September 23, 2016 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 23.09.2016, 12:20
VISIT Romania will keep supporting the idea of fighting illegal migration through a rigorous control on the EU’s external borders, said the Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos at the end of the visit he paid to New York, where he attended the UN General Assembly meeting. In an interview to the Romanian news agency AGERPRES, he has said that Bucharest did not make any additional commitments at the summit, besides those already assumed at European level. In another move, Ciolos has stated that the only way in which Europe can put an end to the wave of refugees is by stifling conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. Romania is ready to help find solutions to put an end to such conflicts, Ciolos has also said.
SCANDAL The former Romanian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Senator Gabriel Oprea, accused by anti-corruption prosecutors of manslaughter, announced on Friday he would resign from Parliament next week. Previously, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis had stated Oprea should resign, in order to ease the tension generated by his case. On Monday, with only 45 votes for and 73 against, Senators voted against the National Anticorruption Directorate’s request to start Oprea’s prosecution. In the past few days, people have taken to the streets to protest against the Senate’s voting.
MEASLES OUTBREAK The Romanian Ombudsman on Friday started an investigation into the measles outbreak, and called on the Health Ministry to present the reasons why, since April, the draft law on children’s mandatory vaccination had not gone through any of the stages provided by law. In turn, also on Friday, the Health Ministry announced that the vaccination law was going through an endorsement process and harshly criticized the campaigns against children’s vaccination. Three infants have died of measles, and doctors say immunisation could have prevented the outbreak, which now affects half of the country. Family doctors say that the low immunisation rate is the result of parents’ refusal to have their children vaccinated.
RadiRo Six symphony orchestras from Europe and Asia, alongside prominent conductors and soloists are taking part, in Bucharest, in the third edition of the International Radio Orchestras Festival – RadiRo, which runs until October 1. This year, alongside five European Orchestras- the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the National Radio Orchestra, the festival has among its honorary guests an orchestra from Asia, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra of China, which opened the festival on Friday.
TTIP Government officials from the EU member states on Friday met in Bratislava (Slovakia), for talks on the draft trade agreements with the US and Canada. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the US (TTIP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) are facing increasing opposition by some European politicians and protesters. Critics of the agreements say the proposals favour multinational companies, to the detriment of people’s interests and will lead to the dissolution of public services. According to the BBC, France has urged the EU to abandon the TTIP trade deal. The two trade agreements should be approved by all national parliaments of the EU member states.
TENNIS Romanian tennis player Patricia Tig (WTA No.135) has qualified for the semi-finals of the Seoul tennis tournament, with 250,000 dollars in prize money. Patricia Tig defeated Spanish Sara Sorribes Tormo (WTA No.139) in three sets. Patricia will now face Lara Arruabarrena (WTA No.90). Another Romanian tennis player, Monica Niculescu (WTA No.55) will meet in the quarterfinals Slovakian Jana Cepelova (WTA No.102). In another move, Romania’s Davis Cup team will face the team of Belarus, in the first round of Group 1 Europe/Africa Zone, following Thursday’s draw in London. The match is due between February 3 and 5, 2017, and Romania will be playing away from home. The Romanian and Belarusian team have met only once so far, in 2005, in the first round of the World Group, when Romania defeated Belarus 3-2, on home turf.
