Radio România Internațional

Tag: floods

  • September 1, 2024

    September 1, 2024

    VISIT   The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, urged the citizens of the Republic of Moldova to choose to stay on their path towards EU integration in this autumn’s referendum. While on an official visit to Chişinău, Iohannis said Romania’s strategic commitment to supporting the democratic development of Moldova would remain unwavering in the long run, and called on all international partners to provide consistent support to Moldova’s EU accession efforts. In turn, the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu thanked Romania for its support in the initiation of EU accession negotiations, in fighting the COVID pandemic and in mitigating the electricity shortages caused by the Russian bombings in Ukraine. She said Romania played a vital part in consolidating her country’s energy independence. The two officials signed a Joint Declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate the resilience of the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian president’s visit to Chişinău took place as Romania and Moldova celebrated the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

     

    PARLIAMENT The Parliament of Romania resumes its sessions tomorrow, after the summer recess. Its agenda includes a bill raising the pension tax threshold from EUR 400 at present to EUR 600. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party decided a few days ago that the new bill should be rushed through Parliament, so that it may take effect on October 1, explained the culture minister Raluca Turcan, a former labour minister. As of this month, the reviewed pension benefits are being paid to beneficiaries. Of the 4.7 million pensioners in Romania, 3.8 million will receive higher benefits, and the remaining 900,000 will be paid the same amounts as they have so far. Although decisions were issued under which certain pensioners’ benefits were cut down, this is only valid on paper, with the Labour Ministry and National Pensions Agency to send notifications in this respect to all the beneficiaries in this situation.

     

    TOURISM The Romanian minister of economy, entrepreneurship and tourism, Radu Oprea, believes the national tourism industry has extremely high potential, but warns that success cannot be achieved without a well-thought plan. While in the resort of Neptun, on the Romanian Black Sea coast, he said a true public-private partnership is needed, and added that a tourism development strategy is currently reviewed by relevant ministries. Oprea voiced his dissatisfaction with the local authorities in the seaside area, which ruined the resort concept by approving the construction of apartment buildings next to hotels. Such urbanisation, the official said, threatens to destroy the charm of seaside resorts and implicitly their financial success.

     

    FLOODS The heavy rainfalls in the past few days caused damage in the south-east of Romania. The most affected region is the Black Sea coast, where precipitations reached 200 litres per square metre, the equivalent of 6 months’ worth of rain. A heavy rainfall alert is still in place in the region. Agigea, Tuzla, Venus, Saturn, Mangalia and Vama Veche are among the most affected resorts. In certain parts of the town of Mangalia, waters reached car windows, while in Vama Veche the floods tore the beach in two, overturned vehicles and destroyed outdoor restaurants. A total of 17 hotels and guest houses were flooded. Fire fighters with the Dobrogea Emergency Inspectorate received 800 calls for help, and rescued 61 people in 24 hours.

     

    INSURANCE Four out of 5 households in Romania are vulnerable to natural disasters, fire or explosion, according to data released by the National Insurers Union. Only 17% of the homes in Romania are protected by an optional insurance policy. Only 3 regions are above the national average—Bucharest-Ilfov, 29%, the west of the country, with 20%, and the centre of the country, 18%.

     

    SCHOOLS The number of schools in Romania to use electronic class registers in the school year beginning on September 9 is 63% higher than last year. According to the education ministry, nearly 1,900 schools will use electronic registration, 733 more than in 2023. As many as 167 of them are in Bucharest. Under the law, they use private software or platforms, and cannot request students or their families to pay for these services. All electronic registers will have authentication options for teachers, students and parents. (AMP)

  • September 19, 2023

    September 19, 2023

    UN The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis takes part in the UN General Assembly in New York, and is
    to attend the summit on Sustainable Development Goals. In his address, Mr.
    Iohannis will reiterate Romania’s firm support for efficient multilateralism,
    compliance with international law and a rule-based international
    order. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the General Assembly
    session is affected by global divisions, deepened by recurrent crises and in
    particular by Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr
    Zelenskyy will attend the meeting for the first time since the war in his
    country started, and is to address today leaders from around the world present
    in New York. The US president Joe Biden will also give his traditional speech
    before the Assembly and will plead for stronger action to fight global warming,
    and for continuing support to Ukraine for as long as necessary.


    TAXES The
    Romanian finance ministry has released for public review a draft law on new tax
    and budget related measures, after nearly 2 months of negotiations between the
    2 members of the ruling coalition, the Social Democrats and the National
    Liberals. Under the bill, micro-enterprises will have to pay a 1% tax on
    revenues under EUR 60,000, and 3% if their turnover is above this threshold. The
    same tax will be levied on software development companies, judicial activities
    or healthcare assistance firms. The employees in constructions and in the food
    industry will have to pay healthcare insurance contributions, while IT staff
    will pay a tax on revenues for all amounts over EUR 2,000. A minimum tax on
    revenues is also introduced for large companies, while banks will have to pay
    an additional 1% tax. The government will take responsibility for this set of
    measures by the end of this month, so that the bill may take effect on October
    1. According to the authorities, the new provisions will help narrow the budget
    deficit and avoid losing billions of Euros in EU funding.


    CANNABIS The Senate of Romania Tuesday
    voted against a bill to decriminalise possession of up to 3 grams of cannabis
    for personal use, and to replace criminal penalties with fines ranging from EUR
    200 to 600. The bill was tabled by a group of non-affiliated MPs, and is next
    to be voted on in the Chamber of Deputies.


    GRAINS Bulgarian
    farmers carry on protests against resuming the imports of Ukrainian grains,
    accepted by the Bulgarian government after the European Commission decided not
    to extend the ban on such imports. In turn, Bucharest continues to allow the
    transit of Ukrainian grains, but has introduced one-month import restrictions
    until Kyiv comes up with a plan for its exports. The measure persuaded Romanian
    farmers to give up their protests. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary unilaterally
    banned imports of Ukrainian grain, prompting Kyiv to complain against them at
    the World Trade Organisation. We have more on this after the news.


    AID
    Romania has sent a second installment of aid to flood-devastated Libya. Two C-130
    airctaft of the Romanian Air Forces have 6 trips planned to deliver 55 tonnes of
    food products and other emergency aid. Libya will also receive over EUR 5 mln
    for shelters, food, water, and medicines. The death toll so far is over 11,000,
    while another 10,000 people are still missing.


