Radio România Internațional

Tag: President

  • The election period begins in Romania

    The election period begins in Romania

    The election period for the presidential elections in Romania begins this week, according to the calendar approved by the Bucharest Government. On September 12, the five judges with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, who will be part of the Central Election Bureau (BEC) for the presidential elections, will be elected by secret ballot. A day later, the president of the BEC will be appointed, as well as the members of the political formations that are not represented in Parliament and that proposed presidential candidates. Also, on September 14 at the latest, the Central Election Bureau will be completed with the president and vice-presidents of the Permanent Election Authority and with one representative of each parliamentary political party.

     

    September 24 is the date by which Romanian citizens domiciled or residing abroad can submit requests to vote by mail. The calendar also provides that, by September 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be informed about the localities abroad where polling stations must be established, as well as their number. No later than October 5th, the presidential candidacies will be submitted.

     

    It is expected that the current Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, from the Social Democrats, the current Speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, from the Liberals and the President of the Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi, will enter the election race for the most important position in the Romanian state. The head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, George Simion, the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, as well as several representatives of non-parliamentary parties and independent candidates, among whom stands out the former NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, who ended his mandate on Tuesday, are also expected to run for president.

     

    Until October 10, the process of establishing the candidacies takes place, and until October 12, the order of the candidates’ names on the ballot will be established. The election campaign will start in Romania on October 25. The voting process in the first round of the presidential elections will start abroad on November 22. Romanians in the Diaspora will vote until November 24, when citizens with the domicile or residence in the country will be asked to cast their ballot.

     

    By November 29, the names of the two candidates who will participate in the second round of voting will be announced, and on the same day the election campaign will start again. The second round of the elections for the president of Romania will start abroad on December 6 and, just like in the first round, Romanians abroad will have 3 days to express their political option. In the country, Romanians will go to the polls on December 8th. According to the Permanent Election Authority, the total number of citizens entitled to vote, registered in the Election Register at the end of August, was almost 19 million, of which about 960,000 had their domicile or residence abroad.

     

  • August 31, 2024

    August 31, 2024

     

    LANGUAGE The Romanian Language Day is celebrated today both in Romania and in the R. of Moldova, where this holiday was first introduced, to mark a return to the Romanian language and Latin alphabet in the former Soviet Republic. Special events are held on both sides of the river Prut. In a message posted on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian language is not just a set of words, but a means to pass on an invaluable cultural heritage that we are leaving for the future generations to cherish and enrich. As Mr. Iohannis emphasised, since last year the Romanian language has also been the official language of Moldova, after a law was promulgated by president Maia Sandu, replacing the phrase “Moldovan language” with the phrase “Romanian language.” This has been essential to restoring a historic fact, namely that Romanians living on both sides of the river Prut share a common language, culture and history, Iohannis said. According to him, Romanian is studied in 59 universities in 37 countries in the world. Public reading sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, music recitals are organised by Romanian cultural institutes around the world to mark the Romanian Language Day.

     

    VISIT The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, signed in Chişinău on Saturday a joint declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate resilience in the Republic of Moldova. The document defines and strengthens bilateral cooperation in this critical area for consolidating and safeguarding democracy and stability in the neighbouring state. President Maia Sandu said Romania had invested massively in the development of Moldova and remained the staunchest supporter of its EU accession efforts at international level. In turn, Klaus Iohannis promised that Bucharest’s commitment to supporting Chisinau in any crisis, including in the energy sector, is firmer than ever. According to Iohannis, the hybrid war waged against the Republic of Moldova and its citizens is growing more intense and taking ever more severe forms. Romania will be the most reliable and active supporter of Moldova’s EU accession efforts, and I encourage all international partners to provide consistent and long-term support to this country and its citizens, Iohannis added. His visit to Chişinău took takes place as Romania and Moldova celebrate the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

     

    RATING Fitch Rating Friday reconfirmed Romania’s long- and short-term foreign-currency government debt rating at BBB-/F3 with a stable outlook, the finance ministry reports. According to the institution, the decision is supported by the capital inflow from the European Union, which sustains the country’s income convergence, foreign financing and macroeconomic stability, as well as a positive trend in the GDP per capita and in governance and human development indices, which are above ‘BBB’ category peers. The international institution’s decision reconfirms the confidence in the measures taken by the Romanian government to ensure public funding sustainability, the finance minister Marcel Boloş said. On the other hand, these strengths are balanced against large budget and current account deficits relative to peers, high budget rigidities, and a fairly high net external debtor position. The agency expects Romania’s economy to grow by 2.5% this year.

     

    ENESCU As of today, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest is hosting the 19th edition of the George Enescu International Competition, one of the best known and most prestigious competitions in international classical music. Until September 27, some of the world’s best performers, as well as up-and-coming artists and orchestras, will come together in Bucharest. Three competitions are held: cello, violin and piano. The novelty of the 2024 edition are the master classes. Held between September 23 and 27, they consist in conducting, violin, piano and cello workshops, coordinated by Maestro Cristian Măcelaru. The world-acclaimed Romanian artist is, among other things, the musical director of the National Orchestra of France, and of the Cincinnati Symphonic Orchestra. The opening concert, the 3 competition finals, 5 recitals given by jury members and by winners of previous editions, as well as the closing concert, will be aired live by Radio Romania Music. At the suggestion of Radio Romania Music, the 2024 George Enescu International Competition’s opening concert is included in the Euroradio Summer Season, one of the most important projects of the European Broadcasting Union, which airs concerts and recitals from the most important European festivals. The George Enescu International Competition was launched in September 1958. Alternating with the George Enescu International Festival, the Competition quickly grew into one of the most valuable events of this kind in Europe, and since 2002 it has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. (AMP)

  • August 24, 2024 UPDATE

    August 24, 2024 UPDATE

     

    CONVENTION Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu was reconfirmed as leader of the Social Democratic Party on Saturday, and officially nominated as the party’s candidate in the presidential election. In his address on this occasion, he presented the platform for which he hopes to win the president seat: a 10-year plan with 3 strategic directions: industry, agriculture and services. He argued that with its unity, the Social Democratic Party has managed to regain the confidence of Romanians, and that he offered Romanians “a president for all.” The party last won a presidential race in 2000. In their speeches, the Social Democrats teased their partners in the ruling coalition, the Liberals, and mocked the incumbent president, Klaus Iohannis. The first round of the election is scheduled on November 24, and the second on December 8th.

     

    UKRAINE The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, sent a letter to his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Ukraine’s Independence Day. According to the Romanian presidency, Iohannis voiced his appreciation for the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian armed forces and civilians in defending their country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He reiterated Bucharest’s firm commitment to provide constant, predictable and multidimensional support to Ukraine until its victory and further on in its reconstruction and European integration process. Iohannis emphasized that the security cooperation agreement signed by the 2 countries in July, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, proves that Romania’s support is not circumstantial, but long-standing, predictable and transparent.

     

    CROPS The European Union’s maize output will be smaller because of the drought and extreme heat in Romania, whose crops will be 30% lower. Estimates for the EU’s maize output were cut from 63 million tonnes, as reported last year, to 60-61 million tonnes, which is still above the level in 2022, when the drought affected the entire continent. Romania’s output is expected to drop from around 11 million tonnes last year to less than 8 million this autumn. In France, favourable humidity levels kept maize crops in a generally good condition, and the increase of the areas under crops should ensure higher output, namely over 14 million tonnes. In Poland, smaller areas under maize crops may lead to a 13% drop in output, while in Germany the crops are estimated to be 2% lower.

     

    PENSIONS The National Liberal Party, a junior member of the ruling coalition in Romania, proposes new amendments to the Pensions Law, so as to address the situation of pensioners whose benefits have been cut down in the latest revision. The Liberal leader and Senate speaker Nicolae Ciucă said the law should not have retrospective effect, and confirmed that the pensioners whose benefits have been cut down on paper will not benefit from cost-of-living adjustments for several years, although they will not be paid smaller amounts. According to official data, over 700,000 pensioners have received decisions by which their benefits have been cut down. These include workers in hazardous conditions, such as coal miners, engine drivers and nuclear industry personnel, who were able to stop working before the standard retirement age. Also at a disadvantage are people with disabilities, where the revised benefits are smaller by as much as 60%, for instance for the visually impaired. Hundreds of people are already asking for explanations from the authorities. They have until September 1 to appeal the decisions, and may even take the matter to court.

     

    MUSEUM The Bucharest Children’s Museum has reopened and is waiting for visitors with new guided interactive tours. The most recent of them shows kids the secrets of physics and chemistry. Entitled “The School of Magic – Wizard’s Castle,” it helps children understand physical and chemical reactions in a setting that reminds them of the Harry Potter universe. Apart from the School of Magic, children can enjoy 3 other tours – one devoted to the great ocean explorers, one to the human brain and one to classical fairytales.

     

    TENNIS Monica Niculescu (Romania) / Hanyu Guo (China) have qualified into the doubles finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Monterrey, Mexico. They defeated Tereza Mihalikova (Slovakia) / Olivia Nicholls (UK) 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 10-4. Niculescu and Guo won the match in 2 hours and 10 minutes and received USD 28,720 and WTA 325 points. In the final on August 25, Niculescu and Guo take on top seeded Giuliana Olmos of Mexico and Alexandra Panova of Russia. (AMP)

  • August 20, 2024 UPDATE

    August 20, 2024 UPDATE

     

    CANDIDACY The leader of the Social Democratic Party, PM Marcel Ciolacu, will run for president of Romania. Just days ahead of the party congress, he announced his fellow party members of his decision. “I am confident that together we will manage to once again win a presidential election, after 20 years. Romania needs stability and balance,” Ciolacu said.

     

    CSP10 The geopolitical environment is marred by mistrust and disrespect for the international order, which leads to the escalation of regional conflicts and a new arms race, said the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu. The head of Romanian diplomacy is taking part until Friday in the Conference of States Parties (CSP10) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which is being held in Geneva, under the presidency of Romania. In her address, the Romanian minister highlighted the celebration of 10 years since the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty, underlining its essential role in the current geopolitical context, as well as the importance of cooperation between all actors involved in reducing human suffering, promoting peace, security and international stability. Also, Luminiţa Odobescu pointed out the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the CSP10, which ends on 23 August, 2024. Romania’s priorities included encouraging a dynamic dialogue between member states regarding the effective implementation of the Treaty, universalisation activities and measures to increase the transparency of conventional arms exports and imports.

     

    AGRICULTURE Romania is safe in terms of food security, even if this year was a dry one, the Agriculture Minister, Florin Barbu, said on Tuesday in a specialised conference. According to him, Romania produced almost 1.7 million tons of wheat more than last year, and it will have a very good corn crop. Florin Barbu also pointed out that the agriculture ministry must take urgent measures, because this year, due to climate change and drought, more than two million hectares have been affected throughout the country. He also mentioned the importance of investments in the irrigation system in Romania, stating that currently over 1.6 million hectares of land are rehabilitated and irrigated. According to the National Institute of Statistics, last year Romania’s wheat output was over 9.6 million tons, on an area of ​​2.2 million hectares, while the corn kernel output was over 8.5 million tons on almost 2.4 million hectares.

     

    INFLATION The annual inflation rate in the European Union went up to 2.8% in July, from 2.6% in June, according to data released on Tuesday by the EU statistical office, Eurostat. The EU members with the highest inflation rates last year were Romania (5.8%), Belgium (5.4%) and Hungary (4.1%). The EU countries with the lowest inflation rates were Finland (0.5%), Latvia (0.8%), and Denmark (1%).  As compared to the month of June, the inflation rate went down in 9 EU members, remained stable in 4 countries and grew in 14 other. In July Romania reported an inflation rate of 5.8%, from 5.3% the previous month.

