August 25, 2013
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.
Leyla Cheamil, 25.08.2013, 12:08
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said the official visit he would pay next week to Chisinau represented a clear-cut message of support for the Republic of Moldova, confirming the good relations between the two governments. Ponta went on to say that he would attend the events marking Independence Day together with his Moldovan counterpart Iurie Leanca. The two officials will also inaugurate the outset of construction works for the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline. The authorities in Bucharest have announced their plans to complete construction works for the Romania-Republic of Moldova gas interconnector by the end of the year.
Liberal Party president Crin Antonescu has announced that Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Sunday accepted the nomination of euro-MP Ramona Manescu for the position of Transports Minister. Prime Minister Victor Ponta will present the nomination to president Traian Basescu. The Liberals had originally put forth two names to fill the vacant office of Transports Minister after Liberal MP Relu Fenechiu stepped down, sentenced to prison for abuse of office. These were Nini Sapunaru and Ramona Manescu. Relu Fenechiu is the first Romanian Minister since the demise of communism in 1989 ever to receive a conviction while in office. The conviction is not final.
The trial of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, due to start on Sundayin Cairo, was postponed since the defendants could not be brought into the trial room for security reasons. Supreme Leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and his lieutenants, Khairat al-Shater and Rashad Bayumi are being presently detained, charged with “incitement to murder” of public protesters. They are being tried jointly with another 29 people for involvement in the string of violence in this country. Egypt is currently undergoing a spell of great turmoil. On July 3 street protests turned violent after the Egyptian army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood speaks of a coup d’etat”, holding daily protests. The death toll is already in the thousands.
The Bashar Al-Assad regime has sanctioned an investigation by a team of UN experts in the Damascus suburbs where there are suspicions regarding an alleged chemical weapon attack, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday. Also on Sunday US State Secretary John Kerry held a telephone discussion with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem about the alleged chemical weapon attack of August 21st in Damascus. The Syrian opposition blames the regime for killing over 1,300 people in a chemical weapon attack close to Damascus. The Government has so far dismissed the accusations regarding the use of poison gas.
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep went up 4 places in WTA standings, and is now ranked 19th, after winning the New Haven Premier tournament in the United States, the fourth title in her career. In the final match Halep outperformed Petra Kvitova, ranked 9th in WTA standings and seeded third in the competition, final score 6-2, 6-2. Simona Halep is the fourth Romanian ever to aceed to the WTA Top 20 after Virginia Ruzici, Irina Sparlea and Ruxandra Dragomir. Halep is also the first Romanian athlete to make it to the elite of the world’s best 20 tennis players after a break of more than 13 years.
Radu Jude’s short film entitled “Cloud Shadow” scooped the Best Short Film Award at the Sarajevo International Film Festival, held between August 16th and 24th, reads an official website press release. Another two Romanian film directors won prizes at this year’s edition. Bogdan Mirica won the Arte International Relations CineLink award for his project “Dogs”, while Adrian Sitaru was awarded the CNC CineLink prize for his project called “Fixer”. The 2013 edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival also paid tribute to Romanian filmmaker Cristi Puiu. The “Homage” section of the festival is devoted to filmmakers whose “uncompromising vision has shattered many taboos in film and society and has drawn the attention of both public and critics”.
The English side Tottenham Hotspur has signed Steaua Bucharest’s central defender Vlad Chiriches, aged 23, Steaua headcoach Laurentiu Reghecampf announced on Saturday. Reghecampf said the two sides have agreed on the terms of the transfer. Chiriches will play his last match for Steaua in the return leg against Legia Warsaw next week, if he recovers from his recent hip injury. According to Steaua Manager Tottenham will pay 9.5 million euros for Chiriches, a record high for the Romanian club. Chiriches made his debut at Steaua in January 2012.
