Radio România Internațional

Tag: London attack

August 14, 2018 UPDATE

PROTESTS – Tuesday was the last day on which the people injured in Fridays protests in Bucharest could file for damages. More than 60 people, including gendarmes, have filed complaints. Prosecutors continue investigations into the forceful intervention of security forces against protesters. The Federation of Romanian Associations in Europe have called on the authorities to identify with due urgency the people who instigated violence on August 10th. The federation called on the president, the prime minister and on state institutions to urgently develop a strategy to put a stop to the exodus of Romanians from the country, at the same time encouraging the return of the Diaspora. They also call on the political class to stop using the Diaspora as a weapon in their domestic strife. On Monday, people were back on the streets to protest in Bucharest.

ECONOMY – The Romanian economy went up 4% in the first semester of the year as against the same period last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics. In its spring forecast, published in May, the European Commission maintained its 4.5% estimate regarding Romanias economic growth, with an expected growth of 3.9% next year. Data published on Tuesday by Eurostat show that, in the second semester, Romania registered the highest growth rate in the whole of the EU, as compared to the previous three months.

CELEBRATION – The Romanian Navy on Tuesday celebrated its heroes who died defending the countrys independence and sovereignty. On this occasion, sailors took part in the military and religions ceremony organized at the Monument of Sailors in Constanta. The most important naval exercise of the year will take place on Wednesday, on the Romanian Navy Day, celebrated on August 15th each year, with events being held in Constanta, Mangalia, Braila, Tulcea and Bucharest.

AFGHANISTAN – The third echelon of the Romanian battalion “Hawks of Carpathians” has arrived safely in Afghanistan, the 81st Brigade “General Grigore Balan” has announced. The deployment of Romanian soldiers in Afghanistan started on July 29th, as they will carry out missions to protect the military base in Kandahar, as well as training and counseling missions benefiting the Afghan National Forces. For six months, the 448 Romanian soldiers will take part in the NATO mission Resolute Support. The unit, set up 23 years ago, has proven it is capable of carrying out extremely complex missions both in the country and in theatres of operations abroad.

SWINE FEVER – The number of African swine fever outbreaks has reached 677, reported in 132 towns and villages in 8 counties in the north-west and south-east of Romania, the Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority announced on Tuesday. Farmers have received approximately 47,000 Euros in damages but the value of their claims exceeds 760,000 Euro. Some 100,000 pigs have been culled so far. The first outbreaks were reported in August 2017, but their number increased dramatically in June this year. The disease does not affect humans, but the social and economic impact is high.

ATTACK – Several pedestrians were injured on Tuesday after a driver ran over a checkpoint around the British Parliament building. The perpetrator was arrested and the area around Parliament was cordoned off. The anti-terror branch of Scotland Yard has opened an investigation. The UK was hit by a wave of attacks in 2017, which left 36 people dead and over 200 injured. 4 of the attacks have been claimed by ISIS.

ACCIDENT – At least 30 people died on Tuesday after a section of a highway bridge in northern Italy collapsed. The rescue teams that rushed to the place found cars and trucks that had plunged almost 300 feet into a heap of rubble below. The Italian Transport Minister Danilo Totinelli described the incident as an enormous tragedy. The bridge was built in 1960 and was refurbished in 2016. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has received no notification about potential Romanian victims. We recall that Romanians form the largest community of immigrants in Italy.

TENNIS – At the WTA tournament in Cincinnati, OH, with 2.8 million dollars in prize money, the Romanian Ana Bogdan was defeated on Tuesday by the Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the first round. Irina Begu too was eliminated in the first round by Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, who will play against the competitions first seed Simona Halep. In the doubles, Irina Begu pairs up with Monica Niculescu against the Australian-American pair Asleigh Barty/ CoCo Vandeweghe and the Romanian-Russian pair Raluca Olaru/Vera Zvonareva will play against the Czech couple Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova.

14 August 2018
September 16, 2017 UPDATE

FINANCIAL – Romania will keep the budget deficit below 3%, as was pledged under the Stability and Growth Pact, the finance minister Ionuţ Mişa said in a meeting with Valdis Dombrovskis, EC Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union. The two officials have had a meeting on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the ECOFIN Council organized by the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, on September 15 -16. The Romanian official has also said the 5.6% economic growth rate in 2017 is based on consumption, an increase in the volume of the industrial output and a plummeting unemployment rate. According to a preliminary Autumn 2017 Forecast released on Friday by the National Prognosis Commission, estimates on Romania’s economic growth in 2017 have been revised upward from 5.2% to 5.6%.

VISIT – EU Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King, will pay an official visit to Bucharest on Monday, for talks with PM Mihai Tudose, justice minister Tudorel Toader and interior minister Carmen Dan. The focal points of the talks, to also be attended by members of the relevant parliamentary committees, will be the fight against terrorism, the exchange of information and the implementation of the recently adopted security legislation. The European Commissioner will also visit the Operational Coordination Centre of the Border Police.

ROMANIAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN– Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has granted corporal Mădălin Stoica the posthumous award “Romanias Star National Order in rank of knight. Mădălin Stoica died in the line of duty in Afghanistan on Friday, in an attack against a Romanian military patrol mission in the area. The award was offered in token of respect and appreciation for the commitment and courage proven in the line of duty, the decree signed by the head of state shows. The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, has hailed the valor of Romanias soldiers in Afghanistan, in a message of condolence to the family of the Romanian military who died on Friday. “ I was saddened to hear of the death of Corporal Mădălin Stoica who was killed during an incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and of injuries to other two Romanian soldiers. I would like to extend my personal condolences and those of the United States to the family and friends of Corporal Mădălin Stoica, as well as to his fellow soldiers. I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured soldiers. The valor of Romanias soldiers in the NATO mission in Afghanistan continues to demonstrate the highest commitment to defending freedom and democracy, “ ambassador Klemm writes in the message of condolence. Corporal Madalin Stoica was on his first mission on theatres of operations. Two other soldiers were injured in the incident, but they are stable. In 2017, the Romanian Army is contributing over 620 troops to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, 300 other military being deployed to other regions of the world as part of NATO, EU, UN and OSCE-led missions. 29 Romanian military have lost their lives and over 180 others got injured so far, on missions abroad. The security situation in Afghanistan is still unstable, most incidents being reported in the east and the south.

LONDON – The British Police make “significant arrest in London subway terror attack, claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group. On Friday morning, an explosion at Parsons Green underground station in the west of London injured tens of passengers and led to a terrorist attack being declared. British Prime Minister Theresa May has raised the UK’s terror threat level to critical, its highest level after London was hit by this new terror attack. Critical means an attack is expected imminently and soldiers will be put on the streets to guard key sites and free up police officers.

MIGRANTS – The Romanian border police has stopped 19 Iraqi nationals, of which 4 minors, asylum seekers in Romania, upon trying to illegally leave Romania, the line authorities have announced. The Iraqis declared their intention to reach a Schengen country and said they made this choice because they were not holding a valid visa. The number of people trying to illegally cross Romanias western border with Hungary, in the west, has been on the rise over the past year. The number of foreigners trying to illegally cross the border into Romania, by boat, on the Black Sea, has also increased.

TENNIS – Austria leads Romania 2-1 in the Davis Cup tennis matches played in Wels, in the first-round playoffs to remain in the Europe/ Africa Group I. On Saturday in the mens doubles, Horia Tecău and Nicolae Frunză defeated Dominic Thiem/Philipp Oswald, 3-1. On Friday in the singles, Gerald Melzer defeated Dragoş Dima and Dominic Thiem outperformed Bogdan Borza. On Sunday, Dominic Thiem will play Dragoş Dima and Gerald Melzer will face Bogdan Borza. In the direct matches, Romania leads Austria 3-2.

RECORD-Romanian swimmer Avram Iancu, a librarian by profession, on Saturday finished the swimming race from Danube’s springs to the Black Sea, thus becoming the first man to ever cross the river from the place where the Danube rises to the place where the river empties into the Black Sea, without any additional equipment. The race ended in Sulina and covered a distance of 2,860 km.

TABLE TENNIS – Romanias table tennis team on Saturday qualified for the European Championship final held in Luxembourg, after having defeated Russia, 3-0. On Sunday, Romania will play Germany, which has outperformed the Netherlands, 3-2, in the other semi-finals. Romanias womens table tennis team is the holder of three European titles, the last one being grabbed 12 years ago. Germanys national team has won the title in the last three editions and boasts an overall number of seven gold medals.

16 September 2017
September 16, 2017

ROMANIAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN– The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, has hailed the valor of Romanias soldiers in Afghanistan, in a message of condolence to the family of a Romanian military who died on Friday in the line of duty in that country. “ I was saddened to hear of the death of Corporal Mădălin Stoica who was killed during an incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and of injuries to other two Romanian soldiers. I would like to extend my personal condolences and those of the United States to the family and friends of Corporal Mădălin Stoica, as well as to his fellow soldiers. I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured soldiers. The valor of Romanias soldiers in the NATO mission in Afghanistan continues to demonstrate the highest commitment to defending freedom and democracy, “ ambassador Klemm writes in the message of condolence. Corporal Madalin Stoica was on his first mission on theatres of operations. Two other soldiers were injured in the incident, but they are stable. In 2017, the Romanian Army is contributing over 620 troops to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, 300 other military being deployed to other regions of the world as part of NATO, EU, UN and OSCE-led missions. 29 Romanian military have lost their lives and over 180 others got injured so far, on missions abroad. The security situation in Afghanistan is still unstable, most incidents being reported in the east and the south.

LONDON – The British Police make “significant arrest in London subway terror attack, claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group. On Friday morning, an explosion at Parsons Green underground station in the west of London injured tens of passengers and led to a terrorist attack being declared. British Prime Minister Theresa May has raised the UK’s terror threat level to critical, its highest level after London was hit by this new terror attack. Critical means an attack is expected imminently and soldiers will be put on the streets to guard key sites and free up police officers.

FINANCIAL -
Romania will keep the budget deficit below 3%, as was pledged under the
Stability and Growth Pact, the finance minister Ionuţ Mişa said in a meeting
with Valdis Dombrovskis, EC Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue,
also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets
Union. The two officials have had a
meeting on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the ECOFIN Council organized
by the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, on September
15 -16. The Romanian official has also
said the 5.6% economic growth rate in 2017 is based on consumption, an increase
in the volume of the industrial output and a plummeting unemployment rate.
According to a preliminary Autumn 2017 Forecast released on Friday by the
National Prognosis Commission, estimates on Romania’s economic growth in 2017
have been revised upward from 5.2% to 5.6%.