    FESTIVAL
    The George Enescu International Music Festival in Bucharest has reached its
    final week. Until Sunday, the public are invited to attend free of charge
    classical music concerts held in the Festival Square near the Romanian
    Athenaeum, where celebrated orchestras from Romania and the Republic of Moldova
    will accompany famous soloists and instrumentalists. The Radio Romania Big Band
    conducted by Simona Strungaru, will give a concert on Friday. On Sunday, the last
    performance in the Festival will be given by the Camerata Regală orchestra with
    the percussionist Zoli Toth. (AMP)

  • July 19, 2021 UPDATE

    July 19, 2021 UPDATE




    WEATHER Weather in Romania
    will continue to be hot and unstable. Yellow and orange-code alerts for heavy
    rainfall are in place across the country, with unstable weather expected until
    at least midweek. Temperatures will drop a bit, but the level of thermal
    discomfort will remain high. Thunderstorms will first hit the south-west, west,
    centre and north of the country, to then cover the south and south-east
    beginning on Tuesday. The extreme
    weather has caused major damages in the west of the country over the past few
    days, with several parts of Alba County affected by flash floods.






    FLOODING The death toll of
    the disastrous flooding in Western Europe nears 200, as many missing people are
    found dead. Germany reports the largest number of victims. Chancellor Angela
    Merkel has visited some of the worst hit regions, and promised immediate aid
    from the federal government for reconstruction works, while also pledging more
    efforts to fight climate change. The EU has announced it would provide aid both
    to Germany and to the other countries affected by floods, such as Belgium and
    the Netherlands. In Belgium, more than 30 people are dead and others are
    missing. Italy also sees heavy rainfalls causing floods in the northern and
    southern parts of the country.






    COVID-19 The Romanian
    health minister Ioana Mihăilă has stated that the 4th wave of the Covid-19
    pandemic will affect unvaccinated people, and said less than 1% of those who
    have got the vaccine caught the disease. Ioana Mihăilă urged even those who
    recovered from the disease to get the vaccine, arguing that this would prevent
    a severe form of the Covid-19, even when the Delta variant is involved. In
    spite of continuing public campaigns promoting vaccination, the target of 5
    million fully vaccinated Romanians is yet to be reached. Meanwhile, 46 new infection cases
    were reported on Monday afternoon, out of close to 11,000 tests. 269 Covid-19
    patients are currently in hospital, of whom 33 in intensive care.




    PANDEMIC Greece
    reintroduces COVID-19 restrictions in spite of the tourist season being in full
    swing. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Athens, several Greek
    islands deemed free of COVID-19 are introducing night curfews and banning the
    access of unvaccinated people in restaurants and clubs. The Greek government
    will also make vaccination compulsory for several categories of employees.
    France tightens access restrictions for travelers from certain countries,
    including the UK, Spain, Greece and the Netherlands, who will be required to
    get tested 24 hours prior to arriving in the country. On the other hand,
    England lifted all restrictions on Monday, in spite of an alarming increse in
    the number of Delta variant infections. London argues that containment measures
    cannot be kept in place forever, and the vaccines provide protection.








    AVIATION DAY. The Romanian
    Minister of Defense, Nicolae Ciuca, and the Chief of the Defense Staff,
    Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu, will participate, on Tuesday, in the
    military ceremony organized on the occasion of the Romanian Aviation and Air
    Force Day at the Air Heroes Monument in downtown Bucharest, the Ministry of
    Defense has announced. During the ceremony, wreaths will be laid in memory of
    the aviator heroes, and the 74th PATRIOT Regiment – the tactical combat unit
    established on December 1, 2018, whose mission is to render operational the
    PATRIOT surface-to-air missile system – will be handed the Battle Flag .
    According to the Ministry of National Defense, this ceremony pays homage to
    the memory of the heroes who, on the battlefields or in missions carried out in
    theaters of operations or on the national territory, served with devotion the
    wings of the homeland and joined the heaven’s squadron. The Day of the
    Romanian Aviation and Air Force is celebrated, every year, on July 20, when the
    Holy Prophet Elijah, the spiritual protector of the pilots, is also celebrated.







    FORESTS. Romania has joined ten other European countries, including Germany, Austria and Hungary, which have called for a debate on Brussels’ new forest management strategy before the document is officially signed by the European Commission. The Romanian Minister of Environment, Tanczos Barna, explained that, until now, the member states could only consult a draft of the strategy and that the final version should take into account the opinions of each country. He also said that on Tuesday he will have a bilateral meeting with Virginijus Sinkevicius, THE European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries and will approach this issue. However, the European Commission has stated that the new strategy for the protection and restoration of EU forests, adopted on 16 July, emerged from a public consultation in all Member States. Austria was the country that first decided to challenge the European forest strategy. In recent years, Romania has faced massive deforestation. Based on the new European strategy, it will be monitored, together with Bulgaria, Finland and Sweden, on the protection of old and primary forests.








    FESTIVAL Tickets for the
    25th George Enescu International Festival are available as of Monday. The
    festival, scheduled to take place between 28 August and 26 September, will
    bring to Bucharest 3,500 Romanian and foreign artists. Healthcare measures will
    be in place this year, to protect the public, the artists, the organisers and
    journalists. Some of the world’s most celebrated orchestras, including the
    London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Academy of St
    Martin in the Fields, the National Orchestra of France conducted by the
    Romanian Cristian Măcelaru, and the Munich Philharmonic conducted by Valery
    Gergiev, will take part in this year’s festival, alongside world-famous
    soloists like violinists Maxim Vengerov, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Joshua Bell,
    cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianists Denis Matsuev, Jean Yves Thibaudet and
    Kirill Gerstein. (MI)











  • State aid for people affected by floods

    State aid for people affected by floods

    The extreme weather reported in Romania in the last couple of days caused significant damage in 13 localities in the west, in the area of the Apuseni Mountains, damaging more than one hundred households. The Ocolis, Rosia Montana, Campeni and Abrud villages were the worst hit. Fortunately, no victims have been reported. PM Florin Citu, accompanied by the interior minister, visited the area to assess the damages and promised the people affected they would receive rescue funds from the government as soon as possible.



