October 12, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 12.10.2025, 20:00
BORDER– Romania, together with the other EU member states activated on Saturday a new border control mechanism for foreigners who want to enter the Schengen area. The European electronic control system will replace passport stamps with an electronic recording of travelers’ biometric data, and full implementation is scheduled for April 10, 2026. The new mechanism is being progressively put into operation in all member states. The control system targets non-EU citizens making short visits, up to 90 days, within a six-month period. Biometric registration does not apply to minors under 12 years of age, third-country nationals holding a long-stay document issued by an EU member state, nor to family members of Schengen citizens holding such permits. The implementation of the system aims to modernize and streamline border control, strengthen security in the Schengen area and prevent illegal stays, without modifying existing movement rights.
AI – Romania will host a European artificial intelligence center, announced the Minister of Economy, Radu Miruţă. In a message published on social networks, the minister explains that Romania has thus benefited from the decision of the European Union to expand the network of such units. “It is an important step for our digital future,” says Radu Miruţă, who specifies that these centers offer supercomputers, technical expertise and support for start-ups and companies, accelerating research and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence.
PILGRIMAGE – Over a hundred thousand people have prayed over the relics of Saint Parascheva in Iași, in eastern Romania, according to Church officials. The pilgrimage, one of the largest in Romania, began on Wednesday, October 8, and is set to last until the Saint’s feast day on October 14. The feast of Saint Parascheva, the protector of Moldavia, was set by the Orthodox Church in 1955, so the days leading to October 14 are the ones in which thousands of pilgrims around Romania make the trip to the regional capital, forming kilometers-long queues to pray over the relics. A liturgical service will be held in front of the Iasi Metropolitan Cathedral on the feast day, an event attended by clergy from the country and abroad.
SHOW –Artists from Romania, France, Germany and the Netherlands presented over 20 interactive installations, spectacular videomapping sessions and digital artworks for three days in Bucharest, from Friday to Sunday, as part of the 9th edition of the International Light Festival – SPOTLIGHT. This year’s theme – “Symbiosis”, offering the public a reflection on how light can create connections between the city, community and the environment. In parallel with the street projections, conferences dedicated to professionals and enthusiasts in the field of digital art and international festival production were also scheduled, the discussions also addressing the creative processes behind the great light festivals. Spotlight is the first and largest light festival in Bucharest, that brings together over 300,000 participants every year.
MARATHON – Approximately 12,000 runners from over 70 countries took part in the races of the 18th edition of the Bucharest International Marathon, the large number of participants consolidating the event’s status as a top international sporting event in Central and Eastern Europe. Romanian athlete Nicolae Alexandru Soare and Kenyan Beatrice Cherono won the marathon races. Nicolae Alexandru Soare was timed over the classic distance of 42.195 km with 2 h 11 min 58 sec, and Beatrice Cherono with 2 h 44 min 51 sec. In the half marathon (21 km), the men’s victory went to Romanian Dragoş Luca Pop, 1 h 05 min 43 sec, while Ecaterina Cernat (Republic of Moldova) won the women’s race, in 1 h 17 min 18 sec.
GAZA – Leaders from more than 20 countries will attend a high-level meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday, a ‘peace summit’ aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip. Among those who have announced their participation in the summit, chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his US counterpart Donald Trump, are UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, European Council President Antonio Costa, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the prime ministers of Britain, Spain and Italy. The meeting comes after a ceasefire and hostage-freeing deal was reached between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas as part of a US peace plan. The release of the 48 Israeli hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas will begin on Monday morning, a senior Hamas official told France Presse. Under the deal between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli government is to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages. This is the first phase of a ceasefire agreement between the parties, as outlined in US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Hamas has said that negotiations will be even more complex in the second phase of the plan and that it is prepared to fight if the war resumes. (EE)
