Radio România Internațional

Tag: Israel

  • November 16, 2023 UPDATE

    November 16, 2023 UPDATE

    Protests – Around 2,000 people gathered Thursday morning in front of the governments headquarters in Bucharest, in a national protest against the public pension system and the recent law on tax-related measures. The rally organized by the Meridian National Trade Union Confederation, brought together representatives of various public sector domains, from local police to civil servants and forestry and agriculture workers around the country. The main source of discontent is the bill on public pensions, passed by the Cabinet on November 9, which according to trade unionists abrogates some retirement rights currently enjoyed by several personnel categories. On Wednesday employees of Romanian public pension houses, healthcare and employment agencies temporarily suspended work and took to the streets. Healthcare ministry staff and pharmacists are also disgruntled and demand solutions from the government.



    Visit – President Klaus Iohannis, who is on a state visit to Kenya, presented, on Thursday, Romanias donation to Uthiru Girls High School in Kangemi, underlining that the country will continue projects dedicated to education. “We will continue to focus on the implementation of projects in the field, for inclusive, quality education,” Klaus Iohannis wrote on a social network. On Wednesday, in Kenya, Klaus Iohannis met with the president of this country, William Ruto. On this occasion, four memorandums of understanding were signed in the fields of environmental protection and climate change, scientific cooperation, food safety and diplomatic training. The African tour of the president will continue on Friday in Tanzania, where he will have a meeting with his counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan. He will then travel to Cape Verde and Senegal, and according to the Romanian presidency, it is the first political-diplomatic approach at this level in the last 30 years, which aims at relaunching Romanias relations with the African continent.



    Football – Romanias national football team has been, since Thursday evening, in Hungary, where they will meet Israel on Saturday in a Qualifying Group I match of the 2024 European Championship, to be hosted by Germany. Because of the war at home, the Israelis had to postpone their matches from October to November, and to play abroad the matches scheduled at home. Romania ends the preliminaries on Tuesday, in Bucharest, with Switzerland. Undefeated in the first eight matches, Romania has 16 points and is ahead of Switzerland, the group leader, in terms of goal difference. Next is Israel, with 11 points, and Kosovo, with 10 points. The two top ranking teams in the group go to the final tournament. Romania has not reached a European Championship since 2016, and a World Cup since 1998.



    Israel – The Israeli army announced on Thursday that it had captured the port of Gaza, in the Palestinian enclave of the same name, international press agencies write. They show that it is a small fishing port, whose activity was already limited by the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since 2007, when the Islamist movement Hamas took over the Strip. The Israelis claim, however, that the port was a “training center for (Hamas) commando forces to plan and execute naval terrorist attacks.” Earlier, the army had occupied the Parliament, government and military police buildings, until then controlled by the Islamists. Israel also confirmed that its soldiers are still deployed in al-Chifa hospital, where, according to the UN, there are around 2,300 Palestinian civilians: patients, medical staff, and refugees.



    Banks – The Romanian prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, stated on Thursday that next year no new taxes will be imposed and that the Executive will approve the establishment of a new bank with state capital. “Today we approve the articles of incorporation for the Investment and Development Bank of Romania. This bank, which exists in all countries, has been talked about for over a decade. Finally, were establishing it too. This bank represents the missing link between the money of international financial institutions and Romanias strategic projects. We will have the appropriate financial instruments for the development of these projects” said the PM. Romania still has two banks with state capital, Eximbank and CEC.



    Gaza – The UN Security Council, so far divided, adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian pause of several days in the Gaza Strip, breaking the silence for the first time after more than a month of war between Israel and Hamas, AFP reports. The resolution, drafted by Malta and which was adopted with 12 votes in favor and 3 abstentions (USA, UK, Russia), also calls for “extended and urgent humanitarian aid for a sufficient number of days” to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to civilians from Gaza. The resolution also calls for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children,” without condemning the Palestinian movement’s bloody attack of October 7. Both the Israelis and Palestinians criticized the Council resolution. The Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said that a ceasefire not just a pause should have been asked and that this should have been done a long time ago, while the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, condemned the resolution, labeling it as “insignificant”. On the ground, the Israeli army announced on Thursday that it had taken over operational control of the port of Gaza, a key infrastructure in the north of the Palestinian territory. At the same time, the Israeli army on Thursday continued its raid on the main hospital in the Gaza Strip, Al-Shifa, where thousands of Palestinian civilians are located, causing concern and a wave of criticism at the international level. (LS)


  • November 16, 2023

    November 16, 2023

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis today concludes his 3-day visit to
    Kenya, in an African tour that is taking him next to Tanzania. In Nairobi, the
    Romanian official will visit an all-girls school to inaugurate a donation by
    Romania under its development assistance programme. In fact, consolidating
    Romania’s profile as a provider of education and training to African countries
    is one of the goals of the African tour undertaken by president Iohannis. On
    Wednesday, in Kenya, Mr. Iohannis had talks with his Kenyan counterpart William
    Ruto, on which occasion four agreements were signed in the fields of environmental
    protection and climate change, scientific cooperation, food safety and
    diplomatic training. The tour, which also includes the Republic of Cabo Verde and
    Senegal, is the first political and diplomatic initiative at this level in the
    past 30 years, and aims to re-launch Romania’s relations with the countries on
    the African continent.


    PROTEST Around 2,000 people gathered this morning in
    front of the government’s headquarters in Bucharest, in a national protest
    against the public pension system and the recent law on tax-related measures. The
    rally organised by the Meridian National Trade Union Confederation, brought
    together representatives of various public sector staff, from local police to
    civil servants or forestry and agriculture workers around the country. The main
    source of discontent is the bill on public pensions, passed by the Cabinet on November
    9, which according to trade unionists writes off some retirement rights currently
    enjoyed by several personnel categories. On Wednesday employees of Romanian
    public pensions agencies, healthcare agencies and employment agencies temporarily
    suspended work and took to the streets. Healthcare Ministry staff and
    pharmacists are also disgruntled and demand solutions from the government.


