Radio România Internațional

Tag: scorcher

  • August 5, 2018 UPDATE

    August 5, 2018 UPDATE

    ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCY – The Romanian Justice Ministry on Monday starts a new selection procedure for the position of head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. It will unfold until September 6, when the results are made public. The procedure started in July hasnt been finalised, because all four candidacies have been rejected by the justice minister, Tudorel Toader. The position of chief prosecutor became vacant last month, when president Klaus Iohannis revoked Laura Codruta Kovesi, being compelled to make this decision following a ruling issued by the Constitutional Court. Since then, the interim head of the anti-corruption agency has been prosecutor Anca Jurma, a former counsellor of Laura Codruta Kovesi.



    ELLIE WIESEL – The Romanian Foreign Ministry expresses regret and firmly condemns any anti-Semitic gestures, after the Memorial House of the late Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, was vandalised. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry condemns any behavioural slippage and discourse which promotes intolerance and xenophobia. The Romanian Police has started an investigation, after anti-Semitic comments in pink paint were scrawled on the facade of the “Elie Wiesel Memorial House in Sighetu Marmaţiei, on Friday to Saturday night. In 2016, the Romanian born American writer and philosopher Elie Wiesel received the distinction of Honorary Citizen (post – mortem) of Maramureş County.





    BREXIT- British trade minister Liam Fox said intransigence from the European Union was pushing Britain towards a no-deal Brexit, in an interview published Saturday by the Sunday Times.
    “With less than eight months until Britain quits the EU, the government has yet to agree a deal with Brussels and has stepped up planning for the possibility of leaving the bloc without any formal agreement, Reuters reports. “Fox, promising Brexit supporter in Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet, put the odds of Britain leaving the European Union without agreeing to deal over their future relationship at 60-40. If Britain fails to agree on the terms of its divorce with the EU, it will return to trade under the World Trade Organization rules in March 2019 without even a transitional arrangement. Most economists think this would cause serious harm to the world’s No.5 economy, as trade with the EU, Britain’s largest market, would become subject to


    tariffs, Reuters also reports.


    SCORCHER– Over 1,000 fire-fighters are making sustained efforts to put out wildfires in Portugal and Spain, where temperatures exceed 46 degrees Celsius. The Iberian peninsula is under code red alert. The Portuguese region of Algarve, well known for its beautiful beaches, as of Friday has been affected by wildfires, the most powerful on the peninsula. The current wave of high temperatures favours the spreading of fire. In Spain, over 1,000 people had to flee their homes and travel destinations in Marbella, because of the high risk posed by wildfires. Other countries are also affected by scorcher. Traffic has been temporarily halted on the highway linking France and Spain, in the region of Jonquera, in the Pyrenees, after a fire which broke out on the French-Spanish border. In the Netherlands, several highway segments have been closed because of high temperatures and in France, four nuclear reactors have been halted for safety reasons.



    SWINE FEVER – Two new African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed in Galati county, south-eastern Romania. Meanwhile, two pig farms in Tulcea, the most affected county, have been taken out of quarantine, after the test results were negative, and the approximately 4,000 pigs there can be used for consumption. Some 60,000 animals have been slaughtered in Tulcea county alone, in an effort to contain the spread of the epidemic. Nationwide, some 550 African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed so far, in some 100 small towns and villages in 8 counties. In south-eastern Romania, the swine fever is spreading at a very fast pace, experts from the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority have warned. African swine fever is not transmittable to humans, but it has a huge social and economic impact. The epidemic has had an explosive evolution since its outbreak, in early June.



    KABUL- NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan on Sunday announced that three of its soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan. A US military and two Afghan soldiers were also injured in the attack. Afghan officials announced the blast occurred in the region of Parwan and said the suicide bomber targeted foreign forces on a patrol mission. The attack has been claimed by the Taliban, who fight for the reintroduction of the strict Islamic law in Afghanistan after they were removed from power in 2001.



