Radio România Internațional

Tag: roaming charges

April 9, 2017 UPDATE

UNIFIED PAY LAW – The unified pay law for state sector employees will be submitted to Parliament on Sunday, for debate, so it may take effect as of July 1. The bill creates equal conditions for all those who carry out the same activity and have the same seniority. Another principle is that of creating a scale, a hierarchy, for heads of institutions not to have smaller salaries than their subordinates. The bill also sets a timetable for the pay- rises to be made in the following years. The ratio between the smallest and the highest salary in the Romanian state sector will be 1/12. The political opposition in Bucharest contests this unified pay law drafted by the coalition Government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, saying it is unrealistic, as there is not enough money to cover all pay rises. In turn, the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, says the pay-rises are necessary but they should be kept in check, given that Romania managed to secure the current economic and financial balance at high costs.

STOCKHOLM ATTACK VICTIM – Bishop Macarie Dragoi, the representative of the Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe on Sunday visited the Romanian woman who got injured in Fridays Stockholm attack. The woman, 83, was hit by fragments of concrete projected by the truck which rammed into a group of people. She suffered a double leg fracture. The Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe writes in a communiqué that bishop Macarie has encouraged the woman and assured her of his entire support. 4 people got killed and 15 others were wounded in the Stockholm attack. The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the attack and reiterated Romanias commitment to the effort of combating all forms of terrorism.

HOLY WEEK – Christian believers the world over, among which those in Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, on Monday enter the Holy Week, the week immediately before Easter. The Holy Week, was preceded by Palm Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday, thousands of Orthodox and Catholic believers attended the traditional Palm Sunday processions, carrying icons, willow tree branches and flowers. This year, orthodox and Catholic believers will celebrate Easter at the same time.

ROAMING CHARGES – As of June 15, roaming charges will no longer be applied to European citizens travelling to another EU member state. Thus, the Europeans will be able to call, text and go online in another EU country without paying extra-charges. European mobile users will thus be charged the same price for using their phone while abroad as they pay in their country of residence. The European Commission has taken action for 10 years to reduce and finally eliminate extra-charges imposed by telecommunication operators, and last week, the European MPs eliminated the last obstacle in the effort to completely eliminate roaming charges.

ROAD TAXES – The National Road Company of Romania intends to notify the European Commission relative to the new system of cashing in road taxes instated by Bulgaria. Sofia eliminated the possibility of purchasing the road vignette from petrol stations, a move which results in long queues of trucks at the Giurgiu-Ruse border checkpoint between Romania and Bulgaria. According to the company, the Bulgarian side has so far rejected all proposals made by Romania in an effort to ease traffic. Giurgiu-Ruse is the main border checkpoint between Romania and Bulgaria, and is transited by over 1,000 trucks a day.

CHURCH BOMBINGS – The Islamic State Jihadist group has claimed responsibility for Sundays church bombings in Egypt, which left scores of dead and over 100 others injured. The bombings hit two Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria, respectively, while the believers were celebrating Palm Sunday. Coptic believers are making up the largest Christian community in the Middle East, accounting for some 10% of the total population of 92 million Egyptians.

SYRIA – Russian and Iranian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rohani, respectively, on Sunday had a phone conversation, condemning the recent US strikes on a Syrian air-base. The US cruise missile strikes came in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in north-western Syria.Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rohani have underlined the US aggressive actions against a sovereign state are unacceptable and running counter to the rule of law. The two presidents called for an objective investigation to be made in order to cast light on the circumstances in which the chemical attack occurred. Russia and Iran are the main supporters of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has said on CNN that President Donald Trump does not rule out the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Russia and Iran for the support they provide to the Syrian leader. Washington made public its intention to launch further attacks if need be, but it expressed hope this will not be necessary.

9 April 2017
April 9, 2017

PALM SUNDAY – Christian believers the world over are celebrating Palm Sunday, marking Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, before He was crucified. This religious feast also marks the beginning of the last week of Lent. On Saturday, thousands of believers in Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, attended the traditional Palm Sunday Procession, carrying icons, willow tree branches and flowers. The icons and flowers symbolise “virtues gathered in the soul as flowers of light, during Lent.

STOCKHOLM ATTACK VICTIM – Bishop Macarie Dragoi, the representative of the Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe has visited the Romanian woman who got injured in the Stockholm attack in Sweden, a couple of days ago. The woman, 83, was hit by fragments of concrete projected by the truck which rammed into a group of people. She suffered a double leg fracture. The Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe writes in a communiqué that bishop Macarie has encouraged the woman and assured her of his entire support. 4 people got killed and 15 others were wounded in the Stockholm attack. The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the attack and reiterated Romanias commitment to the effort of combating all forms of terrorism.

ROAD TAXES – The National Road Company of Romania intends to notify the European Commission relative to the new system of cashing in road taxes instated by Bulgaria. Sofia eliminated the possibility of purchasing the road vignette from petrol stations, a move which results in long queues of trucks at the Giurgiu-Ruse border checkpoint between Romania and Bulgaria. According to the company, the Bulgarian side has so far rejected all proposals made by Romania in an effort to ease traffic. Giurgiu-Ruse is the main border checkpoint between Romania and Bulgaria, and is transited by over 1,000 trucks a day.