    ECONOMY
    Romania will conclude the year with a 2.2% economic growth rate, as against 4.6%
    in 2022, the European Commission’s autumn forecast indicates. Growth estimates
    have been lowered for the entire European bloc. In Romania, the causes include an
    inflation rate above the EU average, low foreign demand and limited financing
    options. The GDP growth rate is expected to reach 3.1% in 2024 and 3.4% in 2025,
    which the 2023 public deficit is put at 6.3% of GDP, instead of the 5.7%
    estimated by the Romanian government. Romania is already subject to an
    excessive deficit procedure and it must narrow the gap between public spending
    and revenues, so as not to lose EU funding.


    CONFERENCE European and Asian media professionals are taking part in
    the Media and Culture Days conference, organised by Radio Romania at the Carol
    I Central University Library in Bucharest. The conference focuses on the key
    role played by public mass media in promoting high-quality cultural content and
    in supporting diversity and inclusion, with special emphasis on local and
    regional communities. At the reception held on Wednesday night at Elisabeta
    Palace, H.R.H. Prince Radu emphasised the historical ties between the Royal
    Family and Radio Romania, two institutions in which Romanians still have
    considerable confidence.



    ISRAEL The UN Security Council has adopted a
    resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in Gaza, AFP reports. The
    resolution, drawn up by Malta and endorsed with 12 members voting in favour,
    none against and three abstentions (Russia, United Kingdom, United States) also
    calls for urgent and extended humanitarian corridors in Gaza for a
    sufficient number of days to allow aid for the civilians there, as well as for
    the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and
    other groups, especially children. Both Israel and the Palestinian side
    criticised the resolution. The observer for Palestine, Riyad Mansour, said the
    UN should have called for ceasefire instead of only pauses, while the Israeli
    Ambassador Gilad Erdan condemned the resolution as meaningless. On site, Israeli
    fighter jets hit the home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, the Israeli
    army announced today. Haniyeh’s house was used as terrorist infrastructure and
    often served as a meeting point for Hamas’ senior leaders to direct terror
    attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF (Israel Defence Forces)
    soldiers, the Israeli military said. (AMP)

  • MAE: 86 de cetăţeni români şi membri de familie evacuaţi din Fâşia Gaza au ajuns în România

    MAE: 86 de cetăţeni români şi membri de familie evacuaţi din Fâşia Gaza au ajuns în România

    86 de cetăţeni români şi membri de familie evacuaţi din Fâşia Gaza
    au ajuns în România, astăzi, la bordul unei curse speciale operate de compania naţională TAROM
    – a transmis Ministerul de Externe de la Bucureşti.

    Cei 86 au ajuns pe teritoriul Egiptului prin
    punctul de frontieră Rafah în cursul zilei de sâmbătă, fiind preluaţi,
    ulterior, de reprezentanţii Ambasadei României în Egipt. O echipă mobilă a
    Celulei de Criză a MAE i-a însoţit, apoi, până la Cairo, de unde au fost
    îmbarcaţi spre România.

    MAE precizează că dialogul cu autorităţile israeliene
    şi egiptene continuă, în vederea facilitării evacuării şi a celorlalţi cetăţeni
    români şi membri de familie aflaţi în Fâşia Gaza care au solicitat plecarea, în
    funcţie de evoluţiile din teren şi de acordul părţilor implicate. Până în
    prezent, în total, 220 de români şi membri de familie au fost evacuaţi din
    Fâşia Gaza.

  • Sport Club RRI: Rugby

    Sport Club RRI: Rugby

    În competiția Rugby Europe Super Cup, în
    grupa B, selecţionata Romanian Wolves a debutat cu o victorie la scor în
    sezonul 2023.     În meciul jucat pe Arena Zimbrilor din Baia Mare cu debutanta
    Bohemia Rugby Warriors din Cehia, Romanian Wolves a învins cu scorul de 76-7. Lupii
    României au marcat 12 eseuri, dintre care opt au fost transformate. În celălalt
    meci al grupei, Brussels Devils din Belgia a dispus de Delta din Olanda cu
    41-12. În meciurile următoare, Lupii vor juca în deplasare pe 11-12 noiembrie
    cu Delta şi pe 18-19 noiembrie cu Brussels Devils.


    Primele două clasate din fiecare grupă
    să califică în semifinale, care vor avea loc pe 2-3 decembrie, în timp ce
    finalele vor avea loc pe 16-17 decembrie.     Antrenată de selecționerul naționalei
    României Eugen Apjok, Lupii au alcătuit un lot de 24 de rugbyiști din care fac
    parte jucători din România, Georgia, Tonga. Selecţionata Romanian Wolves a
    trimis în teren echipa următoare: 1. James Scott, 2. Levan Papidze, 3. Revazi
    Dugladze, 4. Mate Dardzulidze, 5. Ştefan Iancu, 6. Alexandru Alexe, 7. Nicolas
    Immelman (căpitan), 8. Beka Biţadze, 9. Vlăduţ Bocăneţ ca pachet de înaintare,
    și 10. Nikau McGrecor Murray, 23. Kefentse Mahlo, 12. Jason Tomane, 13. Abele Atunaisa,
    14. Mihai Lămboiu, 15. Paul Popoaia pe treisferturi. Rezervele au fost 16.
    Robert Irimescu, 17. Mihai Dico, 18. Sandro Zubaşvili, 19. Florian Roşu, 20.
    Andrei Schutz, 21. Alexandru Ţiglă, 22. Alexandru Harasim, 24. Taliauli Sikuea.


    În Grupa A a competiției se află
    campioana Black Lion din Georgia, vicecampioana Tel Aviv Heat din Israel,
    Lusitanos din Portugalia şi Castilla y Leon Iberians din Spania.     În primele
    două jocurui din grupa A, Black Lion a învins-o pe Castilla y Leon Iberians cu
    39-19, iar Lusitanos a cedat pe teren prorpiu în fața celor de la Tel Aviv Heat
    cu 23-31.

  • Convorbire telefonică a ministrului de Externe, L. Odobescu, cu omologul său egiptean, Sameh Shoukri

    Convorbire telefonică a ministrului de Externe, L. Odobescu, cu omologul său egiptean, Sameh Shoukri

    Ministrul roman al afacerilor externe, Luminiţa Odobescu, a avut o convorbire telefonică cu omologul său egiptean, Sameh Shoukri, despre situaţia cetăţenilor români din Gaza care au solicitat sprijin în vederea evacuării. Oficialul român a apelat la autorităţile egiptene să trateze cu prioritate solicitările de evacuare ale cetăţenilor români, atunci când punctul de frontieră de la Rafah va fi din nou funcţional.

    Ministerul Afacerilor Externe este pregătit să asigure sprijinul consular în vederea evacuării în bune condiţii a cetăţenilor români şi membrilor de familie care au solicitat acest lucru, a transmis Luminita Odobescu, iar oficialul egiptean a dat asigurări că autorităţile de la Cairo acordă o atenţie deosebită solicitării.

    Luminiţa Odobescu a precizat că peste 260 de cetăţeni români şi membri de familie ai acestora solicită evacuarea din Gaza, iar în prezent negocierile continuă. Anterior, ministrul român de externe a avut o convorbire si cu omologul său israelian, în care a discutat şi despre situaţia celor şase români cu dublă cetăţenie ostatici în Fâşia Gaza.

    Ambasada României la Tel Aviv şi Consulatul General al României la Haifa menţin contactul cu autorităţile israeliene.

  • Ştiri de pe front

    Ştiri de pe front

    Expunerea media a situaţiei din
    Gaza este uriaşă, fără precedent. La fel este şi presiunea, pe toate planurile,
    pe întregul front. Dacă istoria s-ar scrie astfel, în ultimul timp am fi
    înregistrat intrarea Yemenului în cel de-al Treilea Război Mondial, ofensiva
    Hezbollah, agresiunea unui stat împotriva unei organizaţii teroriste. Despre
    ostateci, fără ghilimele, nu înregistrăm mare lucru, deşi se împlineşte, în
    curând, o lună de când civili de diferite vârste, unii foarte mici, de diferite
    stări medicale şi chiar cu diferite cetăţenii, au fost luaţi din mediul lor de
    viaţă obişnuiţă, duşi nu se ştie unde, torturaţi, abuzaţi, poate şi omorâţi.

    Puţine lucruri sunt noi în acestă reluare a conflictului din Orientul Apropiat
    dar toate sunt la dimensiuni mult mai mari şi la o cruzime incredibilă. Cei din
    Gaza au construit de mult timp tunelele ce le permit să aducă arme în fâşia de
    pământ sau să atace pe teritoriul israelian, ba chiar să răpească oameni de
    acolo sau să lanseze atacuri teroriste. Dar niciodată nu a fost ca acum, o
    ofensivă barbară împotriva civililor. Au tot fost lansate rachete din Gaza
    împotriva teritoriului israelian, dar niciodată cinci mii într-o zi.

    Ofensiva
    armatei israeliene în Gaza, de la sfârşitul anului 2008 şi începutul anului
    2009 a fost provocată tocmai de aceste tiruri. Această evocare ne aminteşte că
    au mai fost acţiuni ale armatei israeliene în Gaza, dar niciodată la scara de
    acum. Şi contestarea şefului guvernului israelian în timp de război a mai avut loc,
    legendara Golda Meir chiar şi-a depus mandatul după războiul din 1973, deşi
    scăpase de acuzaţia că nu a anticipat atacul.

    Actualul premier promite aceeaşi
    procedură, cu o anchetă după război. Si identificarea completă a
    palestinienilor din Gaza cu Hamas sau diferenţierea lor accentuată sunt
    subiecte vechi de discuţie. Dar războiul, nici cel declanşat la 7 octombrie, şi
    nici reacţia armatei israeliene nu are timp să facă această diferenţă. O parte
    este sub presiunea internaţională să aibă grijă de civili, o alta îi
    măcelăreşte şi se laudă cu această ispravă.

    Conflictul opune un stat recunoscut
    de ONU unor organizaţii. Actualitatea tragică a dus la deprecierea termenilor de
    drept internaţional, inclusiv identificarea actorilor din aceste războaie. Am
    mai văzut şi asta, ca o organizaţie să crească cât un stat şi nu numai în cazul
    ISIS. Autonomia de care se bucură cele două teritorii palestiniene a fost
    negociată de istorica Organizaţie pentru Eliberarea Palestinei cu Israelul. Au
    fost alături cele mai puternice democraţii ale lumii pentru că procesul
    declanşat era unul democratic, de autoguvernare pornind de la alegerile
    pluripatite şi libere.

    Acum, evoluţia spre un stat palestinian a fost oprită şi
    ne întoarcem la momentul în care actorul palestinian reprezentativ, cel puţin
    în Gaza, este o organizaţie. Scopurile belicoase ale acesteia ajung să fie
    trasferate civililor, care nu mai au timp de dezvoltarea societăţii în care
    trăiesc şi sunt atraşi în activităţi militare ilegale. Nouă nu este nici
    tentativa de a muta disputa geopolitică în zona strictă a religiei. Intră
    intempestiv în scenă actori statali nearabi dar musulmani, încercând să mute
    discuţia în acest plan periculos. Nici asta nu este o noutate deşi doar o dată
    se împlineşte un secol de la instituirea statului modern, cel turc, în cauză,
    sub forma unei republici laice.


    Alăturarea religiilor în zona sacră a
    Ierusalimului a constituit mereu un motiv de război şi neînţelegere, deşi este
    vorba de trei credinţe atât de apropiate în esenţa lor divină. Acum, acest
    avantaj religios este tratat ca motiv de incitare şi de război. Şi nu neapărat
    de către cei care se roagă acolo, la Ierusalim, ci de cei care se folosesc de
    minunatul sentiment al credinţei pentru a-şi promova scopurile autocratice,
    populiste. Şi tot ca întotdeauna, armele sunt problema cea mai gravă, sunt în
    continuare o marfă căutată, prilej de afaceri bune. Numai că armele sunt din ce
    în ce mai periculoase, mai eficiente în a aduce moarte şi distrugere.

