RACE The Bucharest International
\nMarathon is currently taking place in the Romanian capital this weekend, a
\ncompetition that has been staged for the past 11 years in order to promote in
\nBucharest a healthy and active lifestyle. The classical marathon race of 42
\nkilometers will be followed by the half-marathon and relay-race this Sunday
\nwhile Saturday saw the races dedicated to children and teenagers. The 2018
\nedition of this race has brought together about 19 thousand participants from
\nover 70 countries. <\/p>\n
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DRILL Romania is today seeing the largest earthquake drill and simulation in
\nthe EU in the past two decades. As part of this exercise the authorities have
\nset up two camps for ‘victims’ in Afumati and Voluntari, two villages close to
\nBucharest, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations has announced. On
\nSaturday night, also as part of this drill, the Romanian president ‘declared’
\nthe state of emergency. During the exercise, which is due to unfold until
\nOctober 18th, response capabilities are to be tested in various
\nsimulated situations during night and day. The exercise is also to involve the
\nparticipation of international structures. According to Rayed Arafat, the head
\nof the Department for Emergency Situation, the exercise will gain an
\ninternational dimension as an Israeli mobile hospital with its medical
\npersonnel has already arrived in Romania, as well as ambulances, doctors and
\nparamedics from Austria, Italy and Hungary. Various rescue operations are to be
\nsimulated as well as the involvement of international structures in
\ndistributing humanitarian aid to those affected. Observers from the EU and the
\nUnited States, as well as journalists from abroad are also attending the drill
\nentitled SEISM 2018. According to the National Institute for Earth Physics,
\nRomania has 6 major seismic zones, the most important being in Vrancea in the
\ncountry’s south. In the past two centuries Romania has seen 7 major
\nearthquakes, over 7 degrees on the Richter scale, the most devastating being
\nthose in 1940 and 1977, which killed 25 hundred people and wounded over 15
\nthousand. The 1977 earthquake destroyed about 35 thousand buildings. Bucharest
\nstill has over 4 thousand buildings, which cannot withstand a major
\nearthquake. <\/p>\n
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VISIT As of today, Romanian president Klaus
\nIohannis is paying a four-day formal visit to Rome, the first by a Romanian
\nhigh official in the past 45 years. On the visit’s first day, Iohannis will be
\nseeing representatives of the Orthodox, Greek and Roman-Catholic churches at
\nthe headquarters of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishopric of Italy. Iohannis will
\nalso participate in a symbolic event, the projection of Romania’s flag colours
\non Trajan’s Column in Rome. On Monday, the Romanian official is to hold talks
\nwith his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella with Prime Minister Giuseppe
\nConte and with presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Maria
\nElisabetta Alberti Casellati and Roberto Fico. The Romanian president’s agenda
\nalso includes talks with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy,
\nthe largest Romanian community abroad, which at present stays at 1.5 million
\npeople, as well as participation in a Romania-Italy business forum. Iohannis’
\nvisit to Italy comes at a time when Romania celebrates 100 years since the
\nunion of its principalities and 10 years since the two countries signed their
\nStrategic Consolidated Partnership. <\/p>\n
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FOOTBALL Romania’s national eleven today takes on the Serbian selection in a
\nmatch counting towards Group 4 of the newly-created Nations league. Last month
\nin Belgrade, the two sides ended their match in a draw, two-all. Serbia tops
\nthe group standings with seven points, followed by Romania with 5, Montenegro
\nwith 4 and Lithuania with no point. In another development, on Friday night, Romania’s
\nunder-21 side secured a two-nil home win against Wales in the preliminaries of
\nthe European Championships next year. Romania’s under-21 football team tops the
\ngroup standings and needs a draw in their next game to qualify after 20 years
\nfor a final Under-21 final tournament. <\/p>\n
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