Radio România Internațional

Tag: Australian Open

  • January 19, 2025 UPDATE

    January 19, 2025 UPDATE

    GAZA The Israeli government has nominated 33 hostages to be released by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that has taken effect. In a first phase, on Sunday, three women were released, including one of Romanian descent and one with dual Israeli and Romanian citizenship. Romania welcomes the release of the first group of hostages, including a Romanian citizen and a person of Romanian descent, President Klaus Iohannis said. ‘We thank all our partners for their support and call for a continued implementation of the agreement and for the return of the remaining hostages to their families,’ the head of state said. Israel’s minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned in protest of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media report. Ben-Gvir’s far-right and ultranationalist party will leave the governing coalition. After months of deadlock in the 15-month war in Gaza, a three-stage agreement was reached earlier this week. During an initial six-week ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza are to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, while the Israeli army is to pull out of densely populated areas in Gaza. Some 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage during the unprecedented terrorist attack by Hamas commandos on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel. The Israeli army responded with a large-scale ground offensive followed by air strikes on Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, an operation that resulted in more than 46,000 casualties, according to Palestinian authorities.

     

    UNIONS Romanian trade unionists ask the politicians in power to talk directly with the people, because social tensions are high, and the powder keg could explode at any moment. This warning was issued by the Cartel Alfa federation in a statement that says political decision-makers have abandoned open communication with Romanians. The budget deficit must be corrected by improving collection, but the government refuses to take any measures outside of recipes that have proven ineffective for years, Cartel Alfa also says.

     

    JOBS Nearly 33,000 positions are declared vacant by employers in Romania, the National Employment Agency announced. Most of them, over 20,000, are intended for unskilled applicants, another 10,000 jobs require high school, post-secondary school or vocational education, and a little over 1,900 jobs require a degree, including positions as engineers in various sectors, computer programmers, financial and accounting experts or veterinarians. Also, employers from the European Economic Area offer employment through the EURES Romania network; 100 jobs are available in Germany and Spain, and another 27in Austria, Ireland and Malta.

     

    ECONOMY The World Bank has revised downward its outlook for the Romanian economy this year, mainly due to the fiscal consolidation measures recently announced by the government. In its latest global economic outlook report, the World Bank lowers its estimate for Romania’s economic growth rate to 2.1% this year, as against 3.8% forecast in June 2024. Also, in 2026, Romania’s GDP growth is expected to be 2.6% compared to 3.8%, as estimated in June. On the other hand, economic growth in Central Europe is expected to recover to 2.8% in 2025 and 3% in 2026, thanks to robust private demand. Export growth in Central Europe is expected to remain modest due to slow progress in the euro area. The level of investments, especially in Poland and Romania, is expected to improve, thanks to structural reforms and EU funding.

     

    TRADE FAIR Romania takes part in the “Green Week” exhibition in Berlin, the agriculture ministry announced. Until January 26, the national stand presents samples of Romanian products registered or in the process of being registered in European quality systems, meat preparations and cheese varieties, canned vegetables and fruits, bakery products, honey and cold-pressed oils, syrups, wines and spirits. The 2024 “Green Week” event is attended by over 1,400 exhibitors from 60 countries, attracting some 300,000 visitors.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open on Sunday, after defeating Hanyu Guo (China) / Alexandra Panova (Russia) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6). Ruse and Kostiuk have played two Grand Slam women’s doubles semifinals together, one in Melbourne in 2023 and one at Roland Garros in 2024. In the quarterfinals, they will take on Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia). (AMP)

  • January 19, 2025

    January 19, 2025

    UNIONS Romanian trade unionists ask the politicians in power to talk directly with the people, because social tensions are high, and the powder keg could explode at any moment. This warning was issued by the Cartel Alfa federation in a statement that says political decision-makers have abandoned open communication with Romanians. The budget deficit must be corrected by improving collection, but the government refuses to take any measures outside of recipes that have proven ineffective for years, Cartel Alfa also says.

     

    JOBS Nearly 33,000 positions are declared vacant by employers in Romania, the National Employment Agency announced. Most of them, over 20,000, are intended for unskilled applicants or primary and secondary school graduates. Another 10,000 jobs require high school, post-secondary school or vocational education. A little over 1,900 jobs require a degree, including positions as engineers in various sectors, computer programmers, financial and accounting experts or veterinarians. Also, employers from the European Economic Area offer employment through the EURES Romania network; 100 jobs are available in Germany and Spain, and another 27 in Austria, Ireland and Malta.

     

    ECONOMY The World Bank has revised downward its outlook for the Romanian economy this year, mainly due to the fiscal consolidation measures recently announced by the government. In its latest global economic outlook report, the World Bank lowers its estimate for Romania’s economic growth rate to 2.1% this year, as against 3.8% forecast in June 2024. Also, in 2026, Romania’s GDP growth is expected to be 2.6% compared to 3.8%, as estimated in June. On the other hand, economic growth in Central Europe is expected to recover to 2.8% in 2025 and 3% in 2026, thanks to robust private demand. Export growth in Central Europe is expected to remain modest due to slow progress in the Euro area. The level of investments, especially in Poland and Romania, is expected to improve, thanks to structural reforms and EU funding.

     

    MILITARY Hundreds of British military vehicles are on their way to Romania by ferry, in order to take part in a major NATO exercise, London announced. 2,400 British soldiers with 730 military vehicles will form the main battle group, supported by troops from five other NATO countries, with the United Kingdom assuming command of the land component. The new Allied Reaction Force (ARF) replaced the NATO Response Force (NRF) last year, and aims to respond quickly and effectively to any threat in times of peace, crisis or conflict.

     

    MIDDLE EAST A senior Israeli official said that Israel received a list of hostages in Gaza who are to be released today by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned to protest the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media reported today. Ben-Gvir’s far-right and ultranationalist party will leave the ruling coalition. After months of deadlock in the 15-month war in Gaza, a three-stage agreement was reached earlier this week. During an initial six-week ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza are to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, while the Israeli army is to pull out of densely populated areas in Gaza. Meanwhile, however, the army carried on its attacks in Gaza, where at least five people were killed.

     

    HANDBALL The women’s handball team CS Rapid Bucharest face today at home the Danish side Odense Handbold, in the Champions League Group B. The day before, in Group A, the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest defeated the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana 36-23, also at home. In the same group, Gloria 2018 Bistriţa-Năsăud were defeated, away from home, by the Croatian team RK Podravka Vegeta Koprivnica, 26-25. In the group standings, CSM are in 4th place, with 10 points, and Gloria are in 6th place, with 6 points.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open on Sunday, after defeating Hanyu Guo (China) / Alexandra Panova (Russia) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6). Ruse and Kostiuk have played two Grand Slam women’s doubles semifinals together, one in Melbourne in 2023 and one at Roland Garros in 2024. In the quarterfinals, they will take on Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia). (AMP)

  • January 18, 2025 UPDATE

    January 18, 2025 UPDATE

    Protest – Thousands of members and supporters of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the main opposition party in Romania’s Parliament, protested on Saturday in Bucharest and across Romania, demanding, among other things, the resumption of the second round of the presidential election. They criticized the court’s decision by which the action opened by the independent candidate Călin Georgescu in the case of the cancellation of the presidential election was definitively rejected and said that it defies millions of Romanians who demand the resumption of the second round of voting and that it ignores the lack of clear evidence. Organized on time, on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), invoked the interference of a so-called state actor. The second round, scheduled for December 8, was to be contested by Georgescu, accused of connections with Russia, and the opposition Save Romania Union (USR) leader Elena Lasconi. In the diaspora, where the polling stations for the decisive round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted when the CCR decided to invalidate the first round. The costs of the invalidated election allegedly stand at almost 1.4 billion lei (the equivalent of about 280 billion Euros). On December 21, the acting president’s second and last five-year presidential mandate was to expire, according to the Constitution, but his mandate was extended until the election of a new president to be validated by the CCR.

     

    NATO – Hundreds of British military vehicles are on their way to Romania, loaded on ferries, to take part in a major NATO exercise, the British government announced. 2,400 British soldiers, with 730 military vehicles, will form the main battle group, supported by representatives of five other NATO countries, and the United Kingdom will ensure the command of the land component. The new allied reaction force replaced the NATO response force last year and aims to quickly and effectively respond to any threat in peacetime, crisis or conflict.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the round of 16 of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating the pair Elise Mertens (Belgium)/Ellen Perez (Australia) 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday in Melbourne. In another second round match, the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian and her Italian partner Camilla Rosatello were defeated by the pair Leylah Fernandez (Canada)-Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Jaqueline Cristian was also defeated in the singles by the German Eva Lys 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the third round.

     

    Intelligence Service – The Romanian Intelligence Service presented new details about the strategic objectives in Romania that a Colombian citizen intended to blow up, at the instigation of a person from Russia. The target was a recyclable waste deposit, two oil extraction wells and a Natural Gas Regulating Metering Station. Luis Alfonso Murillo Diosa was sent to court last November for crimes against national security. According to the investigators, the Colombian was affiliated with an extensive network of saboteurs, controlled through intermediaries by the Russian secret services, which targeted several European states. A former military, trained in intelligence gathering activities, Diosa arrived on Romanian territory in July 2024.

     

    Fair – Romania will participate in the largest organic products fair in the world, BioFach 2025, which will take place in Nuremberg (Germany) between February 11-14, announced the Bio-Romania Association, supported by the Romanian Government through the Romanian Agency for Investments and Foreign Trade. According to the Association, Romania has been present for 20 years at this event dedicated to agriculture and ecological products. Since 1990, BioFach has become the essential meeting point for organic food producers worldwide, offering networking opportunities and a place where ideas can be exchanged between all actors in the value chain of the organic sector.

     

    US – The inauguration ceremony of the US President-Elect, Donald Trump, will be moved indoors, as the weather forecast for Monday in Washington indicates very low temperatures, the American press announces. Therefore, the swearing-in ceremony, which was supposed to take place on the steps of the Capitol, will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda, just as it was done at the ceremony for the second term of the former president Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump has told his supporters that they will be able to see the inauguration ceremony on screens located inside the Capital One Arena, a sports arena in Washington with a capacity of 20,000 people. The transition team announced that, on Monday, Donald Trump would again use his own Bible, and also the “Lincoln Bible”, a copy known by this name because it was the holy book used by the 16th president of the USA , Abraham Lincoln. The Republican leader also used these two copies when taking the oath for his first mandate, in 2017, the EFE agency reports. (LS)

  • January 18, 2025

    January 18, 2025

    Protests – Thousands of policemen and other employees from the fields of defense, public order and national security protested, on Friday, in Bucharest, against the provisions of the government ordinance to reduce the budget deficit, which came into force at the beginning of the month. They requested the Government to review the provisions of the aforementioned document, which significantly reduces their income by not paying overtime worked on weekends or public holidays. Thus the protesters say the incomes of operative police officers will be drastically affected, with decreases between 1,000 lei (€200) and 2,000 lei (€400). The PM Marcel Ciolacu said that the issue of paying overtime in the field of public order will be regulated with priority at the beginning of next month, in Parliament.

     

    Verdict – The magistrates of the High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest on Friday rejected the appeals filed by the independent candidate Călin Georgescu in the case of the cancelation of last year’s presidential election. He had challenged a decision of the Bucharest Court of Appeal delivered at the end of December 2024, by which the judges rejected Georgescu’s request to cancel the three decisions of the Central Electoral Bureau, adopted after the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) decided to cancel the presidential election. Previously, Călin Georgescu, considered pro-Russian, declared that he challenged the decision of the CCR at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). He asks the ECHR to compel the Romanian state to organize the second round of the presidential election in which he and Elena Lasconi (USR) qualified. Based on documents declassified by the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), CCR judges cited significant irregularities that affected the integrity of the electoral process and manipulated votes through social networks. Documents from the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), the Romanian Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), the Interior Ministry (MAI) and the Special Telecommunications Service (STS) showed that Călin Georgescu would have benefited from the support of state and non-state actors to win. After the decision of the CCR, the Government established that the first round of the Romanian presidential election will be on May 4, and the second round on May 18. Romanians in the diaspora still have three days to vote, but on the last day, Sunday, the polling stations will close at 9 p.m., Romanian time, regardless of the local time zone.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian (83 WTA) was defeated by the German Eva Lys (128 WTA) score 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, on Saturday, in Melbourne, in the third round of the Australian Open tournament. The Romanian reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. In the doubles, the Romanians Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian, in different pairs, qualified for the second round, after the victories obtained, on Friday, in Melbourne. Gabriela Ruse and the Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk defeated the Australian pair Destanee Aiuava and Maddison Inglis 6-4, 7-6, and in the second round they will have strong opponents, Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Ellen Perez (Australia), seeded 6th. Jaqueline Cristian and the Italian Camilla Rosatello defeated the pair Cristina Bucşa (Spain)/Iana Sizikova (Russia) 6-2, 6-7, 6-4. The next opponents for Cristian and Rosatello will be Leylah Fernandez (Canada) and Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), 16th seeds.

     

    Fair – Romania will participate in the largest organic products fair in the world, BioFach 2025, which will take place in Nuremberg (Germany), between February 11-14, announced the Bio-Romania Association, supported by the Romanian Government through the Romanian Agency for Investments and Foreign Trade. According to the Association, Romania has been present for 20 years at this event dedicated to agriculture and ecological products. Since 1990, BioFach has become the essential meeting point for organic food producers worldwide, offering networking opportunities and a place where ideas can be exchanged between all actors in the value chain of the organic sector.

     

    US – The inauguration ceremony of the US President-Elect, Donald Trump, will be moved indoors, as the weather forecast for Monday in Washington indicates very low temperatures, the American press announces. Therefore, the swearing-in ceremony, which was supposed to take place on the steps of the Capitol, will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda, just as it was done at the ceremony for the second term of the former president Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump has told his supporters that they will be able to see the inauguration ceremony on screens located inside the Capital One Arena, a sports arena in Washington with a capacity of 20,000 people. The transition team announced that, on Monday, Donald Trump would again use his own Bible, and also the “Lincoln Bible”, a copy known by this name because it was the holy book used by the 16th president of the USA , Abraham Lincoln. The Republican leader also used these two copies when taking the oath for his first mandate, in 2017, the EFE agency reports. (LS)

     

  • January 17, 2025 UPDATE

    January 17, 2025 UPDATE

    FAIR Romania will be participating in the world’s biggest fair of bioproducts, BioFach 2025, due in Nurnberg, Germany, over February 11 and 14, the Bio-Romania Association announced on Friday. Bio-Romania is supported by the government through the Romanian Agency of Investment and Foreign Trade. According to the aforementioned association, Romania has been participating in BioFach for the past 20 years. As early as 1990, BioFach became the main meeting point of producers from the world over, offering the participants numerous network opportunities and also being an idea hub for all the main players in the field organic production.

     

    PROTESTS Thousands of police officers and employees from defence, public order and national security institutions, as well as reserve officers from all over Romania took to the streets of Bucharest on Friday. They called on the government to review an order that significantly reduced their incomes. The act scraps overtime pay and payments for days worked on weekends or public holidays. The protesters argue that the income of operational police officers will be severely affected, with decreases ranging between 200 and 400 Euros. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu pledged on Friday that the issue of overtime pay in the field of public order would be regulated by Parliament in early February.

     

    RUSSIA The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly condemns the Russian forces’ irresponsible attacks that violate all the norms of international law, and emphasizes that Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine generates risks for the entire region. The statement was made as the monitoring and surveillance systems of Romania’s Defence Ministry Friday morning noted violations of Romanian airspace, in Tulcea county, after Russian forces resumed their drone attacks on civilian targets and port infrastructure in Ukraine. ‘Respect for sovereignty, security and peace are obligations that the Russian Federation violates systematically and without provocation. The persistent aggressive actions, the illegal occupation of some of the neighboring territories and the illegal full-scale war that Russia has been waging for almost 3 years against a sovereign neighbor are a persistent and serious threat not only to Ukraine but to the entire Black Sea region and NATO’s eastern flank,’ the foreign ministry says. The Foreign Ministry and the Defence Ministry also mention that they have been informing NATO in real time about the situations caused by these attacks, and remain in permanent contact with it.

     

    FLU Flu vaccination remains the easiest, safest and most effective protection method against seasonal diseases, Romanian doctors reiterate amid increases in the number of respiratory infections. Specialists emphasize that as the percentage of the vaccinated population increased, flu viruses spread in communities decreases. A National Institute for Public Health report shows that the number of people diagnosed with respiratory infections has doubled, with almost 91,000 cases reported in the last week. There are almost 600 patients diagnosed with clinical flu and over 200 for whom lab tests have confirmed infection with the flu virus, most of them in Bucharest, Cluj, Braşov, Constanţa, Alba and Galaţi. Five more people have died from the flu, bringing the death toll since the beginning of the season up to 9.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian, in separate pairs, qualified for the second round of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after winning their respective matches on Friday in Melbourne. Ruse and Ukraine’s Marta Kostiuk won against the Australians Destanee Aiuava and Maddison Inglis 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), and in the second round they will face strong opponents in Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Ellen Perez (Australia), seeded 6th. Jaqueline Cristian and her Italian partner Camilla Rosatello defeated Cristina Bucşa (Spain)/Iana Sizikova (Russia) 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4. Cristian and Rosatello will next face Leylah Fernandez (Canada) and Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), seeded 16th. In another first-round match in the women’s doubles, Monica Niculescu and Sofia Kenin (US) were defeated by Miyu Kato (Japan)/Renata Zarazua (Mexico), 6-4, 6-4. In the men’s doubles, the Romanian-Argentine pair Victor Cornea/Mariano Navone was defeated in the second round by Germany’s Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz, 4-6, 6-1.

    (bill)

  • January 17, 2025

    January 17, 2025

     

    RUSSIA The Romanian ministry of foreign affairs firmly condemns the Russian forces’ irresponsible attacks that violate all the norms of international law, and emphasises that Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine generates risks for the entire region. The statement was made as the monitoring and surveillance systems of Romania’s defence ministry Friday morning noted violations of Romanian airspace, in Tulcea county, after Russian forces resumed their drone attacks on civilian targets and port infrastructure in Ukraine. ‘Respect for sovereignty, security and peace are obligations that the Russian Federation violates systematically and without provocation. The persistent aggressive actions, the illegal occupation of some of the neighboring territories and the illegal full-scale war that Russia has been waging for almost 3 years against a sovereign neighbor are a persistent and serious threat not only to Ukraine but to the entire Black Sea region and NATO’s eastern flank,’ the foreign ministry says. The foreign ministry and the defence ministry also mention that they have been informing NATO in real time about the situations caused by these attacks, and remain in permanent contact with it.

