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The Russian foreign ministry on Friday summoned the ambassador from longtime ally Armenia to protest upcoming joint military exercises with the United States and other complaints, highlighting growing tensions that are straining traditionally close relations. About 175 Armenian troops and 85 from the United States will start exercises on Monday focusing on peacekeeping operations. Landlocked Armenia has close military ties with Russia, including hosting a Russian military base and participating in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization alliance. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesHowever, Armenia has become increasingly disillusioned with Russia since the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. Armenia this year refused to allow CSTO exercises on its territory and it declined to send troops to bloc exercises in Belarus.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Maria Zakharova Organizations: Criminal Court, Russian, Security, Organization Locations: Armenia, United States, Ukraine, Rome, Russia, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Russian, Karabakh, Nagorno, Belarus

☆ Russia protests to Armenia as tensions rise over disputed Caucasus region
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Within hours, Armenia's foreign ministry issued a statement expressing willingness to resolve disputes with Azerbaijan over the territory, focal point of two wars in the past 30 years. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry, in a series of statements, said it was Armenia which was posing a threat to regional stability by abetting separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenia pursues one goal: to sustain separatism in the territory of Azerbaijan through all possible ideological, political, military, financial and other means," the Azeri Foreign Ministry said. Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Thursday of moving troops close to their joint border. Armenia hosts a Russian military base and relies almost entirely on Russia for defence supplies.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Kevin Liffey, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich, Ron Popeski, Richard Chang Organizations: Azeri Foreign Ministry, International Criminal Court, Collective Security, Organization, Reuters, Red, Thomson Locations: Russia, South Caucasus, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, United States, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Soviet Union, Soviet, Caucasus

☆ Saudi Arabia wants to buy its way into a major 6th-gen fighter jet project, but not all its potential partners are welcoming
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Saudi Arabia reportedly wants to join the effort, but Japan is said to be wary of letting Riyadh in. A senior British defense told The Financial Times that the UK views "Saudi Arabia as a key partner in the fighter program and we are working to ensure strong progress as soon as possible." AdvertisementAdvertisementJapan also fears Saudi Arabia might want to export the cutting-edge jet to adversaries, such as China and Russia, or use its veto power to prevent Tokyo from exporting it to one of its allies. Indonesia, for example, has joined South Korea's KF-21 Boramae project, which aims to produce a quasi-stealth fighter jet by the late 2020s. AdvertisementAdvertisementOn the other side of Asia, Azerbaijan recently joined Turkey's TF Kaan stealth fighter project.

Persons: Bill Bostock, milch, Shigeto Kondo, Pascal Rossignol, GCAP, Tempest, China's, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Global Combat Air Program, The Financial Times, Financial Times, Britain's Telegraph, Japanese Institute of, Eastern, Al, KF, Indo, Getty, South Korea's KF, Turkey's TF, JF, 51st Paris Air Show, REUTERS, Rafale Locations: Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Wall, Silicon, Tokyo, British, London, Saudi, China, Russia, Jakarta, AFP, Indonesia, Asia, Azerbaijan, Ankara, Pakistan, Baku

☆ A close Russian ally snubbed Putin by announcing military exercises with the US — the latest in a series of embarrassments for the president
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Armenia will host a joint military exercise with the US later this month. The country is a longtime Russian ally but has repeatedly expressed its frustration with it. This includes threatening to leave the Russia-led CSTO and refusing to host its military drills. A US military spokesperson told Reuters that 85 US soldiers and 175 Armenian soldiers will take part in the exercise. Armenia also hosts a Russian military base.

Persons: CSTO, Vladimir Putin, didn't, Nikol, Pashinyan, Putin, Thomas Graham, Jaroslava Barbieri, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Service, Reuters, NATO, Soviet, Yale, University of Birmingham Locations: Armenia, Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, East, tatters .

