August 4, 2016

August 13, day of national mourning in Romania for Queen Anne's death

Newsroom, 04.08.2016, 00:00

ELECTIONS – An emergency order on voting in the diaspora will be discussed by the Government as of August 15, the co-president of the National Liberal Party, Vasile Blaga, announced after a meeting with the minister delegate for the relations with the Romanian diaspora, Maria Ligor. The emergency order is intended to facilitate the presence in polling stations of as many Romanians living abroad as possible. It will allow for online registration to the Voter Registry for all those who intend to cast their ballots abroad. Another amendment to the current legislative framework has to do with the additional voter lists, to the effect that Romanian citizens will be able to vote in any polling stations abroad, instead of just at the Romanian diplomatic missions, as the current legislation stipulates.

MILITARY EXERCISE – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis and Chief of the General Staff, general Nicolae Ciucă, are taking part today in Saber Guardian – 16, a multi-national military exercise held in Cincu, Brasov County. The exercise, which is to conclude on August 7, brings together more than 2,700 troops from five NATO member states – Bulgaria, Canada, Poland, Romania and the US, and five Partnership for Peace countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Rep. of Moldova and Ukraine.

QUEEN ANNE FUNERAL – A brief religious service in memory of Queen Anne of Romania was held on Wednesday in the presence of Crown Princess Margareta, Prince Radu, Princess Sofia and Princess Maria, at Beausobre Chapel in Morges, Switzerland. Also on Wednesday, the Government of Romania announced a day of national mourning on August 13, when Queen Anne, the wife of King Michael I, will be buried. On that day, the national flag will fly at half-mast and radio and television stations will adjust their broadcast accordingly. Queen Anne died on Monday in a hospital in Switzerland, at the age of 92. Her body will be repatriated on August 9. The casket will be taken to the Peles Castle in Sinaia and then brought to the former Royal Palace in Bucharest, which currently hosts the National Art Museum of Romania. The funeral is scheduled for August 13, at the new Orthodox Cathedral in Curtea de Argeş.

ADMINISTRATION – The Government of Romania has today launched the GovITHub platform, in a move to bring Romanias IT innovation capacity into the public administration. The launch of GovITHub is intended to bring together experts able to give a helping hand in administration, said the Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș. He explained the platform is based on successful IT experiences.

HEALTCARE – One-third of the blood transfusion centres in Romanias hospitals do not have proper operation permits. A Healthcare Ministry investigation has revealed that there are 142 such cases, mostly in Bucharest and other major cities, of which 108 public and 34 private hospitals. Officials with the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre say the main causes are bureaucracy and under-funding. The Healthcare Ministry announced that each hospital would receive a conformity plan and would have a maximum 3 months to comply, otherwise it would no longer receive blood and therefore would no longer be able to perform surgeries and other interventions requiring blood transfusion.

UNTOLD – More than 350,000 people are expected to attend the largest music festival in Romania, Untold, which begins today in Cluj Napoca. Over 150 artists and five of the worlds best DJs will perform in this second edition of the festival. Gigs by Tiesto, Faithless and the no.1 DJ in the world, Dimitri Las Vegas & Like Mike, are scheduled for tonight.

FOOTBALL – Romanias football vice-champions Steaua Bucharest Wednesday qualified into the Champions League play-offs, after defeating Sparta Prague from the Czech Republic on home turf. The first leg had ended in a draw. On the other hand, national champions Astra Giurgiu failed to qualify, after losing, 0-3, to FC Copenhagen away from home and drawing at home. Astra will nonetheless take part in the play-offs of Europa League, and in the same competition Pandurii Târgu-Jiu and Viitorul Constanta are to play the second leg of the third preliminary round. Pandurii will face Maccabi in Tel Aviv, after losing the first leg 1-3 at home, while Viitorul will play at home against Gent from Belgium, after having lost 0-5 in the first leg. Another Romanian team, CSMS Iasi, was kicked out by the Croatian team Hajduk Split in the second preliminary round of Europa League.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)