Radio România Internațional

Tag: child welfare

January 13, 2016 UPDATE

ECONOMY– World Bank representatives are optimistic about Romanias economic performance but they warn however that some potential risks must not be neglected. A delegation of the World Bank, led by the Regional Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia, Cyril Muller, was received in Bucharest on Wednesday by Romanias President Klaus Iohannis. During the talks, the economic experts reiterated the WBs interest in further supporting economic and institutional reforms meant to boost Romanias development in the long run. These reforms are mainly destined for the sector of state enterprises and are also aimed at improving corporatist governance as well as at developing and modernising key sectors, such as transports. The meeting was held just days after the technocratic cabinet in Bucharest and the World Bank signed a new memorandum under which the World Bank grants technical assistance to Romanian public institutions until 2023. Thanks to a first memorandum, some 20 public institutions benefited from over 30 million Euro worth of funding, between 2012 and 2015.

CHILD WELFARE – The Romanian Ambassador to Oslo has held talks at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, where he has underlined the Norwegian authorities taking into custody five children of a mixed Romanian-Norwegian family, with residence in Norway, is a social case with a huge emotional and media impact. He made the proposal to the Norwegian side to start political cooperation with the relevant Romanian authorities in order to manage the case, the spokesperson for the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Raluca Lunculescu, announced on Wednesday. She added that law observance and the familys sensibility had been taken into consideration before starting any form of public communication on the case. Earlier, the Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest explained that an order of foster care placement is issued only when the child has been severely neglected, maltreated or abused. Rallies of support for Ruth and Marius Bodnariu have been staged in several cities across Romania and abroad. We recall that the five children of the family, aged between 4 months and 10 years, have been taken into custody by the Norwegian state, for reportedly having been disciplined by their parents. Their father, Marius Bodnariu, of Romanian descent, denounces the move, deeming it an abuse but he admitted to having applied small physical corrections on children. A joint delegation of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies and Senate will pay an official visit to Oslo next week for talks with representatives of the Norwegian Parliament on child protection laws, starting from the Bodnariu case. In turn, President Klaus Iohannis expressed his support for the efforts made by the Romanian Government to assure “the observance of human rights for the Romanian citizens, wherever they may be.

DIPLOMACY– Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazar Comanescu, on Thursday and Friday will attend the informal meeting on foreign policy and security related issues, Snow Meeting, at the invitation of his counterpart, Linas Linkevicius. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the event will bring together decision-makers and experts in foreign policy and security from NATO and EU member states, high ranking officials of the two organisations and academics. Security developments in NATOs eastern and southern neighbourhood, as well as the alliances response to such developments are the focal points of Snow Meeting 2016. Other issues high on the agenda of the meeting are the prospects of the NATO Summit due in Warsaw in July and the stage of implementation of the decisions made at the previous summit held in Great Britain in September 2014.

STRASBOURG – An employer has the right to monitor the employees online communications during work time, according to a ruling issued by the European Court of Human Rights, following a complaint made by a Romanian engineer who got fired in 2007 for having spent time chatting on the computer during work time. He brought the issue to the European court, saying that by having his private conversations intercepted, his right to privacy was violated. In turn, the employer justified the decision to lay out the engineer for not using the electronic mail for professional purposes, but to communicate with his brother and girl-friend, against the backdrop of internal rules and regulations which forbid employees to use the companys resources for personal use. The man who was made redundant initially brought the issue to a Romanian court, which issued an unfavourable ruling, so he took the case to the European court, to no avail. In the ruling it issued, the European Court of Human Rights says an employer does not commit an abuse when checking on its employees to see whether or not they accomplish their professional tasks during work hours. Also, the European Court of Human Rights considers that the first Romanian court kept a correct balance between the employers interests and the observance of private correspondence confidentiality, because only transcripts of the conversations attesting to the fact that the employee used the companys computer for his personal interest during work time, have been used in court, and the identity of other people involved in the conversations has not been disclosed.

MOLDOVA– The President of the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population), Nicolae Timofti, on Wednesday announced he had rejected the proposal made by the Democratic Party for the position of Prime Minister, namely the controversial businessman Vlad Plahotniuc. Timofti called on the parliamentary majority to come up with a new candidacy and underlined that his rejection of Plahotniuc is based on Constitutional provisions and on rulings issued by the Constitutional Court, which stipulate that the nomination of people suspected of integrity-related issues for leading positions runs counter to the principles of the rule of law. A member of the Democratic Party and backed by a heterogeneous majority, ranging from pro-European Liberals to ex-communists, who are traditionally of pro-Russian orientation, Plahotniuc is described by his opponents as an oligarch who has repeatedly been accused of involvement in illegal activities which mar the image of the Republic of Moldova. If a new government does not get endorsement until January 29, the President will have to dissolve Parliament and call for snap elections.

