In Romania

Romania's pro-European parties have initiated efforts to form a unified political strategy amid a tense political landscape following the annulment of the presidential elections by the Constitutional Court.

With 99% of the votes counted in Romania's parliamentary elections, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), led by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, has secured the largest share of the vote with 23%. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) follows in second place with 18%, while the National Liberal Party (PNL) is in third with 15%.

Early this morning, Romanian police conducted new raids at the home of Andrew Tate, a controversial internet influencer currently awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group to exploit women for creating pornographic content.

The best option is for Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Schengen area together, and "all negotiations and all attempts to convince those who have reservations on this matter are aimed at this". Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said this today at a joint press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, Agerpres agency reported.

Socially conservative ethnic Hungarian politicians in Romania have proposed law changes aimed at preventing a Western-style "assault of gender ideology" on Romania by fixing a child's identity on the basis of their sex at birth.

Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice ruled on Thursday in favour of reopening the criminal investigation into former president Ion Iliescu over the so-called "Mineriada" events of June 13-15, 1990.

Iliescu summoned miners from the biggest mining basins in Romania, in Valea Jiului, to Bucharest to "restore order" against pro-Western parties who were demanding new elections.

Romania's parliament swore in a government led by new Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Thursday, with 318 votes out of 466.

The new majority comprises the National Liberal Party, PNL, the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, UDMR.

President Klaus Iohannis nominated the former defence minister and reserve general Nicolae Ciuca as Romania's next Prime Minister of Romania on Monday after talks with most parties in parliament.

A week after the previous government was ousted, President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday that he has put forward Dacian Ciolos of the Save Romania Union, USR, as his choice for the next premier.

Romanian authorities on Friday reported 13,854 new cases of people infected with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours while Thursday to Friday saw a new record death toll of 385 from COVID, raising the total death toll in the country to 38,927.

The Public Health Department on Friday said the number of infections of COVID-19 in Bucharest had increased to 12.24 per thousand.