Radio România Internațional

Tag: basketball

September 16, 2018

SUMMIT – The Romanian capital city Bucharest is hosting on Monday and Tuesday the 3rd Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, an informal president-level platform that brings together the 12 EU member states located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. According to the presidential administration, the main goal of the initiative is the economic development of these countries, by enhancing interconnectivity, particularly from north to south, in 3 major areas: transport, energy, and digital. On the sidelines of the Summit, the first Business Forum of this platform will be held. President Klaus Iohannis will open the Forum on Monday, and later on he will take part in a plenary meeting alongside his counterparts from Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Poland – Andrzej Duda, Austria – Alexander van der Bellen, and the European Commissioner for Regional Development Corina Creţu. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, will attend the Three Seas Initiative Summit for the first time. The first two summits were held in Dubrovnik in 2016 and in Warsaw in 2017.

SWINE FEVER – A first African swine fever outbreak has been confirmed today in Dambovita County, in the south of Romania. Thirteen counties are currently affected by the epidemic, most of them in the south-east and south. The number of outbreaks reaches 900, with the virus identified in over 200 localities. Hundreds of thousands of animals have been culled. Bucharest has requested financial support from the European Commission for the farmers affected by the African swine fever epidemic.

REFERENDUM – The Constitutional Court of Romania is discussing on Monday a bill designed to redefine family, in the Constitution, as based on the marriage of a man and a woman. The bill was passed in the Senate on Tuesday, and requires validation through a referendum. It is based on a citizen initiative signed by 3 million people. The initiators, which are Christian organisations and associations, want the Constitution to narrow down the definition of family to the marriage between a man and a woman, so as to prevent the possibility of legalising same-sex marriage. ACCEPT Association, which promotes the rights of sexual minorities, says that Tuesdays vote in the Senate has turned homophobia into a principle safeguarded by the state, and that constitutional protection for many types of families in Romania will be sacrificed. Except for Save Romania Union, all parliamentary parties have supported the initiative.

ATTACK – Two American basketball players, aged 24 and 25 respectively, and playing for a team in Braila, south-eastern Romania, were stabbed last night during a conflict that broke out in a bar in the city centre. One of them is in a serious condition, with a punctured lung. He underwent surgery and will be transferred to Bucharest. The other one is in a stable condition. The 2 had been transferred to the club in Braila just one month before. The Romanian handball player Marian Cozma, who was playing for Veszprem, was killed in a bar in the same city, on February 8, 2009, by attackers who stabbed him to death.

TENNIS – The north-western Romanian city of Cluj is hosting today the doubles match and the last 2 singles matches of the Davis Cups Group II round 3 between Romania and Poland. The score so far is 1-1. On Saturday, Marius Copil defeated Kamil Majchrzak, and Adrian Ungur lost to Hubert Hurkacz. The doubles match will be pitting Florin Mergea/Horia Tecău, for Romania, against Lukasz Kubot/Marcin Matkowski for Poland. The last 2 singles matches are Copil vs. Hurkacz and Ungur vs. Majchrzak. The winning team will be promoted to Group I of the Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone, from which Romania was demoted at the end of last year.

ROWING – In the World Rowing Championship hosted by Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Romania failed to get any medals in the mens double sculls final, the womens eight final and the mens eight final, held on Sunday. On Saturday the Romanian rowers won 2 medals. Ionela-Livia Cozmiuc and Gianina-Elena Beleagă won the gold in the lightweight womens double sculls, while Marius-Vasile Cozmiuc and Ciprian Tudosă won the silver in the mens pair final.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 September 2018
September 2, 2017

PARLIAMENT – In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate have convened for the second regular parliamentary session of the year. Romanian MPs are scheduled to handle overdue bills from previous sessions, and the new draft legislation tabled by the Government. Debates are to begin next week. Apart from the emergency orders concerning special pension benefits, child allowances and police salaries, Parliament is also to discuss a bill on mandatory vaccination. The most eagerly awaited debates concern the new Pension Bill, which is to reach the Parliament chambers by October 1, and the changes of the laws on the judiciary and the set-up of a Sovereign Investment Fund.

CORRUPTION – The former president of the National Healthcare Insurance Agency, Marian Burcea, has been placed under 30-day arrest in an investigation into illegal refunds for healthcare services. According to the Bucharest Court of Appeals, in the same case the judges have also decided to place other individuals under pre-trial arrest. Anti-corruption prosecutors suspect frauds involving the funds of the Bucharest City Healthcare Insurance Agency, consisting in the refund of fictitious healthcare expenditure. The refunds were allegedly granted based on hundreds of fake medical records and involved agency personnel protected by top officials of the National Healthcare Insurance Agency. Tens of searches conducted at the offices of companies and institutions as well as at the homes of several individuals in Bucharest seem to indicate losses of 3 million euros caused to the public budgets.

