July 28, 2015
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Mihai Pelin, 28.07.2015, 12:00
Weather forecast services in Romania have warned that in the next two days, temperature readings standing at 40 degrees Celsius would be reported for isolated areas in southern Romania, while for six southern Romanian counties, the capital city Bucharest included, a red code alert for sweltering heat has been issued. The weather is exceedingly hot today, especially in the south and the southeast, where a yellow code alert for sweltering heat is still kept in place. Elsewhere across the country, the skies are changing. The highs of the day range from 26 to 38 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest stood at 32 degrees Celsius.
The European Commission, the IMF and Central European Bank representatives have initiated negotiations with the Greek government for the third bailout package, worth 86 billion Euro. International lenders returned to Athens on Monday as the Greek parliament passed two measure packages agreed upon with European leaders on July 13. Among other things, the package targeted the reform of the pension system, the VAT increase, cuts in public spending, banking regulations as well as the updating of the country’s Civil Procedure Code. However, the European Commission has warned Athens that several other reforms were required, so that the first payment could be possible.
The Liberal Democratic Party candidate in Republic of Moldova, having been officially designated Prime Minister, Valeriu Strelet has announced that among other things, his top priorities were probing into the bank fraud worth 1 billion dollars and the adoption of social measures for the people hit by the increased energy and gas bills. Also, among Moldovan Prime Minister’s priorities were the resumption of relations with the country’s development partners, the IMF, the European Union, USAID. Strelet has been designated candidate for the position of Prime Minister following consultations the country’s president Nicolai Timofti held with the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic and the Liberal Party, which have recently formed a majority coalition in Moldova’s Parliament. Valeriu Strelet has a 15-day period of grace to call for the Parliament’s vote of confidence for his programme and government.
Romania’s football champion team Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday night will be playing a home fixture against Serbian squad Partisan Belgrade. The game counts as the first leg of the Champions League’s third preliminary round. For this game, Steaua cannot rely on the support of their fans, because of a ban the UEFA issued in the wake of the incidents during the game pitting Steaua against Ukraine’s Dinamo Kiev the previous football season. Also on Thursday, two other Romanian teams will be proving their mettle in Europa League’s third preliminary round. Southern Romanian squad Astra Giurgiu will be taking on England’s West Ham United, while ASA Tirgu Mures in central Romania will be facing French side AS Saint Etienne.
The Romanian Government today is to endorse the first budget adjustment in 2015, which is a positive one, according to Prime Minister Victor Ponta. Important sums are to be earmarked for the Interior and Defence Ministries, as well as for the Finance, Education and Environment ministries and the Special Telecommunications Service. The Labour Ministry will also receive extra funding, mainly for the increased child rearing sums, pensions and emoluments. Less money will go to the Healthcare, Culture and Energy Ministries, as well as to the Transport, European Funds and Foreign Affairs ministries. According to the opposition, the budget adjustment has electoral connotations and does not steer resources towards relevant public policies.
NATO Ambassadors have convened in Brussels today at the behest of Turkey for consultations on security issues, against the backdrop of the still ongoing tension between Ankara and the Kurdish rebels as well as the Islamic State Jihadist group. Ankara has started a campaign against the Islamic State, targeting IS positions in Syria, but also against the Workers Party in Kurdistan, the PKK, with whom Turkey has been fighting for several decades now. In another move, Turkey has announced it would not extend its campaign against the Syrian Kurds, PKK allies, who are also the fiercest opponents to the terrorist group in Syria. The Turkish offensive started a few days after a suicide attack occurred in Suruc, close to the Syrian border and for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility. The attack left dozens of people dead and wounded. Ankara has authorized the United States to use its airbases lying nearby the Syrian border, in the fight against the Jihadists.
