Radio România Internațional

Tag: Bronze

  • August 16, 2024 UPDATE

    August 16, 2024 UPDATE

    Gas – Romania currently has 2.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas stored in underground storages, which accounts for over 88% of the total storage capacity, given that, according to the European directives, the storages must be 85% full on September 1, the Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, announced on Friday. According to an Energy Ministry press release “daily, Romania produces approximately 25 million cubic meters of natural gas, consumes about half, and another 10 – 11 million cubic meters are stored”. Sebastian Burduja has also announced that Romania will continue to store natural gas until it reaches 100% of its storage capacity. According to him, the storage of natural gas for the winter season is all the more important since the neighboring Ukraine has announced that it will no longer extend the transit contract of Russian gas on its territory.

     

    Pensions – 4.6 million Romanian pensioners are to receive higher pensions by the end of the month. According to the Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, over 80% of the pensioners are to benefit from recalculated pensions. Roughly two million are to get their pensions higher by 100 Euros. For more than one million the rises will range between 500 and 1,000 lei but 7,700 of them will see more than 3 thousand lei added to their initial pensions. Significant raises will see the people who worked over 40 years and didn’t benefit from the correction index of the past years. According to Minister Bucura-Oprescu, no pension cuts will be operated, and people will receive their recalculated pensions in September.

     

    Gymnastics – The Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu on Friday came into the possession of the bronze medal won in the floor final at the Olympic Games in Paris. The event took place in a ceremony organized on Friday on the esplanade of the Olympic House in Bucharest, following the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We remind you that, on August 5, in the floor final, Ana Maria Bărbosu was awarded the bronze medal for a few tens of seconds, but the American Jordan Chiles filed an appeal and her score was increased, so she finished in third position. Later, Romania also filed an appeal, which was finally approved. “I am happy to be in the possession of this medal and I hope to continue representing Romania at the highest level and to bring it as many medals as possible”, said the athlete.

     

    Migrants – 32 migrants were discovered, on Friday, hidden in a truck driven by a Romanian at the border point at Nădlac II, in Arad county in western Romania. They come, according to the border police, from Iraq, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan and intended to fraudulently cross the border with Hungary in order to reach Western Europe. The truck driver is being investigated for migrant trafficking, and the citizens discovered are being investigated for attempting to cross the border fraudulently. According to the waybill, the driver was transporting furniture on the Romania-Italy route.

     

    Navy Day – ‘Romania has been acknowledged and appreciated by its allies as a solid pillar of regional security and a major contributor to the process of strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense posture on its eastern flank’ the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in Constanta, on the Romanian Black Sea Coast, where he participated in the events dedicated to Navy Day celebrated on Thursday. According to Iohannis, although we are living in times marked by multiple security challenges, in the context of the war Russia is waging on Ukraine, Romania is today a safe and stable country and its citizens are defended and protected against any potential threat. Thousands of tourists and citizens of Constanta gathered to watch the biggest naval show of the year, which involved the participation of over two thousand sailors and servicemen from Romania and the armed forces deployed here. The event was also attended by 15 military vessels, coast guard patrol boats, F-16 fighters, surveillance aircraft belonging to the USA and France, Puma Naval helicopters and paratroopers. (LS)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    The week that passed brought Romania three fresh titles in the Paris Olympics. The first was won by swimmer David Popovici in the 200 meter freestyle race who completed his prize closet with a bronze medal that he won on Wednesday in the 100 meter race.

    Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache walked away with gold from the men’s double scull race on Thursday, while Simona Radis and Ancuta Bodnar became silver medalists in the women’s similar race.

    Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel became silver medalists in the women’s coxless pair on Friday and so did Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc in the lightweight women’s double scull race. The third Olympic title was reaped by the Romanian women’s eight on Saturday.

    Hammer thrower, Bianca Ghelber, qualified for the competition’s finals on Sunday. She competed in the qualifiers’ Group A, which she ended in the fifth position with a throw measuring 71 meters and 42 centimeters, the eleventh result of the contest. The best performance belonged to Krista Tervo of Finland, 74 meters and 79 centimeters. The Olympics in Paris have been the fourth edition for the 34 years-old Ghelber, who came sixth in the finals in Tokyo. She ranked 17th in London in 2012 and failed to qualify for the finals in Beijing in 2008.

    The competition’s final event is on Tuesday. We recall that athletes from Romania haven’t obtained an Olympic medal since 2008 when Constantina Diţă got gold in the marathon race.

    The latest from football now.

    Last weekend saw the matches of the fourth leg of Romania’s Football Superleague.

    On Friday, Otelul Galati clinched a 1-0 home win against Hermannstadt, while Dinamo Bucharest, on their own turf, outperformed Gloria Buzau 4-1

    On Saturday, Farul Constanta secured a 2-0 home win against Poli Iasi.

    Universitatea Craiova ended in a goaless draw their home match against Petrolul Ploieşti, then in a derby of the city of Cluj, Universitatea secured a 3-2 win against CFR. The leg’s last matches are due on Monday when Unirea Slobozia plays UTA Arad and Rapid Bucureşti takes on Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. FC Botoşani versus FCSB has been postponed.

