Radio România Internațional

Tag: ISIS

  • March 25, 2024

    March 25, 2024

    MOSCOW The four suspects of the Friday’s attack, which killed 137 and wounded over 180 at a concert venue in Moscow were brought to court on Sunday. All had wounded faces and, according to Reuters, one of them, which was being carried in a wheelchair apparently had an eye missing. The authorities have presented them as foreign citizens without revealing their nationality, but according to the Russian press, they are from Tajikistan. The attack has been claimed by the Asian branch of ISIS, which even released images during the massacre. The Russian investigators didn’t mention the Jihadi connection, whereas president Putin and the Russian Security Service FSB have mentioned the suspects’ intention to flee to Ukraine, where they had contacts. Kyiv has rejected the theory as absurd. The Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has conveyed condolences to the victims’ families underlining that Romania is firmly condemning any form of terrorism and violence against civilians.

     

    ALERT The government of France has raised the terror alert warning to its highest level after the Friday’s massacre in Moscow. The country’s Premier, Gabriel Attal, said in a post on a social network that “the decision was taken in light of the Islamic State’s claiming responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country.” France is one of the countries, which has seen some of the bloodiest terror attacks masterminded by Islamist fighters, such as the ones in 2015-2016, which left roughly 300 dead and hundreds of wounded. The government in Paris has explained that the aforementioned Islamist organization has been recently involved in a series of attempted attacks, which have been thwarted by the police forces in several European countries, such as France and Germany and the head of the executive this morning summoned the representatives of the services responsible for the country’s security and safety of citizens.

     

    VOTE MPs in Bucharest are today debating upon a simple motion against Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu, who has been accused of having endorsed a law for the financial benefit of some politicians. Under the title ‘Praising Ceausescu cannot save the Romanian Agriculture’ the simple motion has been initiated by the opposition USR following the minister’s appreciative discourse about the country’s former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The USR representatives have been accusing the minister of having treated the protesting farmers with contempt and of having ignored the MPs requests to present his activity. The vote is going to be cast on Tuesday.

     

    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side Dunarea Braila has qualified for the final tournament of the EHF European League after a 26-25 home win against the Croatian side Podravka Vegeta on Sunday in the second round of the quarter finals. Dunarea, which also won the first game against Podravka, is Romania’s second representative in the EHF Finals Women, due on June 1 and 2 in Graz, Austria, after Gloria Bistrita. Romania’s champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarter finals of the Champions League in women’s handball after a double win against Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana and will be playing in the quarters against the French side Metz Handball.

    (bill)

  • May 11, 2022

    May 11, 2022

    INFLATION The year-on-year inflation rate in Romania went up to
    13.76% in April this year, as against 10.15% in March, according to data made
    public today by the National Statistics Institute. Non-food prices rose by
    16.35%, foodstuff prices by 13.54%, and services are 7.11% more expensive.
    Yesterday, in order to curb the inflation rise, the central bank announced a
    new increase in the key interest rate, which will trigger a rise in consumer
    and inter-bank loan interests. The National Bank of Romania expects the
    inflation rate to surge this summer more than previously forecast, and says the
    rate is not likely to return to under 10% until the second half of next year.


    VISIT The Speaker of the Senate of Romania, Florin Cîţu, is on an
    official visit to Poland today, at the invitation of his counterpart, Tomasz
    Grodzki. The main topics on the agenda are opportunities to consolidate
    bilateral relations between the 2 countries, the war in Ukraine and the
    economic fallout of the Russian aggression. Florin Citu announced that after
    his visit to Poland he will travel to the Republic of Moldova.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister
    Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in a ministerial meeting of     the Global
    Coalition against Daesh, held in Marrakesh, Morocco. According to the ministry,
    the meeting will be co-chaired by the USA and Morocco, with over 75
    representatives of the member states and international organisations expected
    to attend. Most member states are NATO and EU members, partner states in the
    Western Balkans, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, as well as the EU, NATO, and
    INTERPOL. The main topics will include the security
    situation in Iraq and Syria, as well as terrorism-related developments in
    Africa and Afghanistan.     Bogdan
    Aurescu will highlight Romania’s contribution as a Coalition member, including
    its participation since 2016 both in the Coalition Forces (as part of Operation
    Inherent Resolve and of the NATO mission in Iraq), and in the stabilisation and
    reconstruction efforts in the countries affected by ISIS activities.


    GOVERNMENT A draft emergency order to prevent
    speculation is being discussed today by the government of Romania. The decision
    comes after fuel, sunflower oil or masks and disinfectant prices skyrocketed
    overnight, in the context of the war in Ukraine or before that, during the
    pandemic. Speculation was criminalised before in Romania, shortly after WWII
    and after the fall of the communist regime in 1990.


    NATURAL
    GAS A bill to amend
    the Offshore Act, which will green light the development of natural gas
    reserves in the Black Sea, is discussed as of today by the Senate of Romania.
    According to the ruling coalition, which has tabled the bill, this is a much
    more balanced text than the one drafted 4 years ago. Tax facilities have been
    introduced for the companies interested in taking part in the development
    project, and in a few years’ time Romania’s reliance on Russian gas is expected
    to become significantly lower. The energy minister Virgil Popescu emphasised
    that by amending the current legislation onshore investments will also be
    encouraged, supply security will be ensured in case of an energy crisis and
    Romania may become a provider of regional energy security. Under the bill, the
    Romanian government will have pre-emptive rights in purchasing the natural gas.
    Romania’s biggest public natural gas producer, Romgaz, and the Austrian
    company OMV will extract the natural gas in the Black Sea in the coming years.

    COVID-19 The 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose will be available on
    request in Romania, in vaccination centres and family physician practices, as
    of May 16. According to the health ministry, only Pfiser vaccines can be
    administered, to people over 18 who have received 3 doses of mRNA vaccines, and
    at least 4 months after they have received the 3rd dose. Meanwhile, the
    health ministry announced 705 new COVID-19 cases and 7 related deaths in 24
    hours. 144 COVID patients are currently in intensive care.

    UKRAINE The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
    commented on the situation in Kharkiv, emphasising that the Ukrainian forces
    are repelling the invaders and freeing the region. Clashes continue on the
    Serpent Island as well, 45 km from Romania, with Russia trying to strengthen
    its vulnerable garrison on the island. Meanwhile, Ukraine has shut off the
    transit of Russian gas to Western Europe in Lugansk region, and says the
    occupation of its eastern part by Russian forces makes it impossible to control
    the flows. Over 32 million cubic metres of natural gas are halted, accounting
    for around one-third of Russia’s daily exports transiting Ukraine. In the US,
    the House of Representatives approved an additional 40 billion US dollars in
    aid for Ukraine. The act is to be rushed through the Senate and signed by
    president Joe Biden. The funds will be used for military support and humanitarian
    assistance for the civilians affected by the Russian invasion. (AMP)

  • February 17, 2019

    February 17, 2019

    FAC – On Monday, the Romanian
    Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend the Foreign Affairs Council in
    Brussels. The agenda of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting will include current
    issues such as Ukraine, Syria, the Horn of Africa and Venezuela, according to a
    release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest. On the sidelines
    of the meeting, the Romanian foreign minister will attend a working brunch on
    Ukraine, organized by his Danish counterpart Anders Samuelsen, with the
    Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin as the main guest .






