Radio România Internațional

Tag: champions

  • July 21, 2021

    July 21, 2021

    COVID-19 The number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Romania is relatively low, but authorities expect a slight increase in the coming period. 102 new infection cases and 2 related casualties were reported on Wednesday out of over 27,000 tests performed. 38 patients are in intensive care. As regards the anti-Covid vaccination, more than 16,600 people got immunized in the past 24 hours. 4.7 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated so far. Romania will continue, both independently and at EU level, to donate or re-sell some vaccine doses. This week a new donation to the Republic of Moldova is scheduled, after batches sent previously to Serbia, Ukraine, Argentina and Vietnam.



    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania convenes today in a meeting scheduled to focus, among other things, on a regulation concerning the provision of financial aid for the purchase of computers. The draft resolution regulates the issue of 200-euro vouchers to be distributed to youth, and the identification data required of the beneficiaries. The governments agenda also includes regulations concerning the annual budgets of several public institutions. PM Florin Cîţu said a resolution will also be passed in todays meeting, granting the funds for reconstruction works already initiated in the places affected by natural disasters since the beginning of the year. To address the damages occurring in the past few days, the PM requested a quick assessment so that the funds may be earmarked in the mid-year budget adjustment.



    MILITARY A military ceremony was held today in central Bucharest, at the Arch of Triumph, to mark the completion of the Romanian Armys mission in Afghanistan. President Klaus Iohannis decorated the battle flags of the Romanian units that took part in the NATO mission Resolute Support in Afghanistan. A moment of silence was observed, and the names of the 27 Romanian troops who died in that theatre of operations were recited. The head of state emphasized that the Romanian Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan will be remembered as the longest, most complex and most important military operation outside national borders since WW2. According to Iohannis, for 19 years over 32,000 troops took part in this mission.



    DEFICIT Romanias agri-food trade deficit went up nearly 66% in the first quarter of this year compared to the corresponding period of 2020. According to the Romanian Agriculture Ministry, in January – March 2021 Romania exported agricultural and food products worth 1.74 billion euro and spent almost 2.5 billion euro on importing such products.



    MIGRANTS Six migrants from Afghanistan, Syria and Algeria were caught by Romanian authorities in the last 24 hours trying to cross the border illegally into Hungary. According to the Romanian Border Police, 4 of the migrants were found in a lorry headed for the Netherlands, another one in a truck going to Denmark, while a 6th was trying to walk over the border. Investigations are under way in all 6 cases.



    FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj Tuesday defeated 2-1 away from home the Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar, in the second preliminary round of the Champions League. On Thursday CS Universitatea Craiova will take on the Albanian side KF Laci, while Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe will play against Spartak Trnava of Slovakia, in the second preliminary round of the newly created Europa Conference League. Also playing in the second preliminary round are Romanias vice-champions FCSB, who will take on Shahtior Karaganda of Kazakhstan. The first leg is scheduled for 22 July, and the second leg a week later.



    TENNIS Irina Bara (Romania) / Varvara Lepchenko (USA) Tuesday qualified in the quarter-finals of the doubles competition in Gdynia (Poland), after defeating 7-6 , 7-6 the Polish players Ania Hertel/Martyna Kubka. Bara and Lepchenko are to play next against seeds no. 3 Ana Danilina (Kazakhstan) / Lidia Morozova (Belarus). In the singles tournament, Bara is up against Kristina Kucova (Slovakia) in the 8th-finals, while another Romanian player, Irina Begu, seed no. 3, takes on Katarzyna Kawa of Poland. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    On Sunday in Rome, the European Junior Swimming Championships came to a close. The Romanian team came home with 3 gold medals and a silver one. All the 3 European champion titles went to16-year old David Popovici, who won the 50, 100 and 200 m freestyle races, setting new junior world records in the latter 2 events. The silver medal went to the mens freestyle relay team, which apart from Popovici also included Mihai Gergely, Ştefan Cozma and Patrick Dinu.



    The Romanian tennis player Elena Gabriela Ruse won her first WTA trophy this Sunday. She won the Hamburg tournament after defeating the German Andrea Petkovic, 7-6, 6-4 in the final. Ruse, number 198 in the world prior to this tournament, defeated among others seed no. 1 Daiana Iastremska of Ukraine. The Romanian won 299 WTA points, going up to 133 in the world ranking.



    In the second leg of the Champions League qualifying first round, Romanian football champions CFR Cluj are playing this Tuesday away from home against the Bosnian team Borac Banja Luka. CFR won 3 – 1 the first leg, played last week on home turf. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Cluj side missed the chance to win Romanias Super Cup, as they lost to Universitatea Craiova after penalty kicks.



    On Thursday, 15 July, Romanias football League One kicks off with a game between FC Botoşani and FCSB. On Friday, Academica Clinceni take on Sfântu Gheorghe away from home, while CFR Cluj play at home against FC “U Craiova. On Saturday, CS Mioveni take on Gaz Metan Mediaş, and Universitatea Craiova face FC Argeş on home turf. On Sunday, UTA Arad play at home against Farul Constanţa, while Rapid Bucureşti are pitted against Chindia Târgovişte. The leg concludes on Monday, 19 July, with Dinamo Bucharest vs. FC Voluntari. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    On Sunday in Rome, the European Junior Swimming Championships came to a close. The Romanian team came home with 3 gold medals and a silver one. All the 3 European champion titles went to16-year old David Popovici, who won the 50, 100 and 200 m freestyle races, setting new junior world records in the latter 2 events. The silver medal went to the mens freestyle relay team, which apart from Popovici also included Mihai Gergely, Ştefan Cozma and Patrick Dinu.



