September 13, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 13.09.2026, 14:00
SUMMIT – Romanian President Nicuşor Dan is attending the European Summit on the Arctic Region, hosted by Finland in Rovaniemi, on Sunday and Monday. According to the Presidential Administration, the summit aims to strengthen the EU’s strategic approach to the Arctic region, against a backdrop of its growing geopolitical, economic and climate importance. During the discussions, President Nicuşor Dan will present Romania’s vision for a coherent and unified approach to the challenges across the entire area stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea. He will express Bucharest’s interest and readiness to contribute to joint EU and NATO efforts through involvement in specific sectoral projects, in areas including critical infrastructure protection, strengthening defence capabilities and energy security. The Rovaniemi meeting is being held at the initiative of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
CELEBRATION – Firefighters’ Day, marked on 13 September, is being celebrated today with ceremonies and events dedicated to rescuers. In the capital, the programme includes ceremonies, exhibitions of firefighting equipment, workshops, and demonstrations of high-angle rescue techniques, including descents by rope from an aerial platform and from the Ministry of Interior building. First-aid workshops and a torchlight procession are also being held. Similar events are taking place at fire stations across the country.
FILM – The feature film “I Matter”, written and directed by Alina Şerban, won the Armani Beauty Audience Award on Saturday evening at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The film, spoken in Romanian and Romani, is a co-production between Romania, Germany and Belgium, and marks Alina Şerban’s directorial debut. She is the first Roma woman from Romania to present a feature film at the Venice Film Festival. The film tells the story of Rebecca, a young Roma woman preparing to leave the care home where she grew up, but the transition to independent life proves more difficult than she had expected. The Venice International Film Festival announced all its winners last night. The Golden Lion for Best Film went to “Woman Unknown”, directed by May el-Toukhy. The Grand Jury Prize, the Silver Lion, was awarded to “Possible Love”, directed by Lee Chang-dong. The Best Director award went to Ilya Khrzhanovsky for “DAU”.
AIRCRAFT – Romania’s national airline, Tarom, has taken delivery of its first fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which produces fewer emissions, is quieter and offers greater passenger comfort. A second Boeing aircraft will be delivered at the end of the month, with two more due to arrive next year. The acquisition of the new aircraft represents an important step in the operations of the national airline, whose main objectives under its restructuring plan include renewing its fleet, optimising routes, increasing operational efficiency and improving the passenger experience. Tarom says the new aircraft, which has been named after former footballer and coach Mircea Lucescu, will be used on routes to major European capitals. European airlines currently operate more than 200 aircraft of this model.
RECORD – A world record has been set in Bucharest and validated by representatives of Guinness World Records. Some 20,000 people sat down at the same table, which stretched for 5.5 kilometres in front of the Palace of Parliament and along Unirii Boulevard. A total of 20,000 portions of food were prepared, using more than five tonnes of ingredients. The menu included traditional dishes, desserts and fruit. The event also had a social component and promoted the “Public Hospitals with Private Money” initiative, which aims to build a paediatric psychiatric hospital in the capital. The Bucharest achievement surpasses the record set a year ago in Alba Iulia, central Romania, where more than 10,000 people sat at a table almost 2.8 kilometres long.
EXERCISE – The Romanian Air Force is conducting the “Burebista ’26” military exercise across the country from Monday until 25 September. The manoeuvres are based on a fictional scenario and involve all command, control and operational structures of the Air Force, with the support of ground forces and special operations forces. Military personnel are training to plan and conduct combat operations as part of an integrated, joint air operation. During the exercise, military equipment and personnel will be moved along public roads, and low-altitude flights will also take place. (EE)
