March 29, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 29.03.2026, 20:22
MEASURES The government in Bucharest is preparing a new series of measures aimed at capping fuel prices. The measures include reduced excises in petrol and diesel, while a working group has been created to assess how much the state can cover of these expenses and the period this measure can be applied. According to Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, the government is very likely to endorse a law on capped excises on Monday. The measures adopted several days ago allowing the government’s intervention on the fuel market are also going to come into effect on April 1. Under the document, the markup used by the economic operators, which are producing, importing or trading petrol and diesel will be adjusted to its medium value last year with the exception of intercommunity deliveries. Economic agents are also to cut down the content of biofuel in petrol from 8% to 2% by June 30, the period the aforementioned measures are being applied. At the same time companies exporting fuel without approval from the Ministries of Economy and Energy will be subjected to fines ranging from 5% to 10% of the turnover and have their revenues seized.
VISITS The European Commissioners Roxana Manzatu and Apostolos Tzitzikostas will be paying two separate visits to Romania on Monday. The European Commission’s vice-president for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness will be seeing President, Nicusor Dan, and Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, and will be having talks with the Committees for Labour in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas will be having talks with the Romanian authorities on various projects of connectivity, initiative and strategies aimed at boosting economic cohesion and supporting supply chains as well as the main role of the EU funding in streamlining transport networks.
DAY Catholic believers, including in Romania, a country with an Orthodox majority, are today celebrating Palm Sunday, a week ahead of the Catholic Easter, this year celebrated on April 5th. On this occasion, Bucharest will be seeing a religious procession staged by the Roman-Catholic Archbishopric, which ended with the Holy Liturgy led by His Grace Aurel Perca.
DST Last night Romania switched to the Daylight Saving Time, moving clocks forward by one hour so that 3 o’clock became 4 o’clock. The measure has been applied in most of the EU countries every year in March to make better use of natural daylight and conserve energy.
IRAN The Pentagon prepares for weeks of ground operations in Iran, although it is still unclear that President Donald Trump will approve the deployment of ground troops, US press has reported. According to Washington Post, citing US officials, the plans may include special forces raids and conventional infantry operations. The US allegedly has over 4 thousand marines on ships bound for the Gulf area, paratroopers from the 82nd airborne division, and fresh backup is discussed besides the 50 thousand already involved in the war against Iran. In the meantime, Iran has continued to launch missiles and drones against various targets in the Gulf area. Night attacks against various objectives including major infrastructure have been reported in Qatar, Kuweit and the United Arab Emirates. The Foreign Ministry of Oman has condemned the Saturday’s attacks against its territory adding that no side has assumed responsibility yet.
MASS The Israeli police have prevented Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch and the Custos of the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to celebrate Palm Sunday mass ‘for the first time in centuries’, the Latin Patriarchate has announced. In a joint statement of Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land, the action was described as a ‘grave precedent’ which ‘disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world.’ The Latin Patriarchate has also announced the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession, from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, which brings together thousands of believers every year. According to the Patriarchate, ‘church authorities have acted responsibly since the outbreak of the war and have complied with all the restrictions imposed.’ Since the onset of the offensive launched together with the United States against Iran, on February 28, the Israeli authorities have banned large gatherings including in synagogues, churches and mosques, limiting the number of participants to 50.
FOOTBALL Assistant coach Ionel Gane will be heading the Romanian national football side during the friendly they are playing against Slovakia in Bratislava on March 31st, after selector Mircea Lucescu was admitted to hospital on Sunday. Lucescu, 80, had reported some health issues earlier this year and now doctors are conducting a series of investigations and medical procedures aimed at stabilizing his heart rate. Lucescu is in a stable condition.
DRONES Two drones crashed in south-eastern Finland on Sunday, the Defence Ministry in Helsinki has announced, describing the incident as a ‘suspected territorial violation’, the AFP and Reuters report. The neigbouring states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had earlier announced that several Ukrainian drones crashed on their territories. Ukraine has lately stepped up its drone attacks against Russia’s oil refinery plants and export routes in an attempt to weaken the Russian economy as the Washington-brokered peace talks has reached another deadlock, press agencies have announced. According to the governor of the Leningrad region, Aleksandr Drozdenko, the Russian anti-aircraft defence shot down over 36 drones over the region of Leningrad last night.
MOTION Romania’s Environment Minister, Diana Buzoianu, has been summoned to Parliament on Monday to respond a simple motion the opposition tabled in the Senate, which enjoys support from the co-ruling PSD, as the previous one. The signatories of the document, representatives of the parties, Romania First and AUR, have accused Diana Buzoianu of having blocked energy projects, holding her responsible for the water crisis in two Romanian counties and for inappropriate landfill management. Diana Buzoianu’s party, USR, has rejected all the criticism and accused the PSD of having repeatedly disregarded the cooperation protocol inside the coalition.
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