VISIT – EU Commissioner
for the Security Union, Julian King, will pay an official visit to Bucharest on
Monday, for talks with PM Mihai Tudose, justice minister Tudorel Toader and
interior minister Carmen Dan. The focal points of the talks, to also be
attended by members of the relevant parliamentary committees, will be the fight
against terrorism, the exchange of information and the implementation of the
recently adopted security legislation. The European Commissioner will also
visit the Operational Coordination Centre of the Border Police.

MIGRANTS – The Romanian border police has stopped 19 Iraqi nationals, of which 4 minors, asylum seekers in Romania, upon trying to illegally leave Romania, the line authorities have announced. The Iraqis declared their intention to reach a Schengen country and said they made this choice because they were not holding a valid visa. The number of people trying to illegally cross Romanias western border with Hungary, in the west, has been on the rise over the past year. The number of foreigners trying to illegally cross the border into Romania, by boat, on the Black Sea, has also increased.

ENESCU FESTIVAL – The highlight of the prestigious “George Enescu International Festival on Saturday is a concert under the baton of the world-famous conductor, Zubin Mehta. Performing is the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside the outstanding Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili. Until September 24, over 3,000 of the most highly acclaimed musicians in the world are performing in Bucharest and seven other cities across the country. Inaugurated in 1951, discontinued by the communist regime in 1971 and re-launched after the fall of communism, the Enescu festival is held every other year.

TENNIS – In the Davis Cup double tennis match pitting Romania against Austria, Horia Tecău and Nicolae Frunză will be playing Dominic Thiem/Philipp Oswald. Austria leads Romania 2-0 after the first singles played on Friday in Wels, in the first-round playoffs to remain in the Europe/ Africa Group I. On Friday, Gerald Melzer defeated Dragoş Dima, and Dominic Thiem outperformed Bogdan Borza. On Sunday, Dominic Thiem will play Dragoş Dima and Gerald Melzer will face Bogdan Borza. In the direct matches, Romania leads Austria 3-2.

16 September 2017
June 6, 2017

PRESIDENT — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is today meeting the director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mike Pompeo as part of his five-day visit to the United States. The American Jewish Committee global forum presented Iohannis with the Light Unto the Nations distinction, the highest of its kind awarded to heads of state and government in recognition of their international efforts to promote peace, security, democracy and human values. On June 9 the president will meet the White House leader Donald Trump, Iohannis thus becoming the first head of state from Central and Eastern Europe to meet Trump since the US president took office. Talks will most likely focus on fostering bilateral relations and consolidating the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, 20 years after being launched.

MIGRATION — Migration is one of the factors that can most influence the security context, Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall has said. The Romanian official is attending the conference titled “International Migration and Global Security”, hosted by the “George C. Marshall” European Centre for Security Studies in Garmisch Partenkirchen. The event is co-organized by the US and Germany. Attending are experts and government officials from 45 countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Participants will tackle the prospects of migration, the future of global security and sustainable ways the international community could adopt to counter these challenges.

LONDON ATTACK — A moment of silence was observed on Tuesday in Great Britain in memory of Saturday’s terrorist attack. Meanwhile the authorities are continuing their investigation. Three attackers ploughed into a crowd of people on London bridge, abandoned the truck and assaulted passers-by. Claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, the attack killed 7 people and wounded many others. A Romanian citizen who stood up to one of the terrorists on Saturday is now being praised for his heroics by international media.

QATAR — Qatar today called for an open and honest dialogue with its neighbours, saying it does not wish for the crisis to escalate. Arab nations on Monday announced the severance of all diplomatic ties with this country, whom they accuse of sponsoring terrorism. Airliners from several neighbour states have cancelled their flights to the capital-city Doha, while Qatar Airways was forced to call off some of its flights, although its flights are still operational in Europe. The United States, Russia, Turkey and Iran have called for dialogue. We recall that two weeks ago US president Donald Trump called on the Arab League to unite against extremist organizations and criticized Iran. Qatar plays host to the largest US military base in the region. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has warned all Romanian citizens planning a trip to Qatar that all land, air and maritime borders with Saudi Arabia are currently shut down.

MONTENEGRO — Montenegro is the 29th state to officially join the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization. Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic submitted his country’s accession portfolio in a ceremony hosted by the US State Department. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Montenegro’s accession will favour stability in the Western Balkans as well as international peace and security. With Montenegro’s accession NATO is now in control of the entire northern Mediterranean seacoast, from the Gibraltar to Syria.

FOOTBALL — FCSB, the former Steaua Bucharest, has filed a notification with the International Court for Arbitration in Sports challenging the decision of the Romanian Professional Football League whereby FC Viitorul was declared Romanian champion in the 2016-2017 season. Steaua had the same number of points as Viitorul at the end of the season and claims the title should be theirs, as Steaua has the advantage of direct encounters in the last four games. The Professional Football League decided to award Viitorul the title after taking into account only the results of the second half of the football season, when Viitorul defeated Steaua. Founded in 2009 by the former player Gheorghe Hagi, Viitorul is the youngest club in Europe ever to win a domestic competition.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on Wednesday is playing Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the Roland Garros quarterfinals. The two players are tied in head-on encounters, Simona winning in 2013 once and Svitolina defeating the Romanian player in the final of the Rome tournament this year. In the women’s doubles, Raluca Olaru of Romania and Olga Savchuk of Ukraine are taking on third-seeds Yung-Jan Chan of Taiwan and Martina Hingis of Switzerland in the quarterfinals. In the same event Irina Begu of Romania and Saisai Zheng of China are going up against Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua of Australia. (Translated by V. Palcu)

6 June 2017
In the aftermath of London terror attack

Florin Morariu, a Romanian national who is currently living and working in London, has turned into a hero after trying to stop the terrorists who committed Saturdays attack in the British capital, in which 7 people were killed and dozens wounded. Florin Morariu, whose story has been covered by many British papers, has told Radio Romania how he got to face the terrorists and use a crate to hit one in the head.

