Health. <\/strong>Romanian health authorities
<\/p>\n
EU.<\/strong>
<\/p>\n
Swimming.<\/strong> Eight Romanian athletes, namely five swimmers and
<\/p>\n
Parliament.<\/strong>
<\/p>\n
Farmers.
A roundup of local and international news.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":105208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-612132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nhave declared a state of epidemiological alert as the incidence of respiratory infections
\npassed the average level for the last three seasons for the third week in a
\nrow. Health minister Alexandru Rafila expects the number of cases to go
\nback to normal at the end of the month, saying it won’t be necessary to declare
\nan epidemic. He explained that the state of epidemiological alert allows the healthcare system to prepare
\nfor a possible increase in the number of cases. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nRomanian foreign minister Lumini\u0163a Odobescu is
\ntoday attending the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum and the
\nEU-ASEAN ministerial meeting held in Brussels. According to a statement from
\nthe foreign ministry, the forum focuses on the consolidation of cooperation,
\nincluding aspects related to the implementation of the EU strategy for
\ncooperation in this region. The ministerial meeting will discuss the stage and
\nfuture of EU’s relations with the Association of South-East Asian Nations,
\nfollowing the signing of a strategic partnership in 2020. Today and tomorrow,
\nthe Romanian foreign minister is attending the informal meeting of EU foreign
\nministers (Gymnich) also held in Brussels. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nthree divers, are taking part in the World Aquatics Championships in Doha,
\nunder way until the 18th of February. David Popovici, the European champion in the
\n100 and 200 m freestyle race, is not taking part. The leaders of the Romanian
\ndelegation are Constantin Popovici, the defending high diving world champion,
\nand C\u0103t\u0103lin Preda, the world vice-champion. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nThe Romanian Parliament has begun its last but final session before elections.
\nThe MPs of the ruling Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party
\naim to pass the bills that form part of Romania’s commitments under the
\nNational Recovery and Resilience Plan so that Romania can receive the allocated
\nEuropean funds. Combating drug use and drug trafficking and capping interest
\nrates on loans from non-banking financial institutions are among the priorities
\nof the Social Democrats. The latter also aims to pass legislation by the end of
\nthe month to eliminate betting shops from towns and villages. The Liberals’
\nagenda features bills on not taxing pensions below 600 euros, combating drug
\nuse and drug trafficking and banning advertising for gambling. The Save Romania
\nUnion, in opposition, will again call for eliminating special pensions for the
\nlocal elected officials. Also from the opposition, the Alliance for the Union
\nof Romanians will propose bills to raise the minimum wage and cut salary taxes
\nand to increase scholarships for pupils.
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The president of the European Commission Ursula von
\nder Leyen has promised measures to support Europe’s disgruntled farmers unhappy
\nwith high costs, bureaucracy, strict environmental rules and unfair competition
\nfrom cheap imports. She said she proposed safeguards on imports from Ukraine,
\nadding: I’m very sensitive to the message that farmers are concerned
\nby administrative burdens. The farmers’ dissatisfaction has become an unofficial
\nsubject of Thursday’s EU summit amid protests in Brussels, where farmers threw
\neggs and stones at the European Parliament, started fires and set off
\nfireworks. The initial aim of the summit was to amend the multiannual common
\nbudget, which also allowed for the inclusion of a 50 billion euro aid package
\nfor Ukraine until 2027, a move Hungary is no longer opposing. (CM)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"