☆ China is eroding Russia's influence over old allies as the alliance it leads crumbles over Ukraine, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian influence is waning despite formal alliances and the old ties of the Soviet Union. It is also home to most members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO): Russian President Vladimir Putin's equivalent of NATO. Russia's influence on them is also being weakened by more countries competing for their attention, Graham said. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said that "Russia's operation in Ukraine is undermining, eroding its ability to maintain its influence across the former Soviet space." "You're seeing the slow erosion of Russian influence."

Persons: Thomas Graham, Vladimir Putin's, Graham, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Stanislav Zas, Nikol Pashinyan, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rakhmon, Anton Novoderezhkin Organizations: Service, Yale, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Moscow REUTERS, Russia, Armenian, Kazakh, Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS, Central, AFPTV, Getty Locations: Central Asia, Russia, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, China, Turkey, East, Caucasus, Moscow, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Central, Europe, Iran, Russian, Belarusian, Bakhmut, AFP, Azerbaijan, Soviet

☆ Armenia says it will stage joint military exercise with US next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 6 (Reuters) - Armenia said on Wednesday it would host a joint military exercise with the United States next week, a development likely to irritate Russia. The Armenian Defence Ministry said the purpose of the Sept. 11-20 "Eagle Partner 2023" exercise was to prepare its forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions. Russia has a military base in Armenia and sees itself as the pre-eminent power in the South Caucasus region, which until 1991 was part of the Soviet Union. It maintains a peacekeeping force in the region to uphold an agreement that ended a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020, the second they have fought since the Soviet collapse. "Russia plays a consistent, very important role in stabilising the situation in this region ... and we will continue to play this role."

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Dmitry Peskov, Pashinyan's, Mark Trevelyan, Christina Fincher Organizations: United, Armenian Defence Ministry, Eagle, Thomson Locations: Armenia, United States, Russia, U.S, South Caucasus, Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Soviet, Italian, Ukraine

☆ Armenia to exercise with US troops next week, Russia voices concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 6 (Reuters) - Armenia said on Wednesday it would host a joint military exercise with the United States next week, a development that Russia said was cause for concern. The Armenian Defence Ministry said the purpose of the Sept. 11-20 "Eagle Partner 2023" exercise was to prepare its forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions. Russia has a military base in Armenia and sees itself as the pre-eminent power in the South Caucasus region, which until 1991 was part of the Soviet Union. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a weekend interview with an Italian newspaper that Russia had failed to protect Armenia against what he called continuing aggression from Azerbaijan. "Russia plays a consistent, very important role in stabilising the situation in this region ... and we will continue to play this role."

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Nikol Pashinyan, Peskov, Pashinyan's, Mark Trevelyan, Andrew Osborn, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: United, Armenian Defence Ministry, Eagle, Kansas National Guard, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Armenia, United States, Russia, U.S, South Caucasus, Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Soviet, Italian, Ukraine

☆ Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh fear for future under blockade
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —Ani Kirakosyani found out she was pregnant a month after the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh began. “If not for the blockade, I would be playing with my child today,” Kirakosyani told CNN. He told CNN that before the blockade he had received most of his produce from Armenia. I only have one week left until the shop closes and I am jobless,” he told CNN. Meanwhile Russia, which brokered the ceasefire in 2020, has peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor but has refrained from intervening further.