     

    VISIT The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, Monday received the Minister of Defense Pål Jonson and the Minister of Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin from the Kingdom of Sweden. High on the agenda of talks were the security situation in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions, against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, cooperation within NATO, the implementation of the decisions of the Washington Summit, the evolution of projects developed within the European Union, as well as participation in missions and operations under the EU aegis. “Sweden has a significant contribution to Euro-Atlantic security, once it has joined NATO. We act together to promote and implement Allied measures on the entire eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance and to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including in terms of preparing our armies for the challenges of the future”, said Angel Tîlvăr. The officials reiterated their constant support for Ukraine, as well as for the Republic of Moldova, and highlighted the importance of maintaining a constant political and military dialogue, in order to streamline and harmonise joint efforts in the field of defence. (AMP)

  • April 21, 2024

    April 21, 2024

     

    PRESIDENT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to South Korea on April 22 through 24th, at the invitation of his counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol. South Korea is the first Asia-Pacific country with which Romania upgraded its diplomatic relations to a Strategic Partnership level, in 2008. During the Romanian president’s visit to Seoul, this Partnership will be consolidated under a document setting the cooperation directions for the next 10 years. Agreements will be signed in fields such as defence, nuclear energy, investments and foreign trade, emergency cooperation and disaster management, culture, mass-media, youth and sports.

     

    AID After months of postponements, the US House of Representatives Saturday night endorsed a USD 61 bln aid package for Ukraine. This is part of a bigger, USD 95 bln amount that also comprises security aid for Israel and Taiwan. The bill needs to be passed by the Senate as well, but the Democratic majority in the Senate is in favour of the aid. President Joe Biden has already called on the Senate to rush the vote. The aid comes at an extremely difficult time for Kyiv, which desperately needs weapons and ammunitions to withstand Russia’s growing offensive. The vote was welcomed by Western countries and Ukrainian leaders, but Moscow said the aid would only result in more Ukrainians getting killed because of the regime in Kyiv.

     

    EMPLOYMENT In Romania, the employment rate in the 15 to 64 age bracket was 63% last year, the National Statistics Institute announced. According to recently released data, the employment rate was higher among men (some 72%) than women (54%). The highest employment rate was reported last year among higher education graduates (nearly 90%), as opposed to 37% among people with little formal education. According to statistics, employees still account for 86% of the employed population, whereas self-employed and unpaid family workers only made up 13% of the total employed population. Also, around 83% of job holders were employed in the private sector.

     

    BREXIT The British PM Rishi Sunak rejected a European Commission proposal concerning a post-Brexit agreement enabling British youth to live, study and work in the EU and European youth in UK for up to 4 years, France Presse reports. The scheme was intended for young people aged 18 to 30, who would have benefited from visa exemptions and fair tuition fees. London said however it was unwilling to reopen talks concerning the freedom of movement and the strict regulation of the terms of stay in UK.

     

    CHINA The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is to travel to Beijing and Shanghai next week, in a move to appease tensions and to stabilize the relationship between the US and China. The talks scheduled to take place Wednesday through Friday would focus on “strengthening lines of communication to reduce the risk of miscalculation and conflict,” a senior State Department official said. Blinken “will raise clearly and candidly our concerns on issues ranging from human rights, unfair economic and trade practices, to the global economic consequences of PRC industrial over-capacity.  The Secretary will also reiterate our deep concerns regarding the PRC’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base,” the official said. According to the US State Department, there are indications that the relations between the US and China have improved. Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in California in November, resuming communication after a one-year break. The meeting was followed by high-level government talks. The Secretary of the Treasury, Jenet Yellen, also traveled to China this month, for talks with Chinese government officials and US company executives. (AMP)

  • Romania’s president at the European Parliament

    Romania’s president at the European Parliament


    Initiated in 2022, shortly after the Russian Federation started its war against Ukraine, the debate series “This Is Europe” has reached its 13th edition, in which the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis presented his views on the future of Europe and solutions to the problems it is facing before the European Parliament.



    The European project requires attention, effort, patience and integrity on a daily basis, if we are to live free, in a united and thriving Europe, the Romanian official said in Strasbourg, adding that present-day Romania is a strong advocate of coordinated action in the spirit of European values.



    “We have a responsibility to support a Europe that carries forward these principles and values, including towards our friends in the European neighbourhood that have chosen our democracy and development model. And a key stage in this process is the European elections. The priorities we will define together after these elections will have to help us give pragmatic responses to the challenges of the present and to prepare better for the challenges of the future,” president Iohannis believes.



    The Romanian official also mentioned the unprecedented geostrategic challenges facing the Union. “The rules-based international order is being challenged over and over again. Russia pursues its aggression against Ukraine. Around the Union, instability and insecurity have reached alarming levels. The open conflict in the Middle East, the situation in the Red Sea, and the worrying developments in the Sahel, all these have a systemic impact on our own security,” Klaus Iohannis pointed out.



    At the same time, he went on to say, “Climate change, economic difficulties, and illegal migration continue to generate their own negative impact, adding to the complexity of global dynamics. On top of all these challenges, we witness a crisis of values and, as far as I see it, a crisis of public trust in our institutions.”



    The president of Romania emphasised the importance on EU action based on unity, solidarity, cohesion and the rule of law, and pleaded for continuing support for Ukraine, adding that defending democracy, territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the rules-based international order cannot be subject to any “solidarity fatigue”.



    In his speech, president Iohannis said Romania was one of the best examples of the transforming power of the EU, which has provided undeniable and concrete benefits for Romanian citizens. “Enlarging our European family by accepting new members will only strengthen the Union,” he argued, and mentioned the historic decisions made at the European Council in December 2023 with respect to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia.



