August 15, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

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Newsroom, 15.08.2020, 13:50

Navy Day. The Black Sea region is an area of ​​strategic interest not only to Romania, but also to NATO and the European Union, so it must be a safe and predictable space, said the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, in the speech delivered on the occasion of Navy Day in Constanta, the largest port on the Romanian Black Sea Coast. According to the head of state, the objectives in the Black Sea area remain the consolidation, in the eastern proximity, of a stable, democratic and prosperous place, by connecting the Black Sea area to the values ​​and processes of European and Euro-Atlantic cooperation, and rendering regional cooperation more dynamic. The Romanian Naval Forces, established 160 years ago, are an important part of the Romanian Army and work with their NATO allies to make the seas and oceans safer, the president said. In his turn, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban promised the sailors, in a message, that the government would support them to continue the restructuring on a modern basis of the Romanian navy, both civilian and military, and the tradition of training new generations of navy top level professionals. Due to the pandemic, this year, the Navy Day ceremonies have been held without spectators, but the public could watch a parade of military ships from the beaches of Constanţa, Mamaia and Năvodari.

Assumption. Christians celebrate the Assumption of Mary today. According to tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary was raised to heaven after death. The Blessed Virgin is the patron saint of most monasteries in Romania and the Assumption is considered the feast of pilgrimages. Authorities have taken special measures to avoid congestion and physical contact between believers in the context of the pandemic. Those who participate in pilgrimages are required to wear a mask and cannot touch the icons considered miraculous.

State of alert. The Romanian government has extended by 30 days, starting Sunday, the state of alert established 3 months ago. All previously imposed restrictions are maintained, but terraces will be allowed to stay open until midnight. Romania has exceeded the threshold of 68,000 cases of coronavirus infection diagnosed since the beginning of the pandemic. The total number of victims exceeds 2,900. According to the latest study published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Romania has reached the first place in terms of death rate caused by COVID-19, per one million inhabitants in the EU, with a ratio of 19.1 as to 4.1 the European average. Also, the rate of new cases detected per hundred thousand inhabitants is almost four times the European average.

Budget. The Romanian Government approved, on Friday evening, the second budget adjustment this year. It was made against the background of an economic decline of over 12 percent in the second quarter, compared to the first quarter of the year, and a budget deficit of 8.6% of the GDP. More money will go to Labor, Health, Education and Transport. The Minister of Finance, Florin Cîţu, specified that the budget adjustment allows the increase of the pension point, as of September 1. Childrens allowances will also be increased, but there will be no increase in teachers salaries, as anticipated.

Anonimul. Malmkrog, the latest production of the Romanian director Cristi Puiu, closes today the 17th edition of the ANONIMUL International Independent Film Festival, hosted by Sfantu Gheorghe in the Danube Delta. The film was awarded the Best Director Award in the Encounters Section at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival and was praised by critics in France, where it premiered on the big screens in July. Malmkrog is a co-production of Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Sweden, Bosnia and Northern Macedonia. Cristi Puiu is considered the pioneer of the New Wave in Romanian cinema.

Tennis. Romanian tennis player Irina Begu has defeated the Spanish Sara SorribesTormo in three sets today, in the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Prague, with 200,000 dollars in prize money. The match had started on Friday, but it was interrupted due to rain. Also today, in the semifinals, Begu takes on her compatriot Simona Halep, the tournament’s first seed In the other semifinal in Prague, the Belgian Elise Mertens will play against Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic. (M. Ignatescu)