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Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
Waukee's Kettlestone area could be its next downtown
Waukee developers are pitching the growing Kettlestone Central district as the city's future "Main Street" area. Why it matters: Waukee has never had a traditional Main Street, but developers hope the 164-acre mixed-use district will become the town center, complete with restaurants, housing, entertainment and walkable streets, says Justin Washburn, realty director for local developer Caliber. Flashback: The Waukee Triangle has historically been considered the suburb's downtown area, housing local businesses and a weekly farmers market. But the fastest-growing city in Iowa is also rapidly growing west and southwest, changing the makeup of the once sleepy suburb and also prompting some growing pains. The big picture: Kettlestone Central is part of the city's larger, 1,500-acre Kettlestone corridor that it unveiled in 2014 along Alice's Road. The central district is expected to have 1,200 residential units, with at least 1,800 residents, Washburn says. It sits east of Grand Prairie Parkway and south of Southeast Pleasant View Drive. How it started: Kettlestone has been in Waukee's long-term vision for years, but momentum has finally picked up, Washburn says. In 2019, the interchange opened for Interstate 80 at Alice's Road. Nearby development has also boomed, including Vibrant Music Hall, Holmes Murphy and Target. Zoom in: Kettlestone Social, a two-story family-friendly entertainment space with a food hall, was announced by Caliber last month, with an opening date expected in 2026. Caliber expects it to be popular with families, especially people looking for food to eat after attending a game at the nearby Kettlestone Central Sports Complex, Washburn says. What's next: Kettlestone Lofts, with one- and two-bedroom apartments, opened this month. Caliber is seeking residents for the Kettlestone Townhomes that are under construction. They're for sale and for rent. Washburn says Caliber is also planning a large, 220-unit mixed-use building that will have residential and commercial space.
India.com
02-07-2025
- Business
- India.com
Masterstroke by Modi govt as Russia agrees to...., India set to boost it's arsenal by buying deadly weapons like...
Masterstroke by Modi govt as Russia agrees to...., India set to boost it's arsenal by buying deadly weapons like... Russian President Vladimir Putin is coming to Delhi in September this year to participate in the annual summit between India and Russia. This is the first time that the Russian President is visiting India since war with Ukraine. During this time, Russia is expected to offer both conventional and nuclear submarines and long-range cruise missiles. What is Russia expected to offer? According to reports, Russia is offering the lease and transfer of a second Akula class nuclear-powered attack submarine, at least six refurbished Kilo class submarines and 1500-kilometer-range Caliber cruise missiles. India currently has 17 conventional submarines, two-thirds of which were purchased in the 1980s and now these submarines are getting old. Their service life is ending. Therefore, India now needs new submarines. What are the benefits to India from Russia's proposal? Russia has been India's largest defense equipment supplier for the last five decades. Even today, 60% of India's military assets are of Russian origin, including T-72 and T-90 tanks, Kilo class submarines, and most importantly SU-30MKI fighter jets. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which India recently used to attack Pakistani airbases during Operation Sindoor, is a joint project of Russia and India. Although in the last few years India has reduced its dependence on Russia alone and started buying weapons from countries like Israel, South Korea, Germany, France and the US, Russia still remains India's largest defense partner. Why is Russian President's visit to India very important? This visit of Putin will be his first visit to India after the Russia-Ukraine war. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Moscow on his first bilateral visit after becoming PM for the third time in July 2024 last year to participate in the 22nd India-Russia dialogue. Now, ahead of the 23rd dialogue, Russia is making offers to India in areas where the US cannot compete, such as nuclear submarines, long-range cruise missiles and S-500 air defense systems. The US has neither sold nor leased its nuclear submarine to any country till date. Apart from this, the US has also given its Tomahawk missile only to Britain. In such a situation, Russia remains the only most reliable option for India. The 1500 km range Caliber land-attack cruise missile is considered a major strategic offer from Russia.