    The Romanian tennis player Elena Gabriela Ruse won her first WTA trophy this Sunday. She won the Hamburg tournament after defeating the German Andrea Petkovic, 7-6, 6-4 in the final. Ruse, number 198 in the world prior to this tournament, defeated among others seed no. 1 Daiana Iastremska of Ukraine. The Romanian won 299 WTA points, going up to 133 in the world ranking.



    In the second leg of the Champions League qualifying first round, Romanian football champions CFR Cluj are playing this Tuesday away from home against the Bosnian team Borac Banja Luka. CFR won 3 – 1 the first leg, played last week on home turf. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Cluj side missed the chance to win Romanias Super Cup, as they lost to Universitatea Craiova after penalty kicks.



    On Thursday, 15 July, Romanias football League One kicks off with a game between FC Botoşani and FCSB. On Friday, Academica Clinceni take on Sfântu Gheorghe away from home, while CFR Cluj play at home against FC “U Craiova. On Saturday, CS Mioveni take on Gaz Metan Mediaş, and Universitatea Craiova face FC Argeş on home turf. On Sunday, UTA Arad play at home against Farul Constanţa, while Rapid Bucureşti are pitted against Chindia Târgovişte. The leg concludes on Monday, 19 July, with Dinamo Bucharest vs. FC Voluntari. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • June 16, 2021 UPDATE

    June 16, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced on Wednesday 104 new SARS-CoV-2 cases for the past 24 hours, out of over 30,000 tests. Close to 1,000 people are hospitalised, with 192 patients currently in intensive care. Another 71 COVID-related deaths have also been reported, but only 18 of them occurred in the past 24 hours. Given the declining trend in the pandemic, the authorities are considering a return to normal activity in a growing number of hospitals. Meanwhile, the vaccine roll-out continues, although the pace is considerably slower than in previous months. Over the past 24 hours around 32,000 doses have been given, accounting for around one-third of the figures in peak periods. As many as 4.6 million Romanians have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and over 4.2 million of them have received both doses.



    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis
    Wednesday began a 2-day official visit to Estonia. He had a meeting in Tallin
    with his counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid, and will also have talks with PM Kaja
    Kallas and with the Estonian Parliament speaker Jüri Ratas. After the talks,
    the Romanian official announced having invited Estonia to take part in the
    Euro-Atlantic Centre for Resilience in Bucharest. Romania and Estonia share
    views and interests at EU level, which facilitates the close cooperation
    between our countries in relation to the current agenda and future priorities
    of the EU, Iohannis said. He also added that the talks tackled means to
    strengthen bilateral cooperation in the digital sector, in cyber security and
    AI, given Estonia’s experience in the field and the fact that Romania is
    hosting the EU’s new cyber centre. Kersti
    Kaljulaid said Estonia is very open to working with Romania in the digital
    sector.



    OMBUDSMAN Romanian MPs have endorsed the dismissal of Renate Weber as Ombudsman. She was appointed to office 2 years ago, when the Social Democrats were in power. The current right-of-centre parliamentary majority Tuesday rejected the institutions annual reports for the past 3 years. Renate Weber has been criticised for exceeding her powers, which resulted in breaches of the Constitution and of the legislation regulating the activity of the institution. The Social Democratic Party in opposition say they are considering taking the matter to the Constitutional Court, because in their view the Ombudsman has not broken the Constitution.



    TALKS The US president Joe Biden and his Russian
    counterpart Vladimir Putin had talks in Geneva on Wednesday, at a time of tense
    relations between the two countries. The meeting took under 4 hours, less than
    expected. The US-Russia
    relation must be stable and predictable, president Biden said in a separate
    press conference after the summit. He added he made it clear that his agenda
    was not against Russia, but that the US will continue to raise human rights issues.
    According to Biden, the last thing Putin wants now is a cold war. In turn, the
    Russian president described the meeting as constructive, with no hostility, and proved the 2 leaders’ desire
    to understand each other. Putin also said Russia and the US share
    a responsibility for nuclear stability and willhold
    talks on possible changes to their recently extended New START arms limitation
    treaty. News
    agencies also report that diplomats recalled earlier this year will return to
    post.



    MILITARY The Parliament of Romania approved the participation of Romanian troops and military equipment in the Takuba Task Force in Sahel, led by France. Romania will contribute 50 troops beginning the last quarter of this year, and the funds required for the participation will be supplied by the National Defence Ministry. In March 2020, a group of 13 countries announced the set-up of the Takuba Task Force designed to fight terrorist groups in the Liptako region in Africa.



    FOOTBALL According to the draw in Switzerland for the second preliminary round of the new football competition Europa Conference League, Romanias vice-champions FCSB will play against Shahtior Karaganda (Kazakhstan), while Romanian Cup winner Universitatea Craiova will take on the winner of the match pitting Lach (Albania) against FK Podgorica (Montenegro), in the first preliminary round. Another Romanian team, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, will play against the winner of the match between Spartak Trnava (Slovakia) and Mosta (Malta). Romanian champions CFR Cluj, in case they lose to Borac Banja Luka in the ChampionsLeague first preliminary round, will have to play in the second preliminary round of the Europa Conference League against the loser in the match pitting Zalgiris Vilnius (Lithuania) against Linfield Belfast (Northern Ireland). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • June 15, 2021

    June 15, 2021

    VISIT The
    president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to Estonia on
    Wednesday and Thursday, the Presidency announced. Iohannis will have talks with
    his Estonian counterpart, Kersti Kaljulaid, with PM Kaja Kallas, and with the
    Parliament speaker, Jüri Ratas. The agenda focuses on strengthening the
    bilateral relations, including economic and sectoral cooperation, with an
    emphasis on the digital sector, on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and on
    EU-related topics, such as the EU Recovery Plan, the green transition and the
    digital transition, the EU enlargement process, and developments in the
    Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The officials will also discuss the
    Romanian-Estonian cooperation within NATO, including in terms of security at
    the Black Sea and Baltic Sea, and cooperation as part of the Bucharest 9 and
    the Three Seas initiatives.



