Queen Elizabeth II turns 91April 21, 2017 - 17:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Britain marked Queen Elizabeth II's 91st birthday on Friday with gun salutes, as the monarch celebrated quietly at home. A troop of the Royal Horse Artillery rode horse-and-gun carriages past Buckingham Palace before staging a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park at noon (1100GMT). Outside the palace, a band of guardsmen in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats played "Happy Birthday" during the Changing of the Guard ceremony. There was a second salute with 62 guns at the centuries-old Tower of London. The queen is Britain's oldest and longest-reigning monarch, having become queen on Feb. 6, 1952. She is also the world's longest-reigning living monarch since the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej last year. The queen usually spends her birthday privately. She also has an official birthday, marked in June — when the weather is better — with the "Trooping the Color" military parade. 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 | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |