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Poland Halts Weapon Exports to Ukraine Amidst Grain Dispute

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One of Ukraine’s steadfast supporters, Poland, has declared that it will cease its weapon supplies to its neighboring country, Ukraine, citing a diplomatic dispute regarding Ukraine’s grain exports as the primary reason. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasized that Poland’s current focus is on bolstering its own defense capabilities with more modern weaponry.

Poland had already provided Ukraine with significant military assistance, including 320 Soviet-era tanks and 14 MiG-29 fighter jets. However, their willingness to continue such support has dwindled, coinciding with escalating tensions between the two nations.

The recent diplomatic rift was triggered when Poland, along with Hungary and Slovakia, extended a ban on Ukrainian grain imports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s comments at the United Nations, characterizing their actions as political theater, added fuel to the fire. Poland viewed these remarks as unjustified, given their longstanding support for Ukraine.

In his interview, Prime Minister Morawiecki underlined that while Poland remains committed to assisting Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression, it could not allow its own markets to be destabilized by Ukrainian grain imports. He pointed out that Poland was already replacing its depleted military hardware, which had been significantly reduced through transfers to Ukraine, with modern Western-produced equipment.

While arms exports to Ukraine will not cease entirely, only previously agreed deliveries of ammunition and armaments, including those from existing contracts with Ukraine, will be fulfilled. This decision reflects Poland’s commitment to its own security and stability, while the future of its assistance to Ukraine remains uncertain.

The ongoing grain dispute arises from Ukraine’s need to find alternative overland routes for grain exports due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, which nearly closed the main Black Sea shipping lanes. Consequently, large quantities of grain flowed into Central Europe, leading the European Union to temporarily ban grain imports into several countries. Despite the EU lifting the ban, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia have maintained it, leading to Ukraine’s WTO lawsuits against these nations. Poland has signaled its intention to uphold the ban, while also hinting at the possibility of expanding the list of banned products should Ukraine escalate the grain dispute. However, diplomatic channels remain open, with discussions ongoing to seek a mutually beneficial solution.

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Nagorno-Karabakh Authorities Accept Azerbaijan’s Request for Disarmament

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A day after Azerbaijan initiated an offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, ethnic-Armenian forces have agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Russia. This agreement includes the significant concession of complete disarmament by Karabakh forces. Nagorno-Karabakh, home to around 120,000 ethnic Armenians, is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Three years ago, Azerbaijan reclaimed areas in and around Karabakh and, on Tuesday, demanded an unconditional surrender. Karabakh authorities have reported at least 32 casualties, including seven civilians, and approximately 200 injuries since Azerbaijan launched what it termed “anti-terror” operations.

Azerbaijan’s leadership has announced plans to meet with Armenian representatives from Karabakh to discuss “re-integration” matters in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh, located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Karabakh’s regional capital, known as Khankendi to Azerbaijanis and Stepanakert to Armenians.

Mediated by Russian peacekeepers, enclave leaders have confirmed a comprehensive cessation of hostilities beginning at 13:00 local time (09:00 GMT). However, despite the ceasefire, loud explosions persisted in the regional capital, and minor clashes were reported by both sides. Azerbaijan claimed to have captured over 90 positions from ethnic Armenians since the conflict began.

Karabakh officials urged residents to remain in shelters and avoid heading to the local airport, which adjoins a Russian peacekeeping base. Nonetheless, a group of civilians gathered near the airport.

Russia revealed that its peacekeepers had evacuated 2,000 people from Karabakh villages since the offensive commenced. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that his government played no part in crafting the ceasefire text and insisted that Russian peacekeepers bore full responsibility for the safety of the local population. On Tuesday, he accused Azerbaijan of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in Karabakh.

The terms of the truce require complete disarmament and disbandment of local Karabakh forces, along with a commitment for Armenian forces to withdraw, despite Yerevan’s denial of any military presence there.

Azerbaijan’s presidential envoy, Elchin Amirbekov, stated that Russian peacekeepers played a crucial role in facilitating the ceasefire’s implementation.

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Spain’s National Team Resumes Participation in Nations League Matches After Boycott Agreement

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The majority of Spain’s national football team members have agreed to end their boycott, as confirmed by the Secretary of State for Sports, Victor Francos. This decision was reached after over seven hours of discussions that concluded at 05:00 local time on Wednesday.

Francos stated that the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has committed to implementing immediate and significant reforms. Out of the 23 players initially selected for this month’s Nations League matches, two, Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, have chosen to leave the squad.

The boycott began when the former RFEF president, Luis Rubiales, kissed forward Jenni Hermoso without her consent following Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory over England on August 20. This incident led to Rubiales’ resignation and the dismissal of Spain’s manager, Jorge Vilda.

The Spanish team is scheduled to play against Sweden and Switzerland in their upcoming matches. Francos expressed relief that the team would participate with assurances.

He mentioned that the decision was the result of “amicable” discussions in Valencia involving players, RFEF officials, the CSD (Spanish government’s national sports agency), and the women’s players’ union Futpro. A joint commission will be established to oversee the agreed-upon changes, with the signing set to take place soon.

Leon and Guijarro will not face penalties for their decision to leave, which Francos described as “fully respectable.” They had previously boycotted the national team along with 15 other players before the World Cup, citing issues with Coach Vilda. They did not participate in this year’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

Regarding the situation, Leon stated, “We already knew this was not the right way to return, and we are not in the right state,” and Guijarro added, “It’s quite difficult and quite hard. Mentally we are not right to be here.”

The new head coach, Montse Tome, included 15 players from the World Cup squad in her selection for the Nations League games, but the players reaffirmed their boycott in a statement, expressing their reluctance to participate and exploring potential legal implications.

Tome excluded Hermoso from the squad “to protect her,” but Hermoso argued that this decision indicated that “nothing has changed” at the RFEF.

The CSD announced the establishment of a commission to oversee the agreed-upon changes, focusing on equality policies, equal pay advancements, and improvements to women’s sports infrastructure.

Furthermore, the RFEF confirmed plans to merge the men’s and women’s Spanish national teams under a single logo and branding known as “Seleccion Espanola de Futbol” (Spanish national team). This move aims to promote equality in football.

Amanda Gutierrez, the president of Futpro, stated that most players had chosen to stay in the interest of the agreement, calling it the beginning of a long journey.

The Spain players arrived at their training camp in Valencia on Tuesday. When asked about her feelings regarding the situation, midfielder Alexia Putellas, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, responded, “Well, bad.”

Rubiales has been ordered to stay at least 200 meters away from Hermoso after she filed a legal complaint against him. In his first court appearance, Rubiales denied the allegations of sexual assault.

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Germany Outlaws Neo-Nazi Organization Hammerskins

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Germany has taken action to prohibit Hammerskins, a neo-Nazi group infamous for organizing far-right concerts and distributing racist music. This move is seen as a strong stance against racism and antisemitism, with 28 leading members’ residences being raided across the country.

Hammerskins, which originally originated in the United States in the late 1980s, is believed to have around 130 members in Germany. The German authorities have labeled this ban as a significant blow to organized right-wing extremism and the cruel activities of an internationally active neo-Nazi organization.

Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, emphasized that right-wing extremism remains a substantial threat to democracy and that they will continue to take decisive action. The group’s primary objective was to use concerts as a platform to propagate their far-right ideology.

Hammerskins played a significant role in establishing neo-Nazi music labels, selling antisemitic music, and arranging covert music events. They were linked to venues like Hate Bar in Saarland, where arrests were made for displaying prohibited symbols during far-right concerts as recently as April of this year.

The German authorities collaborated closely with their counterparts in the United States in advance of this ban. Hammerskins, founded in Texas in 1988, expanded its presence across the US and several other countries, operating under a global umbrella known as the Hammerskin Nation.

In Germany, the group had been active since the early 1990s and was regarded as one of the most influential far-right organizations in Europe. It was divided into 13 regional chapters, some of which used names referencing Nazi Germany, and operated similarly to biker gangs. New members were required to complete initiation steps through their supporting group, Crew 38, which has also been banned.

The recent police raids aimed to target leaders of the group in 10 German states and seize the group’s assets. Several members were reported to have licenses to carry weapons. They referred to each other as “brothers” and considered themselves the “elite of the right-wing extremist skinhead scene.”

The group was responsible for organizing Germany’s largest far-right martial arts event, Fight of the Nibelungs, which was banned in 2019. Despite bans on certain activities, Hammerskins continued to organize concerts featuring various neo-Nazi bands.

This ban marks the 20th time that a right-wing extremist association has been outlawed in Germany, according to the interior ministry. Hammerskins was the last major right-wing skinhead organization in Germany following the outlawing of another group, Blood and Honour, in 2000. Blood and Honour had close ties to a neo-Nazi group responsible for 10 racially motivated murders in Germany.

