February 20, 2020
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 20.02.2020, 13:55
ATTACKS Romania’s president Klaus
Iohannis has firmly condemned the violent attacks against innocent people in
the German city of Hanau. Iohannis has expressed condolences to those who lost
relatives and friends adding that Romania stands in solidarity with Germany,
Iohannis wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Nine people were killed in a shooting in
Hanau, close to Frankfurt, on Wednesday. The culprit who was found dead in his
house, allegedly expressed far-right views in a letter of confession.
VIRUS China has today reported
the most significant drop in the number of infections with the new coronavirus
in the Hubei province, the centre of the epidemics. This is the lowest rate in
the past month although at national level, China has reported 114 new deaths,
which bring the death toll up to 2,118 and the total number of infections to
74,500. In another development, two elderly people from the cruise liner
Diamond Princess, where 600 people have been infected with the new virus, have
also died, authorities in Japan have announced. The ship was quarantined in the
port of Yokohama in early February. Those infected, including two Romanian
nationals are being treated in hospitals in Japan. The other 15 Romanians on
board, who are healthy, would be repatriated by means of the EU Civil Protection
Mechanism. The ship was quarantined
until Wednesday, when disembarking procedures commenced.
MEETING Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is in Brussels to attend a
special session of the European Council, which has high on its agenda
the EU Multiannual Financial Framework for the period between 2021 and 2027.
Iohannis is expected to express Romania’s readiness for an agreement to be
reached on the issue. The Romanian president wants proper funds for the
Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy as these are instruments
meant to reduce development gaps between member states. Iohannis is also
expected to support the importance of assuring flexible and simplified
implementation conditions to ease access to the European funds. Statements by
several European leaders on Wednesday suggest that negotiations over the EU’s
multiannual budget, the first after Brexit, are going to be tough and
complicated.
FAIR The spring edition of Romania’s Travel Fair is underway In
Bucharest from today until Sunday. The event has brought together over 300
travel agencies offering holiday packages in Romania and abroad including for the
upcoming Easter holidays. Operators are pledging significant price cuts, even down
to 50%. The most sought-after destinations are Turkey, Greece, Spain, Tunisia
and Egypt but there are also exotic destinations like Bali or Thailand.
FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions CFR
Cluj are tonight taking on Spanish side Sevilla FC in a home match counting
towards the Europa League’s round of 32. The return game has been scheduled for
next week. Coached by former Romanian international Dan Petrescu, CFR ended on the
second place in their group with 12 points out of 18, a group which also
included Italian side Lazio Rome, Celtic Glasgow of Scotland and French side
Rennes.
(translated by bill)