     

    PROTESTS Several thousand police officers and employees from defence, public order and national security institutions, as well as reserve officers from all over Romania take part in a protest in Bucharest today. They are unhappy with a government order that has significantly reduced their incomes. The act scraps overtime pay and payments for days worked on weekends or public holidays. The protesters argue that the income of operational police officers will be severely affected, with decreases ranging between EUR 200 and 2,000. The participants are marching towards the ministry of finance, the ministry of justice, the labour ministry, and the interior ministry, with the government headquarters as their final destination.

     

    ELECTIONS The first round of the presidential elections in Romania will take place on May 4, and the second round on May 18, the government has decided. Stricter rules have also been set for the election campaign, especially regulating online campaigns. Failure to comply with them may entail fines for major online platforms of up to 5% of their turnover. Romanians in the diaspora will still have 3 days to vote, but on the last day, that is, on Sunday, polling stations will close at 9:00 p.m. Romanian time, regardless of the local time zone. The new provisions have been criticised by several NGOs. The presidential election was cancelled at the end of last year by the Constitutional Court, on grounds that the election process had been flawed.

     

    FLU Flu vaccination remains the easiest, safest and most effective protection method against seasonal diseases, Romanian doctors reiterate amid increases in the number of respiratory infections. Specialists emphasise that as the percentage of the vaccinated population increased, flu viruses spread less in communities decreases. A National Institute for Public Health report shows that the number of people diagnosed with respiratory infections has doubled, with almost 91,000 cases reported in the last week. There are almost 600 patients diagnosed with clinical flu and over 200 for whom lab tests have confirmed infection with the flu virus, most of them in Bucharest, Cluj, Braşov, Constanţa, Alba and Galaţi. Five more people have died from the flu, bringing the death toll since the beginning of the season up to 9.

     

    MIDDLE EAST Israel and Hamas have officially signed a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, after overcoming last-minute disputes. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Security Cabinet and the government are meeting later today to ratify the document. The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he expects the implementation of the agreement to begin on Sunday as planned, with the release of the first 3 Israeli hostages. At least one of the far-right Israeli ministers who oppose the agreement has resigned. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel, political life in Israel is shaping up to be troubled, with a great potential for surprises and even changes.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian, in separate pairs, qualified for the second round of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after winning their respective matches on Friday in Melbourne. Ruse and Ukraine’s Marta Kostiuk won against the Australians Destanee Aiuava and Maddison Inglis 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), and in the second round they will face strong opponents in Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Ellen Perez (Australia), seeded 6th. Jaqueline Cristian and her Italian partner Camilla Rosatello defeated Cristina Bucşa (Spain) / Iana Sizikova (Russia) 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4. Cristian and Rosatello will next face Leylah Fernandez (Canada) and Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), seeded 16th. In another first-round match in the women’s doubles, Monica Niculescu and Sofia Kenin (US) were defeated by Miyu Kato (Japan) / Renata Zarazua (Mexico), 6-4, 6-4. In the men’s doubles, the Romanian-Argentine pair Victor Cornea / Mariano Navone were defeated in the second round by Germany’s Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz, 4-6, 6-1. (AMP)

  • January 14, 2025

    January 14, 2025

    MEETING – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is today meeting James O’Brien, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. On Monday, the US official visited Moldova, where he said that the development of transport infrastructure of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine will create development opportunities for the three states. On the sidelines of the QUINT ministerial meeting, Secretary O’Brien said that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine were designed to “devastate the economy of the region”. Attending the event in Chișinău were also the deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development in Moldova, Vladimir Bolea, Romania’s Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, deputy Minister for the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, Serhiy Derkach, as well as the head of the EU Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Magda Kopczynska.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate went up to 5.14% in December 2024 from 5.11% the previous month, amidst a 5.09% increase in the price of foodstuffs, 4.38% in the price for non-food products and 7.10% in the cost of services, according to National Statistics Institute data made public today. Compared to 2023, the annual inflation rate in December last year stood at 5.5%. The National Bank of Romania upgraded its inflation forecast for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%, and estimates the inflation rate will go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025.

     

    SPENDING – Household spending went up in the third quarter of 2024. From the average income of roughly 1,650 EUR of a household, over three quarters are spent on taxes, food and utilities.  Conversely, spending for education and investments remains really low.

     

    CONVICTION – US president elect Donald Trump would have been convicted for his attempt to influence the result of the 2020 presidential election had he not won the 2024 ballot, a report drawn by Special Counsel Jack Smith made public by the Justice Department shows. According to the report, Trump was involved in an “unprecedented criminal effort” “to overturn the legitimate results of the election in order to retain power” in 2020. Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20, was the target of a criminal investigation into the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, when a crowd of supporters of Trump protested in Washington against Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith left the Justice Department last week, a few days after submitting his final report. Trump and another two individuals were suspected of having tried to prevent the report from being published, but the court ruled against their request.

     

    NATO – Europe cannot afford to suspend its defense cooperation with the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said. He explained that, without the United States, the EU would have to increase its defense spending four times, while military security would only be achieved some 15 years later. The NATO official urged EU lawmakers to stop considering the autonomy of the community bloc and instead come up with ways of cooperating more closely with the US on military spending and avoid a media war regarding the introduction of new taxes. To increase the share of national arms industries on global markets, Mark Rutte wants to increase defense spending, considering that the current reference level, 2% of the GDP, seems insufficient in the context of the war in Ukraine.

     

    CULTURE DAY – Employees of cultural institutions in Romania are expected to stay protests tomorrow on National Culture Day, demanding the payment of extra hours and a bonus for working weekends, equal pay for all employees in the sector as well as lifting the hiring freeze. National Culture Day will be celebrated in Romania, the Republic of Moldova as well as in Romanian communities abroad, this year marking 175 years since the birth of Romania’s greatest poet, Mihai Eminescu.

