June 2, 2015 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 02.06.2015, 12:15
Romanias current economic context is very good and a growth rate of 3-4% seems possible this year, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Tuesday in the Chamber of Deputies. With a 4.2% increase in its GDP in the first quarter of the year, Romania ranks first among the 28 EU countries. This growth is based on domestic consumption, exports, an increase in the sector of industry and services and also in the construction sector, Ponta has said. Ponta presented before the Chamber of Deputies the economic situation for the first quarter of 2015 as part of the “Prime Minister Hour.
Romanias economy went up by 2.8% in 2014 as compared with 2013, above the level of 2.2% stipulated in the budget and over the European Commissions 2013 forecast of 2.1%. Last year Romania reported the 4th biggest economic growth in the EU. According to a report made public by the Finance Ministry, this upward trend is the result of an increase in private consumption. The report also says that Romania ended 2014 with a budget deficit of 1.5% of the GDP, which is below the 2.2% target. Romanias deficit was smaller than the Eurozone average of 2.4% and the EU average of 2.9%.
The Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday denounced in Paris the “failure of the international community to fight the Islamic State and the lack of support for his country which has been faced for over a year with the Jihadists attacks, France Press and Reuters report. The Iraqi prime minister made this declaration at a meeting of an anti-Jihadist international coalition. The participants in the meeting want to change the strategy of the anti – Jihadist coalition that at present consists of air-strikes and training of the Iraqi soldiers and the Syrian moderate rebels for ground fighting. Despite the almost 4,000 air strikes by the coalition in the past 10 months the Jihadists continued to gain ground in Iraq and Syria, coming close to the border with Turkey.
Prince Charles of Britain, who has been on a private visit to Romania as of Sunday, launched on Tuesday the Prince of Wales Romania Foundation, to sustain Romanias heritage and rural life and support sustainable development. Prince Charles owns two properties in northwestern Transylvania, which he visits regularly. An important part of the foundations activity will unfold in the village of Viscri. Prince Charles’s property will be restored and turned into a Training Centre of the Prince of Wales in Transylvania. The facility will be equipped with a conference hall a coffee shop and accommodation ‘to support the local community and the thousands of visitors who travel to Viscri every year.
The team made up of the Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer, fifth seeds, qualified on Tuesday to the mens doubles semi-finals of Roland Garros, after defeating the second seeds, the Canadia – American team Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-3. This is Horia Tecaus best result at Roland Garros so far.
The Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF) continues in Cluj (in the north west of Romania). This year 12 films will enter the competition for the festivals Trophy. The films are Mexican, Iranian or Argentinean productions. On Tuesday, besides the films included in the competition, the organizers will screen Escortata, a film launched by Oscar winner Michael Curtiz and filmed in Cluj 100 years ago. Tuesday also saw the screening of Corneliu Porumboius film “The Treasure, winner of this years “Un certain regard prize in Cannes. By June 7th over 200 productions from 60 countries are participating in the 14th edition of the TIFF.
Sepp Blatter has announced that he was standing down as president of FIFA after a week of scandal engulfed footballs governing body. Blatter has been president of the FIFA since 1998 and won a fifth term at last weeks elections.