  • Convorbire telefonică a ministrului de Externe, L. Odobescu, cu omologul său israelian, Eli Cohen

    Convorbire telefonică a ministrului de Externe, L. Odobescu, cu omologul său israelian, Eli Cohen

    Ministrul român de Externe, Luminiţa Odobescu, a avut o convorbire telefonică cu omologul său israelian, Eli Cohen, în centrul discuţiei fiind situaţia cetăţenilor români şi a membrilor lor de familie care au solicitat sprijin în vederea evacuării din Fâşia Gaza.

    Cu acest prilej, responsabilul de la Bucureşti a reafirmat că ministerul de Externe este pregătit să asigure sprijin consular necesar tuturor românilor care vor să plece din Gaza, iar oficialul israelian a dat asigurări că evacuarea cetăţenilor români reprezintă o preocupare deosebită pentru autorităţile de la Tel Aviv.

    Vineri, ministerul de Externe a anunţat că încă două persoane cu dublă cetăţenie, israeliană şi română, cu domiciliul în Israel, sunt ostatice în Fâşia Gaza. Ministerul solicită eliberarea tuturor ostaticilor, inclusiv a celor şase persoane cu cetăţenie israeliano-română.

  • Încă două persoane cu dublă cetăţenie, israeliană şi română, sunt ostatice în Fâşia Gaza

    Încă două persoane cu dublă cetăţenie, israeliană şi română, sunt ostatice în Fâşia Gaza

    Ministerul de Externe de la București a anunţat, vineri, că încă două persoane cu dublă cetățenie, israeliană şi română, cu domiciliul în Statul Israel, sunt ostatice în Fâșia Gaza.

    Totodată, MAE precizează
    că Ambasada României la Tel Aviv și Consulatul General al României la Haifa
    mențin contactul cu autoritățile israeliene.


    În total, conform
    informațiilor MAE, până în prezent se cunosc date despre şase persoane care ar avea dublă cetățenie, română și
    israeliană, și care sunt ținute captive de teroriștii Hamas.

  • Nachrichten 03.11.2023

    Nachrichten 03.11.2023

    Das Personal der rumänischen Krankenkassen hat die Beziehungen zur Öffentlichkeit auf unbegrenzte Zeit unterbrochen, weil seine Gehälter seit über sechs Jahren nicht erhöht wurden. Der Protest unterbricht die Dienstleistungen für Patienten und könnte die Auszahlung der Ausgaben der Dienstleister im Gesundheitssektor gefährden, erklärt der Vorsitzende der nationalen Gewerkschaft Dumitru Costin. Er sagte, dass der Haushalt der Nationalen Gesundheitskasse die geforderten Gehaltserhöhungen abdecken kann, dass die Maßnahme aber im Parlament gebilligt werden muss, wo ein entsprechender Gesetzentwurf seit langem anhängig ist und derzeit in der Abgeordnetenkammer feststeckt. Ressortminister Alexandru Rafila erklärte, dass die Aussetzung der Gesundheitsdienste nicht akzeptabel sei und er auf einen Dialog zwischen der Leitung und dem Personal der Nationalen Gesundheitskasse hoffe.



    Die Regierungskoalition hat Gespräche über den öffentlichen Haushalt für das kommende Jahr aufgenommen. Die Regierung hat ein vom Finanzministerium ausgearbeitetes Memorandum gebilligt, in dem die wichtigsten öffentlichen Investitionsprojekte aufgeführt sind, auf die sich der Haushalt stützen soll. Das Verkehrsministerium hat die meisten Projekte auf der Liste, nämlich 108 Projekte in verschiedenen Umsetzungsstadien, was bedeutet, dass dieses Ministerium die meisten Mittel im Haushalt 2024 erhalten wird.



    Das rumänische Außenministerium teilt mit, dass die auf der Grundlage der von Israel übermittelten Informationen durchgeführten Überprüfungen darauf hindeuten, dass sich eine weitere Person mit doppelter (rumänischer und israelischer) Staatsbürgerschaft, die in Israel lebt, als Geisel im Gazastreifen befindet. Das Außenministerium in Bukarest fügt hinzu, dass die rumänische Botschaft in Tel Aviv und das rumänische Konsulat in Haifa in Kontakt mit den israelischen Behörden stehen. Bislang ist bekannt, dass 4 Personen mit rumänischer und israelischer Staatsbürgerschaft von den Hamas-Terroristen als Geiseln gehalten werden.



    Die Buchmesse Gaudeamus Radio Romania lädt Buchliebhaber in die europäische Kulturhauptstadt Timişoara ein. Auf der Messe, die noch bis Sonntag stattfindet, stellen zahlreiche Verlage ihre Neuerscheinungen, Bestseller, Sonderangebote und Rabatte vor. Das heute mit Spannung erwartete Ereignis ist die Vorstellung eines Bandes mit Dialogen zwischen Robert Şerban und dem zeitgenössischen rumänischen Dichter Şerban Foarţă. Außerdem stehen auf dem Programm Gesprächsrunden mit Schriftstellern und Rundtischgespräche. Die in Timisoara lebende Schriftstellerin Patricia Lidia hat einen Band mit dem Titel Abenteuer in der Welt von Brancusi veröffentlicht, der die Ausstellung über den großen rumänischen Bildhauer ergänzt, die an diesen Tagen im Nationalen Kunstmuseum in Timişoara eröffnet wurde.



    US-Außenminister Antony Blinken ist am Freitagmorgen in Tel Aviv eingetroffen, um Israel dazu zu bewegen, den Schutz der palästinensischen Zivilisten im Gazastreifen zu gewährleisten. Dies ist Blinkens zweite Reise in den Nahen Osten seit dem Angriff der Hamas-Islamisten auf Israel am 7. Oktober. Wie internationale Massenmedien berichten, wird der US-Außenminister mit dem israelischen Premierminister Benjamin Netanjahu und Mitgliedern seines Sicherheitskabinetts zusammentreffen. Von Israel aus soll Blinken als nächstes ins benachbarte Jordanien reisen.