    The Romanian official also emphasised that the EU must remain a free movement area, and pleaded for Romanias full Schengen accession as soon as possible, thus allowing the country to make a concrete contribution to strengthening the security of the European bloc. (AMP)


  • January 29, 2024 UPDATE

    January 29, 2024 UPDATE

    PUTIN The incumbent president
    of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is running for another term in office in the
    presidential election due over March 15 and 17, the Central Election Committee
    has been quoted by the Russian and international press agencies as saying.
    According to these sources, both the supporters and opponents of the Kremlin
    leader are expecting him to win a new 6-year mandate. If Putin completed this
    mandate he could become the longest-lived Russian leader since the 18th
    century. A former agent of the Soviet political police, the KGB, and former
    Prime Minister, Putin got his first mandate as a president in 2000, a
    designated successor of Russia’s post-soviet president Boris Yeltsin. In 2008,
    when the Constitution didn’t allow him a third consecutive mandate, he formally
    ceded his seat to Dmitri Medvedev, but he remained the strongman of the Russian
    politics. Since the amended Constitution of 2012 Vladimir Putin has
    uninterruptedly held the presidential seat of the Russian Federation. His
    regime has been marked by the bloody reprisals against the breakaway
    insurrection in Chechnya, the elimination of his domestic opposition, the
    invasion of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2022.




    ORDINANCE Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday announced
    that he decided to extend for another 60 days the ordinance on capping trade
    mark-ups in basic staple. Ciolacu says that according to data released by the
    National Institute for Statistics, prices in December 2023 were 5.8% higher
    than a year before, whereas before the introduction of the aforementioned
    measure, the difference in prices between June 2023 and June 2022 was nearly
    18%.




    FUNDS The
    Romanian Foreign Ministry on Monday voiced maximum concern about the latest
    severe accusations regarding the alleged involvement of some of the personnel
    of the UN Agency for Relief and Works for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the
    Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7th. The Romanian
    Ministry says that until the completion of the investigation into the
    aforementioned allegations it will not release new procedures for volunteer
    contributions to the UNRWA. The Ministry recalls that Romania has firmly
    condemned the terrorist attacks on October 7th and voiced regret for
    the victims, the hostages taken, and made an appeal for their release. We
    recall that several countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Italy and Germany
    have suspended their funding to the UNRWA until the completion of the
    investigation into the aforementioned allegations.




    IMF An
    International Monetary Fund mission headed by Jan Kees Martijn arrived in
    Bucharest on Monday to review the latest economic and financial developments.
    This is a regular consultation based on Romania’s relation with the IMF, and it
    comes 4 months after the previous visit. The IMF expects a budget deficit of 6%
    of GDP and an economic growth rate of 2.3% this year. IMF experts also
    recommend a number of additional reforms, and in the previous assessment visit
    they mentioned the scrapping of the remaining exemptions, privileges and
    loopholes, a more efficient VAT implementation, a reformed property tax system,
    and the use of fiscal policies in order to promote efficient energy and the
    clean energy transition. Romania has no ongoing agreements with the IMF at
    present.


    (bill)

  • The message of Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on the occasion of the New Year 2025

    The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a New Year message to the Romanian citizens

     

    Romania is a stable, democratic, secure and pro-European country, a reliable partner for our foreign allies, acting President Klaus Iohannis said in his New Year message. He recalls that, in 2024, Romania made significant economic progress, reduced the gaps in relation to the other European Union member states and achieved important objectives, such as full accession to the Schengen free movement area, and the elimination of visas for the United States. The living standards and incomes continued to increase in 2024, although the external context was not at all simple, the acting president also said.

     

    He acknowledged that, amid justified dissatisfaction at society level, the country is in a watershed moment. “To overcome it successfully, we need to strengthen solidarity and regain trust in the political class,” Iohannis said. Only if we preserve our democracy and the values ​​that have defined us as an authentic part of the European family will we get through this difficult stage, he said, adding that “the political class must show that they learned the lesson of 2024 and respond with concrete and rapid measures to the needs of society.” Together, we can keep Romania on its pro-Western path, guided by the fundamental principles and values ​​that define us – justice, freedom and democracy – the Romanian President concluded.

     

    On December 21, 2024, Klaus Iohannis’s second and last five-year presidential term, which the Constitution entitles him to, was due to expire. However, his mandate was extended until the election of a new head of state, to be validated by the Constitutional Court.

  • November 18, 2023 UPDATE

    November 18, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis is in Tanzania, the second stage of
    his African tour which also included Kenya and will take him to the Republic of
    Cabo Verde and Senegal. During talks with top level officials, president Iohannis
    presents Romania’s outlook on reviving its relations with African countries,
    based on the recently adopted national strategy for Africa. On the other hand, the
    Romanian official also set out to present Bucharest’s views on regional and
    international security, given the country’s proximity to Ukraine. We discussed
    ways to manage the multiple consequences of the war, including in terms of
    ensuring the food security of countries in Africa, Mr. Iohannis said after the
    talks with the president of Tanzania, Samia Hassan. I have presented the
    comprehensive political, diplomatic, logistical and administrative measures
    taken by Romania to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports, including to the
    countries in Africa, he added. Klaus Iohannis is to travel on Monday to Cabo
    Verde, to meet with his counterpart José Maria Neves.


    ISRAEL We agree on the principle of
    no forced displacement of Palestinians and a political horizon based on a
    two-state solution, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
    said at the end of a meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
    in Cairo on Saturday. In turn, the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said in a
    conference at Manama on Saturday that the Palestinian Authority is the only one
    that could govern Gaza after the war between Israel and Hamas. News agencies
    mention that a week ago the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu raised fresh concerns
    with respect to the future of Gaza, stating that the Palestinian Authority in
    its current form should not be taking control of the enclave. The German
    chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meeting in
    Berlin, voiced their strong disagreement with the war in Gaza. Both Germany and
    Turkey are worried about the suffering of the Palestinian people, but while Scholz
    spoke about the need for humanitarian pauses in order to provide aid, Erdogan called
    for a ceasefire, an option rejected by Israel. On site, Palestinian medical
    sources announced that scores of people were killed or wounded on Saturday in Khan
    Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, following Israeli air strikes. On Friday
    Israel had announced it would expand military operations in the south, after handing
    out fliers in Khan Yunis the previous day asking civilians to head for the tent
    camps on the sea coast in order to avoid the massive shelling planned by the
    army. Israel’s ex-PM Ehud Olmert told Euronews that the Hamas underground
    command centre was in Khan Yunis, and not at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.


