October 27, 2019 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 27.10.2019, 19:17
MILITARY Nearly 1,400 Romanian and foreign troops with 220 vehicles are taking part in the multinational exercise Scorpions Legacy 2019, held between October 25 and November 8 in Cincu, Braşov County, in central Romania, the press office of the Multinational Brigade South-East announced. The goal of the exercise is to train the staff of the multinational brigade headquartered in Craiova and of the affiliated units in Bulgaria, Italy and Portugal, though computer-assisted command drills, field training practice and shooting practice. The Headquarters Multinational Brigade Southeast ensures high-level capability to command forces deployed in the south-east of the Allied territory, with an important contribution to NATO’s collective defense.
OPERATION The Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, was killed in a raid by US special forces on his Syrian safehouse, Donald Trump announced on Sunday. Speaking from the White House, Donald Trump said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest after fleeing into a tunnel, chased by US military dogs. Trump said the two-hour operation was conducted on Saturday night in the province of Idlib, one of the last areas of the country still outside Syrian regime control. Txshe US officials had confirmed Baghdadi, 48, was among those killed.
REPATRIATION Three Romanian citizens, 2 of them underage, were repatriated from Libya, via Tunisia and Turkey, the Foreign Ministry announced. The measure is part of the constant assistance and consular protection efforts made by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, via diplomatic offices in countries with major security risks. The Ministry’s homepage continues to run a maximum-alert travel warning for Libya, reading “Major threat — leave country or area immediately!”.
THEATRE — The 29th edition of the National Theatre Festival ended on Sunday in Bucharest, after 10 days of performances. The event, held under the motto “Theatre, the magic moment of history”, was dedicated to the anniversary of 30 years since the 1989 anti-communist revolution.
MOTORWAY The Romanian Transport Ministry has submitted a funding application to the European Commission, concerning a 122 km-long motorway connecting Sibiu in central Romania to Pitesti in the south. According to the ministry, the first stage, for which funding is requested, consists in the construction of 53 km of motorway. The project amounts to a total 1.3 billion euros, 85% of which will come from the EU budget in non-reimbursable funds, and the balance from the Romanian government. The deadline for completion is December 2023.
TENNIS The pair made up of Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer on Sunday won the ATP tournament in Basel, Switzerland, after defeating the Americans Taylor Fritz/Reilly Opelka 7-5, 6-3 in the men’s doubles. Also, the Romanian Simona Halep, number 5 in the world, landed in the Purple Group of the WTA Finals in Shenzhen (China) that started on Sunday. On Monday she will play against the Romanian-born Canadian Bianca Andreescu, no 4 WTA. Halep, winner of this year’s Wimbledon trophy, takes part in the tournament of the world’s elite 8 for the 6th time in her career. The Purple Group also includes Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) and Elina Svitolina (Ukraine).
(Translated by Elena Enache)
