Category: Newsflash

The leader of the Hungarian radical nationalist party Jobbik, Gabor Vona, said on Monday that the Romanian media had misinterpreted his speech, and defined the reactions of the Romanian politicians as “hysterical.” President of Romania Traian Basescu said on Monday that Hungary has become “a hotbed of instability in terms of minority treatment,” and that Budapest’s policies are creating difficulties for the neighbouring countries with Hungarian minorities. The head of the Romanian state said this in the opening of the Summer University in Izvorul Muresului, Harghita County, in response to recent statements made in the central Romanian village of Joseni by Vona Gabor, the leader of Jobbik, a Hungarian far-right opposition party. According to Vona Gabor, Hungary should enter a conflict with Romania, if that was the only way to represent the interests of the Hungarian minority. The president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania believes the response of the Romanian president was “disproportionate,” and the statement about Hungary was “neither fair nor welcome.” The Hungarian Union leader added however that his party rejects and takes a distance from the recent statements by Vona Gabor. Meanwhile, president Basescu said Romania wants its neighbours to treat Romanians the way Romania treats its own ethnic minorities, granting them rights such as preservation of their mother tongue, culture and representation in Parliament. He also called on Romanians abroad to show solidarity in order to allow Romania to help them more effectively. Taking part in the meeting in Izvorul Muresului, currently at its 11^th edition, are leaders of Romanian organisations in Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, Albania, R. Moldova, Italy and France.

Romania has attracted almost 59% of European funds for rural development, with payments worth over 5 billion Euro to beneficiaries, according to the agency in charge of issuing payments in rural development and fisheries. European grants for private and public investment in rural development in Romania is handled by the National Program for Rural Development 2007- 2013. At the same time, the law regulating land sales is supposed to be voted by October at the latest, since Romania is supposed to come in line with European legislation by 2014. Once the law is in, foreign citizens would be allowed to buy land in Romania. Under the present law, this is only possible if foreign nationals act on behalf of companies. In Romania, around 8% of farmland is owned or held under concession by foreign citizens.

World Youth Day was celebrated on Monday, instituted upon a United Nations initiative 14 years ago. This year this day was marred by the deteriorating situation of young people worldwide, who face high unemployment, small wages and lack of job safety. According to the latest data from the World Labor Organization, over 70 million young people around the world are jobless. In Romania, the same source says, the situation is perplexing: 15% of young people are overqualified as per the market. They either take jobs beneath their training, or go for jobs abroad. Stay tuned for more on this issue after the news.

Radio Romania will be playing host in early October to the 25th edition of the International Radio Grand Prize, awarded by the International Radio and Television Union. The topic this year is ‘Frontiers’. The competition is expected to have 120 programs from all over the world entered, with the jury including international personalities. Each year, this international award rewards exceptional radio works contributing to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. For the last 15 years, Radio Romania has been a member of the board of the union, holding the presidency of the Radio Committee.

The EU Monday called on the Israelis and Palestinians not to undermine the resumption of negotiations, in spite of the announced new Israeli settlement constructions in East Jerusalem and West Bank.. Russia defined this decision of the Israeli authorities as “counter-productive.” The negotiations were resumed in late July in Washington, after a 3-year deadlock, and are scheduled to continue on August the 14th in Jerusalem and then in Jericho, in West Bank. The issue of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international laws, led to the failure of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 2010.

The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has stated that Jobbik is an opposition party that is not involved in Government’s activity and does not share any of its responsibilities. The Hungarian government is committed to the fundamental principles and objectives of the Romanian — Hungarian strategic partnership. The reaction came after the Romanian Foreign Ministry called on the Hungarian side to dissociate itself from the statements made by the leader of that radical party, Gabor Vona, at the Transylvanian Hungarian Youth camp in Joseni, central Romania, regarding autonomy on ethnic criteria. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has condemned the statements made by the Jobbik leader, saying that autonomy on ethnic criteria is not in line with the European standards. As for the statement that Romania and Hungary must admit they are in conflict with regard to so called issue of the Hungarian minority in Romania, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has said this is an extremely serious statement, which violates all European principles.

In 2013, Romania boasts the biggest production of wheat in the past eight years, standing at over 7.2 million tons, the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture has announced. According to Romanian authorities, rape, barley and two-rowed barley will also give very good outputs. Agriculture Minister Daniel Constantin has said that the significant increase in production was favoured by the good weather, the fact that subsidies were granted earlier than in the previous years and also by the support provided by authorities for irrigations.