Florin Morariu: “It all just happened. I didnt go there to fight with them, I just went out to see what was happening and I took the crate jus as a precaution. When I got there and I found myself in a deadlock, so to say, I had no choice. I said to myself: I have to do something about it, because, if I dont fight back, things could turn ugly for me. I cannot stand and watch when somebody mistreats somebody else, I mean like when somebody is trying to kill a person and Im just standing there watching like a dog.”

Florin Morariu was born in Iasi, in north-eastern Romania, and has been living in England for two years, working as a baker. He was working a night shift when terrorists started stabbing people on the Borough Market. According to our correspondent in London, the area is full of bars and restaurants, always busy with Londoners and tourists. The Romanian was in the bakery shop when he saw people running and screaming. Then he saw a man stabbing somebody. At first he did not know what to do, then he decided to go out and face the stabber, although he was told not to. He used crates to defend himself and to fight back. Then he sheltered 20 people in the bakery.

Prestigious publications covered Florin Morarius story, including tabloids, and on Monday he was live on BBC. Praised as a hero for the way in which he reacted during Saturdays attack, he is nevertheless disappointed with the authorities, as no-one from the police called him to discuss security. He fears he could be the target of a revenge attack and would like to be given some protection. That is why the Romanian Ambassador to London Dan Mihalache has talked about means of protecting Florin Morariu.

Dan Mihalache: “We are on foreign soil, we have a good police cooperation with Great Britain, also with regard to intelligence sharing, and we will see exactly what he needs. We will draw up a measure plan together with our partners.”

Also, Dan Mihalache will call on the Foreign Ministry to propose to Romanias President Klaus Iohannis that Florin Morariu be decorated. In the meantime, the investigation into the London attack continues.

6 June 2017
May 25, 2017

PRESIDENCY — The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is taking part today in Brussels in the meeting of NATO leaders. According to the Presidency, he will emphasise that Romania is a reliable, predictable and responsible ally, especially after having increased its Defence budget to 2% of the GDP. President Iohannis will also lay emphasis on the importance of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and will support an enhanced role of the Alliance in fighting terrorism. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian President will have a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda. The main topic of discussion will be the strengthening of the bilateral strategic partnership, the Presidency also announced.

EXERCISE — Four thousand military, heavy equipment and helicopter gunships will be deployed to the Cincu shooting range in central Romania, to take part in one of the biggest NATO military exercises in recent years. The troops are part of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. The main aim is defending Romania as part of emergency interventions on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Joining Romanian troops will be military from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, Albania and Bulgaria.

IMF — Romanian economy will grow by 4.2% in 2017, with fiscal relaxation slightly likely to affect market confidence, reads an IMF report made public today. The international lender has hailed the progress Romania has made in curbing economic imbalances, after the financial global crisis, recommending however that Romania reorient its policies from boosting consumption towards supporting investors. IMF claims that fiscal relaxation, doubled by the growing political turmoil in Romania, might affect consumption and investment. On the other hand, the unified pay scale law, currently under debate in Parliament, as well as the latest tax cuts, pose certain risks for the budget deficit, which the IMF expects to stand at 3,7% this year. The report is based on the talks IMF officials had with Bucharest authorities in March.

ASCENSION DAY – Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic believers in Romania are today celebrating Ascension Day. According to Christian beliefs, 40 days after Resurrection, Lord Jesus departed from Earth into the presence of God from the Mount of Olives, warning his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. Since 1920, when, after WWI, all Romanian historical provinces united under Bucharest’s authority, Ascension Day has been celebrated together with the Heroes’ Day. Today at noon church bells were rung in all Orthodox churches across Romania to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for the Romanian people, faith and country, and the names of the soldiers killed in WWI were solemnly read out in most garrisons which also hosted military and religious ceremonies.

MOLDOVA — The special envoy of the Austrian presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE, Wolf Dietrich Heim, is today meeting pro-Russian separatist leaders from Transdniestr. On Wednesday, Heim held talks in Chisinau with the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Gheorghe Balan, the latter accusing separatists of avoiding dialogue, especially after Chisinau and Kiev authorities have voiced their plans to set up joint border crossing checkpoints on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border with Transdniestr. We recall that Russian troops are still deployed in Transdniestr, a breakaway region east of Moldova, although Moscow pledged to withdraw its troops after the OSCE Summit of 1999 in Istanbul.

