May 11, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 11.05.2025, 14:00
REGULATIONS – Traders selling tobacco products in Romania have new obligations. According to an order issued by of the National Authority for Consumer Protection, economic operators are required, starting Sunday, to display an information notice prohibiting the sale to minors of products containing tobacco, electronic cigarettes, refill bottles for electronic cigarettes, electronic devices for heating tobacco and products intended for smokeless inhalation of tobacco substitutes and nicotine sachets for oral use. The notice, which can be downloaded free of charge from the anpc.ro website, must be displayed in the field of vision of buyers. Merchants must also make the notice available to blind or visually impaired people, either in audio format or through the use of any specific physical or digital means.
HEIST – Dutch prosecutors investigating the Romanian artifacts heist at the Drents Museum in Assen recently announced there is no evidence confirming the items were melted. The first preliminary hearing in this case took place this week, the Dutch media writes. The suspects were presented with evidence supporting the charges against them. Two defendants were questioned, but they refused to make statements in court. According to prosecutors, all suspects refused to cooperate, and this behavior is considered aggravating. The next public hearing will take place on July 30, and the trial could begin in the second half of 2026. The Drents Museum in Assen reasserted that it remains hopeful that all the gold objects, the Coțofenești Helmet and the three Dacian bracelets, will be recovered.
WAR IN UKRAINE – Russian president Vladimir Putin has called for direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side, as early as May 15. In a televised speech, Putin said that the talks could take place in Istanbul and that he would discuss this possibility with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Putin’s proposal came hours after the leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Poland, who were in Kyiv on Saturday, called on Russia to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire as early as Monday, under threat of tougher sanctions. Putin said he did not rule out the possibility of a new ceasefire being agreed in talks with Ukraine, but accused Kyiv of rejecting three previous proposals for a temporary cessation of hostilities. In turn, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hosted the summit of the coalition of the willing with Ukraine’s supporters, said talks were focused on building real and lasting security guarantees. Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan took part in the online talks. He said all leaders supported the proposal for a total and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, as well as the need to maintain pressure on Russia. In a message on Facebook, Bolojan reaffirmed that it is in Romania’s best interest to reach a lasting and just peace in Ukraine as quickly as possible.
CEASEFIRE – India has accused Pakistan of repeated violations of the ceasefire, agreed on May 10, following pressure from the United States of America. Explosions were heard in several settlements on the Indian side of the line that divides Kashmir, disputed by New Delhi and Islamabad, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire. India warned it would retaliate for any violation. In response, Pakistan assured that it was determined to observe the agreement and accused India of violating the ceasefire. The Pakistani Foreign Minister publicly called for the armed forces to be restrained and any problem to be resolved through diplomatic channels. The long-running conflict over control of Kashmir was rekindled after India bombed targets in Pakistan in retaliation for a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 people. New Delhi said the attackers had links to Pakistan, an accusation Islamabad has denied. Over 60 people have died in four days of fighting. The two nuclear powers have been fighting over Kashmir since 1947.
POPE – The new Pope, Leo XIV, on Saturday paid his respects at the tomb of his predecessor, Francis, who was buried two weeks ago at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The official website of the Holy See published a photo of the Supreme Pontiff, dressed in white, kneeling in front of Francis’ tomb. Previously, Pope Leo XIV explained to the cardinals gathered at the Vatican the choice of the name, the reason being linked to Leo XII, who led the Catholic Church at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century, and to the Church’s response to the challenges of the industrial revolution. The new Pope says that the advances in artificial intelligence come with new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and work. On Monday morning, Leo XIV will receive all journalists accredited to the Vatican in a general audience. The enthronement ceremony of the new Supreme Pontiff will take place on May 18, an event that is expected to be attended by over 250,000 faithful. (VP)
