Syria troops seize half of rebel-held district in Aleppo: monitorOctober 6, 2016 - 18:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian government forces seized around half of a key opposition-held neighborhood in Aleppo on Thursday, October 6 in a new advance against rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said, according to Reuters. The British-based Observatory said fighting had been raging in the residential Bustan al-Basha quarter near the city center, one of the frontlines in Aleppo which has been divided for years between government and opposition areas of control. The Syrian military also said in a statement that its forces had advanced in Bustan al-Basha - though an official in an Aleppo-based rebel group denied there had been a government advance in the area. Government forces have encircled Aleppo's rebel-held eastern sector in recent weeks with the use of heavy aerial bombardment and are seeking to recapture the whole city. 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 | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |