January 9, 2023

Click here for a roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 09.01.2023, 13:55

SCHOOLS
Schools and kindergartens reopened in Romania today after the winter break,
among seasonal flu and viral respiratory infection alerts. The authorities call
on parents not to send their kids to school if they have symptoms. The
education and health ministries have taken measures and issued guidelines to
prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses.

GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is
considering a number of projects for the forthcoming period, which have already
been agreed on within the ruling coalition, the PM Nicolae Ciucă announced.
Healthcare, education and investments, including the targets and benchmarks
undertaken under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, are the main areas
to receive special attention. The government posted for public debate a draft resolution
on master’s, Ph. D, post-doctoral and research grants abroad. In terms of
healthcare system improvements, the proposed measures include hospital
revamping using EU funds.

UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment
rate in Romania dropped slightly, from 5.5% in October to 5.4% in November,
according to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. The
number of unemployed people aged between 15 and 74 estimated for November 2022
was 447,700, down from the 453,200 reported for the previous month and from the
450,000 reported for November 2021. The unemployment rate is 0.9% higher among
men (5.8% for men and 4.9% for women). Unemployment among youth under 24
remains at a worrying 22.9%, the INS warns. The number of unemployed people
aged 25 to 74 accounted for 74.3% of the total number estimated for November
2022.

CULTURE The first event in the series devoted to Timişoara – European
Capital of Culture in 2023 takes place today, when the vice-president of the
European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, will hand over this official title in
a ceremony held at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. This year, the city of Timişoara
in western Romania is one of the 3 European capitals of culture, alongside Elefsina
in Greece and Veszprém in Hungary. The official opening of the event is
scheduled for February 17 to 19, and throughout the year as many as 50 shows,
concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events will bring together more than
2,500 artists from Romania and abroad. Timişoara is included in a top of the best places to visit put together
by the British daily The Independent. The publication
recommends Timişoara’s Baroque buildings and historical squares, as well as art
exhibitions, classical music concerts and jazz festivals. The mayor Dominic
Fritz said this year’s priority is to attract both tourists, and investors.

BORDERS As many as 302,000 people and over 75,000
vehicles crossed into and out of Romania on Sunday. More than 92,700 people entered
Romanian territory, including 6,880 Ukrainian nationals. This brings the total
number of Ukrainian citizens having entered Romania since February 2022 to over
3.27 million.
Border checks are conducted efficiently at all checkpoints, in line with the
national and EU legislation, and the Border Police are working at full
capacity, the authorities announced.

UKRAINE Wars like the one in Ukraine, where civilian areas are
subjected to indiscriminate destruction, are a crime against God and
humanity, Pope Francis said on Monday. In his annual speech to diplomats
accredited to the Vatican, the Pope spoke about the war in Ukraine, with its
wake of death and destruction, with its attacks on civil infrastructures that
cause lives to be lost not only from gunfire and acts of violence, but also
from hunger and freezing cold. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are withstanding constant
Russian attacks on Bakhmut and other towns in the east of Donbas, the Ukrainian
authorities announced today. Bakhmut is holding out against all odds,
president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Sunday address. The nearby town of
Soledar is also holding out, Although there is even more destruction there and
it is extremely hard, he added.

TENNIS The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea (43 WTA) was defeated today by Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil (156 WTA), 7-6, 6-1, in
the first round of the Adelaide International 2 (WTA 500) tournament in Australia.Another
Romanian, Irina Begu, will play in the main draw against Australia’s Storm
Hunter. Begu reached the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 1(WTA 500), where
she lost to the winner of the tournament, Arina Sabalenka of Belarus. (AMP)