Radio România Internațional

Tag: plane crash

  • January 31, 2025 UPDATE 2

    January 31, 2025 UPDATE 2

    Budget – Romania’s draft budget law for 2025 is going through the last stages of debate before the Government approves it in a meeting that is to take place on Saturday. The Finance Minister in the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR), Tanczos Barna, stated that there is money in the budget for investments in infrastructure, for the payment of salaries and pensions, at the level of November 2024. The budget will be built on a deficit of no more than 7% of the GDP. The funds allocated to the Presidential Administration, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will decrease and the budgets of some ministries will increase, such as the environment, health, education or transport ministries.

     

    Chişinău – On Friday the Romanian FM Emil Hurezeanu is going on ​​a working visit to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Radio Chişinău reports. The agenda of the visit includes discussions with the Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihail Popşoi as well as the reception by the country’s president, Maia Sandu, by the president of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, and by the deputy prime minister for European Integration, Cristina Gherasimov. The two foreign ministers are to deliver a joint press statement.

     

    Rugby – The Romanian national rugby team will make their debut on Friday evening in Bucharest, in a match against Germany, in the 2025 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship. The Romanians will also play against Belgium, on February 8, away from home, in Mons, and against Portugal, on February 15, at home, in Botoşani (northeast). Romania can secure direct qualification for the Rugby World Cup in Australia, if it finishes the championship in one of the first two places of the group. With one exception, Romania has participated in all the world final tournaments.

     

    Candidacy – The president of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR), Elena Lasconi, will run again in the presidential election in May. She announced that she has the support of her party and is responsible for the votes cast by citizens two months ago. In turn, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, said that he maintained his decision to enter the presidential race as an independent and the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) would support a common candidate in the race, the former Liberal leader, Crin Antonescu. We remind you that, in December, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the presidential election, citing interference by a state actor, and decided that the electoral process should be entirely resumed. The first round had been won by independent sovereigntist Călin Georgescu and the USR leader Elena Lasconi. On the other hand, European Union member states, including France, Germany and Romania, requested the Commission to take measures to protect the elections in the community space from interference by external actors.

     

    Aircraft – An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, purchased by Romania from the Kingdom of Norway, landed, on Thursday, at the 71st General Emanoil Ionescu Air Base at Câmpia Turzii. The aircraft thus completes the 48th Fighter Squadron with all 16 aircraft, the Romanian Defense Ministry informs. The purchase of the new batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and the related package of goods and services ensures the increase of Romania’s security by defending the national or NATO airspace, in peacetime and in crisis situations, through the Permanent Combat Service – Air Policing, under NATO command.

     

    Collision – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, sent a message of solidarity to the American people on Thursday following the collision in the air, above Washington, of an American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter of the US army. “Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims” – the head of state wrote on platform X. The American Airlines plane, with 64 people on board, and the military helicopter with three soldiers on board crashed, on Wednesday evening, in the Potomac River. Extremely difficult search operations were launched. Since February 2009, there have been no fatal passenger plane accidents in the United States. (LS)

     

     

  • January 30, 2025 UPDATE 1

    January 30, 2025 UPDATE 1

    Candidacy – The president of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR), Elena Lasconi, will run again in the presidential election in May. She announced that she has the support of her party and is responsible for the votes cast by citizens two months ago. In turn, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, said that he maintained his decision to enter the presidential race as an independent and the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) would support a common candidate in the race, the former Liberal leader, Crin Antonescu. We remind you that, in December, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the presidential election, citing interference by a state actor, and decided that the electoral process should be entirely resumed. The first round had been won by independent sovereigntist Călin Georgescu and the USR leader Elena Lasconi. On the other hand, European Union member states, including France, Germany and Romania, requested the Commission to take measures to protect the elections in the community space from interference by external actors.

     

    Chişinău – On Friday the Romanian FM Emil Hurezeanu is going on ​​a working visit to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Radio Chişinău reports. The agenda of the visit includes discussions with the Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihail Popşoi as well as the reception by the country’s president, Maia Sandu, by the president of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, and by the deputy prime minister for European Integration, Cristina Gherasimov. The two foreign ministers are to deliver a joint press statement.

     

    Collision – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, sent a message of solidarity to the American people on Thursday following the collision in the air, above Washington, of an American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter of the US army. “Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims” – the head of state wrote on platform X. The American Airlines plane, with 64 people on board, and the military helicopter with three soldiers on board crashed, on Wednesday evening, in the Potomac River. Extremely difficult search operations were launched. Since February 2009, there have been no fatal passenger plane accidents in the United States.

     

    Aircraft – An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, purchased by Romania from the Kingdom of Norway, landed, on Thursday, at the 71st General Emanoil Ionescu Air Base at Câmpia Turzii. The aircraft thus completes the 48th Fighter Squadron with all 16 aircraft, the Romanian Defense Ministry informs. The purchase of the new batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and the related package of goods and services ensures the increase of Romania’s security by defending the national or NATO airspace, in peacetime and in crisis situations, through the Permanent Combat Service – Air Policing, under NATO command. (LS)

     

  • December 27, 2024 UPDATE

    December 27, 2024 UPDATE

    Crime report – Romania is among the states with the lowest level of crime, offering a more favorable situation from this point of view than many Western European countries, shows a press release from the Romanian Interior Ministry, based on the reports of the US Department of State and the European Commission. According to them, Romania is recognized as a very safe country for citizens and tourists. In the ‘Report for American citizens traveling abroad’, Romania is indicated as having a low and very low risk of crime. In recent years, Romania has recorded figures below the European and international average for crimes such as robberies, thefts and other acts committed with violence, the press release also shows.