TRUMP –US President Donald Trump is in Brussels, where he takes part for the first time in a NATO Summit, after having been rather critical of the Alliance in the past. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, announced the Alliance would join the international coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, although it will not take part in combat operations. The decision has long been called for by the US, which is heading the coalition and which has repeatedly called for NATO members to raise their defence budgets to 2% of the GDP. On Wednesday, his first day in Brussels, Trump had a meeting with King Philippe I of Belgium, while thousands of people were protesting in the Belgian capital city against his presence. Brussels is a stage in Trump’s first international tour as president, after Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy and the Vatican. Trump will next head for Taormina, in Sicily, for the G7 summit.

LONDON ATTACK — The Manchester Police today arrested two suspects in connection with Monday’s night terror attack, taking the number of arrests to 8. Another woman suspected of having been involved in the attack was released without being indicted. We recall that a blast on Manchester Arena on Monday killed 22 people and injured another 60, being claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organization. On Tuesday, British authorities have identified the suspect as being 22-year-old Salman Abedi, a Lybian-born British national born in Manchester. According to Interior Secretary Amber Rudd, Abedi was on the British intelligence’s suspect list and most likely did not act alone.

MIGRANTS — Tens of migrants, among whom many children, drowned on Wednesday after falling from an overcrowded wooden boat off the Libyan coast. A ship of the Italian coast guard that coordinates rescue services in the area alongside several commercial ships have managed to rescue scores of survivors. Last Friday another 150 migrants were reported missing. According to a report by the International Organization for Migration almost 1,300 people have died on their way to Europe. 50,000 of them have managed to reach Italy, France Press reports.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, 67 WTA, is today playing Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, 28 WTA, in the quarterfinals of the Nurnberg tournament, totalling 230,000 dollars in prize money. In another development, Horia Tecau or Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands have qualified to the semi-finals of the tournament in Geneva, offering 500,000 dollars in prize money. In the quarterfinals, Tecau and Rojer ousted the competition’s first seeds, Philipp Petzschner of Germany and Alexander Peya of Austria in straight sets.

FOOTBALL — English giants Manchester United have for the first time won the Europa League Trophy. Wednesday night in the final hosted by the city of Stockholm in Sweden, Manchester United grabbed a 2-nil win against their Dutch challengers Ajax Amsterdam. The Europa League final was played ahead of the Champions League final, scheduled on June 3 in Cardiff, where Spanish giants Real Madrid take on the no less famous Italian contenders Juventus FC. This coming Saturday in the town of Ploiesti, southern Romanian team Astra Giurgiu for the first time ever is pitted against FC Voluntari, in Romanian Cup Final. Also as an absolute first, the domestic championship title went to FC Viitorul, a team from south-eastern Romania’s Constanta. The team was founded in 2009 by the former great Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi. The League Cup, a competition exclusively created for first-tier teams, went to Dinamo Bucharest. In the final, Dinamo defeated Poli Timisoara 2-nil. (Translated by V. Palcu, L. Simion, A.M. Popescu & E. Nasta)

25 May 2017
Bloody Show in Manchester

For decades, Britain managed to stay unharmed by deadly terrorist attacks, but this year the country has twice been the target of bloody incidents. The latest one, occurring in Manchester, in the north-west of England, has been termed by the Prime Minister Theresa May as “an appalling terrorist attack. Dozens of people, including children, were killed or wounded in the blast that occurred at Manchester Arena, the biggest concert hall in Europe, at the end of a show given by the American singer Ariana Grande.

The British Cabinet convened in an emergency session on Tuesday. Also, both Prime Minister May and the leader of the Labour opposition Jeremy Corbyn decided to postpone their campaigns for the early parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 8th. As a bizarre coincidence, the tragedy in Manchester occurred exactly two months after the attack in London, when a British citizen, converted to Islam, ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, then rushed at the gates in front of the Houses of Parliament, stabbing a plain-clothes policeman. In total, five people died, including a Romanian citizen, and another 50 were wounded.

In the aftermath of the attack in Manchester, countries around the world, including Romania, have sent messages of condolences and sympathy. Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has voiced his indignation and sadness and Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has stated that “all our thoughts go to the victims and the families of those who have been affected. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed regrets too and voiced solidarity with the British people.

In another move, after the attack in Manchester and a few days after the US President Donald Trump called for an intensification of the fight against terrorism, the New York authorities tightened security measures in areas seen as sensitive. During his formal visit to Saudi Arabia last week, the US President called on the Muslim leaders to eliminate jihadists from their countries. Also in Riad, the US and the Arab monarchies in the Gulf Area announced the setting up of a center aimed to fight against the funding sources that terrorism relies on. (Translated by M. Ignatescu)

23 May 2017
7 April, 2017

US air strike. The United States launched cruise missiles on a Syrian
airbase on Thursday night in response to a chemical weapons attack a few days
ago which killed tens of civilians and which Washington blames on Syrian
president Bashar al-Assad’s forces. The airbase, from where the chemical attack
is believed to have been launched, was almost entirely destroyed, while 7
people were killed. This is the first direct military action by the US against
Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which is accused of atrocities against civilians in
six years of civil war.

London attack. Romania’s
ambassador to London has confirmed the death of the Romanian national who
sustained serious injuries in the attack on the 22nd of March in the
British capital and who had been in hospital for two weeks. The 31-year-old
woman fell into the river Thames when the perpetrator of the attack rammed his
car into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge. Her partner, who was also
wounded, was released from hospital soon after the attack. The Romanian woman
is the fifth victim of the attack. The British-born attacker, who became an
adherent to radical Islam, was shot dead by the security forces near the
British Parliament. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the
attack.

