4 January, 2017

Parliament votes to confirm new PM; Measles outbreak in Romania

Newsroom, 04.01.2017, 11:59

PRIME MINISTER — The 26 ministers in the cabinet put together by the newly elected majority in Parliament, headed by Sorin Grindeanu, are being under confirmation proceedings in Parliament in Bucharest. If a confirmation vote comes through, the new government can be sworn in today in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis. The president previously rejected the Social Democratic candidate for prime minister, Sevil Shhaideh. As part of the coalition, the Social Democratic Party proposed ministers for education, the economy, health, justice, transportation and the interior ministry, while the partner Alliance of Liberal and Democrats proposes ministers for foreign relations, parliament relations, energy and environment.

MEASLES — The measles outbreak may be widening, according to experts with the main infectious disease hospital in Timisoara, in the west of Romania, the main city in the region with the most cases. According to them, 124 children have been stricken by the disease. In the first three days of the year alone, 30 patients have been admitted into hospital for the disease, the youngest being six weeks old. The epidemic broke out in Romania in the autumn, with 10 confirmed deaths and over 2,000 infections throughout the country. According to the Ministry of Health, the main reason for the outbreak is parents refusing to vaccinate their children, which physicians warn is hazardous.

TURKEY — The Turkish Foreign Minister said the authorities have identified the perpetrator in the attack that left 39 dead on New Years Eve in Istanbul, without providing details. Turkish media alleged on Tuesday that he is from a Central Asian country. 16 people, including the wife of the attacker, have been detained. The attack occurred as Turkish forces are attempting to retake the northern Syrian city of Al-Bab, a stronghold of the so-called Islamic State, where Ankara leads an offensive against Jihadists, as well as Kurdish militias.

MINING — The miners in Lupeni, in Romanias coal country, have gone today on a spontaneous protest against the economic situation of their employer, the Hunedoara Energy Complex. The protesters claim that they work for low wages only four days a week. The complex, which employs 5,200 people, has filed for insolvency proceedings, and awaits a court decision, which is the only way it can continue work.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, right now ranking fourth in the world, has been defeated by Czech player Katerina Siniakova, 52nd seeded, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. Romania has no other representative in the competition, after Sorana Carstea, 78th seeded, was defeated by Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska, 3rd seeded, and Monica Niculescu, 38th seeded, lost to Wang Qiang, 73rd seeded. In the womens doubles, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair Raluca Olaru- Olga Savchuk will be playing in the quarter finals against the Chinese pair Chen Liang- Jing Jing Lu. We recall that Simona Halep was the winner of the Shenzhen tournament in 2015.

EU PRESIDENCY — This year, Malta takes over the rotating presidency of the EU. Over the next six months, the new team will have to grapple with major issues such as migration, security, and social inclusion, as well as the expected Brexit crisis. Malta joined the EU in 2004, and is right in the path of refugees trying to reach Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.