August 2, 2016 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 02.08.2016, 12:12
QUEEN ANA – The Royal House of Romania on Tuesday announced the detailed timetable for the funeral of Queen Ana, who passed away on Monday, aged 92, in a hospital in Switzerland. On Tuesday, August 9, the coffin will reach Romania and will first be brought to the Peles Castle. The coffin will then be taken to the Throne Hall at the Royal Place in Bucharest. The interment ceremony of Queen Ana is scheduled for August 13th in southern Romanias Curtea de Arges, which is historically the internment site for the kings of Romania. Also today three books of condolences have been opened simultaneously, one at the Peles Castle in central Romania and another two in Bucharest. The books will stay open to the public for 40 days. The Royal Family has announced a total mourning period of 40 days. In a message of condolences, President Klaus Iohannis has stated Queen Ana was one of the most prominent icons of wisdom and dignity as well as a landmark of exemplary behavior. The Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel as well as leading political and public figures have conveyed their condolence messages to the grieving family.
EU FUNDS – EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu expressed concern with Romanias slow pace in implementing European projects. According to the European official, so far Romania has 0% absorption rate of EU funds in the 2014-2020 budget execution framework. Romania is earmarked the third largest amount of money for its sustainable urban development, after Poland and Italy. The Government has decided that 20% of EU funds allotted to the current reference period should be handled directly by local elected officials. 39 county seats will be managing a great deal of EU funds for sustainable urban development, with a key role in implementing cohesion policies.
FINANCE – The National Bank of Romania reported 32.6 billion Euro in currency reserves in late July, up by 930 million compared to the end of June. Last month, 1.1 billion Euro came in, accounting for the European Commission account, the change in the minimum mandatory reserves for credit lending institutions, Public Finance Ministry account income, and so on. Romania’s gold reserve stays at 103.7 tons, evaluated at around 4 billion Euro.
UNTOLD – Untold 2016, Romanias greatest electro-dance music festival will be hosted by the central Romanian town of Cluj Napoca between August 4 and 7. Joining the world best DJs in the festival will be 150 international artists. Musicians are set to stun their fans with electronic music, live acts, dance&trance, house-techno or drum&bass. Heavy duty names of the genre will be in Cluj, such as Faithless, Scooter, Parov Stelar, James Arthur. Joining them are the famous DJs Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Afrojack and Hardwell. At the 2015 edition of the European festival awards held in Groningen the Netherlands, Untold was designated the Best major festival. The inaugural edition of the Untold festivals was held in 2015, over July 30 and August 2nd, also in the central Romanian town of Cluj Napoca.
TURKEY – Turkish Prime Minister Binaly Yildirim and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtmulus for the first time have admitted to the errors that may have been made in the purges that followed the failed coup of July the 15th in Turkey. The two high-ranking officials gave assurances that the cases of all who have been fired in the past two weeks are currently being examined. Victims of incorrect procedures may have been among the targeted people. Since the failed coup, roughly 60 thousand people have been arrested, suspended or made redundant. Military personnel have been the first to come under fire under the circumstances. They were followed by people in the administration, justice, education and mass media. Opposition parties have been adamant in stating this course of action was undemocratic and that Parliament should get involved in such decisions.
MIGRANTS – Over 4,000 migrants died in the first 7 months of the year while trying to reach Europe, most of whom in the Mediterranean, the International Migration Organization reports. The figure is 35% more than the same period of last year. The EUs controversial treaty with Turkey and shutting down the route through the Balkans have capped migrant arrivals in Greece, while the flow of migrants from Africa on route to Italy via Libya is still operational. Some 94,000 migrants reached the Italian coast this year.
FOOTBALL – Romanias football champion team Astra Giurgiu and vice-champion Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday play their fixtures which are crucial for the Champions Leagues third preliminary round. Astra travel to Denmark for their away game against FC Copenhagen, following the 1-all draw in the first leg. Steaua Bucharest take on Czech contenders Sparta Prague on home turf, following the 1-all draw away from home. We recall that in Europa Leagues third preliminary round Pandurii Targu Jiu and Viitorul Constanta were severely beaten in the first leg of the tie, since on home ground Pandurii sustained a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Israels Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Viitorul Constanta were trounced by Belgiums Gent away from home, 5-nil. Another Romanian team CSMS Iasi was ousted from Europa Leagues second preliminary round by Croatias Hajduk Split.
(Translated by E. Nasta and V. Palcu)
