27 May, 2015
News and Current Affairs
Ştefan Stoica, 27.05.2015, 11:59
Members of the National Federation of Unions in Administration are protesting today in Bucharest for higher wages for public servants in Romania, as well as regulating as of 2015 the issue of food vouchers, a type of employee benefit widespread in Romania. The federation warned it would call to general strike indefinitely all federations in the sector, gridlocking local public administration, if demands were not met. This is the third protest this year, after a warning strike in February and a general one-day strike in April.
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu goes today to Strasbourg for two days for meetings at the Council of Europe. The ministry announced his agenda, which includes meetings with Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, Nils Muiznieks, Human Rights Commissioner, and Venice Commission Secretary Thomas Markert. The Romanian minister will also attend the world gathering of international law national associations, where he is promoting Romania’s initiative of creating an international terrorism tribunal. The ministry announced that the event allows the dissemination of this initiative among international law experts, encouraging the involvement of international law national associations in the debate on using international law against terrorism.
Hundreds of homes have been flooded, dozens evacuated, and several schools closed down in three counties in northern Romania, after flash floods came as a result of heavy night rains that poured down as much as 50 to 60 liters per sqm. The floods also damaged cultivated farmland, roadways and bridges. A warning is in effect for the entire country for rains and adverse weather. Temperatures are holding within normal limits, with maximums today between 10 and 28 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 22 degrees.
The world’s number three tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, who is third favorite to winning the ongoing edition of the Grand Slam tournament in Roland Garros, will today be facing Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, in the second round of the tournament. Another Romanian tennis player, Alexandra Dulgheru, in the women’s singles today will be proving her mettle against French player Alize Cornet. Also competing for Romania in the women’s singles are Irina Begu and Andreea Mitu. Irina Begu and two other Romanian tennis players, Monica Niculescu and Horia Tecau, will be playing today their games in the doubles version of the Roland Garros tournament.
G7 finance ministers and governors of central banks gathered for the rest of this working week in Dresden, Germany, to discuss the global economy and the Greek situation, according to AFP. The meeting will be attended by the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, and the European commissioner for monetary policy Pierre Moscovici. Tomorrow, finance ministers of the G7 will be meeting experts in economy and monetary policy to seek solutions for the present economic problems. The IMF, European Central Bank and the European Commission are attempting to reach an agreement with Athens for releasing a new international loan, but are meeting resistance in the issue of austerity measures they are demanding from Greece.
Six FIFA officials were placed under arrest today in Zurich for corruption, after the US filed a request with the Swiss federal tribunal, according to Reuters. They represent sports media and sports marketing companies, and are accused of bribing high officials in international football in exchange for media and marketing rights related to competitions in the US and South America. The New York Times writes that the FIFA high officials who were arrested were in Switzerland to attend the congress of the organization meeting to elect its new president. Incumbent Joseph Blatter faces off against Jordanian prince Ali Bin al-Hussein for the position, defending what would be his fifth term. The US authorities allege that the people under arrest have received bribes worth 100 million dollars.