On Monday, Romanian President Traian Basescu will attend the opening ceremony of the 11th Summer University in Izvoru Muresului, in Harghita county. The main topic this year is Romania and Romanians on the border with the EU and NATO. Among the guests tehre are leaders of Romanian associations from Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, Albania, Moldova, Italy and France. The summer university is due to end on August 17th.

In September, the famous Cirque du Soleil will come to Bucharest with one of the most fascinating shows in its history: Alegria. 2013 is the last year that the company gives shows with this production, twenty years after the first one, presented in Montreal, Canada. The show brings together 55 artists from 15 countries and includes fascinating events such as power track, balancing, the Russian bars, contortionism, to mention just a few. Since August 2011, when Alegria started its European tour, the Cirque du Soleil trucks have traveled to over 200 cities in over 40 countries. From Bucharest, the circus will head for Bratislava and then to another 12 cities in Europe.

The village of Sfantu Gheorghe, in the Denube Delta, is hosting the 10th Anonimul International Independent Film Festival. 7 feature films and 40 short reels are competing for the best film award. The only Romanian film participating in the competition is Matei, a miner’s child, by Alexandra Gulea. This year’s guest of honour is Hungarian Oscar-winning director Istvan Szabo, who will be awarded the Anonimul Lifetime Achievement Trophy.

At the World Fencing Championships in Budapest, the Romanian women’s saber team won the bronze medal, after beating France 33-28. On Saturday, the Romanian men’s team won silver, after it was defeated in the finals by Russia, 45 to 38. This is the third medal won by the Romanian delegation at the World Championships in Budapest.

The taxation system in Romania will not be changed, and taxes will not be increased as a result of the new loan agreement signed with the IMF, the delegate minister for public budget Liviu Voinea told a private television station. The statement came in the context of criticism brought by the opposition. The vice-president of the Liberal Democratic Party, Ioan Oltean, has accused the government of being solely interested in raising taxes and charges. He argued that Romania could be viewed as one of Europe’s most insecure countries in terms of fiscal predictability and the security of investments.

The former military unit in the southern Romanian town of Târgoviste, where Romania’s communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena Ceausescu were executed in December 1989, will be opened to the public in September. It will be a museum subordinated to the Princely Court Museum Compound of Targoviste, the compound director Ovidiu Carstina announced. According to the official, the opening of this military unit came in response to many requests coming from groups of foreign tourists. Visitors will be able to see the wall against which the Ceausescus were shot dead, the room where they spent their last night before being executed, the hall where the summary trial took place. Entrance tickets will be around 1.5 euro.

The US has announced the reopening, on Sunday, of 18 out of the 19 embassies and consular offices in the Middle East and North Africa it had closed down last week for security reasons. The only diplomatic posts to remain closed are the one in the capital city of Yemen, Sanaa, and the consular office in the Pakistani town of Lahore. Last week the USA and the Interpol issued a global travel alert against prospective terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda. Great Britain, Germany and France also temporarily closed their diplomatic missions in Yemen, and Norway closed its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

In the Danube Delta village of Sfântu Gheorghe the 10th edition of the “Anonimul” Independent Film Festival continues. On Friday night, the festival opened with a screening of the 2013 Berlinale success, the film “The Grandmaster” by Wong Kar-wai. Seven feature films and 40 short-reels take part in the competition for the festival’s grand prize. The only Romanian film in the competition is “Matei, child miner,” by Alexandra Gulea. The guest of honour in this year’s festival is the Hungarian director Istvan Szabo, an Oscar winner, who receives the “Anonimul 10 years” lifetime achievement Trophy.

A good cost/productivity ratio encourages German companies to operate in Romania, according to a poll run by the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK). Most German companies (83% of the interviewees) say they would still choose Romania as a location for their investments. Over one-third of them say they intend to invest more and hire further personnel, and only 14% are considering personnel downsizing, which proves that German investors will contribute to a growth in investments and jobs. AHK România, established in September 2002, currently brings together some 530 member companies and is the largest bilateral chamber of commerce in Romania.

In the Japanese city of Nagasaki, tens of thousands of people, including survivors of the nuclear bombing 68 years ago, alongside national and foreign officials, have today observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims. On August 9th, 1945, the bomb dropped in western Japan killed 70 thousand people, three days after the first nuclear bomb had devastated Hiroshima, leaving 140 thousand dead. Because of the exposure to radiation, other tens of thousands of Japanese died years after that. The two attacks sped up Japan’s capitulation and the end of World War II, on August 15th, 1945.