ENESCU FESTIVAL – The George Enescu International Festival, one of the most prestigious music events in Europe, opens today. For 3 weeks, 80 concerts and other events will bring together in Bucharest and 7 other major Romanian cities more than 3,000 of the best international artists. The honorary president this year is the famous conductor Zubin Mehta, and another conductor, Vladimir Jurowski is the artistic director. Radio Romania is the only media institution in the country to broadcast the concerts live, on its channels Radio Romania Music and Radio Romania Culture. The opening show, a performance of George Enescus opera “Oedipus by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductor Vladimir Jurowski, will include multimedia features. First organised in 1958, 3 years after the famed Romanian composer had died, the George Enescu Festival was discontinued in 1971 by the communist regime, and was resumed in 1989. It has been held every 2 years ever since.

HARVEY – The US President Donald Trump has requested Congress to earmark 7.85 billion US dollars for relief and reconstruction following hurricane Harvey, Reuters reports. Trump is to visit the disaster-hit areas today, for the second time. Harvey, one of the worst hurricanes to have hit the US in terms of the damages it has caused, forced one million Americans out of their homes. Tens of people died. Houston, the largest city in Texas and the fifth-largest in the US, is still paralysed by floods. In Beaumont, over 120,000 people are without drinking water.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team had some difficulties defeating Armenia. The Romanians only managed to score in extra time, although they missed a penalty shot and the guests had a player taken off the pitch. Ranked 4th in the group, 7 points behind the group leader Poland and 4 points behind Denmark and Montenegro, Romania will play its next match on Monday, in Podgorica, against Montenegro. In this qualifying campaign, Romania is for the first time coached by a foreign manager, the German Cristoph Daum, who has been the target of growing criticism lately, from supporters, experts and the media, because of the poor performance of the national squad.

BASKETBALL – The national basketball team of Romania plays today against Croatia, in Cluj-Napoca, in Group C of the European Basketball Championship, FIBA Eurobasket 2017. Romania was defeated on Friday by the Czech Republic, 83-68. Returning to continental basketball elite competitions after a 3-decade gap, Romania was only able to keep up with the Czech team in the first half of the game. In the other matches played on Friday in the same group, Croatia beat Hungary 67-58, and defending European champions Spain defeated Montenegro 99-60. The best 4 teams in each group will move on to the eighth-finals held in Turkey. The FIBA EUROBASKET 2017 final will be played in Istanbul, on September 17.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

2 September 2017
01.09.2017

Parlement — Le Sénat et la Chambre des députés de Bucarest ont donné, ce vendredi, le coup d’envoi de la seconde session parlementaire de l’année. A l’agenda des parlementaires entre autres — les modifications de la loi des pensions de retraites, le paquet de lois concernant la Justice ou encore la création du Fonds Souverain d’Investissements. De même, le Sénat et la Chambre des Députés doivent se prononcer sur les projets restants des sessions précédentes, sur les initiatives législatives déposées par les parlementaires et sur les décrets d’urgence du Gouvernement.

Débat — Le chef du gouvernement de gauche de Bucarest, Mihai Tudose, se rendra lundi au parlement, pour présenter la situation économique du pays dans le cadre du débat intitulé « L’heure du premier ministre ». Il a y été invité par le Bureau permanent de la Chambre des députés, à la demande du principal parti d’opposition, le Parti national libéral, inquiet de la possibilité qu’une crise économique similaire à celle de 2009 se déclenche en Roumanie. De son côté, Liviu Dragnea, président de la Chambre des députés et leader du Parti social-démocrate, principale composante de la coalition au pouvoir en Roumanie, a déclaré que l’économie nationale ne connaissait pas de problèmes majeurs.

Fraude — Le président de la Caisse nationale d’assurance maladie de Roumanie, Marian Burcea, a été placé en garde à vue aujourd’hui par les procureurs anti-corruption dans un dossier de remboursements illégaux de services médicaux. 13 autres personnes ont été interpellées dans la même affaire. Marian Burcea a également été destitué de ses fonctions. Selon les procureurs de la Direction nationale anticorruption, les fonds de Caisse d’assurance maladie de Bucarest auraient été fraudés par le remboursement de services médicaux fictifs, dans le cadre de centaines de faux dossiers médicaux, avec le concours de plusieurs fonctionnaires, protégés par des membres de la direction de l’institution et de la Caisse nationale d’assurance maladie. Jeudi, des dizaines de perquisitions ont été effectuées aux sièges de plusieurs sociétés et institutions, ainsi qu’au domicile de plusieurs personnes de Bucarest. Le préjudice estimé dans ce dossier se monterait à 3 millions d’euros.

