16 March, 2016

Romanias former sovereign King Mihai I leaves hospital after cancer surgery. Smoking ban to come into effect in Romania on Thursday. Romanias Simona Halep to face Serena Williams in Indian Wells tennis tournament.

Newsroom, 16.03.2016, 12:00

Romania’s former
sovereign King Mihai I was discharged on Tuesday from a hospital in Lausanne,
Switzerland, where he underwent cancer surgery. According to a royal family
release, he is now at his private residence in Switzerland, where he will
remain under medical supervision. The release also says the King’s general
condition is stable, but his recovery will be slow, given the gravity of his
diagnosis. Earlier this month, the royal family announced the King would
withdraw from public life because of health reasons, while his public duties
were handed over to his oldest daughter, Princess Margareta.

A smoking ban comes into effect in Romania
on Thursday. Smoking will be prohibited in all enclosed public spaces,
including spaces with a roof and two walls. Smoking will still be permitted in
maximum-security prisons and in enclosed environments in the transit areas of
international airports. Smoking is banned in workplaces and all children
playground areas, both outdoor and indoor. Electronic cigarettes will be
allowed, with the exception of public transport. Penalties for breaking the
smoking ban include fines and even the closing down of the venues in question.
Smoking is one of the most expensive habits. Last year alone, the state cashed
in 2.7 billion euros from taxes and duties on cigarette trade.

Romania’s top ten exporters account hold a 17% share in
total exports, accounting for almost 10 billion euros, according to a report by
the National Institute for Statistics commissioned by the Ziarul Financial
newspaper. Romania’s biggest exports come from the car industry. The top 500
exporters cover 74% of Romania’s exports, which amounted to almost 55 billion
euros in 2015. Last year, only six out of the 500 companies retained their
positions, while 68 companies entered the top 500.

Razvan
Murgeanu, a businessman and former state advisor while Traian Basescu was
president of Romania, has been detained by anticorruption prosecutors for 24
hours. He is suspected of influence peddling, bribe giving and incitement to
money laundering. Two other persons have also been detained as part of the same
case. Murgeanu also served as deputy mayor of Bucharest and a state secretary
in the ministry for regional development and tourism.

Police
raids continued on Tuesday in Brussels after three Belgian and one French
police officers were slightly wounded in an operation carried out on Monday. A
suspect armed with a Kalashnikov was killed. Two more suspects are on the run.
The operation was linked to last November’s terrorist attacks in Paris in which
130 people were killed. Salah Abdeslam, the most wanted man in connection with these attacks,
has not been located. 11 persons have so far been charged in Belgium in
connection with November’s attacks, which are believed to have been planned and
coordinated from Brussels.

Republican and Democratic front-runners
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, respectively, have extended their leads in
the race for presidential nomination with wins in Tuesday’s primaries. Donald
Trump won in North Carolina, Illinois and Florida, while Hilllary Clinton won
in four states, including the industry-rich Ohio.

966 people were put to death in Iran in
2015, the highest number in the last 20 years, according to a United Nations report.
Between 2005 and 2015, Iran carried out at least 73 executions of child
offenders, including 16 in the last two years. 160 young Iranians are currently
awaiting execution. Also, 47 journalists and bloggers are known to be
imprisoned in Iran.

Romania’s number one tennis player Simona Halep has
reached the quartefinals of the Indian Wells tournament worth 6 million dollars
in prize money. The winner of last year’s title in Indian Wells, Halep is
currently in the fifth place in the world rankings. In her next match, she
faces world number one Serena Williams, who leads 6-1 in head-to-head clashes.
Halep’s only win against Williams dates back to 2014 at the WTA Finals in
Singapore.

Radio Romania’s Charming Flute project featuring flautist Ion Bogdan Stefanescu and pianist Horia
Mihail travels to the United States. The performances are scheduled for March
18, 6.30 pm, at the Romanian Embassy in Washington, DC and for March 20, 12 pm, at
the Victor Borge Hall – Scandinavia House in New York (58 Park Ave.). The
all-Romanian programme includes works by Anton Pann, George Enescu, Tudor
Ciortea, Paul Constantinescu, Petre Elinescu, Ciprian Porumbescu, Vasile Jianu,
Ioan Dobrinescu and Tiberiu Brediceanu.

(Translated by: C. Mateescu)