Prime ministers
The Australian Federal Government has unveiled sweeping changes to the operation of the House of Representatives, sparking opposition condemnation. Prime Minister Mr. Keating announced that he would attend question time on only two of the four weekly sitting days, with ministers rostered to take part on certain days. Daily sitting
Prime ministers
Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa's coalition government has been dealt a significant blow with the abandonment of a proposed $55 billion cut in income taxes and a larger increase in sales taxes. The decision, attributed to the failure of compromise talks among coalition parties, has left the government in
Prime ministers
Japan's government faced a significant crisis when several cabinet ministers and the socialist party forced a postponement of a massive economic package aimed at stimulating economic reflation. The package, worth £91.5 billion, was backed by Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, who had announced the plans earlier in the
Prime ministers
Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin has insisted that the exit of radical free-market champions from the Cabinet will not bury economic reform, but he hinted at a wage and price freeze to combat inflation. This move is likely to sharpen Western fears of a return to Soviet-style planning. Chernomyrdin has
Prime ministers
The fate of Russian Finance Minister Boris Fyodorov, a monetarist, hangs in the balance as Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin refuses to accept his resignation. Chernomyrdin has clashed with Fyodorov over demands to sack the chairman of the Russian central bank, Viktor Gerashchenko, and Alexander Zaveryukha, the new vice-premier in charge
Prime ministers
Russian President Boris Yeltsin's hopes for sustained economic reforms have taken a severe blow as Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin takes control of the Cabinet following a key economic reformer's departure. Former finance minister Boris Fyodorov's resignation, triggered by the resignation of market reform architect
Prime ministers
President Yeltsin has been struggling to name a Cabinet since the shock resignation of economic reformer Mr. Yegor Gaidar, with another prominent reformer, Mr. Boris Fyodorov, also refusing the economics job. The crisis talks between Yeltsin and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin have continued for six-and-a-half hours, with no resolution in
Prime ministers
Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds delivered a speech last night aimed at encouraging the IRA to lay down its arms. In a closely argued text, he sought to convince republicans that the Downing Street declaration offered a valid form of self-determination for Irish people, while reassuring Unionists that their rights
Prime ministers
As the British government's plan for Northern Ireland's future sparks debate, Labour's Northern Ireland spokesperson Kevin Macnamara has called for clarification on key issues in the Downing Street declaration. This move comes as Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams prepares to write to Prime Minister