Persons: Ani Kirakosyani, Kirakosyani, ”, ” Kirakosyani, Gegham Stepanyan, Tom Lantos, Cross, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Arayik Harutyunyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Mary Asatryan Max Mkhitaryan, Mary Asatryan, Brendan Hoffman, Ronald Suny, Azerbaijan’s, Ilham Aliyev, –, ” Harutyunyan, Peter Stano, Harutyunyan, Maria Zakharova, Artyom, Anahit, Vahe Gevorgyan, ” Gharaghazaryan Organizations: CNN, International Association of Genocide, Artsakh, Rights, International Committee, ICRC, Criminal Court, Armenian, Stepanakert Medical, University of Michigan, …, United States State Department, EU, Reuters, European Union, Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia, Hamline University, UN Security, “ Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Haterk, Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Republic, Armenia, Artsakh, Stepanakert, Soviet Union, Turkey, Baku, … Baku, Azerbaijani, Aghdam, EU, Russia, United States, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine war brings surge in global use of cluster bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Cluster munitions, fired from the ground or by aircraft, explode mid-air, spraying smaller 'bomblets' over a wide area. Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a party to the ban, nor is the United States, which began supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine this year. In Ukraine, the report said Russia had used cluster munitions "repeatedly", while Ukraine had also used them, but to "a lesser extent". The report covered last year, and therefore excludes this year's use by Ukraine of U.S. cluster munitions, which Kyiv began receiving in July. It also said its cluster munitions leave behind far fewer unexploded bomblets than those used by Russia.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, Mary Wareham, Washington, Emma Farge, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Cluster Munitions Coalition, Human Rights Watch, Kyiv, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, United States, Geneva, Kyiv, Moscow, U.S, Myanmar, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Sunday, Nikol Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to ensure Armenia's security in the face of what he said was aggression from neighbouring Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. "Armenia's security architecture was 99.999% linked to Russia, including when it came to the procurement of arms and ammunition," Pashinyan told La Repubblica. "This example should demonstrate to us that dependence on just one partner in security matters is a strategic mistake." His words underscore resentment inside Armenia about what many there see as a failure by Russia to defend their interests. Pashinyan accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to uphold the ceasefire deal of failing to do their job.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Russian, Italian, Repubblica, European Union, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Karabakh, Armenia, Caucasus, Yerevan, United States, Ukraine, Russian, Baku, Nagorno

☆ Are Armenians Being Ethnically Cleansed — Again? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With its Russian torture chambers and slaughter of civilians, the war in Ukraine is horrifying enough. But what if another country is taking advantage of the distraction to commit its own crimes against humanity? You probably haven’t heard of Azerbaijan’s brutality toward an ethnic Armenian enclave called Nagorno-Karabakh, but it deserves scrutiny. “There is an ongoing genocide against 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he wrote in a recent report. We tend to think of genocide as the slaughter of an ethnic group.

Persons: Luis Moreno Ocampo, ” Organizations: Criminal Locations: Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Sudan’s Darfur

☆ Russia and Ukraine are fighting the kind of drone war the US military has been worrying about, and it's scrambling to prepare for a future that's already here
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Christopher Woody | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The scale of the drone war in Ukraine is one of the most striking features of the conflict. "ISIS figured out how to arm their drones and attack us either with 'kamikaze' explosive-laden drones or drones that dropped" modified munitions, Townsend said. Soldiers with the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment train on an Avenger air-defense system in in July. In 2018, the Army reactivated the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, returning a short-range-air-defense capability to Europe. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The war is showing how much [drones are] here and are affecting the war every day.

Persons: Ukraine isn't, Mara Karlin, wasn't, Karlin, that's, John Moore, Stephen Townsend, Townsend, Frank McKenzie, MAHMOUD TAHA, I've, Syria —, Richard Clarke, Clarke, Tom Karako, " McKenzie, McKenzie, Maj, Sean Gainey, Gainey, FADEL SENNA, Douglas Bush, Bush, they've, Col, Michael Parent, Narciso Contreras, Parent Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Defense Writers, US Marine, US Army, US Africa Command, ISIS, Getty, Army, US Special, Command, Aspen Security Conference, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Patriot, —, US Air Force, Congressional Research Service, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Spc, Yesenia, Asymmetric Warfare Group, Battalion, Stryker, Washington DC, Marine Corps, US Army Yuma, US, Anadolu Agency, Pacific . The Defense Department Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mosul, Syria, Homs, Europe, Washington, Russian, Kyiv, Russia, Lviv Oblast, China, Pacific

