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News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend

Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations of violating a new ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. Aziz Karimov / EPA / TASS

France in terror

The man suspected of beheading a French teacher who had shown his students cartoons of the prophet Mohammed was an 18-year-old born in Moscow and originating from the southern Russian region of Chechnya, news reports said Saturday.

A Russian embassy spokesman dismissed Russia’s links to Abdullakh Anzorov, the suspect who was fatally wounded by police, saying he had lived in France for the past 12 years where he received asylum.

Karabakh flare-up

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of violating a new ceasefire Sunday, as they tried for the second time in a week to bring a halt to fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

A previous ceasefire agreed a week ago fell apart amid mutual accusations and continued fighting that has left hundreds dead and forced tens of thousands from their homes. 

‘March of Partisans’

Belarusian police detained more than 200 people Sunday as tens of thousands marched against strongman Alexander Lukashenko in defiance of police threats to open fire after weeks of demonstrations.

Protesters took to the streets despite threats by police this week to use lethal force from now on "if necessary." Belarusian authorities deployed military trucks and water cannons but police largely refrained from using riot control equipment Sunday.

100 days

Protests in Russia’s Far East in support of a popular governor who faces a murder trial in Moscow entered their 100th day Sunday as the rallies show little sign of dying down.

Demonstrators marched in front of the local administration building in the city of Khabarovsk during the day and spelled out the number “100” with LED strip lights at night, according to the Sibir.Realii news website.

Dead fish

Thousands of dead fish have washed up on the shores of a local reservoir in southern Russia’s republic of Kalmykia, prompting an investigation and speculation among residents amid a string of oil spills and sea life deaths across the country in recent months.


										 					Sanchir Goryayev / TASS
Sanchir Goryayev / TASS

Regional prosecutors said they believe the mass die-off in the Arshan-Zelmen reservoir was the result of an extreme water level drawdown and oxygen deficiency.

AFP contributed reporting to this article.

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