Radio România Internațional

Tag: disaster

  • October 31, 2024 UPDATE

    October 31, 2024 UPDATE

    SPAIN Six Romanian nationals out of the 22 reported missing in Spain are safe, the Romanian Foreign Ministry says. According to the same sources, the latest death poll stands at over 150 dead and scores missing in one of the biggest natural disasters in Spain’s recent history. In Bucharest, Prime Minister Ciolacu summoned the ministers and representatives of government institutions for talks over the situation of the Romanians in Spain affected by the latest flooding. According to government spokesman Mihai Constantin, the Prime Minister has called on the ministries to establish an action group in order to set up a logistic centre in Castellon de la Plana so that the Romanian state may provide additional assistance to the Romanians affected. Ciolacu has called on the ministries to keep permanent contact with the Spanish authorities and the Romanians there and provide transportation to those requesting repatriation. The Romanian diplomacy has cautioned that the Spanish weathermen have again issued alerts for heavy downpours in the region of Valencia, Tarragona, Andalusia and part of Catalonia.

     

     CAMPAIGN The electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections in Romania starts on Thursday night, and it will last until November 30. During this period, the parties, alliances or independents entering the race for a seat in the new two-chamber parliament will have to convince the electorate to grant them the vote on December 1. There are currently 330 parliamentarians in the Chamber of Deputies, and 136 in the Senate. We recall that, also during this period, the presidential election campaign, which started a week ago, is taking place in Romania. The first round of the presidential elections will take place on November 24 and the second round – on December 8.

     

    EC The European Commission has praised the progress made by the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in implementing reforms necessary for joining the EU. In the annual report on the enlargement of the Union, in which it makes an assessment of all accession candidate or aspirant states, the Commission expresses its hope that, next year, it will be able to start discussions on negotiation chapters with Chisinau and Kyiv officials. The Republic of Moldova showed commitment on the path of reforms and showed political stability in the last year, despite Russia’s hybrid attacks, the European Commission believes. Brussels draws attention to the fact that there is still a need for efforts in many areas, including Justice. Despite the steps taken before, additional efforts are needed, also on the part of Ukraine, the Commission says. Both Ukraine and Moldova started accession negotiations in the summer of this year.

     

    MOLDOVA On Sunday, November 3, the second round of the presidential elections takes place in the Republic of Moldova. Running are the incumbent president, the pro-European Maia Sandu, and the pro-Russian Alexandr Stoianoglo. In the first round, Sandu got over 42% of the votes, and her opponent, 26%. Maia Sandu has stated that joining the European Union is the only way forward for the Moldovan people and said about Stoianoglo that he is a tool of evil forces.

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  • October 3, 2023

    October 3, 2023


    SUPPORT Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu has today spoken in Kyiv about the importance of carrying on the EU multidimensional support for Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops, including through the creation of a military fund within the European Peace Facility. The Romanian official has accused the ongoing Russian attacks against the civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, close to Romania’s borders and underlined the need for a long-term strategic regional approach to also include the Republic of Moldova. On Monday, Luminita Odobescu attended the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in Kyiv.



    WALL The peaceful reunification of Germany took place 33 years ago today, in 1990, almost a year after the fall of the Berlin wall. The day of the German Unity was celebrated on Tuesday night during a reception where president Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu highlighted among other things Germany’s consistent support for Romania’s accession to Schengen. Germany is Romania’s most important trade partner and the second biggest investor in the Romanian economy. Bilateral trade exchanges last year exceeded 40 billion euros and over 25 thousand companies with German capital have been registered in Romania.



    SPORT Romania’s artistic gymnastics team has qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, after coming in the 8th position during the qualifiers of the 52nd edition of the World Championship in Antwerp, Belgium. This performance has put the Romanian women team back into the game after a break of 12 years, the last time they competed in an Olympic Games edition was in London, in 2012. 12 teams can qualify for the Paris Olympics and the United States, Britain and Canada have already booked plane tickets.



    DRILL The nuclear power plant in Cernavoda, south-eastern Romania, is today hosting a nuclear emergency exercise called Wallachia 2023. The exercise, which simulates a severe nuclear accident, has been staged by the National Committee for the Control of the Nuclear Activities and is benefitting from support from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency and the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. The exercise will test the response capabilities of all the institutions involved as well as the assistance received from international partners. Wallachia 2023 is aimed at improving nuclear security and safety in Romania, increasing resilience to disasters and preparing an appropriate response to nuclear accidents and has been funded through the Norwegian financial mechanism.


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  • August 3, 2022

    August 3, 2022


    AID In Romania, the people affected by recent natural disasters will receive state aid, after the government approves a draft resolution in this respect today. The largest sums, around EUR 2,000, will go to the families and individuals whose households have been affected to an extent of over 75%. In the case of fatalities, the families of the deceased will receive an additional EUR 1,500, irrespective of the number of victims. Meanwhile, the Romanian Waters Administration says the strategic water reserve in the countrys main 40 lakes, although decreasing since early July, is able to cover the needs of all relevant beneficiaries. According to current data, nearly 800 localities have introduced water supply restrictions, and the drought continues, especially in the east. As regards crops, a total of 205,000 hectares of farmland have been affected so far.



    AGRICULTURE Romanias grain yield is enough to cover the domestic demand and some exports, the agriculture minister Petre Daea said today, as 96% of the crops have already been harvested. High temperatures and extensive drought have affected crops, particularly sunflower and maize, across the country. Romania is one of the largest grain exporters in the EU and an active exporter to the Middle East. Last year the country had record-large crops, including 11.3 million tonnes of wheat. The domestic grain yield is generally 2-3 times higher than the domestic demand.



    COVID-19 The next variants of the new coronavirus will most likely be not very aggressive, but easily transmitted, the head of the Matei Bals Institute for Infectious Disease, Adrian Marinescu believes. He says the pandemic has reached a stage where we cohabitate with the virus, and many of the infected people perceive the disease as similar to a common cold. The health minister Alexandru Rafila does not rule out a 7th pandemic wave in Romania this autumn, when schools and universities resume classes. On Wednesday over 9,100 new COVID-19 cases were reported, most of them in Bucharest and in Cluj and Timiş counties. Nearly 4,000 COVID patients are hospitalized, of whom nearly 550 are children. 284 patients are in intensive care, and 41 COVID-related deaths have also been reported.



    TAIPEI The EU called for the tensions related to the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan to be settled through dialogue and for all communication channels with China to remain open, so as to avoid errors. China has its army on high alert in response to the visit, which it sees as a provocation. Chinas defence ministry announced “targeted military operations”, and the East Command of the Peoples Liberation Army said they involved live-fire drills near Taiwan-a self-ruled island that China views as part of its territory. In Washington, the Biden administration says there is no need for the Chinese authorities to turn this visit into a crisis. The White House spokesman for national security, John Kirby, said the House Speaker has the right to visit Taiwan, but highlighted that the trip was not a violation of Chinese sovereignty or of the One China Policy. The visit, which was not supported by US president Biden, is the first by a US official at this level in 25 years.



    REVOLUTION The prosecutor general of Romania, Gabriela Scutea, today announced the “Revolution Case” was referred back to the supreme court. In this case, the ex-president Ion Iliescu, former deputy PM Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Iosif Rus, former Military Aviation chief, are charged with crimes against humanity. According to the investigation, a widespread “terrorism” psychosis was created, which led to chaotic gun fire, fratricide, conflicting military orders. According to military prosecutors, this psychosis was induced deliberately, through disinformation and diversion, and resulted in over 850 dead, 2,380 wounded, hundreds of people illegally arrested and psychological trauma. Initiated in Timișoara in December 1989, the Romanian anti-communist revolution led to the flight, capture, summary trial and execution of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena. (AMP)


  • Requests to assist Romanian farmers

    Requests to assist Romanian farmers

    Crops across Romania have been affected by this years unprecedented drought, and farmers are beginning to measure their losses, fearing that they will not break even this season.



    The biggest problems are reported in the south and east of the country, where water reserves are dwindling. The farmers in some areas have already asked the local authorities to take the necessary measures to declare a state of disaster in agriculture.



    In order to support the farmers affected by the drought, Bucharest has asked the European Commission to approve an advance payment accounting for 70 to 85% of the direct payments under the environment and climate measures in the 2014-2022 National Rural Development Programme.



