August 15, 2016

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 15.08.2016, 12:52

ASSUMPTION OF MARY Today Christian
believers celebrate the Assumption of Mary, the oldest celebration devoted to
Virgin Mary. On this day, believers and pilgrims from all over the country go
to churches and monasteries to pray. In the Christian faith, the Mother of God
is the most revered after the Holy Trinity. She gave birth to the Son of God as
a human being, and whe she died she was taken up into Heaven. August 15th is
also the day of the Romanian navy. To celebrate the occasion, Romania’s
president Klaus Iohannis has participated in the events held on the promenade of
the Black Sea port-town of Constanta. In his speech,
the president said that what’s happening in the Black Sea Area is no longer a
local matter. Developments in this area have effects beyond its borders and implications for the Euro-Atlantic
security, and the Black Sea is important from a strategic point of view. That
is why Romania’s stand and its main security options are so decisive now, the
president also said.

LOCARNO The feature film
Scarred Hearts by the Romanian director Radu Jude won the Special Jury Award at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.
A post on the festival’s web page reads that the film was highly praised by international
critics. This is Radu Jude’s fourth feature film. Last year he won the Golden
Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival with Aferim!.

SUMMER UNIVERSITY The County
of Harghita, in central Romania, is hosting the 14th Izvoru
Muresului Summer University. The theme this year is The Romanian State and
Romanians on the border of the EU and NATO. There are 100 participants,
including representatives of the academic environment, of the main political
parties, of Romanian community associations and foundations.

VISIT The US Vice President
Joe Biden is paying a two-day visit to Serbia and Kosovo. The White House has
not given details about the agenda of talks, but the visit is taking place five
months after the one paid to the White House by the former president of Kosovo,
Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, news agencies report. Back then, Vice President Biden stressed the US’s support for the
dialogue with Serbia, facilitated by the EU, encouraging the Kosovo government
to take steps forward in normalizing its relations with Serbia, 16 years after
the NATO air intervention, which opened the door for the former province’s
independence. On Thursday, the Serbian Parliament endorsed a new, populist government,
headed by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who promised to pursue Serbia’s EU
integration, while at the same time maintaining close ties with Russia.

RIO The
Olympic Games continue in Rio, with Romanian athletes competing in artistic gymnastics and athletics. Marian
Oprea, Olympic vice-champion in Athens in 2004, will attempt qualification for
the men’s triple jump final. Catalina Ponor is fighting for gold in women’s
beam event and Marian Dragulescu in men’s vault. On Sunday, Romania’s national
women’s handball team lost to Norway 28-27, thus failing to qualify for the
quarter finals. So far, Romania has won four medals at the Olympic Games in Rio. The epee team made up of Ana Maria
Popescu, Simona Gherman, Simona Pop and Loredana Dinu won gold, tennis players
Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau won silver in the men’s doubles, Gabriel
Sincraian got bronze in weight lifting and
so did the women’s coxed eight.

TENNIS Romanian Simona Halep, ranked 3rd in
the WTA classification, is taking part in the Cincinnati tournament, in the US,
with 2.8 million dollars in prize money. She will start straight in the second
round of the competition. Another Romanian player, Irina Begu, no. 24 in the
WTA rankings, is also taking part in the tournament, but enters the competition
in the first round. In 2015, Simona Halep played the Cincinnati final, but was
defeated by Serena Williams. This tournament is the last before the famous US
Open, the last Grand Slam of the year.