Yatseniuk approved as Ukraine's new prime minister
By Associated Press
Feb 27, 2014 7:08 AM CST
Ukrainian police officer guards street in front of a local government building in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. Ukraine put its police on high alert after dozens of armed pro-Russia men stormed and seized local government buildings in Ukraine's Crimea region early Thursday and...   (Associated Press)

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's parliament has approved Arseniy Yatsenyuk as the country's new prime minister.

The vote was held Thursday amid the sharp rise in tensions in the southern Crime region, where gunmen seized local government buildings and raised a Russian flag.

The 39-year-old Yatsenyuk has previously served as the economy minister and foreign minister, and a speaker of parliament.

He was approved by 371 votes in the 450-member parliament.

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