☆ Shady export leaks suggest Russian sanctions work
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That may be true, but the cracks mostly demonstrate the sanctions’ impact, and why they can be tightened. EU exporters did ship nearly 17 billion euros’ worth of goods to Kazakhstan in the 18 months starting in January 2022. And if exports had grown at the 17% pace of previous years, some 6 billion euros would remain unexplained. Meanwhile, Russia’s efforts to circumvent a G7 price cap on its oil shipments are another sign of Western sanctions’ overall effectiveness. EU exports to Russia declined by 30% to 75.7 billion euros over the same period.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Francesco Guerrera, Streisand Neto, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, European Union, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Western, Union, Eurostat, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Soviet, Moscow, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, China, India, Europe, United States, Central Asia, EU

Stick with us, and we'll show you how to watch the 2023 US Open with free live streams available to virtually anyone. How to watch the US Open live stream free from anywhereYou can catch most of the key US Open action using one of the free live streams available. When: August 28 - September 10How to watch the US Open in the USAESPN has the rights to the US Open live streams in the US. How to watch the US Open for free in New ZealandTVNZ is streaming the US Open free online. How to watch the US Open in EuropeMost European countries can stream the US Open through Eurosport.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, John Isner, Iga, Coco Gauff, Marketa, We've, you'll, ExpressVPN, Stan Sport Organizations: New Zealand, TVNZ, ESPN, USA ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Plus, Subscription, Australia Viewers, New Zealand TVNZ, Sky Sports, Sports Network, TSN, Bell, TSN Plus, Eurosport, Tennis, Sunday Locations: Australia, New, 9Now, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

☆ Verstappen says defeat in Baku triggered record winning run
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Dutch driver, victorious for the third year in a row at his home race on Sunday, said the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku in April was key to his subsequent success. He finished second then to Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, the last time he has stood lower than the top step of the podium. "I think I learned a lot from the race in Baku how to do some things with the car, how to set it up," Verstappen told reporters at Zandvoort. "It was probably one of the more difficult races to win, but nine in a row is something I never even thought about," said Verstappen. "I'm very happy with that but I'm in general very happy to win here in front of my home crowd."

Persons: Max Verstappen, Simon Wohlfahrt, Sergio Perez, Perez, Verstappen, Sunday's, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, Christian Horner, Alan Baldwin, Alison Williams Organizations: Prix, Dutch, Zandvoort, Bull, Thomson Locations: Zandvoort, Netherlands, ZANDVOORT, Azerbaijan, Baku, Mexican, Miami, London

☆ Magnus Carlsen defeats Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa to become Chess World Cup champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Magnus Carlsen defeated Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in a tiebreak to become Chess World Cup champion on Thursday. The Norwegian grandmaster has now won every major individual classical chess tournament and, as Chess.com puts it, “completes chess” with his victory in Baku, Azerbaijan. In said tiebreak – which took the format of a two-game rapid match – Carlsen showed why he is the reigning World Rapid Champion and world No. For Pragg, the World Cup was somewhat of a breakthrough onto the top table of the sport. Ding’s victory ended the reign of five-time champion Carlsen, who had decided not to defend his title earlier this year.

Persons: CNN — Magnus Carlsen, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen, “, ” It’s, – Carlsen, outmaneuvering, Pavel Mikheyev, Pragg –, –, Ding Liren Organizations: CNN, Rapid, Reuters Locations: Norwegian, Baku, Azerbaijan, China

☆ Formula One statistics for the Dutch Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Formula One F1 - Dutch Grand Prix - Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands - September 4, 2022 Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action during the race REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Formula One statistics for Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the 13th race of the 22-round season. Total distance: 306.587km (72 laps)2022 pole position: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull one minute 10.342 seconds. Verstappen won in 2021 and 2022, both times from pole position, making him the only current driver on the grid to have won the Dutch Grand Prix. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has 32 wins, most recently in his home Spanish Grand Prix in 2013 with Ferrari, from a record 367 starts. PODIUMSix teams and eight drivers have made a podium appearance this season: Red Bull, Alpine, Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Yves Herman, Red Bull, Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, Perez, Abu Dhabi, Hamilton, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Bull, Charles Leclerc, Aston Martin, McLaren, Michael Schumacher, Romeo's, Zhou, George Russell, Alan Baldwin, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Prix, Zandvoort, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Monaco, Verstappen, Spanish, Ferrari, Aston, Thomson Locations: Zandvoort, Netherlands, Britain, NETHERLANDS, Amsterdam, Abu, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Hamilton

