Author: Elena Enache
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June 9, 2018 UPDATE: Romanian Simona Halep wins the French Open
World No. 1 Simona Halep of Romania has won the French Open, her first Grand Slam title. After being defeated in three previous Grand Slam finals Halep finally triumphed against US Open champion Sloane Stephens, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 after a nearly two-hour battle on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
This is Simona’s third participation in the French Open. She lost the final twice, against Russian Maria Sharapova in 2014 and against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in 2017.
Simona Halep is the first Romanian woman in 40 years to win Roland Garros, after Virginia Ruzici in 1978, and marks 10 years since she won the Junior title in Roland Garros in 2008.
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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.
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UPDATE London attack
LONDON ATTACK – At least four people died and some 20 were wounded in London on Wednesday, in two attacks committed by the same perpetrator. There are two Romanian citizens among the people wounded and they have been rushed to the hospital for treatment, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced.
In the first attack, a car mounted the pavement and ploughed into pedestrians crossing the busy Westminster Bridge beside Londons Big Ben. The French Foreign Ministry has announced that three French students were among the wounded ones. After this first attack, the driver of the car rushed at the gates in front of the Houses of Parliament and stabbed a policeman to death. The alleged assailant was shot and killed by armed police.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who was in the Parliament building during the incident, called for an emergency Cabinet session. Authorities say the attack is being treated as a ‘terrorist incident’. In reaction to the attack, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said: “My thoughts are with London. Together we will never cease to prove that love triumphs over hate, tolerance over fear.”
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January 7, 2017
WEATHER IN ROMANIA
Heavy snowfalls and blizzard have been taking Romania in their grip as of Friday. Half of Romanias counties are under a yellow code alert for blizzard, valid until Sunday night. Strong wind is reported in the mountain areas and a new layer of snow is expected to form on Saturday night. Also, a yellow code alert for extremely cold weather is in force until Monday for the entire country, with temperatures expected to drop to minus 16 degrees Celsius during the day and minus 25 degrees Celsius during the night. Kindergartens and schools will be closed on Monday and Tuesday in the capital Bucharest and the neighboring Ilfov county due to the low temperatures. The heavy snowfall left several localities without electricity and the road, rail and air traffic have been disrupted. All Black Sea ports have been closed because of the strong wind. However, air traffic on the Bucharest airports unfolds under normal winter conditions, with no flights being cancelled but with several delays of up to 30 minutes being reported.
WEATHER IN EUROPE
Europe is in the middle of a bitter winter blast bringing blizzards and severe cold even in the south of the continent, where the weather is usually milder. In north-eastern Bulgaria the heavy snowfall and strong wind disrupted road and rail traffic. Hungary is also in the grip of a cold wave. In the Republic of Moldova, snowstorms created havoc on the roads. 10 people were killed by the severe cold in Poland, where temperatures stood at minus 20 degrees Celsius. In Moscow, temperatures plummeted to minus 30 degrees. A snowstorm was even reported in Istanbul, Turkey. Things dont stand any better in Western Europe either. A cold front from Scandinavia sent the mercury plummeting in France. In Sicily, a Romanian homeless died because of the cold in an abandoned building. Authorities in all European states have taken measures to accommodate homeless people in order to keep the safe. Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia are also fighting the heavy winter.
ST. JOHN
Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians in Romania are today celebrating St. Johns the Baptists feast day. Called by the Church the Forerunner, St. John foretold the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ, whom he later baptized in the waters of Jordan. St. John died a martyr, beheaded for having the courage to scold the Jewish King Herod in public for his debauched marriage to his brothers ex-wife. Nearly 2 million Romanians celebrate their name day today. Also today, Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian and Serbian nationals observing the old Julian calendar celebrate Christmas, 13 days later compared to the modern Gregorian calendar.
NATO
The United States has started to strengthen its military capabilities in Eastern Europe and is transporting military equipment to Romania, Poland and the Baltic states via Germany, Der Spiegel reports. The first military transport has reached the German port of Bremerhaven on Friday. We remind you that in July 2016 NATO decided to consolidate its presence in Eastern Europe with the deployment of thousands of military in Poland and the Baltic states. A multinational allied structure is to be dispatched in Romania. Moreover, NATO has taken over the defensive anti-missile shield that has interception elements in Deveselu, southern Romania.
GOVERNMENT
The Government of Romania Friday approved an increase in the national minimum wage from about 280 euros to 320 euro as of February 1. According to a news release issued by the Government, the measure will raise the economic growth rate by a rough 0.2% and will encourage employment. At the same time, the document reads, the increase will have a notable social impact, helping to raise living standards and bridging social gaps. The Government also raised public pensions, with the minimum guaranteed social pensions set to reach 115 euros as of March 1. However, representatives of the Committee for social dialogue have said that the Governments social measures should be doubled by economic measures. The opposition in Parliament and the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, have asked for explanations over how the 3% budget deficit will be maintained, while the Central Bank Governor, Mugur Isarescu, is waiting to see how the state budget for 2017 looks like.