    COVID-19 Authorities reported on Tuesday 103 new coronavirus infection cases and
    96 COVID-19 related deaths, most of which however date back to previous months.
    Some 200 patients are in intensive care. Meanwhile, efforts to persuade people
    to get the vaccine are stepped up. Over 4.5 million people have received the
    COVID-19 vaccine since December, and more than 4.2 million have got both doses.



    CORRUPTION The coronavirus pandemic has fuelled corruption among EU citizens, less than half of whom believe the crisis has been transparently managed by the authorities, says a survey made public on Tuesday by Transparency International and quoted by AFP. According to the organisation, healthcare services are particularly affected by corruption. Although only 6% of the interviewees said they offered bribe in exchange for access to healthcare, 29% of them said they used personal connections to gain privileged access. The frequency of bribe in the healthcare sector, as reported by interviewees, is higher in Romania (22%) and Bulgaria (19%), whereas the use of personal connections is higher in the Czech Republic (54%) and Portugal (46%). The authors of the report call on EU governments to step up efforts to guarantee that the on-going pandemic is overcome in a fair and equitable manner. Over 40,000 of the citizens of the 27 EU member states took part in this European corruption barometer conducted in October – December 2020.



    MOTION In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies votes today on the simple motion against the minister for investments and EU-funded projects Cristian Ghinea, tabled by the Social Democrats in opposition. The motion signed by 82 Social Democratic Deputies was discussed in Parliament on Monday. The authors argue that minister Ghinea must be dismissed for his “managerial dilettantism, and that the National Resilience and Recovery Plan is a “disaster and “will destroy Romania for the next 5 years. Cristian Ghinea dismissed the motion as a collection of lies, fakes and self-conflicting claims, and says Romanias current EU fund absorption rate is 55%.



    COLECTIV The Bucharest Court of Appeals is trying today and tomorrow the case against the owners of the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest and the technicians who organised the fireworks that caused the fire that killed 64 people on the night of October 30 2015. On Monday, the Court decided to split the Colectiv case into two, with the former mayor, city hall employees and fire-fighters to be tried this autumn, separately from the club owners. In December 2019, all the defendants received prison sentences and were ordered to pay damages of nearly 50 million euro to the victims of the fire.



    FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj are finding out today their opponents in the Champions League first preliminary round. The draw takes place in Nyon (Switzerland). CFR Cluj will be the only Romanian team in the competition, after in 2021 they won their 4th consecutive football championship and their 7th ever. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • March 13, 2021 UPDATE

    March 13, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 On Saturday the Strategic Communication Group reported nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases in Romania, with 79 new deaths and over 1,200 patients in intensive care. The total number of infections so far is over 855,000, with the death toll standing at over 21,400. As of March 14, Romania extends the state of alert by another 30 days, amid growing numbers of COVID-19 cases. All restrictions valid so far will be maintained, and a night curfew will be in place between 10 pm and 5 am, one hour longer than at present. Accommodation facilities in mountain resorts will only be allowed to receive guests at 70% of their capacity. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout continues, with nearly 1.4 million people immunised since late December, most of them with the Pfizer vaccine. Romania has temporarily suspended the use of an AstraZeneca vaccine batch, but continues to use doses from other batches. The decision came after several European countries reported severe side effects and even deaths among people who have received doses from the respective batch.




    PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation said there are no reasons not to use the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, after several European countries announced they had suspended it as a precaution, according to WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris. The European Commission calls on states to follow the advice of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which says that so far nothing points to higher blood clot risks in people having received the AstraZeneca shots. Meanwhile, the “digital green passport project to be presented in Brussels on Wednesday will only take into account the COVID-19 vaccines authorised by the EMA, a senior EU official said on Friday. Four vaccines are authorised for use in the EU at this point–Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson. The Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, used in Hungary even by PM Viktor Orban, is not included, and neither is Russias Sputnik V, ordered by Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and under EMA assessment since March 4. Around the world, according to worldometers, over 119 million people have so far caught the virus. Some 95 million people recovered and more than 2.6 million died.




    FRIGATE The Romanian frigate ‘Regina Maria’ Saturday joined the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2), operating in the Black Sea. The frigate, with a crew of 238, will carry out NATO monitoring missions along with 5 other vessels from Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey, as part of SNMG-2, subordinated to the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM).




    CRASH An An-26 military aircraft flying from Kazakhstans capital city Nur-Sultan crashed on Saturday while landing on Almatî Airport. Four of the 6 people on board died, according to the countrys ministry for emergencies. The Russian news agency Interfax quoted one source as saying the aircraft was part of Kazahstans border service in the Committee for National Security.




    MOLDOVA The president of R. of Moldova Maia Sandu presented the government with a set of measures to help the economy overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Under the plan, small enterprises and farmers would have easier access to financial resources thanks to a Loan Guarantee Fund. Maia Sandu explained in a Facebook post that the Fund would be increased to over 1.5 billion Moldovan leu. Procedures will also be simplified, the Moldovan president promised, and added that she was counting on solidarity on everybodys part, including banks.