    Florin Citu: “It is a miracle there have not been any victims in the area, given what happened — over 250 liters of water on square meter. The hard part follows, on the short term, to rebuild what has been destroyed. We will start with people’s households. We will make available all resources to improve things as soon as possible. Over a month ago we created the legal framework that allows us to disburse funds without holding a government meeting first, which means that, after a damage report is drawn up, people will start getting financial and material support.”



    We stand by people during hard times, interior minister Lucian Bode said in his turn. He gave assurances that the Government can allocate funds for the people affected and start rebuilding roads and securing water supplies.



    Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the coming period is not good, at least until the middle of the week. Until Wednesday, storms are expected across the whole country, heavy rain of 50 to 60 liters per square meter as well as hail. The situation is even more serious in Western Europe, where rescue teams are trying to find survivors of the deadly floods that wreaked havoc in Germany and the Benelux countries. Hundreds of people are dead or missing, and thousands others have been left without a home. Tens of thousands of households are without electricity. In Germany, the country worst hit by the flooding, Chancellor Angela Merkel promised that the federal government will offer the financial aid needed for reconstruction and will intensify efforts to combat the effects of climate change. The EU has also announced financial aid for Germany and other countries affected by the bad weather such as Belgium or the Netherlands. (EE)


  • July 18, 2021

    July 18, 2021

    COVID-19 The number of coronavirus infections in Romania remains low, with 49 new cases reported on Saturday out of over 25,000 tests conducted in 24 hours. Two new COVID-related deaths were also reported, and 32 patients are in intensive care. In related news, the European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides, who was recently on a visit to Romania, urged the authorities to step up the vaccine rollout, to protect against the new coronavirus variants. Since 27 December 2020, when the vaccination campaign began in Romania, over 9,200,000 vaccine doses have been given to more than 4,800,000 people. Around 4.7 million people are fully vaccinated at present.




    AID In the regions severely affected by flooding in Alba County, central Romania, efforts continue to help the over 200 people left without homes. The Romanian PM Florin Cîţu announced that after an assessment of the damages, the government will provide immediately any form of aid for the families affected. Meanwhile, private persons, volunteers and Red Cross representatives are involved in distributing water, food and other supplies. Record amounts of precipitations have been reported in the region over the past few days, with 223 litres of rainwater per square metre within 5 hours causing unprecedented flooding, the authorities say.




    FLOODS The death toll of the devastating flooding in Germany has reached 156 today, bringing the total number of deaths in Western Europe up to at least 183, AFP reports. In Germany, people have been urged to stay away from basements and underground garages and passage ways, and authorities warned that flooded roads are a danger to citizens. Chancellor Angela Merkel described the situation as a ‘national tragedy and promised state aid for reconstruction and repair works. These efforts are expected to cost several billion euros. In Austria, fire fighters are in standby in the regions of Salzburg and Tirol, while the town of Hallein is under water. ‘Unfortunately, the heavy rainfalls and storms have caused severe damage in several parts of Austria,’ PM Sebastian Kurz has tweeted.




    PESTICIDE Several batches of ice-cream have been recalled from the Romanian market. The products contained small amounts of a carcinogen. The European Commission decided that products containing the additive locust bean gum (E410) contaminated with ethylene oxide must be withdrawn from the EU market even if the pesticide is not detected. After 3 emergency meetings held on the 29 and 30 June and on 13 July, the Commission also decided that the products already purchased by consumers should be recalled.




    VISIT The president of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu will be on an official visit to Gergia on 19-20 July, MOLDPRES reports. The Moldovan president will attend an international conference in Batumi, entitled ‘Three states – one choice: Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine on the move. The event aims to improve cooperation between the 3 EU associated partners. In Batumi, Maia Sandu will have meetings with her Georgian counterpart Salome Zourabichvili, with the Ukrainian PM Volodimir Zelenski, and with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel.




    FILM The French director Julia Doucournau last night won the Palme d’Or for her film Titane, at the Cannes Film Festival, thus becoming the second woman awarded in this category in the festivals 7-decade long history. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris, the award for best director went to Leos Carax, for Annette. Caleb Landry Jones and Renate Reinsve won the awards for best actor and actress. Romanian films were also appreciated in Cannes, with Carina Gabriela Daşoveanu winning 3rd place in the Cinefondation category and Teodora Ana Mihai taking the Courage Prize in the Un certain regard category. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • July 16, 2021 UPDATE

    July 16, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19. Romania added Spain, Portugal and the
    Netherlands on the red list of countries with a high infection risk, while
    Greece, one of the most sought-after tourist destinations this summer is on the
    yellow list. Tourists who have been fully vaccinated will not be asked to
    self-isolate upon their return to Romania irrespective of the region they come
    from. Unvaccinated travelers arriving from the red list countries must self-isolate
    for 14 days, while those arriving from the yellow list countries must produce a
    negative PCR test result conducted within the previous 72 hours in order to
    avoid isolation. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has approved a
    60-day pilot project involving the use of trained dogs for detecting those
    infected with Covid-19. 72 new infections from over 26,000 tests and two new
    deaths were reported in Romania on Friday, while 53 Covid patients are in
    intensive care. Since the beginning of mass vaccination in this country at the
    end of December last year, more than 4.7 million people have been fully
    vaccinated, but the authorities are looking for ways to improve the pace of
    vaccination.




    Visit. European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
    Stella Kyriakides said on Friday in Petreşti, Dâmboviţa county, that Romania must do more to step
    up vaccination because the Delta variant is creating a fragile and dangerous
    situation. Together with Romanian health minister Ioana Mihăilă, she paid a visit
    to a mobile vaccination centre in southern Romania.






    Floods. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Friday conveyed
    a message of condolence to his German counterpart Frank-Walter
    Steinmeier, in the wake of the catastrophic floods that caused immense damages
    in the west of Germany in recent days and regrettable losses of human lives,
    with hundreds of people missing or injured. President Iohannis also expressed
    the solidarity and compassion of Romania and the Romanian people with Germany
    and their confidence in the ability of the communities affected to recover.
    More than 100 people died in Germany in heavy rains and floods, in the highest
    death toll seen by Germany in one tragedy in recent decades. Others have also
    died or are missing in Belgium because of storms, and the authorities have put
    up tents for those who had to flee their homes. The Netherlands also saw
    significant material damage, where thousands have left their homes. Storms also
    hit north-eastern France and Luxembourg. Experts blame these phenomena on
    climate change.






