Radio România Internațional

Tag: blizzard

  • Bad weather hits Romania

    Bad weather hits Romania

    This past weekend Romania was affected by severe weather. In the mountain areas in the centre and north-east, massive snowfalls were reported, resulting in a significant layer of snow; in the south-east however, especially in Dobrogea and on the seacoast, mixed precipitation was reported, while the wind reached speeds as high as 100 km per hour.



    A total 52 localities in 16 counties were affected by the bad weather, the General Inspectorate for Emergencies Announced. In the counties of Neamţ, Suceava and Vaslui, in the north-east of the country, snowfalls and snowstorms led to the closing of several roads, and the blizzards caused blackouts in several towns and villages.



    In the south-east, the wind was the main problem. On Saturday, Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant got automatically disconnected from the national power system, and a number of wind turbines stopped working. The Nuclearelectrica National Corporation announced that, as a result of disruptions, the plant produced nearly 1,700 MW less than under usual circumstances.



    The lower electricity output and the damage caused by the wind led to blackouts in scores of places. On Sunday afternoon, around 40,000 consumers in 80 localities in Dobrogea were left without electricity, according to the supplier. Meanwhile, power has been restored for close to 93% of the affected users. The Cernavodă Unit 1 was also re-synched with the national power grid, and has been operating at maximum capacity since Monday morning.



    A special situation was reported in the city of Constanţa. Romanias largest Black Sea port was hit by a serious storm on Saturday night. The wind, blowing at over 100 km/h, tore down roofs, trees, street light posts and electricity poles, and damaged tens of vehicles. In the Tomis Marina, several boats were also damaged, and some of them sank at the pier.



    After this weekends severe weather spell, the National Meteorology Agency forecasts rising temperatures in most of the country, and especially in the south-west and the south, where they would go above the average for this period. Clouds will linger in the northern half of the country, with rainfalls expected in Maramureş, Moldavia, Transylvania, and in small parts of Crișana and Banat. In the mountains, mixed precipitation is forecast. The wind has slowed down, with occasional gusts at high altitudes. (AMP)

  • 27/02/2022

    27/02/2022

    Ukraine — Le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, a refusé, dimanche, une offre russe de négociations au Belarus, affirmant que les autorités de Minsk étaient complices à l’invasion russe, mais a laissé la porte ouverte à des négociations ailleurs, apprend-on par Reuters et France Presse. Antérieurement, le Kremlin avait annoncé qu’une délégation russe attendait ses homologues ukrainiens pour des négociations dans la ville de Gomel du Belarus. « Nous ne pouvons pas aller au Belarus ; des avions et des roquettes sont envoyés sur notre sol à partir de son territoire », ont fait savoir des sources officielles de Kiev. Qui précisent que déposer les armes par l’armée ukrainienne est une demande avancée par Moscou en vue des négociations. Selon le commandant en chef des Forces armées de l’Ukraine, Valery Zalujni, un missile de croisière a été tiré, dimanche, sur Kiev, à partir du territoire de la République du Belarus, et a été abattu par l’armée ukrainienne. Entre temps, la Russie poursuit son assaut, au 4e jour de l’invasion. L’armée ukrainienne affirme maintenir ses positions, bien qu’elle reconnaisse que la situation autour de Kiev empire. Elle confirme aussi l’entrée des troupes russes à Kharkiv, deuxième ville comme grandeur, dans le nord de l’Ukraine. La communauté internationale accroît le nombre de sanctions économiques contre la Russie, et aussi l’aide militaire accordée au gouvernement ukrainien. L’UE, le Royaume-Uni, le Canada et les Etats-Unis ont émis un communiqué commun s’engageant à exclure certaines banques russes du système de messagerie Swift. Notons que c’est un système de transaction qui est à la base du système financier mondial, utilisé par 11 000 banques de 200 pays et territoires pour faire des transactions. Le président Zelensky a salué la formation d’une « coalition » internationale de pays fournissant une aide à lUkraine. Il a demandé, en même temps, à la communauté internationale d’annuler le droit de vote de la Russie au Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, et a estimé que les actions de Moscou avaient « les caractéristiques dun génocide ».



    Roumanie-Ukraine : La Roumanie accordera à l’Ukraine une nouvelle aide de 3 millions d’euros consistant en carburants, vestes pare-balles, casques, munitions, équipements militaires, mais aussi des aliments, de l’eau et des médicaments. Le gouvernement a aussi annoncé sa disponibilité à faire soigner des blessés ukrainiens dans le réseau sanitaire roumain. Bucarest a pris des mesures complémentaires afin d’assurer la bonne gestion des flux de réfugiés ; ils se voient apporter le soutien nécessaire et fournir logement et assistance médicale. Des transports ont été mis à disposition par les autorités roumaines pour prendre en charge les réfugiés ayant franchi la frontière ukrainienne à pied. Par ailleurs, l’Exécutif roumain a décidé de mettre en place une plateforme, accessible depuis le site internet du gouvernement, pour toute personne ou organisation souhaitant apporter son soutien aux réfugiés ukrainiens. L’ONU estime que l’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie pourrait engendrer l’une des plus importantes crises de réfugiés, avec plus de 5 millions de personnes qui abandonneraient leur domicile. D’autre part, plusieurs Etats européens ont annoncé l’envoi de militaires ou d’armements en Roumanie. L’Armée française a annoncé la mobilisation de 9 500 hommes, dont près de 500 seront déployés sur le territoire roumain. La Belgique a annoncé que 300 hommes seraient dépêchés en Roumanie afin de contribuer à l’effort de l’OTAN pour consolider le flanc est. L’Italie a elle aussi décidé d’envoyer plusieurs avions et des soldats en Roumanie.



    Covid — Le nombre de personnes atteintes de Covid-19 continue de baisser quotidiennement en Roumanie. Dimanche, un peu plus de 4 200 nouveaux cas ont été rapportés, et 59 décès. Environ 7 000 malades sont hospitalisés. Selon le ministre de la Santé, Alexandru Rafila, la Roumanie envisage la possibilité de lever certaines restrictions lorsque le nombre des patients en réanimation baissera à 900. Le nombre de ceux qui choisissent de se faire vacciner décroît aussi ; ainsi, 650 personnes se sont fait inoculer la première dose en l’espace de 24 h. En Roumanie, le plus grand nombre de cas de personnes infectées au SARS-CoV-2 depuis le début de la pandémie — 40 018 — a été enregistré le 1er février.



