14 May 2016, UPDATE

A round-up of some of the top stories in Romania today.

Newsroom, 14.05.2016, 12:05

Russian president Vladimir Putin
raised the stakes in the dispute concerning the new US missile defence shield
deployed in Romania saying Russia will have to look for ways to neutralise
emerging threats. According to the BBC, Putin said the shield is aimed at
weakening Russia’s nuclear power and announced plans to increase Russian
defence spending. The US on Thursday opened an estimated 800 million dollar worth missile defence station in Deveselu, southern Romania. On Friday, another phase
of the project was launched in Poland. Relations between the West and Russia
have deteriorated following the latter’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean
peninsula in 2014 after a referendum on self-determination that has not been
recognised by the international community.

Romanian defence minister Mihnea Motoc on
Saturday visited sergeant major Bogdan Dragomir, the Romanian soldier wounded a
week ago in Afghanistan and who is recovering at a hospital in Germany. Two other Romanian soldiers, warrant officer Iulian Dumitrescu and sergeant
Adrian Vizireanu, were killed in the same attack as part of a mission to train
Afghan forces.

Former UK foreign secretary David
Miliband has called for an end to the refugee camp system. Miliband, who is the
president of the International Rescue Committee, said refugees should become
residents of the countries they have fled to, where they should have the right
to employment. Ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit, Miliband said the 10%
most vulnerable of the world’s 60 million refugees should be relocated to the
richer countries.

More than 100,000 people took part on Saturday in a traditional Catholic Pentecost procession in Sumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania, in the biggest pilgrimage in central and eastern Europe. The Holy Liturgy mass was also attended by the Hungarian president Ader Janos and his wife, who were on a private trip to Romania. Thousands of pilgrims from Hungary and other countries in Europe, as well as from Australia and America, took part in the procession in Sumuleu Ciuc, which is now in its 449th year.

The documentary film Toto and His Sisters from
Romanian director Alexander Nanau has won Prix France
Culture Cinéma, the annual award given by Radio France Culture, which was
presented on Saturday at the Cannes Festival. The film, which was first shown
at the San Sebastian Film Festival in September 2014, will be released in
France on May 17. Five Romanian productions are in the running in Cannes this
year, including Cristi Puiu’s Sieranevada and
Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, which are vying for the Palme d’Or trophy. (Translated by: C. Mateescu)