Radio România Internațional

Tag: arrests

  • July 7, 2023 UPDATE

    July 7, 2023 UPDATE

    TENNIS Romanian tennis player
    Sorana Cirstea has qualified for the third round of the Grand Slam tennis
    tournament in Wimbledon after a three-set win against Jelena Ostapenko of
    Latvia. The WTA 37th Cirstea has never got over the third round of
    the Wimbledon competition, which she reached four times in 2009, 2021, 2017 and
    2021. She will be next up against Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil on Saturday.
    Haddad, a finalist of the Roland Garros tournament a couple of weeks ago, on
    Thursday eliminated Romanian Jaqueline Cristian. Two other Romanian players,
    Ana Bogdan and Irina Begu left the competition on Friday.








    ARRESTS Romania’s Prime Minister
    Marcel Ciolacu has called on the country’s Labour Minister, Marius Budai, to dismiss
    the boards of the National Agency for Social Inspection and its branch in
    Ilfov, southern Romania, following the scandal over the inhuman conditions in several
    old people’s homes in the region. In the meantime, Marius Budai has ordered
    checks and measures from all the directions involved in the case and upon the
    Prime Minister’s request, commissions will be set up in every county. Four
    people have been apprehended so far in the aforementioned file, whereas 11 others
    have been placed under house arrest and six under judicial control. Following
    this case, with a prejudice that exceeds one million euros, inspections have
    been ordered at similar institutions all over the country. Among other things,
    prosecutors are investigating the way in which the aforementioned centers have
    got their operating permits.






    SUMMIT Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will be participating in
    the NATO summit in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday, the presidential
    administration in Bucharest has announced. The summit is to include three
    high-level meetings of the North-Atlantic Council, in formats, which include
    Ukraine, the European Union as well as NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners. At the
    summit, the Romanian president is expected to underline the fundamental
    importance of continuing the implementation of the Madrid decisions on
    strengthening the allied defence and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank.
    Iohannis will also reiterate the robust support for Ukraine, including its NATO’s
    accession, as well as for the most vulnerable partners, especially for the
    Republic of Moldova. According to the same sources, the head of the Romanian state
    will be also referring to the need for having the importance of the Black Sea
    region in the Euro-Atlantic security reflected in the allied documents and
    decisions.






    DEFENCE The Country’s Supreme Defence Council on
    Thursay approved the creation in Romania of a regional centre to train pilots
    flying military F16 aircraft. The centre will initially train Romanian pilots
    and later also pilots from allied and partner states, including Ukraine. The
    Council also approved Romania’s objectives for the upcoming NATO summit in
    Vilnius next week. President Klaus Iohannis will again bring to the fore
    aspects related to the security of the Black Sea region. According to a
    statement from the president’s office, Romania is ready to contribute to the
    allied effort both by hosting NATO multinational structures and by boosting its
    defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from this year. The Council also approved the
    army and interior ministry personnel to take part next year in foreign missions
    and operations, with Romania’s boosting its participation in the EUFOR ALTHEA missions in the Bosnia and Herzegovina
    theatre of operations.




    (bill)

  • March 25, 2016 UPDATE

    March 25, 2016 UPDATE

    Belgian police have arrested several people in connection with Tuesdays attacks in Brussels, in which at least 31 people died and more than 270 were wounded. The authorities carry on counter-terrorism operations, and 3 suspects were arrested on Friday in one of these operations, which was linked to the foiling of a plot in France on Thursday. The French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that plot was at an advanced stage. Meanwhile, the US State Secretary John Kerry said in Brussels on Friday that “we will not be intimidated and (…) will not rest until we have eliminated the nihilistic beliefs of the Islamist groups. Also on Friday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, called on states to step up security against “nuclear terrorism. According to Belgian authorities, originally the targets of the Brussels attacks were the nuclear facilities in that country.



    The chief prosecutor of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), Daniel Horodniceanu, said there were suspicions of terrorism financing in Romania. He announced that a Counter-Terrorism Office would be again established within the Directorate. The order concerning the resumption of the operations of the Counter-Terrorism Office has been submitted to the Justice Ministry and will then be forwarded to the Higher Council of Magistrates for approval. Meanwhile, Horodniceanu proposed the criminalisation of acts such as the repeated accessing of jihadist websites or the establishment of an organised criminal group specialising in acts of terrorism. The measures were proposed by DIICOT several days after the brutal attacks in Brussels.



