May 26, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of the main domestic and international news
Newsroom, 26.05.2024, 19:30
LAW The Romanian Senate is hosting debates on Monday on a draft law initiated by the co-ruling National Liberal Party on maintaining the flat income tax for the next ten years. No other laws aimed at amending or eliminating the flat income tax, are to be endorsed until December 2033. According to the initiators, this measure is meant to ensure predictability, financial stability and a trustworthy environment for the population and investors alike. The Social-Democrats, partners with the liberals in the ruling coalition, do not support this measure yet as they were pretty much in favour of progressive taxation. The Chamber of Deputies is to vote on tougher penalties for human trafficking, slavery or child pornography. The Romanian government has recently endorsed the national strategy against human trafficking, which provides for the creation of an integrated mechanism of funds destined for the protection and support of the victims.
MESSAGE In a message conveyed on the occasion of the Day of the Romanians all over the World on Sunday, President Klaus Iohannis urged the Romanians to keep their identity, language and the Romanian traditions. Iohannis added that he constantly promoted the setting up of professional communities between the Romanians abroad and those at home, thus creating a tighter connection between the business people, scientists, physicians and Romanian artists from the world over, who worked together to accomplish many successful projects. On Sunday, Bucharest saw the last day of the 7th edition of a festival known as ‘Here and There’, an event that comprises a series of activities staged by the Department for the Romanians all Over the World jointly with the Union of the Fine Artists in Romania. For three days, the event brought together Romanian artists from the country and abroad, activating in various fields of creation such as fine arts, design, music, film, etcetera and also members of academia and business environment from the Romanian communities abroad. This year’s edition has been attended by hundreds of Romanians from the Diaspora and the historical communities in 34 countries.
TENNIS Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian on Sunday conceded defeat to Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the first round of Roland Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. The ninth-seeded Ostapenko secured a win in a two setter 4-6, 5-7. Three Romanians have remained on the competition’s main draw. Sorana Cirstea, who will be playing Anna Blinkova of Russia, Ana Bogdan who will be up against Elsa Jacquemot of France and Irina Begu, who will take on Argentine challenger Julia Riera.
AI Romania is going to have an AI Research Institute where it intends to develop its own technological solutions, cooperate with international partners and train top experts in this field, the country’s Finance Minister, Marcel Bolos, wrote on Facebook. According to Bolos, the Ministry he’s leading has already started to use AI in order to detect anomalies as well as in its anti-fraud operations. The construction of the first center of AI research in Romania kicked off at the Technical University in Cluj Napoca through an investment of 21 million Euros.
FILMS “Anora”, a thriller directed by American Sean Baker, has won the Palme d’Or trophy at the 77th edition of the Film Festival in Cannes. Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light”, a film about sisterhood in Mumbai, has reaped the Grand Prix, the festival’s second-highest honour, while ‘Emilia Perez’ of the French director Jacques Audiard, has won the Jury Prize. Romanian production “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” has reaped the Queer Palm, an alternative award given every year to productions addressing LGBT issues. Another two Romanian productions, NASTY, directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu, which portrays the life of Romania’s tennis legend Ilie Nastase, and “Human Violins” by Ioana Mischie have also been screened during this famous international film festival.
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