UK state opening of parliament pushed back to June 21June 15, 2017 - 16:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Queen Elizabeth II will formally open parliament and announce the British government's legislative programme on June 21, two days later than planned after Prime Minister Theresa May's election setback, AFP reveals. "The government has agreed with Buckingham Palace that the state opening of parliament will take place on June 21," leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom said in a statement. The state opening, a ceremony full of pomp in which the monarch reads out the Queen's Speech detailing the government's programme for the coming year, was due to take place on June 19. It was delayed after May's Conservatives lost their majority in the Commons in the June 8 election. The premier is now racing to secure the support of a small Northern Irish party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), to stay in office as head of a minority government. A senior Conservative source told AFP that the party was "confident" it would have enough parliamentary votes to pass the Queen's Speech, but the deal with the DUP has not been finalised yet. 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 | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |