March 26, 2021

march 26, 2021 A roundup of local and international news.

Restrictions. Covid infections are rising in Romania, where more than 6,500 new cases and 116 fatalities were recorded on Friday, while ICU admissions rose to 1,364. 11 counties and Bucharest are in the red zone, with an infection rate of more than 3 cases per 1,000 residents. On Thursday evening, the government approved new measures to contain the pandemic. Movement outside the home is banned from 8 pm at the weekend and from 10 pm during weekdays and shops will be closing at 6 pm in places where the infection rate surpasses 4 cases per 1,000 residents. Where the infection rate passes 7.5, the movement restrictions for the weekend will also apply during weekdays. As an exception, movement will be permitted until 2 am on Passover and Catholic and Orthodox Easter.


EU. Romania's president Klaus Iohannis, who is attending a two-day online EU summit, reiterated a call for unity and the consolidation of the European Union. Solidarity is the only way to move forward in these difficult times, he said. The Covid pandemic is the main topic on the agenda of the European Council, with EU leaders stressing the need to step up production, delivery and distribution of vaccines. They are also discussing the preparations for the gradual relaxation of restrictions and the consolidation of the Union's global response to the pandemic. In the conclusions published after the first day of the summit and adopted on Thursday night, EU leaders called on Turkey to abstain from further provocation or unilateral actions that run counter to international law and said they would analyse the progress made in June. A summit on the European single currency was also held on the sidelines of the European Council meeting focusing on the international role of the euro.


Strike. The Bucharest underground service was down this morning because of a spontaneous strike of metro workers. Transport minister Cătălin Drulă said the protest was illegal and disruptive. In a Facebook post, he said a handful of people are trying to retain their privileges and plum jobs and that what's in fact at stake are the dubious businesses involving the leasing of commercial space in metro stations. The protest came only one day after the administrator of these commercial spaces, a firm owned by a trade union, was notified that these spaces must be freed and handed over to the administrator of the underground transport network by 2nd April. The Bucharest Underground Company Metrorex says some of the commercial activities carried out in metro stations are blocking evacuation exits and may pose a danger to people's safety in case of emergency. The representatives of the trade union that organised the strike replied that all shops inside metro stations were set up in keeping with the law and with the approval of Metrorex, and that 80% of them are owned by metro trade unions. Some 700,000 people use the Bucharest metro every day.


Clock change. The European Parliament urges stepping up efforts to respond to a call from EU citizens to give up plans to change clocks in EU member states. In March 2019, MEPs voted to discontinue the practice of changing clocks by one hour in spring and autumn from 2021. According to the European Parliament, two years later, the EU Council is yet to propose a common position. 84% of EU citizens are in favour of ending the clock changes, which many studies say have negative effects on human health, emphasised the rapporteur for the European Parliament Johan Danielsson shortly before EU countries are due to switch to summer time. For the new rules to become EU law, they must be adopted by both Parliament and the European ministers.


Visit. Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu travels to Slovenia today for talks with president Borut Pahor, the speaker of the National Assembly Igor Zorcic and political consultations with minister Anze Logar. A foreign ministry statement says the visit is a good opportunity to review concrete ways to expand bilateral cooperation on a political, economic and sectoral level. Talks focus on the priorities of the European agenda with emphasis on combating the effects of the Covid pandemic, enhancing the bloc's resilience, the upcoming debates as part of the Conference on the Future of Europe, economic recovery, the enlargement policy and ways to revitalise the Eastern Partnership. The Eastern Partnership summit  will be held during Slovenia's EU presidency, which begins on 1st July.


Football. Romania defeated North Macedonia on Thursday evening in Bucharest in their first World Cup qualifying match. Romania will next be facing group favourites Germany, who defeated Iceland on Thursday, 3-nil. In another group match, Armenia defeated Liechtenstein 1-nil. Group winners are ensured qualification for the World Cup, while the second-placed sides will go into play-offs. In other football news, Romania's Under-21 side will be playing Hungary on Saturday as part of the European Under-21 Football Championship hosted by Hungary jointly with Slovenia. In their opening championship match, Romania drew 1-all against The Netherlands. Germany are also in their group.


Tennis. World no. 3 Simona Halep of Romania defeated France's Caroline Garcia to reach the third round at the Miami Open. She will next be playing Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova. Another Romanian player, world no. 66 Sorana Cirstea is facing Estonia's Anett Kontaveit today. In the women's doubles, the Romanian-German pair Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber are playing the Belgian-Belarussian pair Elise Mertens and Arina Sabalenka, while the Romanian-Russian pair Monica Niculescu and Ana Blinkova are playing the American-Polish pair Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Swiatek, while Raluca Olaru of Romania and Nadia Kichenok of Ukraine are playing the all-American pair Cori Gauff and Catherine McNally. (CM)



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Publicat: 2021-03-26 13:55:00
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