November 24, 2023
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 24.11.2023, 13:55
IMMUNITY – MPs of the ruling Social-Democratic and Liberal parties announced they would vote to lift the immunity of former Liberal Prime Minister Florin Cîțu, so that anti-corruption prosecutors can launch criminal proceedings against him in an investigation into the purchase of anti-COVID vaccines during the pandemic. Former USR Health Ministers Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă are also accused of abuse of office, and president Klaus Iohannis needs to green-light the lifting of their immunity. Prosecutors say the three purchased more anti-vaccine shots than necessary, causing a prejudice of 1 bln EUR. The three officials could have easily refused the millions of doses allotted to Romania by the EU, without our country having to pay penalties. The vaccines were purchased at a very difficult time during the pandemic, dominated by uncertainty regarding the evolution of the virus, the availability of mass-production of vaccines and the need for re-vaccination, Vlad Voiculescu explained. The former Health Minister blamed Florin Cîțu for taking the final decision, and in turn the former Liberal Prime Minister said every decision taken during his mandate was taken in good faith and in compliance with the law.
CEASEFIRE – A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, and later today Hamas is expected to release 13 hostages. Qatars contribution was key to securing this ceasefire, in addition to the efforts of Egypt and the USA. Under the agreement, the four-day ceasefire can be extended. 50 Israeli hostages can be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian hostages detained in Israeli prisons. Hostilities between Israel and Hamas broke out after the large-scale October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel which, authorities say, killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and led to the abduction of another 240 people on the day of the attack. In retaliation, Israel promise to obliterate Hamas and has since bombed Gaza uninterruptedly. According to Hamas, the Israeli attacks have killed 15,000 people, including 6,000 children.
AID – A group of 12 Romanian citizens and members of their families who were evacuated from Gaza into Egypt have been flown back home today onboard a special flight operated by the national airline TAROM, in a complex operation carried out by the Government Task Force, with support from the Romanian Embassy in Cairo and the Representative Office in Ramallah. The government further announced it will provide emergency aid consisting of accommodation and warm meals to the families evacuated from Gaza, irrespective of citizenship. 400 EUR will be provided to a single person or to a family of five every month, while families with more than five members will receive 600 EUR for accommodation expenses. An additional food allowance worth 120 EUR will be paid to every individual. The aid will be provided over a maximum period of four months starting November.
NADIA MURAD – The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Nadia Murad, is the newest member of the academic community of Timișoara after being awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa title from the West University of the city of Timișoara, which is the European Capital of Culture in 2023. Nadia Murad is the first woman who had the strength and courage to condemn the atrocities committed by the Islamic State of Iraq. In 2014 she was sold by Daesh as a slave and lost her entire family. In her acceptance speech, Murad referred to the suffering of people abducted by ISIS and her efforts to improve the life of the Yazidi, a community she is a part of. Aged 30, Nadia Murad is the fifth Nobel Prize recipient to visit the city of Timișoara this year. (VP)
