October 25, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 25.10.2025, 19:55
DAY On Saturday in Iasi, north-eastern Romania, President Nicusor Dan said that upgrading the Romanian army is a priority. According to him, it is not enough to say that you want peace, you also have to be responsible and get ready to deter war. As all opinion polls describe the Romanian army as the most trusted institution it means that inside it we find professionalism and professionals, President Dan went on to say. Nicusor Dan on Saturday participated in the military ceremonies and religious services staged in Iasi, with the occasion of Army Day. In turn, the Senate president, Mircea Abrudean, said that Romania is today a safe country and a pillar of stability in eastern Europe and the Romanian citizens are benefitting from the most solid security guarantees in the country’s history. The country’s Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said that a major objective in this period is to strengthen the army, the defence industry and infrastructure and invest more in training and technology. Army Day was celebrated on Saturday, all over Romania, in the military units abroad where Romanian troops are currently serving, in military theatres of operation as well as in the countries where Romania has military attaches or representations. Military and religious ceremonies were held at the monument of the Unknown Soldier in Bucharest where wreaths of flowers were laid. Aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces flew over the monument while military ceremonies and religious services were being held at army barracks across Romania, at heroes’ monuments and military cemeteries in Romania and abroad in countries like Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, the Republic of Moldova and Hungary.
CATHEDRAL The paintings of the National Cathedral will be sanctified on Sunday by Bartholomew 1st, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, which is the majority denomination in Romania. The event, which is expected to bring together over 100 thousand people is marking the centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate. This year we celebrate 140 years since the Romanian Orthodox Church’s status of autocephalous church was recognized and 100 years of its Patriarchate status. The National Cathedral’s altar was sanctified on November 25, 2018, when the Big Union Centenary was celebrated. The National Cathedral is 120 thousand meter high and its bells had a total weight of 33 tons. Its architecture is a synthesis of traditional and modern elements blending architectural elements from various parts of Romania with elements from foreign cathedrals, as a big part of the Romanian Diaspora lives presently in the West. Its mosaics are covering a surface of 25 thousand square meters and are inspired from Byzantine and Romanian medieval art.
F-16 A fresh squadron of F-16 jet fighters are joining missions under NATO command, the Romanian Minister of Defence, Ionut Mosteanu has announced. The new F-16 squadron, certified for NATO missions, is a clear proof of the professionalism of the Romanian Air Forces and our capacity to operate jointly with our allies. Romania is presently boasting three squadrons ensuring the protection of the airspace, two Romanian and an allied one made up of Typhoon jet fighters of the German Air Forces deployed at Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in south-eastern Romania. These three units are forming an umbrela of real security on NATO’s Eastern Flank. Every air police mission, flight hour, every team behind these aircraft are part of a collective effort – namely that of preserving peace and security in the region, Minister Mosteanu went on to say.
HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side Gloria Bistrita on Saturday clinched a 38-35 win against Danish side Esbjerg in Group A of the Champions League. Bistrita used to rank third in the group with 6 points. In the competition’s previous edition, Esbjerg was the bronze medalist.
WAGES The National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue is expected to convene next week for talks over the opportunity of raising the minimum wage in Romania, the government Secretary General, Radu Oprea has announced. He says there are solid arguments in favour of the move from legal, economic and social viewpoints. Radu Oprea says that in the context in which roughly 850 thousand Romanians are being paid the minimum salary, income drops are affecting both consumption and work productivity. The PSD interim leader, Sorin Grindeanu, says that Romania runs the risk of infringement unless the minimum wage is raised. The country’s Liberal Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan says however the ruling coalition has agreed to try to maintain the minimum wage at its present level.
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