    HANDBALL The best Romanian womens handball teams, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea and CSM Bucharest, played on Saturday against each other in the second leg of the Champions League eighth-finals. The Bucharest side moved up into the quarter-finals, although they lost to SCM Ramnicu-Valcea 27-21. In the first leg, CSM Bucharest had won 33 – 24, playing away from home. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • March 13, 2021

    March 13, 2021

    COVID-19 On Saturday
    the Strategic Communication Group reported nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases in Romania,
    with 79 new deaths and over 1,200 patients in intensive care. The total number
    of infections so far is over 855,000, with the death toll standing at over
    21,400. As of March 14, Romania extends the state of alert by another 30 days,
    amid growing numbers of COVID-19 cases. All
    restrictions valid so far will be maintained, and a night curfew will be in
    place between 10 pm and 5 am, one hour longer than at present. Accommodation
    facilities in mountain resorts will only be allowed to receive guests at 70% of
    their capacity. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout continues, with nearly 1.4
    million people immunised since late December, most of them with the Pfizer
    vaccine. Romania has
    temporarily suspended the use of an AstraZeneca vaccine batch, but continues to
    use doses from other batches. The decision came after several European
    countries reported severe side effects and even deaths among people who have
    received doses from the respective batch.




    PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation said there are no reasons not to use the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, after several European countries announced they had suspended it as a precaution, according to WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris. The European Commission calls on states to follow the advice of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which says that so far nothing points to higher blood clot risks in people having received the AstraZeneca shots. Meanwhile, the “digital green passport project to be presented in Brussels on Wednesday will only take into account the COVID-19 vaccines authorised by the EMA, a senior EU official said on Friday. Four vaccines are authorised for use in the EU at this point–Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson. The Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, used in Hungary even by PM Viktor Orban, is not included, and neither is Russias Sputnik V, ordered by Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and under EMA assessment since March 4. Around the world, according to worldometers, over 119 million people have so far caught the virus. Some 95 million people recovered and more than 2.6 million died.




    ENERGY The Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu announced he will be in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, to discuss the restructuring of the Oltenia Power Compound. In December, the Romanian government notified the European Commission of the restructuring plan for the power production unit, which included state aid. On February 5, the EC announced launching an in-depth investigation into the state aid measure. The Oltenia Power Compound needs the Commissions approval by the end of April, if it is to receive state aid enabling it to pay the CO2 emission certificates for last year.




    FRIGATE The Romanian frigate ‘Regina Maria’ Saturday joined the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2), operating in the Black Sea. The frigate, with a crew of 238, will carry out NATO monitoring missions along with 5 other vessels from Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey, as part of SNMG-2, subordinated to the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM).




    DRUGS Romanian prosecutors with the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism and police officers with the Organised Crime Brigade seized over 1 kilo of cocaine and nearly 4,000 Ecstasy pills in Brasov, as part of a high-risk drug trafficking investigation. Eight people were apprehended, and for 6 of them the court has issued 30-day arrest warrants.




    HANDBALL The best Romanian womens handball teams, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea and CSM Bucharest, are playing today against each other in the second leg of the Champions League eighth-finals. In the first leg, the Bucharest side won 33 – 24, although playing away from home. The European handball federation has decided that all teams in the 2 groups should move on into the eighth-finals, as a result of many matches being postponed over the Covid-19 pandemic. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The new coronavirus strain discovered in the UK, and which spreads more easily, has been confirmed in Romania, in a 27-year old woman, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Friday. The patient, who has a mild form of the disease and is isolating at home, has not travelled abroad recently. Nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday, many of them in the capital Bucharest. The total number of cases since the onset of the pandemic is over 660,000. 1,100 patients are in intensive care, and the death toll exceeds 16,500. The Romanian Health Minister plans to streamline procedures for the set-up and authorisation of COVID-19 vaccination centres. Minister Vlad Voiculescu announced the relevant legislation is being amended to this end. PM Florin Cîţu said in a post that Romanias vaccination capacity is growing from one day to the next, and explains the number of centres is soon expected to reach 1,000, with a combined capacity of 150,000 vaccine doses per day. So far over 92,000 people have received the vaccine in Romania.




    VACCINE The EU has signed a new deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for the purchase of another 300 million doses of anti-Covid vaccine, in addition to the 300 million already bought, said the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen quoted by DPA. According to the EU official, 75 million doses would be delivered in the second quarter of the year. The EU started rolling out the vaccine produced by the German-US consortium Pfizer-BioNTec in December. The EU has also approved the Moderna vaccine and is waiting for the delivery of the first 160 million doses. The European Commission has been criticised for the slow pace of the immunization campaign addressing its 450 million citizens.




    BUDGET The European Commission has again cautioned the centre-right government in Bucharest that it has to keep budget deficit in check, after expenditures soared in 2020 whereas incomes went down against the background of the health crisis. We are expecting a robust 2021 budget from Romania, the vice-president of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said in a phone talk with the Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare. The Romanian official pledged that investments and EU fund absorption remain top priorities. Minister Nazare said Bucharest plans a gradual narrowing of the deficit starting this year, so that it may reach 3% of the GDP in 2024.




    TEEN PREGNANCIES Romania ranks 2nd in the EU by number of teenage births, which has serious consequences on teenage mothers as well as social and economic costs, according to a report released by UNICEF and SAMAS Association in Romania. Adolescent childbearing is recurring within families from one generation to the other, and is linked with poverty and with poor health services and social-economic status. According to the report, in 2019 Romania had nearly 17,000 teenage pregnancies. Recommendations include legislative and administrative reforms to remove barriers to underage access to reproductive health and information and the introduction of mandatory reproductive health classes in schools.




    SPORTS The womens handball side CSM Bucharest is playing on Saturday against the Hungarian team Ferencvaros, away from home, in the Champions League Group A. In the first leg of the round, the Romanians won 25-19. CSM Bucharest ranks 2nd in Group A with 11 points, with Ferencvaros coming 4th with 8 points. On Sunday, Romanian womens handball champions SCM Ramnicu Valcea, take on several times European champions Györ, in the competitions Group B. The Romanian team is 8th in the group, with no points after 5 games.