SPORTS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, WTAs no.2, on Thursday will meet Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (WTAs no.25) in the semi-finals of the Sydney tournament, with 687,000 dollars prize money up for grabs. Halep has an overall 3-2 lead on the Russian player in the direct matches.

(Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)

13 January 2016
International Support for Bodnariu Family

Late last week, thousands of Romanians took to the streets, both in the country and abroad, to voice their solidarity with a mixed Romanian-Norwegian family whose children were taken two months ago by the Norwegian social services and placed in foster care. An international adoption procedure has also been started for the five children of Ruth and Marius Bodnariu, a nurse and an IT engineer respectively. Aged between four months and nine years, the children were taken from their parents after the principal of the school attended by the older daughters reported that the couple subjected their children to physical punishments. Moreover, as members of the Pentecostal faith, the Bodnarius are suspected of what Norway defines as religious indoctrination of children.

For Romanians, a mostly Orthodox nation with strong religious sensibilities and a firm commitment to traditional values, which include minor physical punishments as part of the common education methods, such accusations are absurd. And the idea of a new-born being taken from his mother and from a functional family to be placed in an institution, together with his siblings, is completely unacceptable. The participants in the support rallies held in Bucharest, Cluj, Timisoara and Constanta described the Norwegian legislation in this respect as ridiculous, outrageous, or even Nazi-like.

Soundbite: “This is unacceptable. No other state has legislation of this kind. The children belong in their families, they dont belong to the state.

Outside Romanian borders, in Rome, Madrid, Brussels or The Hague, thousands of people demanded the involvement of the Government and Presidency in the Bodnariu case. Here is the president of the Federation of Romanian Associations in Spain, Daniel Tecu:

Daniel Tecu: “I have a direct message for the President: we are the ones who get presidents elected, and we are also the ones who bring them down if they fail to protect our interests. And I also have a message for all politicians in Romania: the diaspora has awoken.

This is an emotional response, and one that has no grounds, because the Romanian authorities have already reacted to the case. The Foreign Ministry and the Ambassador of Norway to Bucharest, Tove Bruvik Westberg, have agreed to work together to resolve the issue. Also at the initiative of the Romanian diplomacy, the Child Welfare Authority sent a proposal to the corresponding body in Norway regarding the integration of the five children in their uncles family in Romania, and an answer is expected within days. A delegation of Parliaments Committee on Romanian communities abroad will travel to Norway next week. In turn, the Bodnariu family challenged in court the measures taken by the Norwegian authorities.

(translation by: Ana Maria Popescu)

11 January 2016
January 10, 2016 UPDATE

CHILD WELFARE- The Romanian and Norwegian authorities will continue talks next week on the five children of the Bodnariu family, who have been taken into custody by the Norwegian child welfare services, Barnevernet, after reportedly having been physically disciplined by their parents. Romanias Ambassador to Oslo is due to meet representatives of the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion on January 13. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that, at its initiative, the Romanian Child Protection Authority has issued a proposal for the Norwegian side to agree with the childrens integration into their uncles family in Romania and is waiting for an answer in the coming days. In turn, the Bodnariu family have contested in court the measures taken by the Norwegian local authorities. Meanwhile, rallies of support for the Bodnariu couple have been staged in several cities across Romania and abroad.

HEAVY PRECIPITATION-The National Meteorological Authority has issued a warning against heavy precipitation valid for western, northern and central Romania until Tuesday morning. Meteorologists forecast very heavy rainfalls in the north, where 25-30 litres are likely to fall per square meter, and even 40-50 litres per square meter, in isolated places. Sleet is expected to fall in the mountains. On Monday, the sky will continue to be overcast in most regions, but temperatures will be higher than usual for this time of the year. The lowest temperatures will range between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, whereas the highs will vary from 6 to 14 degrees Celsius.

EXPULSION– A Jordanian national, Jamal Khalil, was expelled from Romania on Saturday, for national security reasons. The High Court of Cassation and Justice has dismissed the defences appeal against a ruling issued by the Court of Appeals in Bucharest in late 2015. Jamal Khalil has been declared undesirable for 15 years, after the relevant authorities have discovered solid evidence leading to the conclusion that the Jordanian citizen carried out activities which put in jeopardy Romanias national security. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Jamal A. Abdel Jabbar Khalil Shalash, who has been living in Romania since 1991, was monitored by the Service since 2014. The intelligence agency said the Jordanian national was unconditionally supporting the Islamic State terrorist group, for which he was conducting online propaganda campaigns, being willing to get involved in prospective actions targeting Romanias security.