     

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse ousted another Romanian player, Irina Begu, 6-4, 6-0 in the opening round at the Australian Open on Tuesday. In the next round, Ruse will take on Madison Keys of the United States, who knocked out Ann Li of the USA in the first round. This is the second time Gabriela Ruse reaches the main draw in Melbourne after 2022. Another Romanian player, Jaqueline Cristian, is playing Lucia Bronzetti of Italy in the second round. (VP)

  • January 13, 2025

    January 13, 2025

    Election – The Romanian government will officially set the date of the presidential election this week, after the leaders of the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) decided, on Wednesday, at the first meeting of 2025, that the presidential election should take place on May 4th and 18th. A large protest was organized on Sunday, in Bucharest, by the opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), where people requested the resumption of the second round of the presidential election and the resignation of President Klaus Iohannis. The leader of AUR, George Simion, announced that the protests would continue. The Constitutional Court canceled last year’s presidential election on the grounds that the entire electoral process was flawed.

     

    Culture Day – As every year on January 15, Romania will mark the National Culture Day on Wednesday. This is also celebrated in the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, as well as in the diaspora, in the context of celebrating in 2025 175 years since the birth of Mihai Eminescu, considered the greatest Romanian poet. Cultural and educational institutions, NGOs and authorities have prepared events in different more or less conventional spaces to bring culture closer to the public. Among other things, on Tuesday evening, a National Culture Awards Gala will be organized in Botoşani (north-east), during which prizes will be awarded for excellence in culture, for the promotion of Eminescu’s work and of Romanian culture in general or for the development of Romanian literary studies internationally.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian obtained a difficult victory, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 against the Croatian Petra Martic, on Monday, in Melbourne, in the first round of the Australian Open tournament, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. Also on Monday, in Melbourne, the Romanian Sorana Cîrstea was defeated by the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4. Svitolina has defeated Cîrstea in all four straight games so far. Anca Todoni, coming from the qualifications, also lost in the first round, on Sunday, against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng. Tuesday will see the match between the last Romanians from the main singles draw, Irina Begu and Gabriela Ruse, who will play against each other.

     

    Visa waiver – Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the United States, after March 31, through a simplified procedure, after the American authorities granted Romania the status of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program. According to a press release from the Romanian embassy in Washington, Romanians will be able to go to the USA based on an electronic authorization called ESTA, this being applied to all trips for tourist or business purposes whose duration does not exceed 90 days. The authorization will be valid for two years, with unlimited entries or exits from the US. To participate in the Visa Waiver Program, a country must meet requirements related to counterterrorism, immigration enforcement, document security and border management. The requirements also include a visa refusal rate of less than 3%.

     

    Croatia – The acting president of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, won with a crushing score the decisive round of the presidential election on Sunday for a new 5-year mandate at the helm of the country. A socialist with populist views, Milanovici is credited with over 74% of the votes in front of his opponent supported by the conservative right-wing Government. Unlike the Executive, he criticized the military aid provided by the West to Kyiv, which made him be labelled as a pro-Russian, which destroys the country’s credibility within NATO and the European Union. The press agencies also note that the presidential election in Croatia took place in the context in which this country with less than 4 million inhabitants is facing the highest inflation rate in the Eurozone, endemic corruption and an acute lack of work force.

     

    Fires – A total of 24 people have died due to the California wildfires, according to an updated death toll. Residents evacuated because of the fires are flocking to checkpoints set up by law enforcement, hoping that they can recover belongings from their homes or simply to see if the houses still exist. Firefighters estimate that people will not be able to return home before Thursday, so they were promised that a system will be put into operation to check the condition of the homes online. Many areas look like after a bombardment, the international press reports and the power lines and gas pipelines still represent a major danger. (LS)

  • January 5, 2025 UPDATE

    January 5, 2025 UPDATE

    BUDGET – The government seeks to set the final details for the draft budget for 2025 by the end of the month, so that the new Parliament may debate and vote on the law in a special sitting. The government relies on a budget deficit of 7% of the GDP, as per a deal with the European Commission, without taking additional fiscal measures. The authorities need to slash public spending and carry out reforms stipulated in the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The government wants to freeze salaries in the public sector as well as child-rearing allowances. Party funding will also be cut by 25% compared to the previous year. A hiring freeze will be introduced in the public sector, while certain institutions will undergo a restructuring process. The tax on dividends is expected to go up from 8% to 10%, while a new tax on special constructions will be introduced. Pensions too will see no increase this year, with the reference point expected to stagnate at 16 EUR. The authorities also seek to cut overspending by 1% of the GDP, tantamount to some 19 bln EUR, but also to boost budget revenues by implementing reforms provided in the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

     

    ELECTION – Interim PNL president, Ilie Bolojan, has warned that the presidential election might be postponed for May unless parliamentary parties adopt the election timetable by next week at the latest. The Liberals want the election to take place before Easter. As regards the official designation of former PNL leader Crin Antonescu as the common candidate of the ruling coalition, Bolojan explained the candidacy may be validated by each party once the election timetable is approved. Ilie Bolojan called for consistency and solidarity in supporting a single candidate. In turn, UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor said the date of the presidential election must be set as soon as possible, also arguing in favor of holding the election before Easter. Instead, USR leader Elena Lasconi accused ruling coalition parties of seeking to preserve power and privileges to the detriment of the country’s stability.

     

    AGREEMENT – Former PNL leader, Crin Antonescu, says the ruling coalition agreement for supporting his candidacy in the 2025 presidential election is de facto suspended. Antonescu told a private TV station on Saturday that he won’t withdraw from the race, but that he noticed the four political leaders who nominated him “did not make a powerful enough commitment when signing the agreement”. We recall that on December 23, ruling coalition parties (PSD, PNL, UDMR and the group of national minorities) agreed to support Crin Antonescu’s candidacy in the 2025 presidential election, with the executive bodies of each party being expected to vote the decision. The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for March 23, while the second round will take place on April 6, with the authorities expected to pass a decree on this matter by January 7.