     

    Survey – More than a quarter of Romanians (27%) are pessimistic about the year 2025, the rate increasing by 8% compared to last year, according to the latest survey conducted by Reveal Marketing Research. Also, 45% of Romanians have neither an optimistic nor a pessimistic perspective, this attitude highlighting the uncertainty they feel about the future. On the other hand, 28% declare that they look optimistically towards the coming year, the share being higher, 33%, among those with incomes over 6,000 lei (the equivalent of 1,200 Euros). The pessimism of Romanians reaches high levels in relation to the prospects of the country’s evolution in the next year. Reducing corruption (54%), reducing inflation (51%) and improving the economic situation (47%) are considered difficult objectives to achieve in the next 12 months.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Ana Bogdan and Anca Todoni debuted with victories, on Friday, in the qualifiers of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes up for grabs worth 1,520,600 US dollars, which marks the beginning of the new competitive season. Ana Bogdan (32 years old, 114 WTA) passed the Australian Arina Rodionova (35 years old, 164 WTA) in the first preliminary round, 6-1, 6-2, after 64 minutes. Anca Todoni (20 years old, 118 WTA) won just as easily against the Swedish Mirjam Bjorklund (26 years old, 770 WTA), 6-1, 6-2, in 68 minutes. Ana Bogdan will face the Colombian Emiliana Arango (24 years, 169 WTA) in the decisive match for accessing the main singles draw, and Anca Todoni will meet the Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (30 years, 110 WTA).

     

    Plane crash – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu sent a message of condolences on Friday following the plane crash reported in Kazakhstan, an aircraft of the Azerbaijan Airlines company crashing near Aktau, a port on the Caspian Sea (west of Kazakhstan). “The Romanian government stands in solidarity with the Azerbaijani people. We are sending our condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic plane crash and we wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” the prime minister wrote on a social network. With 67 people on board, the aircraft was on a flight from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Groznyy, the capital of the Caucasian republic of Chechnya in Russia, on Wednesday. The plane crashed and caught fire, and 38 of the passengers died. On Friday, the airline announced that the aircraft had suffered ‘external physical and technical interference’ and that it was suspending flights to several Russian cities, especially in the Caucasus. (LS)

     

  • October 3, 2021 UPDATE

    October 3, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid – In Romania, the government has approved a decision under which people vaccinated against COVID and those who have recovered from the disease in the last six months are exempted from several restrictions that apply in localities where the incidence rate threshold exceeds 6 cases per thousand inhabitants. Bucharest and over 40 other cities across Romania, as well as more than 200 communes are in this situation. Public and private events can take place in these localities only with a low participation rate, access being allowed only to vaccinated people or people who have recovered from the disease, who will have to wear protective masks. These two categories are also allowed to go to restaurants or gyms, as well as to travel during the weekend or night quarantine. The new regulations were a source of dissatisfaction for thousands of people who took to the streets on Saturday without keeping the physical distance, without wearing protective masks and without respecting the limit of participation in such demonstrations. The protesters marched through the center of the capital, protested in front of the Government headquarters and, later, some of them went to the Presidential Palace. They chanted messages against vaccination and the introduction of the green certificate and also demanded the resignation of the government, of the head of the Committee for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, and of president Iohannis. The protests took place on the day with the highest number of Covid cases reported in Romania – almost 12,600. Over 8,700 new cases were reported on Sunday and 150 Covid-associated deaths. 1,440 people are in ICUs. The high number of contaminations boosted the vaccination campaign. On Sunday more than 30 thousand doses were administered of which half accounted for the 3rd dose.




    Rome — In Italy, more than 12 million eligible voters are called to the polls on Sunday and Monday in about 1,200 localities, including major cities such as Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples, Bologna and Trieste, where partial local elections are being held. There is also a vote for a new governor in Calabria. More than 120 Romanians, the highest number reported so far, are running for the positions of councilor in these local elections. Romanians, who make up the largest community of foreigners in Italy, have the right to vote and be elected councilors in their cities of residence. They also rely on the votes of Italians, especially since very few Romanians will be able to vote, as they do not have a voter ID card.



    Table tennis – The Romanian womens table tennis team was defeated, on Sunday, by Germany’s team, 1-3, in the final of the European Championship held in Cluj Napoca. The Romanians have won the continental title twice. In 2017, in Luxembourg, when Romania won the final with Germany, score 3-2. And in 2019, in Nantes (France), when the Romanian athletes defeated Portugal 3-0 in the final.



    Plane crash – Two Romanian citizens are among the people who died in the crash, on Sunday, of a small plane near Milan, the Romanian Foreign Ministry reports. According to the information provided by the Italian authorities to the representatives of the Romanian consular office in Milan, the investigations carried out so far, show that two Romanian citizens, with dual citizenship are among the deceased. The General Consulate of Romania in Milan is in permanent dialogue with the local authorities, being prepared to provide consular assistance, according to legal competences, including on specific procedures, facilitating the repatriation of dead bodies and issuing death certificates respectively. According to Italian police, all 8 people on board, including a child, have died. The pilot of the plane had dual citizenship, Romanian and German, according to Radio Romania. The plane was flying to Sardinia Island, from Linate Airport, Milan. The Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration ROMATSA announces that the tragic event will be investigated by the Italian authorities, and Romania will appoint an accredited representative for this investigation.