Borders. The Romanian
border police today tightened controls on entering and exiting the country,
with all persons crossing the border being checked against relevant national
and international databases. The measure comes after the enforcement of the
changes to the Schengen Border Code adopted by the European Parliament and the
European Council and meant to improve the security of the European Union and
its citizens. The Romanian border police say they have taken every measure to
reduce waiting time and ensure operative control and strike a balance between
citizen security and the traffic flow.

Conference. Law experts from Romania, France, Greece, Hungary,
Georgia, Poland and Turkey attending an international conference on democracy
in Bucharest are today discussing the relationship between the political
majority and the opposition, on the second and final day of the conference. The
around 100 participants are to present their own countries’ experience in
managing the most difficult aspects of the interaction between the majority and
the opposition and analyse the democratic instruments and processes. At the end
of the conference, the Venice Commission will draw up a report containing
guidelines on how the political majority should behave and interact with the
opposition. The event is organised by the Presidential Administration and the
Venice Commission, with support from the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary
Assembly.

Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu, world no. 33, has
qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament in Charleston, the US, worth
more than 700,000 dollars in prize money. In the previous round, she defeated
Australia’s Samantha Stosur, world no. 17. Begu will play for a place in the
semifinals against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, world no. 42.

7 April 2017
The Week in Review (19-25 March)

Two Romanians are among the victims of Wednesday’s terror attack in
London

Two Romanians are among the victims of the terror attack in London on
Wednesday. The attack has been firmly condemned by political leaders all over
the world, from the US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela
Merkel to French President Francois Hollande and the European Council President
Donald Tusk. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has also condemned the attack
and voiced solidarity with Britain in a telephone conversation with the British
Prime Minister, Theresa May. The British police, that have arrested several
suspects, said the attacker, Khalid Masood, aged 52, was born in Britain and
became a supporter of radical Islam. Before being shot dead by the police,
Masood had driven his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and stabbed to
death a police officer guarding the House of Parliament. The Islamic State has
claimed the attack. Prime Minister Theresa May has said that Britain’s
terrorist threat level has been set at severe.

Romania’s
legal system under the spotlight in Strasbourg and Brussels

Romania needs to revise legislation on granting immunity and raise
transparency in terms of public procurement for a better fight against
government corruption, the chief of the country’s anti-corruption directorate
(the DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi said during a European Commission’s anti-graft
conference in Strasbourg. The Romanian official went on to explain that the
ministers’ immunity must be limited to the time of their term in office, so
that investigations on corruption allegations should continue. Kovesi gave the
example of a minister suspected of having received almost 45 thousand euros to
favour the granting of contracts to certain companies, but prosecutors had to
drop the investigation after Parliament in Bucharest had turned down a request
for lifting the respective minister’s immunity. In another development, also
this week the European Parliament held debates on democracy and justice in
Romania. The conference was also attended by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader on
behalf of the government in Bucharest, and by members of the civil society. The
talks in Brussels came after the leftist government in Bucharest had tried to
amend criminal legislation, partially decriminalising some offences that might
benefit corrupt politicians. The move triggered the biggest protests Romania
has seen since the fall of the communist regime in December 1989.

The governments of Bucharest and Chisinau meet for joint session

The governments of Romania and the Republic of
Moldova convened on Thursday in Piatra Neamt, northeastern Romania, for their
third joint session. Prime Minister Grindeanu said that Bucharest would
continue to support Chisinau’s bid for the EU and that Romania wanted to get
involved in the privatisation of state-owned companies in the Republic of
Moldova. His counterpart from Chisinau, the pro-Western Pavel Filip gave
assurances the Republic of Moldova is looking towards the West and that the
country would continue to apply the Association Agreement with the EU and the
reforms started. The talks between the two officials came after last week in
Moscow the pro-Russian socialist Igor Dodon had reiterated his intention to
denounce the association and free-trade agreements with the EU and deepen the
relations with the Eurasian Economic Union. Dodon also mentioned the
federalisation of the Republic of Moldova as a possible solution to the
conflict in the pro-Russia breakaway region of Transdniester.

Romania’s Higher Defence Council approves army equipping programme

Romania’s Higher Defence Council has approved the mandate under which
the Romanian delegation will participate in the NATO summit in Brussels in late
May. An updated form of the programme of equipping and streamlining the
Romanian army has also been approved. The programme is focusing on the
streamlining, developing and properly equipping the armed forces by 2026. The
decision came after 2% of the GDP had been earmarked for the armed forces this
year. In another development, the US ambassador in Bucharest Hans Klemm has
announced that Romania will be hosting a large-scale military drill in July
this year. The event is expected to bring together roughly 30 thousand troops
from NATO countries. Klemm went on to say that on the bilateral level as well
as inside the alliance, the relations between the Romanian military and their
counterparts are very good.

Railway and police employees stage protests

Railroad traffic returned to normal in Romania after
the unofficial strike on Wednesday when railway workers had brought over 150
trains to a halt. Following talks with the employer, trade unions got the
promise of higher pays for the employees after the signing of a new collective
labour agreement in April. The company’s salary funds are likely to increase by
more than 17% whereas the company’s infrastructure section is to see a raise of
22%. Police employees also went on a strike and picketed the Labour Ministry.
Following talks with the authorities they obtained pay rises, so police
employees with the lowest salary of 320 euros will get more money once the new
law on unitary payment comes into effect on July 1st. Trade unions
say that field agents and officers are to get pay raises of more than 100% in
the next 4 years.