    TERRORISM A young Romanian national
    from Braşov (central Romania) has been taken into custody for promoting
    terrorist propaganda materials, the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime
    and Terrorism Offences announced. The young man praised terrorist organisations
    from the Middle East on his social media account, and posted instructions for
    the production and use of firearms and explosives.


    CHRISTMAS In the city of Craiova, southern
    Romania, hundreds of people witnessed the nearly 2 million lights of the local
    Christmas Fair being turned on Friday night. This year’s fair is themed around
    the Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, and all the decorations are white
    and turquoise. A giant Christmas tree, a 40m tall merry-go-round and a skating
    rink are the main attractions. Concerts and creative workshops will also be
    held here until the 2nd of January. Sibiu, in central Romania, also
    opened its Christmas Fair in the city’s main square. For the first time this
    year, the Fair includes the courtyard of the Brukenthal Palace, a historical
    monument built between 1778 and 1788.



    AMBASSADOR The foreign minister Luminiţa
    Odobescu Friday received the new British Ambassador to Romania, Giles Portman. On
    this occasion, Mrs. Odobescu highlighted the important role of bilateral
    cooperation in defence and security and the significant potential in the field
    of trade and investments, as well as the substantial contribution of the 1.2
    million Romanians living in UK to strengthening the ties between the two
    countries. In 2024 Romania will host the second Romania-UK Bilateral Forum,
    after the first edition of the event held this March in London. (AMP)

  • November 17, 2023 UPDATE

    November 17, 2023 UPDATE

    BUDGET PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that there will be no new
    taxes next year and that the Romanian government will have money by fighting
    tax evasion. According to him, in October, revenue collection to the state
    budget reached a record level, around EUR 8. By keeping the same pace and
    maintaining non-essential expenses under control, the PM added, by the end of
    the year we will meet the deficit target agreed with the European Commission.
    The statement comes after, recently, the Liberal leader Nicolae Ciucă argued
    that Romania cannot afford an increase in taxes next year and that funding
    sources must be found to support the draft pensions law.


    POVERTY
    One in 5 Romanians was affected by poverty in 2022, the National Statistics
    Institute reported. The number of people in need was 4.2 million, slightly
    below the figure reported in the previous year. The highest poverty rate was
    reported among youth up to 24 years of age, with the poverty rate for
    households with children and youth 5.2% higher than in households without dependent
    children and youth. The National Statistics Institute also said that, without
    pension and other welfare payments, nearly half of the population would have
    been below the poverty threshold, and the situation would have been even worse
    among the elderly.


    VISIT
    Romania and Tanzania have agreed on mutual student grant programmes. The
    president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis had a meeting with his counterpart, Samia
    Suluhu Hassan in the capital city Dar es Salaam on Friday, and discussed the
    development of this country’s relations with the EU. Tanzania may count on
    Romania as regards promoting and encouraging its relations with the EU, president
    Iohannis said after the meeting. He presented Romania’s view on giving a fresh
    impetus to the country’s relations with African states, based on the recently
    adopted National Strategy for Africa. Iohannis also said agreements were
    reached on bilateral cooperation in areas like education, civil protection,
    agriculture, forestry, IT and cyber security. In turn, the president of Tanzania
    announced that Romania decided to provide 10 grants for students from Tanzania,
    which in turn will be providing 5 grants to young Romanians who wish to study
    there. Two memorandums were also signed on disaster risk management and
    cooperation and research in agriculture. The president of Romania is on a tour
    in Africa, which began on Tuesday in Kenya. On Saturday, Klaus Iohannis will be
    received by the president of Zanzibar, Hussein Mwinyi, and then he will travel
    to the Republic of Cabo Verde, for talks with president Jose Maria Neves. The
    tour concludes on November 23 in Senegal, with political consultations with
    president Macky Sall.


    MILITARY The Romanian
    company Aerostar, based in Bacău, eastern Romania, Friday signed a cooperation
    agreement with Derco Aerospace (a member of the US group Lockheed Martin),
    concerning technology transfer for the repair of F-16 aircraft equipment operated
    by the Romanian Army. Attending the event was NATO’s deputy secretary general
    Mircea Geoană. He said NATO was interested in 2 goals-expanding the defence
    industry in all member states and creating an innovation ecosystem for dual-use
    industries (civilian and military), benefiting the newer NATO member states.
    The agreement was signed just days after the opening of the first European F-16
    training centre, at the Feteşti air base in the south-east of Romania, and capitalises on 26 years of cooperation between Lockheed Martin and Romania.


    FOOTBALL
    Romania’s national football team are in Hungary for a match against Israel on
    Saturday evening, in Qualifying Group I of the 2024 European Championship to be
    hosted by Germany. Because of the war at home, the Israelis had to postpone
    their October-November matches, and to play abroad the matches scheduled at
    home. Romania completes the qualifying stage on Tuesday, in Bucharest, with a match
    against Switzerland. Undefeated in the first eight matches, Romania has 16
    points and is behind group leader Switzerland on goal difference. Next comes
    Israel, with 11 points, and Kosovo, with 10 points. The two top-ranking teams
    in each group go to the final tournament. Romania last qualified for a final European
    tournament in 2016 and for a World Cup in 1998. (AMP)

  • August 4, 2023 UPDATE

    August 4, 2023 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu has
    officially confirmed that a tour of Africa is being prepared for Romania’s
    President Klaus Iohannis. Romania aims to bring ties with Sub-Saharan
    Africa to a higher level, adapted to the new Romanian and African realities and
    the new strategic interest of each partner. This revival will be done by
    pursuing common values ​​and interests, mainly in political and economic terms,
    said the Romanian official.


    DANUBE Naval traffic is very intense at the exit from the Danube to
    the Black Sea, after Russia attacked the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail. Romania’s River Administration of the Lower Danube in Galati
    decided to only allow vessels to go out to sea and only then to sail in the
    opposite direction. Since Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement that allowed
    the safe export of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea, the Danube has been used
    as an export route for agricultural products from Ukraine.