TOUGHER ASYLUM LAWS -
German Justice Minister, Heiko Maas, has said he
believes the sexual assaults and street muggings against women in Cologne on
New Year’s Eve were coordinated and
prepared ahead of time. In an interview with the German newspaper Bild
am Sonntag, Maas has said his suspicion is that a specific date was
picked up, and a certain number of people expected, which adds a whole new
dimension to the investigation. He accused xenophobic organisations of using
these crimes in order to stir up hatred against immigrants. The New Year’s
string of attacks created a shock wave in Germany and magnified criticism
against the openness policy towards migrants, pursued by German chancellor Angela
Merkel. On Saturday, at the end of a political meeting, Merkel stood for
toughening laws to expedite deportation for asylum seekers who commit crimes.

EU-UKRAINE – The EC President, Jean Claude Juncker, stood in favour of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, ahead of a referendum in the Netherlands, set for April 6, that might block the ratification of the document. In an interview to the Dutch media, the President of the European Commission urged Dutch voters to say “yes in the referendum on the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine. A negative vote is tantamount to a victory scored by Russia and could open the doors to a continental crisis. The Dutch should go to the polls on April 6 and should vote in the referendum as a European strategist, being aware that the agreement is also to the benefit of the Netherlands, says Jean Claude Juncker. The initiators of the referendum say however that a rejection of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine will help stabilise the relations with Russia and calm things down

H-BOMB TEST– North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said the hydrogen bomb test carried by his country is a self-defensive step against a U.S. threat of nuclear war. Kim Jong Un has also said his country has “the legitimate right of a sovereign state to do that and deemed it “a fair action that nobody can criticize, the Korean state news agency has reported. A fourth nuclear test carried out by North Korea on Wednesday angered both China, its main ally, and the United States, who hadn’t been earlier notified of the test, although the U.S. government and weapons experts doubt North Koreas claim that the device was actually a hydrogen bomb, Reuters reports. Analysts believe the test, which produced an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 degrees, too weak for a real hydrogen bomb test, was meant to open the stage for a rare congress of the ruling Workers Party, the first such meeting since 1980. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern, saying it is a provocation to peace and security.

FIRE -
Three people who sustained severe burn injuries in a fire which broke out in a
coffee shop in the capital city of the Republic of Moldova, Chishinau, on
Sunday were flown over to Bucharest by a specially equipped aircraft of the
Romanian Air Forces. 17 people, among whom children, with burns and smoke
inhalation injuries were taken to various hospitals in Chishinau. The authorities
say the fire might have been caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder, but the
circumstances of the accident should still be investigated.

BUCHAREST ON VOGUES “MUST-TRAVEL LIST– Romanias capital city, Bucharest, has been added by the US Vogue Magazine on the “Must-Travel List. In an article posted on the Vogue website, the American journalists present seven urban attractions, to help tourists “discover all of the newness this old city has to offer, as “while the historic wartime architecture remains, Bucharest also upholds a modern, cosmopolitan vibe. These include several bars, coffee shops and stores in the city centre, apart from well-known tourist objectives such as the Romanian Athenaeum or the National Contemporary Art Museum, hosted by the Peoples Palace. One such attraction is considered to be a bar with “an industrial design and an urban vibe, boasting a delicious Italian menu and a club downstairs, “one of the coolest nightclubs and concert venues in the city. Other locations include a coffee shop where they roast their own coffee, “a slightly concealed storefront in an old typography building, that houses some of the worlds coolest fashion labels, or a store which is “the place to visit for exclusive fragrances, niche colognes and obscure scents.

TENNIS– Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, WTA’s no.2, on Tuesday will meet French Caroline Garcia in
the second round of the Sydney Tournament, with 753,000 dollars in prize money
up for grabs. The two tennis
players will be meeting for the first time, with Halep being first seeded. Last week, the Romanian tennis player withdrew
from the Brisbane International, after suffering injuries ahead of a second round
match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who won the tournament.

(Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)

10 January 2016
January 10, 2016

CHILD WELFARE- The Romanian and Norwegian authorities will continue talks next week on the five children of the Bodnariu family, who have been taken into custody by the Norwegian child welfare services, Barnevernet, after reportedly having been physically disciplined by their parents. Romanias Ambassador to Oslo is due to meet representatives of the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion on January 13. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that, at its initiative, the Romanian Child Protection Authority has issued a proposal for the Norwegian side to agree with the childrens integration into their uncles family in Romania and is waiting for an answer in the coming days. In turn, the Bodnariu family have contested in court the measures taken by the Norwegian local authorities. Meanwhile, rallies of support for the Bodnariu couple have been staged in several cities across Romania and abroad.

