May 25, 2024
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 25.05.2024, 14:00
ESPIONAGE – A Romanian citizen was arrested on charges of treason, suspected of spying in Russia’s favor. According to the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), the suspect sent to the Russian Embassy in Bucharest images of Romanian or NATO sites in Tulcea (east). He also collected other military information and has been carrying out such activities since 2022. The suspect, Alexandru Piscan, is a young politician from Ploiești, judicial sources say. Prosecutors also searched his home, where they collected several items of evidence. Following this incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared a diplomat from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest persona non grata on Romanian territory. Russia will respond in equal measure, the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, announced shortly after.
DRONE – The first Romanian drone is expected to enter production at a factory in Braşov (center), a subsidiary of the ROMARM National Military Company. A first step in this direction was taken on Friday in Bucharest, on the sidelines of the “Black Sea Defense and Aerospace” international exhibition, with the signing of a strategic agreement with Periscope Aviation, an American manufacturer of military and commercial drones. Economy Minister Radu Oprea said the agreement is a premiere for the Romanian defense industry, being the first strategic partnership a domestic company signs in the field of constructing military and civilian drones. Two other agreements related to research activity in the field were also signed, the Romanian official said. Participants in the “Black Sea Defense and Aerospace” exhibition said the objective of the agreement is the mass production of a 100% Romanian drone, intended for both military and civilian use, such as agriculture.
FESTIVAL – Festivities marking the “Day of Romanians Worldwide”, celebrated every year on the last Sunday of May, continue across the country. Saturday saw the official opening of the communication session, with Romanians abroad having the opportunity of talking directly to state representatives to convey the concerns, needs and difficulties they face in host countries and upon returning to Romania, but also to get to know each other, share experiences, best practices and plan joint projects. Over 500 Romanians from the diaspora and historical communities from 34 countries are expected to take part in the 7th edition of the “Here and there” festival. The event brings together Romanian artists from the country and abroad, as well as representatives of associations, academia and the business environment from Romanian communities abroad.
SHIELD – The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk addressed a letter to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, requesting the creation of an EU-funded common European air defense shield, given that all countries are experiencing financial difficulties. In their letter, the two officials want the shield to be similar to the Israeli anti-missile and anti-aircraft system Iron Dome, with a view to protecting Europe against enemy aircraft, missiles and drones. At the same time, the approval of such a project at the level would send a clear message about the EU’s determination to defend itself, the document states. On the other hand, the six NATO countries neighboring Russia have agreed to build a “drone wall” to defend their borders against “acts of provocation” the Lithuanian government announced. We’re not talking just about physical infrastructure, surveillance systems, but also about drones and other technologies, which would allow us to protect ourselves against the challenges of hostile countries and prevent smuggling, the Minister of the Interior of Lithuania, Agnė Bilotaitė, said following talks with her counterparts from the other two Baltic countries – Latvia and Estonia – and from Finland, Norway and Poland.
FILM – Emanuel Pârvu’s “Three Kilometers to the End of the World”, selected in the official Palm D’or competition at the Cannes International Festival, has scooped the Queer Palm on Friday, an alternative award bestowed every year to a feature film that deals with “LGBT characters or themes”. The feature tells the story of Adi, a 17-year-old teenager who spends his summer holiday in his hometown in the Danube Delta. One evening, he is violently attacked in the street. The next day, his world is completely turned upside down, his parents treat him differently and the apparent tranquility of the village is shattered. The Queer Palm jury was chaired this year by Belgian director Lukas Dhont (known for the features “Close”, “Girl”), who picked the winner from 18 films enrolled in the competition. Also at Cannes, two other Romanian productions were screened. The film “Nasty”, directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu, was screened in the “Special Screenings” section. It offers a captivating foray into the life of the legendary Ilie Năstase, the first rebel in the history of tennis. Ioana Mischie’s project “Human Violins: Prelude” was premiered at Cannes in the immersive competition devoted to virtual reality, a competition introduced for the first time in the history of the event.
FRENCH OPEN – Four Romanian tennis players will perform in the women’s main draw at Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year. They will all compete in the first round. Sorana Cîrstea (30 WTA), Romania’s best-ranked tennis player at present, was seeded 28th and will take on Anna Blinkova of Russia (45 WTA). Jaqueline Cristian (67 WTA) faces a tougher opponent, 9th-seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia (10 WTA). Ana Bogdan (63 WTA) will face Elsa Jacquemot of France (150 WTA), the beneficiary of a wild card. Finally, Irina Begu (126 WTA), who benefits from protected ranking, will take on an opponent from the final preliminary round. A player may petition for protected ranking in a total of eight tournaments in the WTA calendar if she has been unable to play for six to twelve months. (VP)