    Education. Pupils from all over the world can enroll
    for the first interactive online international high school in Romania due to open
    in Cluj Napoca this autumn. On graduation, pupils will receive
    Cambridge-accredited diplomas. The high school has a British model and will
    operate in a hybrid system, with pupils attending online courses and interacting
    with each other in person during camps. The idea to set up such a school came
    during the pandemic, when the founders realised the importance of such an institution
    in Romania. Cambridge-accredited diplomas are recognised in over 150 countries,
    Romania included, so students can easily go to university in various countries
    around the world.




    Infringement.
    The European Commission has started the infringement procedure in the case of
    Romania and four other EU member states in areas such as justice, social rights
    and financial stability. Romania has two months to incorporate into its
    national legislation the provisions requested by the Commission. The
    shortcomings identified refer, among others, to the right of a person detained
    based on a European arrest warrant to have access to a lawyer. Romania is also
    asked to respect provisions on the posting of workers, especially those
    referring to combating fraud and evasion of rules, access to information and
    administrative cooperation with other EU member states.






    Football. CS Universitatea Craiova will play the Albanian
    side KF Laçi, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe will play the
    Slovakian side Spartak Trnava, while the Romanian vice-champions FCSB will face
    the Kazakh side Shakhter Karagandy in the
    second qualifying round of the newly created football tournament, Europa
    Conference League. The first round is scheduled for 22nd July and
    the return match for the 29th. (CM)





  • June 19, 2021 UPDATE

    June 19, 2021 UPDATE

    RAINFALLS New code orange and code yellow alerts for heavy rainfalls, storms and flash floods have been issued in Romania for most of the Romanian territory, except for the north-west. Hydrologists have also warned against possible flooding along 11 rivers until Monday night. Thousands of households were flooded or left without electricity following recent heavy rainfalls in Romania. According to the Inspectorate General for Emergency Situations, 49 towns and villages and the capital city were affected, with firefighters moving in to pump out the water in several households, over 100 yards and scores of streets in Bucharest alone. The wind caused several trees to fall over parked vehicles, and road traffic was also disrupted.



    COVID-19 The number of new Covid-19 cases
    in Romania
    continues to drop, with 63 new infection cases reported on Saturday, and 164 patients
    in intensive care. Hospitals are gradually resuming their regular activity and,
    according to some managers, they are better prepared for a possible surge in
    cases. Meanwhile, experts warn against the risk of a 4th wave of the
    coronavirus pandemic in Romania. The health minister Ioana Mihăilă said the Indian
    strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may come to prevail in Romania as well, which is
    why it is all the more important that as many people be immunised. According to Romania’s representative in the World Health
    Organisation Alexandru Rafila, with the current vaccination trend, only 7
    million people at most will have been immunized by autumn, which is below the
    authorities’ target. Some 25,500 people received the vaccine in the past 24
    hours. So far over 8.7 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in
    Romania, with nearly 4.35 million people having received both doses of vaccine.



    DEFICIT The EUs Economic and Financial Council extended to 2024 the deadline for Romania to put an end to the excessive deficit situation. The Council said that an extension to the original deadline for Romania to correct its public deficit would be important in order not to compromise the economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendation also says that, in order to meet the new deadline, Romania would need to achieve a general government deficit target of 6.2% of GDP next year, 4.4% of GDP in 2023, and 2.9% of GDP in 2024. Romania is expected to present the European Council with a report on its strategy regarding these targets by 15 October, the Romanian Finance Ministry announced.



    ACCIDENT At least 3 workers, one of them from Romania, died when a school under construction partly collapsed in Antwerp, Belgium, AFP reports. Nine others were injured in the incident on Friday afternoon. The school was still under construction, so no students were present.



    OECD The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu reconfirmed Romanias commitment to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development as soon as possible. Aurescu had a meeting on Saturday with the organisations new secretary general, Mathias Cormann, on the sidelines of the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya (Turkey). On the same occasion, the Romanian diplomat discussed the Black Sea security situation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.



    IRAN Hardliner Seyyed Ebrahim Rais al-Sadati won Fridays presidential election in Iran from the first round, with over 62% of the votes, according to preliminary results made public on Saturday. A former magistrate, the Conservative al-Sadati is close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters comments. The new president will have to resume the negotiations started in Vienna for the restart of the 2015 deal regulating the countrys nuclear activities.



    TENNIS Horia Tecău (Romania) / Kevin Krawietz (Germany) qualified into the doubles final of the tennis tournament in Halle (Germany), ATP 500, after defeating the Belgians Sander Gille / Joran Vliegen, 7-6, 7-5. Tecău and Krawietz are playing their 3rd final this season, after having lost the ones in Rotterdam and Barcelona. Also in tennis, the Romanians Monica Niculescu and Elena Gabriela Ruse Friday qualified into the doubles final of the ITF tournament in Nottingham (UK). They will play against the Australians Priscilla Hon and Storm Sanders. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • June 29, 2020

    June 29, 2020

    RESTRICTIONS The Romanian Health Minister Nelu Tataru has announced that authorities are considering restricting circulation in certain places, if new coronavirus hotbeds are discovered. He has stated that an analysis is being conducted into the situation on Prahova Valley and on the Black Sea Coast, because these are the areas where the rules are less observed. He has also stated, though, that quarantine in holiday destinations is not going to be imposed.



    COVID-19 RO In Romania, the latest data reported by the Strategic Communication Group indicate over 26,500 cases of Covid-19. Most infections have been reported so far in the county of Suceava, in the north-east, and in Bucharest. Of the people confirmed positive, more than 18,900 have been declared cured and discharged from hospital. So far, 1,634 people have died of Covid-19 in Romania. The Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has drawn attention to the fact that the current public information campaign should convince citizens to observe the rules of protection against the pandemic. He has called on state institutions to check on the ground whether these rules are being observed. Romanian researchers say it is very unlikely that people who have been cured can be infected again. They came to this conclusion after analysing the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating in the country and which they have proved to have originated in Wuhan, China. Most likely, the spread in Romania was done locally, through intra-community transmission at the level of the countrys regions.



    PANDEMIC The global toll of the coronavirus pandemic stands at more than 10.2 million cases confirmed and 500,000 deaths, according to worldometers.info. The epicenter of the pandemic is now on the two American continents, where Brazil has exceeded the threshold of 1.3 million infections. 57,000 Brazilians have been killed by Covid-19, and the situation is getting worse, as the virus is spreading to small towns, where patients are transported to urban centers with better medical infrastructure, which creates the so-called boomerang effect. However, the worst situation remains in the United States, where more than 128,000 dead and 2.6 million infected have been reported so far. European officials are unable to agree on a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter the EU spaces as of July 1st. The EU closed its borders in mid-March, and now tourism-dependent countries like Greece want a quick reopening.




    PARLIAMENT The Romanian two-chamber parliament ends its ordinary session this week. The agenda is focused on several bills, including the ones on local elections and the appointment of members in major public institutions. The leadership of the Chamber of Deputies must give a decisive vote on the bill on empowering the government to issue ordinances during the parliamentary vacation. The document was rejected by the Senate, the majority Social Democrats explaining that the Executive could not be credited in this respect, as it did not take measures following the sanctioning of several ministers by means of simple motions. The bill proposing the organization of local elections on September 27th might also be on the agenda. On the other hand, the opposition Social Democratic Party expects from the government a bill regulating the quarantine, isolation and hospitalization conditions.




    EU COUNCIL On July 1, Germany takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, which will focus, among other things, on overcoming the crisis caused by the new coronavirus. Berlins priority agenda also includes concluding negotiations on Britains withdrawal from the EU, as well as issues such as climate protection, digitalization and the positioning of Europe between the two great powers – China and the United States. The most important chapter with regard to managing the coronavirus crisis will be addressed next month, when a post-pandemic program for EU economic reconstruction will be discussed at a summit in mid-July in which European leaders will take part in person. In the coming weeks, the Recovery Fund will be the subject of intense fighting between European capitals, with an economic and investment plan financed by debts worth 750 billion euros. The reconstruction program is to be negotiated and agreed along with the EU budget for 2021-2027, worth more than 1,000 billion euros. Negotiations with the United Kingdom, which left the EU in January, must be concluded by the end of autumn, otherwise a difficult economic rupture could occur, with customs duties and other trade barriers in early 2021 – German officials warn.



    FLOODS Until midnight, River Prut in northern Romania is under code orange for floods on the Botosani, Vaslui and Iasi sectors. Also, a code yellow alert is in place in Vaslui and Galati. River Timis too, in the west, is under code yellow alert for flood. Romanian Waters Authority continues to monitor all the rivers in the country whose levels have increased in recent days. Even if in some place the waters have receded, the intervention teams still have to remove the mud and branches that covered land and roads. (M. Ignatescu)


  • June 27, 2020

    June 27, 2020

    Multilateralism – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Friday participated in a ministerial videoconference of the Alliance for Multilateralism, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the participants assessed the way in which the international system acted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and looked into ways to consolidate the multilateral architecture, especially in the health domain. The participants also looked into the fight against infodemic — this complex information phenomenon with various elements among which fake news, hearsay, inaccurate pieces of information which undermine the stability of societies, the credibility of institutions and induce panic and anxiety among people. In his speech minister Bogdan Aurescu hailed the 75th anniversary of the UN, the creation of the organization being a reference moment in the international system set up after WWII. He expressed Romania’s firm commitment to multilateralism and underlined the importance of protecting and consolidating multilateralism to face the challenges generated by the pandemic, including the so-called infodemic. The meeting, hosted by Jean-Yves le Drian, the French Foreign Minister and Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister, was attended by more than 40 ministers, state secretaries and other officials from around the world.



    Coronavirus RO — In Romania, latest figures published by the Strategic Communication Group show more than 25,600 cases of coronavirus infection. Most of the cases have so far been reported in Bucharest and Suceva county, in the north east. Of the contaminated people, more than 18,100 have recovered, with 1,579 people having died. In this context, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has asked the authorities to mobilize and undertake more checks. He has pointed out that in the context of the danger posed by the coronavirus being questioned by some politicians, the current public information campaign must convince citizens to observe protection rules. In another development, Romanian researchers say that people who have been contaminated and recovered from COVID-19 infection are quite unlikely to get infected again. They have reached this conclusion after having analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 virus identified in Romania and which was proved to originate from China. Most probably the spread of the virus in Romania occurred at community level, across the country’s regions.



    Coronavirus world — The total number of coronavirus cases around the world has exceeded 9.9 million, with 496 thousand deaths reported, according to worldometers.info. The epicenter of the pandemic is now on the two American continents, where Brazil is expected to reach soon the threshold of 1.3 million contaminations. So far 56 thousand Brazilians have been killed by the virus and the situation is worsening, as the virus is spreading to smaller localities from where the patients are transported to urban centers with better medical infrastructure. The hardest hit country remains the US with more than 127 thousand deaths and 2.5 million confirmed cases. In another move, the EU member states have to decide on a list of 15 states whose citizens can travel to the EU as of July 1. The proposed list includes 14 countries: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay and possibly China. Also the list might include such states as Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican and San Marino.



    Weather –— Hundreds of people have been evacuated and hundred of households, plots of land and roads in the southwest of Romania have been flooded by the Jiu River which outburst its banks. In the northeast, on the Prut River, the high flood propagating from Ukraine is now subsiding, after having reached its maximum level on Friday. The weather is warm with rainfalls in the north and northwest. The highs of the day range from 28 to 32 degrees C, with a 30 degree reading in Bucharest at noon. (tr. L. Simion)

  • The Week in Review 21-27 June, 2020

    The Week in Review 21-27 June, 2020

    The COVID-19 epidemic in Romania


    As containment measures are gradually eased, Romania is facing a worrying increase in the number of new coronavirus infections, and authorities once again call for responsibility. PM Ludovic Orban asked public institutions to run inspections and check whether protection rules are complied with.