    Code de la route — De nouvelles dispositions du Code de la route sont entrées en vigueur en Roumanie. Elles prévoient une augmentation du montant des amendes, un allongement de la durée de suspension du permis de conduire pour les chauffeurs agressifs et pour excès de vitesse ainsi qu’une aggravation des sanctions en cas de circulation à contre-sens. Ce nouveau Code de la route offre aussi la possibilité à la police de confisquer pendant 12 heures le permis de conduire des automobilistes escortés pour des analyses médicales, si le médecin estime que ces derniers pourraient être sous l’influence de drogues ou de l’alcool.



    Météo — Ciel couvert aujourd’hui en Roumanie, avec des pluies et des chutes de neige en montagne et du vent dans les régions du sud et du sud-est du pays. Les températures maximales seront comprises entre 3 et 11 degrés, avec 9 degrés à Bucarest. L’Administration nationale de météorologie a place huit départements du sud-est du pays en vigilance jaune au vent fort et aux tempêtes de neige, valable du lundi matin au mardi à midi. Selon les météorologues, pendant cette période, des précipitations seront présentes sur le sud-est du pays, notamment des chutes de neige. Le vent soufflera avec des vitesses de 55 à 65 km/h et le blizzard fera son apparition par endroits. Une couche de neige se déposera, plus consistante en Dobroudja. Sur la côte roumaine de la mer Noire, les précipitations seront mixtes, et les rafales de vent dépasseront les 70 km/h.


  • Unwetter: Rumänien unter Stürmen, sintflutartigen Regenfällen und Hagel

    Unwetter: Rumänien unter Stürmen, sintflutartigen Regenfällen und Hagel

    In diesem Mai, laut Kalender ein Frühlingsmonat, wurde Rumänien von Stürmen, sintflutartigen Regenfällen, Hagel und in den Bergen sogar vom Blizzard überrollt. Mehr als die Hälfte des Landes stand unter Schlecht-Wetter-Warnung. Die Meteorologen sprachen von atmosphärischer Instabilität und Schneefällen in den Bergen. Auch die Hydrologen warnten, und zwar vor Überflutungen in der Landesmitte und im Westen und vor Überschwemmungen im Nordwesten und Osten.



    Darüber hinaus war es zu dieser Zeit ausgesprochen kalt, die Höchsttemperaturen kletterten lediglich bis auf 16°C. Die Behörden haben angefangen, die durch Unwetter verursachten Schäden zu begutachten. Leider sind bei den Unwettern auch Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Laut dem jüngsten Bericht der Generalinspektion für Notfallsituationen (IGSU) wurden Hunderte von Haushalten überschwemmt, mehrere tausend Hektar Ackerland, Obstplantagen und Gemüsegärten durch Hagel zerstört, Landstra‎ßen wurden mit Wasser überflutet oder mit Schlamm bedeckt, in einigen Orten wurden die Stromversorgung unterbrochen. Am stärksten betroffen waren einige Orte in südrumänischen Landkreis Calarasi, das für mehrere Stunden von Sturm, Hagel und sintflutartigen Regenfällen heimgesucht wurde.



    Im selben Landkreis hat letzte Woche ein mittelgro‎ßer Tornado – ein in Rumänien eher seltenes Phänomen – Bäume entwurzelt und Dutzende Häuser abgedeckt. Ein Bus wurde umgeworfen und von der Stra‎ße auf ein nahe gelegenes Feld projiziert. 39 Menschen waren in Lebensgefahr. Gott sei Dank gab es keinen Toten. 12 Menschen wurden jedoch verletzt.



    Für eine neue Schlecht-Wetter-Front hat das Innenministerium 15.000 Feuerwehrleute, Polizisten und Gendarmen in Bereitschaft gestellt. Mehrere Menschen wurden vorsorglich aus Gebieten evakuiert, in denen eine Hochwassergefahr besteht. Die Feuerwehrleute sind zur Unterstützung der Menschen und der lokalen Behörden berordert worden — um Wasser aus den Kellern öffentlicher Einrichtungen und Haushalten zu pumpen sowie umgefallene Bäume und Mäste zu entfernen.



    In den Gebirgsgegenden im Norden und Nordosten des Landes, wo Schneeregen und Schnee gemeldet worden waren, haben Arbeiter erneut Salz auf die Stra‎ßen gestreut, um Unfälle zu vermeiden.



    Meteorologen kommen heute endlich mit besseren Nachrichten. Am Mittwoch verbessert sich das Wetter in Rumänien. Es wird wärmer, es gibt also Entwarnung für die Bevölkerung. Auf der anderen Seite hat der Minister für Landwirtschaft und ländliche Entwicklung, Petre Daea, angekündigt, dass im nächsten Jahr ein Investitionsprogramm für den Ausbau des Hagelschutzsystems im Süden des Landes gestartet werden soll.

  • January 25, 2019

    January 25, 2019

    DIRECTIVE The Romanian presidency of
    the EU Council and the European Parliament have reached a preliminary political
    agreement on the balance between professional life and family life of parents
    and caregivers, according to the Labor Ministry in Bucharest. The directive
    introduces a number of minimal standards applicable throughout the Union
    regarding maternity and paternity leave, as well as time off for caring for
    close relatives. Employees also gain the right to demand more flexible work
    arrangements. The European regulation is supposed to lead to a more equitable
    sharing of responsibilities between men and women within the family. The
    agreement has to be endorsed by member states.








    WEATHER A code yellow warning has been issued for most of
    Romania’s regions, which are currently facing gale-force wind, glaze and
    precipitations. The warning is in place until Saturday. Three national roads
    have been closed down due to the glazed frost and blizzard, which have also
    disrupted road, rail and air traffic in Romania. In capital Bucharest, trees
    fell under the heavy ice and many people have been admitted to hospitals with injuries
    after falling on ice. 46 towns and villages have been left without electricity.
    The highs of the day range between minus 6 and plus 8 degrees Celsius. The noon
    reading in Bucharest was minus two degrees.