     

    CHRISTMAS – Eastern rite Orthodox Christians are making preparations to celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to the Julian calendar. Armenians in Romania celebrate Christmas on January 6.  Following the Christmas  Eve vigil, groups of young children and men go caroling from house to house, bringing the new of the birth of Jesus  Christ, Rafaela Cazazian, producer on Radio România Constanţa, explains. Guesthouses in the Danube Delta but also in mountain resorts are fully booked on this occasion.

     

    HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s handball team lost to Georgia 34-35 the last match in the Carpați Trophy tournament. Also today, Serbia won 35-30 against Turkey. Romania on Friday grabbed a 35-26 win over Turkey, and drew 31-31 against Serbia, the team that finished in top position.

     

    TENNIS – Five Romanian tennis players will represent Romania in the qualifiers of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year set to kick off on January 12. Ana Bogdan (114 WTA) will play Destanee Aiava of Australia (194 WTA) in the first round. Anca Todoni (118 WTA) will take on Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra (156 WTA). Gabriela Ruse (121 WTA) will play Leonie Kung of Switzerland (221 WTA), while Miriam Bulgaru (213 WTA) will go up against Giorgia Pedone of Italy (193 WTA). In the men’s competition, Filip Cristian Jianu (214 ATP) will play Mitchell Krueger of the USA (147). Three Romanian players, Sorana Cîrstea, Jaqueline Cristian and Irina Begu, are already seeded in the main draw. (VP)

  • Sport Club RRI – Tenis

    Sport Club RRI – Tenis

    Openul Australiei la tenis, primul turneu de Mare Şlem al anului, a ajuns la faza sferturilor de finală. Mai mulţi favoriţi, printre care poloneza Iga Swiatek, numărul unu mondial, au părăsit deja competiţia. Jucătorii români, atât la simplu, cât şi la dublu, au ieşit din concurs încă din prima saptămână.



    Ultimul care a intrat pe teren a fost Victor Cornea care, sâmbătă, a pierdut în turul doi al probei de dublu masculin, unde a evoluat alături de indianul Nsriram Balaji. Cei doi au fost învinşi de cuplul compus din salvadorianul Marcelo Arevalo şi croatul Mate Pavic, numărul zece pe lista perechilor favorite, cu 6-3, 6-3. Cornea, sportiv care ocupă locul 69 în clasamentul mondial de dublu, s-a aflat la a treia sa participare la un turneu de Mare Şlem, după ce, anul trecut, a evoluat la Roland Garros şi la US Open. Acum, a obţinut şi prima sa victorie. El şi Nsriram Balaji au trecut, în primul tur, de italienii Matteo Arnaldi şi Andrea Pellegrino, cu 6-3, 6-4. Perechea româno-indiană şi-a asigurat astfel un cec de 53.000 de dolari australieni.



    Victor Cornea a fost primul jucător român intrat pe tabloul principal al unui turneu de Mare Şlem într-o probă masculină din 2021 încoace. Ultimul fusese Horia Tecău, care s-a retras în 2022 şi care a obţinut ultimele victorii de Mare Şlem la ediţia 2021 a Openului american alături de germanul Kevin Krawietz.



    Anul acesta, la Melbourne, ultima româncă prezentă în proba de dublu feminin a fost Ana Bogdan. În turul doi, Ana şi jucătoarea spaniolă de origine slovacă Rebeka Masarova au fost învinse de cuplul americano-japonez Desirae Krawczyk / Ena Shibahara, cap de serie numărul şase, cu 6-3, 6-1. La simplu, nicio jucătoare din România nu a trecut de primul tur.



    Tenisul românesc simte clar absenţa Simonei Halep. Fostul lider mondial este încă sub efectul unei suspendări pentru dopaj şi aşteaptă rejudecarea cazului său la Tribunalul de Arbitraj Sportiv de la Lausanne, în prima decadă a lunii februarie.






  • Sports Roundup

    All the Romanian players taking part in the Australian Open have left the competition. Victor Cornea, the last of the Romanians to be outplayed, lost the second round of the mens doubles, in which he partnered with Indias Nsriram Balaji. They were defeated on Saturday 6-3, 6-3 by Marcelo Arevalo (El Salvador) and Mate Pavic (Croatia), seeded no 10. On Friday, the last Romanian in the womens doubles had also been left behind: Ana Bogdan (Romania) and Rebeka Masarova (Spain) lost to seed no 6 Desirae Krawczyk (USA) / Ena Shibahara (Japan), 6-3, 6-1, in the second round. The other Romanian players in the womens doubles, Sorana Cîrstea and Monica Niculescu, had lost in the first round.



    In the womens handball Champions League, Group A, CSM Bucharest Sunday defeated the Swedish side Sävehof, 35 to 26. The Romanian champions are placed 3rd in the group and are due to play away from home against group leader Györ, in two weeks time. In Group B, Rapid lost away from home to the Danish team Ikast, 29 to 30. Three rounds before the end of the group stage, the Bucharest-based team is ranked 7th, and their next game is at home against Hungarys Ferencváros. The top 2 teams in the group go straight into the quarter-finals, while the teams ranking 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th in each group move into the playoff stage.



    In the EHF European Leagues Group C on Saturday, Gloria Bistriţa drew 19-all at home against Nantes. The French side tops the group ranking with 5 points, on a par with second-ranked Gloria, but with a better goal average. Also on Saturday, in Group D, CSM Târgu Jiu took on Sola (Norway). The Scandinavian team won 40 to 29, with CSMs third defeat in a row sending them to the bottom of the group ranking. On Sunday in the competitions Group B, Dunărea Brăila defeated Lokomotiva Zagreb in Croatia, 30 to 29, and stays second in the group ranking, 2 points behind the group leader Thüringer (Germany).



    This past weekend saw matches counting towards the 22nd round of the Romanian football Super League. On Friday in Sfântu Gheorghe, Sepsi beat Politehnica Iaşi 6-0, and in Bucharest Rapid outplayed FC U Craiova 4-3. On Saturday, Universitatea Cluj won at home against Hermannstadt 2-1, and Petrolul defeated Dinamo Bucharest 1-0. On Sunday, bottom-ranking FC Botoşani managed a surprising 1-0 win against second-placed CFR Cluj. It was the Botoşani clubs second victory this championship, and the match cost the CFR Cluj coach Andrea Mandorlini his post. Also on Sunday, Farul Constanţa defeated Universitatea Craiova 2-1 away from home. The rounds last 2 matches take place on Monday: FC Voluntari vs Oțelul Galați and FCSB vs UTA Arad.


