December 15, 2014 UPDATE 1
A roundup of domestic and international news.
România Internațional, 15.12.2014, 12:15
Romania’s Social Democratic Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Monday submitted to Parliament the future line up of his cabinet. The coalition government he leads is made up of the Social Democratic Party, the Union for the Progress of Romania, the Conservative Party, and the Reformist Liberal Party. The latter replaced the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, which withdrew from the coalition. Before Monday’s plenary vote, Parliament held confirmation hearings. The new government line up has eight new names, among them the ministers for education, economy, energy and environment, with 14 ministries continuing with their present heads. The PM said that among the aims of the new cabinet are continuing projects in fundamental areas such as economy, agriculture, European funds or social projects.
A helicopter of the Romanian Emergency Mobile Resuscitation and Extrication Service (SMURD) crashed, on Monday, in the Stiutghiol Lake in south-eastern Romania. Two crewmembers, a physician and a nurse were on board the helicopter. The physician was found alive by the rescue team but her state is critical. The other three people are still being looked for. According to local authorities the helicopter was on a mission and was heading for Tulcea to take over a patient who needed to be transferred to a hospital in Constanta.
Romania is the first EU country where the investment plan drawn up recently by the Juncker Commission has been detailed, the European Commission vice president for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, Jyrki Katainen said on Monday in Bucharest. The plan will create an SME-friendlier business environment and more jobs in Europe, Jyrki Katainen explained. The Junker plan will be discussed at the European Council meeting on December 18 and 19. The European Commission has called on the European Parliament to speed up the adoption of the legislative measures, so as the program should become operational starting June 2015.
Australian security forces on Monday stormed the Sydney cafe where several hostages were being held at gunpoint by a man identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian refugee facing multiple charges of sexual assault. At least two people lost their lives during the rescue operations. During the siege, hostages had been forced to display an Islamic flag that has been popular among Sunni Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda. Australia, a staunch ally of the United States in its action against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, is on high alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East.
Romania’s women handball squad defeated Spain on Monday, 22 — 20, in its second match in Group 1 of the European Championships held in Hungary and Croatia. After Saturday’s defeat by Hungary 19-20, Romania has the slimmest of chances to play the semi-finals. In its last group game, scheduled for Wednesday, Romania plays Poland.