    EMPLOYMENT – More than 10,000 notices of employment or posting were
    issued last year for foreigners coming to Romania to work, mostly from Vietnam,
    Turkey, Sri Lanka and China. According to the General Inspectorate for
    Immigration, more than 120,000 foreign citizens were registered in Romania at
    the end of last year, more than half of them from non-EU countries. For this
    year, the Romanian Government has approved a contingent of 20,000 workers newly
    admitted on the Romanian labour market. According to authorities, the decision
    was made taking into consideration Romania’s economic development potential and
    the need to provide the necessary workforce for certain sectors of the economy
    and also to prevent illegal labour.




    BREXIT – British Prime Minister Theresa May has decided to speak to
    every EU member state leader over the coming days and she has written a letter
    to the Conservative MPs to appeal for unity over Brexit, France Presse reports.
    In this letter, excerpts of which have been made public by Downing Street,
    Theresa May calls on her party to act for the benefit of the national interest.
    On Monday, Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay will meet EU chief negotiator Michel
    Barnier to discuss proposals put forward by a new working group of British
    lawmakers, exploring alternatives to the backstop in Ireland. Great Britain is
    due to leave the EU on March 29th, but its parliament last month
    rejected a draft divorce deal that Theresa May had negotiated with the EU,
    raising the risk of a no-deal Brexit.




    ISIS – US President Donald Trump has urged Great Britain, France and
    other European allies to take back their 800 Isis fighters captured in Syria
    and put them on trial. If this does not happen, the alternative is not a good
    one, in that we will be forced to release them, Trump said. In a message
    posted on a social network, Trump says that the entire Caliphate claimed by
    Isis in Syria and Iraq is ready to fall, and the US will pull out after
    declaring victory.






    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player
    Monica Niculescu was defeated by Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan on Sunday, in the
    last round of qualifications for the singles of the WTA tournament in Dubai,
    the United Arab Emirates, with 2.828.000 dollars in prize money. Simona Halep
    is third seed at the tournament and will go straight into the second round.
    Also from Romania, Mihaela Buzarnescu will take on in the first round the
    American Sofia Kenin. Four Romanian players will compete in the doubles:
    Buzarnescu will pair up with the Polish Alicja Rosolska, Irina Bara will play
    together with Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia, Monica Niculescu will play
    alongside the Chinese Xinyun Han, and Raluca Olaru will pair up with the Croat
    Darija Jurak. On Saturday night, in the final of the Doha tournament, Simona
    Halep, no.2 in the WTA rankings as of Monday, was defeated by the Belgian Elise
    Mertens 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. This is the first match against Halep won by Mertens (21
    WTA). Halep’s record includes 18 titles, including the Roland Garros. So far,
    she has lost 16 finals.

  • UE pregăteşte o nouă strategie pentru a sprijini Irakul după înfrângerea ISIS

    UE pregăteşte o nouă strategie pentru a sprijini Irakul după înfrângerea ISIS

    Statul Islamic a pierdut și ultimele teritorii pe care le controla în Irak, iar premierul irakian, Haider al-Abadi, a anunțat săptămâna trecută victoria împotriva grupării jihadiste. Un anunț similar fusese făcut, anterior, și de guvernul de la Damasc. Dispariția așa-numitului califat, proclamat de Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi în vara lui 2014, nu înseamnă, însă, că a dispărut și gruparea teroristă, iar membrii și simpatizanții acesteia continuă să amenințe Europa. Pe de altă parte, victoria împotriva jihadiștilor nu înseamnă și sfârșitul problemelor Irakului, care intră acum în etapa de reconstrucție, etapă în care are nevoie de sprijin international. Și aici, Uniunea Europeană are de jucat un rol important.

    Irakul a reușit să elibereze și ultimele teritorii pe care Statul Islamic le mai controla în apropierea graniței cu Siria, iar forțele loiale Baghdadului controlează, acum, întreg teritoriul țării, situație în care guvernul nu s-a mai aflat de la începutul lui 2012, când Statul Islamic a ocupat Fallujah. Marea provocare o va reprezenta, acum, reconstrucția numeroaselor orașe distruse în urma războiului cu Statul Islamic, dar și evitarea apariției unor noi fracturi între musulmanii șiiți și cei sunniți, dar și între arabi și kurzi.

    Uniunea Europeană pregătește o nouă strategie pentru a sprijini Irakul în perioada complicată​ care urmează, afirma șefa diplomației europene, Federica Mogherini, după Consiliul Afaceri Externe din 11 decembrie: Observăm, în teren, evoluții în înfrângerea Statului Islamic și credem că acesta nu este momentul în care să uităm de Irak. Din contra, acesta este momentul să intensificăm activitatea comună cu acea țară. Vom lucra pentru păstrarea unității, suveranității și integrității teritoriale a Irakului, și vom oferi ajutor pentru includerea minorităților și păstrarea diversității societății printr-o mai bună guvernare. Munca noastră de sprijinire a Irakului se va intensifica în lunile următoare, în special pentru a ne asigura că relațiile dintre Baghdad și Erbil se vor axa pe cooperare și că țara va reuși să evite o serie de greșeli care au fost făcute în trecut – cum ar fi subestimarea unor probleme care s-au transformat în ceva major cu care, după aceea a trebuit să ne confruntăm cu toții.

    Subestimarea anumitor probleme a permis, de altfel, explozia fulgerătoare a Statului Islamic în Irak. Gruparea jihadistă era prezentă acolo încă din perioada ocupației americane, când iordanianul Abu Musab al-Zarqawi și-a afiliat organizația la rețeaua Al Qaida și a declașat un jihad împotriva forțelor Washingtonului, guvernului de la Baghdad și comunității șiite a țării. Gruparea lui Zarqawi – ucis în 2006 – a suferit o serie de transformări și a pierdut numeroși luptători, mai ales în 2007 – 2008, fără a fi pe deplin eradicată. Jihadiștii au profitat de războiul civil sirian pentru a-și extinde operațiunile dincolo de graniță iar, ulterior, au revenit în Irak unde au fost beneficiarii a 2 mari greșeli – discriminarea sunniților de către guvernul de atunci al șiitului Nuri al-Maaliki și o slabă instruire a armatei. Sunniții aveau să tolereze sau chiar să sprijine prezența jihadiștilor, iar armata s-a dezintegrat, practic, în fața acestora în vara lui 2014. Mai mult, ideologia jihadiștilor s-a dovedit atrăgătoare pentru zeci de mii de tineri din întreaga lume, inclusiv din Europa, care au plecat să lupte în Siria și în Irak. Occidentul a devenit o țintă a acestor luptători și simpatizanți ai Statului Islamic, care au lansat atacuri teoriste în țări ca Statele Unite, Franța, Belgia, Marea Britanie, Germania și Spania.

    Numeroși experți au atras atenția că luptătorii străini care au supraviețuit ofensivelor din Irak și Siria împotriva Statului Islamic încearcă acum să revină în țările de origine – inclusiv State Europene – ceea ce înseamnă noi riscuri de securitate pentru acestea. Deocamdată, însă, după cum dădea asigurări coordonatorul Uniunii Europene pentru contra-terorism, Gilles de Kerchove, fluxul este unul redus.