    US The outgoing US president Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will not take part in the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. Trump will be the second US president to decline attending his successors inauguration, after Andrew Johnson in 1869. The announcement came hours after Trump had promised a smooth transition for president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, in a video posted on Twitter where he said he was ‘outraged by the lawlessness, violence and mayhem’ caused by his supporters who stormed the US Capitol. In Congress, the Democrats called on Vice-president Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove Trump in the wake of the violent events on January 6th, in which 5 people were killed. The US Capitols security chief and other members of his administration resigned following the riot, in order to protest the violence. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • November 20, 2020 UPDATE

    November 20, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romania saw 9,272 new coronavirus cases on Friday, with the total number now passing 400,000. 160 new deaths were also reported, the death toll now standing at 9,765. Around 70% of the COVID-19 patients in Romania have so far recovered. Bucharest has run out of intensive care beds and a number of patients were taken to hospitals in other cities. The capacity of ICUs is set to increase in the forthcoming period, health minister Nelu Tătaru said. Local lockdowns were imposed in places with a spike in cases. President Klaus Iohannis announced that on Monday he would have talks with the health, defence and interior ministers, to clarify all the aspects related to the anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which he sees as a matter of national security. He added that the latest data allows for “moderated optimism, and called for strict observance of the measures introduced by the authorities.



    PANDEMIC Global coronavirus cases passed 57.5 million and fatalities 1.3 million, with over 39 million patients recovered so far, according to Worldometers.info. US president elect Joe Biden said he would not order a national lockdown to fight the pandemic, despite cases soaring in the US over the last few weeks. The country has so far reported over 12 million cases and at least 258,000 deaths. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the Union could approve two Covid vaccines by the end of the year, made by Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna. South Tyrol, an autonomous province in northern Italy, Friday started a massive screening campaign, with 70% of the population to be tested. In turn, Austria announced mass testing in December and January, to prevent new lockdown periods. The Regional Director for Europe at the World Health Organisation, Hans Kluge, said one person dies every 17 seconds from Covid-19 in Europe, where the general mortality rate rose by almost one-fifth in the last two weeks.



    FACE MASKS Romania has so far issued four safety notifications for non-conforming face masks made in China, the National Consumer Protection Authority said Friday. The products in question are not certified as protective equipment by a relevant body, so it is possible they do not meet the health and safety requirements in place. The notifications were received by the EU rapid alert system for non-food products, also known as RAPEX. The authorities have recommended that such products be withdrawn from the market and have warned sellers to consult the consumer protection and RAPEX websites before marketing them to make sure they are not banned. Recently, the National Consumer Protection Authority withdrew over 31 million protective face masks after checks conducted across the country.



    EU BUDGET EU leaders meeting in video conference format on Thursday night failed to reach a breakthrough in talks on the bloc’s future multiannual budget, following opposition from Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, who don’t agree with the idea of linking funding to the rule of law. The EU leaders also discussed the management of the coronavirus pandemic with a focus on the mutual recognition of the results of Covid tests, the progress made in developing a vaccine and a joint approach to lifting restrictions. Romania was represented by president Klaus Iohannis, who, prior to the meting, had a telephone conversation with German chancellor Angela Merkel. Iohannis said Romania constantly supported the need to finalise the talks on the EU multiannual budget and the economic recovery plan as soon as possible. He also emphasised that the mutual recognition of Covid tests facilitates free movement within the EU and called for an efficient communication campaign with respect to vaccination against the novel coronavirus.



    COOPERATION The EU is looking forward to working with the US president-elect, Joe Biden, on issues like the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference on Friday. She also voiced hopes that the G20 summit due this weekend will be “a new beginning for multilateralism. And while the United States has resisted engaging on this topic so far. I’m very hopeful now with the new president elect that this will change, the EU official also said, although the summit will be attended by the outgoing president Donald Trump. Ursula von der Leyen said she would call on the Unions G20 partners to step up economic efforts to provide access to COVID-19 vaccine and treatment for poorer countries as well. The goal is to purchase 2 billion vaccine doses for countries with below-average revenues, the EU executive said.



    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side CSM Bucharest on Thursday night lost to the Russian side Rostov on Don in a Champions League Group A match. CSM were initially due to play at the weekend against SC BBM Bietigheim from Germany, but the match was postponed after the German side was quarantined. This was the CSM’s final match in 2020, finishing the year second in their group behind Rostov. In Group B, CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea have lost all of their matches so far and will not be playing another match this year. The competition breaks up after this weekend for the European Championships held in Denmark and will be resumed in January. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • November 19, 2020

    November 19, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania Thursday reported 10,108 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of cases so far up to 394,000. Nearly 70% of them have so far recovered. The most cases were reported in Bucharest and the counties of Constanţa (south-east) and Cluj (north-west). Another 167 coronavirus-related deaths were also reported, and the number of patients in intensive care is 1,131. The pandemic has put the spotlight on the long-standing structural flaws of Romanias healthcare system, president Klaus Iohannis said. On Wednesday he met with officials and experts involved in the management of medical equipment, who presented reports on the infrastructure and failures in the national healthcare sector.



    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers held online. According to the Foreign Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will voice support for strengthening the EU-USA partnership, emphasising that only by consolidating trans-Atlantic ties can current and future global challenges be managed properly. The Romanian official will also emphasise that efficient multilateralism relies on compliance with international law and democratic values, and on the cooperation between countries that share the same views. Aurescu will also present an assessment of the presidential election in the Republic of Moldova, with a focus on the victory of the pro-European candidate Maia Sandu and its implications for the relation between the EU and Chisinau.



