over what it called an "incitement of war" between Ethiopia and Egypt from President Donald Trump over their dispute about the filling and operation of a massive hydropower dam. Trump called on Friday for an agreement between the countries, but added it was a dangerous situation and that Cairo could end up "blowing up that dam". Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Gedu Andargachew summoned US Ambassador to Addis Ababa Mike Raynor to seek clarifications on the comments. "The incitement of war between Ethiopia and Egypt from a sitting US president neither reflects the longstanding partnership and strategic alliance between Ethiopia and the United States nor is acceptable in international law governing interstate relations," Gedu's ministry said in a statement. Trump made the comments during a call with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok following Sudan and Israel's announcement to normalise ties. Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have been locked in a bitter dispute over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which remains unresolved although the reservoir behind the dam began filling in July. Trump said on Friday he had brokered an agreement to resolve the issue but that Ethiopia had broken the pact, forcing him to cut funds, adding: "They will never see that money unless they adhere to the agreement ... You can't blame Egypt for being a little upset." He said he had also urged Egypt to resolve the dispute. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said earlier on Saturday: "Occasional statements of belligerent threats to have Ethiopia succumb to unfair terms still abound." The first phase of filling the dam was completed in August, it said. Egypt says it is dependent on the Nile for more than 90% of its scarce fresh water supplies, and fears the dam could have a devastating effect on its economy. Abiy's office said there had been significant progress made in resolving the dispute since the African Union took over the negotiations. "Now is the time for action and not for increasing tensions," European Union's European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said before the Ethiopian ministry issued its statement. 

The population of Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants, two species endemic to the islands, has seen a record increase, study results released Friday showed. The Galapagos penguin is one of the smallest species of penguins in the world, measuring up to 35 centimeters, and the cormorants on the islands are the only type to have lost their ability to fly -- but they have developed diving skills. ‘The number of cormorants has reached a record number, according to historical data dating back to 1977, while the number of penguins is at the highest since 2006,’ said a statement from the Galapagos National Park, which carried out the census. The population of Galapagos penguins, the only ones living on the Earth's equator, increased from 1,451 in 2019 to 1,940 in 2020, it added. Flightless cormorant numbers increased from 1,914 to 2,220 over the same period. The study was carried out by the park and the Charles Darwin Foundation in September with the main colonies present on the Isabela and Fernandina islands and on the Marielas islets, to the west of the archipelago classified as a natural heritage site. Paulo Proano, Ecuadorian minister of environment and water, said the census results reflect the ‘good state of health of the population’ of birds in the archipelago, located some 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) off the Ecuadorian coast, according to the park. The park said the presence of the La Nina climatic phenomenon, which helps to provide more food for the birds, has contributed to the increase in their populations. Another factor was the coronavirus pandemic, which has limited disturbances to nesting areas because of the drop in tourism, the park added. The islands, which served as a natural labouratory for the English scientist Charles Darwin for his theory of the evolution of species, takes its name from the giant tortoises that live there.

Ethiopia can jail people for up to two years if they deliberately violate restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, the attorney general’s office said, amid concern that citizens are becoming lax after a state of emergency was lifted. The restrictions prohibit shaking hands, not wearing a mask in a public place, seating more than three people at a table or not keeping “two adult steps” - around six feet - apart . “Now it is as if COVID is no longer there, the public is not taking care,” Health Minister Lia Tadesse tweeted on Thursday. “This will cause a possible increase in the spread of the disease and might be a threat to the nation.” Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation and a regional powerhouse, declared a state of emergency in April to curb the spread of the pandemic. It was lifted in September. The health ministry has recorded 91,118 COVID-19 cases, 1,384 deaths and 44,506 recoveries so far. The disease peaked there toward the end of August, but its difficult to know the true picture because testing has been also scaled back due to limited resources. At least 79 people died of COVID-19 in the past week, the health ministry said, but less than 2% of deaths are formally recorded. The new law permits fines and imprisonment for up to two years for anyone breaks the restrictions, the attorney general’s office said in a statement on its Facebook page on Wednesday. Ethiopia also postponed its regional and parliamentary elections scheduled for August due to the outbreak. They are expected to be held next year. Africa has mostly not seen the huge wave of infections and deaths that have swept across Europe and the Americas. Experts say a much younger population, immediate measures to contain the virus and having a more rural population have all helped keep cases down. But many African leaders are urging vigilance, concerned that any surge in cases could overwhelm rickety public health systems.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence said that Armenian armed forces fired ballistic missiles towards its territory in Gabala and Kurdamir districts, north of the country, targeting civilians. On October 22 in the morning, the territory of Azerbaijan was exposed to ballistic missiles fired using the operational-tactical missile complex from the territory of Armenia, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence told (AZERTAC). On the other hand, the Armenian Ministry of Defence denied that its forces launched ballistic missiles from its territory towards Azerbaijan. ‘The announcement of the Azerbaijani side on Armenia's alleged launching of ballistic missiles in the direction of Gabala and Kurdamir is utter nonsense,’ (ARMENPRESS) quoted Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan as saying. ‘No missile has been fired from the territory of the Republic of Armenian in the direction of Azerbaijan,’ he said. Azerbaijan and Armenia announced last Saturday that they had agreed on a ‘humanitarian truce’ to put an end to the bloody escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The new truce came a week after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement that the two countries failed of fulfil. They accused each other of responsibility for the agreement's breach. (QNA)

