February 12, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 12.02.2023, 14:00

VISIT – Bavaria’s minister-president,
Markus Söder, will visit Romania on Monday. The German official will meet
president Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, the German Embassy
reports. Markus Söder will also hold talks with representatives of the German
minority in Romania and the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce. On the
sidelines of his meeting with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, the two officials
will sign a joint statement aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation to such
fields as national security, IT, justice, cyber security, science and research,
economy, language, education and social.

QUAKE -
The death toll of the deadly February 6 earthquake exceeded 28,000 on Sunday
and risks doubling, the UN deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs,
Martin Griffiths has warned. According to the UN official, who visited Turkey
on Saturday, the quake has killed over 24,000 people in Turkey and over 3,500
in Syria. The UN warns that at least 870 thousand people need warm meals in
Turkey and Syria. Some 26 million people have been affected by the quake, the
World Health Organization estimates. Turkey’s disaster agency says 32,000
people from Turkish organizations are working on search and rescue efforts.
Some 8,300 international rescuers are also contributing. On the other hand, the
Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union to Syria, Dan Stoenescu, told Reuters
on Sunday that the EU and Member States have raised €50 million to provide aid
and back rescue missions and first aid in both government-held and
rebel-controlled parts of Syria.

RELIEF -
The first train carrying relief materials from the EU’s reserve has left
Bucharest and is expected to arrive on Tuesday in quake-hit Turkey. According
to Raed Arafat, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, the first
transport includes 1,200 tents, 8,000 beds, 2,200 mattresses and 4,800 pillows.
On Sunday, Romanian rescuers pulled a 35-year-old man from debris after a
12-hour straight operation, raising the total number of people saved to 6.
Romania has two search and rescue teams currently deployed to Turkey.
Additionally, volunteers from Constanța, including four search and rescue
experts with CERONAV (the Romanian Center for Training Naval Transport
Personnel), have left to the most affected areas and joined the Turkish
authorities in the city of Islahiye in an attempt to rescue people still
trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

EUROVISION – Theodor Andrei will represent
Romania at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest with his song D.G.T. (Off and on) after winning the national selection contest on
Saturday night. This year’s edition of Eurovision will be hosted by Liverpool,
UK on behalf of Ukraine, the country that won last year’s edition and which is
currently unable to host the contest due to the war. The semi-finals are
scheduled for May 9 and 11. Romania’s representative will compete in the second
semi-final. The final will be held on May 13. Organized since 1956, the
Eurovision Song Contest is one of the longest-standing and most watched TV
programs in the world. It is broadcast to Europe, Australia, Asia and the USA.
Romania’s best rankings in the Eurovision was third place in 2005 (Kyiv – Luminiţa
Anghel & Sistem) and 2010 (Oslo – Paula Seling and Ovi), and fourth place
in 2006 (Athens – Mihai Trăistariu).

WORLD RADIO
DAY – On World Radio Day, celebrated on February 13, Romanian artists will
express their support with war-torn Ukraine by sending a message of hope and
peace. Vocalists, the Radio Children’s Choir and the Radio Big Band will interpret
the song called Heal the World, a
reinterpretation of Michael Jackson’s famous 1991 single, written by the Radio
Big Band conductor Simona Strungaru. The song will be aired on all Radio
Romania stations in celebration of World Radio Day 2023.

RUGBY -
Romania’s national rugby team has qualified to the semi-finals of Rugby Europe
Championship 2023 after defeating Belgium 56-5 on Saturday away from home.
Romania was drafted in Group B alongside Portugal, Belgium and Poland. Group A
comprises Georgia, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. On February 19, Romania
will play Portugal away from home in a match that will decide the group’s
winner. (VP)