Mircea Basescu, the brother of the former
\nRomanian president Traian Basescu, has been sentenced to four years in prison
\nfor influence peddling in a corruption trial prosecuted two years ago.
\nAccording to the prosecution, between February 2011 and February 2012, Mircea
\nBasescu received a quarter of a million euros to use his influence with
\nmagistrates in the prosecution of a criminal case to obtain a reduced sentence
\nor a favourable ruling.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday ended
\nhis official trip to Bulgaria with a visit to the building site of the
\nGiurgiu-Ruse gas pipeline, which is due to be inaugurated at the end of the
\nyear. Also on Thursday, Iohannis visited Plevna, Grivita and Pordim, three
\nemblematic places that played a key role in Romania’s winning its independence
\nand in the liberation of Bulgaria. The Romanian president paid tribute to the
\nRomanian soldiers killed in the 1877 war for the liberation of Bulgaria from
\nunder Ottoman rule. On Wednesday, Iohannis had talks with his counterpart Rosen
\nPlevneliev about ways to consolidate economic, political and military
\ncooperation between their countries. The two officials stood for boosting
\ndefence in the Black Sea area. In a press conference held on Thursday in Sofia
\ntogether with the Bulgarian president and the country’s defence minister, the
\nBulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov ruled out his country’s participation
\nin a joint Black Sea military fleet. Klaus Iohannis said Romania’s proposal was
\nin fact to create a joint naval initiative to carry out training exercises
\nunder the NATO umbrella, and not to set up a permanent fleet. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The French president Francois Hollande will travel to Romania on the 12th
\nand 13th of September, the state secretary for European Affairs in
\nthe French Foreign Ministry, Harlem Desir, told a joint press conference with
\nRomania’s foreign minister Lazar Comanescu. Harlem Desir, who visited the
\nOperational Command Centre of the Romanian Border Police, said that in matters
\nof border security, the cooperation between Romania and France is exemplary,
\nand that Bucharest has made significant progress in respect of its Schengen
\naccession. Lazar Comanescu said that as far as Romania is concerned, its
\nSchengen entry would enhance the European Union’s ability to defend its
\nborders. On Thursday, the two officials are paying a two-day working visit to the
\nRepublic of Moldova, given that Romania and France are holding the presidency
\nof the European Action Group for Moldova. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Labour
\nMP Jo Cox died in hospital after she was shot and stabbed in the street in
\nBirstall, northern England. She was attacked in her own constituency by a man
\nwho may have been in favour of Britain’s leaving the European Union, according
\nto sources quoted by the British media. The EU referendum campaigning has been
\nsuspended for a day. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The Joint Chief Staff of Staff of the Romanian Army Nicolae Ciuca on
\nThursday attended the ANAKONDA-16 multinational exercise carried out in
\nnorth-western Poland. The Romanian military contributed 250 soldiers and about
\n40 pieces of hardware. The exercise, which runs until the 17th of
\nJune, brings together 25,000 soldiers from 19 NATO member countries and is the
\nbiggest military drill held in Poland in the last 25 years. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
One of the biggest performing arts festivals in
\nthe world, the Sibiu International Theatre Festival continues with a
\ncomprehensive programme to celebrate the 400th anniversary of
\nShakespeare’s death. On Thursday and Friday, the Actors Gang company from the
\nUS stage A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Oscar winning American actor Tim
\nRobbins, who is in Sibiu. On Saturday, he will receive a star on the city’s
\nWalk of Fame. The festival, which is now in its 23rd year, brings
\ntogether 2,500 participants from 70 different countries and features theatre
\nperformances, music concerts, exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and book
\nlaunches. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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