    Bucharests FCSB tops the current standings with 44 points, 8 points ahead of the runner-up CFR Cluj. (AMP)


  • Info Sport

    Info Sport

    Într-un meci din Grupa B a competiţiei masculine de baschet EuroCup, U-BT Cluj-Napoca a învins miercuri, în deplasare, echipa germană Ratiopharm Ulm, cu scorul de 85-81. Internaţionalul român de origine americană Patrick Richard a fost cel mai bun jucător al echipei ardelene, cu 27 de puncte şi 3 pase decisive. În aceeaşi grupă, marţi, echipa italiană Trento a trecut de polonezii de la Slask Wroclaw cu 85-79. Miercuri, echipa greacă Aris Salonic a dispus de formaţia muntenegreană Buducnost Podgorica cu 76-75, apoi francezii de la Bourg-en-Bresse au învins gruparea lituaniană Lietkabelis Panevezys cu 104-71, iar Turk Telekom a dispus în deplasare de echipa spaniolă Dreamland Gran Canaria cu 83 la 73. Clujenii se află pe locul 3 în clasamentul grupei şi sunt deja siguri de calificarea în play-off-ul competiţiei. Miercurea viitoare, U-BT va juca pe teren propriu cu Trento.



    În FIBA Europe Cup, Grupa N, CSM CSU Oradea a fost învinsă în deplasare de formaţia germană Niners Chemnitz, cu scorul de 101-98, după prelungiri. De la orădeni s-a remarcat americanul Nijal Pearson, cu 22 de puncte şi 7 pase decisive. Chemnitz conduce în clasamentul grupei, cu 8 puncte din 4 jocuri. Urmează Oradea, cu 5 puncte. Locurile 3 şi 4 sunt ocupate de Leiden, formaţie din Ţările de Jos, şi de echipa italiană Varese, cu câte 4 puncte din 3 întâlniri. Primele două clasate se vor califica în sferturile de finală. Gruparea din Oradea va juca acasă ultimele sale două meciuri din grupă, cu Leiden, pe 24 ianuarie, şi cu Varese, pe 7 februarie.



    Mai departe, volei masculin. Arcada Galaţi şi-a încheiat participarea în Liga Campionilor cu o înfrângere: 0 la 3, în deplasare, la echipa cehă Lvi Praga. În clasamentul final al grupei E, campioana României s-a clasat pe locul 4. Echipa italiană Civitanova a ocupat primul loc. Pe doi s-a clasat Lvi Praga, iar pe trei, echipa belgiană Greenyard Maaseik.



    La turneul de tenis Australian Open, perechea româno – braziliană Monica Niculescu / Ingrid Martins a fost învinsă, miercuri, de cuplul italian Sara Errani / Jasmine Paolini, cu 6-3, 6-1, în prima rundă a probei feminine de dublu. Joi, tot la dublu şi tot în primul tur, Sorana Cîrstea şi jucătoarea croată Donna Vekic au fost învinse de cuplul cap de serie numărul 9, format din olandeza Demis Schuurs şi brazilianca Luisa Stefani, cu 6-2, 7-5.






  • January 14, 2024 UPDATE

    January 14, 2024 UPDATE

    WAR IN GAZA – Israel is determined to continue its military
    campaign in Gaza until victory against Hamas is achieved and all hostages are
    brought home, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the 100th day since the
    start of the war in Gaza. The Israeli official also referred to the legal
    action taken by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of
    Justice in the Hague, the former accusing Israel of genocide. According to our
    correspondent in Israel, PM Netanyahu said supporters of neo-Nazis from all
    over the world dare accuse Israel of genocide, thus favoring terrorists who did
    not refrain from burning children alive, killing, raping and abducting women,
    men, elderly and sick people. In Tel Aviv, a 24-hour rally was organized by
    representatives of families of people still kept captive, attended by hundreds
    of thousands of people and marking 100 days since their abduction in Gaza. The
    war started after the brutal October 7 Hamas attack, when 1,200 people were
    killed and 240 were abducted by terrorists. Over 100 hostages have in the
    meantime been released and several have died, mostly in bombings or
    accidentally killed by Israeli security forces. Over 23,000 Palestinians have
    been killed in Gaza, and the majority population has been displaced. Military
    operations, massive destruction and the blockade on Gaza have triggered a
    severe humanitarian crisis, repeatedly criticized by UN representatives,
    international organizations and numerous countries.




    SUCCESSION – A new chapter in the history of Denmark
    started on Sunday with the abdication of Queen Margrethe II and the ascension
    to the throne of her heir, Frederik (55). Aged 83, Margrethe ruled for 52
    years, hers being the first abdication in the 900-year history of the Danish
    monarchy. The queen had previously stated she would remain in office for life,
    but surprised everyone with a New Year’s message expressing her intention to
    step down. She explained a back surgery she underwent last year made her
    rethink her future. The Danish monarchy enjoys tremendous popular support,
    Reuters writes. The latest surveys show 86% of Danes are happy with Margrethe’s
    reign, and 82% of them expect Frederik to be an even better king.




    PROTEST – Finance Minister
    Marcel Boloș on Sunday discussed with representatives of farmers and transporters,
    who continued their protest on Sunday. Among other things, protesters want to
    cap civil liability insurances for vehicles at 1,000 EUR, a 1% tax on
    turnovers, cutting waiting times at the border or receiving meal allowances. This
    is the second round of talks after Saturday’s negotiations did not produce the
    desired results. A set of measures will be taken over the course of the next 30
    days, including the creation of special transit lanes at the border and in the
    port of Constanța reserved for EU hauliers only, or exempting hauliers
    waiting at the border from paying road vignettes expiring during this period.
    The authorities also agreed to sanction the supplier and receiver of loads
    exceeding the maximum weight. Sunday was the fifth consecutive day when hauliers
    and farmers blocked national roads, particularly belt roads around large
    cities.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis
    player Ana Bogdan (66 WTA) lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to Brenda Fruhvirtova on Sunday
    in the opening round at Australian Open. Bogdan will also play in the women’s
    doubles alongside Rebeka Masarova of Spain against the pair made up of
    Catherine Harrison (USA) / Ukrikke Eikeri (Norway). On Monday, Jaqueline
    Cristian is playing Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the women’s
    singles. (VP)

  • January 11, 2024

    January 11, 2024

    VACANCIES
    – The Romanian government is today examining the memorandums for the
    organization of vacancy-filling contests in hospitals administered by the
    Health Ministry and local administrations. Last week, Prime Minister Marcel
    Ciolacu called on the Health and Development Ministries to submit a report on
    available vacancies in the medical system, saying the medical doctors who took
    the specialty exam last year must also find suitable jobs. The health system
    faces a severe shortage of medical staff.