EXPULSION– A Jordanian national, Jamal Khalil, was expelled from Romania on
Saturday, for national security reasons. The High Court of Cassation and
Justice has dismissed the defence’s appeal against a ruling issued by the Court
of Appeal in Bucharest, in late 2015. Jamal Khalil has been declared undesirable
for 15 years, after the relevant authorities have discovered solid evidence
leading to the conclusion that the Jordanian citizen carried out activities
which put in jeopardy Romania’s national security. According to the Romanian
Intelligence Service, Jamal A.
Abdel Jabbar Khalil Shalash, who has been living in Romania since 1991, was
monitored by the Service since 2014. The intelligence agency said the Jordanian
national was unconditionally supporting the Islamic State terrorist group, for
which he was conducting online propaganda campaigns, being willing to get
involved in prospective actions targeting Romania’s security.

HEAVY PRECIPITATION-The National Meteorological Authority has issued a warning against heavy rainfall and precipitation valid for western, northern and central Romania until Tuesday morning. 25- 30 litres per square meter are likely to be registered in the north and even 40-50 litres per square meter in places. Mixed precipitation is expected in the mountains. The sky is overcast in most regions, but it is warmer than usual for this time of the year in all regions of the country. The highs of the day range between 2 and 12 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 5 degrees.

EU-UKRAINE – The EC President, Jean Claude Juncker, stood in favour of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, ahead of a referendum in the Netherlands, set for April 6, that might block the ratification of the document. In an interview to the Dutch media, the President of the European Commission urged Dutch voters to say “yes in the referendum on the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine. A negative vote is tantamount to a victory scored by Russia and could open the doors to a continental crisis. The Dutch should go to the polls on April 6 and should vote in the referendum as a European strategist, being aware that the agreement is also to the benefit of the Netherlands, says Jean Claude Juncker. The initiators of the referendum say however that a rejection of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine will help stabilise the relations with Russia and calm things down

H-BOMB TEST– North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said the hydrogen bomb test carried by his country is a self-defensive step against a U.S. threat of nuclear war. Kim Jong Un has also said his country has “the legitimate right of a sovereign state to do that and deemed it “a fair action that nobody can criticize, the Korean state news agency has today reported. A fourth nuclear test carried out by North Korea on Wednesday angered both China, its main ally, and the United States, who hadnt been earlier notified of the test, although the U.S. government and weapons experts doubt North Koreas claim that the device was actually a hydrogen bomb, Reuters reports. Analysts believe the test, which produced an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 degrees, too weak for a real hydrogen bomb test, was meant to open the stage for a rare congress of the ruling Workers Party, the first such meeting since 1980. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern, saying it is a provocation to peace and security.

SPORTS – Romanias national mens handball team is today meeting Finland, on home soil, in a fourth match for the 2017 World Championship qualification. In the first match, played away from home, in Vantaa, Romania won 34-21 to Finland. Sports commentators say this return match seems to be more like an official training game, open to the public, ahead of the real test, the match with Austria, due in Romania, on January 14. The Romanian handball players will have to secure a victory, after having lost a match in Vienna, 24-27. If they manage to secure a net victory, they will qualify for the World Championship Play-offs.

(Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)

10 January 2016
January 9, 2015 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY – Romanias relationship with Germany is strategic, and the visit made to Berlin on Thursday by the Romanian delegation headed by PM Dacian Cioloş proves the importance and attention that Bucharest pays to this country, said the Foreign Minister Lazăr Comănescu in an interview to Radio Romania News and Current Affairs. The Romanian official added that next week he would once again travel to Berlin, for a bilateral visit. Lazar Comanescu highlighted the importance of Germany as the economic engine of Europe, and as a partner of Romania. According to the Foreign Minister, over 20% of Romanias foreign trade involves Germany. He also explained that more than 20,000 companies running on German capital operate in Romania and have created more than 300,000 jobs here.

PROTESTS – In several cities in Romania, protests took place on Saturday to express support for the Bodnariu family, whose children were taken in November 2015 by child protection authorities in Norway. Solidarity marches were also organised in Italy, Netherlands, and Belgium. On Friday, Romanian and Norwegian officials discussed this topic in Bucharest, and agreed to work together to settle the issue. The Ambassador of Romania to Oslo will have a meeting on January 13 with representatives of Norways Ministry for Children, Equality and Social Inclusion. A parliamentary delegation made up of members of the Committee on Romanian communities abroad will make a visit to Norway between January 18 and 22, to discuss the case. The Norwegian social services took the 5 Bodnariu children from their parents, after the principal of the school attended by the older daughters reported that the children were subjected to physical punishment by their parents.