    Oţelul presently tops the table with 10 points, followed by Universitatea Craiova and Universitatea Cluj, each with 8 points. On Tuesday, FCSB will be playing in the third preliminary round of the Champions League. The Romanians will be up against Czech side Sparta Praga.

    (bill)

  • THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    OG 2024 – Romanian performance

    By Friday, August 2, during the first week of the Olympic Games in Paris, Romanian athletes won 6 medals – 2 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze. At the age of 19, swimmer David Popovici won the final of the 200-meter freestyle event, then won bronze in the 100-meter freestyle final. And rowing provided real moments of joy. Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache won the gold medals in men’s double rowing. Ancuța Bodnar and Simona Radiş also had a heroic race, ending with silver medals in women’s double rowing. Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel won the silver in the women’s double sculls, and Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc – also the silver – in the women’s double sculls, light category. We remind you that Romania’s team at the Olympic Games in the French capital, which will end on August 11, consists of 106 athletes competing in 18 sports disciplines.

    New Romanian sites on the UNESCO Heritage List

    The Monumental Ensemble ‘Way of Heroes’, made by Constantin Brâncuşi in Târgu Jiu, a city from his native region in the southwest of Romania, as well as the Borders of the Roman Empire – Dacia, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was taken by the World Heritage Committee during its 46th session, held in India. The “Way of Heroes” is a sculptural ensemble erected between 1937 and 1938, consisting of the Endless Column, dedicated to the Romanian heroes who fell in the First World War in the region, the Kissing Gate, and the Table of Silence, surrounded by 12 round chairs, completed by 30 chairs with a square headboard, all placed directly on the ground, as a natural plinth. The ensemble represents a turning point in the history of modern art, especially monumental sculpture and public art. As for the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia, this represents the most complex nomination for the World Heritage List prepared by Romania so far. The case file lists 285 elements scattered along more than 1,000 kilometers, in 16 counties of Romania. Romania has 9 more objectives included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

    Sex scandal in the Romanian university environment

    The Ministry of Education in Bucharest has asked for investigations to be made in universities regarding the cases of sexual harassment that have been in the headlines of the Romanian news for several days. The National Council of Rectors will make a Guide of good practices regarding behavior in the university environment . The measures were announced after several female students declared, in the public space, that they were sexually abused by their teachers, and that their behavior was known among the professional entourage of the respective teaching staff, but that no one took any action. Three names are heavily circulated – sociologists Alfred Bulai and Marius Pieleanu, both from the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA), as well as professor Dorin Ştefan Adam from the University of Architecture in the Capital. Alfred Bulai denies the accusations, but submitted his request for retirement. SNSPA suspended him from the position of director of the Department of Sociology, he will no longer teach during the internal investigation by the Faculty’s Ethics Commission, and he has a criminal record for using his position for sexual purposes. Meanwhile, dozens of people sent emails to the Prosecutor’s Office about his behavior. Marius Pieleanu was accused of sexual harassment by Ana Birchall herself, former Minister of Justice, but the Public Prosecutor’s Office says that it has not received any notification in this case. In the end, Dorin Ştefan Adam asked to be suspended from teaching work at the School of Architecture, after female students claimed that he was sending them indecent messages and naked pictures of himself. On the other hand, the Control Corps of the Ministry of Culture will go to the National Art Museum of Romania, after receiving memos, including about actions that can be interpreted as sexual harassment. In Thursday’s Government meeting, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized that such situations cannot be tolerated, regardless of the name of the aggressor. The Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, spoke about possible measures being considered – among them, one that provides that reports be sent directly to prosecutors, even if they are anonymous. And the Minister of the Family, Natalia Intotero, urged all those who feel that there is pressure on them or harassment to not wait, and to notify the authorities immediately.

    Romanian firefighters on duty in Greece

    The requests from abroad addressed to Romanian firefighters are proof that the civil defense system works – declared the Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, on the occasion of the departure of a contingent of rescue workers to Greece. They have proven their ability to save lives, to protect communities, in the country and abroad – the official recalled. The current mission of the Romanian firefighters is carried out within the framework of the European Mechanism for Civil Protection, with European funding. A first contingent of 40 firefighters, accompanied by 8 technical devices, went to Greece to help the Greek authorities manage the situations caused by the fires. They will be replaced, after a few weeks, by two other batches of rescuers. The Romanian firefighters are requested for the 4th time in a row to send contingents to Greece.

  • February 15, 2024 UPDATE

    February 15, 2024 UPDATE

    Pope – Romania and Italy are entering a new stage of development of their consolidated strategic partnership, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday in Rome. He stated that the joint statement he signed with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, lays the foundations for an action plan that will strengthen and take to another level the relations between the two states. Marcel Ciolacu recalled that bilateral trade exceeded 20 billion Euros in 2023, a new record. “I appreciated Mrs. Meloni’s openness regarding the intensification of economic cooperation, as well as the valorization of the Romanian diaspora living in Italy, and of the Italian community in our country,” Prime Minister Ciolacu said. In turn, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the joint declaration increases the potential for collaboration between the two countries. “The Romanian community is the largest foreign community residing in Italy, more than one million people, and it provides a very important contribution to our community “, said Giorgia Meloni. Also on Thursday, the meeting of the governments from Bucharest and Rome also occasioned talks on topics on the European and international agenda. Earlier, the Prime Minister Ciolacu was received at the Vatican, in a private papal audience, by Pope Francis, after which he discussed with Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State of Vatican City.