    NATURAL GAS PM Marcel Ciolacu says the Black Sea natural gas
    extraction project Neptun Deep is a strategic one, which will turn Romania into
    the largest natural gas producer in the European Union. The Domino and Pelican
    Sud development plans were confirmed by the National Agency for Mineral
    Resources, a post on the Government’s Facebook account reads. According to the
    government, OMV Petrom and Romgaz will invest up to EUR 4 bln at this stage of
    the project, which will generate an output of around 100 billion cubic metres
    of natural gas, beginning in 2027.


    HOSPITALS Electrical systems in around 300 hospitals in Romania have
    been checked, and the estimated budget for revamping them is over EUR 140 mln,
    the healthcare minister Alexandru Rafila announced. He said the money would
    come from EU funds under regional programmes, and that the electrical and fire
    safety systems in 21 hospitals have been completely reconstructed. Rafila also
    announced a programme called Good and safe meals for patients, for the revamping
    of kitchen and catering units in more than 250 public healthcare institutions,
    with a budget of roughly EUR 450 mln.


    FIREFIGHTERS PM Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the Romanian rescuers
    who Friday completed their mission in Greece, for their altruism, courage and
    efforts, and wished good luck to the Romanian fire-fighters that will replace
    them in helping the Greek authorities and population struggling with extensive
    wildfires. Romania and Europe stand by the Greek nation in need of support,
    and we hope that together we will bring things to normal as soon as possible,
    Marcel Ciolacu said. On Friday Romania deployed a new wildfire specialist unit
    to Greece. Ninety Romanian fire-fighters replaced their colleagues who took
    part in a similar mission in the past 2 weeks, under the EU Civil Protection
    Mechanism.


    BORDERS The Border Police Inspectorate announced that measures to reduce
    traffic congestion at checkpoints on the Romanian-Hungarian and
    Romanian-Bulgarian borders continue this weekend. The institution announced
    that personnel will be increased to the maximum capacity allowed by the
    existing infrastructure, and mobile check units will be used. Around 3,800 border
    police will be working every day at checkpoints around the country. The border
    police also recommend the use of the Trafic On-line app on www.politiadefrontiera.ro,
    to check out live estimates on waiting times. (AMP)

  • April 25, 2023

    April 25, 2023

    VISIT The
    president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is on an official visit to Argentina
    today, the last stage of his south-American tour which also included Brazil and
    Chile. He will be received by his Argentinian counterpart, Alberto Fernandez. President
    Iohannis will affirm Romania’s willingness to work with Argentina in promoting shared
    foreign policy goals, including the two countries’ position on Russia’s war of
    aggression against Ukraine, and on its consequences at various levels. The
    talks will also touch on the need to work together to mitigate the negative
    effects of the pandemic on sustainable development, the challenges and
    opportunities of cooperation in various regional formats, the importance of
    consolidating democracy in Latin America and of strengthening the bi-regional
    partnership with the EU. The two leaders will also discuss concrete avenues to
    consolidate and broaden cooperation in key sectors such as energy, trade, IT&C,
    cyber security, agriculture, education, the environment, emergency situations
    and maritime security. A memorandum of agreement will be signed on this
    occasion between the Department for Emergency Situations within the Romanian
    Interior Ministry and the White Helmets, the Argentinian agency in charge of international
    cooperation and humanitarian assistance. A bilateral cooperation document will
    also be signed in the field of agriculture research. This visit by president Iohannis
    in Argentina is the first at this level in 30 years.


    FILM Bucharest is
    hosting today the Gopo Awards Gala, celebrating the Romanian film industry achievements
    this past year. The 17th edition of the even brings together over 900
    Romanian film personalities. The nominations for the best fiction feature
    include ‘Metronome’, ‘Immaculate’, ‘Men of Deeds’, ‘Miracle’, ‘Blue Moon’, ‘You
    Are Ceauşescu to Me’. Alina Grigorei (‘Blue Moon’), Monica Stan and George
    Chiper-Lillemark (‘Immaculate’), Alexandru Belc (‘Metronome’), Bogdan George
    Apetri (‘Miracle’) and Paul Negoescu (‘Men of Deeds’) are nominated for best
    director. The audience award, granted to the Romanian production with the best
    box office performance, will go this year to ‘Teambuilding’, directed by Matei
    Dima, Cosmin Nedelcu and Alex Coteţ. Actor Mircea Andreescu and actress Ioana
    Crăciunescu will receive Gopo lifetime achievement awards.


    SANCTIONS A political agreement on sanctions against actors
    that work to destabilise the constitutional order in the Republic of Moldova
    was adopted in Luxembourg on Monday by the EU foreign ministers. The Romanian
    diplomacy chief, Bogdan Aurescu, emphasised that any measure designed to
    improve security in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova would also benefit
    Romania. Bucharest, he added, is already working with the authorities in Chişinău
    on a first list of people to be subject to these sanctions.


    MIGRANTS
    Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, will be on an official visit to
    Romania on Wednesday for bilateral talks with his Romanian counterpart Lucian
    Bode, the Austrian mass media report. The main topic of discussion will be
    migration in the EU, with a focus on fighting migrant smuggling and asylum
    abuses, as well as protecting the EU borders. Last year the Austrian official
    opposed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession, on grounds that Romania was
    on the Balkan illegal migration route. The allegation was denied at the time by
    the Romanian government and by EU institutions, including the EUROPOL.


