Obama to announce 34,000-strong Afghan troop cutFebruary 12, 2013 - 18:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - President Barack Obama will announce in his State of the Union speech later 34,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan over the next year, U.S. media say, according to BBC News. The move would effectively cut in half the current U.S. troop level in the country from about 66,000. The U.S. will end combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but it is unclear how large of a residual training force will remain behind. Obama could also use his speech to address post-2014 troop levels. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |