News review of the day – December 23rd

In memory of heroes who died in a 1989 massacre at Otopeni

Mistaken for terrorists, 40 troops coming from a military unit in Câmpina (some 90 km from the capital Bucharest) and several civilians were killed at Otopeni in the capital’s ouskirts on December 23, 1989, after being called to bolster the defence of the nearby airport. A ceremony and a service are expected to mark the tragic event at the Gendarmerie Heroes Memorial near the Henri Coandă International Airport. Participants include representatives of the Romanian Gendarmerie, army veterans and family members of those who lost their lives 25 years ago.

Former head of the Cantacuzino Institute under investigation

Romanian prosecutors have opened an investigation into the case of Radu Iordăchel, former head of the Ion Cantacuzion Institute in the capital Bucharest, judicial sources told RADIO ROMANIA on Tuesday. The case refers to a controversial flu vaccine at the start of a wider enquiry for abuse and negligence claims. The investigation was opened following a request by the Prime Minister’s Control Corps.

Carpathian Eagles Battalion coming back from Afghanistan

The 124 troops of Romania’s Carpathian Eagles 812 Battalion in the Romanian northern town of Bistriţa were back from Afganistan on Tuesday after a difficult mission. They are all in good health and they are expected to spend a happy Christmas time with their families. „Thank God, they are home again and ready to celebrate the New Year with us. They were always in our thoughts and we prayed for them. For my son this was his third mission”, a mother told RADIO ROMANIA. While in Afghanistan, the Romanian troops were involved in patrol and rapid reaction operations and they were all awarded diplomas and medals for their bravery.

Romanians sound optimistic, a IRES survey unvails

The Romanians sound optimistic at the end of 2014, according to a survey issued by Romania’s Institute for Evaluation and Strategy (IRES) on Tuesday. Some 58 percent of Romanians believe 2015 will be a rather better year for Romania, 28 percent believe that nothing will change while only 9 percent sound pessimistic. On the other hand, just a third of the Romanians believe they have a good life while 65 percent express discontent. However, 44 percent of Romanians believe their lives will improve next year with 33 percent thinking their life will be the same and 17 percent who fear their lives will get worse. The IRES survey was conducted on December 18-19 with an error margin of +/– 2.9%.