    Pe de altă parte, grupările jihadiste, de la Al Qaida la Statul Islamic, au arătat de-a lungul timpului că au capacitatea de a se adapta la evoluțiile din teren și de a le folosi pentru a câștiga noi adepți – au profitat de neglijarea Afghanistanului după retragerea sovietică, de invazia americană a Irakului, de războiul civil sirian sau de problemele cu care s-au confruntat sunniții irakieni. Toate aceste cazuri și multe altele arată că războiul cu extremismul este departe de a se fi încheiat, iar evoluțiile din Orient produc efecte și în Occident.


  • August 2, 2017 UPDATE

    August 2, 2017 UPDATE

    FOOTBALL The Football Federation in Turkey has reached an agreement with Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu to train the country’s national eleven. Lucescu, 72, will be replacing Fatih Terim who resigned last week. We recall that in early 2000, Lucescu coached Turkish side Galatasary, which subsequently won Europe’s Supercup. Lucescu next moved to their rivals Besiktas. In 2004 the Romanian coach started training Shaktaar Donetsk, which dominated the domestic football competition in Ukraine and became one of Europe’s major football clubs. Lucescu was under no contract after leaving Russian side Zenit Sankt Petersburg.



    UNDESIRABLE The Court of Appeal in Bucharest has declared a Tunisian man living in Romania undesirable for 10 years for his involvement in terrorism-related activities. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), the man arrived in Romania in 2008 and subsequently went through stepped up Islamic radicalization. At the same time the man got involved in on-line propaganda activities for the Islamic State and was on a list of people providing funding for ISIS. The man was taken into custody by the General Immigration Inspectorate and will be expelled from Romania.



    SWINE FEVER Romania keeps its statute of a country free of swine flu, a statute it obtained in May this year, the head of the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food-Safety Authority Geronimo Branescu said. According to him, the swine flu and the African swine fever recently confirmed in northwestern Romania are completely different diseases. The African swine fever is a deadly disease for pigs, which cannot be transmitted to humans. However, because the African swine fever could bring the Romanian pig breeders on the verge of bankruptcy, they have called on the authorities to urgently approve the necessary measures to contain the epidemic. The African swine fever has so far affected Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.



    NON GRATA Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozyn on Wednesday was declared persona non grata by the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country. The decision was made by the government in Chisinau upon a proposal from Foreign Minister Andrei Galbur, after the Russian official had voiced his readiness to visit the Republic in September. We recall that last week his plane was denied permission to fly over Romania to land in the Republic of Moldova. The Russian official reacted angrily threatening the authorities in Bucharest. The deputy prime minister is one of the most senior Russian officials slapped with an EU visa ban in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.




  • Siria, un algoritmo cada vez más complicado

    Siria, un algoritmo cada vez más complicado

    “El presidente Bashar al-Asad es un hombre sin conciencia que junto con Rusia e Irán no desean la paz en Siria. Esta declaración pertenece a la embajadora estadounidense en la ONU, la señora Nikki Haley, después de que una reunión del Consejo de Seguridad dedicada al reciente ataque químico de Siria finalizara sin que se adoptara alguna resolución. Calificado de “inhumano y considerado “una crueldad sin equivalente y “un crimen de guerra por el secretario general de la ONU, Antonio Guterres, el ataque químico del pasado 4 de abril en la provincia rebelde de Idlib en el noroeste de Siria, se saldó con la muerte de decenas de civiles entre ellos muchos niños y más de 150 heridos, según el Observatorio Sirio de Derechos Humanos. “No podemos cerrar nuestros ojos a estas imágenes, ha declarado delante del Consejo de Seguridad la embajadora de EE. UU. a la hora de presentar imágenes de las víctimas del ataque con gas tóxico de Siria.


    Más detalles al respecto nos proporciona a continuación desde Washington la corresponsal de Radio Rumanía, Doina Saiciuc:



    “El ataque fue cometido por el régimen de Asad que ha atacado con armas químicas a su propia población tres veces hasta ahora, ha dicho la señora Haley. Nikki Haley también ha sugerido que si el Consejo de Seguridad fracasa repetidamente en su deber de actuar de forma colectiva, a veces los Estados se ven impulsados a emprender su propia acción. En nombre de las víctimas espero que los demás miembros de este Consejo deseen actuar.



    Dos días después, decenas de misiles crucero estadounidenses destruían la base aérea de Siria desde la que se originó el ataque químico. El presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, ha explicado que ordenó bombardear esta base porque el régimen de Asad utilizó armamento químico contra personas inocentes infringiendo los convenios internacionales. Sin embargo Rusia no comparte la misma opinión y afirma que “el ataque contra un Estado cuyo Gobierno lucha contra el terrorismo sólo favorece a los extremistas y crea amenazas suplementarias de la seguridad regional y global. Asimismo, Moscú considera que las acusaciones según las cuales el ejército sirio hubiera utilizado armas químicas contra los civiles en la localidad de Idlib el pasado 4 de abril no se corresponden con la realidad.



    En Moscú, el Ministerio ruso de Defensa ha presentado su propia versión del ataque con armas químicas. Según el Ministerio, la aviación siria bombardeó un depósito de municiones en la periferia de la localidad de Jan Sheijun donde también había una fábrica de proyectiles de armas químicas. Desde este arsenal los insurgentes transportaban la munición al territorio de Irak, donde la utilización de armas químicas por los terroristas ha sido confirmada por las autoridades y las organizaciones internacionales. Los mismos proyectiles químicos habían sido utilizados por los rebeldes en otoño del año pasado en Alepo. Lo han confirmado los expertos militares rusos, según ha declarado Moscú. En Siria, la oposición ha advertido que el ataque podría afectar a las negociaciones mediadas por la ONU en Ginebra y que hasta ahora, no han tenido ningún resultado, mientras que en Bruselas la jefa de la diplomacia europea, Federica Mogherini, ha abogado a favor de un esfuerzo fuerte para conseguir la paz en las negociaciones. ¿Qué oportunidades hay para estabilizar la situación en el territorio sirio, donde las cosas son cada vez más complicadas? En una entrevista para Radio Rumanía, el catedrático Ştefan Popescu, doctor en historia de las relaciones interncionales contemporáneas, ha explicado:



    “Desafortunadamente, Siria, que era un modelo de estabilidad, desde los años 80, con Hafez al-Asad, al que todos elogiaban por su sabiduría de gran estratega en Oriente Medio y Próximo, se ha convertido en el epicentro de una crisis de larga duración, en una plataforma de donde se propagan las ondas que desestabilizan todo el territorio de Oriente Medio en su sentido más amplio. Esta crisis casi no tiene final, ya que se trata de una mezcla de intereses, no solo de los países de esta región, sino también de las potencias regionales y las grandes potencias del mundo. Lo cierto es que el Estado Islámico no es un producto de la teología islámica en absoluto, sino de la geoestrategia en Oriente Medio y Próximo. También se trata del deseo de los sunitas de vengarse de los chiitas, ya que los sunitas han perdido su influencia en el Líbano, en Palestina y Siria.“



    Y también en Irak. A pesar de la preocupación general por encontrar una solución, la situación en Siria se ha vuelto cada vez más complicada. Y esto porque, según los analistas, no hay solo enfrentamientos internos, entre varios grupos y facciones, sino también hay intereses regionales, intereses geopolíticos y geoestratégicos en esta zona, que son cada vez más importantes. A finales del pasado marzo, en Ginebra finalizó la última ronda de negociaciones de paz en Siria, pero sin ningún resultado significativo.