  • November 3, 2023

    November 3, 2023


    STRIKE Romanian public health insurance personnel have suspended relations with the public indefinitely, because their salaries have not been increased for over 6 years. The protest disrupts services to patients and it might jeopardise the disbursement of expenses incurred by healthcare service providers, the head of the National Trade Union Bloc Dumitru Costin explained. He said the National Health Insurance Agencys budget can cover the requested pay raises, but that the measure must be endorsed in Parliament, where a bill in this respect has been pending for a long period and is currently stuck in the Chamber of Deputies. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said suspending the provision of healthcare services is unacceptable, and that he hoped for a dialogue between the management and the staff of the National Health Insurance Agency.



    BUDGET The ruling coalition have started talks on next years public budget. The government has approved a memorandum drawn up by the finance ministry, which lists the significant public investment projects on which the budget will be based. The transportation ministry has the largest number of projects in the list, i.e. 108 projects in various implementation stages, which means this ministry will receive the largest appropriations in the 2024 budget.



    HOSTAGES The Romanian foreign ministry announced that checks conducted by the Romanian authorities based on the information provided by Israel indicate that another person with dual (Romanian and Israeli) citizenship and living in Israel is a hostage in the Gaza Strip. The foreign ministry also announced that the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Romanian Consulate in Haifa are in touch with the Israeli authorities. So far 4 people with Romanian and Israeli citizenship are known to be held hostage by the Hamas terrorists.



    ISRAEL The US secretary of state Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday morning to persuade Israel to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. This is Blinkens second trip to the Middle East since the Hamas Islamists attacked Israel on October 7. International mass media report that the US diplomacy chief will have meetings with the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, and with members of his security cabinet. From Israel, Blinken is to travel next to neighbouring Jordan. Meanwhile, Israel announced that its forces have surrounded Gaza City, the largest urban centre in Gaza and previously controlled by Hamas.



    BOOK FAIR The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair invites book lovers to Timişoara, a European Capital of Culture in 2023. The fair takes place until Sunday, and it brings together scores of publishers presenting their most recent releases, best-sellers, special offers and discounts. Todays most eagerly awaited event is the launch of a volume of dialogues between Robert Şerban and the contemporary Romanian poet Şerban Foarţă. Q&A sessions with writers, roundtables and book signing events are also scheduled. The Timisoara-based writer Patricia Lidia released a volume entitled “Adventures in Brancusis World,” an event that complements the exhibition devoted to the great Romanian-born sculptor opened these days at the National Art Museum in Timişoara. (AMP)


  • November 1, 2023 UPDATE

    November 1, 2023 UPDATE

    TAXATION Some of the new fiscal measures aimed
    at reducing the budget deficit in Romania came into force on Wednesday. Under
    the law for which the Government has assumed responsibility in Parliament, personnel
    in the IT sector will pay an income tax for amounts exceeding EUR 2,000 per month. Local
    public institutions and authorities cannot use public funds for the organisation
    of community events, such as festivals, concerts, local competitions or other
    themed celebrations. Other fiscal measures, such as the introduction of new
    taxes for SMEs and the payment of health insurance contributions for the value
    of meal vouchers, will take effect on January 1, 2024. The measures run counter
    to many entrepreneurs’ interests. At a conference on this topic, organised by
    the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, the participants argued that in
    order to contain the budget deficit, top priority measures should include combating
    tax evasion, improving revenue collection and improving the work of the Tax
    Office. The President of the Chamber, Mihai Daraban, said that the government
    now has more options available before attacking the business community.




    PENSIONS In Romania, a draft pensions law has been posted for public
    review on the Labour Ministry’s website. The document was approved by the
    ruling coalition, and the government is seeking to have it endorsed under an
    emergency procedure by the end of this month. Under the new legislation, all
    pension benefits will be adjusted to the annual inflation rate, and will be
    re-calculated based on a new formula. No benefits will be lower than they are
    at present, the PM Marcel Ciolacu promised after a meeting of the ruling
    coalition. The minimum contribution period will be 15 years, and the maximum
    period 35 years, with bonuses given for workplace stability. According to the
    Prime Minister, pensions will be raised in 2 stages next year, on January 1 and
    on September 1, respectively.






    DONATION The first F16 fighter jets that the
    Netherlands will donate to Ukraine will arrive at a training center set up in
    Romania in two weeks, the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced. He emphasised
    that the current situation in the Middle East should not and will not be able
    to distract the Netherlands from the fight of the Ukrainians against the
    Russian aggression. Denmark, Norway and Belgium have also announced that they
    will supply Ukraine with F16 aircraft.




    FOOTBALL The match between the national
    football teams of Israel and Romania, in the EURO 2024 Qualifying Group I, will
    take place in Hungary, the Romanian football federation announced. The game
    will be played on November 18, in Felcsut, approximately 50 kilometers from
    Budapest. UEFA stated that the presence of spectators will be
    allowed. Previously, the organisation had decided to suspend all matches scheduled
    in Israel, because of the armed conflict there. After the match against Israel,
    Romania is to meet Switzerland, on November 21, in Bucharest. After eight
    games, Romania is undefeated and ranks first in the group, with 16 points.
    Switzerland (15 points) and Israel (11 points) have played one match and two
    matches less, respectively. The two top-ranking teams go to the final
    tournament in Germany. Romania has not reached a European championship final
    tournament since 2016, and a World Cup since 1998.




    RADIO Radio Romania celebrated 95 years of uninterrupted broadcasting.
    In recognition of the critical role that Radio Romania has in Romania’s
    history, in December 2019 Parliament decided to establish November 1 as the
    National Radio Day. Over three million people listen to Radio Romania every
    day. Public institutions, NGOs, major personalities in Romania’s arts and
    cultural scene have congratulated Radio Romania on the occasion. PM Marcel Ciolacu pointed
    out that for 95 years, the public radio broadcaster has been a source of
    information and education for generations of listeners, while the Senate
    speaker Nicolae Ciucă said that Radio Romania has been promoting Romanian
    traditions and values for nearly a century and deserves recognition for its
    efforts in this respect. The president of the Romanian Academy Ioan-Aurel Pop
    also congratulated the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, which, he said,
    has been a witness to all the milestones in Romanian history. In Timişoara,
    this year’s European Capital of Culture, the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair takes
    place until November 5. On Friday, November 3, an anniversary concert of the
    National Radio Orchestra is scheduled, and between November 22 and 26, a new
    edition of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair, the longest-running project
    of its kind in the country, will be organised at the Romexpo exhibition centre
    in Bucharest. (AMP)

  • Nachrichten 31.10.2023

    Nachrichten 31.10.2023

    Die für Werte und Transparenz zuständige Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Vera Jourova, hat Rumänien am Montag besucht und sich dabei mit Präsident Klaus Iohannis getroffen. Die Themen Rechtsstaatlichkeit und Justizreformen, Unterstützung für die Ukraine und die Lage im Nahen Osten kamen dabei zur Sprache. Ein weiterer Gesprächstpunkt war der Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum. Die Gespräche zwischen der Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission und dem rumänischen Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu drehten sich ebenfalls vordergründig darum.



