March 28, 2015 UPDATE
For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.
România Internațional, 28.03.2015, 12:15
MEETING — Minister Delegate for Romanians Abroad Angel Tilvar met with the headmasters of the Romanian schools in Transdniestr, after his official visit to Chisinau. According to a Foreign Ministry press release made public on Saturday, Angel Tilvar underlined the role of Romanian education and language and of the Latin alphabet in keeping the Romanian identity alive. The headmasters of Transdniestr schools presented the problems they face, signalling the need to set up a Romanian language holding for all subjects, as well as proper financing for the education process. Headmasters also want better conditions for students and teaching staff.
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME — In Romania Sunday is the shortest day of the year, having only 23 hours, in line with daylight savings time. Clocks will advance one hour and 3 AM will become 4 AM. Romania has observed daylight savings since 1979 on the last Sunday of March and on the last Sunday of October. The measure was introduced in order to make the best use of natural light and save power.
PROTESTS — Bucharest and other large cities on Friday evening saw protests against Parliament’s decision not to lift the immunity of former Transport Minister Social Democrat Dan Sova, accused of accessory to abuse of office. Some protesters are calling for lifting the immunity of all MPs. Most Senators voted in favour of placing Sova under pre-emptive arrest, but the vote was invalidated due to the lack of quorum. The presidency and the National Liberal Party in opposition have challenged Parliament’s vote at the Constitutional Court. The Court is to issue a ruling on April 8.
WAR ON TERROR — Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Sunday is attending the anti-terror solidarity march in Tunis, according to a Foreign Ministry press release. Attending the march will be French president Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The march is organized in the wake of the terrorist attack of March 18 on Bardo Museum, which killed 21 people, of whom 20 European tourists and a Tunisian police officer. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.
AIR CRASH — The co-pilot suspected to have deliberately crashed the Germanwings Airbus A320 passenger airliner into the French Alps had previously said that one day he would do something that would change the entire system and that the whole world would remember his name. The revelation was made by his ex-girlfriend to the German newspaper Bild. The Prosecutor’s Office in Dusseldorf, Western Germany on Friday announced that Andreas Lubitz was supposed to be on medical leave on the very day of the accident, something which he concealed. Psychological problems seem to be the most plausible explanation for the crash. French investigators say Lubitz took advantage of the pilot’s absence from the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane. The Airbus A320 passenger airliner belonging to Germanwings, the low-cost division of Lufthansa, was flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf when it crashed on Tuesday into the French Alps. All the 150 people on board died on impact.
FOOTBALL — The Romanian national football team is on Sunday playing the Faeroe Islands at home as part of the 2016 European Cup preliminaries. Romania tops the group tables, after winning against Greece 1-nil, Finland 2-nil and Northern Ireland 2-nil. Romania also drew against Hungary 1-all. Romania ranks 15th in FIFA standings at present, the best ranking since 2008.