  • Nachrichten 23.03.2017

    Nachrichten 23.03.2017

    Rumäniens Präsident Klaus Iohannis hat am Donnerstag mit der britischen Premierministerin Theresa May über den Londoner Terroranschlag, der neben dem britischen Parlament verübt wurde, telefoniert. Der rumänische Staatschef verurteilte den Anschlag sehr streng und erklärte seine volle Solidarität mit dem Britischen Königreich. Der Terrorgruppierung Islamischer Staat bekannte sich zu dem Anschlag. Die britische Premierministerin Theresa May verurteilte den Terroranschlag von London scharf. Es sei eine kranke und verkommene“ Tat gewesen, doch die Briten würden sich dadurch nicht unterkriegen lassen, sagte May am Mittwochabend bei einer Rede vor ihrem Amtssitz in der Downing Street. Außerdem kündigte sie an, die Terrorwarnstufe nicht zu erhöhen. Der Londoner Attentäter war den britischen Geheimdiensten bekannt. Das sagte die britische Premierministerin Theresa May am Donnerstag vor dem Parlament in London. Der Mann sei in Großbritannien geboren und vor einigen Jahren bei einer Untersuchung des Inlandsgeheimdiensts MI5 zu gewalttätigem Extremismus im Visier der Ermittler gewesen. Der Attentäter hatte am Mittwoch im Londoner Parlamentsviertel drei Menschen getötet, bevor er selbst von der Polizei erschossen wurde. Wir haben keine Angst, und unsere Entschlossenheit wird angesichts des Terrorismus niemals wanken, sagte May, nachdem sie mit den Abgeordneten eine Schweigeminute im Gedenken an die Opfer abgehalten hatte. An der Parlamentssitzung nahm auch der französische Außenminister Jean-Marc Ayrault teil. Er hatte zuvor die Angehörigen von drei französischen Oberschülern getroffen, die bei dem Anschlag ebenfalls verletzt wurden. Von den fast 30 ins Krankenhaus eingewiesenen Verletzten befinden sich 7 im kritischen Zustand, darunter auch eine Rumänin.



    Der rumänische Staatspräsident, Klaus Iohannis, hat am Donnerstag den Brigadegeneral Razvan Ionescu zum ersten Stellvertreter des Direktors des Innennachrichtendienstes SRI, Eduard Hellvig, ernannt. Der 45-jährige Razvan Ionescu, der mehr als 20 Jahre Erfahrung im operativen Dienst von SRI hat, ist der Nachfolger des Generals Florian Coldea, der am 17. Januar außer Dienst gestellt wurde. General Florian Coldea hatte vor seiner Außerdienststellung bereits seinen Rücktritt eingereicht. Eine Sonderkommission des Geheimdienstes hatte ihn zuvor von allen Vorwürfen illegaler Seilschaften unschuldig gesprochen, doch wollte Coldea aus Gründen der militärischen Würde zurücktreten. Florian Coldea war suspendiert worden, nachdem der ex-Abgeordnete Sebastian Ghita den General beschuldigt hatte, an illegalen Politränken beteiligt zu sein. Ghita selbst ist in mehreren Strafverfahren beschuldigt; gegen ihn wird steckbrieflich gefahndet, da er nach Weihnachten flüchtig wurde und sein Aufenthaltsort unbekannt ist.



    Einen Tag nach dem Terrorakt in London ist in der belgischen Stadt Antwerpen möglicherweise ein Anschlag verhindert worden. Nach Angaben eines Polizeisprechers raste am Donnerstagvormittag ein Mann mit hoher Geschwindigkeit durch die Haupteinkaufsstraße. Menschen hätten zur Seite springen müssen, hieß es. Das Auto wurde wenig später von Sicherheitskräften gestoppt. Der Fahrer sei festgenommen worden. In dem Auto wurden Waffen und illegale Stoffe sichergestellt. Bei dem festgenommenen Fahrer handelt es sich nach den ersten Ermittlungen um einen 39 Jahre alten Franzosen mit nordafrikanischen Wurzeln. Ob er gezielt Menschen totfahren wollte, blieb zunächst unklar. Im Kofferraum des Fahrzeuges von Mohamed R. fanden Ermittler nach Angaben der Staatsanwaltschaft Stichwaffen sowie ein Gewehr. Zudem wurde ein Kanister mit einer noch unbekannten Flüssigkeit entdeckt.



    69 Außenminister, darunter der Bukarester Chefdiplomat Teodor Melescanu, haben in Washington an dem ersten Gipfel der internationalen Koalition zur Bekämpfung der Dschihadisten des Islamischen Staats teilgenommen. Der besagte Gipfel wurde von der Donald Trump Verwaltung organisiert. Hauptziel des Treffens war die Bewertung des Fortschritts in der Bekämpfung der Aktionen von ISIS, mit Fokus auf die humanitäre Hilfe und die Maßnahmen nach den Konflikten in den von Dschihadisten befreiten Gebieten. Die Debatten wurden von dem amerikanischen Staatssekretär Rex Tillerson geführt, der einen Plan zur Schaffung einiger stabiler Zonen im Irak und Syrien angekündigt hat. Dieser soll den Menschen in den kriegsbefallenen Ländern helfen, zu ihren Häusern zurückzukehren. Zuvor hatte Präsident Trump die Idee von sicheren Zonen wiederholt unterstützt, um dem hohen Zufluss von Flüchtlingen nach Europa ein Ende zu setzen.



    Die Regierungen Rumäniens und der benachbarten Republik Moldau haben am Donnerstag im nordostrumänischen Piatra Neamt die dritte gemeinsame Sitzung gehabt. Premierminister Sorin Grindeanu erklärte, dass Bukarest Chişinău auf seinem Weg zur europäischen Integration weiterhin unterstützen wird. Außerdem versicherte er, dass Rumänien sich an der Privatisierung einiger staatlicher Unternehmen in der Republik Moldau beteiligen möchte. Sein Gegenüber in Chişinău, der prowestliche Pavel Filip, versicherte, dass die Republik Moldau in Richtung Westen blickt und dass sie das EU-Assoziierungsabkommen und die gestarteten Reformen weiterhin anwenden wird. Die Diskussionen zwischen den beiden Premierministern fanden statt, nachdem letze Woche der Präsident der Republik Moldau, der prorussische Sozialist Igor Dodon, erneut einen Moskaubesuch unternommen hatte. Dort wiederholte er die Aufkündigung der Assoziierungs- und Freihandelsabkommens mit der EU und die Vertiefung der Beziehungen zu der Eurasiatischen Union, sowie die Aufteilung der Republik Moldau in Bundesländern, als Lösung des Konflikts in Transnistrien, in Erwägung zu ziehen.