    Whereas in previous weeks as many as 200-300 new cases were reported every day, this week a new peak has been reached, with over 450, the highest since the state of alert was introduced 2 months ago.



    The total number of cases in Romania so far is over 25,000, with the death toll standing at nearly 1,600. A growing number of hospitals are announcing they are unable to receive further patients. To free them, the authorities have decided that coronavirus patients with mild or no symptoms will only be hospitalized for 10 days, followed by a 14-day home isolation period under medical supervision.



    Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that the self-isolation, quarantine and hospitalization of COVID-19 patients cannot be imposed under a minister order. According to the judges, this would be an infringement of individual rights and freedoms, and restrictions of this kind must be regulated by law.



    This Constitutional Court ruling was prompted by an Ombudsman notification regarding the 2006 law on public healthcare reform and the Government emergency order introducing measures to prevent and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.



    Corruption


    Adrian Ionel, the general manager of Unifarm, the Romanian state-owned company that handles the procurement of medical equipment for hospitals, is under court supervision ordered by anti-corruption prosecutors. He is investigated for taking bribes in exchange for assigning a procurement contract for surgical masks and protective coveralls. Prosecutors have also found that Adrian Ionel has illegally held this position since 2016. The Unifarm director denies the accusations.



    COVID 19 infections among Romanians working in Germany


    Around 1,000 Romanian employees of the biggest meat processing plant in Germany have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to data released on Thursday by the Romanian Foreign Ministry. According to the ministry, all the quarantined individuals receive food and hygiene products, and have a dedicated telephone line with information available in Romanian as well.



    In an interview to Radio Romania, the Ambassador of Romania to Berlin, Emil Hurezeanu, explained that many issues were settled in recent months thanks to the close cooperation between German authorities and the Government of Romania, which helped improve the situation of the Romanian nationals who work in that country.



    According to the Romanian diplomat, Germany will amend its legislation on the meat processing industry, where the number of inspections will be increased, along with the fines against the employers who breach employment contracts. More importantly, subcontractors will no longer be permitted, after repeated instances of subcontractors setting abusive working and housing conditions for the workers they were recruiting in Romania.



    Floods and Climate Change


    Extreme weather wreaks havoc on Romania where the latest flooding has caused casualties and significant material damage. Meteorologists and hydrologists have issued yellow, orange and even red alerts for heavy downpours and flooding in various Romanian regions.



    Three quarters of the Romanian counties have been affected by flooding and have seen the intervention of special emergency units, who pumped out water from households and basements. Several hundred people have been evacuated and temporarily relocated by the authorities.



    According to Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, the month of June has been the rainiest in the past 60 years and that has caused severe flooding and numerous issues in a very short period of time. He has pointed out to the fact that Romania has often been affected by devastating flooding and authorities in this country must be better prepared to handle suchlike phenomena.



    President Iohannis believes that the Romanians outlook on flooding must change and that the conservation of forests and reforestation campaigns are effective solutions for fighting flooding with beneficial effects for both the environment and for the protection of river banks.



    The IMF forecast on the Romanian economy


    The International Monetary Fund has significantly reviewed down its worlds economic growth forecast this year as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been stronger than anticipated, the institutions latest report has shown.



    Whereas the IMF April forecast stood at a 3% decline, now the institution expects a shrinking of 4.9% this year. The IMF believes Romanias economy will shrink by 5% this year and will recover in 2121 when a 3.9% growth is expected.



    The IMF has also forecast a 10.1% unemployment rate in 2020 from only 3.9% last year. In 2021 unemployment in Romania is expected to reach 6%.



    Romanias high school graduates have taken the baccalaureate exam in special conditions


    High school graduates in Romania have this week taken their graduation exam in special conditions. Students had their temperature taken by medical personnel before being admitted to classrooms.



    Because of the Covid pandemic, which led to the suspension of courses, the exam curricula this year didnt include the subjects on the second semester of the 12th grade. Oral exams have been eliminated and students in isolation or who have been confirmed infected will be allowed to take the exam in a different session due to commence on July 6th.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Daniel Bilt)

  • June 26, 2020 UPDATE

    June 26, 2020 UPDATE

    Coronavirus RO — Latest figures published by the Strategic Communication Group show more than 25,600 cases of coronavirus infection. More than 400 cases have been reported over the past 24 hours, for the 2nd consecutive day. Most of the cases were reported in Bucharest and the Suceva county, in the north east. Almost 18,200 contaminated people have recovered. In this context, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has asked the authorities to mobilize and undertake more checks. He has pointed out that in the context of the danger posed by the coronavirus being questioned by some politicians, the current public information campaign must convince citizens to observe protection rules.



    Floods — Hundreds of people have been evacuated and hundred of households, plots of land and roads in the southwest of Romania have been flooded by Jiu River which outburst its banks. A flooding alert is also in place for Prut River, in the north east, but the authorities say the high flood is not a danger for the population.



    National Flag Day – Romanians celebrated the National Flag Day on Friday. Military and religious ceremonies as well as cultural events were held on this occasion. According to the Romanian Constitution, the flag of Romania has three colors, blue, yellow and red, arranged vertically from the flagpole. On June 26, 1848, the revolutionary government in Bucharest established, through its first decree, the Romanian flag.



    Coronavirus world — The coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 491 thousand people globally since its emergence in December in China, according to worldometers.com. The total number of coronavirus infections at global level exceeded 9.7 million, with at least 5.2 million people having recovered. The US and Brazil are the countries reporting the highest virus spread rate. In the US the number of infections stands at 2.5 million while over 126 thousand people have died. The number of infections has also increased in Europe. Italy has reported two new hotbeds in the centre and south of the country. New cases have also been reported in Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova.



    Repatriations — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that 187 Romanian citizens and 4 British citizens were repatriated from the UK on Thursday. The move is part of the Romanian authorities’ efforts to facilitate the return of its citizens from abroad, who could not return home earlier because of the restrictions imposed on air transport. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, among the citizens repatriated are people who could not extend their stay abroad. The repatriation was made with an aircraft owned by a private company.



