NEWS OF THE DAY - AUGUST 20

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Wednesday congratulated Sergeant Ioan Petrescu of Piatra Neamt, Romania on having been named the hero of the week by the ISAF Regional Command South in Afghanistan. 'I want to thank the Red Scorpions and all troops that have done their duty in Afghanistan. You are the true heroes of Romania and we are all very proud of you. May your return safely home!' Ponta says in a Facebook post. According to the Facebook page of the ISAF Regional Command South, Staff Sgt. Ioan Petrescu was named hero of the week for his hard work, diligence and commitment to keeping Kandahar Airfield safe.

* The first edition of the 'Three colors, one being' Romanian Film Festival, organized by the Union of Film Authors and Producers of Romania (UARF) and the Union of Cinematographers of Moldova (UCM) will take place in Chisinau between August 24 — 31, a press release remitted on Wednesday to AGERPRES. The end date of the festival coincides with the 'Our language' celebrations in the Republic and Moldova and the 'Day of the Romanian language' celebrations in Romania.

* National Liberal Party (PNL, in opposition) President Klaus Iohannis attended events in the southern Arges county on Wednesday commemorating the 150th anniversary of former great Liberal leader Ion (Ionel) I.C. Bratianu. Iohannis paid homage to the prominent Liberal figure and laid a wreath at the tomb located in the chapel on the Bratianu estate at Florica, near the county city of Pitesti.

* The Romanian Speleological Federation will host a meeting of European speleologists at Afrodita Hotel of Baile Herculane resort (southwestern Romania), under the heading Euro Speleo Forum, Alexandru Popa, chair of the Speleo Alpin Association of Mehedinti County told...