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan were in Moscow on Wednesday for meetings with Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov as world powers seek to halt fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. The ministers were visiting the Russian capital, their respective ministries said as the pair are due to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday. They have ruled out a trilateral meeting and will meet Pompeo separately. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov arrived in Moscow for "consultations with the Russian side," the ministry said in a statement. His Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan was set to meet with Lavrov in Moscow "to discuss the situation in Karabakh and the implementation of a ceasefire agreement," ministry spokeswoman Anna Nagdalyan said. It was not immediately clear if the two diplomats would meet Lavrov jointly or separately. World powers including Russia and the United States have expressed dismay that there has been no let-up in more than three weeks of fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. A truce was agreed in Moscow earlier this month after 11 hours of talks, but the accord had next to no impact on the ground. A second ceasefire agreed Saturday fell apart almost immediately. Yerevan says 772 Armenian soldiers and 36 civilians have been killed in the flare-up of fighting. Baku has reported 63 civilian casualties but has yet to disclose military losses. Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists who control its Karabakh region have been locked in a bitter impasse over the fate of the mountainous province since a war in the 1990s that left 30,000 people dead. Their long-simmering conflict erupted again on September 27 in fierce clashes that raised the alarm over the failure of decades-long international mediation. Along with France and Russia, the United States co-chairs the so-called Minsk Group of international mediators to the Karabakh peace talks since the 1994 ceasefire.

* Both sides report new fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh * Armenian president wants to avoid "another Syria" Armenia and Azerbaijan said on Tuesday their foreign ministers would meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Friday in efforts to end the heaviest fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh since the 1990s. The State Department did not immediately comment. But the planned meetings suggest that, just before the US presidential election, Washington is stepping up involvement in moves to calm a conflict that has killed hundreds of people since Sept. 27. Russia has until now driven mediation efforts over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway enclave within Azerbaijan that is controlled by ethnic Armenians, but two ceasefires brokered by Moscow this month have not stopped the fighting. The two ex-Soviet republics said there was intense fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, with the enclave reporting 43 more of its defence personnel had been killed. The violence has raised fears that regional powers Turkey and Russia could be sucked into a wider conflict, and concern about the security of pipelines in Azerbaijan that carry natural gas and oil to world markets. It was not immediately clear whether the warring sides' foreign ministers would meet Pompeo separately or at the same time. Azerbaijan said its foreign minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, would also meet envoys of the OSCE security and rights watchdog's so-called Minsk Group, whose co-chairs Russia, France and the United States have for years led mediation in the conflict. Armenia released few details about Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan's plans in Washington. Turkey is also part of the Minsk Group but has not been involved in mediation, and its relations with its NATO allies have been further strained by the fighting. Ankara has denied accusations that it sent mercenaries from the conflicts in Syria and Libya to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.  In an interview, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian told France-24 television that he did not advocate military intervention by Russia, which has a defence pact with Armenia, or other countries that could lead to "another Syria." In comments to Azerbaijan's parliament, Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop portrayed Armenia as the aggressor and criticised mediation by Paris, Moscow and Washington. "If they are sincere on their path to peace, those who have held Armenia's leash and supported it for years need to end this dangerous game now and stop supporting Armenia. Azerbaijan does not have another 30 years to wait," Sentop said. The Minsk Group, he said, "is brain dead". In a speech to the nation, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said Baku was willing to end fighting as soon as possible to complete the restoration of what it sees as its territorial integrity. Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh reported new artillery battles on Tuesday and said fighting was intense in southern areas of the conflict zone. Azerbaijan's defence ministry also reported fighting in several areas, including disputed territory close to the line of contact dividing the sides. It said Armenian forces were shelling the Azeri regions of Terter and Aghdam. Nagorno-Karabakh says 772 of its military and 37 civilians have been killed in the fighting since Sept. 27. Azerbaijan says 61 Azeri civilians have been killed and 291 wounded, but has not disclosed its military casualties in the worst bloodshed since a 1991-94 war that killed about 30,000.