    CAMPAIGN The ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova is
    seeing its first day of election campaign for the parliamentary election on
    February 24th. The election is being held for the first time under
    the mixed system, according to which 50 out of the 101 MPs are running on party
    tickets whereas 51 others in constituencies. Nine parties have so far been
    registered and six have submitted files to the Central Election Committee. A
    referendum about cutting down the number of MPs from 101 to 61 is to be run on
    the very Election Day. Only two parties are involved with the referendum, the
    Democratic Party, which kicked off the campaign and the Communist Party which
    votes against.










    FLU The Health Ministry in Bucharest is expected to decide next
    week whether to declare a flu epidemic against the rising number of infections
    and deaths caused by the virus. According to the authorities, 35 people have
    been killed by the virus this season. Field minister Sorina Pintea has called
    on the National Public Healthcare Institute to make public the situation at
    national level adding that an epidemic will be declared if reports confirm a
    third consecutive week with epidemic character. Doctors continue to recommend
    vaccination and encourage people to visit GPs after noticing any flu-related
    symptoms.








    HANDBALL Romania’s champions in women’s handball, CSM Bucharest, will be up
    against Hungarian side Gyor ETO in their first group B match in the Champions
    League. The two sides are starting from top positions; Gyor has 8 points while
    CSM 6. The group also includes Vipers Kristiansand of Norway, Krim Ljubljana of
    Slovenia, Ferencvaros of Hungary and Thuringer HC of Germany. In the past two
    seasons, CSM has got the bronze medals after winning the trophy in 2016. This
    is CSM’s fourth consecutive participation in the Champions League. Also on
    Saturday, the EHF Cup’s holder, Romania’s vice-champions SCM Craiova, are
    playing their return game against Podravka Koprivnica of Croatia in group D.
    Our side lost the first game away 23-36. Podravka tops the group table with 6
    points, Super Amara Bera Bera of Spain comes next and SCM Craiova third.









    (translated by bill)

  • December 16, 2018

    December 16, 2018

    WEATHER Romania is currently seeing mixed precipitations on large
    areas and an overcast sky in most of its regions. Snowfalls have been reported
    in the country’s west and south-west as well as in its mountainous regions.
    Mixed precipitations have been reported in Romania’s central and eastern
    regions as well as moderate rainfalls in the south. The highs of the day range
    between -3 and 10 degrees Celsius with a noon reading in Bucharest of 2
    degrees. Weather phenomena like snowfalls, sleet and glazed frost are expected
    all throughout the territory in the following hours. Heavy snowfalls and
    blizzard have disrupted rail and road traffic in the country’s west and
    south-west. Power outages have been reported in towns and villages in Romania’s western regions.












    EVENTS Timisoara, a city in western Romania, is today seeing a
    series of events aimed at marking the beginning of the anti-communist
    revolution in December 1989. Today’s events include a festive session of the
    Local Council devoted to the commemoration of the martyr heroes, educational
    activities for the young people and an anniversary show. Saturday saw a Freedom
    March, staged by an association of the revolutionaries. Monday will be a
    mourning day to the memory of the Revolution martyrs, while on December the 20th
    locals are to celebrate the day when Timisoara became Romania’s first city free
    of communism. The revolt against Nicolae Ceausescu’s dictatorship commenced on
    December 16th 1989 in Timisoara and quickly spread to other Romanian
    cities. Over 1,000 people were killed and 3,000 wounded in the then clashes
    between protesters and riot police. Romania was the only country in the Eastern
    bloc, in which the communist dictatorship was overthrown through bloodshed and
    its communist leaders were executed.












    MEETING
    Diplomats from 200 countries have reached an agreement in Poland to maintain
    the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Under this agreement, countries are expected
    to take certain measures aimed at monitoring their carbon dioxide emissions.
    They are also supposed to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions until the
    following round of talks due in 2020. Under the same agreement, developed
    countries are expected to shed more light on the assistance they are to offer to
    the less developed countries in order to obtain more green energy and build up
    efficient response capabilities in terms of natural disasters. The United
    States has also endorsed the agreement in spite of president Trump’s initial
    threats to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The USA cannot withdraw from the
    Agreement until 2020.














    FUNDS The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina
    Cretu has approved a series of changes to the Large Infrastructure Operational
    Programme, through which more European funds are to be earmarked for major
    infrastructure projects in Romania, such as a new underground section and a
    highway. Through this decision the co-financing rate goes up from 75% to 85%
    for projects on the development of the European transport network, the underground
    and multimodal transport infrastructure. The decision has also come to support
    port infrastructure and operations, increasing the opportunities for developing
    transport terminals, logistics and major rail installations, a communique
    issued by the European Commission Representation in Romania has specified.












    MATCH The Romanian
    women’s national handball side will today take on the Netherlands in a match
    counting towards the third or fourth position at the European Championships in
    France. The first Romanian-Dutch game ended up with a Dutch victory, but our handballers
    now have the opportunity to equal their best performance in a continental
    competition, the bronze medal they won in 2010.



  • Snow and blizzard grip part of Romania

    Snow and blizzard grip part of Romania

    On March 23, 2018, on World
    Meteorological Day, more than half of Romania was under weather alerts for
    heavy snow, blizzard and low visibility. The World Meteorological Organization
    has already warned over the effects of climate change, such as blizzards and
    very low temperatures, tropical cyclones, heat waves and drought. According to
    the meteorological calendar, spring begins on March 1st , and if we
    go by the astronomical calendar, it
    starts on March 20.

    Nevertheless, in the past week Romania has been under
    yellow and orange code alerts for snow, blizzard and flooding and has also been
    affected by freezing rain, which produced glaze ice on roads and
    railways, hampering traffic. On Friday, traffic on the southern Romanian
    motorways was affected by blizzard and low visibility. Traffic was also
    disrupted on several national and county roads in the same area, where entire
    road sections had to be closed because of the blizzard, heavy snow and fallen
    trees. Also, dozens of trains were cancelled. The bad weather caused schools
    and kindergartens to close down on Friday in the capital Bucharest and in
    several counties in the south. Over 13 thousand policemen, firelighters and
    gendarmes are ready to intervene if case of emergency.

