Romania

The ancient golden helmet of Coțofenești and two of the three Dacian bracelets stolen from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands in January last year have been recovered in a joint effort by Romanian and Dutch investigators

Artist Bianca Pîrlog will present her series “Soft Power” and “Control Anatomy” in 2026 exhibitions across cities including Paris, Vienna and Bucharest; Her works use installations and mixed media to explore surveillance, authority and social control

Two of Romania’s three oil refineries will suspend operations this month: Petromidia will enter a scheduled overhaul, while Petrotel Lukoil will undergo maintenance amid a complicated context shaped by international sanctions imposed on Russia

Romania will be promoted internationally through a series of film screenings and cultural events organised by British writer and producer Charlie Ottley; The tour will touch Thailand, Malaysia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and the United Kingdom among others

Bucharest Stock Exchange has begun the trading year confirming the mood of 2025, that closed with its best performance since 2009; the main BET index reached a historic 24.439 points, marking +46% since January with a +55% return dividends included

Two cases of leprosy, the first in Romania since 1981, have been confirmed and two suspected cases more are under investigation according to local press; all four individuals are women from Indonesia employed as masseuses at a spa salon in Cluj-Napoca

Water supply has been restored in Prahova County's all 13 towns and communes that had been left without drinking water for over a week due to problems at the Paltinu Dam; however, water may only be used for hygiene purposes until tests are completed

The griffon vulture Gyps fulvus, extinct in Romania for over 70 years, will be reintroduced in a project carried out by ONG Conservation Carpathia Foundation; it is part of wider efforts to restore biodiversity in the Făgăraș Mountains

State seaport company Administratia Porturilor Maritime would be close to buying Moldova's largest port, Giurgiulesti, from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, according to Romania's Minister of Transport

A powerful explosion at a residential building rocked the Rahova neighborhood in southern Bucharest, leaving 3 dead and at least 17 injured; the building is now at risk of total collapse, according to the authorities

In mountain towns bear encounters and attacks are increasing; officials argue on how to manage the rising bear population, and conservationists question whether easier shooting would solve the problem; around 4.000 bears are estimated to live in Romania