March 29, 2025
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 29.03.2025, 13:55
NATO. Romania is and will remain a strong partner in NATO, said the acting Speaker of the Senate, Mircea Abrudean, in a message conveyed on the 21st anniversary of the country’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance. According to him, joining the Alliance was a decisive moment for the country’s security and stability, and this path meant modernizing the armed forces, assuming strategic responsibilities and strengthening partnerships with allies. ”In a world full of challenges, Romania remains a reliable ally, dedicated to defending democratic values and regional security”, Mircea Abrudean said.
Daylight saving time. Romania switches to summer time on Sunday. The clocks will be set forward by one hour, 3:00 local time will become 4:00, so the last Sunday of March will have only 23 hours and will be the shortest day of the year. 80 trains will be affected by the switch to the official summer time. It will not cause major changes in the circulation of trains, but certain passenger trains that are on the way at the time of the change will experience adjustments or delays. Trains that are due to depart after 4:00 will operate according to the established schedule.
Electricity. The electricity produced by hydroelectric power plants covered this morning over 30% of Romania’s total consumption needs, in the context in which heavy rains continue to fall in several areas. In second place in the top sources of energy production was the nuclear power plant of Cernavoda, with almost 22%, followed by hydrocarbon and coal-fired power plants. This Saturday morning, Romania registered a net electricity consumption of over 6,300 megawatts, while production was approximately 6,200 megawatts.
Denmark. Denmark does not appreciate the tone used by US Vice President JD Vance, who harshly criticized Denmark’s alleged lack of action in Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said, quoted by AFP. “This is not how you speak to your close allies, and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies,” he said. The reaction of the Danish foreign minister comes after US Vice President JD Vance harshly criticized Denmark’s alleged lack of action in Greenland, which US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed that he wants to annex. Vance visited the only US military base in the autonomous Danish territory on Friday. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass. This has to change,” the US official said, addressing the Danish authorities. The Danish foreign minister recalled, however, that the US currently has a 200-strong base, while during the Cold War it had 17 military installations in Greenland and 10,000 soldiers.
Protest. Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Istanbul to protest the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, Reuters reports. Hundreds of thousands of people have heeded opposition calls and taken to the streets across the country since Imamoglu was detained last week and then jailed awaiting trial on bribery charges. Reuters notes that these are the largest demonstrations that Turkey has seen in more than a decade. The protests have been largely peaceful. However, nearly 2,000 people have been detained. The main opposition Republican People’s Party, other opposition parties, human rights groups and Western powers have accused the case against Imamoglu of being a politicized effort to eliminate a potential electoral threat to Erdogan.
Earthquake. The Burmese military junta has announced that about 1,000 people have died and more than 2,000 are injured after the earthquake that shook Myanmar. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday at a depth of 10 kilometers, the United States Geological Survey announced. The quake was followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock. The quake was also felt in Thailand, China, Vietnam and Laos. International teams have begun arriving in Myanmar to help with rescue efforts. Obtaining information about the situation in Myanmar is a difficult mission, as the country has been in a political crisis since the military junta took power in a coup in 2021. Millions of people have been displaced by the ongoing fighting.
Handball. The Romanian women’s handball champion, CSM Bucharest meets, today, on its own field, another Romanian team, Rapid Bucharest, in a decisive match for qualification to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. CSM is the favorite after the categorical victory, score 34-24, obtained a week ago away from home. The winner of the double leg will play against the Danish champion, Esbjerg, for a place in the Final Four of the competition. Also today, Dunărea Brăila (south-east) meets Ikast Handbold, from Denmark, in the return leg of the European League quarterfinals.
Tennis. Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian has qualified for the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), with a total prize pool of $115,000, after defeating the German Tatjana Maria in straight sets on Friday. In the penultimate act, Cristian will face the Swiss Rebeka Masarova. (MI)