    EU BUDGET The European Parliament announced it would make no concession as regards the rule of law, on which the allocation of EU funding will depend as of next year. This is a response to proposals from some member states regarding a compromise with Hungary and Poland, which are disgruntled with the new conditions. On Monday they vetoed the endorsement of the Unions multiannual budget and the economic recovery plan post-COVID-19. Polands PM Mateusz Morawiecki explained that his countrys position on making funds conditional on compliance with the rule of law is designed to avoid arbitrary measures. In turn, the Hungarian PM Viktor Orban spoke about Brussels blackmailing the countries that oppose immigration. The EU budget for the forthcoming 7 years and the economic recovery plan are discussed today by the EU heads of state and government. The combined financial effort amounts to over 1,800 billion euro.



    PANDEMIC The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide is over 56.6 million, and the death toll exceeds 1.3 million, according to worldometers.info updates. The US reports over one-fifth of the total number of deaths (over 250,000). As the healthcare community focuses on producing a vaccine, the final assessments run by the US company Pfizer and the German company BioNTech point to a 95% protection rate. The head of the World Health Organisation Emergencies Programme, Mike Ryan, warned however that the vaccine will not be available in time to fight for the second wave of the pandemic. Meanwhile, UNICEF Thursday called for averting a lost generation as COVID-19 threatens to cause irreversible harm to childrens education, nutrition and well-being.



    SPORTS Romanias national football team last night drew 1-all with Northern Ireland in Belfast, in the last match in the UEFA Nations League. Romania came out 3rd in Group B, meeting its goal of being allocated in Pot 2 of the 2022 World Cup qualifying draw. Romanias U-21 team managed to qualify for the 2nd consecutive time in the final tournament of the relevant European Championship. In womens handball, CSM Bucharest take on Russian side Rostov on Don at home tonight, in the Champions League Group A. CSM and Rostov currently top the group rankings. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    With 2 matches played in the Euro 2022 qualifiers, Romanias mens handball team ranks second in Group 8. Romania was defeated by Sweden in Gothenburg on Thursday night, 30-33, and won the following match, 36-27 against Montenegro in Baia Mare, on Sunday. On the same day, Sweden beat Kosovo, in Prishtina, 30-16. Sweden is top of the group with 4 points, followed by Romania with 2, Montenegro, also 2 points, and Kosovo with 0 points.



    Romanias next game will be on March 10, away from home, against Kosovo. Twenty-four countries will take part in the 2022 European Handball Championship. Defending champions Spain and vice-champions Croatia are already qualified, and so are the host countries Hungary and Slovakia. The top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 teams ranking 3rd in their group will also move on into the final tournament. Romania last took part in a European handball championship in 1996, in Spain, where it came out 9th.



    In womens handball, CSM Bucharest outplayed the Slovenian side RK Krim Ljubljana, 25-23, away from home on Saturday night, in the Champions League Group A. also on Saturday, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria was, surprisingly, defeated in Budapest by SG BBM Bietigheim, 35-24, while Rostov-on-Don beat Team Esbjerg, 28-24. The game pitting Vipers Kristiansand against Metz Handball was postponed. After Saturdays leg, CSM Bucharest ranks first in the group with 10 points out of 6 games, followed by Rostov-on-Don with 9p in 5 games, Vipers Kristiansand, 7p in 4 games, Metz Handball, 6p in 5 games, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, 4p in 5 games, Team Esbjerg and RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana – 3p (6 games), and SG BBM Bietigheim, 2p (7 games). CSM Bucharest is next to take on Krim, at home on November 14.



    The Romanian player Bernadette Szocs left the Table Tennis World Cup in Weihai (China), after she was defeated in the 8th-finals by Chinas Meng Chen, 4 – 0. Bernadette Szocs had to self-isolate for 15 days in order to take part in the tournament. She had come out 2nd in the qualifier groups, after losing a match to Hyo-won Suh (South Korea), 2-4, and winning against Dina Meshref (Egypt), 4 – 3.



    In Romanian football League One, matches were played this weekend, counting for the 10th round. Top of the standings so far as FCSB and Universitatea Craiova, with 24 points each, followed by CFR Cluj with 21 points. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    With 2 matches played in the Euro 2022 qualifiers, Romanias mens handball team ranks second in Group 8. Romania was defeated by Sweden in Gothenburg on Thursday night, 30-33, and won the following match, 36-27 against Montenegro in Baia Mare, on Sunday. On the same day, Sweden beat Kosovo, in Prishtina, 30-16. Sweden is top of the group with 4 points, followed by Romania with 2, Montenegro, also 2 points, and Kosovo with 0 points.



    Romanias next game will be on March 10, away from home, against Kosovo. Twenty-four countries will take part in the 2022 European Handball Championship. Defending champions Spain and vice-champions Croatia are already qualified, and so are the host countries Hungary and Slovakia. The top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 teams ranking 3rd in their group will also move on into the final tournament. Romania last took part in a European handball championship in 1996, in Spain, where it came out 9th.



    In womens handball, CSM Bucharest outplayed the Slovenian side RK Krim Ljubljana, 25-23, away from home on Saturday night, in the Champions League Group A. also on Saturday, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria was, surprisingly, defeated in Budapest by SG BBM Bietigheim, 35-24, while Rostov-on-Don beat Team Esbjerg, 28-24. The game pitting Vipers Kristiansand against Metz Handball was postponed. After Saturdays leg, CSM Bucharest ranks first in the group with 10 points out of 6 games, followed by Rostov-on-Don with 9p in 5 games, Vipers Kristiansand, 7p in 4 games, Metz Handball, 6p in 5 games, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, 4p in 5 games, Team Esbjerg and RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana – 3p (6 games), and SG BBM Bietigheim, 2p (7 games). CSM Bucharest is next to take on Krim, at home on November 14.



