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Sowing the seeds of death in the Caucasus

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

Ukraine will need at least a decade to clear the mines planted by the Russian occupational army in its territory. 30% of its land is dangerous to step on - writes James Wilson"Ukraine is the largest mined area in the world," the international think tank GLOBSEC said in a report published on 26 April. "Ukraine has become one of the world's largest minefields," the UN agency UNDP reported on 4 April. The report explained that "more than 14 million people" are at risk of being blown up by mines.But before Ukraine, this horrible record belonged to another country friendly to Ukraine, the soil of which is filled with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of exactly the same Russian-made mines. Moreover, their number continues to grow even today, again thanks to Russia.The country is Azerbaijan, which liberated its occupied territories of Karabakh in 2020. The separatist enclave that remains in this region, inhabited only by Armenians (after the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis in the la...

Moscow’s playbook in Karabakh

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

Situated at the crossroads between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, the Caucasus region is heavily influenced by these two regional superpowers - writes James Wilson.The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers last week, intending to broker a lasting peace treaty between these two clashing countries. Many attempts to put the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict to rest have been made over the years, but this is the first time that US officials have taken an active part in the negotiations. It should come as no surprise that Blinken's decision to take a much more active part in the talks comes as a result of the increasing influence of other regional powers on the parties involved. This foreign influence also happens to have a distinct anti-Azerbaijani bias, as both Moscow and Tehran hold much against Baku. A focal point in the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia is the Armenian-populated separa...

Ukraine's Long March Against Illicit Tobacco Trade

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

According to the Corruption Perception Index 2022 of Transparency International, an NGO working in over 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption, Ukraine is one of the few countries tracked that became less corrupt last year – writes Tetiana Koshchuk, Ph. D. (Economics), expert on taxation at the Growford Institute.For the first time, Kyiv is reaping the benefits of its fight against endemic corruption. Compared to ten years ago, Ukraine now scores 8 points more. That brings the total to 33, a historic high for a country fighting a defensive war.The country has a long tradition and a poor record of corruption. Corruption practicesand organised crime are deeply rooted in the Ukrainian society, where the oligarchs are in charge. Law enforcement agencies have notoriously bad reputation. The country’s border with the European Union spanning over 1 500 kilometers has traditionally been a green flield for illicit  trade, with cigarettes – topping the list of goods in both pro...

Passengers vote to kick woman off Frontier Airlines flight

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

Passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight from Trenton, New Jersey to Atlanta took matters into their own hands when one woman onboard became extremely disruptive.In the now-viral video, you can see passengers taking a vote by hand, showing how many of them wanted the woman kicked off the flight. A passenger in a red shirt and glasses is seen calling out, "If you want her removed from the flight, raise your hand!" The passenger goes on to say, "I'm not even kidding. If you can hear me, raise your hand if you want her removed from the flight. I'm not even kidding, I got 40 hands up." Passenger who missed flight makes bomb threat, forces evacuation at LAX, police say The video shows numerous passengers raising their hands in agreement.Following the vote, a security guard was waved over. The leader of the group explained that they wanted this woman off the flight because she was being rude to people. A blonde woman was eventually seen gathering her things and leaving the fli...

NHL Draft Lottery: Will luck be on the San Jose Sharks’ side?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

The San Jose Sharks and their fans would quickly – and gladly — forget about one of the most painful seasons in team history if the organization was able to get a bit lucky Monday and win the NHL Draft Lottery.After finishing the 2022-2023 season with the fourth-worst record in the NHL, the Sharks have a 9.5 percent chance of winning the lottery and earning the right to select center Connor Bedard, the consensus No. 1 player available who is thought to be the league’s next generational-type talent.The Sharks have never had the No. 1 overall pick in their 32 prior drafts. But winning the lottery and selecting the 17-year-old Bedard, who had a staggering 143 points in 71 regular season games this past season, would certainly provide a needed jolt to a team that has missed the playoffs for four straight years.“They always kid about great goaltending makes great coaches and great general managers, and that’s true,” said Gord Stellick, a former GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs w...

Correction: Drug trafficking charges against long-time San Jose Police union’s executive director raise oversight questions

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

A story published Wednesday, April 5 about the San Jose Police Officers’ Association executive director charged in an alleged drug trafficking scheme incorrectly stated the location of the union’s office. The union’s address is 1 mile away from the San Jose Police Department headquarters and Santa Clara County government buildings.

How to recover from ‘tech neck’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

(KRON) -- Occupational, student and recreational habits have led to real pains in the neck, also known as “tech neck” which affects longevity.KRON4 Health Expert Karen Owoc shares easy pain-relieving and corrective solutions.

Youngkin-backed legislators win Virginia Senate nominations

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Two Republican state legislators in Virginia who were endorsed by GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin won their party’s Saturday nominating contests for a state Senate seat, according to results provided by the party. Incumbent Sen. Bryce Reeves won the Republican nomination for the 28th Senate District, according to an email from Republican caucus spokesman Jeffrey Ryer. Del. John McGuire won the nomination in the 10th District. Reeves is an Army veteran and former law enforcement officer who now works in insurance and has served in the General Assembly since 2012. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for the 7th Congressional District last year, and in 2017 unsuccessfully sought the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor. On Saturday, he beat Mike Allers, a retired police officer who has also worked as a teacher and positioned himself as a grassroots candidate aligned with former President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. Reeves’ will be h...

Napoli celebrates title in front of own fans

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Naples fans joyfully chanted “It’s us, it’s us, we are the champions of Italy” as the southern team celebrated winning the league title at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.Napoli ended its 33-year wait for the scudetto on Thursday with a 1-1 draw at Udinese. Sunday’s match against Fiorentina was its first game at home since clinching the title.The Fiorentina players gave the Napoli team a guard of honor when it walked out ahead of kickoff.The pre-match choreography at one end of the stadium depicted a giant Italy flag and the number three to signify Napoli’s third Italian championship — and the first since Diego Maradona led the team to two titles in 1987 and 1990.More celebrations — directed by Italian film director Paolo Sorrentino — are planned after the final whistle.Fans were singing and chanting in and around the stadium hours before kickoff, while the team bus was accompanied from the hotel by flag-waving supporters on scooters as it went through streets...

Arsenal keeps pressure on Man City with 2-0 win at Newcastle

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:24:39 GMT

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Arsenal kept the pressure on Manchester City in the Premier League title race by beating Newcastle 2-0 in a huge test of its credentials on Sunday.Martin Odegaard’s first-half strike and Fabian Schar’s own-goal, combined with some breathtaking saves by Aaron Ramsdale, saw Arsenal come through the toughest of its final four games with a rare win for a visiting team at St. James’ Park.Arsenal moved back to one point behind City, which has a game in hand but some potentially tricky matches to finish the season as Pep Guardiola’s team goes for a third straight title.Odegaard slammed home a low shot from outside the area to give Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute against the run of play, with third-place Newcastle having already struck the post through Jacob Murphy and had the awarding of a penalty overturned after a VAR check.Before Schar’s own-goal in the 71st, Ramsdale saved brilliantly off Joe Willock and Schar from point-blank range while Alexander Isak he...