August 27, 2016 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 27.08.2016, 13:32
ITALY QUAKE – A day of national mourning was observed in Italy on Saturday for those over 290 people who died when a powerful earthquake hit the country’s mountainous central regions. Country officlas attended state funerals in the regional capital, Ascoli Piceno, for the victims from the town of Arquata. No survivors have been found since Thursday. Italian authorities say they will continue to search until they are certain everyone is accounted for. Over 1,000 aftershocks have been reported and many of the buildings still standing risk collapsing, which makes rescue operations even more difficult. Most victims were Italian, but several foreigners were among those killed, including 10 Romanians. Also, 16 Romanians are reported missing.
CELEBRATION – Romania marked on Saturday one hundred years since the country entered WWI. At the end of this war, on December 1st, 1918, the process of setting up the Romanian unitary nation state was finalized, following the union of all Romanian provinces with a majority Romanian-speaking population included in the neighbouring multinational empires. On August 27, 1916, Romania declared war on Austro-Hungary and the army crossed the Carpathians to Transylvania, which at the time was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. Over 330 thousand soldiers died in this war. Ceremonies devoted to this day were held in Fundata, in central Romania, where the first Romanian officer was killed, and also in Curtea de Arges, at the tomb of King Ferdinand. On this occasion, the Romanian Royal House conveyed a message that reiterated the role that King Ferdinand played in Romania’s participation in WWI and in the setting up the Romanian unitary nation state.
PRESIDECY – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message on Saturday to his Moldovan counterpart, Nicolae Timofti, on the occasion of Moldova’s Independence Day. Iohannis reaffirms Romania’s commitment to supporting projects aimed to improve the lives of this country’s citizens and to fulfil their European destiny. Also, a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry reaffirms Romania’s full support for Moldova’s process of democratic reforms and modernisation of the state. Chisinau marked on Saturday 25 years since gaining its independence. On August 27, 1991 the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from the USSR. Romania was the first country to recognise Moldova’s independence.
MEETING – Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said on Saturday, after a meeting, with his Polish counterpart, Beata Szydlo, that the relations between Romania and Poland are very intense and that there are excellent premises for them to be strengthened. The two officials tackled bilateral ties in the context of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, and also topics on the European agenda, such as Brexit’s impact on the EU, the EU budget and the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework. Also approached was cooperation in the field of defense and the developments at the EU’s eastern border.
TENNIS – The US Open, the last grand slam of the year, kicks off on Monday. Niculescu, seed no. 57, will play against the Czech Barbora Strycova, seed no. 19. In the first round of the competition, Romanian Simona Halep, no. 5 in the world, will play against Belgian Kirsten Flipkens WTA’s 68th seed, while another Romanian, Irina Begu , seeded 22nd, will be up against Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, seed no. 80. In the same competition, Romanian Patricia Maria Tig, seed no. 129 will be up against Laura Siegemund of Germany, while Ana Bogdan, seed no. 117, will play in the first round against another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea, WTA’s 88th seed.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
