October 16, 2023

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Newsroom, 16.10.2023, 13:55

GAZA According to Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, the
authorities in Bucharest are keeping in touch with almost every Romanian in the
Gaza Strip. He says that for the time being there is no reason for concern
regarding their lives, but everybody hopes they will reach Romania as soon as
possible. About 350 Romanians with double citizenship would be in the Hamas-controlled
Palestinian enclave constantly bombed by the Israeli troops.

TRUCE Egypt, Israel
and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire in southern Gaza beginning at
nine hours local time, a situation coinciding with the re-opening of the Rafah
border crossing to allow in aid and the evacuation of foreigners, two Egyptian
security sources, quoted by Reuters, said on Monday. However, Israel denies the
existence of such a truce, Reuters says, quoting a statement from the office of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel continues to beef up its troops
close to Gaza before the envisaged ground onslaught. Over 14 hundred people,
mainly civilians, have been killed in the latest bloody Hamas attack. In turn,
Palestinian sources are speaking about roughly 27 hundred people killed in the
Israeli bombardments on Gaza.

LAW A draft
law on the special pensions of the magistrates and other categories of state
employees is today being subjected to debates and voting in the decision-making
Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The document has been endorsed after the
latest amendments required by the Constitutional Court. Under the present form
of the draft, the magistrates’ pensions are to be based 80% on an average of
their gross monthly indemnities and the bonuses they got in the last four years
of activity while their retirement age is to increase on a yearly basis until
the age of 60. The opposition USR believes the PSD-PNL majority has brought
only superficial amendments to the law whereas the ruling coalition has
recalled that the special pensions reform is a key element of the National Plan
of Recovery and Resilience and must be completed as soon as possible.

FOOTBALL Romania’s
national eleven has become leader of the qualifying Group One for the EURO 2024
after a 4-0 home win against Andorra. This has been our footballers’ clearest victory
so far in the present qualification campaign. In another Group One match,
Switzerland ended in a 3-all draw their home game against Belarus. We recall
that Israel’s games have been postponed. Romania has two more games in hand,
against Israel, which is an away game and a home game against Switzerland. The
aforementioned group also includes Kosovo.

(bill)