May 31, 2024

A roundup of domestic and international news

Mihaela Ignătescu, 31.05.2024, 13:50

UKRAINE. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, gave the green light to invaded Ukraine to hit, under certain conditions, targets on Russian territory with weapons delivered by Washington – said an American official, quoted by international media. “The president has tasked his team to ensure that Ukraine can use US weapons to counterattack in the Kharkiv region (northeast, the theater of a Russian ground offensive – ed.) so that it can retaliate when Russian forces attack or they are preparing to attack them” – said the mentioned source, who asked to remain anonymous. The United States, however, continues to oppose Ukrainian attacks deep into Russian territory. “Our position on banning the use of ATACMS or deep strikes inside Russia has not changed,” the official said. ATACMS are missiles supplied by the Americans to Ukraine, with a long range, capable of reaching a distance of up to 300 kilometers.

WASHINGTON. Republican Donald Trump was found guilty by jurors on all 34 counts in the hidden payment case for porn star Stormy Daniels and thus becomes the first former president in the history of the United States to be criminally convicted. The verdict, which international media call historic and with unpredictable political consequences, will be pronounced on July 11 by judge Juan Merchan. It won’t stop the septuagenarian billionaire from running in the Nov. 5 presidential election against Democrat Joe Biden, even in the face of a prison sentence. Trump has been indicted for lying in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign to cover up a $130,000 payment to silence actress Stormy Daniels about a sexual encounter she allegedly had with ten years earlier. Although the case is considered by some legal experts to be the least important of the four criminal cases facing Trump, it is the only one with a definite sentence ahead of the presidential election.

NATO. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, is participating today in the informal meeting of NATO heads of diplomacy organized in the Czech capital, Prague, as well as in the Transatlantic Defense Forum in the city of Sanov. According to the MFA in Bucharest, the discussions aim at crystallizing and harmonizing allied priorities in view of the NATO Summit in Washington. The main topics on the agenda are allied support for the Ukraine invaded by Russian troops and strengthening support for partner states. The head of Romanian diplomacy highlighted the consequences of the war started by Russia in Ukraine on European and Euro-Atlantic security and stressed the imperative of a firm response by NATO, with an emphasis on the unitary and coherent consolidation of the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank. Minister Odobescu highlighted the need to continue substantial support for Ukraine and pleaded for a solid decision-making package in this regard at the upcoming Allied Summit. She also pointed out the need for adequate support from the Alliance for other vulnerable partners, affected by the ongoing war, especially for the Republic of Moldova (majority Romanian-speaking).

MADRID. Between May 31 and June 16, Romanian is participating in the 83rd edition of the Madrid Book Fair, with a national stand and 20 literary events. According to a press release from the RCI, Queen Letizia of Spain will inaugurate the Feria del Libro de Madrid 2024, where 359 exhibitors will present their editorial offer and where three million visitors are expected to participate in the more than 300 events for readers of all ages and 5,000 autograph sessions. Romania’s presence, which is on its thirteenth participation in this far-reaching event, is organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute, through the National Book Center and through RCI Madrid, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Embassy in the Kingdom of Spain. Among the protagonists of the events are the writers Gabriela Adameşteanu, Eugen Barz, Aura Christi, Nichita Danilov, Cristian Fulaş, Miguel Gane, Stejărel Olaru, Radu Paraschivescu, Radmila Popovici, Andreea Răsuceanu and Corina Sabău, journalist at Radio Romania International.

HIMARS. The first HIMARS anti-missile defense system maintenance center in Europe was inaugurated in Bacău, in the north-east of Romania, in the presence of the Minister of Defense Angel Tîlvăr. He has stated that, thus, Romania has a strategic advantage, by securing the maintenance of its own systems of this type in the country. In addition, the new center has an impact on the economic development of the area – the minister said. The center in Bacău is made in partnership with Lockheed Martin, the American company with which there is also a collaboration for the maintenance of Black Hawk helicopters and F-16 airplanes of the Romanian Army. More on this after the news.

BOOKFAIR. The 17th edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair is taking place in Bucharest. 200 exhibitors and 150 publishing houses from Romania and the neighboring Republic of Moldova, the guest of honor this year, are participating. At the previous international editions, the invited countries were: Spain, Hungary, France, the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Sweden, the United States of America, Great Britain, Japan and Italy. The Bookfest Book Fair has local editions in four large Romanian cities and another international edition in Chisinau.

TENNIS. The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified, on Thursday evening, for the third round of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam of the year, after defeating the Czech Linda Noskova, 6-4, 6-1 . Irina Begu’s next opponent will be Varvara Gracheva (France) or Bernarda Pera (USA). The Romanian Ana Bogdan prevailed in two sets against Anastasia Pavliucenkova, the 20th seed in the tournament, 6-4, 6-4. The Romanian qualified for the second time in her career in the 3rd round of the tournament in Paris. The specialized press notes that Bogdan is climbing rapidly in the WTA ranking. Officially ranked 64th, she will be at least 49th on Monday, a 15-place climb thanks to the two rounds so far at Roland Garros. (MI)