25 March 2017
March 24, 2017 UPDATE

THE FUTURE OF THE EU– Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Saturday is attending the EU Summit in Rome, where a Declaration on the future of the EU will be adopted. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration, Romania will plead for a stronger, more consolidated Europe. Early this month, Bucharest sent a document to the EU member states, expressing its stand on the issue. “The fact that there is no alternative to a European solution, which places the stability of our economies and societies and the prosperity of our citizens at the center of the Union’s actions, should be clearly expressed”, the document also writes. The president’s agenda on Friday also included a visit to Pope Francis at the Vatican, alongside other European leaders.

LONDON ATTACK — The latest death toll of Wednesday’s terror attack in London, issued by the British Police on Friday, takes the number of fatalities to four. 50 other people, of 12 nationalities were injured in the attack. Two Romanian tourists, a man and a woman are among those injured. The man has been released from hospital, whereas his partner is still in critical condition in hospital, although according to the Romanian Embassy her condition has somewhat improved in the last hours. She fell off Westminster Bridge into the Thames River, after the attacker rammed the car into people crossing the bridge. According to the British Police, the terrorist, who was shot dead, is Khalid Masood, 52, born in Great Britain and who embraced radical Islam. The attack has been claimed by the Islamic State group. Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, has firmly condemned the attack and, in a phone conversation with the British Prime Minister Theresa May, he expressed full solidarity with the United Kingdom. Klaus Iohannis also sent a message of condolence to the families of the victims and wished a fast recovery to those injured. In turn, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has said the government, via the Romanian Embassy in London, is monitoring the health condition of the two Romanian nationals who sustained injuries. In a message on Twitter, the British ambassador to Bucharest, Paul Brummel, sent a message to the Romanians, thanking them for their reaction to the attack.

LOANS — The National Bank on Friday announced that loans for businesses and natural persons amounted to some 3 billion euros in late February, down by 35% as compared to the same period of last year. At the end of last month, overall debt in national currency stood at over 1.3 billion euros, of which 1.1 billion were reported in Bucharest. In January, the number of natural persons with debt exceeding 30 days rose to some 650 thousand, the National Bank reports.

SUMMER TIME — On March 26, the last Sunday of March, Romania will switch to summertime or daylight saving time (DST). This is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer. In Romania clocks will be advanced by one hour, from 03.00 to 04.00, local time. Consequently, this will be the shortest day of the year, with only 23 instead of 24 hours. This practice is aimed at saving electricity, using instead sunlight for a longer period of the day. Natural light is also a booster of people’s mental and physical health. DST is currently used by over 100 countries the world over.

EXERCISES — The French frigate “La Fayette” is starting Friday taking part in military exercises alongside similar Romanian ships, in the Black Sea. French and Romanian marines will work together to put into practice NATO standard operation practices, according to scenarios of ensuring free navigation and a maritime traffic flow. On Monday, the frigate “La Fayette” will take part in an exercise meant to consolidate interoperability with the Romanian Navy. There will be a busy timetable, including live fire exercises. Becoming militarily operational in 1996, “La Fayette” is equipped with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles and has a self-defense arsenal. A Panther helicopter is also onboard the ship, which increases the frigate’s action range.

FOOTBALL — Romania’s national team is training in Cluj, north-western Romania, ahead of Sunday’s match against Denmark. The match counts towards preliminary Group E as part of the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup to be hosted by Russia. Also on Sunday, Armenia is playing Kazakhstan while Montenegro is facing Poland. After trouncing Armenia 5-nil, drawing 1-all against Montenegro at home and nil-all against Kazakhstan away from home, losing nil-3 against Poland in Bucharest, Romania is ranked 4th in the group tables, with 5 points. We recall that Romania is coached by German Cristoph Daum, the first foreign coach in the history of the Romanian team, after last year’s subpar performance at the 2016 European Championships in France. (Translated by V. Palcu)

24 March 2017
March 24, 2017

THE FUTURE OF THE EU– Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday is attending the EU Summit in Rome, where a Declaration on the future of the EU will be adopted. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration, Romania will plead for a stronger, more consolidated Europe. Early this month, Bucharest sent a document to the EU member states, expressing its stand on the issue. “The fact that there is no alternative to a European solution, which places the stability of our economies and societies and the prosperity of our citizens at the centre of the Union’s actions, should be clearly expressed”, the document also writes. Another stated principle is “no step back.” The document sent to Brussels also states it is essential to preserve and build on the fundamental accomplishments of the EU- the Internal Market, Schengen, Euro, the cohesion policy and enlargement.

DEATH TOLL — The latest death toll of Wednesday’s terror attack in London, issued by the British Police earlier today, takes the number of fatalities to four. 50 other people, of 12 nationalities have been injured in the attack. Two Romanian tourists, a man and a woman are among those injured. The man has been released from hospital, whereas his partner is still in critical condition in hospital. She fell off the Westminster Bridge into the Thames River, after the attacker rammed the car into people crossing the bridge. According to the British Police, the terrorist, who was shot dead, is Khalid Masood, 52, born in Great Britain and who embraced radical Islam. Actually, the attack has been claimed by the Islamic State group. Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, has firmly condemned the attack and, in a phone conversation with the British PM Theresa May, he expressed full solidarity with the United Kingdom. Klaus Iohannis has also sent a message of condolence to the families of the victims and wished a fast recovery to those injured. In turn, PM Sorin Grindeanu has said the government, through the Romanian Embassy in London, is monitoring the health condition of the two Romanian nationals who sustained injuries. In a message on Twitter, the British ambassador to Bucharest, Paul Brummel, has sent a message to the Romanians, thanking them for their reaction to the attack.

