Briefly

ROMANIA

Incumbent PM named to lead coalition govt

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday nominated incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to lead a new coalition government, aiming to resolve the political crisis following the annulment of a presidential election. The appointment followed a presidential race where independent candidate Calin Georgescu advanced to a runoff, and Ciolacu placed third. The new government, headed by Ciolacu, was sworn in later on Monday.

TONGA

Pacific nation elects new prime minister

Aisake Eke, former minister for finance and national planning of Tonga, was elected as prime minister on Tuesday to replace Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, who resigned on Dec 9. According to Radio Nukualofa, Eke defeated the only opponent, Minister for Trade and Economic Development Viliami Latu, who was also the tourism minister, by 16 votes to eight.

TURKIYE

12 killed in blast at explosives plant

A powerful blast on Tuesday ripped through an explosives plant in northwest Turkiye killing 13 people and injuring four others, officials said. Footage showed shards of glass and metal scattered outside the plant, where ambulances stood by. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the cause was not immediately known and the authorities ruled out sabotage.

UNITED STATES

Flights resume after grounding over glitch

American Airlines resumed flights on Tuesday after a technical issue forced the carrier to ground all its US flights for an hour during the busy year-end travel period, officials said. The flight halt of nearly an hour came on Christmas Eve, a day of exceedingly heavy air travel in the United States and elsewhere. The FAA and American Airlines had yet to describe the nature of the technical issue and why it led to a nationwide ground halt.

Xinhua - Agencies