CNN —Millions in India will be cheering on the teen chess prodigy known as Pragg as he takes on Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen for the title of World Chess Champion on Tuesday. Born and raised in Chennai in southern India, Praggnanandhaa took an interest in the game after his older sister, Vaishali, started playing at age 6. Then, in 2016, he created history after winning his ninth round game at the KIIT International Chess Festival in Bhubaneswar, India. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images/FilePraggnanandhaa earned his third international master norm, an achievement handed out for high level of performance in a tournament. Having earned two previous norms already, at the age of 10 years, 10 months and 19 days, he became an international chess master – the youngest ever.

Persons: Magnus Carlsen, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen, Narendra Modi, Sachin Tendulkar, ” Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, Andrzej Iwanczuk, “, Arun Sankar, ” Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Bloom, KIIT, Getty Locations: India, Baku, Azerbaijan, Chennai, Vaishali, Warsaw, Poland, Bhubaneswar, Indian, “

☆ DP Eurasia to file for bankruptcy of Russian Domino's Pizza franchisee
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 21 (Reuters) - DP Eurasia (DPEU.L) will file for bankruptcy for its Russian business and exit the country, the operator of the Domino's Pizza brand in Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia said on Monday. In December, the company said it was considering options for its Russian operations, including a divestment, like other Western firms which have exited Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. Some have managed to negotiate swift exits, often selling at huge discounts or handing the keys to local management. The pace of exits has now slowed substantially but the rules are even harder to navigate for those remaining. DP Russia, the third-largest pizza delivery company in the country, operated about 142 stores.

Persons: Eva Mathews, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Savio D'Souza Organizations: DP Eurasia, Eurasia, DP Eurasia's Turkish, DP Russia, Thomson Locations: Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moscow, Ukraine, Bengaluru

☆ Domino's Pizza will close in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Domino’s Pizza will close all its outlets in Russia, becoming one of the first major Western fast-food chains to exit the country since McDonald’s and Starbucks left more than a year ago. DP Eurasia — the company that owns franchise rights for the Domino’s Pizza brand in Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia — said Monday that it would file for bankruptcy for its Russian unit, DPRussia. The move highlights the increasingly hard choices facing Western firms that stayed in Russia after the start of the Ukraine war. The Kremlin has made it vastly more difficult and more costly for Western companies to sell their Russian businesses. Starbucks became Stars Coffee and McDonald’s is now “Vkusno i tochka,” which translates to “Tasty, period.”In a statement, New York-listed Domino’s Pizza Inc (DPZ).

Persons: Georgia —, “ Organizations: London CNN, Starbucks, Eurasia —, Carlsberg, Danone, ” DP Eurasia, DP, Yale University, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, ”, New York

☆ Armenia-Azerbaijan: 'Reasonable' to believe genocide being committed, former ICC chief prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor has said there is “reasonable basis to believe that genocide is being committed against Armenians” in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been battling over the region for decades. On Monday, UN experts urged Azerbaijan to lift a blockade on the Lachin corridor, the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. An Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entry of the Lachin corridor, the Armenian-populated breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region's only land link with Armenia, on July 30. “It is essential to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals during this critical time,” they added.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Ocampo, KAren Minasyan, Vahe, Josep Borrell, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Karabak Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, UN Security, Deputy, European Union, EU Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Eastern Europe, Western Asia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Netherlands, UNHCR, Azerbaijani

