April 30, 2015
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Ştefan Stoica, 30.04.2015, 12:00
In Romania, the employees of county councils and town halls, affiliated to the National Federation of Public Administration Unions are on a one-day strike today, disgruntled with their salaries. They will not collect taxes and charges and will not release any documents, except for death certificates. Trade union leaders argue that salaries have not been raised for six years in the public administration system, whereas the purchasing power has dropped to a half. Meanwhile, President Klaus Iohannis is having a meeting today with the leaders of the main trade unions in Romania, to discuss social dialogue issues.
The PM of Romania, Victor Ponta, has begun in Saudi Arabia today a tour in the Gulf area, aimed at improving the political and diplomatic dialogue and at deepening economic and trade relations. This is the first visit by a Prime Minister of Romania to Saudi Arabia since diplomatic ties were established with this country, 20 years ago. The tour also includes Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. During the visits the Romanian official will present business and investment opportunities, particularly in fields like constructions, infrastructure, agriculture, industry, energy, IT, tourism and healthcare. Bilateral cooperation protocols and agreements will also be signed, in areas such as foreign affairs, education and research, avoiding double taxation and protecting investments.
Anti-corruption prosecutors have today conducted searches at the City Hall of Iasi, the largest city in north-eastern Romania, at Mayor Gheorghe Nichita’s home and at the head office of the local police and the homes of local police chiefs. The action targets suspected corruption offences perpetrated this year. The searches in Iasi take place after last night the National Anti-Corruption Directorate detained the mayor and one of the deputy mayors of the town of Miercurea Ciuc, Robert Kalman Raduly and Domokos Szoke, respectively, for bribe taking.
Four Romanian troops taking part in Mission “Resolute Support” in Afghanistan were wounded on Thursday, in a car bomb attack. They were on a patrol mission nearly 8 km from the military base in Kandahar, in the south of the country. The soldiers were given first aid at the site and were taken to the hospital in Kandahar, where they are in stable condition. Romania still has 625 troops deployed in Afghanistan, where 23 Romanians have lost their lives while taking part in international missions in the past few years.
The death toll of the Nepal earthquake has reached nearly 5,500 people, according to local authorities. The international community continues to send aid for the victims, but logistics difficulties still hinder its distribution. Meanwhile, the tourism department announced Everest climbing might be resumed next week.
Sweden celebrates today the birthday of King Carl Gustaf XVI. On September 15, 1973, Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus succeeded his grandfather Gustav VI Adolf.
The deputy defence minister of Russia, Anatoly Antonov, ruled out a war between Russia and Ukraine, in an interview published on Thursday by the daily Komsomolskaia Pravda, and quoted by the Interfax news agency. Antonov added that he hoped Germany and France would use their influence to prevent Kiev from resuming hostilities in south-eastern Ukraine. On the other hand, Antonov said the Russian Defence Ministry suspended cooperation with the North-Atlantic Alliance and criticised its decision to downsize Russia’s permanent mission to NATO, in Brussels.
Thousands of people protested on Wednesday in cities across the US, after the recent case of police brutality in Baltimore. The death of a young African American while in police custody earlier this week generated significant unrest, prompting local authorities to enforce curfew in that city. Protesters are asking for a transparent report on the incident, but the Baltimore police announced they would not make public the conclusions of their investigation.
