Russian peacekeepers deployed to uphold Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire

A new ceasefire to end six weeks of intense fighting between Armenian forces and Azerbaijan has begun with the deployment of Russian peacekeepers [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Opportunity for peace comes to the South Caucasus [Service members of the Russian peacekeeping troops stand next to a tank near the border with Armenia, following the signing of a deal to end the military conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Nov 10, 2020.]( Credit: Francesco Brembati/Reuters A new Russian-brokered ceasefire to end six weeks of intense fighting between Armenian forces and Azerbaijan has begun with the [deployment of Russian peacekeepers]( to the disputed South Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia, France and the United States had separately [negotiated three earlier ceasefires]( — all of which collapsed. Under the terms of the agreement, Azerbaijan will maintain control of territories seized in the recent clashes, including the city of Shusha — known to Armenians as Shushi. And several other areas will be ceded by ethnic Armenian forces over the next few weeks. Armenia’s defense ministry confirmed that the [fighting had stopped and calm was restored]( in an enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but mostly inhabited and governed — until now — by Armenians. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the ceasefire will result in a long-term political settlement and end a deadly conflict that has displaced residents and nearly pulled regional powers into a larger war. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the deal as a “sacred success.” In the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, motorists honked their horns [in celebration as people waved the national flag](. Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s president, referred to the “historic significance” of the ceasefire in ending “the years-long occupation.” However, some Azeris said the fighting was stopped too soon, as their government could have acquired even more territory as the Armenians capitulated. During the fighting, Armenia had lost control of a critical access road needed for military supplies to reach the mountainous enclave. Angry Armenians stormed government buildings in their own capital, Yerevan, irate about what they view as their Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s betrayal of the national cause. Nagorno-Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan, meanwhile, said the ceasefire [prevented Armenian forces from losing the whole territory to Azerbaijan](. What The World is following Ethiopia’s military [seized an airport in the Tigray region](, as the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, said he was not ignoring international warnings about the worsening conflict in the northwest of the country, bordering Eritrea and Sudan. The African Union called Tuesday for an immediate ceasefire and said in a statement that all parties should “respect human rights and ensure the protection of civilians.” Hundreds of people have been killed thus far, as Ethiopian troops have bombarded Tigray militiamen. Saeb Erekat, the chief peace negotiator between the Palestinians and Israel, has [died at a Jerusalem hospital]( of complications from COVID-19. Though ultimately frustrated by the lack of a final-status settlement between the two sides, Erekat was an [advocate for the two-state solution]( and helped make strides toward reconciliation over a diplomatic career spanning decades. A close ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Erekat served as secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee. --------------------------------------------------------------- Big news! The World is participating in NewsMatch. From now until the end of the year, every dollar of support will be generously matched by a coalition of national funders. This means a gift of $50 will provide $100 of support for The World’s critical journalism. [Double your impact today!]( Many of you have stepped forward and shown your support for The World with thoughtful messages like this one: "Thank you for your great, important reporting! We need The World more than ever." Thank you for your support. Visit [www.theworld.org/give]( to donate. [Match my donation]( --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Some Americans fled to Canada when Trump won. Will a Biden presidency bring them home?]( [Alec de Rham leans against a stone obelisk marking the border between the US and Canada in Peace Arch Park in Blaine, Wash.]( Credit: Elaine Thompson/AP Stephen Shainbart was one of the thousands of Americans who, feeling shocked by Donald Trump’s victory, went online looking for information about how to move to Canada. He says even a Biden win [won't bring him home now](. [Trump fires US Defense Secretary Mark Esper]( [Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks before a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, at the Pentagon, Washington DC, Sept. 22, 2020.]( Credit: Alex Brandon/File photo/AP Nothing is surprising anymore in the Trump administration. Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump fired the head of the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, after Trump questioned his loyalty to the administration. 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And a lot of that was canceled. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot Almost four years ago, burglars in west London got away with some very rare books including titles by Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton worth millions of dollars. Now, all but four of the 240 books have been recovered to the ["profound joy" of the owners](. Whew. [A screen grab of a tweet from BBC News (UK)]( [Credit: Courtesy of Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [NBA woos China after political debacle]( - [Remembering TV icon and Canadian, Alex Trebek]( - [Kamala Harris’ historically Black sorority has ties all over the globe]( - [Pfizer boosts optimism for COVID-19 vaccine]( - [Palestine reacts to Biden victory]( - [Europe reacts to news of Biden win]( - [Biden-Harris celebrations in Ireland, India]( - [Reaction from environmental policy experts on Biden’s election]( - [Silence from Mexico on Biden win]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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