May 4, 2016

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Newsroom, 04.05.2016, 12:00

The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, has today signed the decree that appoints Corina Şuteu as minister of culture. Corina Şuteu will be sworn in later today. The appointment of Ms. Şuteu comes after the PM Dacian Cioloş dismissed the previous culture minister, Vlad Alexandrescu, who was criticized for the way in which he managed the scandal at the National Opera House in Bucharest, where three managers were replaced in just one month. Corina Şuteu is a secretary of state with the Culture Ministry and was the director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York.

The Romanian prosecutors decided to start criminal prosecution for acts of thwarting disease fighting, in the case of disinfectants produced by a Romanian company and used in hospitals and other medical units. Other accusations refer to forging or substituting foods and other products. In another development, the Romanian Health Ministry will announce today the results of the tests made on the disinfectants used in hospitals, after a journalistic investigation revealed that the substances produced by the Romanian company had concentrations ten times smaller than the standard concentrations. According to the PM Dacian Cioloş a decision cannot be made at present, because Romania does not have a lab accredited to certify these results. The public health units have analyzed more than 2,600 samples of disinfectants taken from more than 200 hospitals from across Romania.

The UN Security Council is meeting today to debate the situation in Aleppo, in the north of Syria, while the US and Russia are making efforts to negotiate a truce, France Press reports. Moscow has expressed optimism over reaching a ceasefire agreement while the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, has warned the Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad that he will suffer the consequences of failing to observe the peace agreement negotiated at present. Over 270 people have been killed in Aleppo, the second largest city of Syria, since the resumption of fighting on April 22.

4 Romanian women tennis players have qualified in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Madrid, which has prizes up for grabs worth 4.7 million dollars. Today Simona Halep (WTA 7th ranked) will take on the Swiss Timea Bacsinszky (WTA 15th ranked), Irina Begu (WTA 34th) will play against the American Christina McHale (WTA 59th) while Patricia Tig (WTA 134th) will be facing another American Madison Keys (WTA 25th). Sorana Cîrstea (WTA 217th) has also qualified in the eighth finals where she will take on the German Laura Siegemund (WTA 44th). The finals of the Madrid tournament might see two Romanians pitted against each other as Halep and Begu are on the same quarter of the table, so they could fight for a place in the semifinals if both of them defeat their adversaries.

The European Commission is presenting today the 3rd report on the progress reported by Turkey with a view to obtaining the visa waiver for the EU states. This is a condition requested by Ankara during the negotiations with the EU for signing the agreement that is to diminish the inflow of immigrants coming from Turkey and heading for Europe. Brussels has requested Ankara to observe a total number of 72 criteria, among which respecting the fundamental human rights. If Turkey complies with the requested criteria, the new visa waiver program will be enforced at the end of June. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)