December 31, 2016 UPDATE
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.
Newsroom, 31.12.2016, 12:15
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.
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.
INVESTIGATION –The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest will debate a request to place former deputy Sebastian Ghita in arrest in absentia, filed by anti-corruption prosecutors. Ghita is being investigated for bribe-giving, influence peddling, money laundering and blackmail. Ghita is missing for several days, failed to report at the National Anticorruption Directorate headquarters and a BOLO has been issued in his name at border crossing checkpoints. Ghita was won an MP seat in 2012 for the Social Democrats. This year he ran for the United Romania Party, but the party did not meet the minimum threshold to enter Parliament.
SYRIA – Over 50,000 people were killed in 2016 in the conflict in Syria, the Syrian Observer for Human Rights announced on Saturday. Of these, over 13,500 are civilians, 3,000 of which children. Some 3,000 members of the Islamic State terrorist organizations were also killed. Over 300,000 people have lost their lives since the beginning of the conflict in 2011.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (130 WTA) on Saturday defeated Quanhui Tang of China (972 WTA) in the preliminary round of the Shenzhen tournament in China, totaling over 600,000 dollars in prize money. Also today, Patricia Tig (108 WTA) was knocked out by Nina Jovanovic of Serbia (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). On Sunday, Niculescu will play Kai-Lin Zhang of China (134 WTA) while Carstea will go up against Kristina Kucova of Slovakia (81 WTA). Halep will play in the opening round against Jelena Jankovic (54 WTA). We recall that Simona Halep won the Shenzhen tournament in 2015. (Translated by V. Palcu)
