February 12, 2016
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România Internațional, 12.02.2016, 12:00
STATISTICS – Romania last year reported an economic growth of 3.7% as compared to 2014, above the estimated 3.5% announced by the European Commission. According to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute, Romanias GDP went up in the last quarter of 2014 by 1.1% as compared to the third quarter. Recently the European Commission has upgraded its economic growth forecast for Romania in 2015, to 3.6% of the countrys GDP. The Commission believes Romanias economic growth might reach 4.2%, only to balance out at 3.7% in 2017.
VISIT – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis is today visiting the German land of Bavaria. Klaus Iohannis is today meeting Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer in Munich, while later today he is expected to attend the 52nd Security Conference also held in Munich until Sunday. The Romanian President will be a keynote speaker at the conference as part of the discussion panel devoted to the future of NATO. Other topics will approach NATOs attitude towards the Russian Federation, the refugee crisis, the future of NATO, terrorism, the developments in Syria, Ukraine and Africa and climate change. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis met the president of the Parliament of Bavaria Barbara Stamm, with whom he discussed migration-related challenges.
INFECTION – Medical authorities in Romania are on high alert after scores of children under two years of age were admitted in hospitals in Bucharest and Arges County with serious disorders of the digestive system. Some of the children even have kidney-related affections, after having been infected with the E-coli virus. An 11-month-old girl died last week and another 11 children are receiving medical care in Bucharest. 4 of them are in critical condition. In another development, the National Centre for Monitoring and Controlling Infections has announced another 8 people in Romania died in the first week of February after being infected with swine flu, raising the overall death toll for this year to 9 dead.
VATICAN – Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill are today meeting on Havana Airport in Cuba. This will be the first such meeting since the Great Schism of 1054. While Patriarch Kirill is on an official visit to Cuba, the Pope will stop in Havana on his way to Mexico. The two will discuss relations between the two Churches, including the issue of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine and defending Christian values in Europe. Another topic on the agenda is the persecution of Christians in conflict areas in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Since he was elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013, Pope Francis has made ecumenism a priority, advocating for consolidating relations between the various Christian churches.
BREAKTHROUGH – An international team of researchers on Thursday announced the successful detection of gravitational waves, a major breakthrough for the world of science that opens up a window on the universe, France Press news agency reports. The discovery confirms Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity put forth 100 years ago, according to which the gravitational waves travel throughout the universe. Scientists made the discovery in the wake of a violent cosmic event. Two black holes collided some 1,3 billion years ago. Their clash was picked up by three laser interferometers with the LIGO laboratory, one of the most sensitive man-made instruments. Researchers already say astronomy has entered a new era, comparing the event to the first use of the telescope by Galileo Galilei.
FILM – Mohamed Ben Attias long feature Hedi is today opening the 66th edition of the Berlin Film Festival. 18 features will compete for the Golden Bear to be awarded on February 20. The jury is this year presided by American actress Meryl Streep, three-time Oscar winner. Representing Romania in the Forum section is Adrian Sitarus feature Illegitimate, which will premiere on Saturday. In the Generation 14plus category, Roxana Stroe will present her short film A night in Tokoriki, while actress Iuliea Ciochina and screen writer Ruxandra Ghitescu will attend the Berlinale Talents. We recall that last year Radu Judes Aferim! scooped the Silver Bear award.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