    Insolvencies – In Romania, over 38,000 companies and self-employed persons went into insolvency in the first 8 months of the year, over 7% more compared to the same period of 2020, show data published on the website of the National Trade Register Office. Most insolvent companies were registered in Bucharest and in the counties of Cluj, Bihor and Timiş, with the counties of Harghita, Covasna and Tulcea being at the opposite pole. The highest number of insolvencies by fields of activity was recorded in wholesale and retail trade, automobile repair shops, and the construction and manufacturing industries. (LS)

  • January 11, 2020

    January 11, 2020

    EARLY ELECTIONS – Prime Minister and leader of
    the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, announced following Friday’s talks
    with President Klaus Iohannis that they reached an agreement to kick off
    procedures to organize early elections. The Prime Minister said a special task
    force will be set up to negotiate with parties to rally their support. Ludovic
    Orban said the Social-Democratic Party, which holds a fragile majority in
    Parliament, is hindering the legislative process, the only solution being the
    organization of early elections at a date close to the local elections slated
    for May. In another development, the Social-Democrats said they might call for
    a no-confidence vote against the Government, saying the idea of early elections
    would plunge Romania into a superficial political crisis. In turn, the Save
    Romania Union-PLUS Alliance believes early elections might represent the best
    solution at present.






    CRASH -
    On Saturday Iran admitted it accidentally shot down the Ukrainian Airlines
    passenger jet. Due to a human error, the army launched missiles against the
    aircraft. Iranian President Hasan Rouhani expressed his deep regret over the
    incident which he labeled a great tragedy and an unforgivable error. Ukrainian
    President Volodimir Zelenski said the culprits must be held accountable as
    compensation to the victims’ families. In turn, Canadian Prime Minister Justin
    Trudeau called for justice to be served to the victims’ families. We recall a
    Ukrainian airliner crashed on Wednesday shortly after taking off from Teheran
    airport, hours after Iran launched a missile attack on two US military bases in
    Iraq. The plane was bound for Canada via Kiev, with most of the passengers on
    the manifest due to disembark in the Ukrainian capital city. All the 176 people
    onboard were killed. Initially the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization said the
    plane was old and had undergone its last technical inspection on Monday,
    reporting technical problems shortly after takeoff.






    ROMAN-CATHOLIC CHURCH – As of Saturday Aurel Perca
    (aged 68) has become the new Roman-Catholic Archbishop of Bucharest. To mark
    this event a solemn mass was officiated at the St. Joseph Roman-Catholic
    cathedral in the capital city, attended by thousands of faithful and over 200
    priests, two cardinals, 24 Catholic bishops, civil and political authorities,
    representatives of the diplomatic corps and knights of the Sovereign Military
    Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. Aurel
    Perca was appointed Archbishop of Bucharest by Pope Francis after Ioan Robu
    turned 75, the canonical age of retirement under the laws of the Catholic
    Church. Previously Perca served as auxiliary bishop of Iasi. He was ordained in
    1979 and named bishop in 1999. Ioan Robu will become an emeritus metropolitan
    archbishop.






    OMAN – Romania’s President Klaus
    Iohannis on Saturday conveyed his condolences for the death of Oman’s Sultan,
    Qaboos bin Said al-Said. Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, Qaboos’s cousin, was sworn
    in on Saturday as the new sovereign leader of Oman, the Government in Muscat
    has announced. Oman’s Royal Family decided to open the letter where Qaboos
    designated his successor. The Constitution of Oman stipulates that the Royal
    Family can appoint a successor of its own within three days of the throne
    falling vacant. Sultan Qaboos of Oman passed away on Friday, aged 79, after
    nearly half a century of rule. Supported by Western powers, Qaboos ascended to
    the throne in 1970, at the end of a bloodless coup, assisted by Great Britain.
    The new Sultan, Haitahm bin Tariq, aged 65, a sports enthusiast, served as
    deputy secretary of state in the Foreign Ministry before becoming Minister of
    Heritage and Culture in the mid-90s. In the 1980s Haitham bin Tariq became the
    first president of Oman’s Football Federation.






    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona
    Halep will play Germany’s Angelique Kerber in a demonstrative doubles match
    featuring other special guests on Sunday in Adelaide, organizers of the WTA
    tournament say. The match will be part of the event called The Adelaide
    International Rally for Resilience, meant to raise funds to support the
    victims of the wildfires in Australia. 27 people were killed in the raging
    bushfires and 63,000 square kilometers burned to the ground. World no. 3,
    Simona Halep is seeded 2nd in the Adelaide tournament, also
    featuring the WTA leader Ashleigh Barty, Czech player Petra Kvitova (WTA no.
    7), Belinda Bencic of Switzerland (WTA no. 8) and Kiki Bertens of the
    Netherlands (9 WTA). Halep is now training with her coach, Darren Cahill in
    Adelaide.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • January 8, 2020