    TENNIS Two
    Romanian players, Ana Bogdan and Sorana Cirstea, are playing today in the first
    round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. Another Romanian Irina Begu (seed
    no 31), will play straight in the second round, against the winner of the match
    pitting Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) against Karolina Muchova (the Czech Republic).
    Also in Madrid, Jaqueline Cristian will take on Sloane Stephens (US), while Gabriela
    Ruse faces Leolia Jeanjean (France) today, in the last qualifier round of the
    Madrid tournament. (AMP)

  • April 23, 2023 UPDATE

    April 23, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT The international community has a
    duty to support Ukraine, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and his Chilean
    counterpart Gabriel Boric said in Santiago de
    Chile. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, president Boric condemned
    the war and expressed his country’s solidarity with Ukraine. Mr. Iohannis announced that the first Romanian language department in Latin
    America will be established this year at Universidad de Chile. During the
    visit, a memorandum was signed concerning cooperation in emergency situations,
    such as earthquakes and wildfires. Previously, president Iohannis was in
    Brazil, and the last stage of his south-American tour is Argentina.


    SPENDING Romanian authorities are looking at a plan to
    reduce public spending, which will be endorsed by the government in an
    emergency order next week, after the
    measures have been approved in a meeting of the ruling coalition made up of the
    Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Both the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Social
    Democratic finance minister, Adrian Câciu, promised that salaries and
    investments would not be cut, nor would additional taxes and charges be
    introduced. In the last government meeting, held a few days ago, PM Ciucă called
    on large-scale taxpayers to meet their obligations to the budget, and urged fiscal
    authorities to ensure tax collection.


    REFUGEES Nearly 266,000 Romanian and foreign
    citizens Saturday crossed in and out of Romania, the border police announced.
    According to a news release issued on Sunday, out of the over 112,000 people
    who entered Romania, 8,784 were Ukrainian nationals. Since February
    10, 2022, two weeks before the start of the Russian invasion of that country,
    more than 4 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them
    transited the country en route to Western Europe,
    but over 100,000 have chosen to stay here. The government of Romania decided
    that private citizens that host Ukrainian refugees will only be refunded
    accommodation and meal expenses until the end of this month. As of May 1, the
    people coming into Romania from Ukraine will receive directly a fixed amount to
    cover immediate accommodation and food expenses for 4 months. The money will be
    paid from the funds of emergency inspectorates. After this 4-month period,
    financial aid will only be provided for accommodation, until the end of this
    year, and the refugees are encouraged to enrol with Romanian employment
    agencies in order to benefit from the same rights and benefits as Romanian
    nationals.


    EDUCATION Trade unions in the public education sector intend to step
    up protests primarily concerning staff salaries, after the Government announced
    plans to cut down budget spending, including a freeze on salaries and hiring in
    the public sector. Major trade union federations in the sector threaten that
    the current school year might be ended sooner than scheduled, as they are
    considering an all-out strike as of May 22. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, they
    will be picketing the government headquarters, and on May 10 a protest rally is
    scheduled in Bucharest. The education minister, Ligia Deca, said she was
    confident solutions would be found to avoid a strike.


    HOLIDAY Christians Sunday celebrated St. George, who is also
    the patron saint of the Romanian Land Forces. According to tradition, St.
    George was a high-ranking soldier in the Roman Army under Emperor Diocletian, who
    was tortured and sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith.
    St George is one of the most venerated saints in Christianity, and a large
    number of settlements have claimed him as a patron saint. Over 1 million
    Romanians bear his name.


    COIN The National Bank of Romania Monday releases a celebratory
    silver coin on the occasion of the 90th birthday anniversary of the
    great poet Nichita Stănescu. The coins will be accompanied by authenticity
    certificates and presentation leaflets in Romanian, English and French. The 5,000
    coins will be sold for EUR 90 per piece.


    SPORTS The Romanian athlete Denis Florin Mihai won the
    bronze in the 55 kg Greco-Roman wrestling category at the European championships
    held in Zagreb, Croatia, after defeating Bulgaria’s Stefan Hristov Grigorov. Before
    the last day of the competition, Romania had won a total of 5 medals, including
    2 gold ones, for Andreea Beatrice Ana, in the 55 kg and Alexandra Nicoleta
    Anghel in the 72 kg categories, and 3 bronze ones, won by Cătălina Axente in
    the 76 kilo, Kriszta Tunde Incze in the 65 kg category, and Denis Florin Mihai.
    At the previous edition, hosted by Budapest, Hungary, Romania won 4 medals, including
    one gold (Andreea Ana – 55 kg), one silver (Nicu Ojog – 97 kg Greco-Roman), and
    two bronze (Alina Vuc -55 kg and Kriszta Incze – 65 kg). (AMP)

  • April 23, 2023

    April 23, 2023

    VISIT The international community has a
    duty to support Ukraine, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and his Chilean
    counterpart Gabriel Boric said in Santiago de
    Chile. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, president Boric condemned
    the war and expressed his country’s solidarity with Ukraine. Mr. Iohannis announced that the first Romanian language chair in Latin
    America will be established this year at Universidad de Chile. During the
    visit, a memorandum was signed concerning cooperation in emergency situations,
    such as earthquakes and wildfires. Previously, president Iohannis was in
    Brazil, and from Chile he is next to go to Argentina.


    SPENDING Romanian authorities are looking at a plan to
    reduce public spending, which will be endorsed by the government in an
    emergency order next week, after the
    measures have been approved in a meeting of the ruling coalition made up of the
    Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Both the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Social
    Democratic finance minister, Adrian Câciu, promised that salaries and
    investments would not be cut, nor would additional taxes and charges be
    introduced. In the last government meeting, held a few days ago, PM Ciucă called
    on large-scale taxpayers to meet their obligations to the budget, and urged fiscal
    authorities to ensure tax collection.


    REFUGEES Nearly 266,000 Romanian and foreign
    citizens Saturday crossed in and out of Romania, the border police announced.
    According to a news release issued on Sunday, out of the over 112,000 people
    who entered Romania, 8,784 were Ukrainian nationals. Since February
    10, 2022, two weeks before the start of the Russian invasion of that country,
    more than 4 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them
    transited the country en route to Western Europe,
    but over 100,000 have chosen to stay here. The government of Romania decided
    that private citizens that host Ukrainian refugees will only be refunded
    accommodation and meal expenses until the end of this month. As of May 1, the
    people coming into Romania from Ukraine will receive directly a fixed amount to
    cover immediate accommodation and food expenses for 4 months. The money will be
    paid from the funds of emergency inspectorates. After this 4-month period,
    financial aid will only be provided for accommodation, until the end of this
    year, and the refugees are encouraged to enrol with Romanian employment
    agencies in order to benefit from the same rights and benefits as Romanian
    nationals.


