CARACAL
\nINVESTIGATION – Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Saturday set
\nup a task force led by State Secretary Raed Arafat to look into the
\ndisappearance of the 15-year-old girl from Caracal, presumed dead. The group has
\n15 days to come up with an emergency plan to streamline response times to
\ncritical situations across the entire state apparatus. An emergency Government
\nmeeting was held on this matter. The head of the Romanian Police Ioan Buda was
\nsacked by Interior Minister Nicolae Moga for the poor handling of the case. In
\nturn, President Klaus Iohannis called on the Interior Minister and the head of
\nthe Special Telecommunications Service to handle the investigation with extreme
\ncelerity. The president expects a first official report at Monday’s meeting of
\nthe country’s Supreme Defense Council. We recall a 66-year old man from Caracal
\nwas arrested on Friday after a search at his home revealed human remains and
\njewelry, allegedly belonging to a 15-year-old girl who went missing on
\nWednesday. On Thursday the girl called the emergency service three times, giving
\ndetails as to where she was being detained. The special unit investigating
\njustice-related crimes has also opened an investigation into this matter. <\/p>\n
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VOTE -
\nRomanians in the Diaspora can register on the online platform
\nwww.votstrainatate.ro as of Sunday. The website was created by the Election
\nAuthority to get better idea of the number of Romanians living outside the
\ncountry’s borders, so they may be better informed regarding the voting process
\nahead of the presidential election due in November. The Ministry of Romanians
\nWorldwide has recently announced over 5 and a half million Romanians have left
\nthe country. The total number of Romanians living abroad is ten million,
\nincluding those in historic regions. Any Romanian who chooses to vote abroad
\nwill fill an online form, including his name, personal identification number,
\nthe city and state where they want to vote, also attaching a scanned copy of their
\nID. An additional polling station can be set up upon written request from a
\nminimum 100 citizens from the same area. Any voter who wants to register for
\npostal voting needs to fill an online form, including his name, personal
\nidentification number, home address, e-mail address, as well as whether he
\nwants to submit his vote at home or at the diplomatic representation. The voter
\nalso needs to attach a scanned copy of his ID and of his stay permit. <\/p>\n
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AGREEMENT -
\nUS President Donald Trump has congratulated British Prime Minister Boris
\nJohnson for obtaining this position, also announcing he is preparing a free trade
\nagreement between the two countries which will be crucial post-Brexit. The
\nWhite House leader was an overt critic of outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May,
\nfor the way she handled Brexit. Donald Trump pointed out that the United States
\nwas so far prevented from trading more with Britain due to their relations with
\nthe EU, and that two-way trade with the UK can increase five times, France
\nPress reports. Trump and Johnson also tacked the Gulf crisis and Iran’s seizure
\nof a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, expressing excitement ahead of
\ntheir meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit due next month in France. <\/p>\n
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TOURISTS -
\nTens of thousands of tourists are spending the weekend on the seacoast,
\nattending concerts, runs, car races or theatre shows. The weeknd started with a
\nconcert given by Stefan Banica Jr. and VH2 in Constanta. On Saturday Voltaj, 3
\nSud Est, Connect-R and Antonia climbed on stage while on Sunday Cristi
\nMinculescu and the band Celelalte Cuvinte will perform live. The city of
\nNavodari will also host music concerts. Sports lovers are invited to visit
\nConstanta to take part in the Aqua Chellenge, the sea swimming marathon which
\nincludes a special race for children. Also on Saturday the The Color Run Love
\nTour kicked off, with runners wearing white outfits and getting sprayed with a
\ndifferent color for every new kilometer they run. The Ford V Rally Raid was
\nalso held in northern Constanta. Also scores of events were held in southern
\nBlack Sea Coast, such as theatre plays in Jupiter, Saturn and Mangalia. <\/p>\n
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MEDAL -
\nBianca Andreea Costea has won a new gold medal in the swimming competition at
\nthe European Youth Olympic Festival hosted by Baku. Costea won the 50-meter
\nfreestyle event. Also on Saturday Romania’s women’s volleyball team won silver
\nafter losing the final to Russia 3-1. In athletics Talida Sfarghiu won silver
\nin the 1,500-meter race. In gymnastics, Robert and Gabriel Burtanete, Silviana
\nMaria Sfiringu-Gheorghe and Ioana Stanciulescu on Saturday won three silver and
\ntwo bronze. So far Romania has won 12 medals in Baku – four gold, five silver
\nand three bronze. A total of 103 athletes are representing Romania in the
\nEuropean Youth Olympic Festival.<\/p>\n
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HALEP -
\nPresident Klaus Iohannis signed the decree for decorating tennis player Simona
\nHalep with the Star of Romania National Order in rank of knight. The head of
\nstate has conveyed this distinction as a sign of appreciation and recognition
\nfor winning the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, for the outstanding career-long
\nresults, for achieving the top position in women’s singles as well as for the
\ntalent, devotion and professionalism invested in helping Romanian sports
\nachieve international recognition and promoting sport among young people. The
\ndecoration ceremony will be held on Tuesday. Currently in 4th place
\nin WTA standings, Simona Halep was world no. 1 two times between 2017 and 2019.
\nShe held onto this position for 64 weeks, becoming the tenth player in the WTA
\ncircuit to do so. Apart from Wimbledon she is the winner of another Grand Slam,
\nRoland Garros in 2018. <\/p>\n
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FESTIVAL – The
\ncity of Sighisoara in central Romania is playing host to the 26th
\nedition of the oldest and most important medieval festival in Romania. Taking
\npart are 250 artists from at home and abroad. The theme this year is medieval
\nmystery, referencing theatre in the Middle Ages. People can visit the five
\ncamps set up in the citadel and across the city, where they can witness
\nhistoric reenactments, duels, street music concerts, including Renaissance
\nmusic, medieval dancing, military demonstrations and arts workshops. <\/p>\n
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(Translated by V.
\nPalcu)<\/p>\n
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