At least 8 people have been killed and another 15 wounded today in an attack in Quetta, in south-western Pakistan, only one day after 38 others were killed in a suicide attack in the same location. The State Department announced that the US withdrew its personnel in Lahore, because of the threats posed by terrorist groups for American citizens. The evacuation takes place after around 20 American diplomatic posts were closed down several days ago, because of high terrorist risks.

Romania’s football champions Steaua Bucharest will be playing Polish side Legia Warsaw in the Champions League preliminary play-offs following the draws in the Swiss city of Nyon on Friday. The first game will take place in Bucharest on August the 20^th or the 21^st and the return game is due a week later in Poland. In the Europa League’s play-offs, other three sides from Romania, Astra Giurgiu, Pandurii Targu Jiu and Petrolul Ploiesti will be up against Maccabi Haifa from Israel, Sporting Braga from Portugal and Swansea City from Wales respectively. Pandurii will be playing their first match at home while Petrolul and Astra will both have away games on August the 22^nd.

Romanian archaeologists have discovered what is believed to be the oldest human settlement in the country. The settlement, located in a town in the western Romanian county of Hunedoara dates back to around 4200 BC. The site covers 100 hectares and includes fortifications and districts. A great number of valuable vases and statuettes have been discovered among the ruins. Specialists will try to restore all items found and then present them to the public.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry disapproves, in a release on Thursday, of the visit paid by several representatives of the Romanian state, parliamentarians included, in areas such as Taiwan, which have not been recognised by Bucharest. The document reaffirms Romania’s stance as regards the observance of the ‘one China policy’ principle and reiterates the importance of the special cooperation ties with Beijing. Previously, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies has said in a release that the recent trip to Taiwan by four Romanian MPs did not have an official character and was not approved by the Chamber of Deputies.

Experts with the Romanian National History Museum on Thursday said that the ashes sent for analysis by prosecutors contains remains of three old paintings, but could not confirm the remains come from the paintings stolen from the Kunstal Museum of Rotterdam. Six Romanian suspects were arrested in relation to the case. According to prosecutors, on October 16, two of them broke into the museum and stole seven paintings signed by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and Paul Gogain, to name just a few.

In the past five years the Romanian state had to pay more than 485 million Euros in compensations, following rulings by domestic tribunals and the European Court of Human Rights. According to a report released by the Finance Ministry. the Romanian state had to pay 110 million euros in compensation for civil damages and judicial errors. Also, the state paid 330 million Euros for property restitutions. Adding to all that, are rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, because of judicial errors or living conditions in penitentiaries.

The 10^th edition of the Anonimul Independent Film Festival kicks off this Friday in the Sfintu Gheorghe resort in the Danube Delta. For ten days running, film lovers will have the chance to watch more than a hundred productions form France, the US, Russia, Canada, Spain, Egypt, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine, Serbia, Britain, Luxemburg, Iran, Argentina, Poland, Brazil, Israel, Moldova and Romania. The festival’s guest of honour this year is the Oscar-winning filmmaker Isztvan Szabo. The Hungarian director will receive a Trophy for lifetime achievement.

Six counties in western Romania are under a code orange alerts for heat, valid until Friday. The highs of the day in these areas may reach 37 or even 40 degrees Celsius. In the capital city Bucharest and in 18 counties in southern, south-western, north-western and central Romanian a code yellow alerts is in place, also until Friday. Maximum temperatures in these areas will reach 37 degrees Celsius while the temperature-moist indicator will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. Elsewhere across the country the weather is warm, except for the mountain regions, where overcast skies and showers have been reported.

The Romanian Orthodox Church deems the documentary presented on the BBC on August 3, 2013 and entitled “The Power and the Faith: Romania’s Orthodox Church” as manipulative. The documentary presents Romania as the country where a new church is built every three days, in spite of the fact that it is one of the poorest EU countries. According to a press release, after 1990, 2.000 churches have been built or are currently under construction. As for the financial support for the officially recognized denominations (and not only for the Romanian Orthodox Church) it accounts for 0.2% of the state budget or for 0.08% of Romania’s GDP. In Romania, almost 90% of the population is Orthodox. According to the BBC documentary, after the fall of communism, the Romanian Orthodox Church took advantage of its position within society and built new churches, including a an enormous cathedral in downtown Bucharest.

Romania’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has advised Romanian citizens who plan to travel abroad to get information about the security conditions in their country of destination, before leaving Romania. The Foreign Ministry has asked Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices in the high-risk areas to identify the prospective threats for Romanian citizens. The Romanian Foreign Ministry’s move takes place against the background of the United States decision to keep 10 embassies and consular offices in the Middle East and Africa closed, until August 10, because of terrorist threats. France, Britain and Germany have also temporarily closed their embassies in Yemen .