In 2020, Germany also banned Combat 18, another neo-Nazi group associated with far-right concerts. The country’s domestic intelligence agency estimated that there are 38,800 individuals in the right-wing extremist scene, with over a third of them considered “potentially violent.”

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Azerbaijan Commences Military Action in Nagorno-Karabakh

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Azerbaijan’s defense ministry has initiated “anti-terrorist” operations in regions of Nagorno-Karabakh controlled by Armenia. Tensions have remained elevated for several months concerning the disputed ethnic-Armenian enclave, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

In Karabakh’s main city, air raid sirens and mortar fire were heard. Tragically, eleven Azerbaijani police and civilians lost their lives in a mine explosion and another incident.

Officials from the breakaway region of Karabakh stated that the Azerbaijani military breached the ceasefire by launching missile and artillery attacks along the entire line of contact. Representatives from Karabakh described it as a “large-scale military offensive.”

Azerbaijan and Armenia, neighboring nations, have previously engaged in two conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh: first in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union and again in 2020. Three years ago, Azerbaijan successfully regained territories surrounding Karabakh, which had been held by Armenia since 1994.

Since December, Azerbaijan has imposed an effective blockade on the only route into the enclave from Armenia, known as the Lachin Corridor.

On Tuesday, Baku’s defense ministry accused Armenian forces of “systematically shelling” its military positions and claimed to have responded by launching “local, anti-terrorist activities” aimed at disarming and securing the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijani territories. They emphasized that their targets were strictly military and not civilians or civilian infrastructure.

Armenia’s defense ministry denied claims of Armenian military fire, stating that they did not correspond to reality.

The sounds of artillery and gunfire were reported from Khankendi, the regional capital of Karabakh, known as Stepanakert to Armenians. An estimated 120,000 ethnic Armenians reside in this mountainous enclave.

Journalist Siranush Sargsyan reported that residential areas of the city had been struck, including a neighboring building.

Armenian officials noted that, as of 14:00 (10:00 GMT), the situation along Armenia’s own borders was “relatively stable.”

Russia’s foreign ministry disclosed that it had been informed of the Azerbaijani offensive only moments before it occurred, urging both nations to respect the ceasefire that was signed after the 2020 war. The EU’s regional special representative, Toivo Klaar, emphasized the “urgent need for an immediate ceasefire.”

The fragile truce that ended the six-week war in 2020 had been under increasing strain in recent months. Approximately 3,000 Russian peacekeepers were deployed to monitor the ceasefire, but Russia’s attention has been redirected to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently stated that Russia was “spontaneously leaving the region.”

Azerbaijan had denied increasing troop numbers in the region. On Monday, it permitted aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross to enter Karabakh via two routes, one through the Lachin Corridor from Armenia and the other on Azerbaijan’s Aghdam road.

Hopes for tensions to ease were dashed when Azerbaijani officials reported six casualties, including four police officers, in an incident where their vehicle hit a landmine in the Khojavand area, which had been retaken during the 2020 war. Meanwhile, ethnic Armenian officials in Karabakh asserted that it was Azerbaijan’s military that had violated the ceasefire.

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Paris Auction Offers Rare Dinosaur ‘Barry’ for Sale

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An exceptionally well-preserved 150 million-year-old camptosaurus, affectionately named “Barry” after its discoverer in Wyoming, is slated for auction at Hotel Drouot in Paris on October 20th. This remarkable specimen from the late Jurassic period, standing at 2.1 meters tall and stretching 5 meters long after undergoing two rounds of restoration in 2000 and 2022, is expected to command bids of up to €1.2 million ($1.2 million, £970,000).

Experts note the rarity of encountering such an intact dinosaur skeleton, with Alexandre Giquello of Hotel Drouot highlighting the completeness of Barry, particularly its 90% complete skull and 80% complete rest of the body.

Dinosaur fossil sales remain infrequent, with only a small number occurring globally each year. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised by experts about valuable specimens potentially ending up in private collections. This concern was brought to attention in April when a Tyrannosaurus rex was auctioned in Europe for the first time, prompting worries that such scientifically valuable relics could vanish into the private holdings of collectors.

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Greek Rescuers Among Victims in Fatal Libya Road Crash

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In a tragic incident, a collision on the road claimed the lives of at least three Greek rescue team members and three members of a Libyan family. The accident occurred as the rescue team was en route to the flood-stricken city of Derna, with their bus colliding with the family’s car. A Libyan official reported that two individuals in the car and eight others on the bus sustained serious injuries. Investigations into the incident have been initiated.