    January 8, 2020

    IRAN – Iran’s Supreme Leader,
    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said earlier today, in a televised speech, that the
    over 20 missiles fired last night on US military bases in Iraq are a slap in
    the face to the United States. The attack was confirmed, both in Baghdad, as
    well as in Washington, while the official death toll and estimated damages
    haven’t been disclosed yet. Ayatollah Khamanei also said that the death of
    Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, killed in Baghdad on January 3 by the United
    States, must be avenged, saying that military actions will not suffice. The
    European Union has called for the immediate cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East between Iran and the
    United States, calling on both sides to make efforts to resume dialogue. A
    declaration was made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,
    ahead of her meeting in London with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. French
    President Emmanuel Macron has also consulted over the phone with his Russian
    counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a traditional ally of Iran, with the French
    president advising restraint. Expected to reach Moscow at the end of the week,
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also expected to tackle this crisis. The
    Romanian Foreign Ministry posted on Twitter that the attack could lead to a
    serious deterioration of the regional security context, reiterating its strong
    appeal to ease tensions in the area. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said the
    Romanian military that are part of the international coalition efforts in the
    area have not been affected by the attacks. There have been no problems
    reported either from the community of roughly 180 Romanian citizens in Erbil,
    Iraq, also targeted by the attacks. On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis said he
    is closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East, expressing
    confidence the only solution is diplomacy and a clam approach to the crisis.
    The 14 Romanian military deployed to Iraq have been temporarily relocated to
    another base of the international coalition.




    CRASH – A Ukrainian airliner carrying some 170
    passengers onboard crashed earlier today shortly after taking off from Teheran
    Airport. The entire crew and the passengers died on impact. According to
    preliminary reports, the passenger jet was headed to Kiev. Rescue teams
    dispatched on the ground by Iranian authorities say they have found the black
    box. In Kiev, the National Security Council announced that most of the
    passengers onboard were Iranian and Canadian, with only 11 Ukrainian citizens
    on the plane’s manifest, including 9 crew members. The cause of the tragedy is
    yet unknown. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned against any
    speculation regarding the cause behind the crash.




    VISIT – Liberal Prime Minister
    Ludovic Orban today continues his visit to Brussels. High on the agenda was his
    meeting with European Parliament President, David Sassoli. The two officials
    discussed, among other things, the implementation of the agreement on combating
    climate change. Romania has called on European authorities to introduce
    provisions that should preserve the competitiveness of European companies after
    the agreement takes effect, allowing each country to access the needed
    resources in order to fulfill its set goals, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said.
    Orban is today also expected to meet with Manfred Weber, the leader of the
    European People’s Party, of which the National Liberal Party is also a member,
    as well as with the leaders of other parliamentary groups, including Dacian
    Ciolos, the leader of Renew Europe. Romania’s Prime Minister is due to meet
    with the European Commission vice-presidents as well as with the Transport
    Commissioner, Romanian Adina Valean. His agenda also includes meetings with
    Romanian MEPs, to be hosted by Romania’s Permanent Office at the European Union.




    AUSTRALIA – Smoke from the wildfires in Australia have drifted to
    the southern coast of Brazil, past Argentina and Chile, the Brazilian Institute
    for Space Research has announced. On Tuesday, the World Meteorological
    Organization warned that smoke from the bushfire raging across Australia could spread
    to the entire world. Australian authorities have used the short window of lower
    temperatures to reopen roads blocked by bushfires and to transport people to
    safe areas, although the heavy smoke has hindered rescue operations, with
    hundreds of people still left stranded, Reuters reports. The wildfires have
    engulfed over 8 million of hectares in Australia, killing 25 people and
    destroying thousands of buildings and causing blackouts in numerous areas.




    HOLOCAUST – Over 40 leaders from the entire world, including
    President Klaus Iohannis, will take part in the 5th World Holocaust
    Forum, held under the headline Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting
    Antisemitism, to be hosted at Yad Vashem in Israel, the yadvasehm.org website
    reads. The event will the 75th anniversary of the liberation of
    Auschwitz and the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Attending the event
    will be European Council President, Charles Michel, European Commission President,
    Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President David Sassoli. Keynote
    addresses will be delivered by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister
    Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince Charles of the
    United Kingdom, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German President
    Frank-Walter Steinmeier.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • May 19, 2018

    May 19, 2018

    MUSEUMS – Museums across Europe, including in Romania, are open tonight for visitors to take part in a new edition of the Long Night of Museums. In Romania, 180 museums and partner organisations in the country and in the capital city Bucharest are taking part in this 14th edition. In Bucharest, taking part in the event are the National Art Museum of Romania, the National History Museum, the George Enescu National Museum, the Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum, and the Romanian Peasant Museum. Exhibitions, concerts and film screenings have been put together, for all ages and for all tastes. The 2018 edition also includes projects aimed at a more user-friendly experience, providing digital museum routes that may be explored free of charge. The European Night of Museums series was initiated by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.




    ROYAL WEDDING – Thousands of people gathered on Saturday morning in the historical city of Windsor, near London, to celebrate the wedding of Price Harry of Wales, grandson to Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, with his fiancée, the 36 year old American actress Meghan Markle. The official ceremony will combine the elegance of the royal protocol with the glamour of Hollywood events. The religious ceremony will be hosted by St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest royal estate in the world, constantly inhabited over the centuries. Receptions will then be held, at St. Georges Hall, Windsor Castle at noon and at the nearby Frogmore House in the evening.




    DIASPORA – The second regional consular meeting in the campaign entitled “2018 Dialogue with the Diaspora on consular topics ends today in Rome. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, taking part in the event are representatives of the Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices in Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Switzerland, Montenegro and Israel. Talks focused on topics related to consular activities, particularly the handling of the situations that require the activation of the Foreign Ministry Crisis Response Task Force, as well as the use of the IT systems that are part of the E-Cons integrated platform, which currently services the entire consular network of the Romanian Foreign Ministry.