☆ Winning streak 'keeps the fire going', says Verstappen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since those musings at a race won by Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, Verstappen has won every grand prix to go 125 points clear at the top -- the equivalent of five victories -- and take his career tally to 45 wins. Soon to be a triple world champion, Verstappen has a contract to the end of 2028 -- by which time who knows how many wins and titles he will have. If I have to rock up and I have no chance of winning then the fire starts to go away," the Dutch driver said at Spa-Francorchamps. Retired four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is the only driver to have won nine in a row in a single season, with Red Bull in 2013. Red Bull have yet to end a season with their drivers one-two in the standings and Perez's task is to make sure he finishes runner-up this time.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Johanna Geron, Sergio Perez, Verstappen, Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel, Christian Horner, Horner, Perez, Checo, Max, Bull, Alan Baldwin, Ken Ferris Organizations: Belgian, Prix, Red Bull Formula, Spa, Zandvoort, Red, Thomson Locations: Spa, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Mexican, Abu Dhabi, Baku, London

☆ Hundreds of thousands of people fled Russia after it invaded Ukraine — and now the countries that took them in are seeing a boost in their economies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scores of Russians fled their homeland following the outbreak of the Ukraine war. The growth of such countries surged in 2022 after the arrival of these Russians, per a new report. About six months later, there was another wave of departures after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial military mobilization for the Ukraine war on September 21. Armenia — once known as the Silicon Valley of the Soviet Union — saw its 2022 growth spike to 12.6%, per the World Bank. Meanwhile, Georgia's GDP jumped by 10.1% in 2022, per the World Bank, beating an 8.8% growth forecast.

Persons: —, Insider's Jason Lalljee, Vladimir Putin, Georgia —, Armenia —, Soviet Union —, Suren, Martin Galstyan, Oleg Itskhoki Organizations: Service, Reuters, Kremlin, Novaya Gazeta, World Bank, Bank, Armenian State University of Economics, Georgia's, University of California, Bloomberg Locations: Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union, IT, outpacing, Turkey, Kazakhstan

☆ Abu Dhabi's Masdar eyeing acquisition targets in US, Europe expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Yousef Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, July 19 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi state-owned renewable energy firm Masdar is in discussions with potential acquisition targets in the U.S. and is also looking to expand in Europe, Gulf Arab countries and elsewhere, its chief financial officer said on Wednesday. Masdar is in active discussions and U.S. President Joe Biden's $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act "reinforced" its view of the U.S. market, he said. "So we are already securing new capacities, so my expectation is that we are likely to come to market again in 2024," he said, adding Masdar would only issue bonds for already-secured projects. In November, the UAE and U.S. agreed to spend $100 billion on clean energy projects with a goal of adding 100 gigawatts globally by 2035. Jaber last week said countries at COP28 must face how far behind they are lagging climate targets and agree a plan to get on track.

Persons: Niall Hannigan, Joe Biden's, Masdar, Hannigan, Sultan al, Jaber, Yousef Saba, David Evans Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Abu Dhabi, U.S, Europe, Gulf Arab, North America, Balkans, Poland, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Pacific, Africa, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, UAE

☆ Putin wanted his own version of NATO. Instead he has a failing alliance that has only made him look weaker since the invasion of Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Putin wanted his own version of NATOPutin has long viewed NATO as a threat to Russia, even citing it as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said that CSTO members states' desires for closer ties with the US weren't new. Russian President Vladimir Putin in Armenia in November 2022. Graham also said the invasion of Ukraine meant Putin is less and less able to deal with CSTO members' complaints.

Persons: it's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Thomas Graham, NATO Putin, Alexander Cooley, Cooley, Armenia's, Nikol Pashinyan, KAREN MINASYAN, Putin's, isn't Putin, Ilya PITALEV, ILYA PITALEV, Getty Images Graham, Russia's, ANATOLII STEPANOV, you've, Graham, CSTO, Sadyr Japarov, Stanislav Zas, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, AP Cooley, – Putin, Vladimir Voronin, Nikol, They've, Hayk Organizations: NATO, Service, Soviet Union, Security, Organization, Yale, Columbia University, REUTERS, Getty Images, SPUTNIK, AFP, CSTO, Kazakh, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Collective Security, Vladimir Voronin NATO, Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, US, EU, Armenian Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, East, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, The Hague, Netherlands, Yerevan, AFP, Soviet Union, Moscow, Asia, Ukrainian, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, NATO, USSR, Dushanbe, tatters, Photolure, China, Turkey, United States

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