Enescu – La 23e édition du Festival international George Enescu, un des événements musicaux les plus prestigieux, s’ouvre samedi à Bucarest et dans 7 autres grandes villes de Roumanie. Jusqu’au 24 septembre 2017, plus de 3000 artistes de renom monteront sur scène et donneront au total 80 concerts. L’évènement aura pour président d’honneur le célèbre chef d’orchestre Zubin Mehta, tandis qu’un autre chef d’orchestre renommé, Vladimir Jurowski, en sera le directeur artistique. C’est sous la baguette de ce dernier que l’Orchestre philharmonique de Londres interprétera, en ouverture du festival, la version concertante de l’opéra « Œdipe » de George Enescu. Radio Roumanie est le seul média roumain qui transmettra en direct — sur les ondes et en ligne – les concerts du festival, sur les stations Radio Roumanie Musique et Radio Roumanie Culture. Des projections multimédia accompagneront plusieurs spectacles, dont l’opéra « Œdipe » de George Enescu. Organisé pour la première fois en 1958, 3 ans après la disparition du grand compositeur roumain, le Festival international de musique George Enescu, a été interrompu en 1971 par le régime communiste, pour reprendre après la chute du communisme en 1989. Depuis, il est organisé tous les deux ans.

Football — L’équipe nationale roumaine prépare rencontre ce vendredi la sélection arménienne, à Bucarest, dans le cadre de la Poule E des barrages de la Coupe du monde qui sera accueillie par la Russie, l’année prochaine. Lundi, les joueurs roumains affronteront le Monténégro, en déplacement. C’est la Pologne qui mène ce groupe, avec 16 points, alors que la Roumanie n’a qu’en théorie des chances de qualification. L’équipe roumaine est entraînée, pour la première fois dans cette compétition, par un sélectionneur étranger, l’Allemand Christoph Daum.

Tennis — La joueuse roumaine de tennis Monica Niculescu s’est qualifiée au 3e tour de l’US Open, dernier tournoi du Grand Chelem de l’année, après une victoire en 3 sets contre sa compatriote Ana Bogdan. La prochaine adversaire de Monica Niculescu sera l’Américaine Jennifer Brady. La meilleure performance de la Roumaine à l’US Open est une qualification dans les 8e de finale en 2011. Elle reste la seule représentante de la Roumanie dans la compétition de simple de cette année, sa compatriote Sorana Cîrstea ayant été éliminée par la Lettone Jelena Ostapenko. En revanche, trois joueuses Roumaines sont toujours présentes dans la compétition de double dames: Sorana Cîrstea, Irina Begu et Raluca Olaru. A l’épreuve de double messieurs, la Roumanie est représentée par Horia Tecau.

Basketball — La ville de Cluj (nord-ouest) accueille jusqu’au 7 septembre les matchs de la Poule C du Championnat d’Europe de basketball. La Roumanie partage le groupe avec l’Espagne, championne européenne en titre, le Monténégro, la Croatie, la République tchèque et la Hongrie. Vendredi, au premier jour de la compétition, la Hongrie affronte la Croatie, l’Espagne joue contre le Monténégro, alors que la Roumanie aura pour adversaire la République tchèque. Les 4 équipes les mieux placées dans le groupe, seront qualifiées dans les 8e de finale qui se dérouleront en Turquie. La finale du Championnat d’Europe de basketball aura lieu le 17 septembre à Istanbul.

1 September 2017
13 December 2015, UPDATE

Budget. Parliament’s specialist committees on Sunday debated the
2016 budget bill before a vote by the two houses on Wednesday. Liviu Dragnea,
the leader of the Social Democratic Party, which forms Parliament’s largest
group, publicly called on Romania’s technocratic prime minister Dacian Ciolos
to name a date for the increase in the minimum wage by Tuesday at the latest.
Dragnea said he was opposed to the indefinite postponement of this rise, which
the former leftist government had proposed. The Ciolos cabinet said the rise in
the minimum wage from 233 euros to 266 euros cannot be implemented without
first assessing the measure’s economic and budgetary impact. The 2016 budget is
based on an estimated growth rate of around 4% and a maximum budget deficit of
3%.

Migration. Three new migrant
reception centres will be created in Romania, adding to the six existing ones,
the interior minister Petre Toba announced on Sunday. The centres will be
located in Campulung Muscel, Tasnad and Bumbesti-Jiu. The General Inspectorate for Immigration
currently runs six centres in Bucharest, Somcuta Mare, Radauti, Galati,
Timisoara and Giurgiu. The interior ministry’s budget was approved on Sunday with
no amendments by Parliament’s joint budget and finance committees and stands at
2.58 billion euros.

