March 12, 2017

Diplomatic dispute between the Netherlands and Turkey/ World Day against Cyber Censorship marked on March 12/ US ambassador to Romania states the objectives of his mandate/ Halep qualifies to the 3rd round of Indian Wells

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Newsroom, 12.03.2017, 14:16

Diplomatic dispute — The diplomatic dispute between the Hague and Ankara is growing. The Turkish PM Binali Yildirim on Sunday threatened the Netherlands with tough measures, after two Turkish ministers were prevented from entering the Netherlands. The Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and the Turkish minister in charge of social and family issues Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya were going to participate in Rotterdam in a meeting of the Diaspora meant to support a referendum on constitutional changes that give more power to the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The referendum is scheduled for April 16 in Turkey. The Dutch police used water cannons to disperse the about 1,000 people who came to protest outside the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam against the decision of the Dutch authorities. The Dutch government explained that such meetings generated tensions only a few days ahead of the general elections in the Netherlands. Protests also took place in front of the Dutch Embassy in Ankara. Previously Germany, Austria and Switzerland refused to approve pro-Erdogan meetings.

US – Romania — The US ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, says that one of his objectives in Romania is to promote democracy and the fight against corruption. At a meeting with the representatives of the Romanian entrepreneurs, the American official said that he wanted his mandate to help strengthen security and prosperity in Romania. He highlighted that Romania and the US had an excellent cooperation in the military field, at intelligence services level for fighting terrorism, for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and for fighting human and drug trafficking. Another priority of his mandate is to promote democracy, the rule of law and the anti-corruption fight. The US has strongly supported the anti-corruption fight as well as the consolidation of democratic institutions in Romania, ambassador Klemm also added.

Day against cyber censorship — The World Day against Cyber Censorship is marked on March 12 each year. The day was first marked in 2008 and was initiated by the NGOs “Reporters without Borders” and Amnesty International. The event is meant to support a cyber space without restrictions and accessible to everyone, and to draw attention to the fact that by creating new spaces for the exchange of ideas and information, the Internet could become a force advocating freedom.

Romanian police report — The Romanian police announced that in 2016, they dismantled 30 organized crime groups specializing in cyber crime. According to a police communiqué made public on Sunday crime-fighting structures within the Romanian Police organized last year more than 270 actions and conducted over 700 house searches. 199 people suspected of perpetrating cyber crimes were taken into custody, 171 arrested, and 121 were subjected to legal restrictions pending trial.

Indian Wells — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, 4th in the WTA ranking, has qualified to the 3rd round of the Indian Wells tennis tournament, in the US. The competition has prizes up for grabs worth almost 7 million dollars. Halep defeated the Croat Dona Vekic, ranked 86th, and will take on, in the next round, the French player Kristina Mladenovic. Another Romanian Irina Begu, 32 WTA, has also qualified to the 3rd round, after defeating the American Louisa Chirico, 65 WTA. force advocating freedom. (translation by L. Simion)