August 7, 2015

A roundup of news from Romania

Bogdan Matei, 07.08.2015, 12:00

WEATHER- A code yellow alert against scorcher is still valid today for most of Romania’s territory. A high thermal discomfort continues to be reported in the west and south, and the temperature-humidity index is on the critical threshold and has even exceeded it in some places. The highs of the day range between 28 and 37 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 31 degrees. Because of prolonged drought, the level of the Danube is still low and navigation is difficult. In places, scores of ships are stationed, waiting to start sailing manoeuvres one by one. Navigation is almost impossible in the Danube Delta on approximately 30 canals, because of drought. The lack of precipitations and high temperatures have produced huge damage in the agricultural sector, particularly in the north-east of the country, where it hasn’t rained for three months. At national level, drought has destroyed over 860,000 hectares of crops and compromised at least one quarter of this year’s crops, with the total volume of losses exceeding 2 billion Euros. Meteorologists warn that high temperatures and the lack of precipitations will further be reported in the month of August.

FINANCIAL- The National Agency for Fiscal Administration in Romania (ANAF) has started checking on natural persons with high incomes who run a fiscal risk, that is all those whose wealth can’t be justified by the incomes they have declared. Natural persons with big wealth, consisting in buildings, luxury cars and other very expensive goods, significantly high bank accounts opened in Romania and abroad, which can’t be justified by incomes are in the fiscal experts’ focus of attention. Of a total of 14.3 million people with taxable incomes, ANAF has selected some 300,000 people to the sample included in the risk analysis. ANAF has proposed that some 8,000 of these be thoroughly checked. The sample includes mainly criminals, thugs, show-biz stars and rich owners of poor companies. The methodology issued by ANAF includes several stages, which will last no longer than 6 months, or 12 months respectively, if information should be collected abroad.

IMMIGRATION- In the first half of the year, the General Inspectorate for Immigration issued 1,179 work or detachment permits for foreign citizens who are working in Romania or who have been detached here. The figure is 10% higher than in the same period of 2014. Most of the beneficiaries come from Turkey, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Korea, Sri Lanka and Ukraine. Also the relevant authorities ensured the legal stay management for approximately 108,000 foreigners, of which some 60,000 from third countries and 48,000 from EU, EEA (European Economic Area) and Swiss Confederation member states.

DIPLOMACY – A Vietnam war veteran, the US Secretary of State John Kerry, is in Hanoi to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two former enemies. Vietnamese president Truong Tan has described the reconciliation between the two countries as exemplary for the nations which once waged war and found a way to build a new relation. Kerry got involved in the United States’ efforts to bring back to normal the relations between Washington and Hanoi, through a series of actions, including trips to Vietnam, lifting the economic embargo in 1994 and establishing diplomatic relations the next year. The Vietnam War (1961- 1975) was fought by North Vietnam, supported by China and the Soviet Union, on the one hand, and South Vietnam supported by the United States, on the other. The conflict ended with the defeat of South Vietnam and the unification of the country under a communist rule. The US troops pulled out of Vietnam, the war being considered one of the biggest failures of the US foreign policy.

ECONOMY – Representatives of the IMF, the European Commission and the Central European Bank are today holding negotiations in Athens with the Greek government led by left-wing prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, on a third bailout plan worth over 80 billion Euros, which should be completed by August the 20th. On Thursday, Greece, which is facing big financial difficulties, reimbursed over 180 million Euros to the IMF, thus avoiding a new default of payment to that financial institution. The Greek state was unable to pay its debt on June the 30th. Athens could not pay its debt on the extended deadline set in mid July, either, thus raising the volume of its arrears to the IMF to 2 billion Euros. Also on Thursday, the stock exchange in Athens registered positive results, after having reported only losses this week.

CONDOLENCES – The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned the terrorist attack on a mosque in the town of Abha, in south-western Saudi Arabia, which left dead and wounded among the members of the security forces and the civilians. The Romanian diplomacy has sent condolences to and expressed compassion for the families of the victims, reiterating its full support for the Saudi authorities’ efforts to fight terrorist acts.

FOOTBALL- The Romanian football teams Steaua Bucharest and Astra Giurgiu will find out the teams they will play with in the Europa League play-offs, after the draw of lots to be held in the Swiss town of Nyon later today. The defending national champion, Steaua, is playing in the second inter-club continental competition after failing to play the tie match to qualify for the Champions’ League group stage. After ending in a draw 1-1 the match played on home soil, the Romanians on Wednesday lost the away match 2-4 against the Serbs of Partisan Belgrade. In exchange, Astra which ended the first match in London 2-2, on Thursday evening won a match on home soil 2-1 against the English team West Ham United, in the third Europa League preliminary round, qualifying for the play-offs. Also on Thursday, Romania’s vice-champion, AS Ardealul of Targu Mures (in the centre), won the away match with the French team AS Saint-Etienne, 2-1, but got eliminated for having lost the first game played on home soil, 0-3. We recall that Romania’s third representative in Europa League, FC Botosani (in the north-east), got eliminated as early as the second preliminary round by the Polish team Legia Warsaw.

TENNIS- The pair made up of Romanian Florin Mergea and Indian Rohan Bopanna has qualified for the semi-finals of the ATP tennis tournament in Washington. After the pair Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria)/Mardy Fish (the US) has withdrawn because the Bulgarian player accused shoulder pains, Mergea and Bopanna have made it to the last but one stage of the competition, where they will meet the winners of the match between the pairs Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (the US) and Treat Huey (the Philippines)/Scott Lipsky (the US). The qualification for the semi-finals of the Washington tournament brings them a check worth 21,550 dollars and 180 ATP points.