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8/30/2007 - ALI BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Members of the 407th Expeditionary Services Squadron hosted the first ever Coalition Games Aug. 20 through 26 at Ali Base and Camp Adder, Iraq. The week-long event gave American, Australian and Romanian forces friendly competitions in basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball, weightlifting, dodgeball, a 10K run and a tug-of-war. Participants included teams from the Air Force, the 82nd Sustainment Brigade and 1/82 Battle Combat Team from the Army, the Navy, Romanian forces, Australian forces, and civilian contractors. The Coalition Games began with a basketball game between the Air Force and Australian forces and a...

The head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who made history when he invited the late John Paul II to his Orthodox country in 1999 but was criticized for being too close to former Communists, died Monday. He was 92. Patriarch Teoctist died of a heart attack following surgery on his prostate gland earlier Monday, doctors at the Fundeni hospital told Realitatea TV. Teoctist was appointed to head the church in November 1986, but briefly stepped down after anti-communist protesters in 1989 said he had been too conciliatory toward former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. He had refused to condemn Ceausescu's destruction of...

AURORA— Since the time of the apostles, it has been the constant teaching of the Church that prayers, offerings and good deeds can help the departed. St. John Chrysostom said of the departed souls, “Let us assist them according to our power. Let us think of some advantage for them, small though it be, but let us assist them. How and in what way? By praying for them, by asking others to pray for them, and by constantly giving (alms) to the poor in their behalf!” Most readers of The Observer are familiar with the traditions of the Western Catholic...

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2006 – President Bush thanked Romanian President Traian Basescu today for his country's strong support for the young democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Speaking at a photo opportunity in the Oval Office between working sessions, the two leaders told reporters they share goals for the region and will continue their commitment to peace there. "Romania will continue to remain an ally of the United States in supporting the democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan," Basescu said. Romania is a "stalwart ally" in the terror war, with just under 700 troops in Iraq and about 800 in Afghanistan,...

A Romanian man has handed over his wife to a creditor as payment for his debts. Emil Iancu, from tIghisu Nou, gave his wife Daniela to 72-year-old Jozef Justien Lostrie when he turned up on his doorstep to collect a £1,800 debt. Iancu said: "I had no money to pay the debt and when I told Lostrie he said he would take my wife instead. "I was scared of what he would do and so I signed a document saying Daniela would live with him."

Militant protesters trying to break up a gay rights march in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, have clashed with riot police who made dozens of arrests. Ten people were reportedly injured in the violence at the GayFest event which saw hundreds of gay rights activists marching against discrimination. They were also calling for the legalisation of same-sex marriages. Hundreds of protesters turned out, some throwing eggs, stones and plastic bottles at the marchers. Correspondents point out that homosexuality is legal in Romania but the public largely accepts the majority Orthodox Christian Church's view that it is a sin. "Romania does not...

Under the agreement on the location of U.S. military facilities in Romania, the United States can launch an attack from Romanian territory without knowledge or approval of the Romanian authorities. Parliament's joint defense and foreign policy committees discussed the accord yesterday with representatives of the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The agreement, signed last year by Foreign Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu and visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on December 6 last year, allows U.S. troops access to four Romanian military bases. Mihai Kogalniceanu in Constanta will be the most important U.S. military base, as it...

A Romanian prelate stirred deep emotions at the Synod of Bishops on October 6, with a powerful speech praising the Catholic martyrs who suffered for the faith under Communist rule in his country. Archbishop Lucian Muresan of Fagaras-Alba Julia was heavily applauded by the 250 bishops participating in the Synod at the conclusion of his 6-minute speech. He had recounted how Romanian Catholics of the Eastern rite endured brutal repression by Communist authorities who "had a great fear of God, who is present in the Eucharist." The Communist regime aspired "to give men just material 'bread,'" the archbishop said. In...

After touring the base at Kandahar, visiting Romanian officials met with coalition leaders and addressed the troops. By U.S. Army Pfc. Vincent Fusco 20th Public Affairs Detachment KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Oct. 3, 2005 -- Teodor Atanasiu, the Romanian government Minister of National Defense, visited the Romanian troops of the 151st Infantry Battalion stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Sept. 27. He was accompanied by Ioan Ion, the Romanian State Secretary and Chief of Department for Armaments, and Gen. Eugen Badalan, the Romanian Chief of General Staff. The one-day visit was conducted to tour the airfield and see how the Romanians are...

