July 20, 2014 UPDATE
A round up of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 20.07.2014, 12:07
The intervention teams in the east of Ukraine, the place where a Malaysian passenger plane crashed on Thursday, have so far recuperated 196 dead bodies. The Ukrainian government says the recuperation operations are being thwarted by armed pro-Russian separatists who are present in the area. France, Germnay and Great Britain on Sunday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to obtain from the pro-Russian separatists in the east of Ukraine “free and total access” to the area where the plane crashed. The American secretary of state, John Kerry, said Sunday that it was obvious that the missile system used to down the Malaysian plane came from Russia. Previously the US had claimed that the plane running from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, had been downed by a ground-to-air missile shot from an area controlled by the separatists, who are backed by Moscow. Against the backdrop of mutual accusations between Ukraine and Russia regarding the origin of the missile, the western counties are more and more concerned about the way in which evidence at the crash site is being handled. All parties involved are asking for an international investigation that should clarify the causes of the plane crash. Interpol and Europol experts will go to Ukraine to provide assistance for the identification of the almost 300 victims of the crash. Two thirds of the victims are Dutch and there are also Australians, Indonesians, Brits, Germans, French, Belgians, Filipinos, and a Romanian with dual citizenship.
At least 87 Palestinians were killed Sunday in the Gaza Strip in the most violent bombing since the start of the Israeli offensive on July 8th, the Palestinian security service reports. The Israeli army announced the intensification of its ground offensive against Hamas, on the 13th day of operations that so far have left behind more than 425 dead. Also, according to the Israeli army, 13 Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza attacks. The Arab League on Sunday labeled the attack a “war crime”. The Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would do whatever it takes to stop the missile attacks launched by Hamas from Gaza. In parallel diplomatic efforts continue for working out a solution to the crisis. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, on Sunday started a tour of the Middle East. In Qatar, the first leg of the tour, he will talk with the leaders in Doha in an attempt to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is also attending the talks in Doha. The American secretary of state John Kerry also announced his intention to travel to the Middle East.
Aviation Day was marked Sunday in Romania by military and religious ceremonies held in the military units across Romania. At Base 90 in Otopeni, near Bucharest, more than one thousand people participated in the Doors Open day, an occasion for almost 200 enthusiasts to go on board of one of the seven aircraft that flew over the airbase. Those attending the manifestations on Aviation Day could see military technology exhibitions and also o witness a tactical drill of the search-and-rescue detachment who used MIG –21 LanceR planes and helicopters. Over the past years the Romanian Air Forces have participated in several missions under the NATO and EU aegis.
Thousands of Romanians and foreigners went to Mount Gaina (in central Transylvania) to participate in the Girls’ Fair, the oldest and largest scale, open-air traditional celebration of the Romanians in Transylvania. Traditional music shows and a fair of traditional crafts were organized on the occasion. Documented back in 1816, the fair was born out of the inhabitants’ need to communicate, as they lived in isolated, scattered villages. Historians say the fair was an opportunity for them to exchange products and also for their sons and daughters to meet and socialize with a view to getting married. Today the Girls’ Fair is just an occasion for relaxation both for the locals and the thousands of tourists that come from all over Romania and also from abroad.
The pair made up of the Romanian tennis player Florin Mergea and Croat Marin Draganja on Sunday won the doubles final of the Hamburg ATP tennis tournament which had prizes up for grabs worth almost 1.2 million euros. They defeated in 2 sets 6-4, 7-5 the main favorites Alexander Peya (Austria)/Bruno Soares (Brazil). For Florian Mergea this was the 3rd ATP final in his career. He has won 2 titles so far in the doubles: last year in Vienna together with the Czech Lukas Rosol and this year in Vina del Mar, Chile, alongside Austrian Oliver Marach.
