March 22, 2016
Several explosions have struck Brussels today. Anti-terror alert in Belgium, raised to the highest level.
Newsroom, 22.03.2016, 12:00
EXPLOSIONS – Several explosions have struck Brussels today. Two blasts tore through the departures area of Zaventem airport while another one hit Maalbeek metro station, close to the EU institutions. The provisional death toll made public by Belgian authorities is 26. Over 130 people have been wounded, of whom some are in a serious condition. The government raised the anti-terror alert in the country to the highest level. The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main fugitive in the Paris attacks last November that killed 130 people, was captured in Brussels. Several European states have increased security measures following the events in Brussels. In Bucharest, the Presidency, Government and Foreign Ministry have conveyed a message of condolences to the Belgian people and have condemned the attacks, calling for joint efforts to fight terrorism.
VOTE – The Romanian Parliament is today voting on the new Board of the public television TVR. Previously, Parliament’s culture committees have interviewed candidates proposed by parliamentary groups, government, presidency and TVR employees. The new Board has to come up with solutions to rescue the public television that has been dealing with severe financial problems. One of these solutions might be to change the insolvency law so that TVR can be declared bankrupt and a new structure be set up.
VISIT – The US President Barack Obama ends his historic visit to Cuba today with meetings with Cuban dissidents and a televised speech. On Monday, Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro said they planned to cooperate in fields of common interest. Obama also said that lifting the trade embargo would depend on actions Cuba takes on human rights.
PRESIDENCY – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is paying a three-day official visit to Turkey as of today, to hold talks with his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with PM Ahmet Davutoglu and with representatives of the Romanian community in this country. The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties based on the Strategic Partnership between Romania and Turkey, signed in 2011. Official talks will focus on bilateral, regional and security issues, such as economic cooperation, the dialogue between Turkey and the EU with an emphasis on migration and also the collaboration within NATO. Also approached will be the need to increase efforts to fight terrorism against the background of several terror attacks that have taken place in Turkey recently.
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES – The Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Laura Boldrini, is currently in Bucharest for talks with Romanian high officials. Boldrini’s visit takes place at the invitation of her Romanian counterpart, Valeriu Zgonea. The two officials will sign a declaration dubbed More European Integration: The Road to Travel” , calling for more European integration. The document was signed by the presidents of the Lower Chambers of the Parliament of Italy (Laura Boldrini), France (Claude Bartolone), Germany (Norbert Lammert) and Luxembourg (Mars di Bartolomeo). Laura Boldrini will also have a meeting with representatives of the Italian investors in Romania.
STRIKE — Thousands of Romanian doctors continue to be in a work-to-rule strike, unsatisfied with the outcome of the negotiations with the Health Ministry. The strike started on Monday, at the initiative of the Romanian Federation of Physician Unions and the “Hipocrat” Union Federation in Romania, which claims to represent over 7,000 employees in the sector. Their demands concern a consistent salary system, the payment of bonuses, and the implementation of working hour standards. Family doctores have announced new protests on Thursday at the Health Ministry headquarters.
(Translated by E. Enache)