    Here is the Interior
    Minister Carmen Dan: I have
    called on the citizens to comply with the authorities’ recommendations and not
    venture into the roads closed due to blizzard and snow, given that rescue
    operations are restricted to the rescuers’ action area and the fact that by
    doing that they would put the very life of their rescuers in danger.


    In turn, the Health Minister Sorina Pintea has called on
    the public health departments to be ready to cope with the special situations
    that may emerge under bad weather conditions. The bad weather will stay until
    the end of the week and will mostly affect southeastern Romania, where the
    strong wind will amplify the cold, says Elena Mateescu, head of the National
    Meteorological Administration:


    Only on Monday and
    Tuesday we will see a slight increase in temperatures, of 6 to 10 degrees
    Celsius in most regions and 14 or 15 degrees in the south, with precipitations
    likely to be present in the second half of the week.


    Experts with the General
    Inspectorate for Emergency Situations have warned that after this cold snap, we
    should brace for another extreme weather phenomenon – flooding. The Danube’s water level is on the rise, so
    authorities have decided to suspend ferryboat transit at the Bechet border
    checkpoint between Romania and Bulgaria due to the high water level and the
    flooding of the access way to the ferry.





  • February 28, 2018 UPDATE

    February 28, 2018 UPDATE

    WEATHER Europe continues to be affected by a wave of cold coming from Siberia. Bad weather warnings are in place in some of Romania’s neighboring countries where several motorways and roads can be closed down. Code red and orange alerts have been issued in neighboring Bulgaria until Thursday. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issued travel warnings for Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, France, Sweden and Ireland, countries presently affected by massive snowfalls, blizzards and extremely low temperatures. Germany, Italy and Spain have registered extremely low temperatures for this period of the year. From the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean, the wave of cold dubbed ‘the Beast from the East’ has killed at least 46 people in the past days and disrupted traffic.




    VISIT The first vice-president of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights Frans Timmermans will be paying a formal visit to Bucharest on Thursday. According to the European Commission Representation in Romania, he will meet with president Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the speakers of the two chambers of parliament, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea. Timmermans will also hold meetings with representatives of the judiciary and members of the parliamentary committee set up to amend the justice laws. Christos Stylianides, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, will be also paying a visit to Bucharest on Thursday when he is to meet Romania’s interior minister Carmen Dan.




    FRIGATE French frigate Jean Bart will be making a stopover in the Black Sea port of Constanta between March 7th and 10th before participating in a military drill in Romania’s territorial waters together with the Romanian Navy, the French embassy in Bucharest announced on Wednesday. According to the same source, the frigate is specialized in anti-aircraft and crisis-management operations being capable of carrying out missions in any area as part of an allied or international navy group. The ship is fitted with a Panther helicopter.




    MOTION The National Liberal Party on Wednesday tabled a simple no-confidence motion against the Education Minister Valentin Popa in the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies. According to the Liberals, what the coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, has done with regard to education, was to close schools in the year in which we celebrate 100 years since the Great Union, to sack inspectors via fax machines because they failed to comply with the directions set by the party, and hold examinations outside the law. Also, the school dropout rate is on the rise, young people have no possibility to learn about trades in school, and diplomas are far from attesting competences. All these, the Liberals say, are alarm signals that call for an urgent dismissal of the education minister. The leader of the Liberal Group in the Chamber of Deputies Raluca Turcan has stated that this should happen before it is too late.



    translated by bill


  • February 25, 2018

    February 25, 2018

    AWARD Romanian director Adina Pintilie’s debut feature film ‘Touch Me Not’ on Saturday night reaped the Golden Bear award at the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious events of this kind. Adina Pintilie has also reaped a prize for the best debut, from a jury, which also included Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer. ‘Touch Me Not’ is a personal exploration that cast a question mark over the preconceived ideas about intimacy as a fundamental aspect of human existence. This European co-production, was shot over a period of 10 weeks, between 2015 and 2017 and had a mixed cast of professional actors and common people. Adina Pintilie has become the second Romanian director to have reaped the Berlinale’s grand prize after Calin Peter Netzer for his production Child’s Pose.




    FUND A draft law on setting up the Sovereign Fund for Development and Investment will be debated upon by the specialized committees in Romania’s Senate next week. The fund has been designed as a financing instrument for strategic development projects in key-fields such as infrastructure, energy, healthcare, agriculture and is also to create fresh jobs. The fund imitates similar instruments operational in Norway, France and Poland. During the entire period of its functioning, the Romanian state will be the fund’s unique shareholder, under the administration of the Finance Ministry. In order to create it, the state will be taking over shares in 89 companies so the dividends will not go to the budget by will be annually feeding the fund.




    VISIT Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Tuesday will be paying a formal visit to Chisinau, in the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova. High on the Prime Minister’s agenda are talks with her Moldovan counterpart, Petru Filip, on strengthening cooperation between the two governments. The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Teodor Melescanu has recently said this is the first bilateral visit the new Romanian minister is paying to the neighboring country, being a clear signal of the priority Bucharest attaches to the relations with the Republic of Moldova. According to Melescanu, during the visit, a bilateral contract for the construction of a pipeline in the Republic’s western part will be signed as well as a cultural cooperation protocol between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.




    WEATHER Winter seems to have arrived in Romania at the end of the season with code yellow and orange alerts issued for most of the regions. A code orange alert for bad weather will be in place for Bucharest and 27 other counties in the south, east and center on Sunday night. Temperatures are to plunge to minus 22 degrees mainly at night, while during the day they are expected to be 10-15 degrees below the multianual average. Blizzards are also expected to lower the real-feel temperature. This wave of cold is believed to last until March 1st. Bucharest’s mayor, Gabriela Firea, has announced that schools will be closed on Monday and Tuesday because of the bad weather. Maximum temperatures will range between — 12 and — 2 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was — 3 degrees.




