PROTESTS On Friday, trade unions in Romania carried on their protests
against the dropping standard of living. Representatives of the police, the
administration of the penitentiaries, of education and public administration have
voiced discontent towards the authorities’ lack of reaction regarding major
issues affecting the population’s standards of living. The Friday’s protest is
part of a series of meetings staged this week in several cities across Romania.
Representatives of Cartel Alfa trade union confederation have said they are
going to put protests on hold for a couple of weeks in order to see how the
dialogue with the authorities is going on.
POLL Almost
60% of Romanians say their financial situation has worsened compared with last
year, according to a quarterly financial barometer. This level has increased by
10% from previous quarters. The prospects for the future are darker than in the
first half of the year, with 55% of respondents expecting their situation to
further deteriorate in the future, compared with 40% who held this view in the
first half of the year. The main reasons mentioned for the deterioration of the
financial situation are the prices of utilities like gas and electricity and
higher cost of food and fuel.
TENNIS Romania’s best tennis player,
Simona Halep on Friday posted on Instagram an announcement that she tested
positive for banned substance roxadustat in a tiny concentration. Halep said
she was shocked by the results and will fight to the bitter end to prove that
she hadn’t used the banned substance on purpose. In my entire career it has
never crossed my mind to cheat and it’s completely against the values I grew up
with. It’s not about medals and money, it’s about honour and the love I gained
for tennis over the past 25 years, the Romanian athlete said.
UKRAINE
Ukrainian president Volodymyr
Zelensky accused invading Russian troops of planting mines at a hydroelectric
dam in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine which is under Russia’s control.
Four people were killed in Kherson after a Ukrainian rocket artillery hit a
ferry crossing. The pro-Moscow authorities in the region installed by the
Russian army this week said they are planning to evacuate 50,000-60,000 people
in the coming days following an intensification in the Ukrainian
counteroffensive.
(bill)