July 11, 2014

Click here for a roundup of domestic and intetnational news

Bogdan Matei, 11.07.2014, 12:14

Romania’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued an emergency activation order for a crisis Cell at ministerial level, to grant consular assistance to Romanian citizens in Gaza Strip, should they also want to leave the area. Romania’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has raised the alert travel degree for Israel and the Palestinian Territories, strongly advising Romanian citizens to avoid trips to the region, unless absolutely necessary. The United States vowed it would act as mediator for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militants in Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israeli’s operations have been progressing as planned, and “new stages are to be expected”. Over 95 people living in Gaza Strip have been killed since the inception of Israel’ s military offensive Tuesday.

Romania’s Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean, in Dubrovnik Friday and Saturday will be taking part in the Croatia Forum international conference, this year focusing on the European integration process of the West Balkan countries. According to a Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry press release, Corlatean will give a talk on enlargement policy prospects across the European Union. Also taking part in the Forum are European high-ranking officials, foreign minister of EU member states and of the countries targeted by the Union’s enlargement policy, alongside guests from China, Japan, the United States of America and New Zealand.

The leadership of Romania’s Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians today will decide if they stay in the Social-Democrat-dominated governing coalition in Bucharest. Tensions between the Union and its governing partners have been surfacing as the country’s Foreign Minister, with Social Democrat Titus Corlatean at the helm, backed the standpoint of the European Commission which turned down an initiative of Romania’s Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians targeting the protection of national minorities. Summoned to join the governing coalition as of March this year, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians has been offered the Culture and Environment portfolios. Since 1996, the Union has been part of most of Romania’s coalition governments, be they right of left of center. Clustered in central and western Romania, the Hungarian community accounts for around 1.5 million people.

Romania’s football champion team Steaua Bucharest tonight will be taking on Romania’s Cup winner Astra Giurgiu, in a game counting towards Romania’s Supercup. So far Steaua has won the trophy six times, while for the southern Romanian team of Astra the game is an absolute first. The match will be played ahead of the debut later this month of the domestic football season. In the World Cup in Brazil, Friday is the competition’s day off, ahead of the finals. On Saturday, Brazil will be taking on the Netherlands, in a bid to grab the bronze medal, while former world champions Germany and Argentina on Sunday will be playing the World Cup finals.

The only Romanian lady tennis players that have made headway into the ladies’ singles quarterfinal stage of the BRD Bucharest Open, Monica Niculescu and Simona Halep today will be playing their matches in the WTA tournament’s quarterfinals, with 250,000 dollars prize money up for grabs. Monica Niculescu will go up against the Slovenian Polona Hercog, favourite number 8, while WTA 3rd seed Simona Halep and the main favourite to grabbing the trophy will be facing Lara Arruabarrene from Spain. In the tournament’s eighth finals, Simona Halep defeated Aleksandra Kruni from Serbia, 6-2, 6-4.

World Population Day is being celebrated on July 11 each year. According to estimates, in the following decades Romania’s population will be on a downward trend, reaching 12 million people, or thereabouts, in 2060. The National Statistics Institute has stated last year the number of youngsters in Romania has decreased by 50,000 people. The age bracket for the reported figure included people younger than 14, while Romania’s over-65 population has increased with almost 40,000 people. In Romania, women account for 51 per cent of the country’s population. Almost 54 per cent of Romania’s population lives in the country’s urban areas.