    TRANSPORT
    – Representatives of Romanian transporters who protested on Wednesday are today
    meeting with government officials for talks. They are disgruntled with civil
    liability insurances for vehicles and the increase in fuel excises. The protest
    was not claimed by any employer’s association or trade union, although the
    Federation of Romanian Transport Operators offered to mediate a dialogue
    between hauliers and the authorities. Also on Wednesday farmers staged a
    protest of their own.




    SNOW
    MEETING – Romania’s Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu is attending the
    two-day informal Snow Meeting hosted by Trakai, Lithuania, focusing on
    external policy and security topics. Held today and tomorrow, the event will
    bring together EU and NATO Foreign Ministers as well as high-ranking officials
    and academia from Europe and the USA. The meeting will address security hot
    topics such as the strategic consequences of the war in Ukraine, the future
    security framework in Europe, celebrating 20 years since the NATO enlargement
    of 2004, the July NATO Summit in Washington and prospects of cooperation with
    the Asia-Pacific region.




    MEMORANDUM
    – Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey are today signing a Memorandum of Understanding
    for the creation of a joint task force charged with demining operations in the
    Black Sea – MCM Black Sea, the Defense Ministry reports. MCM Black Sea is an
    initiative of the three Black Sea riparian allies designed to facilitate safe
    navigation by means of combating the threat posed by sea mines. Defense
    Minister Angel Tîlvăr will sign on behalf of Romania. The operational structure
    of MCM Black Sea, which will change command on a six-month rotation basis and
    will consist of two planned activations for every rotation, will ensure the
    maximum level of vigilance and training and contribute to strengthening the
    Allied posture of deterrence and defense of the Eastern flank. NATO’s littoral
    partners, as well as NATO’s Standing Naval Groups and non-littoral Allies, will
    be able to participate in MCM Black Sea activities to develop cooperation in
    support of Black Sea security and improve interoperability. The initiative was
    launched by Turkey last year. All activities have a peaceful purpose and are
    not targeted against any country.




    STRIKFORNATO
    – Romania and Lithuania have joined the NATO Striking and Support Force
    (STRIKFORNATO). Romania thus became the 15th member of the most powerful NATO
    naval force, the Defense Ministry reports. The accession is all the more
    important as this year marks two decades since Romania joined NATO, Defense
    Minister Angel Tîlvăr says. Cooperation between the Romanian Naval Forces and
    STRIKFORNATO started over a year ago, as Romanian officers took part in
    activities and missions carried out by the STRIKFORNATO Command. The NATO
    Striking and Support Forces Command focuses on high-precision strikes, carrier
    battle groups, expedition units and strike groups made up of cruisers,
    destroyers and frigates. Its mission is to ensure security in the Black Sea
    region, an area of strategic importance to NATO.




    TENNIS
    – In the opening round at the Australian Open, Sorana Cîrstea (26 WTA) will
    play Yafan Wang (97 WTA) of China. Ana Bogdan (66 WTA) will take on a player
    from the qualifying phase, whereas Jaqueline Cristian (84 WTA) will go up
    against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic (49 WTA).

  • Sportivul săptămânii – Jucătoarea de tenis Monica Niculescu

    Sportivul săptămânii – Jucătoarea de tenis Monica Niculescu

    În aceste zile are loc, la Abu Dhabi, un important turneu feminin de tenis,
    de categoria WTA 500, cu premii în valoare de 780 de mii de dolari. În proba de
    dublu a competiției, România este reprezentată de Monica Niculescu. Ea face
    pereche cu japoneza Miyu Kato, o sportivă situată pe locul 38 în clasamentul de
    dublu al jucătoarelor profesioniste. Cuplul româno-japonez va intra în
    competiție miercuri, în optimile de finală, împotriva perechii compuse din
    jucătoarea norvegiană Ulrikke Eikeri și Alexa Guarachi, din Chile, respectiv
    numărul 51 și numărul 47 la dublu în ierarhia WTA.


    Monica Niculescu vine după o săptămână bună, în care a ajuns până în
    semifinalele turneului de la Lyon, de categoria WTA 250, alături de elvețianca
    Viktorija Golubic. Calificarea în penultimul act al competiției din Franța a
    fost cea mai bună performanță sportivă românească a ultimelor zile, motiv
    pentru care Radio România Internațional a desemnat-o pe Monica Niculescu
    Sportivul Săptămânii.


    Monica s-a născut la Slatina, în data de 25 septembrie 1987. Trăieşte în
    Bucureşti de la vârsta de patru ani. A început tenisul la cinci ani şi este
    profesionistă din anul 2002. Cel mai sus în clasamentul mondial de simplu a
    urcat în februarie 2012, şi anume pe locul 28. A câștigat trei turnee WTA de
    simplu, respectiv în 2013, la Florianopolis, în Brazilia, apoi în 2014, în
    China, la Guangzhou, și în 2016, în Luxemburg. Cariera sa de dublu a fost mult
    mai bogată. Are în palmares 10 titluri WTA, câștigate începând cu anul 2009,
    când s-a impus la Budapesta, alături de rusoaica Alisa Kleybanova. În ierarhia
    WTA la dublu s-a clasat cel mai bine în aprilie 2018, când a urcat până pe
    locul 11. A început anul 2023 cu o calificare în sferturile de finală ale
    turneului de la Hobart, alături de britanica Alicia Barnett. A făcut apoi
    pereche cu elvețianca Viktorija Golubic, cu care a ajuns, la Australian Open,
    până în optimile de finală. În acest moment, ocupă, în clasamentul mondial de
    dublu, locul 43.