    Drugs — The head of the Bulgarian department for combating drug trafficking within the institution fighting organized crime Ţvetan Pankov has been arrested on suspicion of bribe taking and collaboration with the traffickers, news agencies report. Another two employees of the same department have been equally arrested, on suspicion of protecting several drug trafficking groups that were operating both on the Bulgarian territory and abroad. Bulgaria is a key country on the east European route of drug traffickers linking Turkey to Western Europe, and in the past years it has become a transit country for the transportation of cocaine. (translation and update by L. Simion)







  • June 24, 2020 UPDATE

    June 24, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 RO — Another 321 new cases of infection have been reported in Romania, which brings the total number of contaminations to 24,826, the Strategic Communication Group has announced. Most of the new infections have been reported in the capital Bucharest and in the northeastern county of Suceava. Of the people having tested positive for COVID-19, 17,391 have recovered and 186 people are in intensive care. 16 new deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 1,555. In Romania, people infected with the new coronavirus with little or no symptoms at all will be hospitalized and then discharged after a minimum of 10 days since hospitalization if they do not have a fever and symptoms have subsided for at least 72 hours. 3,606 Romanian citizens from abroad have been confirmed with COVID-19 infection, mostly in Italy, Germany and Spain, with 115 of them having died.



    MOTION – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday passed the simple motion initiated by the opposition Social Democratic Party against the Liberal health minister Nelu Tataru. The Social Democrats accuse him of having failed to properly manage the health crisis, thus placing Romania on top position in a classification of countries from the region rated according to the number of COVID-19 deaths reported in one million inhabitants. The motion signatories also claim that the health ministry is preventing people with chronic diseases from getting specialized treatment. In reply, minister Tataru deplored what he considers the politicization of the health crisis and said that the opposition should have got involved in solving the situation in a constructive manner. Previously, Parliament, which is dominated by leftist parties, had adopted simple motions against other Liberal ministers.



    Weather — 3 people have died in Romania in the recent floods. Also substantial material damage has been reported and weather forecasts are not optimistic at all. Hydrologists maintain the red code alert for flooding for Prut River in northern Romania. President Klaus Iohannis said Wednesday that he intended to take action so that the projects funded with European money, meant to prevent climate change, should be implemented in Romania, also with a view to fighting extreme weather phenomena such as the recent floods. He underlined that building dams is not enough, the solutions being reforestation and the conservation of forests.



    Washington – The US Senate and House of Representatives have marked 140 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Romania, through two bipartisan resolutions. The Senate’s resolution mentions the long term partnership between the two states based on their common commitment to the same values and interests for stability and democratic progress. The resolution says that the United States supports Romania’s significant contribution to NATO’s collective defense, including its decision to host the Aegis Ashore missile defense site in Deveselu. The document also underlines Romania’s important role in ensuring the security of the Black Sea region. The House of Representatives resolution appreciates the medical and expert support and advisory mission to the State of Alabama to assist with local COVID-19 efforts. Through this resolution the US House of Representatives supports the continued strengthening of the relationship between the US and Romania and the further pursuit of transatlantic unity and solidarity, shows a communiqué of the US Embassy in Bucharest quoted by Agerpres.



    Baccalaureate — In Romania, high school graduates on Wednesday took the compulsory school-profile exam included in the Baccalaureate examination. The last written exam of this session — which is optional according to the school profile and specialization — is scheduled for Thursday. The first results will be made public on June 30th and the final ones on July 5th.



    UNIFARM– The director general of Unifarm, the Romanian state-owned company managing the purchase of sanitary materials for hospitals, Adrian Ionel, has been subjected to legal restrictions pending trial by the anti-corruption prosecutors. He is accused of having asked for bribe in exchange for granting a contract for the purchase of face masks and hazmat suits. The anti-corruption prosecutors have also discovered that he has illegally been holding the position of director general since 2016. Adrian Ionel claims he is innocent.



    Maintenance works – The short wave transmitters in Galbeni, eastern Romania, beaming Radio Romania International’s broadcasts will be closed for maintenance works on Thursday, June 25th, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Romania’s time (06.00 — 14.00 GMT). Therefore, the English-language broadcasts targeting the English-speaking Africa, the French broadcasts for Western Europe, the Arabic broadcasts for Mashrek and the Romanian language broadcast for Western Europe will be disturbed. During the above mentioned interval, you can listen to our broadcasts beamed by the short wave transmitters in Tiganesti, and also on the Internet, on our website www.rri.ro, on the mobile applications available on Google Play and App Store, via satellite Eutelsat 16A and on the fixed and mobile phone, only for the English and Romanian language broadcasts. (translation and update by Lacramioara Simion)

  • Rainy summer in Romania

    Rainy summer in Romania

    Floods, heavy rainfalls,
    hailstorms, gales and storms continue in Romania. Hydrological and weather forecasts,
    yellow and orange warnings about unsettled weather and floods across the
    country have been reported for weeks and don’t seem to end. Orange or yellow
    warnings or even red warnings have been given for a lot of rivers almost
    throughout the country, flash floods and increasing flows and levels risking to
    occur. The level of the Danube is also on the rise, several warnings being
    given for the next few days. There are also a number of problems related to
    defense dams but officials give assurances that for now the situation is under
    control. The authorities recommend to the population in the targeted areas not
    to cross the rivers through the water and not to come close to their banks.
    Moreover, people should clean the gutters next to their houses for facilitating
    the draining of water and avoiding its accumulation in households. In the last
    24 hours, unsettled weather with heavy rainfalls and gales has triggered small
    problems in several counties; however, they have not seriously affected the respective
    communities and no flash floods have jeopardized the citizens, as it happened
    last week.

    Fire fighters have evacuated the water from over 200 houses, cellars
    and yards. Moreover, because of the gales, some roofs have collapsed and
    several trees have fallen on the pavement. Fortunately, no casualties have been
    reported. The teams of the Inspectorates for Emergency Situations have not
    carried out intervention missions; they have only assessed the damage caused by
    the recent floods. Depending on the field situation, rescue teams are ready to
    take immediate action with big capacity motor pumps in order to evacuate water
    from the houses and save the people caught in the flash floods by rescue boats.
    Power cuts have been reported in the central Harghita county and the
    north-eastern Iasi County. In the last few days, heavy rainfalls have been
    reported almost all over Romania and the level of rivers and brooks has gone
    up. Bridges, houses, outhouses, gardens and cellars have been flooded. Hundreds
    of people have been evacuated by fire fighters. Crops have been affected and in
    most cases, farmers don’t have an insurance policy for that kind of damage.
    Hundreds of animals have been washed away. Road traffic has been disrupted,
    county, national and European roads being blocked by flash floods. The
    situation doesn’t seem to go back to normal in the coming period,
    meteorologists announcing heavy rainfalls, gales and hailstorms.

