61°F
weather icon Windy

Romania unfurls largest flag in the world

BUCHAREST, Romania -- A Romanian village on Monday unfurled what is the largest flag ever made, Guinness World Records said.

It took about 200 people several hours Monday to roll out the flag, which measured about 349 meters (1,145 feet) by 227 meters (744.5 feet), about three times the size of a football field, according to Jack Brockbank, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records who measured the flag before pronouncing it the biggest flag in the world.

“It gives me great pleasure to recognize a new Guinness World Record title,” he said after measuring the flag. “Congratulations Romania!” He said Romania’s red, yellow and blue flag covers an area of about 79,290 square meters (853,478 square feet), downing Lebanon which had held the previous record.

The five-ton flag was displayed in Clinceni, 35 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of Bucharest. Workers struggled to keep it firmly planted on the ground because of windy conditions and had to use small sandbags.

Adrian Dragomir, manager of the Flags Factory which created the flag, says it took weeks to sew and 70 kilometers (44 miles) of thread was needed.

A military brass band played as Prime Minister Victor Ponta and other ministers arrived in the village to view the flag.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Slow UCLA response to violence questioned

LOS ANGELES — On the morning before a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian student encampment at UCLA, campus Police Chief John Thomas assured university leadership that he could mobilize law enforcement “in minutes” — a miscalculation from the three hours it took to actually bring in enough officers to quell the violence, according to three sources.

Holy Fire ceremony marked amid war’s backdrop

JERUSALEM — Bells and clamor, incense and flames. One of the most chaotic gatherings in the Christian calendar is the ancient ceremony of the “Holy Fire,” with worshippers thronging the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Saturday.

A new sea route for Gaza aid is on track, USAID says

Preparations are on track in Gaza for humanitarian workers to be ready to deliver food, treatment for children and other assistance by mid-May, a USAID official said.

Houthis threaten to try to attack ships in Mediterranean Sea

The Houthi terrorist group based in Yemen threatened to start trying to attack ships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea as it steps up a campaign of anti-Israeli assaults.