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced support, at the end of a political meeting on Saturday, for tougher legislation on deporting asylum seekers who commit crimes and receive sentences in German courts, France Presse reports. The move comes after the attacks on New Years Eve in the city of Cologne, which involved immigrants having applied for asylum in Germany. At present, under German law, asylum seekers can only be sent back if they are sentenced to at least three years in prison, but on condition that their life and health are not threatened in their country of origin. As many as 1.1 million asylum seekers reached Germany in 2015. The attacks on the New Year night sparked outrage in Germany and fuelled criticism against Chancellor Merkels open-door policy towards migrants, AFP also says. Several hundreds of supporters of the far-right Pegida movement Saturday staged a protest against the immigrants in Cologne, concurrently with a left-wing counter-demonstration.

WEATHER – The Romanian Meteorology Agency issued a notice warning of substantial rainfalls in the west, north and centre of the country, valid until Tuesday morning. In the mountains, rains will turn into sleet and snow. In the northern part of the country, rainfalls will amount to 25-30 litres per square metre.

SPORTS – The Romanian player Monica Niculescu Saturday won the first title for Romanian tennis in 2016. Jointly with the American Vania King, she won the doubles final of the tournament in Shenzhen (China), which has 430,000 US dollars in prize money. In the final, Niculescu/King won 6-1, 6-4, the match against the Chinese Yi-Fan Xu / Saisai Zheng, seeded no. 1. Monica Niculescu also won the doubles tournament in Shenzhen, in 2014, together with Klara Koukalova (the Czech Republic).

9 January 2016
January 9, 2015 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY – Romanias relationship with Germany is strategic, and the visit made to Berlin on Thursday by the Romanian delegation headed by PM Dacian Cioloş proves the importance and attention that Bucharest pays to this country, said the Foreign Minister Lazăr Comănescu in an interview to Radio Romania News and Current Affairs. The Romanian official added that next week he would once again travel to Berlin, for a bilateral visit. Lazar Comanescu highlighted the importance of Germany as the economic engine of Europe, and as a partner of Romania. According to the Foreign Minister, over 20% of Romanias foreign trade involves Germany. He also explained that more than 20,000 companies running on German capital operate in Romania and have created more than 300,000 jobs here.

PROTESTS – In several cities in Romania, protests took place on Saturday to express support for the Bodnariu family, whose children were taken in November 2015 by child protection authorities in Norway. Solidarity marches were also organised in Italy, Netherlands, and Belgium. On Friday, Romanian and Norwegian officials discussed this topic in Bucharest, and agreed to work together to settle the issue. The Ambassador of Romania to Oslo will have a meeting on January 13 with representatives of Norways Ministry for Children, Equality and Social Inclusion. A parliamentary delegation made up of members of the Committee on Romanian communities abroad will make a visit to Norway between January 18 and 22, to discuss the case. The Norwegian social services took the 5 Bodnariu children from their parents, after the principal of the school attended by the older daughters reported that the children were subjected to physical punishment by their parents.

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced support, at the end of a political meeting on Saturday, for tougher legislation on deporting asylum seekers who commit crimes and receive sentences in German courts, France Presse reports. The move comes after the attacks on New Years Eve in the city of Cologne, which involved immigrants having applied for asylum in Germany. At present, under German law, asylum seekers can only be sent back if they are sentenced to at least three years in prison, but on condition that their life and health are not threatened in their country of origin. As many as 1.1 million asylum seekers reached Germany in 2015. The attacks on the New Year night sparked outrage in Germany and fuelled criticism against Chancellor Merkels open-door policy towards migrants, AFP also says. Several hundreds of supporters of the far-right Pegida movement Saturday staged a protest against the immigrants in Cologne, concurrently with a left-wing counter-demonstration.

WEATHER – The Romanian Meteorology Agency issued a notice warning of substantial rainfalls in the west, north and centre of the country, valid until Tuesday morning. In the mountains, rains will turn into sleet and snow. In the northern part of the country, rainfalls will amount to 25-30 litres per square metre.

SPORTS – The Romanian player Monica Niculescu Saturday won the first title for Romanian tennis in 2016. Jointly with the American Vania King, she won the doubles final of the tournament in Shenzhen (China), which has 430,000 US dollars in prize money. In the final, Niculescu/King won 6-1, 6-4, the match against the Chinese Yi-Fan Xu / Saisai Zheng, seeded no. 1. Monica Niculescu also won the doubles tournament in Shenzhen, in 2014, together with Klara Koukalova (the Czech Republic).

9 January 2016