Lebanon begins limiting flow of Syrian refugeesJanuary 5, 2015 - 15:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Lebanon has begun limiting the flow of Syrians entering the country as it struggles to cope with a flood of asylum seekers fleeing the civil war next door, the Associated Press reports. The unprecedented restrictions that went into effect Monday, Jan 5, establish new categories of entry visas for Syrians and sharply limit the period of time they may stay in Lebanon. Lebanese officials say the new restrictions are necessary because their tiny country simply can't absorb more refugees. They estimate there are about 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon, about one-quarter of the total population. But the new restrictions, published on Lebanon's general security website, seemingly make no provisions for asylum seekers. A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to press, said urgent humanitarian cases could still enter. Related links: 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 | Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province. Armenia calls for prohibiting threats of attacks on nuclear facilities Armenia has raised the need for a treaty prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes. Armenia says ready to extend nuclear plant’s lifetime by 10 years Armenia has taken necessary measures to extend the lifetime of its nuclear power plant until 2036. Ameriabank's Trade Finance portfolio enriched with four prestigious awards from EBRD and IFC Ameriabank received the awards from international financial institutions in recognition of its trade finance operations. |