October 30, 2019
Commemoration of Colectiv fire victims, Hearings continue in parliamentary committees
Newsroom, 30.10.2019, 14:20
Colectiv — Religious ceremonies and a rally will be held today in Bucharest to mark 4 years since the Colectiv club fire which killed 64 and wounded almost 200. The investigation into this case started 3 years ago. Radio Romania’s News and Current Affairs channel will air today a radio drama and a documentary dwelling on the Colectiv club tragedy. As of this year, October 30 will be the Day of Burn Patients, to raise awareness of the problems of people with severe burns, which have not yet been solved in Romania.
Government — Hearings continue in Bucharest in the special parliamentary committees of the candidates proposed to take ministerial seats in the Liberal government headed by the PM designate Ludovic Orban. The candidates for the ministries of justice, foreign affairs, youth and sports, education and research economy, energy and the business environment and the public works, development and administration are being interviewed today. On Tuesday, following hearings, all the candidates received a positive vote except for the finance ministry candidate. The vote of the special parliamentary committees is advisory, the decisive investiture vote being held on November 4. In order to replace the Social Democratic cabinet led by Viorica Dancila, which was dismissed on October 10 through a motion of no confidence, Ludovic Orban’s Liberal government should get at least 233 votes from the MPs and senators. In this sense, the PM designate Ludovic Orban signed accords and political agreements with the Save Romania Union party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians’ in Romania, the People’s Movement Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and the national minorities group. In exchange, Pro Romania, a splinter group from the Social Democratic Party PSD, said they were to decide whether to vote or not for the new government, while the PSD stated they would not participate in the plenary meeting vote
Tennis — In the Champions Tournament’s Purple Group under way in Shenzhen, China, the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (5 WTA) is taking on today the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (8 WTA) and the Romanian-born Canadian player Bianca Andreescu (4 WTA) will play against Karolina Pliskova (2 WTA). On Monday Halep defeated Andreescu and Svitolina had the upper hand on Pliskova. Simona Halep played for the first time in the Champions Tournament’s final in 2014, when she lost to the American Serena Williams (9 WTA). On Tuesday, in the Red Group, the Dutch Kiki Bertens (10 WTA) defeated the Australian Ashleigh Barty, world leader. Bertens replaced at the last moment the Japanese Naomi Osaka (3 WTA) who withdrew from the competition due to an injury. In the other match of the day, the Swiss Belinda Bencic (7 WTA) won against the Czech Petra Kvitova (6 WTA). On Sunday, in the first matches of the championship Osaka defeated Kvitova and Ashleigh Barty won against Bencic.
Handball – Romania’s men’s handball team Dinamo Bucharest is taking on this evening, on home ground, the Polish team Orlen Wisla Plock, in a Group D match of the Champions League. Sports papers write tat the match could be decisive for the Romanian team’s qualification to the competition’s playoffs. With 3 wins and 2 draws in the previous matches, Dinamo Bucharest is the leader of the group.
INDAGRA — Over 550 companies from more than 25 countries are participating, as of Wednesday until Sunday, in the 24th edition of the International Trade Fair of Equipment and Products in agriculture, horticulture, viticulture and animal husbandry — INDAGRA, the most important such fair in Romania. Conferences and seminars will be held as part of the fair, on such topics as the development of agriculture in Romania from the point of view of innovations, the promotion of Romanian products on the internal and external markets, the access of Romanian producers to European funds. Food and wine tasting events will also be held as part of the fair. (translation by L. Simion)