19 April, 2016
Romania has a new labor minister, Romania joins European Union Customs Code
Newsroom, 19.04.2016, 11:59
MINISTER — In Bucharest today, the newly appointed labor minister, Dragos Paslaru, takes up his term under difficult circumstances, with trade unions protesting the planned emergency executive order on state wages. On Monday, 200 teachers protested outside the government building, demanding a 35% raise.
VISIT — Spanish Minister of Justice Rafael Catala is on an official visit to Romania on Tuesday and Wednesday. He is scheduled to hold talks with Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu, his counterpart Raluca Pruna, and head of anti-corruption, Laura Kovesi. These meetings are part of the intense cooperation between the two countries, considering the huge Romanian community in Spain, and the common interest displayed by the two countries in creating an international court for prosecuting terrorism. Spain has the largest community of Romanians living abroad, amounting to around one million.
CUSTOMS CODE — Romanian goods will gain access to the entirety of the EU starting on May 1, 2016, when the Union Customs Code comes into effect. The document sets common procedures, harmonized across the EU, facilitating trade.
INVENTION — Romania got 19 gold medals, 14 silver medals, two bronze medals, and 30 special prizes at the Geneva International Invention Salon. Romanian teams submitted 30 inventions, including a method to recycle safety glass and a device to pinpoint cancer cells. Over 1,000 inventions from 40 countries competed in the event, half of them from Asia, predominantly from China. Last year, Romania got 28 medals. Two years ago, the Grand Prize was won by a Swiss company for technology created by a team of Romanian researchers.
CINEMA — The 12th edition of the Bucharest International Film Festival, running from Monday to Sunday, opened with the film Soy Nero, submitted by Iranian director Rafi Pitts. It tells the story of a deported Mexican who manages to enlist in the US armed forces in order to gain citizenship. The festival consists of 15 movie screenings for films from Spain, France, the US, Iran, Romania, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Argentina and Bulgaria.
EARTHQUAKE – The Ecuadorian government announced that 400 people are known to be dead and around 2,500 injured after the 7.8 Richter scale quake on the Pacific coast of the country. The search for survivors continues, while reconstruction costs are estimated to reach billions of dollars. President Rafael Correa said this is the worst tragedy in the last 70 years for his country. On Monday, officials with USAID announced it would join UN rescue teams, sending teams of experts to Ecuador to support recovery after the earthquake.
BOMBING — Around 30 people were killed and over 300 injured in a suicide bombing in Afghan capital Kabul, according to police sources. The attack was claimed by the Taliban, and targeted a government building housing security personnel.
PULITZER — The winners of the Pulitzer Prize were announced in New York. The Associated Press won the prize for a public service. Reuters and the New York Times won the prize for breaking news photojournalism in relation to the refugee crisis. The Los Angeles Times won the prize for breaking news reporting on the San Bernardino massacre, while the Tampa Bay Times and the Sarasota Herald Tribune won prizes for investigative journalism.
