October 14, 2026
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 14.10.2026, 13:55
Romanian and Bulgarian leaders discuss Black Sea security
Romanian President Nicușor Dan and his Bulgarian counterpart, Ilyana Yotova, are due to hold a telephone conversation later today on the recent attacks against commercial vessels in the Black Sea, according to the Romanian Presidency.
On Tuesday, Romania’s acting Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, strongly condemned the attacks on merchant ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, describing such actions as unacceptable and as serious violations of both maritime and international law.
The separate attacks on two commercial vessels near Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast overnight on Monday have also raised concerns within NATO and the European Union.
Prime Minister-designate to unveil Cabinet plans
Romania’s Prime Minister-designate, diplomat and former journalist Luca Niculescu, is expected to present his governing programme and proposed cabinet on Thursday.
President Nicușor Dan has given Niculescu a free hand to negotiate either a political government, a technocratic administration or a mixed formula.
Niculescu is the fourth nominee put forward by the president since the minority PNL-USR-UDMR government led by Ilie Bolojan was removed through a no-confidence vote on May 5.
Before Niculescu, the nominations of MEP Eugen Tomac, dissident Liberal Adrian Veștea and MEP Siegfried Mureșan all failed to secure parliamentary approval.
Romania receives US military aircraft
Romania’s acting Defense Minister, Radu Miruță, and the United States Ambassador to Romania, Darryl Nirenberg, attended a handover ceremony today at a military base near Bucharest for a C-130H Hercules transport aircraft.
According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, the aircraft was transferred free of charge by the US Government under the Excess Defense Articles programme.
It is the eighth C-130H Hercules aircraft to enter service with the Romanian Armed Forces through this programme.
The ministry said the event also highlighted nearly three decades of Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, demonstrating tangible results in the field of defense cooperation.
Romania welcomes Ukraine minority rights reform
Romanian President Nicușor Dan has welcomed legislative changes enacted by his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, concerning the right of national minorities to receive education in their mother tongue.
The new provisions will allow children from Romania’s community in Ukraine to study in their native language. In a statement, President Dan said the legislation makes clear that minority languages may be used in all circumstances, not only during classroom instruction.
He pledged continued cooperation with both the community and the Ukrainian authorities to ensure the law is fully implemented, including at upper secondary level.
The changes come as Ukraine advances on its path towards European Union membership and are aimed particularly at minorities whose languages are official languages of the EU, including Romanian-speaking Romanian and Moldovan communities.
IMF downgrades Romania forecast
The International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for Romania’s economy this year, now expecting a 0.5% contraction, down from the 0.7% growth projected in April. The IMF cites fiscal consolidation measures and higher energy costs as the main factors behind the downgrade.
According to its latest report, a recovery in real incomes and easing inflation should support growth of more than 2% next year, following this year’s decline. Romania and Ireland are expected to be the only European countries recording economic contractions, while Europe as a whole is forecast to grow by 1.4%.
The IMF also remains pessimistic about Romania’s efforts to reduce its current account deficit, predicting it will narrow only to 7% of GDP this year. Unemployment is expected to rise to 6.5%, up from 6.1% last year.
The projections were released during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings taking place in Bangkok, Thailand.
Thousands mark Saint Paraskeva Feast Day
A special service marking the feast of Saint Paraskeva was held this morning at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași, the largest city in eastern Romania.
A large assembly of Romanian and international Orthodox hierarchs presided over the Divine Liturgy from a specially constructed platform outside the cathedral. Worshippers unable to reach the immediate vicinity followed the service on giant outdoor screens, as well as through radio and official media broadcasts.
Statistics from the past two years suggest that more than 30,000 faithful attend the liturgy around the cathedral each year.
Born near Constantinople in the early 11th century, Saint Paraskeva has been regarded as the protector of the historic Principality of Moldavia since 1641, when her relics were brought to Iași by Prince Vasile Lupu.
Romanians eye European table tennis medal
Romanian pair Bernadette Szocs and Eduard Ionescu take on opponents from France today in the mixed doubles quarter-finals at the European Table Tennis Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
A place in the semi-finals would guarantee the Romanian duo at least a bronze medal.
Romania is represented by twelve athletes in the competition. (VP)