    REPATRIATION A Romanian citizen has been safely repatriated from Iraq via the Erbil-Istanbul-Bucharest route, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has today announced. The authorities have granted consular assistance in this case by issuing the necessary travel documents and taking all the measures needed for repatriation. The Romanian Foreign Ministry is continuing efforts to evacuate the Romanian citizens from Iraq by keeping a permanent connection both with them and with the competent authorities in the region. A travel warning for those who want to travel to the region has been posted on the Romanian Foreign Ministry’s webpage.



    translated by bill


  • October 28, 2017 UPDATE

    October 28, 2017 UPDATE

    SPAIN Romania reiterates its firm support for Spain’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, vehemently and irrevocably rejecting Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest says in a communiqué. Spain is Romania’s major ally and strategic partner, the communiqué also says, and the legitimacy of any process or action related to interior order should be according to the fundamental law and the legal order in that state. The Romanian Foreign Ministry reiterates Bucharest’s consistent stand in favour of complying with the international law, which rules out any territorial changes without the accord of the state involved. The main Western chancelleries have also voiced support for the authorities in Madrid. We recall that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced the sacking of the regional government, the dismantling of the Catalan Parliament and that regional elections are to be held on December 21st. The decisions were made on Friday evening, after the Catalan Parliament had voted in favour of a unilateral declaration of independence and the proclamation of the Catalan republic. The chief the Catalan police has been sacked and the region will be administered by Spanish vice-premier Soraya Saenz de Santamaria and controlled by 33 thousand agents, the BBC reports. The dismissed Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, on Saturday called for democratic opposition against Spain’s formal takeover of the region. In a televised address on Saturday, the separatist leader said that Madrid’s decision to suspend the province’s autonomy and appoint the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister as its provisionary head runs against the will of the people.



    TENNIS The world’s best tennis player Simona Halep of Romania is going to end the year in the first position of WTA rankings. Halep managed this performance after Danish Caroline Wozniacki had outperformed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the semis of the WTA Finals tournament in Singapore. Pliskova was the only one who could have outrun the Romanian player in the WTA standings had she won the Singapore tournament. In the finals on Sunday Wozniacki will be up against Venus Williams of the USA, who comes after a win against Caroline Garcia of France.



    USR MP Dan Barna is the new president of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR), the third largest political group in Parliament. With 127 votes, Barna has outrun his opponent Vlad Alexandrescu who gets only 50 votes during the party’s extraordinary session in Poiana Brasov, central Romania. We recall the former USR leader and founding father, Nicusor Dan, has left the group after it decided through an interior referendum to take a stand against a controversial initiative of the Pro-Family Coalition who campaigned for a Constitution amendment, which defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman. The initiative, which got support from 3 million Romanians, has been contested by NGOs who campaign for human rights in general and the right of sexual minorities in particular.



    DEMOTION Romania has been relegated from Group One of the Davis Cup’s Europe-Africa Zone after the Israeli pair made up of Dudi Sela and Jonathan Erlich on Saturday outperformed Romanians Vasile Antonescu and Bogdan Borza. After the first two days Israel is leading Romania 3-0 in the tie-matches hosted by Ramat Hasharon. This has been Romania’s first demotion since 1993. Sunday will see the last singles pitching Dudi Sela against Dragos Dima and Edan Leshem against Nicolae Frunza.



    WEATHER Romanian weathermen on Saturday issued a code orange alert for snowfalls and blizzard in the mountains and code yellow alert for gale-force winds and cold weather in almost all Romania until Monday night. Mixed precipitations are expected in the country’s north, centre and east. Maximum temperatures are to range between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius.


  • January 12, 2017 UPDATE

    January 12, 2017 UPDATE

    TAX LEGISLATION – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Thursday signed into law a bill passed last week by the Chamber of Deputies, and comprising two amendments to the Fiscal Code. They concern scrapping the health insurance contribution for pensioners and an income tax exemption for all pensions below 450 euros. The bill was endorsed by 207 votes in favour and 29 against.



    WEATHER – In Romania, a new code yellow alert is in place, valid from Friday morning until Saturday at noon in most of the country, and warning against snowfalls, blizzard and black ice. The National Meteorology Agency said the alert might be extended. Lows will go down to negative 12 degrees, and highs will reach 8 degrees C. Because of the extreme weather, more than 100 trains were cancelled on Thursday, and schools and kindergartens in Bucharest and 12 other counties remained closed.



    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – Romania’s Constitutional Court decided on Thursday that the law enabling the Government to issue orders was constitutional, rejecting a notification filed by the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party. The opposition parties had claimed that the law would allow the Grindeanu cabinet to amend organic laws through simple orders, which would run counter to the Constitution. The head of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea had stated that the opposition was merely attempting to block the Government’s activity.




    CVM Romania meets all conditions for the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism to be terminated this year, said on Thursday the Romanian Justice Minister Florin Iordache after a meeting with the Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Institutional and Administrative Policies of the European Commission Paraskevi Michou. The mechanism was introduced in 2007 as a prerequisite for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s joining the EU and it focuses in particular on the reform of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organized crime. The Justice Minister has also said that Romania has taken major steps towards consolidating important institutions, which is a guarantee for the fact that the rule of law is extremely important in Romania.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Extreme Cold in Romania

    Extreme Cold in Romania

    Biting cold has hit Romania, after days in which heavy snowfalls and snowstorms disrupted road and railway transport and left many villages and towns isolated or experiencing power shortages. On Tuesday morning, nine citizens from the Republic of Moldova were rescued by emergency response teams from a minibus stranded in the snow in the east of the country.



    These days, it is the extreme cold that causes problems in Romania. Weather experts say this is one of the hardest winters in years, because of the very low temperatures reported for days and nights in a row. The weather station at Intorsura Buzaului, in the east, Tuesday morning registered the lowest temperature so far this winter, minus 32 degrees Celsius. On New Year’s eve, at Intorsura Buzaului, thermometers read minus 24 degrees Celsius, with no records above freezing temperature ever since.



    The lowest temperature officially reported in the last 50 years was minus 35.9 degrees Celsius, at Intorsura Buzaului, Covasna County, in February 2005. This record had not been broken since 1939. Meteorologists had actually issued a code orange alert against extreme cold for most of the country, valid on Monday and Tuesday, while the west of Romania was under a code yellow alert.



