June 30, 2017 UPDATE
The new Romanian government led by the Social Democrat Mihai Tudose met in a first session on Friday, after getting a vote of investiture in Parliament on Thursday/ Extreme heat grips Romania. High temperatures are expected to reach 43-44 degrees Celsius
Florentin Căpitănescu, 30.06.2017, 19:50
GOVERNMENT – The new government in Bucharest, led by the Social Democrat PM Mihai Tudose, on Friday met in a first session after getting a vote of investiture in Parliament on Thursday. On its agenda was the emergency ordinance on increasing social benefits for pensioners and doubling aid for the severely disabled. The members of the cabinet also decided to draft a bill by September on establishing a Sovereign Fund for Development and Investment and to submit it to Parliament. Not achieving these aims was one of the reasons for which the coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party-the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania withdrew political support for the former cabinet led by Sorin Grindeanu, who was toppled by a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
REP. OF MOLDOVA – The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Pavel Filip, on Friday congratulated his Romanian counterpart, Mihai Tudose, on becoming prime minister. According to a communiqué issued by the Moldovan government, the two officials had a phone conversation and decided to have a first meeting in the near future. PM Filip reiterated Moldovas high interest in having a privileged relation with Romania.
WEATHER – Extreme weather grips Romania, with the temperature-humidity index exceeding the critical threshold of 80 units in the centre, south and the east. The lows will stand at 13 degrees Celsius, whereas the highs are projected to reach 43 and even 44 degrees Celsius. The extreme heat is expected to last until the end of the week. The National Meteorology Agency announced it is possible for this to be the hottest early July on record. Meteorologists have issued a code red alert for 19 counties and the city of Bucharest. Code orange and yellow alerts are valid for the rest of the territory. First aid tents have been mounted and traffic restrictions are in place in the big cities.
BRUSSELS – On June 30, Estonia took over from Malta the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The agenda of the Estonian presidency is focused on the economy, especially the digital market. This is the first time Estonia leads the union, and will seek to find common ground on various topics, from migration to Brexit. European Commission President, Jean-Claude Junker, and European Council President, Donald Tusk, are in Tallinn, attending ceremonies.
BACCALAUREATE – Students graduating high school in Romania have taken the optional test of the baccalaureate exam. 135,000 students have registered for the test. Statistics indicate that in the 2016-2017 school year, the total number of students at all levels of education was 3.6 million, 45,000 fewer than last year.
WASHINGTON – People from six predominantly Muslim countries and refugees overall are facing stricter hurdles for entering the US after the application of a controversial ban issued by US President Donald Trump. The ban applies to Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, as well as to refugees of all kinds. The president explained that the ban was motivated by national security needs, pointing to the terror attacks in Paris, London, Brussels and Berlin.
CULTURAL INFO – Over 14 million people in Romania visited over 400 museums and public collections last year, data released on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics show. Institutions and companies active in the field of visual arts put up over 22 thousand shows, which enjoyed the participation of 5.7 million spectators. The figures issued by the National Institute of Statistics show that in 2016 libraries lent 11 volumes to each active user, on average, and that over 1,500 magazines were issued across the country.
