November 22, 2014
A selection of local and international news.
România Internațional, 22.11.2014, 12:00
US defence secretary Chuck Hagel sent a message of condolence to the families of the Romanian servicemen killed in the crash of a helicopter on Friday in Sibiu county, central Romania. In his message, Hagel noted that Romania has been an important ally and partner of the United States since it joined NATO in 2004, while the US army deeply appreciates the dedication and sacrifice of the Romanian military serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Europe. Eight military were killed and two wounded in the helicopter crash. They were en route to a joint exercise with US troops. “This is a sad moment for the Romanian Army, the Romanian people and me personally”, said president Traian Basescu after receiving the news of the tragedy.
The head of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism in Romania, Alina Bica, has been arrested for 30 days following the approval by the Supreme Court of a request from anticorruption prosecutors. Bica is accused of approving the grant of deliberately overvalued compensations back in 2011, while she was an undersecretary of state in the justice ministry and a member of a committee for the restoration of land seized by the communist regime to its rightful owners. The damage is estimated at over 60 million euros. As part of the same investigation, the National Anticorruption Directorate has requested the Chamber of Deputies to approve the detaining and temporary arrest of the MP Marko Attila Gabor, a former colleague of Bica in the committee.
The 60th NATO Parliamentary Assembly has begun in The Hague. The topics on the agenda of talks include the tension with Russia, the fight against the Islamic State group and the NATO allies’ commitment to increase army spending to at least 2% of the national GDP. The meeting is attended by over 350 delegates from the 28 NATO states, including Romania, as well representatives of Ukraine, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the last two years, Romania has seen the most significant increase in the number of organ donors and transplant surgery in the world, said the state secretary in the health ministry Dorel Sandesc in Targu Mures, in the centre. He went on to say that, in this respect, Romania is an example for the states in the region, given that in 2007, this country ranked last in Europe. Also, Sandesc warned about the need to create more transplant centres and an air fleet to transport organs.
Ukraine’s defence minister Stefan Poltorak has denounced the presence of 7,500 Russian troops in the east of Ukraine, where government troops are fighting pro-Russian separatist rebels. During a meeting with foreign military attaches, Poltorak said the presence of Russian troops is an obstacle to a quick stabilisation of the situation. Around 4,300 people have been killed since the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in mid April. Of these, 1,000 have been killed since the signing of a ceasefire by the Ukrainian government and the rebels in September in Minsk.
The outcome Iran’s nuclear talks with the world powers are “completely open”, said the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Iran and the 5+1 group, namely Germany, China, the US, France, Britain and Russia are having intense talks in Vienna trying to reach a historic deal by Monday which may end the controversy surrounding Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting some of the international sanctions against Iran.
Islamist Shebab insurgents on Saturday executed 28 passengers on board a bus in north-eastern Kenya near the border with Somalia, only sparing the Muslim passengers. The attack was a response to the decision of the Kenyan authorities to close down a number of radical mosques in Mombasa believed to have links with Somali insurgents.
The Gaudeamus Book and Education Fair organised by Radio Romania in Bucharest comes to an end on Sunday. This 21st edition of the fair has brought together over 300 Romanian and foreign publishers, printing houses, institutions in the field of education and cultural centres. The fair’s guest of honour this year is Russia.