ROAMING CHARGES – As of June 15, roaming charges will no longer be applied to European citizens travelling to another EU member state. Thus, the Europeans will be able to call, text and go online in another EU country without paying extra-charges. European mobile users will thus be charged the same price for using their phone while abroad as they pay in their country of residence. The European Commission has taken action for 10 years to reduce and finally eliminate extra-charges imposed by telecommunication operators, and last week, the European MPs eliminated the last obstacle in the effort to completely eliminate roaming charges.

SYRIA WAR– Russian foreign minister, Serghei Lavrov, and US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, have had a phone conversation on the situation in Syria. The talk is to continue in Moscow next week. On Friday, Washington carried out a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base, in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in northwestern Syria. The White House blames the chemical attack on the forces loyal to the Syrian president. According to a communiqué issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov underlined that “an attack on a state whose Government fights against terrorism unfolds according to the extremists expectations, creating additional threats to regional and global stability. Also, Moscow dispels accusations levelled against the Syrian army which reportedly used chemical weapons against civilians in the Idlib province, on April 4, saying these accusations do not match reality. Washington made public its intention to launch further attacks if need be, but it expressed hope this will not be necessary. Romania, which supports all efforts meant to put an end to the conflict, considers the American intervention in Syria is a firm reaction to the atrocities committed by the regime of Bashar al-Assad. As of March 2011, Syria has been ravaged by revolts, which have been stifled violently and by a military conflict between the security services subordinated to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the opposition forces and terrorist groups, among which the Islamic State. The death toll of the conflict stands at over 270,000.

9 April 2017
April 30, 2016 UPDATE

POLL – 68 % of the Romanians believe Easter should be celebrated simultaneously by the Orthodox and Catholic believers, a poll conducted by IRES shows. This option is endorsed mostly by respondents over 65, living in urban areas, as well as by Romanian nationals living in the central region of Transylvania and Banat, in the south east, regions which are home to many mixed Orthodox and Catholic families. 87% of the respondents say they will attend the Easter Mass. The poll was conducted in April, on a nation-wide representative sample of 1,240 people aged over 18, with an error margin of plus/minus 2.8%.

LUMEN INFINITUM– Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide, including Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, on Saturday to Sunday night celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Jerusalem, the Holy Fire Mass was celebrated on Saturday. In an annual unique orthodox ritual, the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem came out of the Holy Sepulchre with candles lit and shared the light, called “lumen infinitum”. On Good Friday, the Passion of Christ was remembered by the Orthodox believers. Hundreds of people in Targu Jiu, southern Romania, symbolically retraced “Via Dolorosa” or the Way of Suffering, marching in the longest such procession in Europe.

ROYAL CELEBRATION- Romania’s Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, alongside officials and members of other European Royal Houses, attended a series of events held in Stockholm to mark the 70th anniversary of King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu who started an official visit to Sweden on Friday, will also attend a special mass on the second Easter day, at the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric and will meet with members of the Romanian community. This is the third official visit abroad by Romania’s royal family this year, after those to Turkey and the Republic of Moldova. The Royal House recalls that King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden and Queen Silvia paid a state visit to Romania back in 2003.

NEW UCC — The new Union Customs Code, which comes into force on May 1, across the EU, including Romania, will make life simpler for businesses that trade in Europe, such as a reduced number of customs checks. According to the head of Romania’s General Customs Directorate, Claudiu Ardeleanu, some companies will benefit from a reduction and even the elimination of warrantees, or the postponement of paying the VAT at the customs points. Also on May 1, an electronic system will be implemented to facilitate exchanges of information between the customs authorities, as well as between entrepreneurs and customs officers. Thus, the European Commission hopes to reduce tax evasion in the field of cross-border trade, which currently stands at 50 billion Euros a year.

ROAMING CHARGES CUT– Mobile phone roaming charges were cut within the European Union on Saturday, in a last stage preceding their complete elimination in mid 2017. The maximum overcharge will be of five cents per minute for calls, two cents for texting, and five cents per MB for people downloading data – such as emails, pictures or social media.

FLYOVER CLARIFICATIONS — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that it is in permanent and direct contact with the Government in Chishinau, on the presence of a Romanian aircraft over Transdniester, a pro-Russian separatist region in the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian Foreign Ministry’s announcement comes shortly after the authorities in the separatist region claimed their airspace has been violated and activated their anti-aircraft warfare. The ministry makes clear the aircraft belongs to a private company based in Romania, which won a tender to conduct mapping and do a digital model of the relief of the Republic of Moldova. Complete information on this mission has been sent in due time to the authorities in Chishinau.

CAR BOMBING– Over 21 Shia pilgrims were killed in a car bombing on Saturday, on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital city, Baghdad. The so-called Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Shia pilgrims, considered to be heretics by the Islamic State, were on their way to a shrine near Baghdad, the BBC reports.

