July 7, 2023

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 07.07.2023, 13:50

Arrests.
Four persons were arrested in Romania as part of a case concerning retirement
homes near Bucharest where residents lived in dire conditions. 11 persons were
placed under house arrest and six under judicial control. In the meantime,
other revelations have surfaced in this case. It appears that the staff were
stealing food and clothes sent by families from the residents, and prosecutors
are also in possession of telephone recordings in which the suspects talk among
themselves about how they abuse the elderly physically and verbally. The damage
estimated in this case exceeds 1 million euros. Controls have begun at all
retirement homes around the country. Prosecutors are also looking into how the
authorities issued functioning permits to these homes and how the latter’s
representatives managed to fool the inspectors. The labour minister Marius
Budăi has also ordered checks concerning all state bodies involved in this
case, and special committees will be set up in each county at the prime
minister’s request.

Government.
The cabinet meets today, its agenda featuring, among others, a bill on the organisation
and role of the newly created National Agency for Sport. Subordinated to the
government and coordinated by the prime minister, this agency will apply the
government’s strategies and policies in the area of sport. It will be run by a
president with a rank of state secretary and two vice-presidents, who will be
appointed by the prime minister. The government is also planning to approve a
national programme to boost the domestic production of building materials in
order to reduce imports. Other topics on the cabinet’s agenda today are the
modification of the methodological norms for establishing basic salaries for
management positions held by the teaching staff, directors and deputy-directors
in the undergraduate system and the approval of the second payment of Romania’s
financial contribution this year to the optional programmes of the European
Space Agency.

Defence. The Country’s Supreme
Defence Council on Thursday approved the creation in Romania of a regional
centre to train pilots flying military F16 aircraft. The centre will initially
train Romanian pilots and later also pilots from allied and partner states,
including Ukraine. The Council also approved Romania’s objectives for the
upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius next week. President Klaus Iohannis will again
bring to the fore aspects related to the security of the Black Sea region. According
to a statement from the president’s office, Romania is ready to contribute to
the allied effort both by hosting NATO multinational structures and by boosting
its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from this year. The Council also approved
the army and interior ministry personnel to take part next year in foreign
missions and operations, with Romania’s boosting its participation in the EUFOR
ALTHEA missions in the Bosnia and Hertegovina theatre of operations.

Tennis.
Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea defeated Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in three sets to
reach the third round at Wimbledon. World no. 37, Cîrstea never made it past
the third round in this tournament, a stage she has previously reached four
times, in 2009, 2012, 2017 and 2021. In the next round, Cîrstea will be playing
world no. 13, Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. A French Open semi-finalist a few
weeks ago, Haddad on Thursday defeated Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in three
sets. Another Romanian player, world no. 57 Ana Bogdan defeated Alycia Parks of
the US on Thursday and will next face Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko. Also on
Thursday, world no. 30 Irina Begu reached the second round after a three-set
win against Canada’s Rebecca Marino and will next play Russia’s Anna Blinkova. (CM)