  • March 23, 2017

    March 23, 2017

    LONDON ATTACK — ”We will never give in to terror”, British Prime Minister Theresa May said in parliament a day after the attack in central London. The attacker, a Briton, was known by the security services, May pointed out. Eight people were arrested in relation to the attack. The Police has revised the death toll to 3, including a policeman. We remind you that on Wednesday an attacker drove his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing two, before crashing it outside parliament and trying to enter the building, armed with a knife. The attacker, believed to have had connections with international terrorism, stabbed an unarmed police officer who later died from the injuries, before being shot by armed police. 7 of the people injured in the attack are in critical condition. Among them a Romanian woman who was thrown into the Thames from Westminster Bridge. She was rescued from the water but had sustained injuries and is now in critical condition in hospital. Bucharest, just like the international community, has firmly condemned the attack.




    ENVIRONMENT — The Bucharest Government will finance this year environment protection projects and programmes worth almost 1 billion lei, that is some 220 million euros. Environment Minister, Daniel Constantin has said that the 2017 budget for the Environment Fund will be earmarked for the implementation of 11 measures, such as the car renewal programme, the GreeHome programme regarding the instalattion of heating systems running on renewable energy, as well as the water resources protection programme. Also, important amounts of the 2017 budget will go to afforestation and ecological reconstruction and to the waste management programme.




    ISIS – As many as 69 foreign ministers, among whom the head of the Romanian diplomacy Teodor Melescanu, attended on Wednesday, in Washington DC, the first summit of the Global Coalition working to Defeat ISIS. Wednesdays event was the first meeting of the coalition since the election of Donald Trump, who has pledged to make the fight against Islamic State a priority. US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who chaired the meeting, said the United States would set up “interim zones of stability” to help refugees return home in the next phase of the fight against Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria and Iraq. Tillerson called on coalition partners to make good on financial pledges to secure and rebuild areas where Islamic State has been pushed out. The coalition has pledged more than 2 billion dollars in assistance for Iraq and Syria in 2017.




    MOLDOVA – The governments of Romania and Moldova are meeting today in Piatra Neamt, in northeastern Romania, to assess the stage of joint projects under way and find new ways of cooperation. The two delegations are headed by the Romanian PM Sorin Grindeanu and his Moldovan counterpart, Pavel Filip. “The relationship that Romania and Moldova share is special. There are constant expectations from the citizens of the two countries. We will further support Moldova’s development and modernisation as well as this country’s bid for the EU”, PM Grindeanu has said.




    STRIKE – In Romania, rail traffic has gone back to normal after Wednesday’s spontaneous strike in several stations across the country, which caused huge delays. Negotiations with trade unions are being resumed today at the Transport Ministry’s offices. According to trade union leaders, the collective employment agreement has expired and, although the companys board proposed a 22.5% rise in the overall salary fund, the move isnt legally grounded, as the budget hasnt been approved.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • March 1, 2017 UPDATE

    March 1, 2017 UPDATE


    POST- BREXIT SCENARIOS On Wednesday, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presented 5 potential scenarios regarding the future of the EU after Brexit. He said that the EU summit due in Rome on March 25th, when the EU will celebrate its 60th anniversary, must be marked by the start of a new chapter for the European Union and called on the leaders of the member countries to show unity and leadership. The so-called white paper marks the beginning of a process through which the 27 EU members will decide together the future of the Union. The charter analyses the way in which Europe will change in the next ten years, from the impact of new technologies on society and jobs, to doubts concerning globalization, security threats and the rise of populism. The five scenarios include the possibility of a multi-speed Europe, with the member countries developing faster together, without forcing the community bloc to follow the same pace. The option has already raised concern in the east, including in Romania.



    VISIT On Wednesday, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis received the Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, whose country is holding the rotating presidency of the EU. The Romanian head of state voiced his opposition to the idea of a multi-speed Europe, saying that such a reconfiguration formula might lead to the dismantling of the EU. Both the president and PM Grindeanu stressed the need for a common stand of the EU regarding the domestic market and the rights of the European citizens in Great Britain after Brexit. The talks focused on the priorities of the Maltese presidency, in particular the future of Europe, the management of migration, strengthening the single market, the neighborhood policy and the enlargement process. The two prime-ministers also talked about preparations for Romanias taking over the presidency of the EU in the first half of 2019.



    INVESTIGATION The Supreme Council of the Magistracy has decided not to start a disciplinary investigation against the Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar and not to verify the conditions in which the National Anti-Corruption Directorate decided to investigate the drafting of the controversial emergency decree no.13. The emergency government decree amending the criminal law was later repealed by the government and rescinded by Parliament. According to Lazar, the decision by the Superior Council of the Magistracy is tantamount to a vote of confidence in the Prosecutor General and comes as a proof that the judiciary is independent. He said the investigation into the way in which the government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats issued the emergency decree will continue even after the Constitutional Court has ruled on the matter. On Monday, the Court noticed the existence of a legal conflict between the state powers generated by the fact that the National Anti-Corruption Directorate reportedly assumed prerogatives to verify the opportunity and legality of issuing the ordinance, prerogatives which belong only to Parliament and the Constitutional Court. The Court has said however that investigation into potential direct criminal acts is permitted. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate, which sent the file to the General Prosecutors Office, suspects the law might have been broken in this case, by means of aiding the offender, destroying documentary evidence and the ill-intended presentation of imprecise data.



    BUDGET DEFICIT The difference between the estimates made by the European Commission and those made by the Romanian Government on the countrys budget deficit in 2017 is the result of applying different estimation methodologies, reads a communiqué issued by the Romanian Finance ministry. The line ministry has given assurances that the Romanian authorities have assumed responsibility for a governing program which will observe the 3% budget deficit target. The communiqué was issued shortly after the European Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Pierre Moscovici had sent a letter to the Romanian Finance Ministry, following the European Commissions issuing country reports on the economic and social situation of the member states. According to the winter economic forecast made public in mid February, the public deficit in Romania might reach 3.6% of the GDP in 2017, as compared to 3.2%, the figure estimated in autumn, to then go up to 3.9% of the GDP in 2018.



    FISCAL MEASURES The Romanian Labour Ministry announced on Wednesday that the minimum guaranteed social pension was increased, as of March 1, from some 90 Euros to 115 Euros. The measure, which benefits some one million pensioners, will have a budgetary impact of over 225 million Euros, according to data released by the Fiscal Council. However, a number of fiscal measures which should have taken effect on March 1st were postponed. These include zero VAT for advertising and for selling dwellings with a market value below 100,000 Euros. Also, a VAT cut for raw materials and services provided in agriculture is no longer enforced and healthcare employees will not receive a series of payment bonuses.



    FUEL PRICE The Competition Council in Romania has started a sectoral investigation on the fuel market, to see why prices in Romania exceed the EU average. The president of the Competition Council Bogdan Chiritoiu says the evolution of prices is surprising and clarifications should be made to see whether there are legislation-related problems, if there are errors made by the Romanian state, or problems caused by the conduct of companies, which might lead to sanctions. Romania is among the few countries in Europe which extract oil, boasts big refining capacities and exports fuels to the neighbouring countries. Despite all that, the prices of gas and diesel in Romania exceed the EU averages, although the extra excise duty on fuel was eliminated and the VAT was cut early this year.