OC Media
01-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
As conflict with Russia deepens, Azerbaijani pro-government media openly criticises the Kremlin
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Following the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis that reportedly occurred during a Russian police raid in Yekaterinburg, relations between Moscow and Baku have deteriorated, illustrated by an increasingly harsh criticism of Russia in Azerbaijani pro-government media. The extent of Baku's official reaction to the incident is currently unknown, but Azerbaijani authorities have already arrested three Russian journalists in the country, two of whom are accused of working for Russian intelligence, as well as cancelling all cultural events. On Tuesday, Azerbaijan announced it was launching a criminal investigation into the deaths, and directly accused Russian law enforcement of 'torture and murder with extreme cruelty'. Meanwhile, the spat continued to play out in Azerbaijani media. An article in Caliber on 29 June cast the violent episodes as being the latest in a centuries-long history of 'Russian traditions: chauvinism, and discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, and race'. 'It's important to remember that Russia has, for centuries, shown disdain for the rights of other nations — from the tsarist era to the Soviet Union and into today's modern Russia'. The article went on to connect the events in Yekaterinburg to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, arguing that the war is 'merely the tip of the iceberg' of Moscow's imperialist chauvinism. Advertisement 'The Kremlin is ruthlessly erasing everything tied to Ukrainian identity. The mass bombings of civilian cities and widespread deportations make it clear that Moscow does not recognise other nations' right to independent existence. And if this is how Russia treats Ukrainians — a people with whom it shares religion, language, and centuries of intertwined history — then it is hardly surprising that its policies toward the peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus (both North and South) are even more brutal'. The pro-government media outlet APA also published an article in a similar vein under the title, 'Yekaterinburg Horror: Chauvinism and ethnic discrimination become state policy in Russia'. The article claimed that Russia's 'racist and chauvinist policies are not only deepening but have also taken on an extreme form. In order to suppress internal dissent and strengthen totalitarian control, the Kremlin has chosen non-Russian peoples and migrants as scapegoats'. Other analysts argued that the Yekaterinburg crackdown was a manifestation of how Russia is uncomfortable with the increasing confidence of its former colonial subjects — such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. In an interview with Azerbaijani pro-government outlet Kazakh activist Arman Shoraev asserted that 'Russia cannot come to terms with the fact that former Soviet republics, once entirely dependent on Moscow, can now act independently. What enrages Russia is that Azerbaijan defended its independence and, after nearly 30 years, reclaimed its territories', referring to Nagorno-Karabakh. Another recent article in connected the police violence to an earlier episode that is widely believed to have set off the downturn of Azerbaijani–Russian relations — the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines crash in December 2024, which Baku has blamed Moscow for causing and has repeatedly called for an admission of guilt. 'The problem is, the Moscow chattering class [...] simply didn't expect such a firm and principled response from Azerbaijan [to the plane crash]', the article argued. 'They assumed Baku would accept the Russian version, bury its dead, and make no demands. They miscalculated. They were wrong. And now they're throwing tantrums on social media — spitting insults and frothing at the mouth. Most importantly — they can't even articulate their demands. Admitting that they're driven by jealousy over Azerbaijan's independent policy would be too revealing. So they try to twist the facts. Or rather, they're trying to stuff the imperialist 'frog' back onto the globe — with predictable results'. Russian media hits back Russian officials and media officials quickly took Azerbaijan to task for its arrest of the journalists and cancellation of cultural events. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the detentions 'unlawful' and 'hostile', while Dmitry Kiselyov, the head of Russia Today, decried how the arrested journalists were treated 'as though they are terrorists'. Separately, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov took a softer approach, saying that he hoped the situation would be resolved diplomatically. Nonetheless, he also criticised what he called an 'extremely emotional reaction' from Baku. Russian print media also discussed the deteriorating relations with Azerbaijan. From today's Russian papers: 'On the ruins of the former USSR one more hostile state has revealed itself…our 'partners' there are ready to open a 'second front' against us..' In today's #ReadingRussia Moscow's relations with post Soviet states. — Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) July 1, 2025 Meanwhile, popular pro-Russian social media accounts dismissed Baku's outrage, as well as playing down the seriousness of the Yekaterinburg incident itself. Honestly, at this point, the problem of Azeri organized crime in Russia should not just be tackled by police, but also by FSB and military counter-intelligence. Azerbaijan is a NATO client state, supplies mercenaries and military supplies to the Kiev regime and lets Israel use… — Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) June 30, 2025 Others spread conspiracy theories, particularly focused on allegations — which Baku has denied — that Israel used Azerbaijani territory to attack Iran, which is a close ally of Russia. Some even suggested, without providing any evidence, that the West is attempting to force Azerbaijan to start a war with Russia and Iran.