     

    Protests – The representatives of the Romanian Sanitary Solidarity Federation continued the protests prior to the organization of the all-out strike and picketed, on Thursday, the Ministry of Finance and the Chamber of Deputies. The Federation intends to organize such pickets every week, with the series of protests ending on March 11 with a rally in front of the Government, on the National Day of Medical Personnel. The most important demand of the trade unionists is the salary increase for all categories of employees in the healthcare sector by at least 25%.

     

    Sports – The Romanian athlete Cătălin Preda won the bronze medal in the high diving 27-m platform men round, on Thursday, at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Preda totaled 410.20 points, being overtaken by the British Aidan Heslop (422.95) and the French Gary Hunt (413.25). Romanian Constantin Popovici, holder of the world title, ranked only 8th with 340.50 points. At the World Championships in Fukuoka, last year, Popovici won the gold, and Preda took the silver. Popovici also won gold at the 2022 European Championships, where Preda took silver. Also on Thursday in Doha, the Romanian men’s national team ranked 10th at the World Polo Championship, after being defeated, on Thursday, by the US team with a score 13-9 in a match for positions 9-10. Romania’s best ranking at the World Championship is 5th place (1975), and its previous participation dates back to 2013 (13th place). The Romanian polo players ranked 8th at the European Championship in Croatia, last month.

     

    Statistics – The National Bank of Romania revised downwards, to 4.7%, the inflation forecast for the end of this year, from 4.8% in November, according to the data made public on Thursday by the Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu. The Central Bank anticipates that the inflation rate will reach 3.5% at the end of 2025. On the other hand, the data published by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest show that Romania’s economy grew by 2% in 2023. The increase is above the level recorded both in the EU and in the euro zone, where the gross domestic product increased by 0.5%.

     

    Meeting – The policies and programs of the US and Romania regarding the formation of literacy skills and boosting students’ well-being were the main topics addressed, on Wednesday, by the Romanian Education Minister, Ligia Deca, with her American counterpart, Miguel Cardona. The Romanian ambassador to the USA, Andrei Muraru, also participated in the meeting. According to a statement sent to the media on Thursday, minister Ligia Deca, on a visit to the US between February 12 and 15, emphasized the efforts made by the Romanian Government for the “historic” increase of the Education budget in order to apply the new laws in the field. Other topics addressed in the discussions were the inclusion of refugee children in Romanian schools, strategies to combat anti-Semitism, media education, standardized assessments and the integration of technology into the teaching activity. (LS)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    With less than one year before the Olympic Games in Paris, a series of competitions
    is underway enabling all athletes to get plane tickets to the world’s most
    prestigious sporting event. One suchlike competition was the European Judo Cup hosted
    by the city of Malaga in Spain last weekend.




    The event brought together 355 athletes
    of 35 countries, 211 in the men’s competition and 144 in the female’s contest.
    The best Romanian performance was obtained by Alexandru Matei, who became winner
    in his category of 60 kilograms and has also reaped Radio Romania International’s
    title, Athlete of the Week.




    In Malaga, Matei first outperformed Mateo Garcia Vicente of Spain. In
    the round of sixteen he defeated Nordine Adrif of Britain and Jesse Weizenegger
    of Switzerland in the quarters. In the semifinals, the Romanian won against
    Portuguese Emerson Silva, and defeated Bart Weling of the Netherlands in the
    finals.




    Alexandru Matei was born on October 22, 2002, in Caransebeş, western
    Romania. He obtained his first performance in the cadets section of the World
    Cup in Berlin in 2019. He became bronze medalist in the same cadets section of
    the European championship in Warsaw and silver in the Youth Olympics in Baku,
    Azerbaijan. After the pandemics, in
    2022, he won bronze in the European Cups in Athens and Malaga plus a silver
    medal in the similar contest in Paks, Hungary. The best result last year was
    the bronze medal he obtained in the Under-23 championships in Sarajevo. In the Francophony
    Games hosted by Kinshasa this year Matei came second in the 60 kilogram
    category.


    (bill)

  • The latest European Wrestling Championships

    The latest European Wrestling Championships


    Wrestling was first included in the Olympic programme as early as 1904 during the Olympics in St. Louis, but werent part of the Olympics in Stockholm in 1912. Since the 1920 edition in Anvers, wrestlers have been a constant presence in the Olympic Games. Wrestlers from Romania made their debut at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and since then they have reaped 34 medals, 7 gold, 8 silver and 19 bronze. The first medalist was Francisc Horvath, who reaped bronze in the free-style event in Melbourne 1956.


    The first gold medal for Romania was obtained Greek-Roman wrestler Dumitru Pârvulescu in Rome in 1960. Romania hasnt obtained an Olympic gold medal in this discipline since 1988, when Vasile Puscasu compelled recognition in the 100 kilogram category in Seoul. Although next year well be celebrating 20 years since the introduction of womens wrestling in the Olympic Games, Romanias women representatives havent claimed an Olympic medal yet.