    Die Abgeordnetenkammer in Bukarest entscheidet am Dienstag per Abstimmung über den einfachen Antrag, den die Opposition gegen Finanzminister Marcel Boloș gestellt hat. Die USR kritisiert die kürzlich von der Regierung verabschiedeten Steuerma‎ßnahmen und beschuldigt Marcel Boloş, Gesetzesinitiativen zu fördern, die Arbeitnehmer benachteiligen. Der Finanzminister erklärte hingegen, dass die von der PSD-PNL-Koalitionsregierung getroffenen Entscheidungen unter den Bedingungen eines ausgeprägten Defizits von fast 57 Milliarden Lei (über 11 Milliarden Euro) und einer Staatsverschuldung, die sich 800 Milliarden Lei (ca. 160 Milliarden Euro) nähert, notwendig seien.



    Die Regierung in Bukarest hat am Dienstag auf einer au‎ßerordentlichen Sitzung die neuen Bruttomindestlöhne für das Baugewerbe, die Landwirtschaft und die Lebensmittelindustrie genehmigt. Offiziellen Angaben zufolge sind 590.000 Beschäftigte im rumänischen Baugewerbe, in der Landwirtschaft und in der Lebensmittelindustrie von diesen Änderungen betroffen. Durch die Erhöhung der Bruttolöhne möchte die Regierung erreichen, dass die Beschäftigten in diesen Sektoren keine Nettoverdienstkürzungen hinnehmen müssen. Ab dem 1. November müssen diese Beschäftigten auch in Krankenversicherung wieder einzahlen.



    Die Ehefrau eines im Gazastreifen inhaftierten Bürgers mit israelischer und rumänischer Staatsbürgerschaft traf in Bukarest mit Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu und Mitgliedern des au‎ßenpolitischen Ausschusses des Senats zusammen.Ella Chaimi schilderte ihnen, was in den Tagen nach dem 7. Oktober, als ihr Mann von Mitgliedern der Terrorgruppe Hamas entführt wurde, geschehen war, und erklärte, sie hoffe, dass die rumänischen Politiker weiterhin Schritte unternehmen würden, damit die Geiseln in ihre Heimat zurückkehren könnten. Der Präsident des Senats, Nicolae Ciucă, erklärte, dass die Situation äu‎ßerst heikel sei und ihre Lösung viel Aufmerksamkeit und Diplomatie, aber auch Entschlossenheit erfordere. Er erinnerte daran, dass das rumänische Parlament am 11. Oktober nach den gewalttätigen Angriffen der Hamas eine offizielle Erklärung der Solidarität mit Israel verabschiedet hatte.



    Die ersten F16-Kampfflugzeuge, die die Niederlande der Ukraine spenden werden, werden in zwei Wochen in dem in Rumänien eingerichteten Ausbildungszentrum eintreffen, kündigte der niederländische Premierminister Mark Rutte an. In einem im Internet veröffentlichten Videokonferenzgespräch mit dem ukrainischen Präsidenten Wolodymyr Zelenski betonte der niederländische Premierminister, dass die aktuelle Lage im Nahen Osten die Unterstützung der Niederlande für die Ukraine nicht erschüttern sollte und es auch nicht werde. Reuters erinnerte daran, dass Dänemark, Norwegen und Belgien ihrerseits angekündigt hatten, dass sie der Ukraine F16-Flugzeuge liefern würden. Rumänien, die Niederlande und der Flugzeughersteller Lockheed Martin hatten am 29. August eine Absichtserklärung zur Einrichtung des F16-Trainingszentrums unterzeichnet. Dabei handelt es sich um ein regionales Zentrum für NATO-Mitgliedstaaten, das auf dem Luftwaffenstützpunkt Fetești (Süden) eingerichtet wird und von dem auch ukrainische Piloten profitieren werden.



    Die Behörden der Republik Moldau haben beschlossen, die Lizenzen von sechs Fernsehsendern, die mit pro-russischen Oligarchen in Verbindung gebracht werden, auszusetzen. Der moldauische Premierminister Dorin Recean erklärte, dass die betroffenen Stellen ausländische Interessen fördern, versuchen würden, das Land zu destabilisieren und die Kommunalwahlen am 5. November beeinflussen würden. Der moldauische Nachrichtendienst in Chisinau betonte, dass er über entsprechende Beweise verfüge.

  • October 30, 2023 UPDATE

    October 30, 2023 UPDATE

    MOTION The
    Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Monday debated a simple motion to censor
    Finance Minister Marcel Bolos, part of the Social Democratic- National Liberal
    coalition cabinet. The opposition parties USR and Force of the Right, which
    introduced the motion, believe he is responsible for increased taxation, as an
    effect of applying fiscal measures that the government took responsibility for
    in Parliament recently. The signatories also say that the main reason for the
    budget deficit is the explosion in state spending, and draw attention to the
    fact that measures taken by the government would not resolve the situation. USR
    MP Claudiu Nasui, former minister of the economy, said that the new taxes hurt
    small businesses, which will be forced to reduce their workforce, and bring up
    prices for goods and services, which will have an immediate impact on the
    population. In reply, Marcel Bolos said that Romania is at a crossroads, and
    that concrete and sustainable measures are needed to overcome this hurdle. The Finance
    Minister said that, absent this, there is a risk of losing access to European
    funds. The vote for this simple motion is set for Tuesday.






