New Year's Day

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un proposed the "highest-level" talks with South Korea Jan. 1, opening the way to a historic summit as his communist country battles to fend off international prosecution over its dismal human rights record.
      

The Kremlin news agency Russia Today will start broadcasting a news programme in Serbian three times a day on the Belgrade public radio station, Studio B, as of New Year.

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Millions of people in Turkey celebrated the arrival of the New Year with dances and drinks yesterday despite calls from the country’s top religious body to totally ignore the tradition.

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), labeled 2014 as a downgrade for Turkey, saying the country "has regressed and is trapped in tension while suffering the pain of not being able to see the future." In his New Year message, the MHP leader said "law in Turkey fell through the floor and justice was silenced."

Amid increasing anger at official and popular levels at the supposed Christian aspects of New Year's celebrations in Turkey, members of the far-right Great Unity Party (BBP) symbolically ran Santa out of town Dec. 31 in the northwestern province of Bolu.

Another EUR 9mn to repair flood-damaged homes

BELGRADE -- Marko Blagojevic says the government has so far allocated RSD 4.2 billion for the reconstruction of houses damaged in the May floods.

It also "secured another EUR 9 million for the coming year," explained the director of the Serbian Government Office for Reconstruction and Flood Relief.

BELGRADE - At the very start of the new year in the spirit of the New Year and Christmas holidays, Sava Center and the Serbian National Theatre will organize a magnificent cultural event on January 16 - the ballet Nutcracker with guest stars of the Ukrainian ballet.

BELGRADE - Director of the Serbian Government Office for Reconstruction and Flood Relief Marko Blagojevic said that the government has so far allocated RSD 4.2 billion for the reconstruction of houses damaged in the May floods and secured another EUR 9 million for the coming year.

BELGRADE - A full liberalisation of the electricity market, allowing citizens to choose their suppliers in an open market, will begin from the New Year, with the liberalisation of the gas market set to start as well.

BELGRADE - The Customs Administration stated on Wednesday that the customs offices will work regularly during the New Year and Christmas holidays, and branch offices in the interior that collect customs duties on goods will have an on call status.