Footage shows residents calling for Syrian govt's return to Raqqa (video) July 21, 2018 - 15:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Residents of Raqqa, a former stronghold of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in northern Syria, spoke about how the conflict had impacted their city, footage filmed on Thursday, July 19 shows, according to Al-Masdar News. Many residents recalled times before the conflict where services such as water and electricity weren’t so scarce. One woman said, “There is no electricity in the town, there is no water. We are working and we can’t decide whether to eat or to buy electricity and water.” Another Raqqa resident expressed her wish for the government to re-establish itself in the region, and to provide civil services again. “I wish that reconciliation would take place, and the country would be better than before; the water and electricity [would return]. When the government is back, reconciliation will happen and this country would be back as it was,” she stated. Photo. AFP/Yasin Akgul Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia. Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements. |