    However, wrestling lovers have pinned their hopes on Romanias women representatives for the next years Olympics in Paris as at the latest wrestling competition in Zagreb, Croatia, four out of the five medals won by Romania were in the womens competition. Andreea Ana, in the 55 kilogram category and Alexandra Anghel, in the 72, stepped onto the first step of the podium while Catalina Axente, in the 76 kilogram, Krista Incze in the 65 and Denis Mihai in the 55 kilogram category of the mens event became bronze medalists.


    On of the Romanian wrestlers standing chances of winning a medal in Paris is the 23-year-old Andreea Ana who has so far walked away with four medals from the European Championships. She won bronze in Bucharest in 2019 and in Warsaw two years later, and also became gold medalist in Budapest last year.


    Another athlete, who could put up a good show in Paris, is Alexandra Anghel holder of the European bronze in Kaspiysk, Russia in 2018. She also won a bronze medal in Belgrade last year.


    (bill)


  • Bilan excellent pour la Roumanie aux championnats d’Europe d’aviron

    Bilan excellent pour la Roumanie aux championnats d’Europe d’aviron

    Championnats d’Europe d’aviron Munich – La Roumanie a remporté l’or de l’épreuve féminine de huit ce dimanche aux Championnats d’Europe d’aviron de Munich. Dimanche également Ionela Cozmiuca a remporté l’or de l’épreuve de Skiff poids légers. Le bilan de la Roumanie est excellent à l’issue de cette compétition : cinq médailles d’or et trois de bronze, soit l’or aux épreuves de deux de pointe, féminin et masculin et deux de double féminin et le bronze des épreuves quatre de pointe et quatre de couple féminin et respectivement quatre de couple masculin.

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest have
    advanced to the Champions League’s play-offs, coming in 5th
    according to the League’s Group A final rankings. If they want to make headway into
    the quarterfinals, in late March CSM Bucharest will have to prove their mettle against
    Russian opponents ȚSKA Moscow.


    In the last fixture as part of the group stage,
    CSM Bucharest this past Sunday played a home game against Danish opponents Team
    Esbjerg. The game ended 29-all. CSM narrowly missed the win, as guest team Esbjerg
    turned a last-second 7-meter throw into a goal. CSM had a good run for the
    game, while Cristina Neagu was again the most efficient scorer, with 10 goals
    on her record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate
    Neagu the Athlete of the week.


    CSM’s match against Esbjerg was the second game
    when Cristina Neagu’s being on the court made the difference for the second
    time around in the last week. In this past Wednesday’s domestic championship
    fixture, Neagu’s last-gasp equalizer in CSM’s match against Gloria Bistrita Nasaud
    saved her team from a surprising defeat. The match ended 23-all, with 10 of CSM’s
    goals being scored by Neagu, who also set the final score, coming up with the equalizer
    in the last minute of play.


    Cristina Neagu was born in Bucharest on August
    26, 1988. She made her debut with School Sports Club number 5. As a junior
    handballer, Cristina was designated the world’s best handballer several times beginning
    2005, when the Romanian national squad walked away with the silver medals as part
    of the European Juniors’ Championships held in Austria. In 2006 Cristina Neagu was
    signed up by Rulmentul Brasov. In 2010 she played for Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea,
    the team with which she reached as far as the Champions League final. Oltchim
    was dismantled, so Cristina Neagu was signed up by Buducnost Podgorica, the
    team with which, in 2015, she won the Champions League. Neagu has been playing
    for CSM Bucharest since 2017. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, The International Handball
    Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handballer, The Romanian thus
    became the first handballer in history to have won the trophy four times.


    Cristina Neagu’s record with the national team
    includes a bronze medal won as part of the European Championship jointly hosted
    by Denmark and Norway in 2010, and another bronze medal won as part of the
    World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2021 Cristina Neagu decided to retire
    from national-level competition, temporarily, in order to better focus on her
    club activity. However, later on Cristina made public the fact that she would return
    to the national team in 2022.


    (EN)

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week


    Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest have
    advanced to the Champions League’s play-offs, coming in 5th
    according to the League’s Group A final rankings. If they want to make headway into
    the quarterfinals, in late March CSM Bucharest will have to prove their mettle against
    Russian opponents ȚSKA Moscow.


    In the last fixture as part of the group stage,
    CSM Bucharest this past Sunday played a home game against Danish opponents Team
    Esbjerg. The game ended 29-all. CSM narrowly missed the win, as guest team Esbjerg
    turned a last-second 7-meter throw into a goal. CSM had a good run for the
    game, while Cristina Neagu was again the most efficient scorer, with 10 goals
    on her record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate
    Neagu the Athlete of the week.


    CSM’s match against Esbjerg was the second game
    when Cristina Neagu’s being on the court made the difference for the second
    time around in the last week. In this past Wednesday’s domestic championship
    fixture, Neagu’s last-gasp equalizer in CSM’s match against Gloria Bistrita Nasaud
    saved her team from a surprising defeat. The match ended 23-all, with 10 of CSM’s
    goals being scored by Neagu, who also set the final score, coming up with the equalizer
    in the last minute of play.