SUMMER TIME — On March 26, the last Sunday of March, Romania will switch to summertime or daylight saving time (DST). This is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer. In Romania clocks will be advanced by one hour, from 03.00 to 04.00, local time. Consequently, this will be the shortest day of the year, with only 23 instead of 24 hours. This practice is aimed at saving electricity, using instead sunlight for a longer period of the day. Natural light is also a booster of people’s mental and physical health. DST is currently used by over 100 countries the world over.

EXERCISES– The French frigate “La Fayette” is today arriving in the Port of Constanta, in south-eastern Romania, to take part in military exercises alongside similar Romanian ships, in the Black Sea. French and Romanian marines will work together to put into practice NATO standard operation practices, according to scenarios of ensuring free navigation and a maritime traffic flow. On Monday, the frigate “La Fayette” will take part in an exercise meant to consolidate interoperability with the Romanian Navy. There will be a busy timetable, including live fire exercises. Becoming militarily operational in 1996, “La Fayette” is equipped with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles and has a self-defence arsenal. A Panther helicopter is also onboard the ship, which increases the frigate’s action range.

TENNIS — Four Romanian women tennis players are today trying to qualify for the third round of the “Premier Mandatory” in Miami(the US), with 6.8 million dollars in prize money up for grabs. Sorana Carstea (no. 64 WTA) will meet Anastasija Sevastova (of Latvia, no. 25 WTA). Patricia Tig (no. 95 WTA) will play against the French Kristina Mladenovici, no. 18 WTA. No.5 WTA, Simona Halep will face Naomi Osaka( no. 48 WTA), and 28th seeded Irina Begu, will meet Lara Arruabarrena of Spain, no. 48 WTA. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

24 March 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)

23 March 2017
Terrorist Attacks in London

While Belgium was commemorating one year since the attacks at the Brussels airport and metro, which killed 32 people and injured more than 320, the deadliest in this countrys history, a new attack was taking place in Britain. A bearded man dressed in black drove his car onto a pavement on the famous Westminster bridge and ploughed into pedestrians, killing and injuring some of them, before stabbing a policeman to death while trying to force his way into the Parliament building and being killed by the security forces. The way in which the attack was perpetrated has now become familiar, namely by driving a vehicle into the crowds, says foreign policy expert and former head of the BBCs Romanian language service, Cristian Mititelu:

“We see a change in the terrorists tactic and modus operandi. Before, they would use explosives, automatic weapons, far more sophisticated and dangerous means. Now, as weve seen in Nice and Berlin, they ram a vehicle into the crowds, wounding and massacring people. So now they use means that elude, lets say, the measures put in place over time by security forces, who are prepared for a different type of attack.”

Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has joined his counterparts from many countries around the globe to condemn the attack in London and express his condolences to the victims and Bucharests solidarity with the UK. In fact, Romanian citizens, whether as tourists or immigrants, have often been among the victims of such attacks in recent years. This was also the case on Wednesday, when two Romanian nationals were wounded and immediately taken to hospital. Given that the UK is facing a complicated political situation marked by the start of the process to leave the European Union, we asked foreign policy expert Cristian Mititelu if this attack could influence this process in any way:

“I dont believe it will. Of course its a diversion, if you will, from the principal and almost exclusive concern at the moment, that of preparing the divorce from the European Union and forging a new cooperation agreement. I dont believe the attack will influence this process because, as a matter of fact, Great Britain has given signals that, as far as security is concerned, it wishes to maintain as close a tie as possible with the EU members, to maintain this type of cooperation irrespective of the big changes affecting trade and other areas. So I believe that in this respect, the process of leaving the European Union will not be affected.”

On Wednesday, the UK joined Belgium, France and Germany on the list of countries targeted by jihadist attacks in the last two years, mainly perpetrated by radicalised citizens of the respective countries. Even if the UK is no longer a member of the European Union in the future, the country and its values will not give in to terror, just like they havent done on the continent, either.

(Translated by Cristina Mateescu)

23 March 2017
UPDATE London attack: Three people died and about 40 were injured

Three people were killed and about 40 injured in London on Wednesday after an attacker drove his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing two people, before crashing it outside parliament and trying to enter the building, armed with a knife. The attacker stabbed an unarmed police officer who later died from the injuries, before being shot by armed police. Investigators say they believe they know the identity of the attacker, and that he is thought to have acted alone but was “inspired by international terrorism”.

According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, two Romanian citizens, a man and a woman, are among the people injured in the attack. Romania’s Ambassador to London, Dan Mihalache, has said that the young Romanian tourists were on the Westminster Bridge when the assailant drove his car into the crowd. The woman was thrown into the Thames from the bridge. She was rescued from the water but had sustained injuries and is now in critical condition in hospital. Her partner only had small injuries and has been released from hospital.

23 March 2017