March 16, 2017 UPDATE

ARCTIC ULTRA – The Romanian Tiberiu Useriu, aged 44, last night won, for the third time in a row, the 6633 Arctic Ultra, the most difficult marathon in the world, organized in the polar circle area. The race started on March 8th, and Tiberiu Useriu managed to conclude it after 7 days and 5 hours. Another three Romanians participated in the marathon: Avram Iancu, the first Romanian to swim the English Channel, and also Florentina Iofcea and Polgar Levente. Unfortunately, all three of them had to pull out before the end of the race.

Newsroom, 16.03.2018, 20:01

IMF – Jaewoo Lee, the head of the IMF Mission for Romania, together with Alejandro Hajdenberg, the Resident Representative for Romania, Friday presented the findings of the visit the IMF experts paid to Romania for a week. The IMF says without a change in the current policies, Romanias economic growth will be increasingly fragile, and recommends a balanced mix of monetary and fiscal policies. The institution also recommends increased efficiency in spending by prioritising major investment projects, increasing EU fund absorption and enforcing the fiscal responsibility law. During the meetings with Romanian officials, the IMF experts emphasised the importance of improving budget collection and of keeping public spending within sustainable limits. Bucharest does not have a financing agreement at present, but the international financial institution assesses the state of the Romanian economy on an annual basis, and its experts have come to Romania for the annual consultations, an exercise that all member states must undergo.

EDUCATION – Over 100 universities and education institutions in 18 countries will be represented on Saturday and Sunday in Bucharest in the 22nd Romanian International University Fair (RIUF). According to the organisers, attending will be institutions from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Romania, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the USA, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Greece, and Bulgaria. Visitors will be able to get information on tuition-free education options in Scandinavian countries, as well as on a 3,000,000 euro grant fund for BA and MA programmes offered by institutions in Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. The fairs YouForum section comprises over 30 workshops, panel discussions and presentations. The topics approached during the 2 days will include online marketing, branding, gaming, IT, architecture, non-formal education and technology.

ARTEFACTS – The office of the Prosecutor General of Romania Friday announced that 164 ancient coins, of which 20 Koson-type Dacian coins stolen from the Orastie archaeology site, were recovered following searches conducted in Austria and Germania. According to a news release issued on Friday, the criminal justice division with the Prosecutors Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice is investigating a case of money laundering and aiding and abetting aggravated theft, involving items from the Romanian national cultural heritage: bracelets, coins, shields and other artefacts stolen from the Orastie Mountains sites and illegally sold in the international market. With support from Eurojust, Romanian officers from the Cultural Heritage Protection Service worked together with relevant judicial authorities from Austria and Germany a large-scale international operation conducted in February – March this year.

SALISBURY ATTACK – British police Friday announced opening an investigation into the murder of Russian Nikholai Glushkov, a close friend of oligarch Boris Berezovsky, found dead earlier this week at his home in London. Previously, authorities announced that, in the wake of the poisoning of the Russian former double agent Sergey Skripal and of his daughter in Salisbury, police would resume inquiries into a number of deaths that have occurred in Britain over the past few years. The UK, Germany, France and the US issued a joint statement arguing that Russias involvement was the only plausible explanation for the incident. On the other hand, Moscow dismissed the allegations as groundless. The Salisbury attack will be the main topic of a meeting between the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, in Brussels on Monday. Stoltenberg says the incident is evidence of Moscows years-long reckless conduct.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)