    Cristina Neagu was born in Bucharest on August
    26, 1988. She made her debut with School Sports Club number 5. As a junior
    handballer, Cristina was designated the world’s best handballer several times beginning
    2005, when the Romanian national squad walked away with the silver medals as part
    of the European Juniors’ Championships held in Austria. In 2006 Cristina Neagu was
    signed up by Rulmentul Brasov. In 2010 she played for Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea,
    the team with which she reached as far as the Champions League final. Oltchim
    was dismantled, so Cristina Neagu was signed up by Buducnost Podgorica, the
    team with which, in 2015, she won the Champions League. Neagu has been playing
    for CSM Bucharest since 2017. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, The International Handball
    Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handballer, The Romanian thus
    became the first handballer in history to have won the trophy four times.


    Cristina Neagu’s record with the national team
    includes a bronze medal won as part of the European Championship jointly hosted
    by Denmark and Norway in 2010, and another bronze medal won as part of the
    World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2021 Cristina Neagu decided to retire
    from national-level competition, temporarily, in order to better focus on her
    club activity. However, later on Cristina made public the fact that she would return
    to the national team in 2022.


    (EN)

  • July 14, 2018 UPDATE

    July 14, 2018 UPDATE

    France — The French ambassador to Romania, Mrs. Michele Ramis, said Saturday at the reception given on the occasion of France’s National Day that France needed a Europe that protects citizens, and Romania is a visible partner in this project. Mrs. Ramis recalled that 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of the two countries’ strategic partnership. The French official hailed the Romanian people’s European spirit and their resilience in front of nationalism and euro-skepticism. Michele Ramis talked about the success of the Romanian presidency, next year, in the direction of a Europe of convergence, protective and stronger in the world, based on common values. Attending the reception at the French embassy, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that at end of November he would open, in Paris, together with the French President Emmanuel Macron, the season France-Romania. President Iohannis expressed conviction that, in the spirit of their historic fraternity, Romania and France will contribute to the success of re-launching the project of a stronger Union. In another development, trade exchanges between France and Romania increased by 4.4% in 2017 as compared to 2016, reaching 7.8 billion Euros, showed the French Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Romania. There are almost 3 thousand French companies operating in Romania, with a total of direct investments of 4.2 billion Euros.



    Venice Commission — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, believes that the preliminary opinion of the Venice Commission related to the changes made to the justice laws is an extremely worrying signal regarding the independence of the judiciary and calls on Parliament not to ignore these recommendations. According to the Presidential Administration, the Venice Commission confirms the points of view expressed by civil society in Romania, by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, by judges and prosecutors as well as by the Romanian president, including through notifications related to the unconstitutional character of these modifications and the requests for re-examination of these laws. The Venice Commission recommends the Romanian authorities to reconsider the modifications to the justice laws mainly in relation to the appointment and dismissal of chief prosecutors of the main prosecutors’ offices. According to these modifications, the Romanian president can refuse the appointment made by the justice minister only once and providing solid arguments. The European experts also recommend the authorities to give up the scheme for the early retirement of magistrates which would entail a massive depopulation of courts and also to give up the idea of setting up a special section for investigating magistrates. The opposition National Liberal Party has called on the Constitutional Court to take note of the preliminary report on the justice laws. Social Democrat MP Eugen Nicolicea, the president of the legal commission in the Chamber of Deputies, claims the Venice Commission’s preliminary report runs counter to a previous report related to European standards regarding the independence of the judiciary.



    Football – Belgium defeated England, Saturday, 2-0, in the third-place playoff of the World Football Championship hosted by Russia, thus obtaining the bronze. Belgium already played in a third-place playoff at the 1986 World Cup, when it was defeated by France. A world champion in 1966 England fought for bronze in 1990 but it was defeated by Italy. Sunday will see the final that will pit France against Croatia for which qualification to the final is a premier. France won the world title in 1998, when it organized the final tournament, and Croatia won the bronze.



    Fitch Ratings — The Fitch Rating agency has confirmed the ratings for Bucharest’s long term credits in hard currency and local currency at BBB-stable, shows a communiqué of the rating agency. Fitch ratings has also confirmed the F3 rating for currency on short term. The confirmation of the ratings reflects Bucharest’s robust operational performance, the moderate level of debt in relation to its operational balance and current revenues. The rating also includes the solid taxation base, due to Bucharest’s welfare level, which is substantially higher than the national average. The negative side of it is that the rating reflects the dependence of operational revenues on economic cycles and the uncertainties related to contingent debt, shows the Fitch Ratings. Following the 2016 local elections, an ambitious and modern plan for investments was adopted, with the leftist government willing to further develop the city infrastructure, mainly the road infrastructure, Fitch Ratings reports.



