A roundup of domestic and international news
Celebrations. Christian believers celebrated on Monday the Assumption of Mary, one of the biggest feasts of the year. Some 2.3 million Romanians celebrated their name day. August 15th is also the Navy Day, as Virgin Mary is the protector of sailors. Events to mark this day were staged in Romania's Danube and Black Sea ports. The festivities in Contanta were attended by Romania's president Klaus Iohannis, who stressed the importance of sailors' work, which entails lots of sacrifices but also satisfaction. PM Nicolae Ciuca too conveyed a message, stating that he would support programs aimed at modernizing the Romanian army. In turn, the defense minister Vasile Dincu voiced conviction that starting next year, the Romanian Naval Forces would be better equipped and prepared. He pointed out that the war in Ukraine had shown how important the ability to protect its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone was for Romania.
Firefighters. Romanian firefighters continue their mission south of Bordeaux, France, operating in harsh conditions: high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds. Their mission is to keep the fire from spreading to the residential area and to put out hidden outbreaks. A total of 77 firefighters are supporting the French authorities in their fight against wildfires, caused by extreme heat and severe drought.
Baccalaureate. Almost 35,000 candidates have registered to sit in the autumn session of the Romanian baccalaureate, which starts on Tuesday. Approximately 22 thousand candidates are class of 2022, the rest being from the previous classes. The final results will be announced on September 3. In the summer session, held in the second part of June, the baccalaureate pass rate was over 75% - the best in the last 10 years.
Rasnov. Two special screenings and 12 international documentaries, from 11 countries, are part of the program of the 14th edition of the Film and History Festival underway in Rasnov, central Romania. The selection of documentaries includes films from Chile, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Romania, France, Australia, USA, Belgium, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. According to the organizers, the theme of the festival this year is focused around the idea of borders, a concept that aims to bring answers to multiple questions and challenges related to individual and creative freedoms that today's society faces.
Swimming. The Romanian swimmer David Popovici won on Monday evening the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle final of the European Aquatics Championship in Rome. He is the defending world champion in this event. On Saturday, he won the 100 meter freestyle final and set a world record, becoming the youngest athlete with such a record in the history of world swimming.
Sports. Romania's rowing team, made up of 35 athletes, returned home on Monday with five gold and three bronze medals won at the European Championships in Munich. According to the general secretary of the Romanian Rowing Federation, Sandu Pop, the performance of the Romanian delegation is the greatest in the history of Romanian rowing in the continental competition. In another development, Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (15 WTA) won the WTA 1,000 tournament in Toronto (Canada), with over 2.5 million dollars in prize money. She defeated, on Sunday, in the final, the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (24 WTA), 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Simona thus won the Canadian Open for the third time, after the finals she won in Montreal in 2016 and 2018. For the former world leader, this is the 24th title of her career. After the victory in Toronto, Simona Halep climbed nine places up the rankings and is now sixth in the WTA classification. (MI)
Useful Links
Copyright © . All rights reserved