    Bad weather is further reported in the south-east of the country, where a code orange blizzard alert is in place from Tuesday night until Wednesday afternoon. The wind is expected to reach 80 km per hour, with blowing snow reducing visibility to less than 50 m. A yellow code snowfall alert is also valid from Tuesday night until Wednesday night in the south and east.



    Because of the low temperatures, the kindergartens, schools and high schools in Bucharest will stay closed until Monday, the Mayor General Gabriela Firea announced. She explained the decision was made after consultations with the Education Ministry, physicians and parents. Classes were also suspended on Tuesday in several other counties, and 9 universities in Bucharest, Constanta and Oradea were also closed on Monday and Tuesday.



    Meanwhile, authorities claim Romania is prepared to cope with extreme cold, even if this wave continues. On Monday, natural gas consumption was estimated at an all-time high, 72 million cubic metres per day, as compared to 66 million cubic metres a day last year. According to the Energy Minister Toma Petcu, Romania has enough natural gas and will have no problems in the long run.


    (Translated by Ana Maria Popescu)

  • January 9, 2017

    January 9, 2017

    BAD WEATHER – In Romania, traffic has been resumed today on the motorway connecting the capital city to the Black Sea coast and on the national roads that had been closed after the heavy snowfalls of the past few days. Black Sea and Danube ports were also reopened, except for Drobeta Turnu-Severin, but transport on the Danube, where ice blocks have formed, is still affected. Checkpoints on the Bulgarian border remain closed down. We remind you that heavy snows severely disrupted road, railway and naval transport at the end of the week. The most severely hit was the south-east of the country, where many localities experienced power outings. Across the country, scores of trains have been cancelled and some flights delayed. Because of the extremely low temperatures, schools and kindergartens are closed today in 21 counties, particularly in the south and the east, Bucharest included. The measure will stay in place on Tuesday in 16 counties and the capital city. Nine universities in Bucharest, Constanta and Oradea have also suspended classes today and tomorrow. Authorities have announced that schools in Bucharest might remain closed on Wednesday as well, unless weather improves.



    COLD WAVE, EUROPE – Extreme cold has hit the entire continent and has made at least 36 victims in the last few days, mostly in Italy and Poland. Italy is the worst affected, with temperatures reaching 60-year lows. One of the people who died in Italy because of the cold is a Romanian man living in Messina, Sicily. Greece was also hit by strong wind and heavy snows, which reached as far south as the Aegean islands and tested the refugees camped in Lesbos. Those who had been sleeping in tents were temporarily moved to heated accommodation or received blankets and sleeping bags. In Moscow, temperatures plummeted to negative 30 degrees Celsius, and in France to minus 20. Bad weather was also reported in Germany, Switzerland, and Poland, as well as on the Adriatic Sea coast, particularly around the Croatian town of Split, where the lowest temperatures in 50 years were reported. Biting cold has also gripped Hungary, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The episode seems to have been caused by a glacial Polar Continental air mass which advanced south-westwards from Scandinavia.



    PARLIAMENT – The Parliament of Romania convenes in a special meeting today, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and head of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea announced. He explained that the decision was needed in order to enable the government appointed by the Social Democrats and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats to issue government orders. The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union, in opposition, sent the bill enabling the Cabinet to issue government orders during parliamentary recess to the Constitutional Court. The two opposition parties argued that the bill allows the Cabinet headed by the Social Democrat Sorin Grindeanu to amend organic laws by means of government orders, which comes against the Constitution. The Power on the other hand believes the Government activity would be otherwise hindered.



    UNEMPLOYMENT – In Romania, the unemployment rate for November was 5.7%, the National Statistics Institute announced on Monday. The number of unemployed people reached 521,000, down both since the previous month and since the corresponding month of 2015. The unemployment rate stood at 6.5% among men and 4.7% for women, the National Statistics Institute also reported.



    GOLDEN GLOBES – The film La La Land directed by Damien Chazelle was the great winner of the Golden Globes awarded Sunday night in Los Angeles. The musical won 7 trophies, in all the categories where it had been nominated, including best picture – comedy or musical, best screenplay, best director, original song, original soundtrack. The feature film Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins, won the award for “best picture – drama. Cassey Affleck walked away with the award for the best actor, for the part in Manchester by the Sea, and Isabelle Huppert won the “best actress, drama category. The Golden Globe award for lifetime achievement went to Meryl Streep.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 7, 2017 UPDATE

    January 7, 2017 UPDATE

    WEATHER IN ROMANIA – Romania will continue to be affected by extremely cold weather in the next 24 hours as well. The sky will be mostly overcast and snow will be present in a number of regions. Meteorologists have extended the yellow code alert for blizzard until Sunday night, for half of Romanias counties. In the east, southeast and the mountain areas the wind may reach 75 km/hour. Also, a yellow code alert for severe cold is in force until Monday for the entire country, with temperatures expected to drop to minus 16 degrees Celsius during the day and to minus 25 degrees Celsius during the night. Kindergartens, schools and several universities will be closed on Monday and Tuesday in the capital Bucharest and three counties. Two people died in the south-east of the country due to the bad weather. The heavy snowfall left several localities without electricity and the road, rail and air traffic have been disrupted. Tens of national roads have been closed, a number of trains have been cancelled with many others having reported delays. All Black Sea ports have been closed because of the strong wind. The Board of Bucharests Public Transport Authority has been dismissed because of the improper manner in which they have handled the situation.



    WEATHER IN EUROPE – The severe winter weather is affecting a number of European countries, including the south of the continent. In only ten days, the extreme cold killed 10 people in Poland, where temperatures plunged below minus 20 degrees Celsius. In Moscow, minus 30 degrees Celsius were registered on Friday night. A snowstorm paralyzed the Turkish city of Istanbul, while in Bulgaria road and rail traffic was seriously disrupted because of the heavy snowfalls. Ukraine is also in the grip of severe cold and blizzard while Moldova, Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia face weather-related problems as well. Things dont stand better in Western Europe either. A cold front from Scandinavia sent the mercury plummeting in France. In Italy, strong winds are reported in most of the country. In Sicily, a Romanian homeless, aged 45, died in an abandoned building due to winter weather.



