RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

December 31, 2016

For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.

December 31, 2016
December 31, 2016

, 31.12.2016, 12:00

GOVERNMENT – The new Government led by Prime Minister designate Sorin Grindeanu might be sworn in on January 4, Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea has announced, adding that representatives of the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, currently holding the majority in Parliament, will meet on Tuesday to vote the list of Ministers and the governing program. In turn, the co-leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said the first task of the new Government is adopting the state budget for 2017, to be debated in Parliament in late January. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians said it will vote in favour of the Government. The National Liberal Party in opposition expressed hope the list of nominations would include professionals with a clean slate. The Save Romania Union, also in opposition, will vote against the Grindeanu Cabinet, arguing that the Government will be de facto led by Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea. The Peoples Movement Party has not yet announced how it would vote.



NEW YEARS EVE PARTY – An additional 12,000 law-enforcement officers will be deployed on Saturday night to oversee public events devoted to the New Years Eve across Romania. According to a Romanian Police release, some 147 large-scale public events are held, including concerts and winter customs shows, to be attended by some 300,000 people. In Bucharest, the City Hall is organizing an open-air party. Historical buildings downtown will be lit up, while a fireworks show will be held at midnight. The New Years Eve party in Bucharest also has a name – Bucharest Selfie. All pictures sent in by Bucharesters will be screened in the George Enescu square.



2017 – The first to welcome the New Year were the inhabitants of Christmas Island and Samoa, two islands in the Pacific, as well as the Chatham Islands in New Zealand. European countries are getting ready to celebrate the New Year against the backdrop of increased security measures, in the wake of the Berlin attack two weeks ago, which killed 12 people. Thousands of additional police officers will be deployed to cope with potential terrorist threats in London, Berlin, Brussels or Sydney. In an attempt to prevent lorry attacks, authorities in Paris, Madrid and New York will use concrete bollards to block traffic from crowds celebrating New Years Eve.



TERRORISM – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the most difficult challenge Germany must yet face is dealing with Islamic terrorism. In her traditional New Years address, Merkel promised she would do everything in her power to enhance security following the bloody attack in Berlin on December 19, when a Tunisian asylum-seeker ploughed into a crowd at a Christmas market. The German official said she would not compromise on democratic values.



MIGRANTS – 48 Iraqi nationals, of whom 17 children, were caught by the Romanian border police on the Bulgarian border in Giurgiu, southern Romania. The people were hiding in a loading compartment of a lorry delivering chocolate. The driver was a Bulgarian national. The migrants said they wanted to get to Hungary, and the driver said he didnt know about the people he was carrying. The Romanian police have handed the driver over to the Bulgarian authorities, as well as the Iraqi citizens with a view to launching an investigation.



SYRIA – The UN Security Council is today meeting to discuss a Russian resolution for supporting the ceasefire in Syria, which came into force on Friday. The document provides for quick access of humanitarian aid missions to this country, supporting a political process for putting an end to the conflict and launching negotiations between the Government in Damascus and the opposition. Chaired by Russia and Turkey, the talks might be scheduled to take place next month in Kazakhstan.



TENNIS – Romanian tennis players Ana Bogdan and Patricia Tig are today starting the new tennis season. The two are playing in the preliminaries of the Shenzhen tournament in China, totaling over 600,000 dollars in prize money. In the first round, Ana Bogdan, 130 WTA, will take on Quanhui Tang, 972 WTA, while Patricia Tig, 108 WTA will go up against Nina Jovanovic, 140 WTA. Romania has another three tennis players already qualified to the main draw: Simona Halep, WTA no. 4, who is also the competitions second seed, Monica Niculescu, 38 WTA and Sorana Carstea, 79 WTA. We recall that Simona Halep won the Shenzhen tournament in 2015. (Translated by V. Palcu)

Newsflash
Newsflash Monday, 04 November 2024

November 4, 2024 UPDATE

Visit. The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is on a working visit to France where he will meet with his counterpart, Michel Barnier. The visit...

November 4, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash
Newsflash Monday, 04 November 2024

November 4, 2024

Visit – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu is paying a working visit to France today, where he will meet with his counterpart, Michel Barnier, as well...

November 4, 2024
Newsflash
Newsflash Sunday, 03 November 2024

November 3, 2024 UPDATE

Visit. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday begins a working visit to France, where is he due to meet his counterpart Michel Barnier and...

November 3, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash
Newsflash Sunday, 03 November 2024

3 November, 2024

Moldova elections. Neighbouring Moldova is holding the second round run-off of the presidential elections. Incumbent pro-European president Maia...

3 November, 2024
Newsflash Saturday, 02 November 2024

November 2, 2024 UPDATE

FLOOD According to authorities in Bucharest every Romanian national in the Spanish regions affected by the latest flooding will be able to benefit...

November 2, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash Saturday, 02 November 2024

November 2, 2024

AUDITION The European Parliament’s specialized committees on Monday are expected to commence the audition of the designated European Commissioners....

November 2, 2024
Newsflash Friday, 01 November 2024

November 1, 2024 UPDATE

  DEFENCE Romania and Norway continue to stand by Ukraine at these critical times, the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said on Friday, after a...

November 1, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash Friday, 01 November 2024

November 1, 2024

Floods. One of the Romanian nationals missing in the devastating floods in Spain has been found dead, said the foreign ministry in Bucharest this...

November 1, 2024

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company