Slain Prime Minister Succeeded by Brother

Armenia’s president named the brother of the late Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisyan, killed by gunmen in a raid on parliament last week, to succeed him as premier of the former Soviet republic. A spokesman said President Robert Kocharyan, who had vowed to quickly rebuild the country’s shattered leadership, had appointed little-known Aram Sarkisyan, 38, as premier. Although his older brother was a leading public figure in Armenia for much of the past decade, the new premier is little known and has previously played no major role in politics. He is the director of a cement factory in his hometown of Ararat. Deputies in the Unity bloc, the largest faction in parliament, nominated Sarkisyan as premier, saying he would provide continuity in turbulent times.