November 11, 2017 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 11.11.2017, 19:04
FINANCE — The fiscal measures adopted by the ruling coalition government, which include, among other things, the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees and cutting the income tax from 16 to 10%, were published on Friday in the Official Gazette, and are due to take effect on January 1, 2018. The Government has given assurances that neither the salaries will go down, nor will employers’ expenses go up. Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu said the transfer of social security contributions was prompted by the fact that 30% of companies currently don’t contribute to the health and pension funds, while Finance Minister Ionut Misa confirmed that over 157,000 businesses this year have not paid contributions for over 2 million employees. The right-wing opposition, trade unions and part of civil society have harshly criticized the move. On Monday the National Liberal Party will start procedures to file a motion against the Tudose Cabinet.
BUDGET — The Romanian Finance Ministry has announced a second budget adjustment this year, scheduled to be operated later this month. The adjustment will be positive and will observe the target deficit of 2.96% of the GDP. Additional funds will go to the ministries of Labour, Transport, Healthcare, Justice, Education and the Interior Ministry. The ministries of the Business Environment, Regional Development, Culture and the Environment will see their budgets slashed. The budget readjustment is based on an estimated economic growth of 6.1% as compared to the previous one of 5.6%, and to the initial estimate of 5.2%.
VETERANS DAY — On November 11 Romania marked Veterans Day, alongside other European countries, the United States, Canada and Australia. The authorities hosted military and religious ceremonies at the resting places and memorials of heroes who gave their lives in the line of duty. The Great War ended on November 11, 1918. On the same day in 2003 the first Romanian soldier deployed in Afghanistan was killed. According to the Defense Ministry, since 1996 some 29 military died in theatres of operations abroad and over 180 have been wounded. Tens of thousands of soldiers have during this time been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Western Balkans or to other military operations in Africa and Europe.
RADIOACTIVE CLOUD — The radioactive cloud recently detected in Europe posed no threat, the latest studies conducted in Romania’s atmosphere by experts with the National Commission on Monitoring Nuclear Activity have shown. The head of the institution, Rodin Traicu, told Radio Romania that the levels registered pose no threat to the population and require no public warning. According to the Institute for Nuclear Safety in France, the radioactive cloud could be the result of a nuclear event in Russia or Kazakhstan, which might have occurred sometime in late September. French specialists have potentially located the event at a nuclear fuel treatment facility or at a radioactive medical center. The French Institute has however ruled out the possibility that the cloud could be hazardous to human health.
ISIS — The Islamic State has caused damages worth $100 billion in Iraq during the three years of jihadist occupation, Baghdad authorities have announced. In 2014 ISIS conquered nearly a third of Iraqi territory, north and west of Baghdad, destroying a big part of ancient Mesopotamian ruins. In Mosul ISIS plundered pre-Islamic sites, bombed the iconic al-Nouri mosque and its 12th-century minaret and burned the main library. Fighting to drive the terrorists out has left cities in ruin. Authorities estimate the cost of rebuilding Iraq at some $1,000 billion.
TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu, 72 WTA, on Saturday qualified to the finals of the ITF tournament in Tokyo after easing past Dalma Galfi of Uruguay, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 in the semi-finals. In the finals Buzarnescu will take on the number one seed Shuai Zhang of China, 36 WTA. Zhang won the previous game against Buzarnescu in 2012, in the Roland Garros preliminary rounds. After winning the Tokyo semi-finals Buzarnescu has climbed to the 69th position in WTA standings, her career best. A win on Sunday will put Buzarnescu in 61st place.
HANDBALL — Romania’s handball champions CSM Bucharest on Saturday defeated RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana of Slovenia, 33-30, in the fifth fixture of Group A in Champions League. With four wins and one loss, CSM ranks first in the group, which also includes Nykobing Falster Handboldklub of Denmark and Vistal Gdynia of Poland. CSM won the competition in 2016 on its first ever appearance and is dubbed favorite to win this year’s edition.
FOOTBALL — Romania’s under-21 team drew 1-all against Portugal at home, in a match counting towards the 2019 under-21 European Championships preliminaries. Romania has so far won three matches away from home and has drawn twice at home. Romania’s next fixture will be on November 14 against Wales. Romania tops the group tables, followed by Bosnia Herzegovina, Switzerland, Wales, Portugal and Lichtenstein. The winners of the nine preliminary groups will qualify directly to the European Championships to be hosted by Italy, while four of the second-placed teams in all groups having the best score will qualify to the playoffs. (Translated by V. Palcu)