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) has decreased the inflation forecast for 2013 and 2014 to 3.1%, from the previous 3.2% and 3.3% respectively, the Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu has announced. The National Bank of Romania has analysed and OKed the quarterly report on inflation. The document highlights the prospect of disinflation in the near future and an accelerated economic growth. At European level, the annual inflation rate in June stood at 4.5%, the same as in the previous months. We recall on Monday, the Central Bank’s Board decided to reduce the annual key interest rate – another important economic indicator – to 4.5%, to encourage lending.

Romaian metherologists have extended until Friday the code orange alert for heat in 6 counties from western Romania. In these areas, maximum temperatures will stand at 37 to 40 degrees Celsius. In Romania’s capital city Bucharest and 18 counties in southern, south-western, western, northwestern and central Romania a yellow code alert for heat continues to stay in place. In these areas, the highs of the day can reach more than 36-37 degrees Celsius, while the temperature –moist ratio can exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. Elsewhere in the country the weather will be warm, except for the mountain regions, where rainfalls and thunderstorms are expected.

The National Bank of Romania has upgraded the economic growth forecasts for this year to over 2%, thanks to exports, the industrial output and a good agricultural year, the Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu has announced. In another move, the Central Bank’s decision to reduce the monetary policy interest rate to 4.5% comes into force today. According to Mugur Isarescu, the decision was made in order to boost lending. The Governor has voiced hope that in September this year, the drop in the monetary policy interest rate will have positive effects on the loans that banks grant to citizens.

In June, the average net salary in Romania was the equivalent of approximately 360 Euros, according to data provided by the National Statistics Institute. The biggest salaries were reported in the oil and natural gas industry — 900 Euros, while salaries in the hospitality industry stood at only 200 Euros. As compared to the month of June of the previous year, the average net salary went up by 3.5%.

The Greek public television will resume news broadcasts before the end of August, the deputy Culture Minister Pantelis Kapsis has announced. A temporary entity with only 2 thousand employees will broadcast for 3 months until the establishment of a new public television, NERIT. The sudden closure of the Greek public broadcaster triggered a wave of protests in the country and abroad and also a rupture in the government coalition headed by Conservative Antonis Samaras.

The USA Tuesday flew its diplomatic personnel out of Yemen and urged all American citizens to immediately leave that country for fear of possible attacks staged by Al Qaeda. Great Britain has also withdrawn the staff of its embassy in the capital city Sanaa. Also on Tuesday, 4 alleged members of the terrorist network were killed in a drone attack east of Sanaa. The alert comes amid the American security alerts that led to the closing of several US diplomatic offices in the Middle East and Africa. Great Britain and Germany will keep their embassies in Yemen closed down throughout this week, France will open its diplomatic posts on Thursday, while Norway has closed down its missions in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Tehran is ready for “serious and substantive negotiations” with the West so as to end the Iranian nuclear crisis, the new Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, said in his first press conference after the election. Rouhani, a moderate Conservative, emphasised however that a solution could be reached solely through talks, not threats. On the other hand, the new leader said that if the USA demonstrated goodwill towards Iran and an atmosphere of mutual respect was created, the way was open for talks to remove the concerns of both sides. Rouhani took over from hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose term in office was defined by tensions with the West over the Iranian nuclear file.

The film “When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism” by the Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu will have its world premiere at the 66th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, held between August the 7th and 17th. According to a news release issued by the EC, the film is one of the four in the Locarno feature competition to have benefited from EU funding, under the MEDIA programme. Taking part in this year’s edition will be celebrities like Christopher Lee, Faye Dunaway, Werner Herzog, Sergio Castellitto and Otar Iosseliani. Actress Jacqueline Bisset will receive a lifetime achievement award. At present, 33 countries take part in the MEDIA programme: the 28 EU member states, plus Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which joined the programme in July.

Talgat Kaliyev, the Kazahstan’s charge d’affairs in Bucharest has stated that the proposal of his government, to deliver gas to Bucharest through an extension of the South Stream pipeline via Bulgaria, is realistic and profitable. According to him, Romania’s geo-strategic position and its EU membership are key factors in Kazahstan’s strategy of expanding and consolidating its positions on Europe’s energy markets. The proposal comes after the Nabucco project, in which Romanian company Transgaz has invested tens of millions of euros, was dealt a heavy blow a couple of months ago, after Azerbaijan had announced its decision to use another conveyor for its gas exports to Italy, via Greece and Albania. Nabucco is an alternative to South Stream and it is backed by Russia.

