January 16, 2022 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 16.01.2022, 18:39

STRIKE Trade unionists in Romania’s education system are to go on a token
strike on Wednesday and cease classes for two hours in their schools. The
protesters have called for pay rises, for the allotment of 6% of the GDP to
education and the pay for the extra hours worked. Almost 100 trade unionists
from Romania’s education on Thursday picketed the government building and the
headquarters of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party. The
protest on Thursday was their fourth in front of the government building. On
Saturday, the Day of National Culture in Romania, artists and organizers of
various events, mounted protests in Bucharest and Sibiu, in central Romania,
asking for compensations for their restricted activity during the pandemic. The
protesters have denounced the lack of coherent measures aimed at supporting the
sector of culture in Romania, severely affected in the past two years of
pandemic.

HANDBALL SCM Ramnicu Valcea, a women’s handball team from Romania, on
Sunday started off on their right foot with a clear home win 39-29 against the
Hungarian side Vaci NKSE in group D of the EHF European League. On Saturday in
group C of the same competition Magura Cisnadie, a women’s handball team from
central Romania lost away to the Danish side Herning-Ikast Handbold 31-28 while
in group B, CS Minaur Baia Mare from north-western Romania lost to German side
BBM Bietigheim 39-20. Also on Saturday, Romania’s champions CSM Bucharest
secured a 28-20 away win against Montenegrin side Buducnost Podgorica in the
Champions League. With 10 points out of nine games, the Romanians go up to the
group’s fourth position and are to meet French side Brest Bretagne in an away
game on January 19th and take on German side Borussia Dortmund at
home on January 22nd.

COVID-19 According to the latest figures released by authorities on
Sunday, 7595 new Covid-19 infections have been reported in the past 24 hours in
Romania, 60% more than a week ago. 28 Covid-related fatalities have been
reported. Experts believe the fifth wave of the pandemic is stronger than the
previous ones and is to reach its peak in Romania in the last week of January
or the first of February, when the number of daily cases is expected to go up
to 50 thousand. The interest of the Romanians in getting the jab is still low,
with only 36 hundred in the past 24 hours. Epidemiologists are urging the
people to get immunized because the vulnerable categories are at risk.

TENNIS Romania has five representatives on the main draw of Australian
Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. Other Romanians have been
eliminated from the competition in the qualifiers. In the first round Simona
Halep, a former number one, will be up against Magdalena Frech of Poland, while
Sorana Cirstea will be playing Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, who has a
5-3 advantage in head-to-head matches. Another Romanian player, Irina Begu will
be up against Oceane Dodin of France. Jaqueline Cristian of Romania will be
playing Greet Minnen of Belgium and Gabriela Ruse will be meeting Jasmine Paolini
of Italy. British player Emma Raducanu, who has a Romanian father and is the
defending champion of the US Open will be playing Sloane Stephens of the USA.

JUSTICE The Ministry of Justice in Bucharest has completed a draft on
dismantling the Special Direction for investigating criminal offences within
the judiciary, SIIJ. The institution has announced in a communiqué that in the
following days it will submit the document for government and Parliament
approval. We recall that the activity of this special body has attracted
criticism from the European Commission, which says the SIIJ could be more
susceptible to interventions from outside than the Anti-corruption Directorate,
known in Romania as the DNA. The Justice Ministry has announced that it will
resume the process of amending the justice laws and the criminal codes so that
they can be approved by Parliament by the end of March. The Ministry of Justice
reiterates its support for the EU law and legislation stipulated by the Lisbon
Treaty and recognized by the Romanian constitution.

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