June 1, 2018

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 01.06.2018, 14:10

TARIFFS New tariffs for the US imports
of steel and aluminum from the EU, Mexico and Canada have come into effect as
of June 1st, in spite of mounting criticism. The USA has decided to
no longer extend exemptions for the EU so the tariffs – 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum – would take
effect as of Friday. The Trump administration’s actions drew a lot of heat from
Europe, Canada and Mexico who promised to quickly retaliate against the U.S.
exports. The European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the new
tariffs are unjustified at the same time running counter to WTO rules.
According to France Press the US decision was meant to protect the US industry,
which had to produce under capacity against a surplus of steel and aluminum on
the global market.

TIFF The Transylvania International Film
Festival (TIFF), one of Europe’s biggest events of this kind, is underway in
Cluj-Napoca, northwestern Romania. Fragments from ‘Morometii 2’, the most
awaited Romanian production this year, are to be screened during the festival
in the presence of Romanian actor Horatiu Malaele, who after 30 years takes
over the part of Ilie Moromete – masterfully played by Victor Rebengiuc in the
first series directed by the same Stere Gulea. The present edition of the
festival includes 227 productions – 178 feature films and 49 short reels from
all over the world. The Romanian Film
Days is a section inside the festival devoted to Romanian productions, which
includes director Adina Pintilie’s debut film Touch Me Not, the recipient of
the Golden Bear Award in Berlin this year as well as Andrei Cretulescu’s first
feature film Charleston. The Transylvania trophy will be awarded by French
actress Fanny Ardant, while the honorary invitee this year is famous opera
singer Angela Gheorghiu.

AWARD Romanian president
Klaus Iohannis is paying a visit to Munich today and tomorrow in order to
receive the ‘Franz Josef Strauss 2018’ award from the prestigious foundation
‘Hanns Seidel’. The president has been awarded the prize for having promoted in
a constructive and visionary way along his entire political career the
democratic values of a united society and trust in the European project. The
ceremony is to be attended among others by the Bavarian Premier Markus Soder
and by Barbara Stamm, president of the Landtag of Bavaria. The ‘Franz Josef
Strauss’ prize has been awarded since 1996 and among its recipients there are
the former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, the former US president George H. W.
Bush and the incumbent president of the European Commission Jean-Claude
Juncker.

HANDBALL The Romanian
women’s selection has qualified for the European Women’s Handball Championships
after a 28-25 win against Austria in Innsbruck on Thursday. Our handballers
managed a win in qualifying group four against an opponent who gave them a good
run for their money. In another match, Russia clinched a 34-20 win against
Portugal. Romania ranks first in the standings with 8 points followed by Russia
with 6, Austria also with 6 and Portugal with no points. Romania has thus
qualified for the sixth time in a row for the European Championships, which
this year is to be hosted by France in December. Our handballers are to play
their last game in the group against Portugal at home on Sunday. The first two
sides in the group are qualified for the final tournament.

CHILDREN’S DAY Romania
and another 50 countries celebrate Children’s Day on June 1st. In
1954, the UN General Assembly decided that children the world over must have a
day of their own, and this day is also celebrated by another 100 countries on
various dates. On this occasion Bucharest and numerous other cities around the
country are seeing a series of events devoted to the little ones such as
contests, shows, exhibitions, sporting events and showrooms. Today children are
admitted free of charge at the National History Museum as well as at the
Cotroceni Museum in Bucharest, while the Radio Concert Hall will be hosting a
chamber music concert devoted to them. Children are also to be presented lots
of toys on their special day.

(translated by bill)