The responsibility for the privatization of the Freight Division of the Romanian Railway Company lies with the Government, not with the country’s Higher Defense Council, said at a press conference on Monday the Romanian President Traian Basescu. On Friday, at the request of the Government, the Council discussed the privatization of that state owned company. The president warned that, unless privatization procedures are finalized, the government will have to pay damages to the winner of the tender. In June, the tender was won by a Romanian company, but Traian Basescu has voiced doubts that the company will be able to pay 200 million Euros in exchange for 51% of the share. Against the background of the recent resignation of the Transport Minister, whose office was taken over as interim by PM Victor Ponta, the privatization of the company turned into a topic of dispute between Government and President.

Romanian ranks 3rd in the EU with regard to the drop in retail trade, in keeping with data presented by Eurostat on Monday. The most significant drops were registered in Spain (minus 6.9%), Slovenia (minus 3.6%) and Romania (minus 3.1%). The most important raises were registered in Luxembourg (27.5%), Lithuania (6.7%) and Poland (5.5%). In the Euro zone, retail trade droped by 0.9% in June 2013, as compared with teh same period in 2012, and went up by 0.1% in the EU.

The Black Sea port of Mangalia on Monday saw the opening of the Week of Romanian Education, Culture and Spirituality, part of a programme entitled ‘Diaspora Estival 2013’. The event, staged by the Department for the Romanians Around the World with the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry, is aimed at strengthening the national identity of the Romanians living outside the country’s borders. The event, which is to host daily debates and conferences on the Romanian language, the country’s history, civilization, its geography, art and literature, will be attended by professors and students from the Romanian communities in the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Hungary. Before the event, the Romanian minister delegate for the Romanians around the world Cristian David said the Romanians in the Diaspora could contribute to the modernization of the country by means of their human capital and must be encouraged to invest in Romania.

Over August the 11th and the 25th students from 26 countries, including Australia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Spain, Turkey the United States of America and Great Britain will be participating in the 9th edition of an International Summer School called ‘Bucharest Summer University’. The event is aimed at developing the participants’ skills and apprehension through dialogue with experts from the Academia and the business environment. According to the organizers, besides courses, workshops, debates and extra-curricula activities, the students will participate in entertaining activities, trips to Bucharest and around the country as well as theme nights. Bucharest Summer University, which is staged on a yearly basis, has along the years gained the reputation of a high quality cultural and scientific event.

The Central Bank of Romania has decided to cut the monetary policy interest rate down to 4.5 % from 5%. The new interest rate, which is the lowest so far, is due to come into effect on Tuesday. The move follows another Central Bank decision last month, when the interest rate was trimmed from 5.25% to 5%. The central bank has also decided to keep the levels of the minimum obligatory reserve rates for domestic and hard currency liabilities of banks to 20%.

Romania came 1^st at this year’s edition of the International Geography Olympiad, as pupils from Bucharest, Galati, Iasi and Pitesti won three golden medals and one silver. The Olympiad was held over July 30^th — August 5^th in Kyoto, Japan and gathered participants from 32 countries. Also, at the Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad in Greece the Romanian team has won two golden medals, two silver and one bronze.

Romania is again present at the International Arts and Crafts Fair underway in Jerusalem, Israel over August 5th and 17th. All throughout the fair artisans from Romania will be participating in various workshops offering detailed explanations about crafts and rural tourism in the Prahova Valley, in southern Romania. Visitors will have the chance of seeing and buying authentic traditional Romanian costumes, towels and other objects all of which are handmade using traditional fabrics and materials. The Arts and Crafts Fair in Jerusalem is the largest event of this kind in Israel, which brings together more than 150 artisans from Israel along with tens of international stands.

Almost 170 thousand tourists flocked the Romanian resorts on the Black Sea coast on Sunday, a number, which is considered to be a record high for this summer season. According to employers associations, about 75 hundred of them are foreign nationals. 90% of the accommodation facilities on the Romanian Black Sea coast have been occupied, the most crowded resorts being Mamaia, Costinesti, Vama Veche and Navodari. Mamaia is considered the most attractive holiday resort on the Romanian littoral.

The Interpol has issued a global warning advising police units all over the world to stay alert in this period after several Islamic terrorists have managed to escape detention. Moreover the month of August has along the years proved to the month of choice for terrorists. Another similar warning has been issued by the United States, which today has closed its embassies and diplomatic missions in over 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa for fear of new al Qaeda attacks. At the same time, Britain, France and Germany have announced they closed down their embassies in Yemen, while Canada has closed its embassy in Bangladesh.