    SPORTS – On Sunday Romania got a silver medal, won by the mens pair and a bronze medal by the mens eight, at the European Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain. On Saturday the Romanians won three gold medals, by the womens eight, the mens four and the mens pair, a sliver medal by the womens four and a bronze medal by the mens pair. Romanian rowers are topping the medals table at the European Championships. Also in Glasgow, Denisa Golgota, the only Romanian gymnast competing in the seniors apparatus pieces finals at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, got a bronze medal in the vault event.

  • August 5, 2018

    August 5, 2018

    UPDATE (14.12): NATO’s Resolute
    Support Mission in Afghanistan on Sunday announced that three of its soldiers
    were killed by
    a suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan. A US military and two Afghan soldiers
    were also injured in the attack. Afghan officials announced the blast occurred
    in the region of Parwan and said the suicide bomber targeted foreign forces on a
    patrol mission. The attack has been claimed by the Taliban, who fight for the reintroduction
    of the strict Islamic law in Afghanistan after they were removed from power in
    2001.


    NAVY DAY – Celebrations of the Romanian Navy Day have started in Galati, south-eastern Romania with an anniversary concert given by the band of the Romanian Naval Forces. This is the first in a series of events to be held this year, for the first time in seven cities across the country: Constanţa, Galaţi, Mangalia, Tulcea, Brăila, Bucharest and Cernavodă. Celebrations will be held in the coming days in all the countrys military ports and will culminate with a big naval show in Constanta, on August 15. All throughout this period, tens of ships and vessels, armament and military equipment will be put on show, for visitors. Navy Day is also an opportunity for the representatives of navy education institutions to make public their educational offer. The event will be held on Constantas seafront on Monday. The timetable of events marking Navy Day will be completed by military ceremonies, exhibitions, shows and scuba diving workshops.



    SCORCHER– Over 1,000 fire-fighters are making sustained efforts to put out wildfires in Portugal and Spain, where temperatures exceed 46 degrees Celsius. The Iberian peninsula is under code red alert. The Portuguese region of Algarve, well known for its beautiful beaches, as of Friday has been affected by wildfires, the most powerful on the peninsula. The current wave of high temperatures favours the spreading of fire. In Spain, over 1,000 people had to flee their homes and travel destinations in Marbella, because of the high risk posed by wildfires. Other countries are also affected by scorcher. Traffic has been temporarily halted on the highway linking France and Spain, in the region of Jonquera, in the Pyrenees, after a fire which broke out on the French-Spanish border. In the Netherlands, several highway segments have been closed because of high temperatures and in France, four nuclear reactors have been halted for safety reasons. Red and orange code alerts are still valid today in several European countries, including the Swiss Alps. Three people died in Spain and another one in Italy because of heat.



    SWINE FEVER – Two new African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed in Galati county, south-eastern Romania. Meanwhile, two pig farms in Tulcea, the most affected county, have been taken out of quarantine, after the test results were negative, and the approximately 4,000 pigs there can be used for consumption. Some 60,000 animals have been slaughtered in Tulcea county alone, in an effort to contain the spread of the epidemic. Nationwide, some 550 African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed so far, in some 100 small towns and villages in 8 counties. In south-eastern Romania, the swine fever is spreading at a very fast pace, experts from the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority have warned. African swine fever is not transmittable to humans, but it has a huge social and economic impact. The epidemic has had an explosive evolution since its outbreak, in early June.





    BREXIT- British trade minister Liam Fox said intransigence from the European Union was pushing Britain towards a no-deal Brexit, in an interview published Saturday by the Sunday Times.
    “With less than eight months until Britain quits the EU, the government has yet to agree a deal with Brussels and has stepped up planning for the possibility of leaving the bloc without any formal agreement, Reuters reports. “Fox, promising Brexit supporter in Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet, put the odds of Britain leaving the European Union without agreeing to deal over their future relationship at 60-40. If Britain fails to agree on the terms of its divorce with the EU, it will return to trade under the World Trade Organization rules in March 2019 without even a transitional arrangement. Most economists think this would cause serious harm to the world’s No.5 economy, as trade with the EU, Britain’s largest market, would become subject to


    tariffs, Reuters also reports.


