August 17, 2018 UPDATE

Ioana Uricaru, director of the film Lemonade, received the Heart of Sarajevo award in the Best Director category

Newsroom, 17.08.2018, 19:07

RESERVES – Romania imported, in the first half of this year, 4.18 million tons of crude oil, by 860 thousand more than in the same period of last year, according to data provided by the National Institute of Statistics. According to the Energy Strategy project, posted on the Energy Ministry’s website, the domestic production of crude oil will decrease to almost 2 million tons in 2030. Romania’s crude oil reserves will be depleted in about 12 to 15 years, the report also says.

IMPORTS – Romania’s imports stood at 40.2 billion euros in the first six months of the year. Official statistics show that 3.3 billion euros went on food imports, double the amount in the first six months of 2008, according to Mediafax news agency. According to recent data provided by the National Institute of Statistics, Romania’s exports of farm and food products in the first half of the year accounted for only 2.2 billion euros, bringing the deficit at more than 1 billion euros.

MIGRANTS – Germany has reached an agreement with Greece to send back migrants to the Mediterranean country if they have already applied for asylum there. A week before, Germany and Spain made a similar deal on returning migrants. Germany was also in “very advanced” negotiations on a similar deal with the Italian government and she expected a deal to be struck. More than 1.6 million migrants have arrived in Germany since mid-2014.

INFLATION – Romania maintained in July, for the sixth consecutive month, its position as the country with the highest annual inflation rate among the European Union member states, of 4.3 percent measured by Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP), Eurostat has reported. The figure is, however, smaller than the one June, when it stood at 4.7%. In its turn, the National Bank of Romania revised downwards, to 3.5%, the inflation forecast for this year.

PROTESTS — In Romania, military prosecutors announced they would continue to receive over the weekend complaints from people injured in the gendarme intervention in the so-called Diaspora protests one week ago. So far, over 230 criminal complaints have been registered, and more than 100 people interviewed. Military prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation in rem for abusive behavior, abuse of office and negligence while on duty related to the gendarme intervention in the August 10th protests.

MILITARY — Canada will send to Romania 135 military personnel and five F-18 Hornet fighters to take part in NATO air patrols, as announced by the Canadian Air Force, quoted by local sources. The Canadian mission to Romania will take place between September and December 2018, as part of Operation Reassurance, Canadas contribution to NATO activities in Central and Eastern Europe. The Canadian airmen and their fighters will be based at Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in southeast Romania. Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said that the assistance offered by his country to air patrols in Romania is an important contribution and proof of support to the North Atlantic Alliance.

AWARDS — Ioana Uricaru, director of the film Lemonade, received the Heart of Sarajevo award in the Best Director category on Thursday night at the Sarajevo International Film Festival. The film Love 1. Dog, by Florin Serban, got the two Partners Awards granted by the Bosnian Filmmakers Association: the European Art Cinema Network Award, and the Cineeuropa award, for artistic quality, according to the event website. The award for best movie was granted to the movie Aga by Milko Lazarov. Lemonade, produced by Cristian Mungiu, is Ioana Uricarus feature length debut. Love 1. Dog is Florin Serbans third movie, after When I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, and BOX, and it opens his Love Trilogy, three movies about three ways of loving. Launched in 1995, the Sarajevo Festival became a major cultural event in the Balkan region.

FOOTBALL– Romanian football champions CFR Cluj, and vice-champions FCSB, have qualified in the Europa League play-offs, playing at home. The footballers from Cluj crushed Armenian side Alashkert 5-0, after winning the first leg 2-0. FCSB qualified to the chagrin of Croatian side Hajduk Split, winning 2-1 in Bucharest by a last second goal, after holding the Croatians to a blank draw in the first leg. However, CSU Craiova, Romanias Cup holders, missed the qualification after tying 1-all at home against the Germans from RB Leipzig. In the first leg, Craiova had lost 3-1. In their next games, CFR Cluj plays against Dudelange of Luxembourg, while FCSB plays against Rapid Viena.