Monday, March 29

Last F-16 fighter jet lands in Romania

The last F-16 fighter jet is expected to land at Borcea Air Base near the Romanian south-eastern town of Fetești on Monday. In 2013, the Romanian government signed a deal to acquire 17 F-16 fighter jets from Portugal. The jets were expected to replace outdated Soviet-designed MIG-21 fighters. The jet is also the last of five similar F-16s expected to complete the fleet of Squadron 53 Hunter in the area. All 17 jets are to be updated at Aerostar S.A., an aeronautical manufacturing company based in the Romanian eastern town of Bacău. Aerostar is also known as a supplier of parts, aerostructures, sub-assemblies and equipment for commercial aviation.

Protests in southern Romania

More than 100 miners staged a protest near the headquarters of Oltenia Energy Complex (CE Oltenia) in the Romanian south-western town of Târgu Jiu on Monday. Protesters claim they need to know the current state of the Complex. In a similar move, workers with the company entered their eighth week of protests at the Prefecture of southern Gorj county. They claim to end protests only after the Romanian government will make needed changes in the current law on retirement age in order to include miners and energy workers given their hard-working conditions. Further protests are expected next week. The European Commission opened an investigation to assess whether Romanian government’s support measures in favour of the Oltenia Energy Complex would be in line with EU rules on state aid to companies in difficulty. CE OLtenia, a Romanian majority state-owned lignite-based electricity producer, has been experiencing financial difficulties.

Maia Morgenstern case

A 25-year old man with a mental disorder is questioned by Romanian police in connection with recent death threats against Maia Morgenstern, a Jewish Romanian actress, according to a statement issued by the country’s Police General Inspectorate on Monday. The Police raided homes of two suspects in the Romanian western town of Timisoara and the capital Bucharest. Ms. Morgenstern, internationally known for playing Mary in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ, filed a complaint after receiving an email threatening to violently kill her and her children. The email was signed „on behalf of the far-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR)”, although its leader condemned the threat, saying it was not issued by the party.

Romania coronavirus updates

Romania reported 3,825 new coronavirus cases on Monday, with 120 death (69 men, 51 women), and 1,398 people under intensive care. In the capitaal Bucharest, number of new cases hit 124, according to data issues by the counntryțs Strategic Communication Group (GCS). With its 98 cases reported, the south-eastern county of Constantza is leader among other cpounties across the country. Constantza is followed by Ilfov (southern Romania) with 46 cases, and Mureș (central Romania) with 43 cases.

Alexandru Danga