July 19, 2016 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 19.07.2016, 12:30
CONDOLENCES President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday conveyed a message of condolences to the family of the Romanian killed in the terror attack in Nice last week, saying that nothing could justify such an abomination. Prime Minister Ciolos has also expressed condolences saying that the mans wife and son have been admitted to hospitals in Nice, their condition being stable. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has expressed profound regrets for the death of the Romanian adding that at present, the representative of Romanias Consulate in Marseilles and the honorary consul in Nice are together with the affected family offering all needed support. A crisis cell in permanent connection with the French authorities has been set up at the Romanian Foreign Ministry. We recall that 84 people were killed and over 200 wounded, including four Romanian nationals, in the terror attack in Nice on July 14th.
ATTACK The condition of two of the five victims of a young Afghan refugee, who attacked the passengers of a train in southern Germany on Tuesday with a knife and an axe, is severe, local police have announced. The assailant was shot dead by the police. ISIS claimed the attack on Tuesday saying the attacker was one its members. France Press points out that although more than one million refugees entered Germany last year the country has so far been spared by the Jihadis. If the attack is confirmed to have been masterminded by Jihadis, chancellor Angela Merkels generous asylum policy could spark off heated debates once again.
CONFERENCE On Wednesday and Thursday Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc will be attending a meeting of the defence ministers from the countries partners in the global US-led anti-ISIL Daesh coalition. According to a Defence Ministry communique, high on the talks agenda is the stage and prospects of the campaign against the terror threats posed by the Islamic State, affecting security in the Middle East and North Africa and implicitly international security and prosperity. The conference of the coalitions defence ministers will be held on Wednesday, while Thursday will see the joint proceedings of foreign ministers and defence ministers from the participant countries.
DEATH PENALTY Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will approve any decision of the countrys Parliament as regards the death penalty. He has also said that a decision regarding the reintroduction of the death penalty, abolished in 2004, cannot be delayed and that the Government is to discuss the matter with the opposition parties. In its turn, the EU has warned that the reintroduction of the death penalty will block Ankaras path towards accession. On the other hand, Washington has called on Ankara not to go too far in its attempt to bring to justice the people guilty of the failed coup. On Tuesday, 15 thousand employees in the countrys education system were sacked shortly after the sacking of several hundred employees of the Prime Ministers office for alleged participation in the coup attempt. Also on Tuesday, the field authority in Turkey cancelled the broadcast licence of several radio and TV stations, which supported the coup conspirators. Almost eight thousand military and magistrates have been arrested so far and around nine thousand policemen, gendarmes and public servants have been dismissed following the recent coup in Turkey.
