April 5, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 05.04.2025, 13:55
DISINFORMATION – The Romanian Intelligence Service announced it is permanently monitoring disinformation and propaganda online activities, in order to combat risks and threats to national security. The announcement comes after a journalistic investigation showed that the number of Romanian-language propaganda accounts on TikTok promoting Putin and criticizing the European Union has significantly increased of late. At the same time, the National Audiovisual Council is preparing a decision calling on TikTok to immediately remove such content. The institution stated that, in the last week, it has issued 10 such decisions regarding content published on TikTok and Facebook. The decisions targeted, among other things, disinformation and incitement to violence. According to the Council, the posts in question were followed by over 400,000 people and had collected 2.6 million likes. We recall that the campaign for the May 4 presidential election started on Friday.
EASTER CAMPAIGN – Radio Romania journalists will this year offer gifts to Romanian and Ukrainian children hosted at the Vălenii de Munte settlement (south) owned by the ProVita organization, marking the Easter holidays. The action is part of the 14th edition of the “Your friend in the city” campaign. Journalists will offer clothes, sweets and food to the children on Sunday. ProVita is an NGO founded by priest Nicolae Tănase in 1991. Since then, the association has been addressing over 10,000 underprivileged children, especially orphaned or abandoned. Since March 2022, in addition to the Romanian children who have a home here, 22 Ukrainian orphaned children have also been hosted at Vălenii de Munte. This year, Orthodox and Catholic Easter is celebrated on April 20.
PROJECT – Expanding the exploitation of the Roşia Poieni deposit (west), where 60% of Romania’s copper reserves are stored, is a priority for the Ministry of Investments and European Funds in Bucharest. The line minister Marcel Boloş, who discussed the issue with representatives of local administrations and the relevant industry, described the project as strategic. Recently, the European Commission approved a list of 47 projects in the field of so-called critical materials, essential for cutting-edge technologies. Total investment is estimated at approximately €22 billion. Romania is listed with three projects aimed at the exploitation of copper, magnesium and graphite. The projects will benefit from simplified access to funding, while the period for granting permits will be reduced from 10 to 2 years.
TARIFFS – US customs agents have started collecting the 10% tariff on all goods imported into the United States on Monday, based on President Donald Trump’s order. Additional tariff increases on goods from 57 major US trading partners are set to take effect next week, Reuters reports. The 10% base tariff applies to all imports, from electronics to clothing and is the first phase of president Trump’s push to completely dismantle the post-World War II system of tariffs. Imports from the European Union will be subject to 20% tariffs, while Chinese goods will be subject to 34% tariffs, bringing the level of taxation imposed on Chinese imports by Donald Trump to 54%. The White House also published a list of over 1,000 categories of products exempt from tariffs, including crude oil, petroleum products and other energy products, pharmaceuticals, uranium, titanium, timber or copper.
TENNIS – The Romanian-Brazilian pair Irina Bara/Laura Pigossi has qualified to the doubles final of the WTA 250 tennis tournament in Bogota (Colombia), offering over 275 thousand USD in total prizes. On Friday, the two ousted Emily Appleton (Great Britain) and Quinn Gleason (USA) 6-4, 6-2. Irina Bara and Laura Pigossi will find out their opponents once matches end on the other side of the draw. Irina Bara has won only one WTA doubles title, in 2021.
WEATHER – A cold spell will sweep Romania starting Saturday. Meteorologists have announced thunderstorms, strong wind and hail in the northern half of the territory during the day, and snowfall and blizzards during the night at local level. Country-wide temperatures are expected to drop significantly until the middle of next week. (VP)