    MOLDOVA – The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu, who is on an official visit to Chisinau, has travelled today to Ungheni, designated one of the 2018 European Villages. The locals found out from the EU official about the support the bloc has given to the Rep. of Moldova, particularly through EU-funded projects implemented in their region. Yesterday in Chisinau, Corina Cretu said the EU wants to remain a strong partner for the development of the ex-Soviet Republic of Moldova. The statement came after her meeting with PM Pavel Filip. The European official also said that it is important for Moldova to focus on implementing reform in key sectors like economic development, the business environment, energy and justice. In turn, PM Filip reiterated that the goal of the Government of Modova is the European accession of this ex-Soviet republic.




    PLANE CRASH – More than 100 people died in Fridays Boeing 737 crash in Cuba, while 3 survivors are in critical condition in hospital. The aircraft was on a domestic route to the east of Cuba, and it crashed shortly after taking off in Havana. A total of 110 people were on board, including 6 members of the crew, the Cuban authorities announced. Two days of national mourning were declared. The causes of the tragedy are yet to be established.




    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, is playing today against the Russian Maria Sharapova (31, no 40 WTA), in the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Rome, which has 2.7 million euros in total prize money. Yesterday in the quarter-finals Halep (26) defeated Caroline Garcia of France (7 WTA), while Sharapova beat the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko. Halep has lost 7 direct matches against Sharapova and won only one, last year in Beijing. In last years tournament in Rome, Halep lost the final. Simona Halep will stay as leader of the world standings next week as well. Also today in Rome, the pair Sorana Cîrstea (Romania) – Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) are playing the semi-finals of the doubles competition against Ashleigh Barty (Australia) – Demi Schuurs (the Netherlands).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 29, 2016

    December 29, 2016

    RESPONSE – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis is expected to make a decision regarding the second nomination made by the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, which hold the majority in Parliament, for the position of Prime Minister. The first nomination, Sevil Shhaideh, was turned down. Sorin Grindeanu is the second nomination. Aged 43, Grindeanu is currently the president of the Timis County Council and has been a member of the Social-Democratic Party for 20 years. He was Minister of Transports in the Government led by Victor Ponta. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which has a cooperation protocol with the Social-Democrats and the Liberals and Democrats, has not yet expressed its support for the nomination. Opposition parties on the other hand say they will not vote for a Cabinet led by Sorin Grindeanu, although the nomination seems more reasonable than the first.



    CURRENCY – Romanias national currency, the Leu, has hit the lowest value over the last three years against the top hard currencies. Specialists however say the tendency gives no reasons to worry, as Romanian economy is currently stable. They expect the Leu to go up, especially against the Euro, once the domestic political turmoil settles down, a new Government is sworn in and the budget for 2017 is adopted. In turn, the US dollar has gone up against the surging optimism in American society, which in a few weeks is due to have a new president and administration. This tendency might continue over the first months of 2017, experts say. In Romania, the Leu-dollar exchange rate has determined a hike not only in fuel prices, but also in the price for house appliances made in Asia, vegetable and fruit imports from Turkey, as well as raw materials imported from other continents.



    TOURISM – The number of foreign tourists who visited Romania in 2016 stands at some 1.3 million, which marks a 20% increase as compared to the previous year. Most tourists came from Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Spain. Representatives of the travel industry say this good figure is the result of the favourable position Romania enjoys at European level, as our country was one of the safest countries in the region this year. 2016 was also the best year for the Romanian seacoast, where the number of tourists went up by as much as 15%. 11% more Romanians visited the seacoast this year, while the number of foreign tourists also increased by 10% as compared to 2015, standing at around 50,000 people. Ranking at the top of tourists preferences was the resort of Mamaia.



    INVESTIGATION – Former Romanian deputy, Social-Democrat Sebastian Ghita, indicted in a corruption case and currently under judicial control, failed to report to the Police headquarters today, as the court had required him. Thus the former MP violated the legal restrictions he was subjected to pending trial. Police representatives said that, according to procedure, they will refer this matter to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, which is expected to issue a ruling. Sebastian Ghita is also being investigated for bribe-giving, influence peddling, money laundering and blackmail. Last Wednesday, Ghita was also subpoenaed by anti-corruption prosecutors in a case where he is charged with money laundering. Sebastian Ghita failed to show and a BOLO has been issued in his name at border-crossing checkpoints. Ghita won an MP seat for the Social-Democratic Party in 2012. This year he launched his candidacy for a new MP term for the United Romania Party, but the party did not meet the election threshold required to enter Parliament.



    NATO – Dutch Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has announced the Netherlands will contribute two chiefs of general staff to the Multinational NATO Brigade in 2017, which will be rendered operational in Craiova, southern Romania, the Romanian Defense Ministry reports. At the same time, the Dutch Minister spoke of the possibility of Dutch troops taking part in other multi-purpose military drills which the brigade is to carry out. We recall that the Rovine 2nd Infantry Division, stationed in Craiova, southern Romania, will become a NATO Multinational Brigade, a decision taken as part of a series of measures adopted at the NATO Summit of Warsaw this summer. The announcement follows the commitments of other states to contribute to the NATO brigade. Germany will deploy chiefs of general staffs, Bulgaria will contribute 400 military, while Poland will deploy some 250 military. Romania will in turn deploy some 250 military to the brigade to be hosted by Poland. The brigade will also be cooperating with a military unit from the United States.



