Latest news with #Romania
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Pro-EU centrist Dan sworn in as Romania president
Nicusor Dan has vowed to usher in a 'new chapter' in Romania. (AFP pic) BUCHAREST : Pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan was on Monday sworn in as Romania's president, having pledged to stand against 'isolationism and Russian influence'. A week ago, Dan won a tense election rerun, seen as key for the direction of the Nato and European Union country bordering war-torn Ukraine. Although EU critic and nationalist George Simion easily topped the first round of voting, Dan took victory in the second round run-off. The election came five months after Romania's constitutional court scrapped a presidential ballot over allegations of Russian interference and the massive social media promotion of the far-right frontrunner, who was not allowed to stand again. Dan, 55 and Bucharest mayor since 2020, took the oath of office in parliament. 'The Romanian state needs a fundamental change, within the rule of law, and I invite you to continue to be involved in order to put positive pressure on state institutions to reform,' Dan told the assembly after being sworn in. 'I call on political parties to act in the national interest,' he said. Lawmakers from Simion's far-right AUR party did not participate in the ceremony, saying it was 'legitimising a national treason'. Later on Monday, Dan is to meet interim president Ilie Bolojan – who has been tipped as a possible prime minister. Dan has vowed to usher in a 'new chapter' in Romania. He travelled to Warsaw on Sunday to support pro-EU mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who hopes to emerge the winner of Sunday's race for the Polish presidency. 'We won the Romanian presidential elections. People rejected isolationism and Russian influence,' Dan told thousands of people at a really for Trzaskowski. 'We will resist' Tensions remained high in Romania, with authorities on alert after hundreds of TikTok users called for protests on Monday. 'We will resist!' Simion, 38, wrote on Facebook on Sunday, although he specified that he would not be protesting on Monday. Romania's constitutional court validated the election results on Thursday, after rejecting an appeal by Simion to annul the vote. Simion has repeatedly alleged that there was foreign interference in the vote, including by France, and electoral fraud, without giving any evidence. He condemned the court's decision as a 'coup d'etat'. Simion comfortably topped the first-round ballot on May 4, campaigning against what he called the EU's 'absurd policies' and vowing to cut aid to Ukraine. But, Dan won almost 54% of the run-off vote. Romania's president has significant sway in foreign policy – including representing the country at Nato and EU summits – and appoints key posts, such as the prime minister. Dan, a mathematics prodigy who has promised to fight corruption for an 'honest' Romania, has said he would speak to all four pro-Western parliamentary parties about 'not only the appointment of the prime minister but also the outline of the government's programme', including judicial reforms. Romania, a country of 19 million people, is struggling with high inflation. It is the EU's most indebted country. Dan, who is known for his reserved nature, has voiced support for Ukraine and vowed to keep Romania on its 'pro-Western' path.
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Tate brothers will return to UK to face charges
Andrew Tate has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle. (EPA Images pic) LONDON : Internet personality Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan will return to Britain to face criminal charges once separate legal proceedings in Romania have been concluded, a lawyer for the siblings said. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service confirmed earlier this week that it had previously authorised charges against the brothers including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking. The Tates are facing a separate criminal investigation in Romania over trafficking allegations, and the courts there have already approved their extradition to the UK. The brothers have denied all the allegations. 'Once those proceedings are concluded in their entirety then the Tates will return to face UK allegations,' Holborn Adams, the law firm representing the brothers, said in a statement yesterday. Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle, separately faces a civil lawsuit in Britain, which has been brought by four women and is due to go to trial in 2027.
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Romanian intelligence denies French spy chief's visit before election
Nationalist George Simion lost Romania's May 18 election run-off. (EPA Images pic) BUCHAREST : Romania's foreign intelligence service on Thursday denied that the French spy chief had visited the country before its presidential election run-off this month, as the Russian head of Telegram has claimed. Pavel Durov, the Telegram social network's CEO, has said that the head of France's foreign intelligence department, the DGSE, went to Bucharest a few days before the May 18 vote, and indicated that this was to influence the outcome of the run-off vote, ultimately won by centrist Nicusor Dan against a nationalist candidate. Romania's intelligence service, the SIE, made a rare public statement to deny that DGSE chief Nicolas Lerner had been in Bucharest before the election. 'To ensure that citizens are properly informed', said an SIE statement which named Lerner and mentioned reports of his alleged meetings in Bucharest, 'we clarify that such a visit did not take place'. Durov, who faces charges in France related to criminal activity on Telegram, has also said in social media messages and by video to a conference in Oslo that Lerner had requested he silence conservative Romanian commentators on the platform. The DGSE has denied those claims. The SIE statement said that the department's activities were 'apolitical' and 'clearly and transparently regulated by law'. The SIE 'will not give in to attempts at manipulation and disinformation in the public sphere, as insinuations of possible political involvement are unsubstantiated and intended to generate distrust of state institutions', it added. Nationalist George Simion, who lost the election run-off, went to Romania's constitutional court in a bid to get the result cancelled. He said there had been 'interference', including by France. The court rejected his appeal. The result of a first-round vote in November which another nationalist, Calin Georgescu, led, was cancelled because authorities ruled it had been influenced by Russian interference in the campaign. Georgescu was banned from taking part in the reorganised election won by Dan.
