November 4, 2016
Romanian PM attends Europe-China meeting; Bombing in Turkey leaves 8 dead
Newsroom, 04.11.2016, 11:59
SUMMIT — Romanian PM Dacian Cioloş will attend on Saturday and Sunday in Riga, Latvia, in the 5th meeting of the heads of government of the Central and Eastern European states and China, shows a government press release. The participation of the Romanian PM in this meeting is an opportunity for Romania to reiterate its decision to assume a more important role within this cooperation structure, the press release also shows. On the sidelines of the summit, PM Cioloş will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts participating in the Riga summit.
INVESTMENT — A recent poll related to the recent tax cuts passed by Parliament reveals that slightly less than half of foreign investors dont believe it is advantageous, with 38% stating it is, according to the sponsor of the poll, the Council of Foreign Investors. Almost 50% of respondents believe the legislative process has worsened, which affects business planning. The Council believes that loaning rules, which they deemed controversial, may give way to thousands of lawsuits, which may have lasting impact on foreign investor confidence in the Romanian economy. The press release targeted automotive insurance, stating that state regulation may send negative messages to investors.
ANKARA — 8 people, among them 2 police officers, have lost their lives, and more than 100 have been injured this morning in a car bomb blast near the police headquarters in a town in the southeast of Turkey inhabited by a majority Kurdish population. The Turkish PM, Binali Yildirim, blamed the attack on the PKK, an organization that Ankara labels as terrorist. The blast occurred shortly after the Turkish authorities arrested the two co-presidents of the Peoples’ Democratic Party – HDP, the main pro-Kurdish party in Turkey as well as at least 9 members of the Turkish Parliament, as part of a large-scale ‘anti-terrorist ‘operation, the BBC writes. Immediately after the arrest, social networks have been blocked by the authorities. This is an unprecedented action against the HDP, the 3rd largest parliamentary force in Turkey, which is firmly opposed to president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
FOOTBALL — Romanias champion team Astra Giurgiu Thursday night on home turf drew 1-all against Czech contenders Victoria Plzen, in a fixture counting towards Europas League’s E Group. Astra are 3rd placed in a group where AS Roma have the lead, having secured a win against runner-up team Austria Vienna. Also on Thursday Romanian vice-champions Steaua held Swiss opponents FC Zurich to a goalless draw, away from home. Steaua are at the bottom of the table in L Group, where Turkish squad Osmanlispor have a surprising lead. Osmanlispor this past Thursday grabbed a win against Spanish contenders Villareal.
HANDBALL — Romania’s handball champions and holder of the trophy of the European Champions League, CSM Bucharest will play today, in an away match, against the Hungarian team Gyor, in the groups of the most important continental competition. Last week, in the first match, Gyor defeated CSM Bucharest. In the group standings, after 3 stages, Gyor is ranked 1st, followed by Rostov (Russia), CSM Bucharest, and Midtjylland (Denmark). The teams holding the first 3 places will qualify to the main groups.
(Translated by Calin Cotoiu)