TENNIS
The team made up of the Romanian tennis player Raluca Olaru and the Ukrainian Olga Savciuk are today playing against the Czech Andrea Hlavackova and Shuai Peng of China in the doubles final of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. This is the second WTA final for Olaru and Savciuk after the one in Tashkent in 2008, when they won the title.
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UPDATE Munich attack: Gunman apparently acted alone
A man found dead near the Olympia shopping center in Munich, Germany, killed himself and was likely the lone gunman in an attack that killed nine people and injured sixteen others, three critically, the Munich police said on Saturday. The suspect was an 18-year-old with German and Iranian citizenship, who lived in Munich, police told a news conference. It is still uncertain if this was a criminal or a terror attack.
The police initially thought, citing eyewitness accounts, that there were three attackers, but it is now believed that only one man is responsible for the shooting. Following the attack, the Bavarian capitals transport system was suspended and the central railway station evacuated. Public transport was reopened several hours later when police gave a cautious “all clear”.
According to the police, there was no immediate indication that it was an Islamist attack but it was being treated as a terrorist incident. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the motive for the attack was not yet clear.
In a post on his Facebook page, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has said: “I firmly condemn this evening’s attack in Munich. Unfortunately, innocent people continue to be the victims of extreme and completely unjustified violence. Such coward crimes must be promptly and severely punished. Fresh efforts of the international community are needed to enhance the prevention and action capacity, by using all available means. My thoughts are now with the families and friends of the victims. I’m in touch with the relevant Romanian authorities who deploy all efforts to find out if there are any Romanians among the victims and provide assistance to those who need it.”
The European Council President, Donald Tusk and US President Barack Obama have also voiced solidarity with Germany.
Fridays attack took place a week after a 17-year-old asylum-seeker wounded passengers on a German train in an axe rampage. Bavarian police shot dead the teenager after he wounded four people from Hong Kong on the train and injured a local resident while fleeing. The attack in Munich is the third major act of violence against civilian targets to take place in Western Europe in eight days. Friday is also the five-year anniversary of the massacre by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway in which he killed 77 people.
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UPDATE Munich attack: Death toll rises to ten
A big security operation is under way in the German city of Munich after shots have been fired in a shopping centre. Police sources say the death toll rose to ten. According to local media, the 10th dead person is believed by police to be one of the killers, a German of 18, originated from Iran. His body was found on a green stretch near the Olympia shopping centre. Police have said at least three gunmen were involved in the attack at the Olympia mall and warned they are still “on the run and dangerous”. Investigators say the “acute terror situation” has sparked the biggest police operation in Munich for more than a decade.
No details have emerged on who was behind the shooting and no one has claimed responsibility. Authorities told the public to get off the streets as the city – Germanys third biggest – went into lockdown with transport halted and highways sealed off.
A police spokesman said there was no immediate indication that it was an Islamist attack but it was being treated as a terrorist incident. Fridays attack took place a week after a 17-year-old asylum-seeker wounded passengers on a German train in an axe rampage. Bavarian police shot dead the teenager after he wounded four people from Hong Kong on the train and injured a local resident while fleeing. Friday is also the five-year anniversary of the massacre by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway in which he killed 77 people. The attack in Munich is the third major act of violence against civilian targets to take place in Western Europe in eight days.
In a post on his Facebook page, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has said: “I firmly condemn this evening’s attack in Munich. Unfortunately, innocent people continue to be the victims of extreme and completely unjustified violence. Such coward crimes must be promptly and severely punished. Fresh efforts of the international community are needed to enhance the prevention and action capacity, by using all available means. My thoughts are now with the families and friends of the victims. I’m in touch with the relevant Romanian authorities who deploy all efforts to find out if there are any Romanians among the victims and provide assistance to those who need it.”
Speaking at the United Nations in New York, Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, has said: “Everybody is shocked and saddened by what has taken place. Our thoughts are very much with the victims, their families, with the people of Munich, and the people of Germany more widely. If, as seems very likely, this is another terrorist incident, then I think it proves once again that we have a global phenomenon now and a global sickness that we have to tackle both at source — in the areas where the cancer is being incubated in the Middle East — and also of course around the world.”
The European Council President, Donald Tusk and US President Barack Obama have also voiced solidarity with Germany.
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Munich terror attack: Multiple deaths reported, perpetrators still on the run
A big security operation is under way in the German city of Munich after shots have been fired in a shopping centre. There are reports of at least seven people killed, but police have not confirmed that figure. Police have said at least three gunmen were involved in the attack at the Olympia mall and warned they are still “on the run and dangerous”. Investigators say the “acute terror situation” has sparked the biggest police operation in Munich for more than a decade.
There have been unconfirmed reports of more violence and possible gunfire in other parts of the city centre. No details have emerged on who was behind the shooting and no one has claimed responsibility. People are being urged to stay at home and avoid the streets. Public transport has been suspended as the extensive security operation continues.
Fridays attack took place a week after a 17-year-old asylum-seeker wounded passengers on a German train in an axe rampage. Bavarian police shot dead the teenager after he wounded four people from Hong Kong on the train and injured a local resident while fleeing. The attack in Munich is the third major act of violence against civilian targets to take place in Western Europe in eight days. The authorities had warned of the danger of further attacks.