Spain would receive 31.6 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine currently being developed by Britain's pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca between December and June if it is ready, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday. The supply of the potential vaccine makes part of a European Union scheme, Illa told a news conference following the weekly cabinet meeting. Illa also said tough restrictive measures to bring a surge of coronavirus infections under control will be imposed in Madrid for three weeks after the state of emergency in the region expires on Oct. 23.

Kyrgyzstan authorities Tuesday detained on corruption charges a powerbroker to former president Sooronbay Jeenbekov, as a new acting leader seeks to consolidate power with an anti-graft drive. Ex-deputy customs chief Rayimbek Matraimov was regarded as a key financial backer for political parties and presidents, including Jeenbekov. Jeenbekov stepped down last week in the wake of protests that followed a disputed parliamentary election on October 4, leaving power in the hands of Sadyr Japarov as prime minister and acting president. The national security committee said that Matraimov and other officials were part of "a corruption scheme established to extract shadow income during customs administration". The scheme had begun in 2016, when Matraimov was still in his post and had resulted in "especially large scale damage" to the state budget, it said in a statement. Japarov had pledged to bring Matraimov to justice over claims first aired in a media report that he was at the centre of a scheme that funnelled $700 million out of the impoverished republic. He said last week that Matraimov was connected to "90 percent of state officials". "What to do? Allow only 10 percent to keep working?" he asked. Matraimov was seen as the main backer of the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan party that dominated the parliamentary vote along with a party called Birimdik that included Jeenbekov's brother among its ranks. Last year he was the target of protests led by civic groups who called on authorities to investigate the allegations in a report made by anti-graft activists. The precise nature of Jeenbekov's relationship with Matraimov was unknown, with some observers speculating that they had fallen out towards the end of Jeenbekov's time in office. But Jeenbekov notably failed to push forward a criminal investigation targeting contraband and money laundering that was opened following the protests. The publishers of the report, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, described Matraimov as a gatekeeper for an "underground Central Asian cargo empire". Bolot Temirov, an investigative journalist who was beaten up by a group of men not long after his fact-checking outlet published a separate report on Matraimov's wealth, told AFP that it was too early to celebrate the former official's demise. "The new authorities need to make a good show of themselves as quickly as possible," said Temirov. "Matraimov's arrest is a win-win option for them. But the threat remains the same. (Matraimov) has money and influence." The Matraimov and Jeenbekov-affiliated parties were accused of massive vote-buying and the results were annulled after protests morphed into clashes between police and supporters of opposition parties. Japarov, 51, who claimed power less than two weeks after he was sprung from jail by supporters, styled himself as a reformist in a speech on Friday one day after Jeenbekov's resignation. The populist politician said that the fight against corruption would "cease to be a tool for eliminating political opponents", pledging that organised crime "will stop dictating its terms". Japarov has angrily denied suggestions he has his own ties to organised crime, amid media allegations during his overnight rise to power during the post-elections crisis. With a re-run of parliamentary elections expected in December and presidential polls by mid-January, Japarov still must work to tighten his grip on the ex-Soviet state. There has as yet been no indication that key ally Russia recognises his new functions. Prior to his release he was serving jail time for hostage taking -- a conviction related to an incident that took place during a 2013 rally in support of the nationalisation of a key foreign-operated gold mine.