    EIB In 2916, the European Investment Bank provided Romania with more than 1 billion Euros in loans, and the European Investment Fund, also part of the EIB Group, ran operations worth 61 million Euros. According to a communiqué issued by the Bank, the loans were used to fund projects of utmost importance for the public infrastructure, under several EU operational programmes within the 2014-2020 framework, supported SMEs and thermal rehabilitation programs for apartment buildings in Bucharest. Also, the EIB granted loans to agriculture and provided consultancy to the Ministry of Health for the building of three regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj-Napoca and Craiova. The European Investment Bank ensures long-term loans and advice with a view to promoting the EU objectives. It supports both EU projects and other projects from outside the Union.



    ISIS PROPAGANDA Two German citizens, both ISIS sympathizers, of whom one Syrian-born, have been declared personae non grata on Romanian soil for a period of 10 years, as they were running activities seen as a threat to national security, reads a communiqué issued on Wednesday by the Romanian Intelligence Service. The two came to the attention of the service in 2016, when they were carrying out religious propaganda with the aim of attracting adepts to Jihadist ideology. Also, the two looked into ways of getting to Syria and join Daesh.



    SPRING CELEBRATION The Romanians on Wednesday celebrated the “Martisor”, the main symbol of spring. Small amulets, tied to a white and red thread are offered to the beloved ones on this day. The word “martisor” is of Latin origin and is the popular name given to the month of March. According to the old Roman calendar, March 1 was the first day of the year, when the God Mars was celebrated. Martisor is a tradition kept in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the neighbouring regions inhabited by Romanians and Aromanians. Similar customs are also observed in Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia.




  • December 21, 2016

    December 21, 2016

    PM NOMINATION — The Social Democrat Sevil Shhaideh, a former minister of Regional Development and Public Administration is the Social Democrats’ proposal for prime minister. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Liviu Dragnea, has made the announcement after consultations with President Klaus Iohannis. Dragnea has pointed out that, for the time being, he couldn’t be a PM himself, because of a suspended prison sentence that he deemed “unfair” and of a law which he saw as “unconstitutional”. President Iohannis had made it clear ever since the election campaign that he was not going to appoint a PM that had problems with the law. Dragnea has received a 2-year suspended prison sentence for electoral fraud at the 2012 referendum for the impeachment of the then president, Traian Basescu. At the same time, a law from 2001 prevents politicians with a criminal record from taking over the PM seat. The representatives of the Social Democrats and of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) went together to the consultations with President Iohannis. The two parties signed a governing protocol and together they hold 54% of the mandates. Consultations end on Thursday, when President Iohannis will announce the new Prime Minister.




    ROMANIAN REVOLUTION — In Romania, the commemoration of the heroes killed in the December 1989 Revolution continues. December 21st marked the end of Ceausescu’s dictatorship, when the protests in Timisoara spread to Bucharest and many other cities. Ceausescu convened a big gathering in the capital Bucharest, in trying to win people’s support, but what he got was huge protests against the regime. At the dictator’s order, the army, the police and the Securitate started firing at protesters, killing 50 people and injuring several hundreads. Military and religious ceremonies are held today in Bucharest, to honour their memory.




    EXPLOSION — An explosion that took place in a popular fireworks market near Mexico City left at least 31 people dead, with another 100 being injured or reported missing. In 2005, a fire engulfed the same market, touching off a chain of explosions that levelled hundreds of stalls just ahead of Mexicos Independence Day. Many people in Mexico traditionally celebrate holidays by setting off noisy firecrackers.




    MIGRANTS — The border police in Timisoara, in western Romania, has captured five Iraqi citizens who wanted to cross the Serbian-Romanian border illegally, on foot. The Iraqis, who had no ID papers, said they were planning to get to Western Europe. The Romanian border police have captured numerous illegal migrants lately, who attempted to cross its southern and eastern borders.




    BERLIN ATTACK — The German Police is further looking for the perpetrator of the horrible attack on Monday in a Christmas market in Berlin that killed 12 people and injured almost 50. The Pakistani suspect detained on the same night has been released, for lack of evidence. ISIS has claimed the attack. This is the third such attack claimed by ISIS in the past few months. In November, an ISIS sympathiser ran his truck into a group of people at the University of Ohio, the US, injuring 11 people while in July a terrorist killed 86 people with a truck in the French city of Nice.




    PARLIAMENT — Romania’s Chamber of Deputies and Senate are today convening in separate meetings to validate the new parliament members. Also today, they will be sworn in and will choose the leadership of the two chambers. The first meeting of the new Parliament after the December 11 elections was held on Tuesday.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • December 12, 2016

    December 12, 2016

    ELECTION The Social Democratic Party in
    Romania has obtained a landslide victory in the parliamentary election on
    Sunday with 45% of the votes, the Central Election Bureau has announced after
    over 99% of the votes were counted. Second came with only 20% the National
    Liberal Party followed by the Save Romania Union, which only a couple of months
    since its foundation has become the third main political group in Parliament
    with over 9% of the votes. Other parties that made it to Parliament are the
    right wing Alliance of Liberals and Democrats founded by incumbent Senate
    Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu with 6%, the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania also with 6% and the People’s Movement Party of former
    president Traian Basescu. The 464 future deputies and senators have been
    elected by roughly 40% of the eligible Romanians, the lowest turnout in
    Legislative elections since 1989.








    HANDBALL Romania’s
    national handball side will be taking on the Czech representative at the
    European Championship in Sweden on Tuesday. On Sunday in their first game of
    the second group the Romanians secured a 29-21 win against Hungary. Norway
    comes first in the group standings with six points followed by Romania and
    Denmark, each with four points. Next come the Czech Republic and Russia, each
    with two points, whereas Hungary has no point. Romania is led by Spanish
    selector Ambros Martin who replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde, under whose guidance
    the Romanians came third in the World Championships in Denmark in 2015.




    COUNCIL Romanian Foreign
    Minister Lazar Comanescu is in Brussels to participate in the monthly session
    of the Foreign Affairs Council. According to a communiqué by the Foreign
    Affairs Ministry high on the agenda are several issues, such as the EU-Africa
    relation, the Democratic Republic of Congo and migration with emphasis on
    assessing the implementation of the Valletta commitments. The latest developments
    in Syria are also to be tackled.






    TRIAL The IMF director general Christine
    Lagarde will be facing legal proceedings over negligence charges in France for
    the time when she was Minister of the economy part of France’s right-wing
    government between 2007 and 2011. She has been accused of having awarded 404
    million euros in state payout to businessman Bernard Tapie. If guilty Lagarde
    could get a one-year prison sentence and 15 thousand euros in fines. We recall
    that the French justice has recently indicted former budget minister Jerome
    Cahuzac under the mandate of incumbent socialist president Francois Hollande
    for tax fraud and money laundering.






    REFUGEES Six refugees from Syria, Iraq and
    Iran who tried to illegally cross Romania’s border with Hungary hidden in an
    adjusted pickup truck have been captured by the Romanian border police. The
    pickup was driven by a Bulgarian national. The refugees, five men and a woman
    with ages between 15 and 30 years said they were trying to make it to a Shenghen
    state but lacked the documents needed to legally cross the border. Hundreds of
    refugees, mostly Syrians have tried to illegally cross into Romania on their
    way to the West this year.






