August 5, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 05.08.2023, 13:50

Navy Day. Events devoted
to Navy Day start today in the main ports of Romania. Navy Day is celebrated in
Romania on August 15, when Christians also celebrate the Assumption of the
Virgin Mary, considered the protector of sailors. Today in the garrisons of
Brăila and Tulcea, and tomorrow in the one in Galati, is Open Day, an
opportunity for the public to visit the battleships and learn about the
technique, equipment and specific weaponry used by the river fleet soldiers.
Those interested can enjoy military music concerts, exhibitions, interactive
workshops, but also military-religious ceremonies with the participation of
hundreds of sailors, marine infantrymen and river divers on board military
ships and speedboats. Open day is today also in the ports of Constanţa and
Mangalia, on the Black Sea. A special attraction is the training ship Mircea,
the symbol vessel of the Naval Forces, recently returned from the annual training
march of the Naval Academy students. Since 2009, August 15 is a national
holiday in Romania.

Niger. Another Romanian
citizen, the fifth, was evacuated from Niger on a Spanish flight bound for
Madrid. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has informed that,
currently, there are no other requests for consular assistance from other
Romanians. The democratically elected Nigerian president, Mohamed Bazoum, was
recently ousted in a coup d’état, the seventh in West Africa since 2020. The
military regime installed following the coup denounced any external
interference and said it would fight in the event of an intervention. This
could lead to a wider regional conflict, given that two other military regimes
that came to power following coups, those of Burkina Faso and Mali, have
signaled that they are ready to intervene in support of the Nigerian putschists.
Niger is of strategic importance to the United States, China, the EU and
Russia, given its uranium and oil reserves, but also the role it plays in the
fight against Muslim extremists in the Sahel region.

Festival. The 11th
edition of the Haferland Week festival is taking place these days
near Sighișoara, the only inhabited medieval fortress in south-eastern Europe,
located in the center of Romania. It is one of the most important events
dedicated to the culture of the Saxons – ethnic groups of German origin settled
in Transylvania. 10 villages in the so-called Country of Oats are animated by
concerts, workshops with local craftsmen, exhibitions, outdoor film screenings,
traditional Saxon dances and brass band music. Festival-goers have the unique
chance to travel back in time to rediscover old brass band music, traditional
Saxon dances and songs, plays in the Saxon language, an exhibition of
traditional Saxon costumes, organ concerts in fortified churches, as well as traditional
crafts from the region. The central theme of the edition, attended by officials
and public figures from Romania and Germany, is ‘sustainability in the
landscape of the Saxon villages of Haferland’.

Sports. Romanian
athletics had an exceptional day, on Friday, at the Francophonie Games in
Kinshasa (Congo), with 9 medals – five gold, one silver and three bronze. The
gold was won by Mihaela Popa in the women’s 20 km march and by Ionuţ Vasilića
Pleşu in the similar men’s race. At the same time, the first place in the men’s
javelin event was won by Alexandru Novac, who also set a new competition
record, and in the hammer throw, the European champion Bianca Florentina
Ghelber came in first. Finally, Marius Musteaţă also won gold, in weight throw.
Romania also had a good day in judo, with a gold medal, thanks to Alexandru
Sibişan in cat. 90 kg, and a silver medal. The Romanian athletes are in second
place in the overall medal ranking, with 17 gold, 8 silver and 11 bronze, being
overtaken by those from Morocco. The Francophonie Games take place between July
28 and August 6. (MI)