August 25, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of the latest local and world news

Newsroom, 25.08.2024, 19:26

WEATHER Monday will be the 14^th day of uninterrupted hot weather in Romania. The highs of the day will be ranging between 31 and 38 degrees Celsius, slightly lower on the Black Sea coast. Meteorologists have issued fresh code yellow and orange alerts for large areas in several Romanian counties, whose residents are bracing up for more days of thermal discomfort. 36 degrees Celsius are expected in Bucharest and a rain shower in the evening.

TENNIS A Romanian-Chinese pair made up of Monica Niculescu and Hanyu Guo has won the title of the doubles competition of the WTA 500 tennis tournament in Monterrey, Mexico. The two clinched a 3-6, 6-3, 10-4 win against the odds-on favourites Giuliana Olmos of Mexico and Alexandra Panova of Russia in a match that lasted one hour and 34 minutes. Monica and Hanyu got more than 47 thousand dollars and 500 WTA points. This has been Monica’s 12^th title in the doubles contests and the second this year after the one in Strasbourg together with Cristina Bucsa of Spain. Niculescu, who will turn 37 on September 25^th, has also lost 23 finals in doubles competitions and reaped three WTA titles in singles.

NOMINEE The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, leader of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), was officially nominated as the PSD candidate for the upcoming presidential election during a PSD congress held in Bucharest yesterday. He was also reconfirmed as president of the Political-Parliamentarian formation, which is presently co-ruling Romania. In a speech delivered at the event, Ciolacu presented the programme with which he wants to win the highest position in Romania. The country’s industry, agriculture and public services are the main axes of his strategy. According to him, the Social-Democrats have managed to win the trust of the Romanians through unity, and he proposes a new type of president, ‘a president for all’. Most of the PSD members who took the floor during the Congress lashed out at their partners in the coalition that is presently ruling Romania and made ironical statements against the country’s incumbent president Klaus Iohannis. The Social-Democrats haven’t won the presidential election since the year 2000. The first round of the presidential ballot is due on November 24 and the second on December 8.

MEDALS Students from Romania have walked away with four medals from the International Geography Olympiad hosted by the Irish capital Dublin over August 19^th and 24^th. David Mihai Dumitrescu, from the National College ‘Carol l’ in Craiova, south-western Romania, won gold in Dublin and Ian Mitocaru, from the National College in Iasi became silver medalist. Tudor Olariu from the Iasi-based ‘Costache Negruzzi College’ and Iustin Balan from the ‘Garabet Ibraileanu’ National College in Iasi stepped onto the podium third step. According to the Education Ministry in Bucharest, Romania’s team in Dublin has been coordinated by teachers Mihaela and Dorin Fiscutean of the National College in Iasi.

COAL According to the National Institute for Statistics in Bucharest, Romania’s coal production dropped by 20% in the first six months of the year against the same period of 2023. The country’s coal imports have also dropped by 30%, the same report says. According to the estimates of the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, this downward trend is likely to continue in the following years as other energy-production facilities will become operational. The EU’s consumption and production of coal last year dropped by 23%, to its lowest level in recorded history, says the EU statistical Office, Eurostat. According to the same sources, the 100 million ton slump in the coal production in a single year is one of the sharpest ever registered in the EU for this type of fuel. With almost two thirds of the entire EU consumption, Germany and Poland were the biggest coal consumers.

TALKS The government in Bucharest will hold talks next week on a first series of measures aimed at supporting the farmers affected by drought. Authorities are considering a series of compensations but also a new support package for the next year. The state will offer an insurance bonus of 3 thousand lei per hectare and amend the conditions needed for getting the Farmer Loan. Suspending the payment of installments for high interest credits until October next year is also being considered.

(bill)