* Both sides report new fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh * UN Security Council discusses the conflict * Ceasefire agreed on Saturday has had little effect A ceasefire in the mountain territory of Nagorno-Karabakh was under severe strain on Tuesday after new clashes between Azeri and ethnic Armenian forces in their deadliest fighting since the 1990s. The ceasefire, agreed on Saturday, has had little impact on fighting that began on Sept. 27, despite concerns it could spark a wider conflict involving Russia and Turkey and fears over the security of gas and oil pipelines in the South Caucasus. Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway enclave of Azerbaijan controlled by ethnic Armenians, reported new artillery battles on Tuesday morning and said fighting was particularly intense in southern areas of the conflict zone. Azerbaijan's defence ministry also reported fighting in several areas, including disputed territory close to the line of contact that divides the sides. Several hundred people have been killed in the fighting, which each side blames on the other, and there are fears of a humanitarian crisis. Azerbaijan says it has made territorial gains. But Armenia says it has repulsed Azeri attacks and has the situation under control. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev both told Russia's TASS news agency in separate interviews on Monday they were ready to come to Moscow for talks. But the new ceasefire appears to have had little or no more effect that an earlier deal brokered by Russia that failed to halt the fighting. Nagorno-Karabakh said on Monday 729 of its military personnel and 37 civilians had been killed in the fighting. Azerbaijan said 61 Azeri civilians had been killed and 282 wounded. It has not disclosed its military casualties. Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations said the Security Council had discussed the conflict on Monday. Asked about the possibility of UN observers going to the region, he said that would require a mandate from the Security Council. "This is not a quick process," the envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, was quoted as saying by TASS. He suggested any observer mission also might involve the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The security watchdog has led mediation in the conflict for years through a panel known as the Minsk Group, headed by France, Russia and the United States. "Who will be there, in what capacity - is still a question that is being discussed," said Nebenzya.

Fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces continued on Monday in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, despite the ceasefire agreement announced two days ago. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev announced that his country's Army has liberated 13 villages of Jabrayil district in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Armenian armed forces violated the agreed temporary humanitarian ceasefire, and the Azerbaijani residential settlements and battle positions were subjected to heavy artillery fire last night, President Ilham Aliyev said, according to (AZERTAC) news agency. On the other hand, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that the Azeri forces launched a large-scale attack early this morning in the northern direction of the front line of battle in Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that the attack was preceded by intense artillery bombardment. Two days ago, Azerbaijan and Armenia announced that they had agreed on a new ‘humanitarian truce’, which came into effect at midnight Saturday local time, to put an end to the bloody escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The new truce comes a week after the two countries failed to fulfill a ceasefire agreement, accusing each other of violating the deal. Armed clashes broke out on Sep. 27 on the line of contact between Azerbaijan and Armenia's forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and border areas. This is the most serious escalation between the two sides in more than 30 years. (QNA)

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Sunday of violating a new humanitarian ceasefire in fighting over the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, hours after it was agreed. The truce agreed on Saturday came into force at midnight (2000 GMT) after a week-old Russian-brokered ceasefire failed to halt the worst fighting in the South Caucasus since the 1990s. The Armenian defence ministry said the Azeri army had fired twice during the night and used artillery. The Azeri defence ministry said: "The enemy fired at the vicinity of the Jabrail city, as well as the villages of this region ... using mortars and artillery". It added that the Azeri army "took adequate retaliatory measures". Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said Azeri forces had launched an attack on the enclave's military positions and there were casualties and wounded on both sides. Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountain territory that is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated and governed by ethnic Armenians. The ceasefire earlier this month was aimed at letting the sides swap detainees and bodies of those killed in the clashes, but it had little impact on the fighting around the enclave. The new truce was announced on Saturday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov talked to his Armenian and Azeri counterparts by phone and called on sides to observe the truce that he mediated a week ago. Russia, France and the United States belong to the Minsk Group, which has attempted to help resolve the conflict under the umbrella of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Baku said on Saturday that 60 Azeri civilians had been killed and 270 wounded since the fighting flared on Sept. 27. It has not disclosed its military casualties. Nagorno-Karabakh says 633 of its military personnel have been killed, and 36 civilians.