    VISIT The vice president of the European Commission for Values and
    Transparency, Vera Jourova, held talks in Bucharest on Monday with the Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis. High on the agenda were the rule of law, the reforms
    in justice, Romania’s accession to Schengen, the support for Ukraine and the
    situation in the Middle East. She earlier met Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu
    with whom she talked about the recommendations in the report on the rule of
    law, the pension law, measures for the right way of assuring human resources,
    proposed measures for digitization, AI and fighting online crime. In an
    interview to the national radio station, Jourova said Romania is doing well
    with the legal system, but there are new laws, which must be implemented so
    that citizens may have access to a well prepared judicial system.












    ISRAEL The Israeli army has
    announced that it struck targets in Syria and Lebanon, in response to rocket
    fire coming from these countries. In another development, new rocket attacks
    launched from the Gaza Strip targeted, today, the south of Israel, the most affected
    being the city of Netivot, where a residential block was hit, writes The Times
    of Israel, noting that there were no victims. Palestinians in the north of Gaza
    also said there had been intense air and artillery strikes as Israeli troops,
    backed by tanks, launched a ground assault on the enclave. The Israeli military
    say they have hit more than 600 targets in recent days, killing dozens of
    terrorists and continuing to expand its ground operations in Gaza. After the
    attacks of the Islamist group Hamas on October 7, more than 1,400 people have
    been killed in Israel. On the other hand, Hamas authorities in Gaza say that
    the toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes has exceeded 8,300.




    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s
    handball champions, CSM Bucharest, secured a 29-24 away win against Buducnost
    Podgorica of Montenegro in the Champions League’s Group A, on Sunday. The Romanians
    obtained their third victory in this European season. After six stages, the
    Romanian champions are in the 4th position with 6 points, in a group
    dominated by Gyor Audi of Hungary. In the competition’s next stage, CSM, on
    their home turf will be up against the Hungarian side Debrecen, on November 11.
    On Saturday, in the competition’s Group B, vice-champions Rapid Bucharest outperformed
    Krim Ljubljana from Slovenia, 27-22. In the next round, they will be playing at
    home the Norwegian side Vipers Kristiansand, on November 12.


    (bill)

  • Nachrichten 30.10.2013

    Nachrichten 30.10.2013

    Die Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission für die Themenbereiche Werte und Transparenz, Věra Jourová, hat am Montag in Bukarest mit dem rumänischen Präsidenten Klaus Iohannis über Rechtsstaatlichkeit und Justizreformen, den Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens, die Unterstützung der Ukraine und die Lage im Nahen Osten gesprochen. Zuvor traf sie mit Justizministerin Alina Gorghiu zusammen. Zu den Gesprächsthemen gehörten die Empfehlungen des Rechtsstaatlichkeitsberichts, das Rentengesetz, Maßnahmen zur Gewährleistung angemessener Humanressourcen, vorgeschlagene Maßnahmen zur Digitalisierung, künstliche Intelligenz und die Bekämpfung der Online-Kriminalität. In einem Interview mit dem nationalen Radiosender sagte Jurova, dass die rumänische Justiz auf einem guten Weg sei, es aber noch neue Gesetze gebe, die in die Praxis umgesetzt werden müssten, damit die Bürger Zugang zu einem guten Justizsystem hätten.



    Die israelische Armee gab bekannt, dass sie als Reaktion auf den Raketenbeschuss aus Syrien und dem Libanon Ziele in diesen Ländern angegriffen hat. Andererseits zielten neue Raketenangriffe aus dem Gazastreifen heute auf den Süden Israels, wobei die Stadt Netivot am stärksten betroffen war, wo ein Wohnblock getroffen wurde, schreibt die Times of Israel und stellt fest, dass es keine Opfer gab. Palästinenser im nördlichen Gazastreifen berichteten ebenfalls von heftigen Luft- und Artillerieangriffen, als israelische Truppen, unterstützt von Panzern, einen Bodenangriff auf die Enklave starteten. Das israelische Militär erklärte, es habe in den letzten Tagen mehr als 600 Ziele angegriffen, Dutzende von Terroristen getötet und seine Bodenoperationen im Gazastreifen weiter ausgeweitet. Nach den Angriffen der islamistischen Gruppe Hamas am 7. Oktober wurden in Israel mehr als 1.400 Menschen getötet. Nach Angaben der Hamas-Behörden im Gazastreifen hat sich die Zahl der bei israelischen Vergeltungsmaßnahmen getöteten Palästinenser auf über 8.300 erhöht.



    Die palästinensische Zivilbevölkerung im Gazastreifen benötigt dringend Treibstoff, Nahrungsmittel und Wasser. Der Palästinensische Rote Halbmond teilte am Sonntagabend mit, dass die israelische Armee mehrmals eines ihrer Krankenhäuser im Gazastreifen bombardiert hat, wodurch Schäden entstanden sind und Patienten und Zivilisten, die hierher geflüchtet waren, gefährdet wurden. Gleichzeitig drangen Tausende von Menschen in Lagerhäuser und Verteilungszentren für Hilfsgüter im Süden und im Zentrum des Streifens ein und nahmen Grundnahrungsmittel mit. 33 mit humanitärer Hilfe beladene Lastwagen fuhren am Sonntag über den Grenzübergang Rafah an der Grenze zu Ägypten ein. Es handelte sich um den größten Konvoi, der seit der begrenzten Wiederaufnahme der humanitären Hilfslieferungen in das belagerte palästinensische Gebiet einfuhr. Die Verhinderung des Zugangs humanitärer Hilfe zum Gazastreifen könnte ein Verbrechen darstellen, erklärte der Chefankläger des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs (IStGH), Karim Khan, am Sonntag in Kairo nach einem Besuch in Rafah.



    Die Bukarester Abgeordnetenkammer debattiert heute über einen einfachen Antrag gegen den Finanzminister Marcel Boloş aus dem Kabinett der PSD-PNL-Koalition. Die USR und die Forţa Dreptei (eine liberale Dissidenz), die den Antrag eingereicht haben, machen ihn für die Steuererhöhungen verantwortlich, die aus der Anwendung der steuerlichen Maßnahmen resultieren, für die die Regierung kürzlich die Verantwortung im Parlament übernommen hat. Die Abstimmung über den einfachen Antrag ist für Dienstag angesetzt.



