October 7, 2014
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România Internațional, 07.10.2014, 12:00
Japanese researchers Isamu Akasaki şi Hiroshi Amano and American Shuji Nakamura today have been awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. The Nobel Committee has rewarded the three scientists for the invention of the LED lamps, by means of which a significant amount of energy could be saved. Yesterday, the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences equally granted the Nobel Prize in Medicine to John OKeefe (USA-Great Britain) and the Norwegians May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser, for their research in the field of neurology. The Nobel week continues tomorrow, with the Prize in Chemistry. On Thursday, the Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced, while the most eagerly-awaited award, the Peace Prize, is to be made public on Friday. The Nobel Prize in Economy is to be granted on Monday, October 13. Laureates will each receive a gold medal and prize money standing at around 1 point 1 million dollars. The official awarding ceremony is scheduled for December 10.
Representatives of Petrotel oil refinery in Ploiesti, southern Romania, owned by Russian giant Lukoil, have announced that the plant’s installations will start working today as usual. The plant ceased production on Friday after the company’s accounts had been frozen by Romanian prosecutors investigating a tax evasion and money laundering case. The prejudice to the Romanian state is roughly 230 million euros, out of which 112 million euros in tax evasion and the rest in money laundering. The company is contesting the measure of freezing its accounts and pointed out that freezing the activity of a production unit will automatically affect the entire production process of Lukoil Romania, a company, which has been operating in Romania for 15 years now. The Russian giant holds a network of roughly 300 petrol stations around Romania, which accounts for 20% of Romania’s fuel market.
Protesters from the Cartel Alfa Trade Union Confederation have taken to the streets in front of the government building in Bucharest to ask for amendments to the Law of Social Dialogue. Protest actions started on September 29th, when trade unionists began picketing the Labour Ministry in Bucharest, calling for amendments to four chapters in the law, namely representation and the universal enforcement of the collective labour agreement, the introduction of a unique labour contract nationwide, the right to work conflicts and granting a minimal protection to trade union representatives. According to trade union sources protest actions are to be carried on until mid-October.
The European Parliament is today hearing the candidates for the positions of European commissioner. Jonathan Hill of Britain, who is to become the European Commissioner for Financial Stability and regulation will be heard for the second time, as he failed to convince the MEPs from the relevant committee last week. Yesterday, the culture committee rejected the candidacy of another controversial candidate, Hungarian Tibor Navracsics as he also didn’t manage to convince that he was distancing himself from some of the measures adopted by current Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Designated for regional policy, Romanian Corina Cretu last week got the green light from the European Parliament’s relevant committee.
The first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States is currently being treated with an experimental drug in a Texas hospital. The condition of this Liberian citizen was critical but stable. A nurse who treated a priest infected with the virus in a hospital in Madrid has also tested positive for Ebola. Experts believe that the disease could make it to France and Britain by the end of October as the World Health Organisation didn’t impose any travel restrictions to the affected areas and has even encouraged airlines to continue to fly to the affected regions. Since the outbreak of the disease in March, 34 hundred people have died and 72 hundred have got infected with the virus.
Islamists from the Islamic State have entered the Syrian city of Kobani, close to the border with Syria, Reuters informs. Their three-week long onslaught has caused a massive displacement of the population; at least 180 thousand people have crossed the border into Turkey. The Islamists are now heavily armed and the bombing by the US-led coalition has failed to yield the desired result, namely to halt their advance to Syria’s Kurdish region, Reuters reports. In Iraq, the second country partially controlled by the IS, the US troops resorted to helicopter gunships for the first time since the beginning of the anti-IS campaign in August. They served as air-support for the Iraqi ground troops close to Fallujah, a city in the Euphrates Valley that had been occupied by the Jihadists early this year.