    (Translated by A.M. Palcu)

  • Effects of heavy rainfalls

    Effects of heavy rainfalls

    Summer has officially begun, but Romania is still in the grips of floods, heavy rainfalls, hailstorms, gale and strong winds. For several weeks now meteorologists have been issuing code yellow and orange alerts for unsettled weather and floods valid for the entire country. Hydrologists have repeatedly drawn attention to the risk of flooding, as many rivers across Romania have been under code orange and yellow alerts and some even under code red alerts. The abundant rainfalls have caused high floods and rivers have overtopped their banks.



    Heavy rain was also reported on Monday night when bridges, homes, enclosures, gardens and cellars were inundated with flood water. Hundreds of people have been evacuated by firefighters. The employees of the Emergency Service and Romanian Waters Authority have intervened on some river dams and controlled the discharge of water from reservoirs, thus avoiding the flooding of several communes. The only areas that were not affected by bad weather on Monday were the Black Sea Coast and 3 counties in the west of Romania. In the rest of the regions, traffic was disrupted on county, national and European roads, which were blocked by the high floods. The hailstorms and flooding reported in the past days have damaged crops. It has been revealed that most farmers do not have crop insurance. Many domestic animals have drowned and lots of localities were left without electricity, with utility poles being downed by waters.



    On Monday, the environment and water ministers, Gratiela Gavrilescu and Ioan Denes, went to Prahova county, in southern Romania, which was badly affected by the extreme weather phenomena. They announced that river regulation and bank consolidation works would be undertaken to avoid future catastrophes. Minister Denes talked with the PM Viorica Dancila who promised to allot money from the government’s emergency fund to start the respective works, after 4 children were killed by the high floods several days ago. However, the Arad county council representatives (western Romania) have reminded the Government that it has not yet allotted the money ‘promised’ last year after the floods that affected their county. In another development, several psychologists went to the villages in central Romania that were affected by floods to provide psychological support to the people. The Red Cross has also given a hand, attending to the locals’ needs. The bad weather is not over yet, as a warning for unsettled weather and heavy rainfalls is still in place for the entire country.

  • June 2, 2019

    June 2, 2019

    Pope Francis’ Visit — The 7 martyr Greek Catholic bishops beatified on Sunday left to the Romanian people a ‘precious’ heritage which can be summed up in two words: freedom and mercifulness, said Pope Francis before 100 thousand people who attended the Holy Mass held by the pontiff in Blaj (in central Romania) known as a spiritual place of the Romanian Greek Catholics. The 7 bishops who died for their faith during the communist regime will be included in the calendar with their new holy names and will be celebrated on June 2. Pope Franscis underlined that the martyrs proved faith and great love for their people in the face of the Communist persecution. Attending the ceremony in Blaj are president Klaus Iohannis and the PM Viorica Dancila. Also on Sunday, the 3rd day of his visit to Romania, the pontiff will meet with members of the Rroma community. On Saturday the Pope met with young people and families in Iasi) northeastern Romania), home to a large community of Catholics, and said that he felt together with the people present the warmth of being with their family. Pope Francis visited the Cathedral ‘Holy Virgin Mary, Queen’ and blessed 800 children, old and sick people. As many as 150 thousand pilgrims attended the ceremonies. Also on Saturday the pontiff held a Mass at the Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc in eastern Transylvania, a place inhibited by a majority ethnic Hungarian population, which venues annually the largest Catholic pilgrimage in Central and Eastern Europe. “Let’s Walk Together” is the motto of Pope Francis’ 3-day visit to Romania. The visit occurs 20 years after the one paid by Pope John Paul II, which was the first visit by a Pope to a country with a majority Orthodox population.



    Meeting — The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila on Sunday met with her Moldovan counterpart Pavel Filip, in Iasi, in the context of the two officials’ participation in the events occasioned by His Holiness Pope Francis’ visit to Romania. The two PMs talked about the Romanian-Moldovan relations and the two countries’ ongoing common projects. Other topics tackled during the meeting were: the continuation of programs for refurbishing schools and kindergartens, the development of road infrastructure, energy inter-connection, the building of the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline and of the Ungheni-Chisinau railway with European standard gauge as well as the framework for providing roaming services. The Moldovan PM thanked Romania for the constant support granted for the implementation of their agenda of reforms, including a grant of more than 200 thousand Euros recently offered, the implementation of the 112 emergency call service, and the provision of state-of-the-art medical equipment to the hospital in Comrat



    Bookfest — The 14th edition of Bookfest International Book Fair comes to an end on Sunday. The guest of honor of the fair this year was Great Britain. Bookfest brought more than one million books, of which 4 thousand new releases, and it included more then 350 events. Casa Radio publishing house was among the many publishers participating in the fair, contributing over 150 special titles.



    Weather forecast — Meteorologists have issued a fresh alert for the entire territory of Romania valid until Tuesday morning. Unsettled weather, rainfalls, strong winds and hail are expected in most regions. Hydrologists have also issued a code orange alert for floods valid until Sunday afternoon for 22 hydrographic basins in several regions of Romania. The heavy rainfalls and storms have affected 90 localities from 22 counties. In Prahova county, in the south, three children drowned in the high flood, while a 4th kid is reported missing. Almost 11 thousand firefighters, policemen and gendarmes were involved in the operations of evacuating the population from the areas running the risk of flooding, of saving people and limiting the effects of the extreme weather phenomena. The government announced urgent measures to support the people and communities affected by the floods.



    Exercise — Monday will see the opening ceremonies for the Multinational Exercise Saber Guardian 2019 in 5 locations in Romania where the main drills will take place: Cincu, Borduşani, Babadag, Smârdan, and Râşnov. The exercise is meant to highlight the cohesion, unity and solidarity of partner and allied states, with a view to ensuring defense against any aggression, anywhere in Europe. (translation by L. Simion)