July 31, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 31.07.2025, 13:55
MEMORIAL – Romania’s president, Nicuşor Dan, earlier today attended the ceremony marking the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, hosted by Bucharest. Discrimination and the lack of responsibility for such problems still exist in Romanian society, the president said. According to him, the authorities must take action. “Children should start life with equal chances”, Nicușor Dan argued. On August 2, 1944, approximately 3,000 Roma from the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp fell victim to the Nazi regime. In total, approximately 500,000 Roma were killed in Europe in the events of the Holocaust. In Romania, August 2 was designated in 2020 the National Roma Holocaust Memorial Day. According to the Final Report of the International Commission for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania, approximately 25,000 Roma from Romania were deported by the Antonescu regime to Transnistria. Of these, approximately 11,000 died.
GOVERNMENT – Security risks and threats to internal order have prompted several Schengen states to temporarily reintroduce border controls. Illegal migration and the sabotage threats are among the causes invoked by countries such as Spain, Italy or Austria. The Romanian government is also examining, in today’s meeting, a national mechanism for the temporary reintroduction of border controls. The regulation of the free movement area enables Schengen members to reintroduce internal border controls under certain conditions, for example, if there are serious threats to public order and internal security. Also today, in order to reduce the excise duty on diesel used in agriculture, the government will increase the amount of state subsidies addressing over 15,000 farmers.
MEDEVAC – The Romanian Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the Ministries of Defense and Interior, as well as other state institutions and in coordination with structures of the European Commission, on Wednesday took part in a new emergency medical evacuation operation in the Gaza Strip. It was the 8th humanitarian evacuation mission organized by Romania in Gaza, including 12 pediatric patients seriously affected by the lack of access to adequate medical treatment, along with 36 family members. Upon arriving in Bucharest, 4 patients and 6 of their relatives will be transferred to receive specialized treatment in hospital units in France, and 8 patients and 30 relatives in Norway. The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that Romania will continue to contribute to the effort to mitigate the effects of the humanitarian crisis on Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, acting in close coordination with its international partners. At the same time, jointly with partners from the EU and the region, the Ministry is closely monitoring the developments in the Strip and reaffirms the need to immediately identify solutions that will lead to the release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire, the protection of the civilian population and the resumption of large-scale humanitarian aid for affected civilians.
FLOODS – Environment Minister, Diana Buzoianu, is today travelling to Suceava and Neamț counties (northeast), severely affected by the recent floods. The purpose of the visit is to assess on-site the damage caused by flash floods and heavy rainfall, as well as to identify effective solutions to support the affected communities and prevent similar future incidents. On Wednesday, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, announced that, in the coming days, the affected population will receive financial support from the government, so that people can rebuild their lives. Aid is already arriving from local authorities, but also from across the country, from private individuals, associations or parishes. In Suceava County, three people died in the floods and over 2,500 were affected. Many houses and cars were swept away by the waters. Roads and bridges were destroyed.
WILDFIRES – Over August 1 – September 15, Romania will support the efforts of Greek authorities to strengthen the response capacity and manage the risk generated by forest wildfires. The first unit consisting of 40 firefighters and 8 technical equipment left for the capital Athens on Wednesday. The rotation will take place over August 16-31, when two other series consisting of 40 firefighters each will replace the personnel on mission near the Greek capital. Alongside the Romanian firefighters, operational crews from Austria, Czechia, France, the Republic of Moldova and Bulgaria will also be deployed to Greece.
FOOTBALL – FCSB was knocked out from Champions League by the North Macedonian side KF Shkendija, who 2-1 on Wednesday evening on National Arena stadium in Bucharest, in the second leg of the second preliminary round. The Romanian champions also lost the first leg, 0-1. Shkendija will play Qarabag of Azerbaijan in the third preliminary round. FCSB will continue in the Europa League, playing the champions of Kosovo, FC Drita, which was eliminated by FC Copenhagen from the Champions League.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian is, today playing Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the third round of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Montreal, totaling over 5 million USD in total prizes. The Romanian previously ousted Linda Noskova of Czechia, 6-3, 6-4. Another two Romanian players, Gabriela Ruse and Sorana Cîrstea, were eliminated, on Monday, in the first round of the Canadian tournament.
SWIMMING – Romanian swimmer David Popovici is today competing for a medal in the 100m freestyle final at the World Swimming Championships in Singapore. He qualified to the final with the second-best time – 46.84 seconds. A bronze medalist at the 2024 Olympics in this event, David Popovici won the world title in 2022 and two European titles (2022, 2024). On Tuesday, also in Singapore, David Popovici won the gold medal in the 200m freestyle event, ahead of American Luke Hobson and Japanese Murasa Tatsuya. This is the second world title for David Popovici, after the one obtained in 2022, in Budapest. The athlete is also the defending Olympic champion in the 200m freestyle event after winning gold in Paris in 2024. At the World Championships in Singapore, Constantin Popovici won bronze in high diving (27 meters). (VP)
