January 16, 2024 UPDATE
Click here for the latest news from RRI
Newsroom, 16.01.2024, 19:53
Protests – Further talks took place on Tuesday afternoon at the headquarters of the Romanian Transport Ministry, attended by the representatives of the main professional associations, but not of those who are protesting across the country. Employers say that they reached a consensus with minister Sorin Grindeanu and a protocol with very clear deadlines was signed, which benefits the transport of people and goods, even for those who are protesting. The president of the COTAR confederation, Vasile Ştefănescu, says that immediate measures have been established to streamline traffic in customs points, and in relation to the legislative changes that he considers necessary, including the elimination of unfair competition and unauthorized activities, the setting-up of working groups has been agreed. Discussions were also held with the professional associations at the Agriculture Ministry. The authorities promised a constant dialogue with the farmers representatives and to make decisions following consultations within working groups. Minister Florin Barbu says that at this moment the claims presented by farmers have all been solved.
Schengen – Romania and Bulgaria have made considerable efforts to meet the criteria for Schengen accession – says the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. He is convinced that the partial accession of the two countries with maritime and air borders, as of March 1, is a first step and a good sign. De Croo made the statements in Strasbourg, where he went on Tuesday to present his countrys priorities to the members of the European Parliament. 2024 will be a crucial year, because much is at stake for Europe; the stake is very high for the West, it will be a year in which our democracies and freedoms will be put to the test – says the Belgian Prime Minister, referring to the elections for the European Parliament, as well as the presidential election in the US.
Videoconference – The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, had a video conference call with his counterpart from neighboring Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, on Tuesday. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué, the two ministers discussed the evolution of the Russian Federations war of aggression against Ukraine, almost two years after the start of the conflict. “I told Minister Umerov that Romania condemns in the harshest terms the Russian aggression, the attacks on the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure, actions that have intensified in recent weeks, and I assured him that Romania continues to support Ukraine, alongside allies and partners” said the defense minister Tîlvăr. The two officials also discussed concrete measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, with emphasis on the importance of training Romanian and Ukrainian pilots at the European F-16 Training Center in Romania.
Polo – Romanias mens polo team finished 8th in the European Championship in Croatia, after being defeated by Serbia 18-7 in the last match on Tuesday. Romania had won all matches in Group D, 12-8 against the Netherlands, 13-5 against Slovenia and 8-7 against Slovakia, and in the play-off it defeated Georgia 18-11. In the round of 16, the Romanians were outclassed by Spain 7-24, and in the first match for the 5th to 8th places they lost to Montenegro 11-18. At the last edition of the championship final, from 2022, Romania ranked 10th. The best European ranking was 4th place, in 1993 and 2006. Next the Romanian national team will participate in the World Championship in Doha, in Qatar, where it will play in group D, against Hungary (on February 5), Kazakhstan (on February 7) and Italy (on February 9).
Gaza – Israeli army tanks have returned to the north of the Gaza Strip, from where they left last week – residents of the area told international media on Tuesday. Violent explosions were reported there, after two weeks of relative calm. At the time, Israel had announced the withdrawal of its forces from the north as part of a transition to smaller, targeted operations against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The army claims that, overnight, it killed dozens of Hamas fighters in the clashes in Beit Lahiya, also in the north of Gaza Strip. The health authorities in Gaza say, in turn, that in the last 24 hours, Israeli bombings have killed 158 people in the enclave, raising the death toll of the war to 24,285 people. (LS)