    The Mayor of Bucharests district 2, Neculai Onţanu, was arrested for 30 days under bribery charges, after on Friday the Bucharest Court of Appeals approved the request lodged by the prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. Ontanu is suspected of having received as bribe, in 2006 – 2007, a plot of land in Bucharest, in return for having helped the holder of disputed property rights to acquire several properties. Onţanu, currently at his fourth term in office as district mayor, is also the interim president of a parliamentary party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania.



    Healthcare education should be a compulsory school subject, the Romanian Healthcare Minister Patriciu Achimaş-Cadariu said on Friday. After consultations with civil society and professional organisations, the Ministry will present a new bill concerning the introduction of health education as a school subject. The doctors and nurses working in education institutions may play a major role in teaching this subject, the Minister added.



    The Romanian Ambassador to the US, George Maior, said the development of bilateral economic relations, particularly attracting American investments, is one of the priorities of his term in office. Together with the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, he took part in a roundtable in Washington, organised by the American-Romanian Business Council. Among others, Maior emphasised the performances of the Romanian economy and its positive prospects, encouraging American investors to take advantage of the opportunities that Romania has to offer. In turn, the representatives of major US companies with operations in Romania appreciated the openness of public institutions, but warned that governmental policies are still needed in order to ensure fiscal stability and the investment climate.

  • February 25, 2016 UPDATE

    February 25, 2016 UPDATE

    CORRUPTION – The battle against corruption must continue at full tilt in Romania and the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) should be a fierce player fighting against this plague that continues to scar our society, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday. The head of state attended, alongside PM Dacian Ciolos the presentation of the annual activity report of the DNA. In her turn, the Directorates chief, Laura Codruta Kovesi has said that the institution must continue investigating corruption deeds and putting all efforts into this. The DNA has said in a pres release that its activity was marked by a series of ‘premieres in 2015, such as the investigation and prosecution of a serving prime minister, Victor Ponta, the arrest of a Constitutional Court judge, Toni Grebla, and of the Bucharest mayor, Sorin Oprescu.



    ARRESTS – Deputy Nicolae Paun, representing the Roma community in Parliament, was taken into custody by anti-corruption prosecutors on Thursday, in a case where he is accused of multiple crimes. On Wednesday the Chamber of Deputies greenlighted the warrant for his arrest filed by anti-corruption prosecutors. Paun is being accused of having used or delibertately showing forged, inaccurate or incomplete documents or statements with a view to obtaining European funds. Together with Social-Democratic MP Madalin Voicu, Paun allegedly planned to embezzle 6 million euros addressed to the Roma community for personal use. Also on Thursday, Liberal Senator Doina Tudor was arrested in another corruption case where she is being accused of bribe taking. The Senate on Wednesday greenlighted the warrant for her arrest. Her former husband, Daniel Tudor, the former vice-president of the Financial Surveillance Authority, is also on home arrest pending a criminal investigation. Prosecutors claim that in 2013 Doina Tudor helped her husband receive 200,000 euros from a security and protection firm in exchange for helping it with an audit.



    AGREEMENT – Romanian Culture Minister Vlad Alexandrescu has signed at the Vatican the first cultural accord between Romania and the Holy See. The document is aimed at stimulating the staging of extensive cultural events particularly for the numerous Romanian community in Italy. The Romanian Ministers visit included, among others, a meeting with the head of the Vatican Museums, professor Antonio Paolucci, with whom he discussed joint cultural projects.



    INFLATION – Romania reported the second negative inflation rate at EU level, minus 1.5%, double as compared to December 2015, reads a Eurostat release made public on Thursday. According to Eurostat, the annual inflation rate stood at 0.2%, while the Eurozone inflation rate went up to 0.3% in January, from 0.2% in December. A number of 10 member states reported negative annual inflation rates, the top two countries being Poland and Romania. At the opposite pole Belgium, Austria and Sweden had the highest inflation rates. In another move, the National Bank of Romania has upgraded its inflate rate forecast to 1.4%, as compared to the previous estimate of 1.1%. National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu said he expected the monetary policy rate to drop earlier than expected, given that inflation has gone up.



