May 3, 2024
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Newsroom, 03.05.2024, 14:55
EASTER Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians mark Great and Holy Friday, when they commemorate the Crucifixion and burial of Christ. Tonight believers attend the Vespers of the Taking-Down from the Cross, when an epitaphios is carried in procession to a low table in the church nave which represents the Tomb of Christ, with the epitaphios itself representing the body of Jesus wrapped in a burial shroud. The holy light from Jerusalem is to be brought to Romania on Saturday night and distributed to all parishes. The light is believed to be an Orthodox miracle, taking place every year on Holy Saturday in Jerusalem, at the end of Holy Week, a period of prayer when the faithful revisit the events of the last day in the life of Jesus Christ.
GAZA Negotiations continue for a ceasefire and a new prisoner exchange in Gaza. The talks take place amid threats that Israel would strike the border town of Rafah, where the last Hamas units are located. But Rafah also hosts half of the population of the Gaza Strip, and the international community has warned that a land offensive there would cause a humanitarian disaster. A high-level UN official said the funds for the reconstruction of war-hit Gaza may reach as much as USD 40 bln. The UN Assistant Secretary-General Abdallah al-Dardari told a press conference that the scope of the destruction is unprecedented. Meanwhile, Gaza-related protests carry on in universities in the US. The police cleared a pro-Palestinian protest camp at UCLA in Los Angeles, with at least 200 people arrested. In Washington, president Joe Biden said that while he would always uphold the right to free speech, order must prevail.
FARMERS The European Commission has extended the temporary framework enabling member states to provide state aid more easily to the farmers affected by the impact of the war in Ukraine. The mechanism was introduced in March 2022, after Russia attacked Ukraine, which triggered skyrocketing energy and fertilizer costs. The temporary crisis framework allowed member states to earmark up to EUR 280,000 in aid to affected farms until June 2024, and up to EUR 335,000 to fishery and aquaculture enterprises, as a derogation from the EU’s strict state aid rules. The agriculture ministers in 15 member countries also demanded an increase from EUR 20,000 to EUR 50,000 of the ceiling for the aid granted to an enterprise without consulting Brussels, but the request was dismissed.
DISTINCTION Romanians have received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Second of May from the Community of Madrid, for their integration and for representing a cultural and economic asset for the region. “Apart from being hard-working, Romanians with their effort and courage help us create jobs and opportunities for others,” said the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuos. “The Romanian community in Madrid is not only the largest foreign community here, but also the one that contributes the most to the social and economic development of the local society,” the charge d’affaires with the Romanian embassy in Madrid, Raluca Mihăilă, said in turn. More than one million Romanians are currently living in Spain.
SPORTS Romania came out 4th at the qualifiers for the European artistic gymnastics championships in Rimini (Italy), with Sabrina Voinea ranking 4th at the all-around event. Romania’s team, comprising Sabrina Voinea, Ana Maria Bărbosu, Lilia Cosman, and Amalia Ghigoarţă, was outperformed by Italy, the UK and France. On Sunday the Romanians take part in 4 apparatus finals—Ana Bărbosu in the vault final, Lilia Cosman in the beam final and Sabrina Voinea in the beam and floor finals. Maria Ceplinschi did not attend the qualifiers for health-related reasons. (AMP)
