October 12, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 12.10.2025, 13:55
PILGRIMAGE – Over a hundred thousand people have prayed over the relics of Saint Parascheva in Iași, in eastern Romania, according to Church officials. The pilgrimage, one of the largest in Romania, began on Wednesday, October 8, and is set to last until the Saint’s feast day on October 14. The feast of Saint Parascheva, the protector of Moldavia, was set by the Orthodox Church in 1955, so the days leading to October 14 are the ones in which thousands of pilgrims around Romania make the trip to the regional capital, forming kilometers-long queues to pray over the relics. A liturgical service will be held in front of the Iasi Metropolitan Cathedral on the feast day, an event attended by clergy from the country and abroad.
BORDER – Romania, together with the other EU member states, is activating a new border control mechanism for foreigners wishing to enter the Schengen area today. The European electronic control system will replace passport stamps with an electronic recording of travelers’ biometric data, and full implementation is scheduled for April 10, 2026. The new mechanism is being progressively put into operation in all member states. The control system targets non-EU citizens making short visits of up to 90 days within a six-month period. Biometric registration does not apply to minors under 12 years of age, third-country nationals holding a long-stay document issued by an EU member state, nor to family members of Schengen citizens holding such permits. The implementation of the system aims to modernize and streamline border control, strengthen security in the Schengen area and prevent illegal stays, without modifying existing movement rights.
AI – Romania will host a European artificial intelligence center, announced the Minister of Economy, Radu Miruţă. In a message published on social networks, the minister explains that Romania has thus benefited from the decision of the European Union to expand the network of such units. “It is an important step for our digital future,” says Radu Miruţă, who specifies that these centers offer supercomputers, technical expertise and support for start-ups and companies, accelerating research and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence.
SHOW – Artists from Romania, France, Germany and the Netherlands are presenting over 20 interactive installations, spectacular videomapping sessions and digital artworks today, as part of the 9th edition of the International Light Festival – SPOTLIGHT, which began on Friday in Bucharest and ends tonight. This year’s theme is “Symbiosis” and offers the public a reflection on how light can create connections between the city, the community and the environment. In parallel with the street projections, conferences dedicated to professionals and enthusiasts in the field of digital art and international festival production are also taking place. Among the guests of the 2025 edition are also internationally renowned curators who discuss or give presentations on the creative processes behind the great light festivals. Spotlight is the first and largest light festival in Bucharest and brings together over 300,000 participants every year.
GAZA – The release of the 48 Israeli hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas will begin on Monday morning, a senior Hamas official told France Presse. News agencies recall that under the agreement between Israel and Hamas, in exchange for the hostages, the Israeli government must release approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons. This is the first stage of the ceasefire agreement between the parties, according to US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan. Hamas has warned that for the second phase of the plan, negotiations will be even more complex and that it is ready to fight if the war resumes. Meanwhile, Egypt will host an international meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The so-called peace summit will be chaired by Egyptian and US leaders Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Donald Trump, and aims to strengthen efforts to stabilize the Middle East. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, European Council President António Costa, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the prime ministers of Britain, Spain and Italy have announced their participation in the summit.
FOOTBALL – The Romanian national football squad meets, this evening, the Austrian national team, at the National Arena in Bucharest, in Group H of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Austria is first in the group, with 15 points (5 games), followed by Bosnia-Herzegovina, 13 points (6 games), Romania, 7 points (5 games), Cyprus, 5 points (6 games), San Marino, 0 points (6 games). At next year’s World Cup, hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, the winners of the 12 preliminary groups from the European zone will qualify directly, while the second-placed teams, together with the four best group winners from the Nations League, will be drawn by lot and will play two play-offs (semi-finals and finals) to determine the last four qualified European national teams. (EE)
