AZAL indefinitely suspends all flights en route Baku-Kazan-Baku | https://t.co/1nLJwXr7Jk https://t.co/clGvyy6gpi
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) January 8, 2025
Day: January 8, 2025
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Michael_Novakhov shared this story from  The Kyiv Independent.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Jan. 7 called Armenia effectively a “fascist state,” claiming that Baku might have no other choice but to “destroy” its neighbor’s so-called “fascist ideology.”
Azerbaijan and Armenia are bitter rivals, having clashed in multiple territorial and ethnic conflicts since they gained independence three decades ago.
Speaking in an interview with local television channels, Aliyev accused Armenian authorities of being bearers of a “fascist ideology” for 30 years, shaping the country in their image. He also called Armenia a “threat to the region.”
The Azerbaijani strongman issued thinly veiled threats against Armenia, saying that “fascism must be destroyed. It will be destroyed either by the Armenian leadership or by us. We have no other choice.”
In September 2023, Baku’s forces captured the Nagorno-Karabakh region, de jure Azerbaijani territory that, at the time, was de facto ruled by ethnic Armenian authorities and had been a key point of contest between the two countries.
Almost the entire 100,000-strong Armenian population fled the region following Azerbaijan’s lightning offensive.
As Yerevan and Baku lead bilateral talks on normalizing relations and settling outstanding border disputes, Armenian authorities have accused Azerbaijan, currently the stronger player in the region, of planning further hostilities.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said last December that the Azerbaijani side received proposals on two unresolved issues in the negotiations but has yet to respond.
“If Azerbaijan also doesn’t have intentions to attack Armenia, then the likelihood of escalation in the region is zero,” Pashinyan said in an interview last month.
Aliyev also called on France and other countries to stop providing arms to Armenia and take back the weapons already provided. Yerevan has deepened security cooperation with the West after its traditional ally, Russia, did not step in to prevent Azerbaijan’s attack in 2023 despite having peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh.
🇦🇿President @presidentaz
İlham Aliyev: “The #Zangezur corridor must and will be opened. #Azerbaijan requires a direct connection to its integral part, #Nakhchivan. This connection does not question #Armenia’s sovereignty. Our goal is peace and cooperation in the #SouthCaucasus.” pic.twitter.com/P9LAywU5cE— Elmeddin Behbud (@ElmeddinBehbud) January 8, 2025
#SouthCaucasus
Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev calls Armenia ‘fascist state, threat to region’ https://t.co/Uo2UHHSeqZ— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) January 8, 2025
Why not spend another $10B to buy weapons for Israel and Ukraine who really really deserve US taxpayers’ money. The Democrats always get the priority straight!
— KayC (@kay_cilliana) January 8, 2025
The post @RyanShead @elonmusk Why not spend another $10B to buy weapons for Israel and Ukraine who really really deserve US taxpayers’ money. The Democrats always get the priority straight! first appeared on The Russian World – russianworld.net.
He was fully capable of doing so in the wake of J6 but didn’t do it because it would be a successful way to challenge his reelection – by pardoning them he would aid and comfort the people who did so. To do so now is not the case since it is after a separate election.
— AB Esq (@SaratogaOSINT) January 8, 2025
The post @MaxEpstein5 @bellisaurius @ASFleischman He was fully capable of doing so in the wake of J6 but didn’t do it because it would be a successful way to challenge his reelection – by pardoning them he would aid and comfort the people who did so. To do so now is not the case since it is after a separate election. first appeared on JOSSICA – jossica.com.
A Brooklyn teen is being hailed as a hero for his decisive actions that helped police capture a man accused of setting a woman on fire, killing her, aboard an F train last month.
Kingson Tse, 14, was recognized on New Year’s Day with a City Council citation from Council Member Susan Zhuang for assisting police in apprehending 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, the suspect in the December 22 attack.
According to Zhuang, Kingson and two of his friends were at the Coney Island subway station on the day of the attack when they saw a photo of the suspect circulating online in connection with the crime.
Moments later, one of Kingson’s friends realized the suspect was in their subway car. Initially skeptical, Kingson confirmed the match when he saw Zapeta-Calil asleep nearby and quickly called 911.
“Kingson deserves immense praise for his quick thinking in immediately calling the police,” Zhuang said following the citation ceremony. “He was very courageous and absolutely did the right thing. Not many adults, let alone a 14-year-old kid, would have done the same thing in his situation. If not for Kingson’s bravery, the suspect could still be at large. He is a true hero and a testament to his parents and community.”
Kingson, an avid basketball player, was on his way to a game when he and his friends recognized the alleged suspect. In addition to the citation, Zhuang presented him with a basketball as a token of appreciation.
Zhuang urged others to follow Kingson’s example, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and community care. “Kingson’s bravery reminds us that if we see something dangerous, we must say something,” she said.
Following Zapeta-Calil’s arrest on Dec. 22, New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch thanked the three Brooklyn high school students for their quick thinking.
“Other transit officers responded to that 911 call and also spotted the man, wearing the same grey hoodie, distinct wool hat, paint-splattered pants, and tan boots, already on another moving train,” Tisch explained. “Police radioed ahead to have the trains stopped.”
Officers from Transit District 2 walked through each car of the stopped train until they located and arrested the suspect without further incident, Tisch said.
“I want to thank the young people who called 911 to help. They saw something, they said something, and they did something,” the commissioner said. “This is an example of great technology and even greater old-fashioned police work with a huge assist from the public.”
Zapeta-Calil, a Guatemalan migrant previously deported in 2018, was arraigned Tuesday, Jan. 7, in Brooklyn Supreme Court on first-degree murder charges. He is accused of using a lighter to set 57-year-old Debrina Kawam on fire as she slept aboard the subway. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Zapeta-Calil attempting to fan the flames with a jacket.
Kawam’s body was so severely burned that it took days for authorities to identify her through fingerprints. Family representatives said Kawam grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, but had been living in New York City’s shelter system at the time of her death.
Zapeta-Calil pleaded not guilty and was ordered to be held in custody indefinitely without bail. If convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The post Brooklyn teen honored for helping NYPD capture suspect accused of setting woman on fire aboard F train first appeared on The Ocean Avenue News – oceanavenuenews.com.