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
French Open: Swiatek leads but under pressure from Cristian in second set - radio & text
Update: Date: 15:22 BST Title: Swiatek holds Content: *Cristian 2-6 3-4 Swiatek Jaqueline Cristian is predicting which way Iga Swiatek is going to go quite often but the defending champion has the answers this game. She secures a hold to 15 and now has the chance to put some pressure back on the Romanian's serve. Update: Date: 15:21 BST Title: 'Cristian has a calm disposition' Content: Cristian 2-6 3-3 Swiatek* Annabel CroftFormer British number one on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 and BBC Sounds Jacqueline Cristian has got a really compact game but it has some power. She has a great physique for tennis, seems to be very athletic. She has got quite a calm disposition with the way she is going about her business in this match. This is starting to go into really interesting territory. Update: Date: 15:17 BST Title: Cristian holds Content: Cristian 2-6 3-3 Swiatek* Has coming so close to breaking Iga Swiatek's serve last game taken it out of Jaqueline Cristian? It doesn't look like it as she sends over a superb forehand winner next point, before repeating the trick for game point. Cristian secures the hold and celebrates with a fist pump of her own. Update: Date: 15:14 BST Title: Swiatek holds Content: *Cristian 2-6 2-3 Swiatek Another break point for Jaqueline Cristian and it's saved as she loops a forehand long. Iga Swiatek takes advantage with some strong serving to hold. The four-time champion responds with a fist pump - she worked hard for that and knows how important it was to hold. Update: Date: 15:11 BST Title: Swiatek saves break point Content: Cristian 2-6 2-2 Swiatek* Iga Swiatek is starting to show some frustration now and a missed shot offers another break point to Jaqueline Cristian. Swiatek saves it with some fine stroke play. Cristian has had five break points this set compared to Swiatek's one but she is yet to make one count. Update: Date: 15:07 BST Title: 'Swiatek annoyed with herself' Content: Cristian 2-6 2-2 Swiatek* Annabel CroftFormer British number one on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 and BBC Sounds Iga Swiatek doesn't have a versatile wrist, everything is fairly mechanical and coached and rehearsed. She's annoyed with herself for missing a backhand when she should have sliced. There are some opportunities presenting themselves for Jacqueline Cristian, can she take them? Update: Date: 15:07 BST Title: Deuce Content: Cristian 2-6 2-2 Swiatek* Another chance for Jaqueline Cristian on Iga Swiatek's serve and a wayward forehand eventually offers the Romanian two break points. Cristian shows some forlorn body language as Swiatek saves the first before the game heads to deuce as the Pole does magnificently to scamper around court and nail a forehand winner. Update: Date: 15:03 BST Title: 'Could see Cristian's disappointment' Content: Cristian 2-6 2-2 Swiatek* Annabel CroftFormer British number one on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 and BBC Sounds Iga Swiatek was having to defend a lot more but Jacqueline Cristian got a bit tense and couldn't sustain it. A couple of unforced errors and you can see how disappointed she was not to get that breakthrough. Update: Date: 15:02 BST Title: Cristian holds Content: Cristian 2-6 2-2 Swiatek* Jaqueline Cristian's serve stands up and Iga Swiatek takes full advantage, arrowing a return forehand winner down the line. Cristian responds well though, earning game point and secures the hold as Swiatek loops a forehand long after a rally. Update: Date: 14:56 BST Title: Swiatek holds Content: *Cristian 2-6 1-2 Swiatek Iga Swiatek saves another break point before earning advantage as Jaqueline Cristian puts a forehand wide. Swiatek then forces the Romanian into another error to secure the hold. That's the most pressure Swiatek has faced on serve in this match so far. Update: Date: 14:53 BST Title: Swiatek saves break point Content: Cristian 2-6 1-1 Swiatek* The pair engage in a rally before Iga Swiatek forces Jaqueline Cristian to overshoot a backhand and save break point. Deuce. Update: Date: 14:51 BST Title: Break point Cristian Content: Cristian 2-6 1-1 Swiatek* Jaqueline Cristian takes advantage of an Iga Swiatek second serve to crash a forehand winner across court. The Romanian responds with a fist pump, but can she make this 0-30 lead count? Swiatek fights back but a long forehand then offers break point to Cristian. Update: Date: 14:48 BST Title: Cristian holds Content: Cristian 2-6 1-1 Swiatek* Jaqueline Cristian secures the hold as Iga Swiatek skews a forehand wide. The Romanian dealt with the pressure well there with some strong serving. Update: Date: 14:46 BST Title: Deuce Content: *Cristian 2-6 0-1 Swiatek A 0-30 lead for Iga Swiatek and a deep breath from Jaqueline Cristian. She serves an ace, bringing a loud cheer from the crowd, but Swiatek brings up break point shortly after. Cristian responds well, coming into the net to fire over a forehand winner and force deuce. Update: Date: 14:44 BST Title: Swiatek holds Content: *Cristian 2-6 0-1 Swiatek Jaqueline Cristian plays some nice shots during the opening game of the second set but it's not good enough to dislodge Iga Swiatek's serve It's emphasised in the final point as Swiatek plants her feet and