    INFECTION – An E-coli strain made the children in Arges County sick, the Romanian Health Minister Patriciu Achimas Cadariu has announced, adding that Romanian authorities together with European specialists have identified the cause, although not the source of the virus that has so far killed three babies. Cadariu also said that an investigation of the Health Ministry Control Corps is underway at the Arges County Directorate for Public Health. Previously the Minister has called on the management of the Childrens Hospital in Pitesti to step down after they failed to report a new case of haemolytic-uremic syndrome. The patient is a toddler who had been brought to hospital for severe diarrhoea eleven days ago and has been treated in several hospitals in Arges County and the capital Bucharest ever since. We recall that around 30 small children from Arges have been committed to hospitals in that county and in Bucharest with severe digestive infection. More on this after the news.



    MEETING – Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu on Thursday discussed with the ambassadors of Asian states in Bucharest about migration, the European Eastern vicinity and the need for a coordinated response to challenges to global peace and security. According to the Romanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, talks also tackled concrete ways of diversifying cooperation between Romania, the EU and Asian countries, especially at economic level. Another topic on the agenda was cooperation between European and Asian states in the Asia-Europe format, in the context of marking 20 years since this cooperation process was launched. Romania plays an active role as part of ASEM in such fields as regional cooperation and water management.



    PUBLIC TELEVISION – The National Liberal Party does not support the proposal to modify the functioning of the public radio and television stations, which they see as untimely. The party spokesman Ionut Stroe said the initiative provides no technical solutions to the crisis in the public television, and only creates new positions and imposes a mechanism to control the content and finances of the two institutions. Ionut Stroes said the difficulties facing the public television are caused by faulty management, not the current legislation. The future of the station, which has incurred huge amounts of debt, was on the agenda on Tuesdays meeting of the culture and finances committee of Parliament. Legislative proposals were brought forward so that the television station can go insolvent. Political leaders attending the meeting dismissed the proposal to merge the public radio and television station, considering the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation is doing well and is facing no financial problems.



    TRAVEL FAIR – Over 280 firms from 15 countries are presenting their offer at Romanias Tourism Fair that opened in Bucharest on Thursday. Until Sunday, agencies, organisers and tourism associations will present their best offers to Romanian and foreign tourists. Sales of domestic holiday packages are expected to grow, competing with offers from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria.



    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    25,000 protesters marched in downtown Bucharest on Tuesday night, according to estimates by the Romanian Gendarmerie. The march started in University Square, continued in Victory Square, the Interior Ministry, the Constitution Square and Bucharest’s District 4 City Hall. The protest was organized on social networks, in the wake of Friday night’s tragedy at Colectiv Club.

    Chanting slogans like Resignation, resignation, Solidarity and toting signs reading Corruption kills or We are the generation that changes history, the protesters called for the resignations of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea and Cristian Popescu-Piedone, the mayor of Bucharest’s fourth district, where Colectiv Club is located.

    The day was also marked by protests against the government and the political class in general, floral tributes, prayers and religious masses in several big cities across Romania: Braila, Ramnicu Valcea, Sibiu, Miercurea Ciuc, Cluj Napoca, Alba-Iulia, Brasov.

    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis posted a message on his Facebook page writing that it is a street movement, emerging from people’s wish to see their human condition and dignity respected. I understood that they rightfully call for and expect that someone assumes political responsibility. The next step should be taken by politicians, who can’t ignore such a feeling of revolt. In
    turn, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies,
    Valeriu Zgonea, wrote on Facebook: I understand the people who took to
    the streets tonight. I understand their fury. I think it is high time the whole
    political class understood that half-measures are no longer acceptable. (…) The
    memory of the young people who died in Colectiv club doesn’t need monuments,
    but justice!

    On Friday night, the club Colectiv was devastated by a deadly fire, which killed at least 32 people and injured 140 others. According to prosecutors, the blaze was caused by a pyrotechnical show during a rock concert in the aforementioned overcrowded club. Doctors believe the death toll could go up as many of the participants have inhaled a toxic smoke. The club’s three owners have been accused of manslaughter and placed under pre-trial arrest. The government has endorsed a decision under which the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations can close down clubs, which aren’t observing fire prevention measures.

    Pope Francis has conveyed a message to Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis expressing his profound regret for the tragedy in Bucharest on Friday night. The Pontiff has assured the victims’ families, the authorities and the entire Romanian nation of his spiritual support. Many high-ranking officials and foreign ambassadors have paid homage to the fire victims in recent days. Books of condolence have been opened at Romania’s foreign embassies abroad.