Romanian troops from the Black Wolves battalion have taken over the peacekeeping mission from their colleagues from the Yellow Scorpions battalion. The Black Wolves will carry out complex missions together with their US and Afghan partners. Romania has about 16 hundred soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, most of whom are to be pulled out by the end of 2014.

Famous British singer Joe Cocker on Sunday gave a concert in Bucharest as part of a tour aimed at promoting his latest album ‘Fire it up’. Besides songs from his new album, fans were delighted by old hits, such as ‘You can leave your hat on’ or ‘Unchain my heart’. At the age of 69 Joe Cocker is one of the world’s most notable artists with over 20 albums sold and numerous awards.

Romanians from abroad can contribute to the modernization of Romania by using human capital and they have to be encouraged to invest in this country, Cristian David minister for the Romanians all over the world said on Sunday. According to the Romanian minister, the country needs an attractive business environment, fresh jobs and more attractive salaries. This topic will be high on the agenda of a meeting, which is due to bring together Romanians from the Diaspora in the Black Sea resort of Mangalia over August 5th and 11th.

High speed was the main cause of the bus accident in Montenegro in June, when 18 Romanians died and 30 others were wounded, local prosecutors announced on Sunday. They explained the bus was traveling at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, 40 kilometers above the speed limit on that road. We recall the bus swerved and fell 40 meters from a bridge 40 kilometers from the city of Podgorica. The road, which is extremely narrow and crowded, is known for the numerous accidents that have happened along the years particularly in the holiday season. The accident is also under investigation by the Romanian prosecutors with the High Court of Cassation and Justice.

Romania will report economic growth in 2013 as well, for the 3^rd consecutive year, said Saturday the Romanian President, Traian Basescu. Romanians have every reason to be optimistic even if, the president admitted, the pace of economic development is not very fast. The Romanian President made these statements in the southeastern Romanian town of Sulina where he met with Romanian-born youth who live abroad.

As many as 170 thousand tourists are spending the weekend on the Romanian Black Sea Coast — which is a record number for the 2013 summer season. According to tourist owners’ associations almost 7 500 tourists are foreign citizens. The biggest number of tourists is reported in the resort of Mamaia which is considered the most attractive resort on the Romanian Black Sea Coast.

In Sighisoara, a medieval town located in central Romania, continues the well-known Academia Sighisoara international music festival. The 20^th edition of the Academia Sighisoara festival is being attended by 35 European artists — German, Austrian, Spanish, Hungarian, Swiss, Ukrainian and Romanian. Until August 14^th they will give concerts in several locations from Sighisoara, a town that has been included on the UNESCO heritage list. Swiss-American composer, Daniel Schnyder, is also attending the festival. He composed an epic opera for this festival “Drakool” which will be premiered on August 9^th.

The trust of Moldovan citizens in the state institutions has dropped significantly, which increases the risk of a return to power of the former authoritarian regime, shows a study conducted by an NGO in Chisinau. Almost half of the respondents have said they are ready to leave the country, some of them even for good. According to the study most of the Moldovan people do not trust government policies and are affected by the low level of the country’s development. The study concludes that increased efforts are needed to make state institutions functional, to improve the quality of public services, to eradicate corruption and improve the business environment, the biggest opportunity for the Republic of Moldova being considered its European integration.

The American President, Barack Obama, has order that “all appropriate steps” be taken to protect Americans in response to a threat of an al-Qaeda attack. On Friday the US state department issued a global travel alert for all American citizens warning that the potential for an attack was particularly strong in the Middle East and North Africa. Washington announced that, out of security reasons, 21 of the US embassies and consulates would be closed on Sunday. The diplomatic representative offices of the EU states in the Middle East have taken further security measures.

At least 9 people died on Saturday in the east of Afghanistan in a suicide attack. Local authorities say a car bomb went through the barriers near the Indian consulate in Jalalabad and exploded. This town, located near the border with Pakistan, is frequently the target of insurgents’ attacks. On Friday more than 20 Afghan policemen and at least 75 Taliban were killed in the clashes.