    ST. JOHN – Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians in Romania on Saturday celebrated St. John the Baptists feast day. Called by the Church the Forerunner, St. John foretold the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ, whom he later baptized in the waters of Jordan. St. John died a martyr, beheaded for having the courage to scold the Jewish King Herod in public for his debauched marriage to his brothers ex-wife. Nearly 2 million Romanians celebrated their name day on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian and Serbian nationals observing the old Julian calendar celebrated Christmas, 13 days later compared to the modern Gregorian calendar.


    NATO – The United States has started to strengthen its military capabilities in Eastern Europe and is transporting military equipment to Romania, Poland and the Baltic states via Germany, Der Spiegel reports. The first military transport has reached the German port of Bremerhaven on Friday. We remind you that in July 2016 NATO decided to consolidate its presence in Eastern Europe with the deployment of thousands of military in Poland and the Baltic states. A multinational allied structure is to be dispatched in Romania. Moreover, NATO has taken over the defensive anti-missile shield that has interception elements in Deveselu, southern Romania.


    GOVERNMENT – The Romanian Government on Friday approved an increase in the national minimum wage from about 280 euros to 320 euro as of February 1. The Government also raised public pensions, with the minimum guaranteed social pensions set to reach 115 euros as of March 1. However, representatives of the Committee for social dialogue have said that the Governments social measures should be doubled by economic measures. The opposition in Parliament and the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, have asked for explanations over how the 3% budget deficit will be maintained, while the Central Bank Governor, Mugur Isarescu, is waiting to see how the 2017 state budget is shaped up.



    TENNIS – The team made up of the Romanian Raluca Olaru and the Ukrainian Olga Savciuk was defeated on Saturday in two sets, 6-1, 7-5 by the Czech Andrea Hlavackova and Shuai Peng of China, in the doubles final of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. This is the second WTA final for Olaru and Savciuk after the one in Tashkent in 2008, when they won the title. In Shenzhen, back in 2014, Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu won the titled together with Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic, while in 2016 she won the same tournament alongside the American Vania King. Romanias best-ranked tennis player, Simona Halep, number 4 in the world, won the singles tournament in Shenzhen in 2015. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • January 7, 2017

    January 7, 2017

    WEATHER IN ROMANIA



    Heavy snowfalls and blizzard have been taking Romania in their grip as of Friday. Half of Romanias counties are under a yellow code alert for blizzard, valid until Sunday night. Strong wind is reported in the mountain areas and a new layer of snow is expected to form on Saturday night. Also, a yellow code alert for extremely cold weather is in force until Monday for the entire country, with temperatures expected to drop to minus 16 degrees Celsius during the day and minus 25 degrees Celsius during the night. Kindergartens and schools will be closed on Monday and Tuesday in the capital Bucharest and the neighboring Ilfov county due to the low temperatures. The heavy snowfall left several localities without electricity and the road, rail and air traffic have been disrupted. All Black Sea ports have been closed because of the strong wind. However, air traffic on the Bucharest airports unfolds under normal winter conditions, with no flights being cancelled but with several delays of up to 30 minutes being reported.



    WEATHER IN EUROPE



    Europe is in the middle of a bitter winter blast bringing blizzards and severe cold even in the south of the continent, where the weather is usually milder. In north-eastern Bulgaria the heavy snowfall and strong wind disrupted road and rail traffic. Hungary is also in the grip of a cold wave. In the Republic of Moldova, snowstorms created havoc on the roads. 10 people were killed by the severe cold in Poland, where temperatures stood at minus 20 degrees Celsius. In Moscow, temperatures plummeted to minus 30 degrees. A snowstorm was even reported in Istanbul, Turkey. Things dont stand any better in Western Europe either. A cold front from Scandinavia sent the mercury plummeting in France. In Sicily, a Romanian homeless died because of the cold in an abandoned building. Authorities in all European states have taken measures to accommodate homeless people in order to keep the safe. Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia are also fighting the heavy winter.



    ST. JOHN



    Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians in Romania are today celebrating St. Johns the Baptists feast day. Called by the Church the Forerunner, St. John foretold the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ, whom he later baptized in the waters of Jordan. St. John died a martyr, beheaded for having the courage to scold the Jewish King Herod in public for his debauched marriage to his brothers ex-wife. Nearly 2 million Romanians celebrate their name day today. Also today, Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian and Serbian nationals observing the old Julian calendar celebrate Christmas, 13 days later compared to the modern Gregorian calendar.



    NATO



    The United States has started to strengthen its military capabilities in Eastern Europe and is transporting military equipment to Romania, Poland and the Baltic states via Germany, Der Spiegel reports. The first military transport has reached the German port of Bremerhaven on Friday. We remind you that in July 2016 NATO decided to consolidate its presence in Eastern Europe with the deployment of thousands of military in Poland and the Baltic states. A multinational allied structure is to be dispatched in Romania. Moreover, NATO has taken over the defensive anti-missile shield that has interception elements in Deveselu, southern Romania.



    GOVERNMENT



    The Government of Romania Friday approved an increase in the national minimum wage from about 280 euros to 320 euro as of February 1. According to a news release issued by the Government, the measure will raise the economic growth rate by a rough 0.2% and will encourage employment. At the same time, the document reads, the increase will have a notable social impact, helping to raise living standards and bridging social gaps. The Government also raised public pensions, with the minimum guaranteed social pensions set to reach 115 euros as of March 1. However, representatives of the Committee for social dialogue have said that the Governments social measures should be doubled by economic measures. The opposition in Parliament and the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, have asked for explanations over how the 3% budget deficit will be maintained, while the Central Bank Governor, Mugur Isarescu, is waiting to see how the state budget for 2017 looks like.



    TENNIS



    The team made up of the Romanian tennis player Raluca Olaru and the Ukrainian Olga Savciuk are today playing against the Czech Andrea Hlavackova and Shuai Peng of China in the doubles final of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. This is the second WTA final for Olaru and Savciuk after the one in Tashkent in 2008, when they won the title.

