February 7, 2016

Click here for a round-up of domestic and international news

România Internațional, 07.02.2016, 12:16

SECURITY – The UN Security Council convenes today in New York, in an emergency meeting, after North Korea overnight launched a long-range missile, apparently to place a satellite on orbit. The meeting has been requested by the US and Japan, which are members of the Council, alongside South Korea, which claim that it was actually a ballistic test carried out by Pyongyang. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has called on North Korea to halt provocative actions. The international community has condemned Pyongyangs ballistic test, which comes just a month since the latest nuclear test carried out by North Korea. Heavy international sanctions have already been imposed on Pyongyang, following its ballistic firing and carrying out three nuclear tests in October 2006, May 2009 and February 2013, respectively.

MIGRATION-French President, François Hollande, and German
Chancellor, Angela Merkel, are to attend an informal dinner in Strasbourg, at
the invitation of the European Parliament President, Martin Schulz. Prior to
that, the French and German leaders will have a bilateral meeting to tackle
such issues as the migrant crisis and its impact on the Schengen area, and the
key demands made by Great Britain to remain in the EU, respectively. The
meeting is held just days ahead of a European summit due in Brussels on
February 18-19, when Hollande and Merkel exert new pressure regarding the
redistribution of refugees in Europe. As regards the referendum in Great
Britain, Paris and Berlin are not willing to make further concessions to Prime
David Cameron, other than those offered by the head of the European Council,
Donald Tusk.

COSAC – The Chair of the European Affairs Committee with the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, Ana Birchall, is today attending in the Hague, the Netherlands, the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC). The focal points of the talks will be the priorities of the Dutch presidency of the EU Council, which include migration, tightening EU border security, EU and Euro zone finances, strengthening the European domestic market and the relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom. The Netherlands is currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of 2016.

EARTHQUAKE – In Taiwan, rescue teams in the town of Tainan are going ahead with the operations of rescuing survivors after several buildings and blocks of flats collapsed in the wake of Saturdays powerful quake which measured 6.4 degrees on Richters scale. At least 24 people lost their lives, some 500 others sustained injuries and 120 are reported missing. So far, over 350 survivors have been taken out from the buildings reduced to rubble.

TENNIS– In the north-western Romanian city of Cluj Napoca, Simona Halep, WTAs no.3, is today meeting Petra Kvitova, WTAs no.9, on the second day of matches being played by Romanias and the Czech Republics tennis teams, in the first round of the Fed Cup World Group. Also today, Monica Niculescu, WTAs no.40, is facing Karolina Pliskova, WTAs no.13. After the simple tennis matches played yesterday, Romania and the Czech Republic are at a 1:1 draw. In the first matches, Halep was defeated by Pliskova, whereas Niculescu defeated Kvitova. A possible double tennis match will oppose the pair Andreea Mitu/Raluca Olaru to Denisa Allertova/Barbora Strycova. The Czech Republic is the best performing Fed Cup team in recent years, being the holder of 9 titles, including that of 2015.

RUGBY– Romanias national rugby team on Saturday scored a clear victory, 39-14, on home turf, in the city of Cluj Napoca, north-western Romania, against Portugal, in a new edition of Rugby Europe Championship, the second ranking continental competition, after the famous RBS 6 Nations Tournament. In the next leg, due next Saturday, Romania will meet Spain, in Madrid. In March, Romanian rugby players are pitched against Russia, Germany and Georgia. In autumn, under the guidance of Welsh coach Lynn Howells, Romania participated in the World Cup final tournament in England, where it defeated Canada, in the group stage, and lost to France, Ireland and Italy.

(Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)