    CRASH – The crash of the Russian military plane in the Black Sea was caused by a technical malfunction, the Russian Transport Minister Maxime Sokolov said today. Preliminary data decoded from the aircrafts two black boxes suggest the pilots lost control over the plane due to the faulty wing flaps, which put the plane at a critical angle. The 154 Tupolev aircraft was headed to Latakia, Syria and was carrying 92 people on board, of whom 83 were passengers, most of them members of the Russian Army Choir. They were scheduled to hold a holiday concert at the Syrian base in Khmeimim.



    REACTION – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned and labeled as “biased the speech delivered by US Secretary of State John Kerry, whose mandate is coming to a close. In his speech, Kerry was advocating the Obama administrations decision to allow the UN Security Council last week to adopt a resolution whereby all Israeli colonies were declared illegal. John Kerry has warned that these Israeli settlements endanger the two-state peace solution. Netanyahu says Kerrys speech focused “obsessively on Israeli settlements, making reference to Palestinian violence very briefly. The Israeli Prime Minister said the Palestinians refusal to recognize Israels right to exist remains the crux of the problem.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • November 30, 2016

    November 30, 2016

    ST. ANDREW’S DAY — Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic believers from all over the world, Romania included, are today celebrating St. Apostle Andrew. He is the first of Jesus Christ’s apostles who preached Christianity in the south of Romania. This way Saint Andrew is also considered the patron of the country. Saint Andrew preached in Dobrudgea and in today’s Ukrainian territory, in Great Scythia, and then in Byzantium. He then went to Greece and preached the Gospel, going up to Patras town where he died a martyr’s death. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Over 700 thousand Romanians named after St. Andrew celebrate their name day today.




    NATIONAL DAY — Celebrations marking Romania’s National Day have started today in Alba Iulia, in central Romania, with the ceremony of hoisting the flag in front of the Coronation Cathedral, one of the city’s landmarks. Also in Alba Iulia, the congress of Romanian spiritualuty, now at its 20th edition, continues, in the presence of foreign guests from 18 countries. The National Day will be celebrated across the country and abroad, including in theatres of operation, with parades, religious ceremonies, exhibitions of combat military technology and weapons and cultural events. The date of 1st of December 1918 remains a symbol for the union of all Romanians. Declared an official holiday after the anti-communist revolution of 1989, 1st of December marks the completion, at the end of World War I, of the creation of the Romanian nation state, following the union of all provinces with majority Romanian populations, that had been part of multinational empires.




    SECURITY — The security of the European Union and that of the Western Balkans are inseparable, so solutions can only emerge from a close cooperation among the countries in this region and the EU, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu said on Monday in Warsaw, where he attended the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Group and the Western Balkans. The meeting was also attended by the High EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini, and by Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Romania, and Slovenia. The V4 Ministers reiterated, among other things, their continued interest in and support for the Western Balkan countries on their EU path.




    PLANE CRASH – Brazil has declared three days of mourning after a plane carrying the Chapecoense football team crashed in Colombia, killing 71 players, journalists and crew members. Chapecoense were travelling to play the biggest game in the clubs history, the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana against Colombian side Atletico Nacional. The plane, a British Aerospace 146 that took off from Bolivia, was given priority to land but did not reach the airport, according to sources from the Columbian aviation authority. The plane lost contact with ground controllers at around midnight. The cause of the crash is yet to be established.





    UNEMPLOYMENT — The unemployment rate in Romania stood at 5.8% in October, according to the National Statistics Institute. The number of jobless people stood at 522 thousand in October, at the same level with September. On the other hand, the unemployment rate among men was by 1.8% higher than in the case of women. Also, the number of unemployed people aged between 25 and 74 accounted for 76% of the total number of people without a job, in the month of October 2016.




    DEBT — Romania has to pay over 1.26 billion euros in 2017 to the EU and the World Bank of the stand-by loan taken out in 2009, according to the Romanian Finance Ministry. Over 1.25 billion euros are to be paid back to the EU and only 9 million euros to the World Bank. This year Romania has paid 113 million euros to the EU and the World Bank, covering interests rate and commissions. Romania has to pay, until 2023, over 4.77 billion euros worth of debt to the two international bodies.




    LUFTHANSA – The strike of the Lufthansa pilots continues, with the air carrier cancelling around 1,700 flights over the past two days due to a fresh strike by pilots. Last week Lufthansa cancelled nearly 2,800 flights during a four-day walkout from Wednesday. Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) wants an average annual pay rise of 3.7 percent for 5,400 pilots over a five-year period backdated to 2012. This is the he 14th walkout in a dispute that has cost the carrier hundreds of millions of euros since early 2014. For the second consecutive day, flights to and from Munich and Frankfurt have been cancelled on Bucharest’s Henri Coanda International Airport.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • November 2, 2015

    November 2, 2015

    This is the third day of national mourning in Romania, commemorating the victims of the fire that occurred Friday night at a club in Bucharest. According to the latest reports 30 people died and 150 were injured. Ninety patients admitted in 12 hospitals in the capital city are in a critical or severe condition and the number of deaths may further increase. Prosecutors and the police have opened an investigation and are hearing the witnesses. The tragedy prompted an impressive mobilisation of the Romanian doctors, helped by fellow physicians from Israel and France, and the number of blood donors has tripled. Many countries have sent their condolences to the victims families.



