19 March, 2016 UPDATE

The Romanian foreign ministry condemns Saturdays suicide attack in Istanbul.

Newsroom, 19.03.2016, 12:15

The Romanian foreign ministry says there
is no justification for actions such as the suicide attack committed on Saturday in Istanbul. The ministry has also reiterated Romania’s firm commitment to
combat all forms of terrorism and emphasised the need to intensify
international efforts to fight this phenomenon. At least five people, including
the attacker, were killed in the suicide bombing that took place on a busy
shopping street in Istanbul. Three Israeli nationals and one Iranian were among
the victims, according to hospital sources quoted by the Turkish media. A third
of the 36 people wounded are foreign citizens, say Turkish officials.
This is the fourth attack committed in Turkey this year and came only six days
after 37 people were killed in an attack in Ankara claimed by a Kurdish
militant group.

FlyDubai on Saturday ruled out a criminal act was behind
the crash of its passenger jet in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
Airline officials will fly to Russia to work with local investigators to
establish the cause of the crash that killed 62 people. Investigators say they
are looking into the possibility of a technical failure or pilot error in
difficult weather conditions. The plane crashed while attempting a second landing amid high winds, rain and poor
visibility.

The former president of Romania Traian Basescu
confirmed on Friday that both he and his wife had applied for citizenship of
the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking
population. During his term in office, he said repeatedly that he would apply
for the Moldovan passport when his term was over out of love and respect for
the country and its people. His application is still being processed before
being approved by the Moldovan president Nicolae Timofti. Although the legal
deadline for a response to the application is one year, Traian Basescu’s
request may be processed sooner, given his special status, the Moldovan
president’s senior PR advisor Ana Samson told Radio Chisinau.

Andrei Marius Gag of Romania on Saturday
won the silver medal in the Shot Put at the World Indoor Championship in
Portland, the United States, the first medal for Romania in an indoor event in
the last 12 years. Another Romanian athlete, Tiberiu Useriu today won the 6633
Arctic Ultra race. He covered 566 km of ice road in one week, battling
temperatures of even minus 62 degrees Celsius. 12 competitors from around the
world took part in the race this year, including three Romanians. Since 2007,
the race has taken place in Canada in the Polar Circle area and is billed as
the toughest foot race in the world.

Romania lost to Georgia
38:9 on Sunday in Tbilisi in the European Nations Cup in rugby. Romania thus
finished the competition in the second place. Before meeting Georgia, Romania
had won all their previous matches against Portugal, Spain, Russia and Germany.
Last autumn, Romania, who are coached by Lynn Howells, took part in the Rugby
World Cup hosted by England, where they defeated Canada and lost to France, Ireland
and Italy.

CSM
Bucharest men’s handball side on Saturday defeated the Spanish side Helvetia
Anaitasuna 27:24, in a home match as part of the EHF Cup Group D. CSM are now
last but one in the group ahead of the Spanish side, with only theoretical chances
of advancing into the competition. The French side Chambery top the group
followed by the Swedish side Ystads.