    Kidnapping — The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Saturday activated a crisis cell to deal with the situation of the Romanian citizen who, according to the international press, ws abducted in Libya. According to a foreign ministry communiqué, the crisis cell started the urgent verification to assess the situation. The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said that the top priority was to verify whether a Romanian citizen was indeed taken hostage, what his situation was and what group is involved in the kidnapping. The case is being managed by the Romanian Embassy to Libya relocated in Tunis. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry officials the maximum alert level was set up for Libya in 2015. According to international news agencies at least two people, among whom a Romanian engineer, were abducted Saturday by an armed group in an attack on an oilfield in the southwest of Libya.



    Pollution — Between 2015-2016 Romania, Poland, Spain and Great Britain reported the biggest reduction of sulfur oxides emissions, a high reduction being operated in the energy sector, shows a report of the European Environment Agency. Nevertheless Romania still reports the 6th highest level of sulfur oxides emissions in the EU, after the levels reported by Poland, Great Britain, Spain, France and Germany. Also Romania reports the 11th highest level of NOx nitrogen oxides emissions, which is on a downward trend, oxides that contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain. (news translated and updated by L. Simion)

  • SCM Craiova gewinnt EHF-Pokal

    SCM Craiova gewinnt EHF-Pokal

    In Rumänien ist Handball eine Tradition. Natürlich wetteifert es nicht mit dem Fußball, dem Königsspiel. Die Tradition wird nicht nur von der rumänischen Nationalmannschaft der Frauen, die immer bei den großen internationalen Wettkämpfen anwesend ist, sondern auch von den Vereinmannschaften bestätigt. Diese haben in den letzten Jahren besondere Ergebnisse bei den Spielen für die europäischen Pokale erzielt.



    SCM Craiova hat am Freitag in dem Finale-Rückspiel für das EHF-Pokal das norvegische Damen-Team Vipers Kristiansand mit 30 zu 25 besiegt. Das Hinspiel wurde von Norvegen mit 26–22 gewonnen. SCM Craiova belegte den zweiten Platz der Gruppe, in der auch Brest (Frankreich), Kuban Krasnodar (Russland) und Randers (Dänemark) spielten. Im Viertelfinale besiegte es Lada Togliatti (Russland), die Favoritin des Wettkampfes und im Halbfinale die Türkinnen von Kastamonu. Craiova spielte mit einem Damenteam, das fast nur aus rumänischen Spielerinnen gebildet war. Es ist das erste europäische Pokal, das von SCM Craiova gewonnen wurde, sowie das erste EHF-Pokal des rumänischen Damen-Handballs. Der Wettkampf wurde aber unter dem alten Namen IHF-Pokal von Chimistul Râmnicu Vâlcea (1984, 1989) und von Rapid Bucureşti (1993) gewonnen.



    Ebenfalls für das EHF-Pokal spielte ein anderes rumänisches Team HC Zalău. Die zwei rumänischen Mannschaften könnten im Halbfinale gegeneinander auftreten, wenn die Damen von HC Zalău die Türkinnen von Kastamonu besiegt hätten. Die Anwesendheit der Damen-Mannschaft CSM Bucureşti zum dritten Mal konsekutiv in dem sogenannten Final Four der Champions League in Budapest beweist, dass Rumänien eine Kraft im Handball ist. Obwohl die Erwartungen höher waren, musste sich CSM mit den Bronzemedaillen begnügen. Die Damen von CSM haben im Halbfinale das Spiel gegen das ungarische Team Gyor mit 20 -26 verloren. CSM gewann das Spiel für den dritten Platz gegen die Russinnen von Rostov mit 31 – 30. Die diesjährige Auflage wurde von Gyor gewonnen, die ihren Titel vor Vardar Skopje (Macedonia) verteidigte. Das Spiel endete 27 – 26.



    Die Enttäuschung war für CSM, die 2016 die Trophae erzielte, riesig. Cristina Neagu wurde zum zweiten Mal mit 110 Toren zur Torjägerin der Tournee ernannt.

  • March 28, 2018 UPDATE

    March 28, 2018 UPDATE

    CONDOLENCES Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has conveyed a message of condolences to Russian president Vladimir Putin for the victims of the shopping mall fire in Kemerovo. On Wednesday, the “Colectiv GTG 3010” Association paid homage, at the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, to the victims of Wednesday’s fire in Siberia. “Colectiv GTG 3010” was set up after a devastating fire ripped through the Bucharest-based Colectiv club, on the night of October 30, 2015, which took 64 lives, and brings together close friends and families of the victims as well as survivors of the disaster. A day of national mourning was declared in Russia on Wednesday in memory of the victims of Sunday’s fire in Kemerovo. Sources with the local authorities say 64 people died in the fire, of which 41 children. President Vladimir Putin has pledged that all those proven guilty will be identified and punished, irrespective of the positions they hold and he urged people not to believe rumours propagated on social networks, according to which people died in their hundreds in the fire.





    HEALTHCARE According to Romania’s health minister Sorina Pintea, as of Thursday, the immunoglobulin deliveries in this country will be constant and the quantities requested through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism are to arrive in Romania by the end of April. 1,000 immunoglobulin doses entered Romania on Wednesday; they had been purchased by the Health Ministry’s medicine supplier from foreign producers. Three weeks ago, Romania requested international aid, as it had run out of immunoglobulin doses. Romania has also resorted to the NATO Mechanism for immunoglobulin. The discontinuous supply of immunoglobulin has been caused by the withdrawal from the market of producers who provided over 80% of the necessary doses in Romania. Immunoglobulin contains antibodies, which are proteins made by the immune system to fight antigens, such as bacteria, viruses, and toxins.