    The former Romanian minister for regional development and tourism Elena Udrea has been heard today at the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in a corruption investigation involving a 3 million euro loan taken out from the private bank BRD. She is facing charges of accessory to abuse of office. Thirty people are prosecuted in this case for the fraudulent contracting of 17 loans. This is the fourth case against Elena Udrea opened by the anti-corruption prosecutors, after the ones known as Microsoft, Gala Bute and Hidroelectrica, in which the former minister was prosecuted on Friday. A close aide of former president Traian Basescu and very influential during his ten years in office, Udrea is one of the highest-profile Romanian politicians probed into for corruption.



    The number of foreign tourists arriving in Romania grew by nearly 20% in the first 9 months of the year, according to the National Statistics Institute. Arrivals in September 2015 were 18.5% higher than in the same months of the previous year. However, in 2014 for example, the money spent by foreign tourists across Romania, around 1.1 billion euros, accounts for less than the total incomes of Disneyland Paris – 1.3 billion euros, the INS explains. According to the World Tourism Organisation, Romania has a share of 0.3% in world tourism in terms of the number of tourists and 0.4% in terms of revenues from tourism. In other news, as of today Romania is taking part in World Travel Market 2015 (WTM). This is the second-largest travel fair in the world, bringing together over 180 countries and more than 50,000 experts. Romania has a 308 sq.m. stand at this fair.



    The European Union Monday promised to work with the new government in Ankara, after the early legislative elections held Sunday in Turkey. According to the EU, the elections, won by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) have confirmed the Turkish peoples strong commitment to the democratic process. The EU promised to join efforts with the new government to improve its partnership with Turkey and carry on bilateral cooperation, to the benefit of all citizens. PM Ahmet Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Justice and Development Party won 49.4% of the votes and is to hold 316 of the 550 seats in Parliament. The Republican Peoples Party (CHP) came out second, with 24.5% of the votes, followed by the Nationalist Action Party with around 12%. The pro-Kurdish HDP carried little over 10% of the votes.



    The Liberal-Democrats in the Republic of Moldova are yet to decide whether they will take part in the negotiations with the Democratic Party and the Liberal Party to form a new ruling coalition. Sworn in less than 3 months ago, the Cabinet headed by the Liberal Democratic Party leader Valeriu Streleţ was brought down on Thursday through a no-confidence motion tabled by the Socialists and the pro-Russian Communists, but also backed by the Democrats. On Friday, President Nicolae Timofti appointed the Liberal deputy-PM Gheorghe Brega as interim prime minister. He said the priority for the Republic of Moldova is to form a new pro-European government as soon as possible.



    Some of the victims of the Egypt plane crash have been repatriated to Russia today. The Airbus A 321 operated by the Russian airline Metrojet, with 224 people on board, crashed on Saturday shortly after taking off, in the Sinai region in Egypt. It was carrying Russian tourists who had spent their holidays in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh back to Sankt Petersburg. All the passengers and crew died. The investigation, in which Russian experts are also taking part, is difficult, because the remains of the aircraft are scattered on a 20-km area. The two black boxes have been recovered and will be analysed in Moscow. This is the worst crash in the history of Russian aviation. A similar accident took place in 1985, when an Aeroflot plane went down in Uzbekistan, killing 200 people.

  • October 31, 2015 UPDATE

    October 31, 2015 UPDATE

    NATIONAL MOURNING -
    The Prosecutor’s Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice on
    Saturday carried out the first part of the investigation into Friday night’s
    fire, which broke out in a club in downtown Bucharest. The death toll stands at
    27 people dead and some 150 injured. The Romanian government has decreed three
    days of national mourning, to be observed on October 31st, November
    the 1st and 2nd, in -what is being considered- the second worst tragedy to strike Romania since 1989. The death toll could go up,
    because some of the injured are in a critical condition. Four foreign nationals
    are among them: two Spaniards, a German and an Italian. Between 300 and 500
    young people were attending a rock concert when the fire broke out. Romania’s
    President, Klaus Iohannis, has expressed grief but also revolt that such a
    tragedy could occur in downtown Bucharest, most likely against the backdrop of
    laws and norms in the field being ignored. The President of the European
    Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, has sent a message of condolences to the
    families and friends of the victims of the tragic accident that occurred on
    Friday night. In turn, the European Commissioner for Regional Policies, Corina
    Cretu, has expressed her deep sorrow and shock at the news of the tragedy in
    Bucharest. The Embassies of the United States of America and of the Russian
    Federation in Bucharest, respectively, have also sent messages of condolences.



    PLANE CRASH – All 224 people on board the Airbus321-200 passenger jet belonging to the Russian airline “Metrojet, which crashed on Saturday morning in Egypts Sinai Peninsula, lost their lives, the Egyptian government and the Russian Embassy in Cairo have confirmed. According to France Presse, the Egyptian wing of the Islamic State Jihadist group claimed responsibility for the crash on Tweeter, in retaliation for Rusias intervention in Syria. However, the Egyptian authorities say there is no clear evidence confirming an attack scenario. The Russian chartered plane was en route from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh to the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. President Vladimir Putin decreed a day of national mourning on November 1.




    SUMMIT- Representatives of nine Central and East European countries, alongside NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow, will attend a summit in Bucharest, on November the 4th. The NATO official has recently said a series of risks might appear when Russia gets involved in operations unfolding very close to NATO territory. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, the host of the summit, has said the participants will launch a common message on NATOs adjustment to the current security conditions.