Othman Abdeljalil, the health minister of the eastern Libyan administration, stated that the team had been traveling from Benghazi when the crash occurred. Discrepancies exist in the reported death toll, with Greek armed forces confirming three fatalities and two individuals missing, while Libyan sources reported four deaths.

Libya remains divided between two rival governments, one backed by the UN in Tripoli and another supported by Egypt in Benghazi. Greek authorities indicated that a bus carrying medical personnel collided with an oncoming vehicle, leading to the loss of three members of Greece’s humanitarian mission, with two team members still unaccounted for. They expressed uncertainty about the precise circumstances and pledged to collaborate with Libyan authorities. Additionally, efforts were underway to repatriate their personnel.

A diplomatic source revealed that the team consisted of 16 Greek rescuers and three interpreters, en route to join other international teams, including those from France and Italy. The devastating floods in Derna resulted in thousands of casualties when two dams ruptured during a powerful storm a week prior. According to the UN, the death toll currently stands at approximately 11,300, with over 10,000 officially listed as missing, based on figures from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

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Poland’s Government Faces Mounting Pressure Amid Escalating Visa-for-Cash Scandal

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The Speaker of Poland’s upper house of parliament, Tomasz Grodzki, has urged the government to disclose its knowledge regarding an escalating scandal involving cash for visas. Grodzki expressed concern that the issue was damaging Poland’s international image as a responsible democracy.

Reports suggest that migrants paid substantial sums, up to $5,000 (£4,000) each, to expedite their work visa applications. While seven individuals have been charged in connection with the scandal, none of them are public officials.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland, Piotr Wawrzyk, was dismissed last week in the wake of these allegations. His removal coincided with a search of the foreign ministry conducted by Poland’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA). The director of the ministry’s legal service was also terminated.

In response to the scandal, the foreign ministry announced the termination of all contracts with outsourcing companies responsible for handling visa applications since 2011. Opposition MPs allege that as many as 250,000 visas for individuals from Asia and Africa were irregularly issued through these outsourcing companies, a claim disputed by the government, which maintains that only several hundred were involved.

Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, criticized the government’s migration policy, stating that anyone seeking to travel from Africa to Poland could easily obtain a visa at the embassy. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki dismissed these allegations, asserting that there is no widespread issue.

Speaker Grodzki characterized the scandal as the most significant Poland has faced in the 21st century, with corruption reaching the highest levels of government, posing a direct threat to the country. Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro downplayed the scale of the problem in an interview with state-run news channel TVP Info.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) became aware of the matter in July 2022 and has been conducting investigations since then. This scandal has the potential to cast a shadow over the Law and Justice party’s (PiS) anti-immigration stance ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for the next month. While PiS currently leads in polls, it remains uncertain whether they can secure the outright majority required to continue governing for a third term.

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Spanish Restraining Order Issued to Luis Rubiales Following World Cup Kiss Incident

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A Spanish court has issued a restraining order against Luis Rubiales, the former head of Spain’s football federation, preventing him from approaching footballer Jenni Hermoso within 200 meters.

The order came as the court considers allegations of sexual assault and coercion against Rubiales after he kissed Hermoso on the lips following Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory. Rubiales denies the accusations, insisting the kiss was consensual.

He recently resigned from his position, and this incident has cast a shadow over the national team, leading to ongoing disputes and a potential boycott. Prosecutors have submitted charges of sexual assault and coercion, citing pressure on Hermoso to defend Rubiales after the incident.

The case’s outcome may be influenced by Spain’s recent legal reforms regarding consent. Hermoso is set to provide testimony, and videos from the event will be crucial in determining if the case goes to trial.

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Apple to Release iPhone 12 Update in France Addressing Radiation Concerns

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Following concerns about radiation levels, France’s digital minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, has announced that Apple will release a software update for iPhone 12 users in the country.

Sales of the iPhone 12 were temporarily halted in France due to excessive electromagnetic radiation detected by regulators, prompting Apple to address the issue with a specific software update for French users. The update will undergo testing by the radio frequency regulator (ANFR) before the iPhone 12 can be reintroduced to the French market.

Apple maintains that the radiation concerns stem from France’s unique testing protocol and do not pose a safety risk. This development has raised questions about the iPhone 12’s status in other countries. The World Health Organization has previously stated that low-level electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones are not harmful to humans.

Apple intends to contest the ANFR’s review, providing lab results to support its compliance with global emissions regulations. However, this issue may have implications for other EU countries, as regulators in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are now investigating similar concerns.

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