Romanian president Traian Basescu on Friday chaired a meeting of the country’s Higher Defence Council. High on the agenda were talks on the uncompleted privatization of the Freight Division of the state-owned Romanian Railway Company CFR. The auction for the majority share package has been won by a local bidder, which pledged to buy 51% of the shares for 200 million euros and invest the same amount in the freight company’s assets. After the resignation of former Transport minister Relu Fenechiu, whose position has been taken over by Prime Minister Victor Ponta, this privatization sparked off a dispute between the presidency and the government. We recall the Romanian authorities pledged to privatize CFR Freight Division, a major state-owned company, as part of their agreement with international financiers.

29.5 % of Romanians fear prices going up, 28.6% fear losing their job, and 17.5% fear loss of income, according an opinion poll in July. 65.5% of Romanians do not like the direction in which the country is going. The poll was run in 37 counties and Bucharest, contracted by a daily paper in the capital. More after the news.

Andreea Chiru, who is 20 years old, won Romania’s Miss World 2013 beauty pageant on Thursday in Bucharest. She will be representing Romania at the Miss World 2013 competition in Indonesia in September. The Miss World pageant was created in 1951 as the first, and now oldest, world beauty pageant.

In Zabul province in Afghanistan, the Romanian soldiers in the Black Wolves batallion take over duty from the Yellow Scorpions after a six month tour. The new battalion will be pairing up with American and Afghan troups. 1,600 Romanian troops are deployed in Afghanistan, and will be withdrawing in 2014. 200 officers and specialized troops will stay behind to train local forces.

Syrian businessman Omar Hayssam, who holds Romanian citizenship, has been arrested for embezzlement and racketeering, for damages assessed at 20 million Euro. Hayssam has been linked to the infamous case of Romanian journalists abducted in Iraq in 2005, and has been sentenced to 20 years in jail in absentia for acts of terrorism. In 2006 he managed to flee Romania while released on bail. Hayssam has been brought to the country from Syria, where he had been arrested and sentenced to four years imprisonment in a separate case.

Romania must pay 164.4 million euros to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in August accounting for capital reimbursement rates and commissions on a stand-by loan signed in 2009, the government in Bucharest announced on Thursday. Romania signed a 20-billion euro bailout package with the IMF, the World Bank and the European Commission. In 2011, Bucharest signed a precautionary loan agreement of 5 billion euros with its international lenders, an agreement, which came to a successful end in June 2013. On Wednesday, the Romanian authorities, the IMF and the European Commission agreed on a new precautionary loan agreement.

A draft law on a basic health services package will be made available for public debate at the end of this month before the government calls for a vote of confidence on this bill, the Romanian health minister Eugen Nicolaescu has announced. He says the underlying principles of the new bill are prevention, the efficient use of public funds and finding the right balance between people’s needs and the state’s resources. Nicolaescu has also said that no deadline can be set for the completion of a new list of subsidised and free medicines. This list was last revised in 2008.

Romania’s president Traian Basescu called for a meeting of the Country’s Supreme Defence Council on Friday to discuss the privatisation of the freight division of the Romanian Railways Company approved by the government last week. In June, the Romanian Railway Group, which forms part of the Grampet group, was declared the winner of the tender to privatise the country’s railway freight division, with a bid of 200 million euros in exchange for 51% of the shares. The Group has also undertaken to invest around 204 million euros. The freight division of the Romanian Railways Company holds a more than 40% share of the railway transport market in Romania, with the Romanian Railway Group holding another 30%.

Almost 10,000 Dacia cars, a Romanian brand owned by the French group Renault, were registered in France in July. According to the French Car Makers Committee, Dacia sales grew by 6% compared to July 2012, with Dacia now holding an almost 6.5% share of the French car market. In Romania, the Dacia factory was taken over by Renault in 1999 and its Logan model was an international success.

Romania must pay 164.4 million euros to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in August accounting for capital reimbursement rates and commissions on a stand-by loan signed in 2009, the government in Bucharest announced on Thursday. Romania signed a 20-billion euro bailout package with the IMF, the World Bank and the European Commission. In 2011, Bucharest signed a precautionary loan agreement of 5 billion euros with its international lenders, an agreement, which came to a successful end in June 2013. On Wednesday, the Romanian authorities, the IMF and the European Commission agreed on a new precautionary loan agreement.

A draft law on a basic health services package will be made available for public debate at the end of this month before the government calls for a vote of confidence on this bill, the Romanian health minister Eugen Nicolaescu has announced. He says the underlying principles of the new bill are prevention, the efficient use of public funds and finding the right balance between people’s needs and the state’s resources. Nicolaescu has also said that no deadline can be set for the completion of a new list of subsidised and free medicines. This list was last revised in 2008.