    CHISINAU – The Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and the non-affiliated MPs in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet country, with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, on Friday had a first meeting for the formation of a new ruling coalition, Radio Chishinau has announced. The meeting was not attended by the Liberal Democratic Party, which has announced a decision will be made in the following days on whether or not it participates in the formation of a new alliance. The politicians have said a new pro-European majority is needed and invited the Liberal-Democrats to join the talks. We recall that the pro-European cabinet led by Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dissolved by Parliament on Thursday, following a censure motion initiated by the Socialists and the Communists, and backed by the Democratic Party, one of the members of the ruling coalition. Liberal Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega has been designated interim prime minister by Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti.



    TRADE UNIONS – Romanian trade unions affiliated to the SED LEX Federation will make a decision early next week on having a reaction at national level on the governments decision to increase the salaries of some of the state sector employees. SED LEX says the 50% increase in the basic salaries of people working in the financial system, as of November the 1st, is applied only to those working in central structures. Consequently, only 3,000 employees of the Finance Ministry and of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration, ANAF, will benefit from pay-rises, and not the 23,000 people working in the territorial structures of the public finance system. The Finance Ministry announced on Friday that approximately 5,700 employees of ANAF and the line ministry will benefit from an average 22% increase in their basic salaries. The ministry claims the measure is justified by the complex activities carried out in the aforementioned institutions and the urgent need to ensure the stability of the specialised staff.



    SINGAPORE – Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova has qualified for the finals of the WTA Tournament of Champions, in Singapore, with 7 million US dollars total prize money up for grabs. She managed to defeat Russian Maria Sharapova in a two set match played on Saturday. World number five Petra Kvitova will face, in the finals, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska, WTA no.6 ranked player, who defeated in the semi-finals second-seeded Spanish Garbine Muguruza.

  • October 31, 2015

    October 31, 2015

    NATIONAL MOURNING – The Romanian government, meeting in an emergency session today, has decreed three days of national mourning, after 27 people died following a powerful fire, which broke out on Friday night during a rock concert in a nightclub in Bucharest. The authorities warn the death toll could go up because some of the 146 people who are being treated in hospitals are in a critical state. When the fire broke out, between 300 and 500 people were attending a rock concert. Hundreds of people answered the appeal launched by the authorities to donate blood at the transfusion centres in Bucharest. The investigation into the case has been taken over by the Prosecutors Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, went to one of the hospitals treating the victims and then to the site of the tragedy. He has expressed grief but also revolt that such a tragedy could occur in downtown Bucharest. According to the Romanian President, there is information leading to the conclusion the event might have occurred against the backdrop of laws and norms in the field being ignored. The President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, has sent a message of condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragic accident which occurred on Friday night. He expressed sadness at the loss of so many young lives, who had such a tragic end. In turn, the European Commissioner for Regional Policies, Corina Cretu, has expressed her deep sorrow and shock at the news of the tragedy in Bucharest. She called on her Romanian co-nationals to stay united in such difficult times.



    PLANE CRASH – Egyptian search and rescue teams which arrived at the site of the crashed Airbus-321 passenger jet belonging to the Russian airline “Kogalymavia managed to extract at least 100 bodies from the wreckage of the plane, Reuters and Tass quote a representative of the Egyptian security services as saying. According to the local media, no survivors of the 224 people on board have been found so far. Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed a day of national mourning on November 1, 2015. The administration of the airport in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh said all crew-members and passengers on board the plane were Russian nationals. The plane, en route to the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, crashed north of the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday morning.



    SUMMIT- Representatives of nine Central and East European countries, alongside NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow, will attend a summit in Bucharest, on November, 4. The NATO official has recently said a series of risks might appear when Russia gets involved in operations unfolding very close to NATO territory. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, the host the summit, has said the participants will launch a common message on NATOs adjustment to the current security conditions.


    TRADE UNIONS – Romanian
    trade unions affiliated to the SED LEX Federation will make a decision early
    next week on having a reaction at national level on the government’s decision
    to increase the salaries of some of the state sector employees. SED LEX says
    the 50% increase in the basic salaries of people working in the financial
    system, as of November the 1st, is applied only to those working in
    central structures. Consequently, only 3,000 employees of the Finance Ministry
    and of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration, ANAF, will benefit from
    pay-rises, and not the 23,000 people working in the territorial structures of
    the public finance system. The Finance Ministry announced on Friday that
    approximately 5,700 employees of ANAF and the line ministry will benefit from an
    average 22% increase in their basic salaries. The ministry claims the measure
    is justified by the complex activities carried out in the aforementioned
    institutions and the urgent need to ensure the stability of the specialised
    staff.


    CHISHINAU – The Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and
    the non-affiliated MPs in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet country,
    with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, on Friday had a first
    meeting for the formation of a new ruling coalition, Radio Chishinau has
    announced. The meeting was not attended by the Liberal Democratic Party, which has
    announced a decision will be made in the following days on whether or not it
    participates in the formation of a new alliance. The politicians have said a
    new pro-European majority is needed and invited the Liberal-Democrats to join
    the talks. We recall that the pro-European cabinet led by Liberal Democrat
    Valeriu Strelet was dissolved by Parliament on Thursday, following a censure
    motion initiated by the Socialists and the Communists, and backed by the
    Democratic Party, one of the members of the ruling coalition. Liberal Deputy
    Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega has been
    designated interim prime minister by Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti.