NEWS OF THE DAY - AUGUST 11

*The joint National Political Bureau of the ACL Christian Liberal Alliance of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) on Monday designated PNL's national leader Klaus Iohannis ACL's presidential candidate.
'Thank you for the designation! I feel honoured. Thank you to all my colleagues and Vasile Blaga for us having been able to stick to a schedule we wanted back in June for the merger of the two parties, the establishment of their alliance and the designation of our presidential candidate,' Iohannis told PDL and PNL.

*The joint National Political Bureau of the ACL Christian Liberal Alliance of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) on Monday designated PDL's Catalin Predoiu ACL's prime minister candidate, PDL national leader Vasile Blaga said at the end of a meeting of the joint National Political Bureau.

*President Traian Basescu on Monday signed a decree on the Minamata Convention on Mercury to have it submitted to Parliament for ratification, informed the Presidential Administration. The Minamata Convention on Mercury became open for signature on October 10, 2013, in Kumamoto, Japan, and Romania signed it that very day.

*The leaders of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) parliamentary groups of the Deputies' Chamber, George Scutaru and Tinel Gheorghe, on Monday addressed an open letter to the other group leaders of this forum asking for the organisation of an extraordinary session on August 19 to focus on the law regarding the social insurance contribution (CAS) reduction.

*An exhibition on the Transylvanian School will open on Tuesday in Chisinau, Moldova, to mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption in 1989 of the...