    HOLIDAY Christians are celebrating St. George today, who is
    also the patron saint of the Romanian Land Forces. According to tradition, St.
    George was a high-ranking soldier in the Roman Army under Emperor Diocletian, who
    was tortured and sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith.
    St George is one of the most venerated saints in Christianity, and a large
    number of settlements have claimed him as a patron saint. Over 1 million
    Romanians bear his name.


    SPORTS The Romanian athlete Denis Florin Mihai won the
    bronze in the 55 kg Greco-Roman wrestling category at the European championships
    held in Zagreb, Croatia, after defeating Bulgaria’s Stefan Hristov Grigorov. Before
    the last day of the competition, Romania had won a total of 5 medals, including
    2 gold ones, for Andreea Beatrice Ana, in the 55 kg and Alexandra Nicoleta
    Anghel in the 72 kg categories, and 3 bronze ones, won by Cătălina Axente in
    the 76 kilo, Kriszta Tunde Incze in the 65 kg category, and Denis Florin Mihai.
    At the previous edition, hosted by Budapest, Hungary, Romania won 4 medals, including
    one gold (Andreea Ana – 55 kg), one silver (Nicu Ojog – 97 kg Greco-Roman), and
    two bronze (Alina Vuc -55 kg and Kriszta Incze – 65 kg). (AMP)

  • April 19, 2023

    April 19, 2023

    VISIT The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis is carrying on his visit to Brazil today. He travels to Rio
    de Janeiro, where he has meetings scheduled with the deputy governor and the deputy
    mayor of the city, and will pay tribute to the World War II heroes. On Monday, Mr.
    Iohannis met with his counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two officials
    signed a joint statement on the development of bilateral relations. Klaus
    Iohannis assured his counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of Romania’s
    support for advancing the EU – Brazil agenda through projects designed to
    benefit citizens. This is the first stage of the Romanian president’s
    south-American tour, which also includes Chile and Argentina. The goal is to rekindle
    the top-level dialogue with these countries and to present Romania’s position,
    as an EU and NATO member, with respect to the war launched by Russia in
    neighbouring Ukraine.


    AGRICULTURE A
    simple motion tabled by the opposition against the agriculture minister Petre
    Daea has been dismissed in the Chamber of Deputies today. The motion was
    discussed in parliament on Tuesday. The initiators argued that
    Daea
    was directly responsible for the steep rise in the prices of basic foodstuffs, for
    the poor handling of the swine fever and avian influenza crises, and also for
    the failure to secure EU funding for the Romanian farmers affected by the grain
    imports from Ukraine. The agriculture minister said none of the allegations
    were based on actual figures. On the other hand, he is set to discuss with his
    Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solskyi today, about the situation created by the duty-free
    Ukrainian grain imports to the EU. Last week, Poland and Hungary, followed by
    Slovakia, announced a temporary ban on these imports. Poland also suspended
    grain transit on its territory, but following talks between the two parties an
    agreement was reached on Tuesday to resume transit, provided that the grains
    are not sold in that country. Hungary also announced that Ukrainian grain
    shipments would be sealed and monitored while on Hungarian territory. In
    Bucharest, the Social Democratic Party intends to persuade the ruling coalition
    to temporarily suspend these imports, in order to protect Romanian farmers, in
    the absence of sufficient compensation from the European Commission. Brussels
    on the other hand finds the measure unacceptable and has called for coordinated
    decisions, while promising a new aid package for the affected farmers.


    ART Since the
    start of the Timisoara – 2023 European Capital of Culture programme this
    February, over 12,000 Romanian and foreign art lovers have visited the National
    Art Museum in Timişoara, western Romania, to see the first retrospective
    exhibition devoted to Victor Brauner. Probably no other exhibition in the
    history of the museum has attracted so many visitors as ‘Victor Brauner: Inventions
    and magic did in only two months, the museum director Filip Petcu said on
    Monday. Some 100 works, including paintings, drawings, sketches, etchings and
    documents by the Romanian surrealist artist are on display in Timişoara. Of
    these, 40 are on loan from the Pompidou Centre in Paris, while others have been
    made available by Saint-Etienne Metropole, Musee Cantini Marseilles and other
    museums or private collections in Romania and abroad.


    FINANCE One of
    the indicators taken into account by Fitch Agency when improving Bucharest’s
    long-term issuer default rating was the adjustment of expenditure to revenues, the
    mayor Nicuşor Dan announced on Wednesday. In a Facebook post, he says that the
    municipality’s efforts to achieve financial stability are beginning to yield
    fruit, given that Fitch has improved Bucharest’s standalone credit profile from
    ‘BBB+’ to ‘A’, a class higher than the national rating, which means a good
    capacity to meet financial obligations. On April 15, Fitch Ratings reconfirmed
    Bucharest’s ‘BBB-‘ ratings for long-term foreign and local currency debt and
    upgraded the outlook from negative to stable. Last month Fitch had also
    reconfirmed Romania’s BBB-/F3 rating for long and short-term foreign currency
    debt and upgraded the outlook from negative to stable. With a population of approx.
    2.16 million, Bucharest accounts for over 30% of
    Romania’s economy, and its local wealth level is more than four times the
    national average.



    USA
    Fox News, the TV channel of choice of US Conservatives, has agreed to pay USD
    787.5 million to the voting technology company Dominion, after a last-minute
    settlement to avoid a lawsuit concerning its coverage of the 2020 presidential
    elections, France Presse reports. Dominion had originally claimed USD 1.6 bln.
    The settlement saves the pearl of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire from what the New
    York Times described as the defamation trial of the century. The lawsuit was generally
    viewed in the US as a test for the limits of the freedom of expression
    guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and of the fight
    against misinformation. (AMP)