June 29, 2016
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Newsroom, 29.06.2016, 12:00
ASSISTANCE The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced that 40 Romanians had required consular assistance following the attacks in Istanbul, and they were given accommodation in the hotels nearby. One of the Romanians had been slightly wounded in the attack. Both the Romanian Foreign Ministry and President Iohannis have condemned the triple suicide attack at the Istanbul airport, which left 41 dead and over 200 wounded and have given assurances that Romania will remain a staunch and reliable partner in the international anti-terror fight. The attack hasn’t been claimed yet but Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has blamed it on the Islamic State.
WEATHER The weather remains generally unstable in Romania particularly in the east of the country, in the mountainous and hilly areas, which have lately seen heavy rainfalls, thunder and even hailstorms. Due to the latest heavy downpours tens of people have been evacuated and hundreds of households flooded. Hydrologists have issued warnings for flooding on several rivers in the country’s west and east. In the rest of the territory the weather remains generally warm under an overcast sky with temperatures ranging between 23 and 31 degrees Celsius and a noon reading in Bucharest of 24 degrees.
DEFICIT Romania’s budget deficit in the past five months has reached 0.1% of the GDP, standing at roughly 172 million euros, while the National Fiscal Administration Agency has cashed in sums higher by 3% than envisaged by the Romanian Finance Minister Anca Dragu. According to Dragu, public investment has increased by 25% as compared to the same period last year, while additional spending has been reported whipped up by a 5% pension rise, doubled child benefits, accrued wages and related expenses. In another development, the government has adopted a series of fiscal facilities for the field of research and development and decided to cut down the VAT for services in agriculture from 20% to 9%; measures expected to have a major budget impact.
BREXIT EU leaders are today convening in Brussels for the first time without Britain’s representative for talks over the Brexit effects. After talks with the outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, the 27 have decided to give more time to Britain for commencing the separation process. Cameron has reiterated the separation process is the mission of his successor, who could be designated in September. In turn, the European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker has said that waiting cannot take months. Romania is being represented at the summit by its president Klaus Iohannis, who has got assurances from Prime Minister Cameron that the Romanians will be permitted to stay and work in Britain. Cameron has also apologized for the xenophobic incidents that took place in the wake of the Brexit referendum. President Iohannis had said earlier that during the talks with London that are soon to follow, Bucharest would chiefly focus on the situation of the Romanians working or studying in the UK.
SENTENCE Nicusor Constantinescu, former president of the County Council in Constanta, southeastern Romania, on Wednesday was given a five-year prison sentence for abuse of office because he had refused to fund the activity of the Military Center in the county during his mandate between 2009 and 2013. In a different file, Constantinescu got another six-year sentence for having hindered the activity of the Court of Accounts.
TENNIS Fifth-seeded Simona Halep today takes on Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in the second round at Wimbledon, the year’s third Grand Slam tournament, with more than 36 million Euro in prize money. Also today, but in the first round, two other Romanians, Monica Niculescu and Sorana Cirstea face Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, respectively. Initially scheduled this past Tuesday, the two fixtures at Wimbledon were postponed because of the rain. There are two more Romanians listed in the main draw, Irina Begu and Patricia Tig. In the inaugural round, they were knocked out by Germany’ s Carina Witthoeft and Italy’s Sara Errani, respectively. In the men’s version of the Wimbledon tournament, the only Romanian remaining in the competition, Marius Copil in another pending fixture today takes on French Lucas Pouille, in the inaugural round.