changes the direction of the point to secure the hold with a forehand winner. Update: Date: 14:36 BST Title: Game and first set Swiatek Content: Cristian 2-6 0-0 Swiatek* It's hot in Paris today and there are fans being wafted by the crowd wherever you look on Court Suzanne Lenglen. On court a double fault comes at a bad time for Jaqueline Cristian as she gifts Iga Swiatek set point, and she makes it count as the Romanian puts a forehand long. Update: Date: 14:31 BST Title: Swiatek holds Content: *Cristian 2-5 Swiatek Iga Swiatek snaps a forehand which Jaqueline Cristian can do nothing about before the Romanian puts a backhand into the net. Swiatek secures the hold to love as a powerful forehand forces Cristian into an error. Cristian needs to hold now to stay in the set. Update: Date: 14:28 BST Title: Cristian holds Content: Cristian 2-4 Swiatek* A short delay as someone in the crowd in Jaqueline Cristian's eyeline on serve has to change seats. Iga Swiatek has started to miss a couple of shots now and Cristian opens up a 40-0 lead. Swiatek fights back with some powerful strokes but Cristian secures the hold as the Pole goes long. Update: Date: 14:22 BST Title: Swiatek holds Content: *Cristian 1-4 Swiatek Iga Swiatek pushes a backhand too long and Jaqueline Cristian has her first sniff at challenging the Pole's serve at 30-30. Swiatek responds with two first serves which see the defending champion wrap up the game. Update: Date: 14:17 BST Title: Cristian holds Content: Cristian 1-3 Swiatek* That's better from Jaqueline Cristian as she forces Iga Swiatek backwards before passing the Polish fifth seed with a forehand winner. That will do the Romanian's confidence a world of good as she secures the hold to get on the board.
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Could a 70 million-year-old dinosaur fossil hold the key to new cancer discoveries?
Scientists believe dinosaur fossils could hold the key to new cancer discoveries and influence future treatments for humans. A decade-long study published in the journal Biology by researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Imperial College London has identified preserved red blood cell-like structures in a dinosaur fossil. The findings raised the possibility that prehistoric creatures could be used to study ancient tumours, helping to complete the 'jigsaw' of cancer's molecular building blocks, and potentially influencing future treatments for humans. Professor Justin Stebbing, an oncologist at ARU, said the idea for the study began in 2016 after reading an article about the discovery of a new fossil in Romania with a tumour in its jaw. The remains were those of a Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, a duck-billed, plant-eating 'marsh lizard', a specimen that had lived between 66-70 million years ago in the Hateg Basin in present-day Romania. 'Justin said, guys, I want to go and get this tumour and see what we can get out of it,' Dr Biancastella Cereser, a cancer specialist at Imperial, said. 'We wanted to see if this tumour in the dinosaur could give us any information about any parallel with human cancers, because the tumour that this dinosaur had was an ameloblastoma, a benign tumour in the jaw, which humans have as well.' From 2017, a team was put together, including three scientists who traditionally work on human cancers – Professor Stebbing, Dr Cereser, and Professor Pramodh Chandrasinghe from the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. 'We contacted the town in Romania, which was very excited to loan us the fossil,' Dr Cereser said. 'We went to Romania and collected the specimen. We brought it back, and we basically drilled into it with a very, very, very fine drill. 'Then we mounted it into this very sophisticated microscope and imaged it. What we saw inside – there were some structures, some forms, that looked like blood cells.' This Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technique enabled the researchers to identify low-density structures resembling erythrocytes, or red blood cells, in the fossilised bone. 'Up until recently, the fossil record and finding ancient things was really interesting for finding hard things like shells or skeletons to assess tissues,' Professor Stebbing said. 'But if we're trying to look at the building blocks of life or the building blocks of cancer, to understand cancer better, what we found was you can actually as well as seeing the skeleton, we can actually see soft tissue as well. 'We could actually see like the flesh of the cancer. This means we can look at cancer not only occurring in human or in animal models, but we can look at it tens and tens of millions of years ago. 'It helps us understand the role of environment on cancer.' He continued: ' Jurassic Park isn't right, because what they said is dinosaur DNA could be recovered and cloned to resurrect dinosaurs, but we can't get DNA out of this because it's broken down by weathering and time. 'But what we have found is that we've actually found proteins in soft tissues can survive over time. 'All we're trying to understand is the molecular building blocks of cancer from a very, very ancient perspective. 'If we can understand cancer better, we can come up with better treatments. I do a lot of research in cancer, so, you know, it all comes together. It's just part of a jigsaw that you are trying to build.'