    The government intends to give EUR 51.6 million in aid to fruit and wine growers and to pig and poultry breeders. Of this amount, EUR 25.5 million will come from EU funds, and the balance from the national budget, the agriculture ministry explained. Moreover, investments in local irrigation systems are planned, amounting to EUR 100 million, under the 2023-2027 National Strategic Plan.



    According to the data centralised by the institution, the drought has so far destroyed the crops on nearly 107,000 ha in 20 Romanian counties. Because of the drought, the Danube river flow Monday morning reached a minimum of 1,950 cubic metres per second, as against the 2,500 cubic metre per second on average at this time of the year. Hydrologists warn that the river flow would continue to drop this entire week, to as little as 1,850 cubic metres per second.



    For this reason, Dolj County in southern Romania for instance is facing an unprecedented situation in the last 70 years: crops can no longer be irrigated using the Danubes water, after the river level dropped 7 cm in one day.



    The head of the Romanian Farmers Association, Daniel Botănoiu, warns that the extreme drought affects this years crops, but will also have an impact on the next agricultural year, because works cannot be conducted in time and at the required quality standards. He believes that on the one hand the irrigation system must be adapted to the new technologies so as to ensure maximum efficiency, and on the other hand drought-tolerant plant species should be used.



    While farmers are struggling with the drought, the news from weather experts is hardly encouraging. This drought is only the beginning, difficult times are ahead, says the president of the Romanian Meteorological Society Ion Sandu, who urges the authorities to take measures for the forthcoming period. (AMP)

  • July 17, 2021

    July 17, 2021

    COVID-19 Romania has a ‘window of opportunity’ of at least 6 weeks to get ready
    for the moment in which the highly-contagious Delta variant is going to rise
    significantly and create problems, says Andrei Baciu, secretary of state with
    the Health Ministry in Bucharest. Authorities in Romania are presently targeting
    the country’s rural areas to step up the vaccine rollout. According to Baciu,
    no significant vaccination initiatives have been carried out in 25-30 % of
    Romania’s communes and villages. The number of infections with the novel
    coronavirus remains low in Romania amid fears of the highly-contagious Delta
    variant, which the authorities believe will become dominant this autumn. In
    spite of the sustained pro-vaccination campaigns, the threshold of 5 million
    fully-vaccinated Romanians has not been reached yet, a month and a half after
    the term initially set by the authorities.








    FILM
    La Civil, a Romanian-Belgian-Mexican production directed by Romanian Teodora
    Ana Mihai last night was awarded Prix de L’Audace of the Un certain regard section
    of the 74th edition of the Film festival in Cannes. Among its
    producers are the famous Romanian director Cristian Mungiu and the Belgian
    brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. The film tells the story of Cielo, a
    Mexican mother searching for her daughter who has been abducted by members of a
    drug cartel. As the local authorities fail to help her, Cielo takes things into
    her own hands and gradually turns from housewife into an avenging activist.
    Russian filmmaker Kira Kovalenko has got the top prize in ‘Un certain regard’
    for her movie ‘Unclenching the Fists’.








    FLOODS The death toll from devastating floods across parts of Western Germany have
    today risen to 130, while more than one thousand people are still unaccounted
    for. Germany and Belgium have for several days been affected by unprecedented
    torrential rains, which damaged several towns and villages. The most affected
    region is Rhineland-Palatinate where the police believe the death toll could
    get higher. About 700 residents were evacuated last night after a dam burst
    near Cologne. Water levels remain high in many localities sweeping away cars
    and making houses to collapse in the worst natural disaster to have struck Germany
    in the past 50 years. Entire communities have been stranded and left without
    electricity and communications. A death toll of 20 has prompted the Belgian government
    to declare a day of national mourning. Torrential rains have also affected the
    Netherlands and Luxembourg.








    HOMAGE Seven years on from the MH-17 aviation disaster, the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry is paying homage to the 298 people on board, including a Romanian
    citizen, who lost their lives in the incident. Romania believes the culprits
    must be brought to court and hails the criminal procedures underway in the
    Netherlands, under the Dutch legislation. We recall the MH-17 aircraft
    belonging to Malaysia Airlines, was shot down over eastern Ukraine while flying
    from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Dutch prosecutors launched criminal proceedings
    against four suspects in June 2020 and started to investigate evidence a year
    later.






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