February 28, 2015 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

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Bogdan Matei, 28.02.2015, 19:31

RUSSIA – The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, said on Saturday, the day after the killing of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, that everything would be done to bring to justice the perpetrators of this cowardly and cinnical murder, France Presse reports. Previously, Kremlin presented Nemtsov’s murder as “a provocation.” A constant critic of the Putin regime, Boris Nemtsov, 55, a former Liberal deputy Prime Minister, was shot dead on Friday night, near Kremlin. The international community condemned the killing and called for a prompt and impartial investigation. A commemoration rally will be held on Sunday in Moscow. Nemtsov was shot hours after he had called, during a radio broadcast debate, for a protest march on Sunday against President Vladimir Putin and his support for the pro-Russian secessionists in Ukraine.

POLITICS – The National Liberal Party, the largest right-of-centre party in Romania, in opposition, Saturday invited the other political parties, except for the Social Democrats in power, to support the Liberal governing programme and create a new parliamentary majority. The Liberal senior vice-president Catalin Predoiu said the governing programme is based on the platform with which the party’s former leader Klaus Iohannis won the presidential elections in November, and focuses on education, healthcare, culture and restarting the country’s economy. According to Predoiu, the country can be changed for the better through a partnership between the Government and society, the business, academic and cultural communities, as well as a partnership between the Government and the Romanians living abroad.

DIASPORA – A Romanian governmental delegation headed by the minister for the Romanian diaspora, Angel Talvar, discussed on Saturday with the authorities in Sicily and members of the Romanian community on this southern Italian island, which totals around 40,000 people. Minister Talvar said he insisted on the problems in the labour market notified recently, including labour conflicts, exploitation, illegal employment. The Romanian delegation is on an official visit to Italy, which hosts nearly one million Romanians, the largest community of the Romanian diaspora.

SPORTS – Romania’s national rugby team was defeated on Saturday, away from home, by Russia, 13-16, in the third round of the Rugby Europe Championship. The Romanians had already defeated Portugal, 37-10, away from home, and Spain, 29-8, at home. The European competititon for second and third-tier rugby nations, also dubbed Six Nations B, the Rugby Europe Championship also includes Germany and Georgia, which Romania is to face in March. According to experts, the competition is an excellent training stage for this autumn’s World Cup.