    The Romanian player Bernadette Szocs left the Table Tennis World Cup in Weihai (China), after she was defeated in the 8th-finals by Chinas Meng Chen, 4 – 0. Bernadette Szocs had to self-isolate for 15 days in order to take part in the tournament. She had come out 2nd in the qualifier groups, after losing a match to Hyo-won Suh (South Korea), 2-4, and winning against Dina Meshref (Egypt), 4 – 3.



    In Romanian football League One, matches were played this weekend, counting for the 10th round. Top of the standings so far as FCSB and Universitatea Craiova, with 24 points each, followed by CFR Cluj with 21 points. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • October 25, 2020 UPDATE

    October 25, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Bucharest is considering the reintroduction of night curfews in several parts of the country, the PM Ludovic Orban said after 3 counties in central Romania (Alba, Cluj and Harghita) as well as the capital Bucharest have passed 3 infections per thousand inhabitants this week. According to the most recent national update, 3,855 new cases and 73 deaths were reported in 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 6,391. Over 800 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care. Romania is one of the 23 European countries where the pandemic causes serious concern at EU level, both in terms of the daily infection numbers among the elderly, and in terms of the death rate, which is the second-highest in Europe.



    PANDEMIC Spain decided on Sunday to declare a state of emergency and to order lockdowns across the country, as the number of COVID-19 cases is again rising at a fast pace. This will be the second time a state of emergency is declared in Spain, after one that lasted from March until June. A growing number of countries have introduced new restrictions to help contain the pandemic. Spain and France are seeing the largest numbers of infections, over 1 million cases each, out of the total 8.5 million reported in Europe as a whole. Across Europe, the number of COVID-19 related deaths has passed 260,000.



    VISIT The PM of Romania Ludovic Orban will be on an official visit to France on Monday and Tuesday. According to the Romanian Government, Ludovic Orban will have meetings with his French counterpart Jean Castex, with the speakers of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, and the Senate, Gerard Larcher, and with the leader of the centre-right party ‘Les Republicains’, Christian Jacob. The Romanian PM will also take part in a meeting of the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and will have official talks with the OECD secretary general Angel Gurria. The visit also includes a meeting with members of the Romanian community in France.



    KING In Bucharest, an international sculpture competition was officially launched on Sunday, for a statue of Michael I, the last king of Romania. The statue will be place next year in Sinaia, a mountain town that was the royal residence during the rule of Romanias first king, Carol I. The ceremony was organised on the day when Romania marks 99 years since the birth of King Michael I. Romanias last sovereign died on December 5, 2017.



    HANDBALL The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest Sunday defeated the German side SG BBM Bietigheim, 32-22, away from home, in the Champions League Group A. CSM tops the group at present. The other Romanian team in the competition, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, was scheduled to play at home on Saturday against the german club BV Borussia 09 Dortmund, but the match was postponed after several members of the Vȃlcea team tested positive for Covid-19. SCM Ramnicu Vâlcea is ranking last in Group B of the Champions League. The top 4 teams in each group qualify into the competitions quarter-finals. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 29, 2020 UPDATE

    February 29, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID19 Romania has 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, with the patients current state reported as good. Another 52 people are quarantined across the country, and 8,796 are under home monitoring. The healthcare authorities in the counties Timiş in the west and Maramureş in the north-west are running investigations to establish the people who were in contact with the 2 persons who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. Both of them had travelled to Italy recently. The first patient in Romania, a 25 year old man from Gorj County, in the south, is feeling well, and Fridays tests came out negative, doctors say. If the next test is also negative, the patient will be discharged. In Europe, Italy remains the most affected country. As the epidemic spread, stock exchanges across the world reported total losses of over 5 trillion US dollars. The BBC says the US financial markets have not been hit so hard since the 2008 financial crisis. Investors fear that the growing number of coronavirus cases outside China may turn the disease into a pandemic.



    AFGHANISTAN Romania welcomes Saturdays agreement signed by the USA and the Taliban for the normalisation of the situation in Afghanistan, as well as the joint declaration between Washington and Kabul for bringing peace to Afghanistan, the Romanian foreign ministry announced. Romania voices confidence that full implementation of these agreements will lead to stability in Afghanistan. According to the foreign ministry, Bucharest will continue to support the efforts to ensure peace and security in Afghanistan, coordinating with its NATO allies. The US and the Taliban Saturday signed in Doha, Qatar, a historic agreement that paves the way for the withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan in the next 14 months and for inter-Afghan peace negotiations after 18 years of war.



    EUROVISION Buzau, in the south-east of the country, is hosting on Sunday the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The public and a specialised jury will choose the song to be performed in the 2020 Rotterdam international competition by Romanias representative, Roxen. Several pieces have been written for her, and the best 5 of them are in the national final. Roxen gained popularity last summer with her song You Dont Love Me, aired in France, Mexico, the USA, Russia, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Estonia. Roxen will compete in the Eurovision first semi-final on May 12, with the final scheduled for May 16.



    MIGRANTS Greece prevented 4,000 migrants to enter its territory “illegally from Turkey, a spokesman for the Greek government announced on Saturday after an emergency meeting chaired by PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, AFP and Reuters report. On Friday, the country faced a mass, organised and illegal border crossing attempt, but it managed to overcome it, the government spokesperson explained. He added that Greece protected its borders and the borders of the EU. Also on Saturday, in an address in Istanbul, Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will open its borders to enable migrants to leave, and criticised the EU for not helping Ankara enough. Turkey says it was forced to ease border controls for the refugees trying to reach the EU from Turkey, because of the pressure of the refugees coming from Syria amid clashes in the rebel stronghold of Idlib.