    ELLIE WIESEL – The Romanian Foreign Ministry
    expresses regret and firmly condemns any anti-Semitic gestures, after the Memorial
    House of the late Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel,
    was vandalised. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry condemns any behavioural
    slippage and discourse which promotes intolerance and xenophobia. The Romanian
    Police has started an investigation, after anti-Semitic comments in pink paint
    were scrawled on the facade of the Elie Wiesel Memorial House in Sighetu
    Marmaţiei, on Friday to Saturday night. In 2016, the Romanian born American writer
    and philosopher Elie Wiesel received the distinction of Honorary Citizen (post
    – mortem) of Maramureş County.

    UNTOLD – The largest electronic music festival in Romania, “Untold, hosted by the western Romanian city of Cluj Napoca is coming to a close. Performing on the 10 stages of the festival have been over 250 musicians and performs. The main stage has been two times larger than last year, by over 80 m wider and 31 m higher. The guests of the Untold festival included The Chainsmokers, Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Tujamo şi Afrojack. For the first time, concerts were broadcast live on YouTube. According to the organisers, hundreds of thousands of spectators from both the country and abroad have come to Cluj, for this years edition of the festival. Over 1,100 gendarmes, policemen, fire-fighters and medical staff have ensured order, public and health safety measures.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu (no.24 WTA) is today facing Greeces Maria Sakkari (no.49 WTA), in the finals of the San Jose tennis tournament in California, with some 800,000 USD in prize money up for grabs. On Saturday in the semi-finals, Sakkari defeated American Danielle Collins (no.42 WTA), whereas Mihaela outperformed Belgiums Elise Mertens (no.15 WTA). In the doubles, Buzărnescu and British Heather Watson were defeated in the semi-finals by the Ukrainian twins Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok.

  • Heat and thunderstorms

    Heat and thunderstorms

    Code yellow, orange and red alert against scorcher, code yellow alert against atmospheric instability and warnings of the temperature-humidity comfort index exceeding the critical threshold of 80 units have made the headlines in Romania over the past few days. The codes were valid for the entire country. Temperatures stood close to and even exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in places. The heat wave which swept Romania over the past few days has taken a toll of seven lives, with hundreds of others taken to hospital for medical care.



    On one day alone, over 750 people called the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Service, that is 18% more than on a similar day of July. First aid tents have been placed in all big cities across the country. Rail speed limit reductions have been imposed to avoid accidents, and heavy vehicle traffic has been banned on highways and national roads.



    Forest fire broke out because of high temperatures in the southwest of the country, with the fire spreading to some 50 hectares of deciduous forests (beech and oak), which makes it increasingly difficult to contain because of scorcher and drought. The fire spread at a fast pace and produced extensive damage to the forest fund. In the wake of the heat wave, half of the countrys territory has been hit by thunderstorms, torrential rain and hail.



    Hydrologists have warned that several rivers might exceed bankfull levels and even burst their banks. Therefore, they issued a code yellow alert against flooding. On the seaside, life safeguards have raised the red flag against powerful waves. Meteorologists have announced that after only one day with normal temperatures for this time of the year, registered on Tuesday, the heat wave will make a come back on Wednesday, to gradually take the whole country in its grip.



    Meteorologist Mihai Timu has further details: “By the end of the week, the heat wave will return to Romania and sweep the whole country. It will hit mostly the same regions as last week, the most affected being not only our country but also states located west of Romania. Temperatures will again reach 38 – 39 degrees Celsius, most likely in southern Crişana, Banat and Oltenia. Sunday will bring lower temperatures, but this wave of cooler weather will bring along atmospheric instability. However, the whole country will enjoy cooler days.



    Meteorologists say Romania will further face fickle weather and sweltering temperatures in the following two weeks, with days marked by high temperatures, with thermometers reading 34 degrees Celsius, on an average, but also with narrow time spans when rainfalls are very likely, especially in the mountains.