    MEDALS Romanian athlete Andreea Penciu on Wednesday walked away with silver from the snatch event and with bronze from the total event of the 58-kilogram category contest of the European Weightlifting Championship held in Izvorani, southern Romania. Another Romanian, Maria Grigoriu, clinched bronze in the clean and jerk event of the same category. Romania has so far obtained 10 medals in the present edition of the championship. Elena Andries has won three gold medals (snatch, clean and jerk, total), Ilie Ciotoiu two bronze (clean and jerk, total) and Ionut Ilie also two bronze medals (clean and jerk, total). The European Weightlifting Championship are underway in Izvorani, southern Romania, between March 26th and April 1st. Romania also hosted the competition in 1972 and 2009.





    STATISTICS The unemployment rate in Romania in the last quarter of 2017 stood at 4.7%, just like in the same period of 2016. Data released by the National Institute of Statistics, INS, on Wednesday, show the highest unemployment rate of over 21% was registered among youngsters. In the same time-span, Romania’s active population accounted for some nine million people, of which 8.5 million were employed, the rest being jobless. In another move, the average number of pensioners in Romania exceeded five million last year, that is lower than in the previous year. The average pension increased by some 13%, exceeding 1,000 lei (215 Euros), data issued by INS also show.





    FLU The death toll of the flu affecting Romania had reached 120, the National Center for the Supervision and Control of Transmissible Diseases announced on Wednesday. Almost all the victims were suffering from chronic diseases and had not been vaccinated. According to the Romanian Health Minister Sorina Pintea, we cannot speak about a flu epidemic in Romania at present.



    translated by bill



  • Tischtennis-EM: Beachtliche Leistung für rumänischen Kader

    Tischtennis-EM: Beachtliche Leistung für rumänischen Kader

    Wenn man die Hintergründe kennt, dann bekommt man den Überblick über die herausragende Leistung der rumänischen Tischtennisspieler bei der Europameisterschaft in Budapest. Zum einen ist die Bronzemedaille im gemischten Doppel die Folge eines direkten Aufeinandertreffens zwischen Rumänen im Halbfinale: Dort unterlag das rumänische Duo Bernadette Szocs und Ovidiu Ionescu den späteren Europameistern, der Rumänin Daniela Dodean und ihrem portugiesischen Partner und Ehemann Joao Monteiro. Zum anderen verloren die anderen rumänischen Bronzemedaille-Gewinner jeweils dramatische Halbfinal-Begegnungen, die im entscheidenden Satz endeten.



    Zwei Monate nach den wohl schwächsten Olympischen Sommerspielen in der Geschichte des rumänischen Sports hatte so mancher Beobachter die Zukunft aller Sportarten stark in Frage gestellt. Jetzt könnten die Ergebnisse bei der Tischtennis-EM einen Denkanstoß darstellen und sogar einige optimistische Szenarien zulassen, stellt das Sportportal lead.ro fest.



    Er habe die Teilnahme an den Olympischen Spielen nicht an der Anzahl der gewonnenen Medaillen messen“ wollen, hatte der Trainer des Judo-Kaders, Florin Bercean, vor den Wettbewerben noch gesagt. Schließlich hätten unsere Sportler vier Jahre lang hart um die Qualifikation gekämpft und in Rio würden sie ohnehin auf die besten Sportler des Planeten treffen.



    Und die Tischtennis-EM sollte ihm Recht geben. Rumäniens Tischtennisspieler hatten in Rio eine beachtliche Leistung gebracht, jedoch schieden sowohl die Damen als auch die Herren in den späteren Runden gegen die Weltelite des Sports aus Asien aus. Das wäre wohl unvermeidbar gewesen. Auch bei der Europameisterschaft trafen die Rumänen unter anderem auf die Große Mauer, viele europäische Länder haben nämlich chinesische Spielerinnen und Spieler eingebürgert, um im Tischtennis zur Spitze aufschließen zu können. Allerdings war die Luft bei diesem Turnier nicht so dünn und das spiegelte sich in den Resultaten des Kaders wider.



    Angesichts der hohen Anzahl der Spielerinnen chinesischer Herkunft kann sich vor allem die Leistung der Anführerin des Damenkaders, Eliza Samara, sehen lassen. Die amtierende Europameisterin aus Rumänien verlor im Halbfinale gegen Yu Fu, eine von Portugal eingebürgerte Spielerin. Auch das zweite Halbfinale des Einzelturniers der Frauen wurde von zwei Tischtennisdamen chinesischer Herkunft bestritten.



    Jedoch wirklich erfreulich ist die Nachricht, dass Rumänien nach wie vor nicht nur über Spitzenspielerinnen sondern auch über eine Spitzenmannschaft verfügt. Neben Samara und Daniela Dodean, die jeweils zwei EM-Medaillen mit nach Hause nehmen, punktete auch das Doppelduo aus der jungen und vielsprechenden Bernadette Szocs und Ovidiu Ionescu. Darüber hinaus gingen drei der vier Medaillen an Teilnehmer am gemischten Doppel.