    ISIS The Islamic State has regained
    control over the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria and over its
    archaeological site, part of the UNESCO’s world heritage within hours of the
    apparently successful air strikes by Russian planes. ISIS’ reoccupation of
    Palmyra comes nine months after they were driven out by the Syrian and Russian
    troops in an onslaught that enjoyed wide media coverage. After having conquered
    Palmyra in May 2015 the ISIS fighters destroyed several ancient monuments and
    executed the director of the archaeological sites in the city.





  • December 12, 2016

    December 12, 2016

    ELECTION The Social Democratic Party in
    Romania has obtained a landslide victory in the parliamentary election on
    Sunday with 45% of the votes, the Central Election Bureau has announced after
    over 99% of the votes were counted. Second came with only 20% the National
    Liberal Party followed by the Save Romania Union, which only a couple of months
    since its foundation has become the third main political group in Parliament
    with over 9% of the votes. Other parties that made it to Parliament are the
    right wing Alliance of Liberals and Democrats founded by incumbent Senate
    Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu with 6%, the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania also with 6% and the People’s Movement Party of former
    president Traian Basescu. The 464 future deputies and senators have been
    elected by roughly 40% of the eligible Romanians, the lowest turnout in
    Legislative elections since 1989.








    HANDBALL Romania’s
    national handball side will be taking on the Czech representative at the
    European Championship in Sweden on Tuesday. On Sunday in their first game of
    the second group the Romanians secured a 29-21 win against Hungary. Norway
    comes first in the group standings with six points followed by Romania and
    Denmark, each with four points. Next come the Czech Republic and Russia, each
    with two points, whereas Hungary has no point. Romania is led by Spanish
    selector Ambros Martin who replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde, under whose guidance
    the Romanians came third in the World Championships in Denmark in 2015.




    COUNCIL Romanian Foreign
    Minister Lazar Comanescu is in Brussels to participate in the monthly session
    of the Foreign Affairs Council. According to a communiqué by the Foreign
    Affairs Ministry high on the agenda are several issues, such as the EU-Africa
    relation, the Democratic Republic of Congo and migration with emphasis on
    assessing the implementation of the Valletta commitments. The latest developments
    in Syria are also to be tackled.






    TRIAL The IMF director general Christine
    Lagarde will be facing legal proceedings over negligence charges in France for
    the time when she was Minister of the economy part of France’s right-wing
    government between 2007 and 2011. She has been accused of having awarded 404
    million euros in state payout to businessman Bernard Tapie. If guilty Lagarde
    could get a one-year prison sentence and 15 thousand euros in fines. We recall
    that the French justice has recently indicted former budget minister Jerome
    Cahuzac under the mandate of incumbent socialist president Francois Hollande
    for tax fraud and money laundering.






    REFUGEES Six refugees from Syria, Iraq and
    Iran who tried to illegally cross Romania’s border with Hungary hidden in an
    adjusted pickup truck have been captured by the Romanian border police. The
    pickup was driven by a Bulgarian national. The refugees, five men and a woman
    with ages between 15 and 30 years said they were trying to make it to a Shenghen
    state but lacked the documents needed to legally cross the border. Hundreds of
    refugees, mostly Syrians have tried to illegally cross into Romania on their
    way to the West this year.






    ISIS The Islamic State has regained
    control over the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria and over its
    archaeological site, part of the UNESCO’s world heritage within hours of the
    apparently successful air strikes by Russian planes. ISIS’ reoccupation of
    Palmyra comes nine months after they were driven out by the Syrian and Russian
    troops in an onslaught that enjoyed wide media coverage. After having conquered
    Palmyra in May 2015 the ISIS fighters destroyed several ancient monuments and
    executed the director of the archaeological sites in the city.





  • August 24, 2016

    August 24, 2016

    EARTHQUAKE – An earthquake measuring 6.2 degrees on Richters scale rocked central Italy earlier today, taking over 40 lives and producing extensive material damage. According to Radio Romanias local correspondent, the mayor of Amatrice says the village has been reduced to rubble, with many people still caught under the debris. The village is located close to L’Aquila, where a similar tremor seven years ago left 309 people dead, 1,500 injured and produced material damage worth over 16 billion dollars. Todays tremor was also felt in northern and southern Italy and was followed by many aftershocks, which prompted many Italians, including those in Rome to go out of their homes. The Romanian relevant authorities have announced that no assistance request has been received so far from Romanian nationals.



    TURKEY – The Turkish army and the anti-jihadist international coalition forces have today launched an operation to chase away the Islamic State terrorist group from the Syrian town of Jarablos, close to the border with Turkey, sources with the Turkish Prime Ministers office have announced. Turkish military sources have announced the artillery opened fire at the town, whereas US fighters pounded IS positions, as part of the operation. Also, Turkish military vehicles crossed the border into Syria, as part of the offensive. In the case of Turkey, this operation is motivated by the wish to prevent Kurdish militias from taking control of the locality and to open a corridor for Syrian moderate anti-governmental rebels, a Turkish high official has underlined.



    AGRICULTURE – Romanian MPs on the agriculture parliamentary committee have held talks with representatives of the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) on the subsidy allocation stage for Romanian animal breeders. The director of the aforementioned agency, Nicolae Horumba, has announced that most requests submitted by farmers for payments have already been approved. He has also announced that the other farmers, too, will receive subsidies by the end of the month. The meeting between the MPs and the APIA representatives takes place against the backdrop of several farmers having gone on hunger strike for days, being discontent with not receiving subsidies for 2015 in their entirety. They resorted to this extreme form of protest after the Agriculture Ministry failed to comply with the pledges it made, to pay by mid August, the 360 million Euros worth of subsidies for animals, from European funds.



    BLACK RIBBON DAY– Romania signed yesterday in Bratisalva a declaration underlying its determination to protect democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The document was adopted by all delegations which attended the ministerial conference devoted to the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian Regimes. Attending the meeting organised by the Slovak presidency of the Council of the EU was also Romanian justice minister, Raluca Pruna. She reiterated that Romania had also signed a joint declaration issued by the line ministries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, which makes clear how the victims of totalitarian regimes should be recompensed and the way in which the justice systems of the aforementioned countries can be used to contain extremism. Attending the conference were also representatives of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania.



    CINEMA– The long reel by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is ranked 15th by 177 film critics around the world, asked by the BBC Culture to take part in a poll to determine the 21st Centurys 100 greatest films. “We believe that the new classics on this list are destined to become old classics. Whether or not that happens is ultimately up to you, the moviegoers, the BBC Culture editors say. Mungius film won the Palme d’Or at the 60th edition of the Cannes Festival, back in 2007. Ranking first is “Mulholland Drive, directed by David Lynch, followed by “In the Mood for Love, by Wong Kar-wai and “There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.



    SPORTS – Romanias football vice-champion, Steaua Bucharest, is facing Britains Manchester City, on home turf this evening, in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie. Steaua has practically lost any chance to advance to the group stage, after sustaining a 0-5 defeat in the first leg, but it is automatically qualified into the Europa League group stage. Romanias champion Astra Giurgiu on Thursday will also try to qualify into the Europa League group stage. Astra will play the return match in Great Britain, too, but it will be facing West Ham United, after ending the first match in a draw, 1-1, on home turf.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • August 23, 2016

    August 23, 2016

    Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors have today detained the vice president of the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, Lazar Iordache, for bribe giving and influence peddling. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Lazar Iordache had promised an official with the Health Ministry 5% of the amounts allotted by the Ministry to two hospitals. In April 28, 2016, Iordache allegedly gave 28 thousand euros to the Health Ministry official for the latter to make sure that the amounts earmarked for the two hospitals are disbursed. The bribe given by Iordache to the Health Ministry official came from the funds allocated by the Health Ministry for the construction of a wastewater treatment unit and for the purchase of medical devices for the two hospitals.