    The heart of Queen Maria of Romania was placed on Tuesday in the Golden Chamber of the Pelisor Castle in the mountain resort of Sinaia. The royal family, representatives of the government, the church and the army participated in the ceremony held at the castle which was built upon her plans, and where her heart beat for the last time, back in 1938. Born in 1875, Maria Alexandra Victoria of Saxa Coburg-Gotha was a princess of Great Britain and Ireland, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Britain. She became Romania’s second queen as wife of king Ferdinand. During their reign, at the end of WWI, the Romanian nation state was founded after the provinces with a majority Romanian-speaking population of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania had joined the Kingdom of Romania. The queen’s presence on the frontline, where she acted as a nurse in military hospitals, as well as her commitment to the Great Union turned her into the most beloved female personality in the history of the Romanians.

    On Wednesday Romania’s capital Bucharest will be playing host to a high level summit of the Central and East European countries. The summit, co-presided by the Romanian and Polish heads of state, Klaus Iohannis and Andrzej Duda, respectively, will be attended by their counterparts from Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary. They will also be joined by the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic and NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow. Present in our country as of Tuesday, president Duda has said that Romania is Poland’s strategic partner in the region and that NATO presence in this part of Europe must be increased.

    A traditional folk dance from Transylvania, the so-called Lads’ Dance, has been included in the UNESCO’s immaterial world heritage list. This specific dance, which has kept its continuity in the Romanian folklore, is a harmonious blend of rhythm and movement. Talks about the inclusion of the Lads’ Dance on the UNESCO heritage list commenced two years ago, upon the initiative of Romanian researcher Zamfir Dejeu, member in the National Committee for Salvaging the National Immaterial Cultural Heritage.

    The Democratic Party in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet country with a Romanian-speaking majority on Tuesday expressed its readiness to forge a coalition including with the pro-Russia communists if this leads to political stability. Democratic Party leaders have announced they are no longer willing to wait until the Liberal-Democrats of former Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet make a decision to join the talks for a new ruling coalition. The Strelet cabinet, made up of Liberal-Democrats, Democrats and Liberals was dismissed last week following a no-confidence vote tabled by the Socialists and the Communists and backed by the Democrats. President Nicolae Timofti has designated the Liberal Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega for the position of interim Prime Minister.

  • November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    25,000 protesters marched in downtown Bucharest on Tuesday night, according to estimates by the Romanian Gendarmerie. The march started in University Square, continued in Victory Square, the Interior Ministry, the Constitution Square and Bucharest’s District 4 City Hall. The protest was organized on social networks, in the wake of Friday night’s tragedy at Colectiv Club.

    Chanting slogans like Resignation, resignation, Solidarity and toting signs reading Corruption kills or We are the generation that changes history, the protesters called for the resignations of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea and Cristian Popescu-Piedone, the mayor of Bucharest’s fourth district, where Colectiv Club is located.

    The day was also marked by protests against the government and the political class in general, floral tributes, prayers and religious masses in several big cities across Romania: Braila, Ramnicu Valcea, Sibiu, Miercurea Ciuc, Cluj Napoca, Alba-Iulia, Brasov.

    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis posted a message on his Facebook page writing that it is a street movement, emerging from people’s wish to see their human condition and dignity respected. I understood that they rightfully call for and expect that someone assumes political responsibility. The next step should be taken by politicians, who can’t ignore such a feeling of revolt. In
    turn, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies,
    Valeriu Zgonea, wrote on Facebook: I understand the people who took to
    the streets tonight. I understand their fury. I think it is high time the whole
    political class understood that half-measures are no longer acceptable. (…) The
    memory of the young people who died in Colectiv club doesn’t need monuments,
    but justice!

    On Friday night, the club Colectiv was devastated by a deadly fire, which killed at least 32 people and injured 140 others. According to prosecutors, the blaze was caused by a pyrotechnical show during a rock concert in the aforementioned overcrowded club. Doctors believe the death toll could go up as many of the participants have inhaled a toxic smoke. The club’s three owners have been accused of manslaughter and placed under pre-trial arrest. The government has endorsed a decision under which the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations can close down clubs, which aren’t observing fire prevention measures.

    Pope Francis has conveyed a message to Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis expressing his profound regret for the tragedy in Bucharest on Friday night. The Pontiff has assured the victims’ families, the authorities and the entire Romanian nation of his spiritual support. Many high-ranking officials and foreign ambassadors have paid homage to the fire victims in recent days. Books of condolence have been opened at Romania’s foreign embassies abroad.

