400 American soldiers on their way to a training centre in Cincu, Braşov county
400 American soldiers and more than 80 US Army vehicles have left the Mihail Kogălniceanu NATO Air Base near the Black Sea port of Constantza, in southern Romania, early on Wednesday for the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Centre at Cincu, in the central Romanian county of Braşov. The soldiers belong to the US Army’s 2nd Squadron and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment as they are expected to begin a 400 kilometer „cavalry march” across Romania through cities such as Hârşova, Slobozia, Ploieşti, Sinaia and Braşov. The Canadian, US, UK and Romanian exercises will also involve A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron which will demonstrate close-air-support by conducting multiple close passes above the convoy. Most of the vehicles involved in the march are Strykers, eight-wheeled armoured combat vehicules that are similar to tanks, but more mobile. Soldiers with 2nd Squadron participated in Exercise Wind Spring in mid-April with Romanian and British soldiers at Smârdan Training Area, Romania.
Jews around the world meet in northern Romania
Jews around the world meet in the Romanian northern town of Sighetu Marmaţiei on Wednesday. It is a meeting between generations: survivors of the Jewish Holocaust, Jews currently in the region and Romanians. Sighetu Marmaţiei is also the town where Elie Wiesel was born. The Nobel Peace Prize winning Jewish-American professor and political activist was born in Sighet on September 30, 1928. The town is currently hosting the Elie Wiesel Memorial House and the Museum of the Jewish Culture in Maramureş. Exhibitions related to the Jewish culture, theatrical and musical events are expected to reflect the Jewish lasting presence in Romania. The events known as a „Return to Sighet: A Meeting Between Generations” will also include the signing ceremony of an agreement confirming the brotherhood between Sighetu Marmaţiei and the Israeli town of Kyriat Yam. The festival is expected to end next Monday.
Romanian Opera manager under arrest
The executive director of the Romanian Opera in the capital Bucharest is under arrest. Răzvan Ioan Dincă along with an ORB employee were arrested late into the night on Tuesday. They are suspected of abuse of office, false statements and conflict of interests in a file also involving other ORB employees. Mr. Dincă was expected to appear in court for hearing on Wednesday. Romanian prosecutors in Bucharest’s Sector 1 have raided the ORB building on Tuesday.
CNA president appears before Romania’s anti-corruption watch dog
The head of Romania’s audio-visual regulator, CNA, is under investigation for alleged corruption-related crimes including abuse of office, and incitement to forgery under private signature. Laura Georgescu, the head of the National Audiovisual Council of Romania, denied any wrongdoing when she met reporters at the DNA headquarters on Wednesday. Former MP Viorel Hrebenciuc, a controversial politician of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD), and former Piatra Neamţ mayor Gheorghe Ştefan were also expected to appear before DNA for their aleged involvement into the case. Mr. Hrebenciuc and Mr. Ştefan are currently under arrest.
Alexandru Danga
