Celebrations. Christian believers are celebrating today the
Assumption of Mary, one of the biggest feasts of the year. Some 2.3 million
Romanians are celebrating their name day today. August 15th is also
the Navy Day, as Virgin Mary is the protector of sailors. Events to mark this
day are underway in Romania’s Danube and Black Sea ports. The festivities in
Contanta have been attended by Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis, who stressed
the importance of sailors’ work, which entails lots of sacrifices but also satisfaction. PM Nicolae Ciuca too
has conveyed a message, stating that he will support programs aimed at
modernizing the Romanian army. In turn, the defense minister Vasile Dincu has
voiced conviction that starting next year, the Romanian Naval Forces will be
better equipped and prepared. On Navy Day, visitors to the port of Constanta
can watch exhibitions and a virtual sea battle.
Firefighters. Romanian firefighters continue their mission
in the Chapelle Saint Blaise area, south of Bordeaux, France. 36 firefighters
and several pieces of equipment have been deployed in the region, where they
have to work in harsh conditions: high temperatures, low humidity and strong
winds. Their mission is to keep the fire from spreading to the residential area
and to put out hidden outbreaks. A total of 77 firefighters are supporting the French authorities in their fight against wildfires,
caused by extreme heat and severe drought.
Olympiad. Young Romanians
obtained new outstanding results in Informatics. The Romanian team won four
medals, the second place in Europe and the 8th place in the world, out of 90
countries, at the International Olympiad in Informatics held in Indonesia.
Alexandru Luchianov won the gold medal, Luca Perju Verzotti and Alexandru Raul
Todoran each took the silver and Andrei Robert Ion, the bronze medal. The
Minister of Education, Sorin Cîmpeanu, who announced on Facebook the success of
the Romanian high school students, said that now Romania is in second place in
a ranking of the international informatics Olympiads of all time. He thanked
all those who over the years have made such a performance possible, students,
teachers and parents.
Rasnov. Two special screenings and 12
international documentaries, from 11 countries, are part of the program of the 14th edition of the Râşnov Film and
History Festival (central Romania). The selection of documentaries includes
films from Chile, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Romania, France, Australia, USA,
Belgium, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. According to the organizers, the theme
of the festival this year is focused around the idea of borders, a concept
that aims to bring answers to multiple questions and challenges related to
individual and creative freedoms that today’s society faces.
Tennis. Romanian tennis
player Simona Halep (15 WTA) won the WTA 1,000 tournament in Toronto (Canada),
with over 2.5 million dollars in prize money. She defeated, on Sunday, in the
final, the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (24 WTA), 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Simona thus
won the Canadian Open for the third time, after the finals she won in Montreal
in 2016 and 2018. For the former world leader, this is the 24th title of her career.
After the victory in Toronto, Simona Halep climbed nine places up the rankings
and is now sixth in the WTA classification.
World record. The Romanian swimmer David
Popovici has qualified for today’s 200 m freestyle final at the European
Aquatics Championship in Rome. On Saturday, he set a new 100 meter freestyle
world record . The 17-year-old athlete is also the defending world champion in
the 200 m freestyle. Romania is represented in Rome by a delegation of 11
athletes. (MI)