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(Photo source) The revolving door is spinning again, and no one will weep. The sinister minister of culture Daniel Barbu has resigned - the best news of the week since the mining law was rejected by parliament on Monday. All other news has so far been groaznic so we could do with another cause for cheer. Barbu's recent outrageous statement on Sunday (following an event at Teatrul National in Craiova) in which he said he would have preferred money used to fund HIV-AIDS patients to be spent on cultural events instead was "likely to... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) And so... it's happened at last! After the long and heated debates within the closed doors of parliament and three months of widespread protests throughout the country and abroad, the amended mining law which would have enabled Gabriel Resources to proceed with plans to build Europe's largest open-cast gold mine was rejected this morning by the Romanian parliament with 160 votes in favour, 105 against and 22 abstaining. Under Romanian law, in order for it to have been adopted it would have needed at least half plus one... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) Fifty Greenpeace activists from ten countries (including Romania) armed with picks and shovels were arrested in Bucharest today after taking to the front lawn of the Casa Nebunului, setting up a 'mining area' and 'digging for gold' in symbolic opposition to the Rosia Montana gold-mining project. Banners displayed the messages "Gold Mining Operations" and "Gold mining area". What a fantastic initiative!! BRAVO!! A shame they didn't have a couple of tons of cyanide to throw in, too! See video HERE and more photos HERE. ... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source: AFP Photo / Daniel Mihailescu) Protests turned violent once again in Pungesti yesterday when clashes broke out between armed police and demonstrators. Journalist Lucy Kafanov reporting for RT in Moscow (?!!) was there on site and reported that protesters broke down perimetre fences and briefly entered the Chevron area. Riot police arrived and the violence that has become so familiar to us lately then ensued. The conflict has been ever-increasing this past week after the government imposed a military-style blockade... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) You may remember back in October when Chevron suspended plans to drill an exploration well for shale gas in the north-eastern town of Pungesti after thousands demonstrated against the project both there and in Bucharest. Finally, Chevron was seen to back off, at least for a while. Some naïve souls hoped that would be an end to it - that Chevron would give up and go home. The majority, however, knew that wouldn't be the case. Well, six weeks later, Chevron have returned.... At around 4am on Monday morning, Romanian riot... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) This is a happy update for anyone following the story of Cleo's Angels! Last Sunday, Claudia left Bucharest via special animal transport to take nine sponsored cats to safety. If you haven't been following the story of Cleo's Angels, please see HERE, HERE and HERE. Bound for the one and only cat shelter in the whole country, SOS Animale Abandonate Resita in the Banat, it was a long eight hour trip by road, but I understand the cats were extremely well-behaved. Surya, Hermes (recovering well from his close encounter... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) The Romanian Senate rejected the bill on gold exploitation at Rosia Montana submitted by the government today, thus adopting the Special Commission's report (see yesterday's blogpost HERE). The Senate ruled on the rejection with 119 votes to 3, and six abstentions. A second and final vote is now awaited from the Chamber of Deputies on 27th November, or thereabouts. PSD leader of the Senate, Ilie Sarbu, said during the preceding debate that the project and all those involved in approving it will be investigated by the... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) What is it going to take for RMGC to understand and accept that their gold-mining project at Rosia Montana is NOT wanted in Romania? Last Monday, the joint parliamentary commission for Rosia Montana voted NO to a draft bill submitted by the government that would have given the go-ahead for Europe's largest (and most dangerous) open mine to move forward in Romania. The news sent the Canadian mining company’s stock down 10%, or 9.3¢ to close at 82.7¢ on the Toronto Stock Exchange. No sympathy whatsoever from this... [Lire la suite]

For all of you following the story of Claudia's 24 cats now known as 'Cleo's Angels' in Sector 6, Bucharest - see past posts HERE, HERE in Romanian and HERE -  there's good news and there's bad news... Let's start with the good news: News is just in that Princess Rouge has been adopted in Bucharest by the parents of Nicoleta B., a lady who has already given a home to one of Claudia's cats in the past. Princess Rouge will leave Claudia's tonight. A happy ending for one little innocent soul who deserves nothing less than a... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) Some GOOD news to share with you tonight: Following an outpouring of concern for the terribly dangerous (and recently fatal) situation of Claudia's 24 cats in Bucharest's sector 6 posted yesterday (see HERE in English and HERE in Romanian), Ilie Eduard, owner of the ONE solitary cat shelter in the whole of Romania Sos Animale Abandonate Resita, though extremely full, has said that they can take fifteen. FIFTEEN!!! Thank God! What a relief for Claudia, and a blessing for those fifteen pussycats who have been at such... [Lire la suite]