    German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian PM Matteo Renzi discussed on Monday on board an Italian military aircraft carrier about the impact of Britain’s decision to leave the bloc. Angela Merkel has said that the EU has to prove that it is able to prosper without Britain. She recalled that the EU had been born from some of the “darkest moments” of European history but added that in the face of “enormous challenges” it must now work together, strengthening internal and external borders, boosting economic growth and providing jobs for its young people. “We respect the choice made by the citizens of Britain but we want to write a future chapter”, Italian PM Matteo Renzi has said in his turn. Europe after Brexit will relaunch the powerful ideals of unity and peace, freedom and dreams, the Italian official has also said. The meeting in Italy was held three weeks ahead of the EU summit in Bratislava, which is seen as crucial for the future of the Union.




    One of the men injured in Monday’s blast at the Petromidia refinery in Navodari, in south-eastern Romania, has died this morning. Three people are currently treated in a hospital in Bucharest. The explosion occurred after a pipe broke while the three workers were making pressure tests on a reactor. The refinery was shut down for revision. Experts have measured the level of air pollution in the area but the results do not threaten people’s health. In investigation into the causes of the accident is under way.




    In Romania, road freight and passenger carriers have announced they will run at low speed at least one hour per day on the main roads across Romania. They are discontented mainly because car insurance premiums have doubled from 2,000 to more than 4,000 Euros within a year. Consequently, road carriers in Romania report high costs and can no longer be competitive at a European level. The line associations call on the government to freeze car insurance premiums and have warned that if measures are not taken urgently, they might call an all-out strike on September 15. Also, animal breeders have taken to the street and continue to protest in front of the Government headquarters. They say they will give up protests only when they receive the subsides for 2015 in their entirety.




    Turkey is carrying out military operations in an attempt to seize from ISIS the town of Jarablus, a city at the border with Syria. On Monday, Turkey’s foreign minister had vowed to “completely cleanse” the country’s border regions of ISIS militants, after a suspected suicide bomber with links to the group killed 54 people, including 22 children, at a Kurdish wedding. About 15 hundred Syrian rebels backed by the Turkish authorities are prepared to launch an attack to seize the town held by the militant Islamist group on Syrias border with Turkey.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)





  • Pokemon versus ISIS

    Pokemon versus ISIS

    Sociologii occidentali privesc uimiţi şi tăcuţi, atât de tăcuţi că zici că au plecat cu toţii în vacanţă. Evenimentele se petrec cu mare viteză şi dacă nu avem previziuni, nici explicaţiile nu sunt coerente. Membri ai societăţilor dezvoltate sunt disperaţi să se arunce în aer în mijlocul semenilor lor, să îi zdrobească cu maşinile de zi cu zi, să îi decapiteze pe preoţii creştini chiar în bisericile lor din zonele liniştite ale Vestului, să îi împuşte pe cei atraşi la un hamburger. America vine cu un atac într-un club pentru homosexuali iar Japonia îşi doboară recordul la crime cu un singur om şi doar cu cuţitul.



    Care ar putea fi explicaţia acestei dezlănţuiri de violenţă faţă de semenii noştri, de crimă oarbă în care nici cifrele nu mai impresionează? De unde vine această hotărâre şi energia fantastică depusă în scopuri atât de îngrozitoare? În general, criminalii sunt persoane care nu au dat prea mult societăţii în care trăiesc dar au beneficiat masiv de sprijinul acesteia. De aceea, au nevoie de o raportare majoră, de înscriere într-o pseudo-tendinţă care să le justifice pornirile şi mai ales acţiunile criminale.



    În ultimii ani, oferta ISIS este cea mai generoasă în acest sumbru domeniu. Este modernă şi rapidă, poate fi accesată pe internet şi nu trebuie să îndeplineşti nicio condiţie ca să ucizi în numele său. Pe site-uri găseşti tot, şi texte care să te mobilizeze, şi justificări dintre cele mai absurde şi mincinoase, şi sfaturi şi resurse. Totul împotriva societăţii care ţi-a dat tot, chiar şi internetul cu partea sa neagră în care ai ales să trăieşti.



    Războiul purtat în numele Islamului împotriva civilizaţiei occidentale se duce mai mult pe internet şi îşi are cei mai eficienţi “soldaţi în membrii societăţilor vestice pentru care accesul la internet şi confort este un drept elementar. Cei care au decapitat un preot în Franţa nu aveau 20 de ani şi, cel puţin unul dintre ei era considerat, e drept, de propria mamă, un copil exemplar de cuminte. La fel de drept e faptul că poliţia îl avea deja în urmărire, inclusiv pentru încercarea de a ajunge în Siria şi a lupta cu arma în mână pentru idealuri criminale.



    Doar că strategia pare a se fi schimbat sau măcar să se fi limpezit. La ce bun să vină mii de tineri debusolaţi, obişnuiţi cu confortul occidental, în iadul din Siria şi Irak, unde moartea îngrozitoare a mii de oameni nu mai impresionează pe nimeni? Mai bine să rămână în societăţile care i-a creat şi să le lovească din interior, ca într-o strategie elementară din cele mai multe jocuri pe calculator, nu neapărat cele mai noi.



    Până nu demult, criminalii nu aveau nimic în comun cu idealurile pentru care acum comit fapte abominabile cu plăcerea câştigării unor puncte pe monitorul digital. Mai mult, se dedau cu plăcere la toate cele incriminate de liderii malefici ai organizaţiei cu nume de stat, lideri care făceau şi ei aceleaşi lucruri, în tinereţea lor.



    Tot de pe internet ar putea veni cel mai periculos inamic al ideologiei criminale a ISIS şi el ia forma unor monstrişori drăguţi care, cu ani în urmă, se aflau pe ghiozdanele şcolare. Nu este exclus ca inclusiv liderii de extracţie occidentală ai ISIS să fi avut, la vremea claselor primare, ghiozdane cu figuri Pokemon pe ele.



    Acum, Pokemon a invadat internetul şi ocupă sfera de interes a tinerilor, care ies din casă să îi caute şi în mediul real. S-ar putea ca ei să îşi dorească o anumită figură Pokemon mai mult decât să ucidă sau să fie ucis. Este drept, profilul psihologic al celor două categorii este extrem de diferit dar mediul virtual în care se desfăşoară este acelaşi, cel al tinerilor care caută o preocupare, având cam tot ce le trebuie pentru un trai bun, de nivel occidental. Inocenţa revine în jocurile pe calculator acolo unde orice era posibil pentru o răsplată directă, punctele ce te fac campionul propriei camere.



    Dacă avem grijă şi să nu se petreacă accidente din cauza concentrării asupra acestui joc, avem acum şansa să redevenim copii, în căutarea punctelor Pokemon, înlocuind ura reală cu ghiozdanul virtual.