Three Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq were freed on Sunday after two months in captivity, one of the few security breakthroughs since insurgents launched an upsurge in deadly attacks last month. ADVERTISEMENT "It was an operation handled 100 percent by the Romanian secret services, which cooperated in an excellent way," Romanian President Traian Basescu told reporters. He did not elaborate. "They will arrive tomorrow in Bucharest from Baghdad with a military plane." The abductors had set a deadline for their execution of April 27 unless Romania, a staunch supporter of the United States, withdrew its 800 troops from Iraq, where...

Romanians freed in Iraq after two months ALEXANDRU ALEXE /Associated Press May. 22, 2005 BUCHAREST, Romania - Three Romanian journalists and their Iraqi-American guide were freed Sunday after nearly two months in captivity in Iraq, the president's office said. All four were in the custody of Romanian authorities, officials said, ending a kidnapping that had sparked rallies and prayer vigils in Romania, which has 800 troops in Iraq. "They are unharmed and we will announce to the public when they will return to the country," said Adriana Saftoiu, a spokeswoman for Romanian President Traian Basescu. The three Romanians - newspaper...

A Romanian traffic cop has been demoted after he fined a driver for “having a face like a moron and being a big monkey”. Marius Vlasceanu pulled over Gheorghe Tosa as he drove through Craiova in Romania, local daily Jurnalul National reported. But Tosa failed to see the funny side as Vlasceanu fined him £22 and handed him a ticket explaining the reason for the fine was “having a face like a moron and being a big monkey”. ananova

http://www.petitiononline.com/21ian205/petition.html To: International romanian community and friends Dear Madam/Dear Sir, We appeal to you in order to draw your attention regarding the situation of a church built in Malainitsa (northeastern Serbia) by the local Romanian community. On January 21, the mayor of the locality submitted an official letter to the curate of the church, ordering him to destroy the belfry until January 28 and to proceed with the demolition of the church within 15 days. This order of the mayoralty is based on the pretense that the church's construction was not approved by the local authorities. The fact is that...

Three ancient Romanian maps bolster accuracy of “Persian Gulf” name VIENNA (IRNA) -- Three ancient maps kept in a Romanian academy confirm the accuracy of the name Persian Gulf to denote waters off the southern coast of Iran, said an Iranian embassy official in Bucharest Friday. Speaking to IRNA, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that researches made by the Romanian academy uncovered a map called "Asiac Nova Descripto" dating back to 1584 in which the Persian Gulf is historically referred to as "Mar Mesendin Ol Sinus Persicus." The Romanian academy is one of the most important...

I'm thinking about purchasing the WASR-10 version of the semi-automatic AKM. Does anyone have experience with this firearm, and any possible legal processes one has to go through to get one? How much does the ammo go for? Any other advice you could give me would be a great help!

A Romanian village was left deserted...

BUCHAREST, June 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The two chambers of the Romanian parliament, in a joint session on Thursday, unanimously approved President Ion Iliescu's request for the Romanian troops' participation in the postwar stabilization and reconstruction in Iraq. According to Iliescu' request, participating in the mission will be an infantry battalion of 405 troops, a military police company of 100 troops, an engineering detachment of 149 as well as 20 General Staff officers and four liaison officers. The Romanian military will operate with their own weapons, ammunition, military hardware and materials required to fulfil themission, and will be subordinated to the...

Romanian Law Bans English in Public Saturday October 19, 2002 1:30 AM BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Pity the humble hot dog. Under an unusual new law, Romania's fast-food vendors won't be able to hawk the English-only version any more. Instead, they'll also have to offer what would translate into Romanian as ``a kind of sausage in a kind of roll.'' Computer companies advertising a ``laptop'' would also peddle ``an apparatus for putting at the top of the lap.'' Politicians could keep gathering for a ``summit'' as long as they also called it ``a high-level meeting.'' It's windy and awkward, but...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) -- Romanian Defense Minister Ioan Mircea Pascu offered Friday to cooperate with the United States in any military campaign against Iraq.</p> <p>Pascu, who met with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld this week, said Romania would permit overflights of U.S. aircraft and use of Romanian territory.</p>