May 11, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 11.05.2024, 19:14
Elections. The Romanian foreign ministry is to set up 915 polling stations abroad for the European Parliamentary elections of June 9th, the ministry said in a statement. Most polling stations for the upcoming elections will be established in the countries with the largest Romanian communities, namely Italy, Spain, the UK, Germany, France and Monaco, followed by the Republic of Moldova, the United States, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, The Netherlands, Denmark and Canada. The foreign ministry recalls that Romanian citizens residing or who currently find themselves abroad can cast their ballots in the European Parliamentary elections at any of the polling stations set up abroad based on a valid Romanian ID card. Romania will also host the local elections on 9th June, to be followed by the presidential elections in September and the parliamentary elections in December.
Solar storm. A severe solar storm began to hit Earth on Friday evening, producing northern lights visible around the globe. Scientists are fearing the storm may have negative effects on telecommunications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the US explained this geomagnetic storm is the result of a series of solar flares and eruptions during which a number of large explosions of plasma and fluctuating magnetic fields are noted. When eruptions are intense, as it is the case now, they may impact Earth, disrupting communications, the electric power grid and satellite-based navigation systems. This is the largest phenomenon of its kind recorded since 2003.
Northern lights. As a result of the solar eruptions that disrupted the Earth’s magnetic field, the northern lights were visible in Romania on Friday night at an intensity never recorded in hundreds of years, dr. Adrian Şonka from the Bucharest Astronomical Observatory told Agerpres news agency. The aurora was particularly visible outside of cities, in areas not affected by light pollution. Dr. Şonka explained that the aurora is produced around the magnetic pole, but that it can also be seen at lower latitudes in certain situations.
Gaza. The US State Department says Israel’s use of American weapons in its Gaza operation may have violated international law. A report presented in Congress also highlights the difficulties faced by Israel as Hamas fighters are hiding among civilians, whom they use as human shields. Israel has come under criticism from many international organisations and foreign governments for the large number of civilian casualties and the mass destruction it caused in Gaza. According to the health ministry in Gaza, almost 35,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 78,600 wounded in Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip that began on 7th October. The United Nations Security Council called for an immediate independent inquiry after the discovery, around hospitals in Gaza, of mass graves in which hundreds of people may have been buried, France Presse reports.
Romania-Albania. The foreign ministers of Romania, Luminiţa Odobescu, and of Albania, Igli Hasani, on Saturday exchanged letters on the 30th anniversary of the signing of a treaty of understanding, collaboration and good neighbourly relations between Romania and Albania. Odobescu hailed the significant achievements in the field of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation showing that the two countries play an essential role for the democracy, stability and security of South-East Europe. She also reiterated that Bucharest will continue to support Albania’s European accession process and emphasise the strategic importance of the Western Balkans for the Euro-Atlantic region.
