June 24, 2023
Click here for a roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 24.06.2023, 13:55
PRICES
Romania is the EU member country with the smallest prices for foodstuffs and soft
drinks, according to the European Statistics Office. Specifically, in Romania, such
products were nearly 30% cheaper than the European average. In fact, Romania
also saw the lowest levels of household end consumer prices. At the opposite
pole, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg are the most expensive countries to live
in. The most significant differences were in terms of alcohol and tobacco
prices-such products are over 3 times more expensive in Denmark compared to Bulgaria.
The latter country also reports the lowest prices in the hospitality industry.
RUSSIA In an emergency tv broadcast on Saturday,
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said
an armed uprising by the Wagner paramilitary group would be considered
treason and that anyone rising against the Russian army will be punished. He also
added that decisive action will be taken to stabilise the situation in Rostov-on-Don,
the southern city where the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claims his fighters
have taken control of military facilities. Previously, Prigozhin hinted that his mercenaries
were heading for Moscow, Reuters reports. Prigozhin accused the Russian army of striking a
Wagner military camp, which he used as a
pretext for what he called a march of justice, arguing that he had 25,000 men
ready to fight the evil at the top of the army. Yevgeny Prigozhin was accused of armed rebellion, and
the authorities ordered he be arrested. Russia’s
National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced an anti-terrorist alert in and around
Moscow.
BLOUSE Every year on 24 June, the Romanian blouse is
celebrated both in the country and in Romanian communities around the world. The
Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is a cultural diplomacy instrument and a
means to promote Romanian culture and traditions. The country hosts events
devoted to the traditional blouse, ia, including an Art Safary exhibition of
folk costumes in Bucharest, screenings and creative workshops for children, as
well as a fashion show featuring the traditional blouse as a street wear element.
Some museums, including the Ethnography Museum in Braşov and ASTRA Museum in
Sibiu, received visitors free of charge if they come dressed in traditional
blouses. Last year the Romanian blouse was included in the UNESCO Heritage list.
THEATRE
The central Romanian city of Sibiu, a European capital of culture in 2007, is
hosting the International Theatre Festival, currently in its 30th
year. This year’s theme is Miracle.
Until 2 July, 825 indoor and outdoor events
will take place, bringing together some 5,000 artists and guests from 75 countries.
All the outdoor performances are free of charge. The festival also keeps its
online section, which includes 40 shows. The official opening took place on
Friday night, with the play A Cathedral Full of Organs staged at the Lutheran
Cathedral of St. Mary in Sibiu.
HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic
Christians celebrate today the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the last Old
Testament prophet. St. John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus; he
urged people to repent their sins and baptised them in the River Jordan. John
also baptised Jesus, presenting him to the world as the Mesiah. The Christian
feast day of St. John the Baptist overlaps a pre-Christian tradition in which
24 June was devoted to the Sânziene, gentle fairies believed to bring fertility
and wealth. (AMP)