EU. Romania’s
foreign minister Lazar Comanescu will attend a meeting of Eu foreign ministers
on Monday in Brussels. Talks will focus on the recent developments in the
Eastern Partnership countries following the commitments taken at the latest
summit in Riga last May. Other issues discussed include the European Union
contribution to the fight against terrorism, the support to be given by the
Union to the process of political reconciliation and reform in Iraq, as well as
the situation in Libya.

Euro 2016. Romania and the
host country France will play the opening match at the 2016 European Football
Championship, on June 10th, as the draw was made on Saturday in Paris.
Romania are in Group A, together with Switzerland and first-time qualifiers
Albania. For the first time, 24 nations will contest the tournament, drawn into
six groups of four teams each. The top two in each group plus the four
best-placed sides advance to the round of last 16. Euro 2016 will be held
between the 10th of June and the 10th of July in ten
cities across France. The final will take place on the 10th of July
in Paris. This is Romania’s 5th European tournament, after 1984,
1996, 2000 and 2008. Their best result so far dates from 2000, when they
reached the quarterfinals.

Basketball. For the first time in
history, Romania will host group games of the 2017 Men’s European Basketball
Championship in the western city of Cluj Napoca, the International Basketball
Federation has announced in Munich. Finland, Israel and Turkey will also host
group games, while the final knockout rounds will take place in Istanbul. This
year’s European Basketball Championship was the first to be hosted by multiple
countries, namely France, Germany, Latvia and Croatia. The European title went
to Spain.

(Translated by: C. Mateescu)

13 December 2015
13 December 2015

Budget. Parliament’s specialist committees are today trying to
finalise talks on the 2016 budget bill so that the two houses can vote on the
bill on Wednesday. Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party,
which forms Parliament’s largest group, publicly called on Romania’s
technocratic prime minister Dacian Ciolos to name a date for the increase in
the minimum wage by Tuesday at the latest. Dragnea said he was opposed to the
indefinite postponement of this rise, which the former leftist government had
proposed. The Ciolos cabinet said the rise in the minimum wage from 233 euros
to 266 euros cannot be implemented without first assessing the measure’s
economic and budgetary impact. The 2016 budget is based on an estimated growth
rate of around 4% and a maximum budget deficit of 3%.

Climate deal. The international community has hailed the conclusion of
a landmark climate change agreement in Paris on Saturday. After two weeks of
intense negotiations, delegates from almost 200 states adopted a new accord at
the end of the UN climate conference of parties (COP21) hosted by the French
capital. The new deal aims to limit the rise in global temperatures to less
than 2 degrees Celsius. Progress will be reviewed every five years, and rich
countries will provide financial support to developing nations to help them
reduce their emissions level and adjust to climate change. US president Barack
Obama said the new climate change agreement is a turning point for the world.
The president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker said the world is
now united in the fight against climate change.

French elections. France
is holding the second round of regional elections today, with the far-right
National Front seeking to gain control in several regions. Commentators say the
voting may confirm the rise of the far-right, whose anti-immigration and
anti-Islam rhetoric is increasingly appealing to voters in the aftermath of
last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris. In the first round, the National Front
won a record 30% of the votes, placing it ahead of the moderate right in
opposition and the ruling Socialist Party.

Euro 2016. Romania and the
host country France will play the opening match at the 2016 European Football
Championship, on June 10th, as the draw was made on Saturday in
Paris. Romania are in Group A, together with Switzerland and first-time
qualifiers Albania. For the first time, 24 nations will contest the tournament,
drawn into six groups of four teams each. The top two in each group plus the
four best-placed sides advance to the round of last 16. Euro 2016 will be held
between the 10th of June and the 10th of July in ten
cities across France. The final will take place on the 10th of July in
Paris. This is Romania’s 5th European tournament, after 1984, 1996,
2000 and 2008. Their best result so far dates from 2000, when they reached the
quarterfinals.

Handball. Romania
face defending world champions Brazil today in the round of last 16 at the
Women’s World Handball Championship in Denmark. On Friday, Romania lost their
final Group D match against Russia, having already been defeated by the
defending Olympic and European champions Norway and by Spain. Romania managed
to qualify for the round of last 16 thanks to their two convincing wins against
Puerto Rico and Kazakhstan. Romania are the only team to have taken part in
every edition of the World Championship since 1957, winning three medals.

Basketball. For the first in
history, Romania will host group games of the 2017 Men’s European Basketball
Championship in the western city of Cluj Napoca, the International Basketball
Federation has announced in Munich. Finland, Israel and Turkey will also host
group games, while the final knockout rounds will take place in Istanbul. This
year’s European Basketball Championship was the first to be hosted by multiple
countries, namely France, Germany, Latvia and Croatia. The European title went
to Spain.

(Translated by: C. Mateescu)

13 December 2015