    Not only Romania, but the whole of Central and Southern Europe, as well as regions in Italy, Switzerland and France have been affected by heat, torrential rain, thunderstorms and floods over the past few days.

  • The Week in Review, June 20-24

    The Week in Review, June 20-24

    Reactions to the Brexit vote



    Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, has said after talks with Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu, that there are no reasons for concern for Romanian economy, following Britains historic decision to leave the European Union. Iohannis has also said, after discussions with the Romanian political leaders, that Romania must further follow the European path. The head of state invited Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, Central Bank Governor Isarescu and parliamentary party leaders to discuss Britains recent decision to exit the EU. Central Bank experts say that Britains decision to leave the EU will affect Romanias development but the impact will be small, of about 0.5% of the GDP. The experts have given assurances that the Romanian banking system is solid and measures will be taken to temper the leu/euro exchange rate. On the other hand, Brexit might ruin the plans of Romanians willing to work in Britain, as the access on this labour marked will be more difficult. At present, over 180 thousand Romanians are legally working in Britain.




    Political decisions in Bucharest



    Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has notified the Constitutional Court of Romania regarding the law on the statute of elected officials, according to which mayors, local and county councillors with suspended prison sentences for acts of corruption are allowed to keep their mandate. The president argued that the law goes against the Constitution, the jurisprudence of the Court and the principles of the rule of law. Additionally, Klaus Iohannis believes the law is also hindering the fight against corruption. Also this week MPs have adopted a draft law according to which those who hired their relatives in their personal cabinets before August 2013 cannot be accused of conflict of interests. The law passed with 306 votes in favour and one abstention. Pundits say that by decriminalising conflict of interests, MPs have created a loophole to get off unpunished. The National Integrity Agency has warned the decision breaches the regulations in the Criminal Code, which has been sanctioning conflicts of interests ever since 2003.




    Financial measures


    Starting July 1, the Government has simplified procedures for granting parental leave and child-rearing benefits. The Government has adopted a new methodology for implementing the regulations, which will benefit some 140,000 parents. The allowance will be recalculated automatically, without additional documents being needed on their part. Additionally, parents who opted for a 1-year parental leave can benefit from another 12-months extension. Procedures for granting child-rearing benefits have also been simplified, Labour Minister Dragos Pislaru has said. The Labour Ministry will also draw up a guide to help parents who want to apply for child-rearing benefits.



    Brussels calls for EU-funded projects to be carried out at a faster pace



    European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu has called on the Romanian Transport Minister Dan Costescu to speed up the projects financed through the European structural and investment funds. Cretu has warned over delays in transport projects under way and the lack of new products. Although the European Commission approved 30 out of the 123 transport projects affected by delays, national authorities have failed to send all necessary documents to Brussels, so there is the risk for Romania not being allowed to use the European money allotted to it, thus having to resort to its own budget. For the 2014-2020 Large Infrastructure Operational Programme, Romania has been earmarked 9.4 billion euros, under both the European Regional Development Fund and also the Cohesion Fund.

    The President of Germany paid a visit to Bucharest


    Germanys president Joachim Gauck paid a three-day official visit to Romania where alongside his counterpart Klaus Iohannis attended a meeting of business people from the two countries. On this occasion, Iohannis said Romania plans to develop a new model for economic development, based on innovation and competitiveness, and voiced hope that, on the long term, economic cooperation would be expanded to numerous sectors. The two officials also travelled to Sibiu, in central Romania, an important hub of coexistence between Romanians and ethnic Germans. Moreover, Joachim Gauck commended the Romanian model of interethnic coexistence and thanked the Romanian authorities for the way they manage the German minoritys cultural and identity problems.



    Flooding and heat in Romania



    Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has called on local authorities to asses the damages generated by the extreme phenomena that have affected Romania lately. For about three weeks Romania has been confronted with extreme weather, such as heavy rainfalls, flooding, storms, hail and very high temperatures. The bad weather claimed the lives of several people and caused serious material damages. The heavy wind left hundreds of houses without their rooftops and dozens of localities without electricity. In other regions, hail destroyed thousands of hectares of crops.