July 29, 2018 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 29.07.2018, 17:55
ANTHEM DAY – National Anthem Day was celebrated in Romania on Sunday. On the occasion, president Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message, saying that this year, when Romanians celebrate 100 years since the formation of the Romanian unitary state, celebrating Anthem Day is another opportunity to reiterate this countrys commitment to the principles of democracy and the rule of law. National Anthem Day was proclaimed in 1998 and is celebrated every year on July 29th. The current anthem is titled Awaken, thee, Romanian! and is based on a poem by Andrei Muresanu, published in 1848.
SIGHISOARA FESTIVAL – Sunday was the last day of the 25th Medieval Festival in Sighisoara, central Romania, the only medieval fortress in south-eastern Europe that is still inhabited. 270 artists from five countries participated in the festival with some 100 performances. This years theme was Medieval Legends. The organizers did their best to bring this years edition to the level deserved by the oldest medieval festival in Romania.
NATO – Three vessels with the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group are stationed for four days in the Romanian Black Sea Port of Constanta, in south-eastern Romania. After stopovers in the ports of Burgas and Odessa, in Bulgaria and Ukraine respectively, the Romanian minesweeper Lt. Lupu Dinescu, the Turkish mine hunter TCG Anamur and the German auxiliary ship FGS Rhein are now docked in the Romanian port until July 31st. The vessels have participated in the multinational exercise BREEZE 18 in the territorial waters of Bulgaria and the Black Sea international waters, and also in joint drills with Ukrainian ships. On Sunday, the vessels were open to visitors. After the stop in the Constanta Port, the NATO ships will carry on their training and surveillance missions in the Black Sea.
ARMY – The Romanian Defense Ministry carries on the army equipping program, by allotting this year one third of the total budget earmarked for this field, the Defense Minister Mihai Fifor has announced. He has also stated that a mobile anti-vessel missile launching system will be purchased. “We want all our major equipping programs to be able to bring back to the industry a large amount of money”, Mihai Fifor has said. As regards the Piranha 5 Infantry Fighting Vehicle program, the minister has stated that the first 36 vehicles are to be received this year. Six of them will be assembled at the Romanian Defense Industries National Company.
GREECE – An investigation run by the Hellenic Fire Service has revealed that the first fire in Greece was started by a local, who wanted to burn some branches, and the authorities know the identity of that person. The New Democracy party, the main opposition party in Greece, has accused the Government of being incapable of protecting the Greek citizens lives and assets. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has stated he takes full political responsibility for the tragedy. The investigation into the causes of the disaster is still underway. The provisional death toll stands at 88. Romania helped the Greek authorities with one aircraft designed to extinguish fires and another one for logistical support. Their mission ended on Saturday, and the aircraft returned back home.
WEATHER – Extreme weather is affecting the entire world. Northern Germany is faced with severe drought, and farmers have lost hope that anything will save their crops. They have called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency, in order for them to get state aid. Sweden is in a similar situation, affected by drought and wildfires. Norway too has reported the most severe drought in the past decades. Across the ocean, in northern California, forest fires have destroyed hundreds of buildings and continue to be a threat to thousands more. Also, dozens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes. In Japan, several people have been wounded and thousands have had to leave their homes, as Typhoon Jongdari hit the west of the country, less then a month after the region was devastated by flooding.
