October 3, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 03.10.2025, 13:55
WEATHER Maneuvers in the Romanian ports of Constanţa Nord and Constanţa Sud (on the Black Sea) have been suspended, as the area is under a code orange warning for strong wind. Severe weather is affecting most of the country. It snowed in several high-altitude areas in the centre last night. In many other regions it is raining, cold and windy. A code red alert for heavy rain has been in place since last night in two southern counties, Dolj and Olt. The alert is on until tonight and warns that rainfall could reach 100-110 litres per square metre. A substantial layer of snow has fallen in the southwest, and drivers are advised to avoid traveling in mountainous areas unless their cars are equipped for winter. In Bucharest and the adjacent Ilfov county, due to strong winds, dozens of trees fell on cars and in the streets. According to data made public by the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Inspectorate this morning, 23 cars were damaged, but their number may be higher, as operational missions are ongoing. In spite of the code orange alert for strong wind, the Bucharest National Airports Company announced that air traffic at the two airports of the capital city, Otopeni and Băneasa, takes place without disruptions.
ARMY The Romanian government Thursday passed the draft Army Volunteering Act. Young people, women or men aged between 18 and 35 who have not completed active military service will be able to undergo military training on request, for 4 months. Also on Thursday, the government passed a draft law that upgrades the defence strategy and places national defence in the context of collective defence within NATO and the European Union’s common security and defense policy. Both documents have been sent to Parliament for endorsement.
ITALY The foreign ministry announces Romanian citizens who are in, transiting or planning to travel to Italy that protests and a nationwide strike are announced in that country’s main cities until October 4. In this context, road traffic and public transport, including rail, are disrupted, with possible delays, schedule changes, or even cancellations of public transport services. The foreign ministry urges Romanian nationals to avoid crowded areas where protests are taking place and to follow the instructions of local authorities. At the same time, Bucharest recommends consulting the website of the Italian ministry of infrastructure and transport for additional details. In case Romanian citizens are faced with an emergency, they can call the special telephone numbers of the Romanian Embassy in Rome or the consulates in Milan, Bologna, Turin, Trieste, Bari and Catania.
EU Romania was represented at the informal meeting of the European Council and the 7th meeting of the European Political Community in Copenhagen by president Nicușor Dan. The talks focused on the conflict in Ukraine and on ensuring European security. Among other things, a plan was discussed to put together a “drone wall” to protect the eastern flank of the EU and NATO, which could be operational in a few months. Drones, however, are not the only common challenge, said the Romanian president, who mentioned online hybrid threats and presented the Romanian prosecutors’ first conclusions regarding the cancellation of last year’s presidential elections, with an emphasis on how social networks were used by the Russian Federation to misinform and influence public opinion in Romania.
PILGRIMAGE Preparations have begun at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași (northeastern Romania) for the pilgrimage on the Feast of Saint Paraskeva, which will take place betwen October 8 and 15. Orthodox Christians in Romania celebrate Saint Paraskeva, the patron saint of Moldavia, on October 14. The saint, a nun who died aged 27 in the 11th century, became the protector of the eastern part of Romania in 1641, when her relics were brought to Iași, after having been taken to Bulgaria, Serbia and Constantinople. Every year, on the feast of Saint Paraskeva, impressive crowds of pilgrims come to Iași to worship and pray, turning the city into the largest pilgrimage centre in Romania and the fifth-largest in Europe. This year, pilgrims will also be able to worship the relics of Saint Gregory Palamas, which will be brought from Thessaloniki, Greece.
DONATION Books on Romanian monuments and UNESCO World Heritage sites, as well as illustrated albums with Romanian traditional costumes were donated to the Nakanoshima Library in Osaka on behalf of the Romanian Pavilion at Expo 2025, the Romanian foreign ministry announced on Friday. “With this donation, we want to offer the Japanese public a window into the Romanian spirit and to strengthen the cultural bridges between Romania and Japan,” said Romania’s Commissioner General for Expo 2025 Osaka, Ferdinand Nagy. According to a news release issued by the foreign ministry, Romania reaffirms its active role in promoting cultural diplomacy, demonstrating that art and tradition can become true vectors of dialogue, education and mutual understanding.
FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions FCSB were defeated by the Swiss team Young Boys Bern 2-0 on home turf on Thursday night, in the second round of the Europa League. In the first match of this competition, the Romanians won 1-0 away from home against the Dutch team Go Ahead Eagles. In turn, the current leaders of the Romanian Super League, Universitatea Craiova, lost 2-0 in Poland, to Rakow Czestochowa Sosnowiec, in their debut match in the Conference League. (AMP)