    Die neuen Mindestlöhne im Baugewerbe, in der Landwirtschaft und in der Lebensmittelindustrie sollen am Dienstag von der Bukarester Regierung in einer außerordentlichen Sitzung verabschiedet werden. Der Mindestlohn im Baugewerbe wird 4.582 Lei (ca. 920 Euro) betragen, in der Landwirtschaft und der Lebensmittelindustrie 3.436 Lei (ca. 690 Euro). Mit diesen Erhöhungen will die Exekutive erreichen, dass die Arbeitnehmer in diesen Sektoren keine Einbußen bei den Krankenversicherungsbeiträgen erleiden, von denen sie bisher befreit waren. In diesem Zusammenhang erklärte Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu, dass er die Konsultationen mit den Gewerkschaften und Arbeitgebern fortsetzen werde, um den Wert des Mindestlohns für die Wirtschaft ab dem 1. Januar 2024 festzulegen. Gleichzeitig wird das Finanzministerium mit der Ausarbeitung des Staatshaushalts für das kommende Jahr beginnen. Nach Angaben des zuständigen Ministers Marcel Boloş soll das Projekt noch in diesem Jahr dem Parlament vorgelegt werden.



    Die schwerwiegenden Einschränkungen während der Pandemie haben das kulturelle Leben der Rumänen beeinflusst, zeigt das Kulturkonsumbarometer, die größte Studie auf nationaler Ebene, die die Praktiken der Kulturkonsumenten misst. Die Studie wird nach einer dreijährigen Pause aufgrund der Pandemie wieder durchgeführt. Nur 20 % der Rumänen gaben an, im vergangenen Jahr ein Theaterstück besucht zu haben, gegenüber 29 % im Jahr 2019, und 30 % der Rumänen besuchten im Jahr 2022 Museen, Ausstellungen oder Kunstgalerien, acht Prozent weniger als vor der Pandemie. Der Appetit auf den Besuch von Attraktionen im Freien, historischen Denkmälern oder archäologischen Stätten ist jedoch gestiegen. Mehr dazu, nach den Nachrichten.



    Der rumänische Meister im Frauenhandball, CSM, hat am Sonntag in der Gruppe A der Champions League Buducnost Podgorica aus Montenegro auswärts mit 29:24 geschlagen. Das Team aus Bukarest erzielte damit seinen dritten Sieg in dieser europäischen Saison. Nach sechs Spieltagen liegt der rumänische Meister mit 6 Punkten auf dem 4. Platz in der Gruppe, die von Gyori Audi aus Ungarn dominiert wird. In der nächsten Etappe spielt CSM am 11. November zu Hause gegen Debrecen aus Ungarn. In der Gruppe B des Wettbewerbs besiegte der Vizemeister Rapid Bukarest am Samstag Krim Ljubljana aus Slowenien mit 27:22. In der nächsten Runde spielen sie am 12. November zu Hause gegen Vipers Kristiansand aus Norwegen.

  • October 30, 2023

    October 30, 2023


    Visit. The Vice-President of the European Commission for Values ​​and Transparency, the Czech Vera Jourova, is on a formal visit to Bucharest today. She has met with the minister of justice, Alina Gorghiu, for talks on the rule of law and justice reforms, where Romania is in a good place, as she told Radio Romania. “There are still new laws that must be implemented in practice and this must be done not for Brussels, but for the Romanian people, in order to have access to a very well prepared judicial system”, the European official also stated. Vera Jourova will also meet with president Klaus Iohannis, Prime-Minister Marcel Ciolacu and several ministers, to discuss topics such as the digitalization projects included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, artificial intelligence and combating disinformation. Vera Jourova will also participate in a meeting on digital technology and will visit the European Cybersecurity Competence Center.



    Motion. The Bucharest Chamber of Deputies is debating, today, a simple motion against the Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, from the PSD-PNL coalition Cabinet. The Save Romanian Union and the Force of the Right Party, which filed the motion, consider him responsible for the increase in taxes, as a result of the application of fiscal measures for which the Government recently assumed responsibility in Parliament. The vote on the simple motion is scheduled for Tuesday.



    Gaza. In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian civilians are in urgent need of fuel, food and water. The Palestinian Red Crescent announced on Sunday evening that the Israeli army had bombed several times around one of its hospitals in Gaza, causing damage and endangering patients and civilians who had come there to take refuge. At the same time, thousands of people broke into warehouses and aid distribution centers in the south and center of the Strip, taking basic food. 33 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid entered, on Sunday, through the Rafah crossing point on the border with Egypt. It was the largest convoy to enter the besieged Palestinian territory since the limited resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries. “Preventing the access of humanitarian aid” to the Gaza Strip could constitute a “crime”, said, on Sunday, in Cairo, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, after visiting Rafah.



    Israel. The Israeli army has announced that it struck targets in Syria and Lebanon, in response to rocket fire coming from these countries. In another development, new rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip targeted, today, the south of Israel, the most affected being the city of Netivot, where a residential block was hit, writes The Times of Israel, noting that there were no victims. Palestinians in the north of Gaza also said there had been intense air and artillery strikes as Israeli troops, backed by tanks, launched a ground assault on the enclave. The Israeli military say they have hit more than 600 targets in recent days, killing dozens of terrorists and continuing to expand its ground operations in Gaza. After the attacks of the Islamist group Hamas on October 7, more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel. On the other hand, Hamas authorities in Gaza say that the toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes has exceeded 8,000.



    Handball. Romanias womens handball champion, CSM, defeated Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro 29-24, away from home, in group A of the Champions League, on Sunday. The Bucharest team scored its third victory in this European season. After six stages, the Romanian champion is in 4th place, with 6 points, in the group dominated by Gyori Audi of Hungary. In the next stage, CSM will play at home against the Hungarian team Debrecen, on November 11. On Saturday, in group B of the competition, the vice-champion Rapid Bucharest defeated Krim Ljubljana from Slovenia, 27-22. In the next round, they will play at home against the Norwegian Vipers Kristiansand, on November 12. (MI)