  Russian parliament approves new PM Mikhail Mishustin January 16, 2020 - 17:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian lawmakers approved Russian President Vladimir Putin's nomination for a new prime minister on Thursday, January 16, following a series of bombshell announcements including constitutional changes and the resignation of the government, Deutsche Welle reports. The State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, voted in favor of tax authority chief Mikhail Mishustin. He received 383 votes out of the 424 cast — which included 41 abstentions. In an address to parliament ahead of the vote, Mishustin said that Russians must "feel real changes for the better" and that he was committed to keeping inflation at around 4%. He added that all members of his government will "bear personal responsibility" for achieving Putin's economic development program, Russian news agency Interfax reported. On Wednesday, Putin said was "satisfied" with the previous government's performance, although they failed to fulfill certain tasks. Mishustin's nomination to replace Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister came as a surprise. Mishustin has been leading Russia's federal tax authority since 2010 and is not considered a high-profile politician in Russia. It was not immediately clear whether Mishustin will be a temporary figure or if he was selected as a possible successor to Putin. The new prime minister said that an announcement will be made in the next few days about the composition of his Cabinet.   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 |  Latest 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 |
