October 9, 2022

A roundup of domestic and international news

România Internațional, 09.10.2022, 14:37

Holocaust. In a message conveyed today on the National Holocaust
Remembrance Day, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays tribute to the
memory of the victims of the Holocaust and expresses its solidarity with its
survivors. Promoting diversity, respect for the others, the equality of each
human being in relation to the others in terms of respect for fundamental
rights and freedoms are essential principles for the development of a democratic
society. The importance of combating and condemning as strongly as possible the
narratives of denial and distortion of the Holocaust is more evident than ever,
and the adoption, in May 2021, of the National Strategy for preventing and
combating anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech is the
latest expression of Romania’s constant efforts to preserve the memory of the
past, protect the survivors and combat intolerance and discrimination, the MFA
press release reads.

Aid. The public debate on the state aid scheme for investments
in the modernization of the energy system has been launched in Romania.
According to the line minister, Virgil Popescu, the funding is intended for the
rehabilitation of heating systems, and the money can be accessed by town halls
and county councils, but also by companies that transport and distribute
thermal energy in a centralized system. The program aims to reduce energy
consumption and losses along the network. Those who invest in the
digitalization of the energy distribution systems or in reducing the impact on
the environment can also benefit from state aid. After it is adopted, the
financing scheme will be applicable until 2030.

Ukraine. Several people were killed and several dozen wounded, in
an attack with Russian missiles on the city of Zaporizhzhia, in the south-east
of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced today.
The attack took place last night, with the Russians bombing blocks of flats and
streets in a residential neighborhood. The city is located next to the largest
nuclear power plant in Europe, now controlled by Russia. Kyiv and Moscow have
blamed each other for the bombing of the compound run by Ukrainian personnel,
which damaged buildings and raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear accident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has condemned the recent bombings near
the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which led to the disconnection of the
plant from Ukraine’s electricity grid, according to the operator of the
complex. Resuming the attacks is an extremely irresponsible gesture, said the
director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi. The
plant currently relies on diesel generators.

Opinion. Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu has voiced his opinon that Romanians
would defend their country if there was a war. The minister has stated that a
study on the quality of military human resources and the morale of the Romanian
troops is underway, the results of which will be made public in about two
months. Vasile Dîncu has also said that the study includes questions about the
working conditions of the military, about what they need. According to the minister,
they are also asked whether they are satisfied with the ranking system, the
commanders, and the way in which they can provide feedback.

Festival. 17th International Animation Film Festival Anim’est continues in Bucharest. More
than 340 short and feature films are part of the program of the event, which
will last until October 16. According to the organizers, this year the event
includes lots of screenings and special events, parties and masterclasses
supported by professionals specially invited to Bucharest. The list of films participating
in the festival includes titles that have attracted the attention of the entire
industry over the last year, standing out in the competitions of major
international film events. For example, the production Flee, directed by the Danish Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which received
three Oscar nominations and numerous awards and which tells the story of a
man’s escape from Afghanistan to Denmark. There are also Romanian films
presented at the festival, such as The Island, the latest feature film by Anca Damian, a
surrealist comedy based on a reinterpretation
of the story of Robinson Crusoe.

Football. The Romanian national football squad is to learn today, in
Frankfurt, its opponents in the preliminaries of the 2024 European Championship,
a competition hosted by Germany. The Tricolors were assigned to the third urn
at the draw. 7 groups of 5 teams and 3 groups of 6 will be created. The value
ballots were set based on the Nations League hierarchy. The matches from the
EURO 2024 preliminaries will be played between March and November 2023, when 20
qualifying teams will be established. 3
other representative teams will earn their place in the final tournament
following the Nations League play-offs, in March 2024. (MI)