  • 06.01.2017 (mise à jour)

    06.01.2017 (mise à jour)

    Météo — Les prochaines 24h, un froid intense sévira en Roumanie, avec des maximales qui iront, généralement, entre –16 et –10°. Le ciel sera temporairement nuageux, et de faibles chutes de neige seront signalées par endroits. En haute montagne, le vent dépassera les 80-90 km/h. Une alerte jaune au blizzard et aux chutes de neige reste en vigueur dans l’est du pays jusqu’à samedi matin. Les chutes de neige seront généralement faibles, mais le vent continuera de souffler à 50-60 km/h et par endroits à 70 km/h. Plusieurs départements de l’est et du sud-est de la Roumanie ont été sous l’incidence d’une vigilance rouge et d’une vigilance orange au blizzard et aux chutes de neige. La ministre de l’Intérieur, Carmen Dan, a annoncé qu’une personne est décédée, car l’ambulance accompagnée du chasse-neige est arrivée trop tard. Des dizaines de routes nationales ont été fermées, et des centaines de localités sont dépourvues d’électricité à cause des intempéries. La circulation des trains dans le sud-est du pays a été temporairement suspendue. Suite également aux chutes abondantes de neige, plusieurs vols intérieurs mais aussi externes ont été supprimés.



    Salaires — Le gouvernement de Bucarest a approuvé, vendredi, la majoration du salaire minimum brut national garanti de 1250 lei (environ 280 euros) à 1.450 lei par mois (320 euros), à partir du 1er février. Selon un communiqué du gouvernement, la mesure aura des effets positifs sur la croissance économique avec environ 0,2 points de pourcentage et sur la stimulation de l’emploi et la réduction du travail au noir. Cette mesure a également un impact social important, assurant la hausse du niveau de vie et la réduction des décalages sociaux, lit-on dans le communiqué cité. Les traitements des artistes et du personnel des institutions du spectacle ou musicales ont également été majorés de 50%. Le gouvernement a augmenté aussi la valeur du point de retraite, de 9% à partir du 1er juillet, qui sera d’environ 1.000 lei (soit 220 euro), tandis qu’à partir du 1er mars, la retraite sociale minimale garantie s’accroîtra à 520 lei (115 euros).




    Message — Le président de la Commission européenne, Jean-Claude Junker, a posté sur compte Twitter un message adressé au nouveau premier ministre roumain Sorin Grindeanu, qu’il félicite pour ses nouvelles fonctions et dans lequel il plaide pour le maintien de l’indépendance du système judiciaire et la continuation de la lutte contre la corruption. « Nous attendons que l’évolution positive de la Roumanie se poursuive, dans le sens d’une gouvernance stable, d’une croissance économique solide, de l’augmentation de la productivité, de la hausse du niveau de vie », écrit le président de la Commission européenne dans son message sur Twitter. M. Juncker assure également M. Grindeanu que l’Exécutif communautaire reste un partenaire de confiance, qui continuera à offrir soutien financier et conseil technique à la Roumanie. eux ce programme de gouvernance et mettent en cause les risques qu’il contient en matière d’équilibre budgétaire.



    Loi — Le président de la Roumanie, Klaus Iohannis, a promulgué, vendredi, la loi portant suppression de 102 taxes et tarifs non fiscaux, après que sa demande de la réexaminer a été rejetée, à la fin du mois dernier, par la Chambre des députés, qui a été l’assemblée décisionnelle dans ce cas. Antérieurement, le chef de l’Etat avait également contesté la loi auprès de la Cour constitutionnelle. Parmi les taxes supprimées l’on compte la redevance audiovisuelle, le timbre d’environnement pour les véhicules, une série de taxes consulaires et de nationalité, celle pour la délivrance du passeport ainsi que celles pour la perte ou la modification de certains documents.



    FRONTEX — Les policiers roumains aux frontières, qui participent actuellement à une mission FRONTEX en Grèce, ont secouru 34 réfugiés, dont 9 enfants, en provenance de Syrie et du Congo, dans les eaux internationales de la mer Egée. Les réfugiés se trouvaient à bord d’une embarcation de fortune, qui a failli se renverser à cause de la surcharge. Un navire de patrouille et d’intervention du ministère roumain de l’Intérieur, avec un équipage de 23 agents de la police aux frontières, a été déployé en mer Egée à compter du 1er janvier, dans le cadre d’une mission de surveillance des frontières maritimes extérieures de l’UE. Cette mission, qui devrait durer quatre mois, se déroule dans le cadre de l’opération maritime commune « EPN Poseidon Sea », coordonnée par l’Agence Frontex.



    Mineurs — Les mineurs de l’exploitation de houille de Lupeni, dans la Vallée du Jiu (sud-ouest), ont repris, vendredi, leur protestation suspendue jeudi soir, mécontents de ce qu’aucune de leurs revendications n’avait été solutionnée. Ils demandent, entre autres, qu’il soit renoncé au programme d’interruption temporaire de l’activité qui les met au chômage technique une journée par semaine et de trouver une solution pour l’approvisionnement en matériel de stricte nécessité dans le souterrain. Plusieurs mineurs et leaders syndicaux observent une grève de la faim.



    Religion — Les fidèles chrétiens orthodoxes (majoritaires) et gréco-catholiques de Roumanie ont fêté ce vendredi le Baptême du Seigneur. Dans les églises et les monastères, des services religieux ont consacré les eaux, qui acquerraient ainsi des vertus guérisseuses et de purification spirituelle. Cette fête religieuse, appelée en roumain « Boboteaza », et celle de la Saint Jean-Baptiste, célébrée le 7 janvier, marquent la fin des fêtes d’hiver. Les fidèles catholiques ont également fêté l’Epiphanie ou la Fête des Rois Mages, alors que pour les chrétiens orthodoxes de rite ancien, principalement des ethniques russes, arméniens et serbes, c’était la veille de Noël.



    Tennis — La Roumaine Raluca Olaru et l’Ukrainienne Olga Savciuk disputeront samedi la finale de double du tournoi de tennis de Shenzen, en Chine. Leurs adversaires seront Andrea Hlavackova (Rép. tchèque) / Shuai Peng (Chine). Le double roumano-ukrainien est arrivé en finale après l’abandon des principales favorites Raquel Atawo (Etats Unis) – Yifan Xu (Chine).