    Und schließlich punktete Rumänien bei dieser EM nicht nur für den Medaillenspiegel und durch die Leistung, sondern auch in punkto Emotionen. Daniela Dodean, die nach den Olympischen Spielen in Rio ihre Karriere beenden und sich ihrer einjährigen Tochter widmen wollte, wuchs über sich hinaus und holte in Budapest die Goldmedaille im gemischten Doppel. Und das nicht mit einem beliebigen Partner, sondern mit ihrem Ehemann, dem Portugiesen Joao Monteiro. Zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte des Tischtennis überhaupt gewinnt ein Ehepaar die Goldmedaille im gemischten Doppel bei einem Endturnier. Es geht also auch nach Rio 2016 weiter mit dem rumänischen Sport.

  • Nachrichten 26.06.2016

    Nachrichten 26.06.2016

    BUKAREST: Das Ergebnis des Referendums über den Austritt Großbritanniens aus der EU stellt die Staatengemeinschaft vor eine beispiellose Situation. Das erklärte Rumäniens EU-Kommissarin für regionale Politik, Corina Creţu. Dennoch würden die Mitgliedsstaaten vereint bleiben und nach der Bewältigung dieser erneuten Herausforderung noch stärker auftreten, hieß es in einer Mitteilung Creţus vom Sonntag. Es sei ein schwieriger Moment für die EU und einen Großteil der britischen Bevölkerung. Die Londoner Regierung müsse das Ergebnis des Referendums schnellstens formell umsetzen, denn jegliche Verzögerung würde das Gefühl der Ungewissheit vertiefen, glaubt die Rumänin. Auch sie erwähnte Artikel 50 des EU-Vertrags: Sollten die Austrittsverhandlungen nach Aktivierung der Klausel nach 2 Jahren noch nicht abgeschlossen sein, würde Großbritannien automatisch die Union verlassen, ohne die Unterzeichnung eines neuen Vertrags.



    BUKAREST: Die militärische Zusammenarbeit und die Zusammenarbeit im Sicherheitsbereich zwischen Rumänien und Großbritannien werden fortgesetzt. Das erklärte am Sonntag Rumäniens Verteidigungsminister Mihnea Motoc vor dem Hintergrund des Brexit-Votums. Großbritannien werde außerdem innerhalb der NATO dieselbe Rolle spielen wie bisher. Am Samstagabend hatte Rumäniens Finanzministerin Anca Dragu bekräftigt, dass der Austritt Großbritanniens aus der EU keine Folgen für die rumänischen Finanzen haben werde. Die Devisenreserven des Landes seien beachtlich, ebenso die Finanzierungsquellen. Außerdem sei die Wirtschaft des Landes solide und könne jegliche Schocks bis zur Umsetzung des Referendums überwinden, so Dragu.



    SPORT: Rumäniens Degendamen haben bei der diesjährigen Europameisterschaft im polnischen Torun die Bronzemedaille gewonnen. Sie bezwangen Ungarn im kleinen Endspiel mit dem Gesamtergebnis von 27:19. Auch die Säbel-Herren holten Bronze, ebenfalls dank einem Sieg über Ungarn im Spiel um Platz 3. Das Endergebnis lautete 45:32 aus rumänischer Sicht. Bei der EM im schweizerischen Montreux vergangenes Jahr hatten Rumäniens Degendamen noch Gold geholt.

  • Athlete of the Week on RRI – Fencer Ana-Maria Popescu

    Athlete of the Week on RRI – Fencer Ana-Maria Popescu

    Last weekend the city of Barcelona in Spain played host to the womens World Cup epee competition. In the team event, Romania ranked 7th. In the womens singles however, Ana-Maria Popescu grabbed bronze. It was the best performance for a Romanian athlete in recent days, which is why we have designated Ana-Maria Popescu Athlete of the Week on RRI.



    The Beijing Olympic vice-champion entered the competition into the main draw, and eased past Josephine Jacques Andre Coquin of France in the first round, 13-10. In the second round, Ana-Maria Popescu defeated Tatiana Gudkova of Russia, 15-10, while in the quarterfinals she knocked out Violetta Kolobova of Russia, 15-8.



    In the semi-finals, Ana Maria Popescu lost to Mara Navarria of Italy, 9-8. Subsequently the Italian fencer won the tournament. Ana-Maria Popescu was born on November 26, 1984. Her first notable result in international competitions came in 2001, when she became world cadet champion in Poland. In 2002 she became world junior champion in Turkey. Also in 2002 she ranked 3rd at the seniors World Championships in Lisbon.



    At the 2004 Athens Olympics she ranked 16th. She made up for her poor performance four years later at the Beijing Olympics, where she walked away with silver. In 2010 and 2011 she was part of the Romanian womens epee team that won the world title. In 2013, at the European Championships in Croatia, Ana-Maria Popescu won gold in the singles competition and silver with Romanias national team. At the European Championships in 2014 in Strasbourg and in 2015 in Montreux, she won gold with Romanias team.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)