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Romania celebrated its National Day on Monday with a grand military parade of nearly 3,000 troops and exhibition of military equipment, in a show of strength and unity as Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine intensifies. The capital, Bucharest, was the center of official ceremonies, to mark the re-unification iof Romania in 1918 when Transylvania was incorporated into the provinces...

Ukraine is at a delicate and dangerous moment. It will soon be four years since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion; the city of Pokrovsk is on the verge of falling after a long and bloody siege; and the recent shelling of the capital, Kyiv, was among the most severe since 2022, notes Novaya Gazeta Europa. And now, U.S. President...

There is more to life that agreeing about politics I met Mark Campbell about a decade ago in Cairo, in the kind of bar that only Cairo can produce. Pub 28 was a dive with an age of faded charm, all cigarette smoke and deals for the best tables and the air of something illicit going on. It was Mark’s...

Romanian Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu resigned Friday after acknowledging he had lied about ​his studies in his CV saying he did not want ‌his personal "mistakes" to take the attention off ital work of keeping the ‌country safe from Russia. His resignation came after the Libertatea daily reported this week that his resume contained incorrect information about the year he...

Researchers from the IRB Bellinzona and the Università della Svizzera italiana spent seven years studying exactly what happens once tattoo ink enters the body, and discovered surprisingly worrying effects.  It was previously believed that the ink remains in the epidermis (the skin). Now we know that it bleeds into the lymphatic system within hours of application.   It is in the...

Romania is buying 231 Mistral short-range anti-aircraft systems from France, as well as over 900 missiles, in exchange for 625 million euros. The General Directorates for Armaments of the two defense ministries have signed the contract for the purchase of short-range/very short-range portable anti-aircraft missile systems – Mistral MANPADS. The agreement was approved by the Romanian Parliament as early as...

A limited form of military service will be re-introduced in France, after conscription was phased out 25 years ago.  This feels more ominous than it would have decades ago, what with the possibility of escalation of Russian aggression.  For now, the plan proposes young men and women volunteering for a paid 10 months of military training. This will begin from summer 2026,...

Fashion and luxury will enter 2026 navigating a world where volatility is becoming the baseline rather than the exception. In this challenging environment, only the most agile brands that can quickly adapt are likely to emerge as winners, according to ”The State of Fashion 2026” report by consulting company McKinsey, writes eToro analyst for Romania, Bogdan Maioreanu. Executives in fashion...

Romania’s top judge says she and her colleagues are under ‘huge pressure over ‘special pensions’ for magistrates which cost the government hundreds of millions of euros every year. If Romania keeps the special pensions for magistrates, it risks losing 231 million of EU money. Romania’s government has a draft law which will reform the pensions. Key changes include capping pensions at...

Telling American troops they must follow only lawful orders is not treason — rather, calling on the military to fight the enemy from within is The uproar over a short video posted by Senators Mark Kelly, Elissa Slotkin, Jason Crow, and several colleagues — urging US service members to remember that they must refuse illegal orders — has produced one...