    RUSSIA Thousands of Russian opposition supporters gathered in Moscow on Saturday to protest the constitutional reforms initiated by president Vladimir Putin and to pay tribute to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, murdered 5 years ago near Kremlin, AFP reports. In Sankt-Petersburg, nearly 2,000 people rallied in the centre of the city. The authorised march is the first important public gathering since Putin announced a Constitution review set to strengthen the role of the president and of the State Council. The killing of Boris Nemtsov in February 2015 had huge echoes in Russia and abroad. Nemtsov was in the middle of an investigation into the involvement of the Russian Army in the east Ukraine war.



    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Ramnicu Valcea, Saturday defeated the Swedish side Savehof, 28-20 at home, in the Champions League Main Group 2. In Main Group 1 in the same competition, vice-champions CSM Bucharest play away from home on Sunday against the French team Metz. The Romanian teams are ranking 4th in their respective groups and CSM is the only one having secured a place in the quarter-finals. In mens handball, champions Dinamo Bucharest take on Sporting Lisbon, on Sunday night, after a 26-25 win away from home. If they go past the Portuguese team, Dinamo move into the Champions League round of 16.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 29, 2020

    February 29, 2020

    COVID19 Romania has 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, with the patients current state reported as good. Another 52 people are quarantined across the country, and 8,796 under home monitoring. The healthcare authorities in the counties Timiş in the west and Maramureş in the north-west are running investigations to establish the people who were in contact with the 2 persons who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. Both of them had travelled to Italy recently. The first patient in Romania, a 25 year old man from Gorj County, in the south, is feeling well, and Fridays tests came out negative, doctors say. If the next test is also negative, the patient will be discharged. In Europe, Italy remains the most affected country. As the epidemic spread, stock exchanges across the world reported total losses of over 5 trillion US dollars. The BBC says the US financial markets have not been hit so hard since the 2008 financial crisis. Investors fear that the growing number of coronavirus cases outside China may turn the disease into a pandemic.



    ARREST The former healthcare minister in the Social Democratic government Sorina Pintea, currently the manager of the Baia Mare Emergency Hospital in the north-west of the country, was detained on Saturday by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for continuing bribe taking. According to the DNA, between December 2019 and February 28, this year, Pintea received 10,000 euros and 25,000 euros from a business operator, in 2 instalments, accounting for 7% of the value of a public procurement contract concerning the design and building of a cardiovascular and thoracic surgery unit. The contract was signed in 2019 by the hospital with the company in question. Pintea allegedly received the money in exchange for completing some of her duties as a manager and authorising officer, anti-corruption prosecutors say. They requested the Bucharest Court to approve a 30-day pre-trial arrest order against Pintea. Sorina Pintea was a healthcare minister in Viorica Dancilas left-wing government dismissed last October.



    DISEASE Romania has too few doctors able to diagnose rare diseases, experts warn today, the International Rare Disease Day. They say investments in medical equipment in the field of genetics, which are vital for accurate diagnoses, are scarce. Physicians also warn that rare disease patients and their families face severe challenges in terms of access to care. So far more than 6,000 different rare diseases have been identified, most of which are without treatment across the world. In Romania, such diseases are underdiagnosed.



    MIGRANTS Greece prevented 4,000 migrants to enter its territory “illegally from Turkey, a spokesman for the Greek government announced on Saturday after an emergency meeting chaired by PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, AFP and Reuters report. On Friday, the country faced a mass, organised and illegal border crossing attempt, but it managed to overcome it, the government spokesperson explained. He added that Greece protected its borders and the borders of the EU. Also on Saturday, in an address in Istanbul, Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will open its borders to enable migrants to leave, and criticised the EU for not helping Ankara enough. Turkey says it was forced to ease border controls for the refugees trying to reach the EU from Turkey, because of the pressure of the refugees coming from Syria amid clashes in the rebel stronghold of Idlib.



    SLOVAKIA Slovakia is voting on Saturday for a new Parliament, hoping to fight corruption, frequently linked to the populist, left-of-centre ruling party Smer-SD. The vote may be crucial for the history of the country, which is still outraged by the murder of anti-corruption journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee in 2018, AFP reports. His killing, ordered by a businessman with political connections, mobilised the public, and polls suggest that the ruling party Smer-SD is running shoulder to shoulder with the centre-right opposition party OLaNO, which turned the fight against corruption into its rallying call. The double murder in 2018 triggered massive street protests against the government, and prime minister Robert Fico had to resign.



    RUSSIA Hundreds of Russian opposition supporters gathered in Moscow on Saturday to protest the constitutional reforms initiated by president Vladimir Putin and to pay tribute to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, murdered 5 years ago near Kremlin, AFP reports. In Sankt-Petersburg, nearly 2,000 people rallied in the centre of the city. The authorised march is the first important public gathering since Putin announced a Constitution review set to strengthen the role of the president and of the State Council. The killing of Boris Nemtsov in February 2015 had huge echoes in Russia and abroad. Nemtsov was in the middle of an investigation into the involvement of the Russian Army in the east Ukraine war.



    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Ramnicu Valcea, play today at home against the Swedish side Savehof, in the Champions League Main Group 2. In Main Group 1 in the same competition, vice-champions CSM Bucharest play away from home on Sunday against the French team Metz. The Romanian teams are ranking 4th in their respective groups and CSM is the only one having secured a place in the quarter-finals. In mens handball, champions Dinamo Bucharest take on Sporting Lisbon, on Sunday night, after a 26-25 win away from home. If they go past the Portuguese team, Dinamo move into the Champions League round of 16.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)