December 6, 2024

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 06.12.2024, 15:00

A roundup of local and international news.

CYBER SECURITY – The European Commission has stepped up its monitoring of the TikTok platform, asking it to freeze all information on its system related to the European Union elections, in order to study it in depth. The Commission has also convened several meetings with officials from member states, European institutions and other digital platforms with which it will analyze systemic information risks across the entire bloc. The decisions come after, in the presidential elections in Romania, the candidate ranked first in the first round on November 24, Călin Georgescu, was allegedly heavily promoted on TikTok through a well-organized campaign, worth millions of dollars, although he says he did not spend anything.

ELECTIONS – More than 4,200 people voted in the Diaspora by Friday at 1 p.m. (Bucharest time), in the second round of the presidential elections in Romania. The independent Călin Georgescu and the USR leader Elena Lasconi are the two contenders. Voting began abroad on Friday at 1 a.m. (Romania’s time), and the first polling station was opened in New Zealand. Australia, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and India followed. Voting in the Diaspora in the presidential elections takes place over three days, from Friday to Sunday. Voting in the country is allowed only on Sunday, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

PROTESTS – Thousands of people participated, on Thursday evening, in the University Square in Bucharest, in a rally for freedom and democracy. Famous figures from the arts and literary world were present, including actor Victor Rebengiuc and writer Ana Blandiana, both known for their civic involvement. We recall that the victory of the pro-Russian extremist Calin Georgescu in the first round of the presidential elections, on November 24, triggered protests in Bucharest and other major cities. The United States voiced concern about what Romanian intelligence services have demonstrated to be Russia’s involvement in the election process, in order to influence the outcome of the presidential elections. The high political uncertainty has, on the other hand, led to a decrease in confidence in the Romanian economy.

St. NICHOLAS – Christians celebrate Saint Nicholas today, one of the most popular saints, to whom the tradition of giving gifts is related. He was a bishop at the beginning of the 4th century in Myra, the current city of Demre in Turkey. He was very generous and helped those in need in a discreet way. He did it in such a way that the person who received it did not know where the help came from. Hence the tradition that Saint Nicholas is waited for by children to leave them gifts in shoes on the morning of December 6. Over 800,000 Romanians celebrate their name day today.

HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s national handball team plays today against Sweden, their second match in the main Group I of the European Championship – EHF EURO 2024, hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. On Thursday evening, the Romanian women were defeated, 30-25, by the world champion, France. They will also play in the group with Hungary and Poland. Romania has participated 14 times in the European Women’s Championship, obtaining a single medal, bronze, in 2010. In men’s handball the Romanian champion, Dinamo Bucharest was defeated, also on Thursday, on home turf, by the French team Paris Saint-Germain Handball, 40-33, in Group A of the Champions League. Dinamo suffered its third consecutive defeat in the group. The Romanians will next play against group leaders Veszprem of Hungary on February 13, 2025.

GAUDEAMUS – The Gaudeamus 2024 Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania, continues in Bucharest until Sunday. The honorary president of the current edition is writer Mircea Cărtărescu, one of the best-known and most appreciated contemporary Romanian writers, the holder of numerous national and international awards. Over 200 exhibitors have announced their participation in Gaudeamus 2024, hundreds of editorial events are scheduled and tens of thousands of titles are presented, many of them for the first time.