    The heart of Queen Maria of Romania was placed on Tuesday in the Golden Chamber of the Pelisor Castle in the mountain resort of Sinaia. The royal family, representatives of the government, the church and the army participated in the ceremony held at the castle which was built upon her plans, and where her heart beat for the last time, back in 1938. Born in 1875, Maria Alexandra Victoria of Saxa Coburg-Gotha was a princess of Great Britain and Ireland, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Britain. She became Romania’s second queen as wife of king Ferdinand. During their reign, at the end of WWI, the Romanian nation state was founded after the provinces with a majority Romanian-speaking population of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania had joined the Kingdom of Romania. The queen’s presence on the frontline, where she acted as a nurse in military hospitals, as well as her commitment to the Great Union turned her into the most beloved female personality in the history of the Romanians.

    On Wednesday Romania’s capital Bucharest will be playing host to a high level summit of the Central and East European countries. The summit, co-presided by the Romanian and Polish heads of state, Klaus Iohannis and Andrzej Duda, respectively, will be attended by their counterparts from Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary. They will also be joined by the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic and NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow. Present in our country as of Tuesday, president Duda has said that Romania is Poland’s strategic partner in the region and that NATO presence in this part of Europe must be increased.

    A traditional folk dance from Transylvania, the so-called Lads’ Dance, has been included in the UNESCO’s immaterial world heritage list. This specific dance, which has kept its continuity in the Romanian folklore, is a harmonious blend of rhythm and movement. Talks about the inclusion of the Lads’ Dance on the UNESCO heritage list commenced two years ago, upon the initiative of Romanian researcher Zamfir Dejeu, member in the National Committee for Salvaging the National Immaterial Cultural Heritage.

    The Democratic Party in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet country with a Romanian-speaking majority on Tuesday expressed its readiness to forge a coalition including with the pro-Russia communists if this leads to political stability. Democratic Party leaders have announced they are no longer willing to wait until the Liberal-Democrats of former Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet make a decision to join the talks for a new ruling coalition. The Strelet cabinet, made up of Liberal-Democrats, Democrats and Liberals was dismissed last week following a no-confidence vote tabled by the Socialists and the Communists and backed by the Democrats. President Nicolae Timofti has designated the Liberal Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega for the position of interim Prime Minister.

  • August 30, 2015 UPDATE

    August 30, 2015 UPDATE

    MUSICAL FEAST – In the following three weeks, Bucharest
    is hosting Romania’s most important cultural event, the George Enescu
    International Festival, which has reached its 22nd edition. Nearly
    3,000 foreign and Romanian artists will take part in this year’s edition of the
    Festival. The participating orchestras include the San Francisco Symphony,
    Israel Philharmonic, conducted by the world famous Zubin Mehta, the Vienna
    Philharmonic, the Bavarian State Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, London
    Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Royal
    Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. According to the organisers, the 2015
    edition of the world’s leading promoter of the works of the great Romanian
    composer George Enescu, will consist in 58 indoor concerts and many other
    outdoor events. Radio Romania will broadcast 36 live transmissions. The rest of
    the concerts will be recorded and broadcast in the following days. Furthermore,
    the Casa Radio Publishers launches five albums to mark this edition of the
    festival.





    LANGUAGE -
    The Romanian language is a core value of the Romanian people’s identity and
    the language of an important culture in Europe, the minister delegate for the relation
    with the Romanians abroad, Angel Talvar, said during the celebrations held in
    Spain to mark the Romanian Language Day, on August the 31st. It is the language of the Romanians who
    work, study, make research and do business. The Romanian language is an element
    of identity and helps people get closer to one another and form a community.
    The Romanian Language Day is equally a feast for Romania and the Romanians
    around the world, for those who feel like Romanians do and for those who love and
    appreciate the beauty of the Romanian people.





    KIDNAPPING -
    The Romanian authorities confirm the information on the existence of a video
    footage featuring a Romanian citizen who claims to have been kidnapped by a
    Jihadist group in Burkina Faso and asks to be saved. The
    Foreign Ministry has announced that a crisis sell is currently investigating
    the authenticity of the video recording and is also analysing all possible ways
    to solve the situation of the Romanian national taken hostage in Burkino Faso.
    According to media sources, the mining company the Romanian was working for
    announced his being kidnapped in April, but the first images showing proofs of
    life were released on Saturday. The crisis cell is made up of representatives
    of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministries, respectively, of the intelligence
    services and of the Presidential Administration.



    RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION– Fresh from an emergency meeting held in
    Paris, French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has made a thorough
    presentation of the measures agreed upon by the EU member states in an effort
    to improve railway transport safety and security, in the wake of last week’s
    attack on a high speed train running from Amsterdam to Paris. He referred to a
    thorough control of the passengers’ identity, with visual checks being likely
    to be introduced again. Furthermore, luggage will be verified both in stations
    and on board the train. Joint patrols, made up of security officers from
    various countries will be set up to assure transport security, the French
    minister has underlined. The perpetrator of the attack on the Thalys train,
    Moroccan Ayoub El Khazzani, was charged with attempted murder last week.
    Carrying a Kalashnikov assault rifle, nine chargers, a Luger automatic pistol
    and a cutter, the 26 year old Moroccan bought a ticket for the Thalys train
    without problems. Later on, he opened fire on board the train, being
    immobilised by passengers.





    JAPAN – Tens
    of thousands of people protested in front of the Parliament building in Tokyo
    against some draft security laws which are meant to extend the Japanese army’s
    prerogatives and which have been described by critics as infringing the
    pacifist fundamental law of the country. The rally is proof of a greater
    mobilisation in Japan, in the context in which conservative Prime Minister
    Shinzo Abe hopes these draft laws will be passed by Parliament in the current
    session, which comes to an end in late September. The draft laws would allow
    the Japanese army to get involved in fighting operations abroad, if need be, to
    protect the interests of the country, which would be a first since the end of
    WWII.


    ARREST -Three Romanian nationals were taken into custody in Hungary on Saturday, on suspicion of human trafficking. They are detained by the Budapest police, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced. The ministry also says that 26 Romanian citizens have been arrested in Hungary, on human trafficking charges, since August the 26th. None of them has requested consular assistance so far.


    BOOK FAIR – Romania has recently participated for the first time in the Beijing International Book Fair, having its own stand organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute. According to the organisers, the Romanian Cultural Institute designed the events so as to cast light on the Romanian literary heritage and to provide a fresh perspective on the current literary and editorial developments in Romania. Now, in its 22nd edition, the International Book Fair in Beijing is the largest event of its kind organised by China. According to the Director General of the General Department of Romanian Cultural Institutes Abroad, Ioana Dragan, on August 31st, the Foreign Language University in Beijing will host two much awaited events, a conference devoted to the Romanian Language Day and the announcement on the official opening of the Beijing-based Library of the Romanian Cultural Institute.

    WEATHER – The counties of Satu Mare, Bihor, Arad, Timis, Caras-Severin, Mehedinti, Botosani, Iasi, Bacau and Vaslui will further be under code orange alert on Monday and Tuesday. The heat wave will also sweep all the regions of the country placed under code yellow alert, where temperatures will range between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists warn temperatures in the ten counties placed under code orange alert will range between 37 and 38 degrees, with a high temperature- humidity index.

  • Impressive Anti-Corruption Cases

    Impressive Anti-Corruption Cases

    Famous Romanian businessman Adrian Sarbu is a member of a select group, that of press magnates, which at this point in Romania has come to be a pejorative term. He is accused of instigation to tax evasion, money laundering and graft — crimes allegedly committed as the owner of a major media trust. In a scenario which has become all too common, Sarbu claims he is innocent and that he is the victim of a fabricated case.


    Adrian Sarbu: “Everything is a fabrication, the charges are ridiculous. Here are the handcuffs, ok? No point in commenting further.”



    With his discreet public presence, navigating in the shadows under every post-communist political regime, Sarbu has the reputation of a visionary, as he managed as early as the 1990s to bring to the domestic market a Western type management. However, his is not the only major case hitting the headlines this week. Four judges were convicted for bribe taking to provide undue help to businessman Dan Adamescu in a few cases of insolvency. The latter got a mandatory sentence of four years and four months, while one of the judges, Mircea Moldovan, was sentenced to no less than 22 years — an absolute record among magistrates. However, in that case the sentence is not final.