MEDIA 2020 CONFERENCE AND CONCERT-The second Media 2020 Conference hosted by Beijing, China, has come to a close. Organised by Radio Romania and the Asia Broadcasting Union, the event was aimed at delivering rich content across a range of platforms. The conference ended with a special gift offered by radio Romania to the participants of the conference: a concert by the outstanding Romanian musical duo- violinist Gabriel Croitoru and pianist Horia Mihail. The performance included pieces by famous European composers such as F. Kreisler, E.Elgar and Pablo de Sarasate as well as by the prominent Romanian composer and violinist, George Enescu. The programme was named after the great composer, The Violin of George Enescu, since Gabriel Croitoru played Enescu’s violin. Gabriel Croitoru and Horia Mihail won over the audience with their high professionalism and style.

HANDBALL — Romania’s national women’s handball team will play Angola, Brazil, Montenegro, Spain and Norway in the Olympic Games Group A due this summer, following the drawing of lots in Rio de Janeiro, on Friday evening. Group B is made up of: Holland, Russia, Sweden, France, Argentina and South Korea. The Olympic handball tour will start on August 6, and the opening match will be played by Romania and Angola. To go past the group stage, the Romanian handball players will have to rank on one of the fourth positions. The women’s final is scheduled for August 20.

(Translated by Diana Vijeu)

30 April 2016
April 30, 2016

LUMEN INFINITUM– Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide, including Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, are today celebrating Holy Saturday, the day before Easter and the last day of Holy Week in which Christians prepare for Easter. It commemorates the day that Jesus Christs body lay in the tomb and the Harrowing of Hell. In Jerusalem, the Holy Fire Mass is celebrated today. It is a unique orthodox annual ritual, during which the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem comes out of the Holy Sepulchre with candles lit and shares the light, called “lumen infinitum”. A delegation of the Romanian Patriarchate will bring over the Holy Light from Jerusalem to Romania, by a special plane. Yesterday, on Good Friday, the Passion of Christ was remembered by the Orthodox believers. Hundreds of people in Targu Jiu, southern Romania, symbolically retraced “Via Dolorosa” or the Way of Suffering, marching in the longest such procession in Europe.

POLL – 68 % of the Romanians believe Easter should be celebrated simultaneously by the Orthodox and Catholic believers, a poll conducted by IRES shows. This option is endorsed mostly by respondents over 65, living in urban areas, as well as by Romanian nationals living in the central region of Transylvania and Banat, in the south east, regions which are home to many mixed Orthodox and Catholic families. 87% of the respondents say they will attend the Easter Mass. The poll was conducted in April, on a nation-wide representative sample of 1,240 people aged over 18, with an error margin of plus/minus 2.8%.

ROYAL CELEBRATION- Romania’s Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, alongside officials and members of other European Royal Houses, are currently in Stockholm to attend a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu who started an official visit to Sweden on Friday, will also attend a special mass on the second Easter day, at the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric and will meet with members of the Romanian community. This is the third official visit abroad by Romania’s royal family this year, after those to Turkey and the Republic of Moldova. The Royal House recalls that King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden and Queen Silvia paid a state visit to Romania back in 2003.

FLYOVER CLARIFICATIONS — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that it is in permanent and direct contact with the Government in Chishinau, on the presence of a Romanian aircraft over Transdniester, a pro-Russian separatist region in the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian Foreign Ministry’s announcement comes shortly after the authorities in the separatist region claimed their airspace has been violated and activated their anti-aircraft warfare. The ministry makes clear the aircraft belongs to a private company based in Romania, which won a tender to conduct mapping and do a digital model of the relief of the Republic of Moldova. Complete information on this mission has been sent in due time to the authorities in Chishinau.

ROAMING CHARGES CUT– Mobile phone roaming charges are today cut within the European Union, in a last stage preceding their complete elimination in mid 2017. The maximum overcharge will be of five cents per minute for calls, two cents for texting, and five cents per MB for people downloading data – such as emails, pictures or social media.

BOXING-Romanian Lucian Bute will return to the boxing ring on Sunday morning. In a boxing gala hosted by Washington, Bute will fight Swedish boxer Badou Jack for the WBC super middleweight belt. Lucian Bute, 36, is the former super middleweight champion in the IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four years and a half. If he wins, Bute will become the only Romanian boxer to hold two world titles in the two boxing versions. Jack Badou, 32, defends his WBC belt for the second time.

HANDBALL — Romania’s national women’s handball team will play Angola, Brazil, Montenegro, Spain and Norway in the Olympic Games Group A due this summer, following the drawing of lots in Rio de Janeiro, on Friday evening. Group B is made up of: Holland, Russia, Sweden, France, Argentina and South Korea. The Olympic handball tour will start on August 6, and the opening match will be played by Romania and Angola. To go past the group stage, the Romanian handball players will have to rank on one of the fourth positions. The women’s final is scheduled for August 20.

(Translated bu Diana Vijeu)

30 April 2016