Jordan king Abdullah II swears in new CabinetMarch 30, 2013 - 21:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Jordan's royal palace says King Abdullah II has sworn in a new Cabinet led for the first time by a Prime Minister elected by lawmakers, The Associated Press reported. Earlier this month, Jordan's new parliament chose Abdullah Ensour to head the new government. Ensour previously served as a caretaker prime minister in the run-up to the January parliamentary elections, which were billed as the centerpiece of Abdullah's political reform program. The reforms granted parliament the power for the first time to pick a premier. The task was previously the king's prerogative. Abdullah has vowed a gradual transfer of some of his powers to parliament. In the Cabinet sworn in on Saturday, the defense, interior, finance and foreign ministries are headed by veteran politicians. The Cabinet must still win a parliamentary vote of confidence. 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. |