    In another case pursued by the more and more active Anti-Corruption Directorate, a former president of the Romanian Boxing Federation, and a mayor in the country’s south east have been detained. The charges are that, in 2011, when they were organizing a boxing gala, they siphoned off a part of the money provided by the Ministry of Development for the organization of the event. In the same case, the Development Minister, Elena Udrea, and the Minister of the Economy, Ion Ariton, both currently holding seats in Parliament, are also under investigation. She has been painted into a corner, after being indicted last week in quite another corruption case. Udrea claimed that the new investigation was retaliation for the accusations she had made last week against the interim head of the Romanian Intelligence Service, Florian Coldea.



    Those three cases, even if they involve famous business people, politicians and magistrates, are not the most spectacular by a long shot, which is not a trifle in a country in which that type of high level investigations were considered, not that far back, a virtual impossibility.

  • June 6, 2014

    June 6, 2014

    ARRESTS– People holding top level managing positions in important state institutions in Romania have been taken into custody by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for bribe taking and influence peddling. They are brought to court today, the prosecutors calling for their being remanded in custody, pending trial. Two of those arrested are the vice-president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority and a director with ENEL, an important electricity supplier. According to the prosecutors, Enel Muntenia, a company with hundreds of thousands of customers, has allegedly doubled the tax levied for green certificates. By this mechanism, hundreds of thousands of customers have been cheated. The situation has been discovered by the energy regulatory authority, which has proposed a 6% cut in tariffs, as a penalty. The vice-president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority has however intervened in favour of the supplier, getting in exchange a contract in favour of a private company. In another move, one of the richest businesspeople in Romania, Dan Adamescu, is today being brought to court, and is likely to be remanded in custody, pending trial. He is detained in a lawsuit, in which he is accused of giving bribe in exchange for receiving favourable solutions in insolvency files involving some of his companies.



    D-DAY 70th ANNIVERSARY-19 of the most important world leaders, among whom US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Queen Elisabeth II of Great Britain and Russian President Vladimir Putin, are today celebrating, on the French beaches of Normandy, 70 years since the decisive moment of victory over Nazi Germany, in WW II. The ceremonies are however overshadowed by the Ukraine crisis and the tense relations with Russia, following Crimea’s annexation. The Allies’ Landing, also known in history as D-Day, continues to be, to the present day, the largest military operation in history, involving the participation of some 3 million troops, who crossed the Channel from Great Britain to Normandy, in Northern France.



    ECONOMY– A joint mission of the IMF, the European Commission and the World Bank is currently in Bucharest, until June the 16th, on a third assessment of the precautionary stand-by agreement signed with Romania last autumn. Today, representatives of the international lenders are having talks at the Health Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the National Bank of Romania. The talks are mainly aimed at finding solutions to introduce a 5% reduction in employer social security contributions, as of July the 1st. Following this week’s talks with representatives of the international lenders, the Romanian government has approved a series of measures meant to render the railway sector more efficient. These measures are part of Romania’s general transport master plan.



    UKRAINE– An approximately 150-200 km long sector of the border between Ukraine and Russia is currently under the control of pro-Russian militias, the RIA Novosti news agency quotes the so-called Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Luhansk Republic, Vasili Nikitin, as saying. We recall that the Ukrainian government on Thursday decided to close down a sector of its border with Russia, alongside the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, for security reasons, sources with the Ukrainian government have announced. The Ukrainian army is currently carrying out an anti-terrorist operation in the Russian speaking regions in southeastern Ukraine, where it faces a separatist insurgency. The events have taken a dramatic turn in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where scores of dead and wounded among civilians have already been reported.



    TENNIS– Romanian tennis player Simona Halep will go up one position in WTA standings on Monday, being ranked 3rd in the world, irrespective of the result she will have scored in Saturday’s Roland Garros final against Russian Maria Sharapova. Halep has reached the finals of the second largest Grand Slam of the year after defeating German Andrea Petkovic in two sets. It is for the first time that Halep, who has been declared the woman tennis player with the greatest ascension in 2013, qualifies for a Grand Slam final. The last woman tennis player from Romania to play in a Grand Slam final was Virginia Ruzici, back in 1980, also at the Roland Garros, a tournament that she had won years before, in 1978.



    THEATRE– The 21st edition of the International Theatre Festival, the largest event of its kind in Romania, opens its doors in the central Romanian town of Sibiu. For ten days, hundreds of events, put up by 2,500 actors, artists and directors from 70 countries will turn Sibiu into a huge stage. The highlights of the festival will include theatre shows, dance, music, street performances, circus shows, exhibitions, reading sessions and conferences. Theatre critics rank Sibfest the 3rd largest festival of its kind in the world, after those in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Avignon in France.