OC Media
30-06-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Baku again hits back at Iranian accusations Israel used Azerbaijani territory to attack Iran
Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has refuted insinuations from Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani that Baku allowed its territory to be used by Israel to attack Iran. On 27 June, Sobhani said, 'We have received information that a small number of drones flew into Iranian territory from the territory of neighbouring countries. Therefore, during a telephone conversation between the presidents of Iran and Azerbaijan, our president asked Aliyev to conduct a serious investigation into this matter. We will await the results of this investigation'. 'It is possible that our enemy, [Israel], made use of the territory of our neighboring state. Azerbaijan has assured us that it will not allow its territory to be used against Iran. However, we all know [Israel] very well: they do not follow any rules, they do not observe any laws. Therefore, there is still a possibility that they were able to take advantage of the moment'. Although he did not explicitly level accusations at Azerbaijan, Baku responded forcefully, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada calling Sobhani's comments an 'open provocation'. 'Azerbaijan categorically refutes allegations that its airspace or territory was used by any state to conduct military operations against the neighbouring [Iran] or any other country. Such claims are baseless and lack any credible evidence', Hajizada said. 'We expect Iran to prevent such steps, which are inappropriate to the spirit of our relations, as well as to take necessary steps regarding the opinions voiced by the Ambassador, who regularly demonstrates his pro-Armenian position, rather than represent his country'. The back-and-forth followed a phone call between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, during which Pezeshkian urged Aliyev to investigate if Israel used Azerbaijani territory to launch attacks on Iran. The growing spat between Baku and Tehran played out elsewhere in Azerbaijani media, with the pro-government media outlet Caliber publishing a scathing criticism of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei under the title 'Khamenei and his war on Azerbaijan: The root of a hatred'. The article personally attacked Khamenei and argued that 'he is the one behind every anti-Azerbaijani provocation, every disinformation campaign, every initiative aimed against the country'. In addition, it suggested that Khamenei may be of Armenian descent, but provided no evidence to support its claims.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials sound the alarm as vital crops become increasingly difficult to grow: 'The priority should be to boost yields'
While Azerbaijan has taken steps to bolster food security amid worsening climate shocks, officials warn that the country could face significant agricultural challenges in the future. As Caliber reported, developing countries such as Azerbaijan bear the brunt of our overheating planet because they have limited resources for adaptation and tend to rely on climate-sensitive industries such as agriculture for economic growth. Additionally, many of these countries are situated in regions that are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, and cyclones. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that the shifting climate is heavily impacting the agricultural industries of developing countries, contributing to soil erosion and salinization, desertification, and a reduction in irrigation water. Further compounding these issues are a shrinking availability of arable land, rising costs in the sector, and geopolitical conflicts. Azerbaijan has introduced modern irrigation systems to conserve water and incorporated technological solutions to enhance efficiency, but leaders say more efforts are needed to secure food supplies. "By 2030, water demand driven by rising temperatures could increase by 16%, and agricultural policy must focus on water-saving solutions and the cultivation of drought-resistant crops. The priority should be to boost yields on existing farmland, rather than expanding into new areas," Deputy Minister of Economy Samad Bashirli, said at the 4th Agribusiness Development Forum, per Caliber. Higher food prices brought on by extreme weather and other pressures impact consumers, farmers, suppliers, and others involved in agricultural supply chains. If risks aren't mitigated early on, it could send shockwaves through global markets, especially if several food-producing countries are impacted by climate events around the same time. Mukhtar Babayev, special representative of the president of Azerbaijan for climate issues, stated that parts of the country received three months' worth of rainfall in one day earlier this year, resulting in flash floods and mudslides around 17 mountain rivers. Heavy rains in the spring prompted farmers to file 120 claims for weather-related crop losses nationwide, according to Anews. "The efficiency of agriculture is closely tied to climate conditions, making this sector particularly vulnerable to climate change," Babayev said. The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events also take a toll on the environment, as unpredictable weather can disrupt ecosystems and food chains that animals depend on for survival. Of course, humans also require biodiversity and a stable environment, making it all the more imperative to focus on adaptation efforts. Caliber reported that officials have focused on saving irrigation water and offering subsidies to farms that install updated systems. So far, most of Azerbaijan's agricultural parks have switched to more efficient irrigation systems, and more are being planned in several regions. Farms are also increasingly adopting regenerative agriculture and introducing drought-resistant crops. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. However, officials noted that further expansion would require much more financial support from banks and the government. Meanwhile, researchers are working overtime to develop crops that can weather our warming world. One team discovered a gene in sorghum, a widely consumed cereal grain, that could be targeted to enhance drought resistance. Similar studies on peaches led scientists to identify a gene mutation that could help the fruit withstand spring frosts. To stay ahead of potential supply issues, plan ahead when shopping to save money on groceries and maximize the value of your budget. Consider purchasing shelf-stable foods, such as canned goods, dry pasta, and rice, in bulk to supplement your supplies. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