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March 29, 2016
HIJACKED PLANE – An EgyptAir plane on a flight between Alexandria and Cairo was hijacked and forced to land in Larnaca, Cyprus. The hijacker is an Egyptian citizen, a professor at the University of Alexandria. Civil aviation authorities have announced that, following negotiations, the hijacker released all the people onboard except for four foreign passengers and the crew. About 60 people, including seven crew, had been onboard the Airbus 320. The airport in Larnaca has been closed and flights redirected to the one in Paphos, in western Cyprus.
COLECTIV – State Secretary with the Interior Ministry, Raed Arafat, said he was considering resignation but only if Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos asked it. On Monday, Arafat took part in a meeting with the PM’s Control Body to give explanations for irregularities found in how the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), which he coordinates, acted in the case of the Colectiv nightclub fire that killed 64 people. One of the conclusions of the meeting was that the report of the Control Body needed to be reviewed, as it included ungrounded and unacceptable statements regarding the DSU’s activity.
CONFLICT– Turkish security forces have killed over 5,300 militants belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) since its ceasefire with the Turkish state collapsed in July 2015, Anadolu news agency quoted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying. According to President Erdogan, 350 state security forces had been killed in the past nine months alone. PKK suspended the ceasefire agreement with Turkey after the brutal intervention of state security forces in reaction to a series of attacks. Pundits say Erdogan has been using the war against the IS terrorist group to suppress Kurds. The Kurdish population in southeast Turkey and northern Syria, Iraq and Iran wants to form an autonomous state, Kurdistan. Over the past four decades, the conflict between PKK and Turkish security forces has made around 40,000 victims.
BUDGET – Romania’s National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) collected 43.7 billion euros last year, by 7.8% more than in 2014, according to the institution’s report made public today. According to the document, the revenues to the state budget accounted for 27.9% of the GDP, 0.5% more than in 2014. At the same time, VAT collection went up by 12% while the collection of the tax on profit also increased, by 13%.
FILM – Radu Jude’s feature film “Aferim!” is the winner of the 10th edition of the Gopo Awards Gala held on Monday evening in Bucharest. The film won all 12 categories in which it was nominated, including best film, best director and best lead actor. Teodor Corban ( “Aferim!”) and Ioana Flora (“Back Home”) won the award for best actors in a lead role. Actor Nicolae Constantin won the award for Debut for his performance in the feature film “The World is Mine” while actor Florin Piersic won the award for his entire artistic career.
TENNIS – Romania’s best tennis player Simona Halep, No. 5 in the world, is today playing against Timea Bacsinszky (20 WTA) of Switzerland in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, with 6 million dollars in prize money. In the fourth round, Halep defeated British Heather Watson, 6-3, 6-4. In the same round, another Romanian, Irina Begu (35WTA), was defeated by American Madison Keys (24 WTA), while Monica Niculescu (33 WTA) lost to Johanna Konta (23 WTA). On the other hand, in the fourth round, Niculescu and Russian Margarita Gasparian defeated in two sets 6-4, 6-2, Martina Hingis (Elvetia) and Sania Mirza (India), the competition’s favourites in women’s doubles.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
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November 11, 2015
Alexandru Pascu, the bassist of Goodbye to Gravity, the heavy metal band that was holding a free concert in the Colectiv club when fire broke out on October 30, died in a French hospital on Wednesday evening, where he had been transferred on the same day, raising the death toll in the disaster to 51.
Alexandru Pascu is the fourth member of Goodbye to Gravity who died of injuries sustained in the horrific fire. Guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru died in the club, while the band’s drummer, Bogdan Enache, died on November 8th, his condition having worsened while he was being transferred to a hospital in Switzerland.
Andrei Galut, the band’s lead singer, is currently being treated in a hospital in the
Over 70 people who suffered severe burns are still in
According to the tests run by the National Coroner’s Institute in
The victims with respiratory, cardiovascular and kidney failure had levels of hydrogen cyanide above lethal limits. Since the toxic effects of those substances can occur even later and not right away, the people who escaped safe and sound from the fire have been advised to have a medical check up.
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November 11, 2015
Alexandru Pascu, the bassist of Goodbye to Gravity, the heavy metal band that was holding a free concert in the Colectiv club when fire broke out on October 30, died in a French hospital on Wednesday evening, where he had been transferred on the same day, raising the death toll in the disaster to 51.
Alexandru Pascu is the fourth member of Goodbye to Gravity who died of injuries sustained in the horrific fire. Guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru died in the club, while the band’s drummer, Bogdan Enache, died on November 8th, his condition having worsened while he was being transferred to a hospital in Switzerland.
Andrei Galut, the band’s lead singer, is currently being treated in a hospital in the
Over 70 people who suffered severe burns are still in
According to the tests run by the National Coroner’s Institute in
The victims with respiratory, cardiovascular and kidney failure had levels of hydrogen cyanide above lethal limits. Since the toxic effects of those substances can occur even later and not right away, the people who escaped safe and sound from the fire have been advised to have a medical check up.
