Europe

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union’s trade chief said on Thursday that the bloc would check to see whether a major trade deal struck by the United States and China is compliant with global rules.

On Wednesday, Washington and Beijing scaled back their 18-month trade row that has hit global economic growth by signing an initial agreement under which China will boost purchases of U.S. goods and services by $200 billion over two years in exchange for the rolling back of some U.S. tariffs.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree appointing Mikhail Mishustin as prime minister, shortly after the former head of the tax service won the backing of parliament.

Mishustin’s elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin on Wednesday, which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian parliament overwhelmingly backed President Vladimir Putin’s surprise choice for prime minister on Thursday after what one daily called a “January revolution”, a major political overhaul that some say could set Putin up as leader for life.

The State Duma, the lower house of parliament, gave its backing to Mikhail Mishustin, a 53-year-old with almost no political profile, endorsing his nomination with 383 votes of 424 cast. Nobody voted against him; there were 41 abstentions.

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine has asked the FBI in the United States for help in investigating a suspected cyberattack by Russian military hackers on the energy company Burisma, a Ukrainian interior ministry official said on Thursday.

At the same briefing, the interior ministry also announced an investigation into the possible illegal surveillance of the then American ambassador to Kiev, Marie Yovanovitch, following messages contained in documents released by the U.S. Congress this week.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is set to become the first country to drop both nuclear and coal power under a landmark agreement to compensate workers, companies and regional governments as it switches off brown coal-fired plants by 2038.

The government struck a deal worth more than 40 billion euros ($44.7 billion) in the small hours of Thursday morning with the premiers of Germany’s coal-mining regions.

16 Jan 2019; MEMO: EU will be prepared in case of any migration wave from Libya amid crisis in the region, an EU official said on Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

“Being prepared, not acting ad hoc is a very important strands in our thinking for the migration policy,” said Dana Spinant, spokeswoman for the EU Commission, addressing Anadolu Agency’s question on the bloc’s extra measures on the possible new wave of immigration from Libya.

MOSCOW, Russia, Jan 16 (NNN-RIA NOVOSTI) – The Russian government resigned yesterday (Wednesday), Russian news agencies reported, quoting Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev.

The decision was announced after President Vladimir Putin addressed the Federal Assembly.

Putin outlined in his annual address to the Federal Assembly, a series of fundamental changes, Medvedev was quoted as saying.

MOSCOW, January 15 (NNN-TASS) — Five permanent members of the UN Security Council should set an example to eliminate threats of new wars, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly (parliament) on Wednesday.

BERLIN, January 15. /TASS/: German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold an informal meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday, January 18, Ulrike Demmer, a deputy spokesperson for the German government, said at a briefing on Wednesday.

"At the Federal Chancellor’s office, the chancellor will hold informal talks with [Ursula] von der Leyen, focusing on pressing political issues," she said.

According to Dana Spinant, the European Commission deputy spokesperson, von der Leyen had plans to attend the conference on Libya in the German capital.

MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Dmitry Medvedev’s outgoing government to perform its duties until a new Cabinet is formed.

"I ask you to fully perform your duties until a new government is formed," Putin said at a meeting with the Cabinet.

According to Article 111 of Russia’s Constitution, the nomination of a new prime minister is submitted no later than two weeks after the Cabinet’s resignation.