Romania’s president Traian Basescu called for a meeting of the Country’s Supreme Defence Council on Friday to discuss the privatisation of the freight division of the Romanian Railways Company approved by the government last week. In June, the Romanian Railway Group, which forms part of the Grampet group, was declared the winner of the tender to privatise the country’s railway freight division, with a bid of 200 million euros in exchange for 51% of the shares. The Group has also undertaken to invest around 204 million euros. The freight division of the Romanian Railways Company holds a more than 40% share of the railway transport market in Romania, with the Romanian Railway Group holding another 30%.

Almost 10,000 Dacia cars, a Romanian brand owned by the French group Renault, were registered in France in July. According to the French Car Makers Committee, Dacia sales grew by 6% compared to July 2012, with Dacia now holding an almost 6.5% share of the French car market. In Romania, the Dacia factory was taken over by Renault in 1999 and its Logan model was an international success.

Romania will be paying back 64.4 million euros in premium interest and commission to the IMF in August this year, on the stand-by loan contracted in 2009, the government in Bucharest has today announced. The payments are for the 20-billion euro bailout package Romania got from the IMF, the World Bank and the European Commission. In 2011 Bucharest signed another loan agreement of the precautionary type with international financiers of 5 billion euros, which was successfully completed in June 2013. The Romanian authorities, the IMF and the European Commission agreed upon another precautionary loan agreement on Wednesday.

A draft law on basic medical package will be subjected to public debates late this month when the government is expected to assume responsibility for it, Romanian health minister Eugen Nicolaescu has announced. According to him, the law has been drawn up in keeping with certain principles laying emphasis on the importance of prevention, the proper public funds management in a bid to find the right balance between people’s needs and resources. Nicolaescu has explained why he cannot set a deadline for the completion of a new list of subsidized and free medicines. Such a list was last revised in 2008.

The concert given by famous British singer Sting in Bucharest last night as part of the Back To Bass tour, was attended by 10 thousand people. That was the fourth concert Sting gave in Romania, including besides fresh songs several old hits like ‘Englishman in New York’ or ‘Roxanne’. The almost 100 million albums sold, single or with his group ‘The Police’ have also brought the artist 10 Grammy Awards a Golden Globe and an Emmy prize. Sting also boasts three Oscar nominations.

Three Romanian football sides are today playing in the Europa League third preliminary round. Romania’s vice-champions Pandurii Targu-Jiu and Cup-winner Petrolul will meet on home-turf Hapoel Tel Aviv from Israel and the Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem respectively. Astra Giurgiu will fly to Slovakia for a game against AS Trencin, while in the Champions League, Steaua Bucharest, which has secured a two-nil win against Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi, stand good chances to make it to the competition’s play-offs.

At the end of a two-week visit to Bucharest, the international creditors’ mission has announced it agreed upon a new precautionary loan with Romania. Worth 4 billion Euros, the agreement will equally be granted by the IMF and the EC. The agreement will be discussed by the IMF board in autumn, the IMF chief negotiator for Romania, Andrea Schaecher, has announced, also saying that Romania’s economic growth forecast has been revised upwards, to 2%. According to the Romanian authorities, the privatization of some state-owned companies will be included among the conditions in the new agreement. The previous agreement, also a precautionary one, was successfully completed by Romania last month.

The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile has called on prosecutors to start criminal investigation against a former head of a communist prison, whom they accuse of murders and torture. The institute claims that at least 5 political detainees were killed in the detention center in Ramnicu-Sarat (in the east), while Alexandru Visinescu (88 years old) was in charge of the prison, between 1956 and 1963. The institute says that, in this case, it has made available to prosecutors hundreds of archive documents, which come to prove Visienscu’s guilt. According to official data, between 1945 and 1989, over 600 thousand people were sentenced to prison in Romania for political reasons. However, the magnitude of their suffering started being exposed only in recent years.

The unemployment rate in Romania amounted to 7.6% in June, that is 0.5% higher than in the same period of 2012, data made public by the National Institute of Statistics show. According to the aforementioned institute, the unemployment rate among men exceeds by 0.5 % the unemployment rate among women. The number of unemployed people in the 15 to 74 year age bracket stood at 736,000 people in June 2013.

The EU hails the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and supports a peace process between the parties. This statement was made on Wednesday by Dalia Grybauskaite, the president of Lithuania, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, at the end of talks with her Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres, who was on an official visit to Vilnius. The direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations were resumed Monday night in Washington, after a 3-year deadlock in the peace process. The US Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the two parties will meet again in two weeks in the Middle East, in order for a final agreement to be reached in the coming 9 months.