August 30, 2015 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of news from Romania

Newsroom, 30.08.2015, 12:30

MUSICAL FEAST – In the following three weeks, Bucharest
is hosting Romania’s most important cultural event, the George Enescu
International Festival, which has reached its 22nd edition. Nearly
3,000 foreign and Romanian artists will take part in this year’s edition of the
Festival. The participating orchestras include the San Francisco Symphony,
Israel Philharmonic, conducted by the world famous Zubin Mehta, the Vienna
Philharmonic, the Bavarian State Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, London
Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. According to the organisers, the 2015
edition of the world’s leading promoter of the works of the great Romanian
composer George Enescu, will consist in 58 indoor concerts and many other
outdoor events. Radio Romania will broadcast 36 live transmissions. The rest of
the concerts will be recorded and broadcast in the following days. Furthermore,
the Casa Radio Publishers launches five albums to mark this edition of the
festival.

LANGUAGE -
The Romanian language is a core value of the Romanian people’s identity and
the language of an important culture in Europe, the minister delegate for the relation
with the Romanians abroad, Angel Talvar, said during the celebrations held in
Spain to mark the Romanian Language Day, on August the 31st. It is the language of the Romanians who
work, study, make research and do business. The Romanian language is an element
of identity and helps people get closer to one another and form a community.
The Romanian Language Day is equally a feast for Romania and the Romanians
around the world, for those who feel like Romanians do and for those who love and
appreciate the beauty of the Romanian people.

KIDNAPPING -
The Romanian authorities confirm the information on the existence of a video
footage featuring a Romanian citizen who claims to have been kidnapped by a
Jihadist group in Burkina Faso and asks to be saved. The
Foreign Ministry has announced that a crisis sell is currently investigating
the authenticity of the video recording and is also analysing all possible ways
to solve the situation of the Romanian national taken hostage in Burkino Faso.
According to media sources, the mining company the Romanian was working for
announced his being kidnapped in April, but the first images showing proofs of
life were released on Saturday. The crisis cell is made up of representatives
of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministries, respectively, of the intelligence
services and of the Presidential Administration.

RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION– Fresh from an emergency meeting held in
Paris, French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has made a thorough
presentation of the measures agreed upon by the EU member states in an effort
to improve railway transport safety and security, in the wake of last week’s
attack on a high speed train running from Amsterdam to Paris. He referred to a
thorough control of the passengers’ identity, with visual checks being likely
to be introduced again. Furthermore, luggage will be verified both in stations
and on board the train. Joint patrols, made up of security officers from
various countries will be set up to assure transport security, the French
minister has underlined. The perpetrator of the attack on the Thalys train,
Moroccan Ayoub El Khazzani, was charged with attempted murder last week.
Carrying a Kalashnikov assault rifle, nine chargers, a Luger automatic pistol
and a cutter, the 26 year old Moroccan bought a ticket for the Thalys train
without problems. Later on, he opened fire on board the train, being
immobilised by passengers.

JAPAN – Tens
of thousands of people protested in front of the Parliament building in Tokyo
against some draft security laws which are meant to extend the Japanese army’s
prerogatives and which have been described by critics as infringing the
pacifist fundamental law of the country. The rally is proof of a greater
mobilisation in Japan, in the context in which conservative Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe hopes these draft laws will be passed by Parliament in the current
session, which comes to an end in late September. The draft laws would allow
the Japanese army to get involved in fighting operations abroad, if need be, to
protect the interests of the country, which would be a first since the end of
WWII.

ARREST -Three Romanian nationals were taken into custody in Hungary on Saturday, on suspicion of human trafficking. They are detained by the Budapest police, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced. The ministry also says that 26 Romanian citizens have been arrested in Hungary, on human trafficking charges, since August the 26th. None of them has requested consular assistance so far.

BOOK FAIR – Romania has recently participated for the first time in the Beijing International Book Fair, having its own stand organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute. According to the organisers, the Romanian Cultural Institute designed the events so as to cast light on the Romanian literary heritage and to provide a fresh perspective on the current literary and editorial developments in Romania. Now, in its 22nd edition, the International Book Fair in Beijing is the largest event of its kind organised by China. According to the Director General of the General Department of Romanian Cultural Institutes Abroad, Ioana Dragan, on August 31st, the Foreign Language University in Beijing will host two much awaited events, a conference devoted to the Romanian Language Day and the announcement on the official opening of the Beijing-based Library of the Romanian Cultural Institute.

WEATHER – The counties of Satu Mare, Bihor, Arad, Timis, Caras-Severin, Mehedinti, Botosani, Iasi, Bacau and Vaslui will further be under code orange alert on Monday and Tuesday. The heat wave will also sweep all the regions of the country placed under code yellow alert, where temperatures will range between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists warn temperatures in the ten counties placed under code orange alert will range between 37 and 38 degrees, with a high temperature- humidity index.