Radio România Internațional

Tag: Championship

  • Olympic Prospects 2020

    Olympic Prospects 2020

    One of the youngest members of Romanias Olympic team is cyclist Vlad Dascălu. He qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2019, when he won the World Championship, the World Cup and the European Championship in U23 cross-country mountain bike.



    Vlad Dascălu was born in the village of Buda, near Fălticeni, in Suceava County, in the north, on December 7, 1997. At the age of 9, he moved with his parents to Spain. It was there that he got his first bike, at 10 years of age. According to the home page of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Vlad was first introduced to a cycling circuit at the age of 14. At 16 he took part in his first cross-country race and he came out second, which is the moment that actually shaped his future sports career. Only a year later, at the European championship for juniors, he finished the 6th.



    When he was 18, he came to Romania and won the national mountain bike championship, the Cross-Country Olympic event, although he was only taking part as an amateur, without being a member of any team. He was immediately recruited by Dinamo BikeXpert Superbet, and a string of major performances followed. He travelled regularly from Spain to Romania to train with his team, he won World Cup points and started being noticed by top-class teams.



    In 2018 he signed a contract with Brujula Bike Racing Team in Spain, with which in July 2019, in Brno, the Czech Republic, he won the European Youth Championship in the U23 category. A month later, in Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada, he won the world title in the same category. He also had an excellent run at the World Cup, where he won 4 out of the 7 stages of the competition.



    These performances made him the cyclist of the year 2019 in Romania.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Olympic Prospects 2020

    Olympic Prospects 2020

    One of the youngest members of Romanias Olympic team is cyclist Vlad Dascălu. He qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2019, when he won the World Championship, the World Cup and the European Championship in U23 cross-country mountain bike.



    Vlad Dascălu was born in the village of Buda, near Fălticeni, in Suceava County, in the north, on December 7, 1997. At the age of 9, he moved with his parents to Spain. It was there that he got his first bike, at 10 years of age. According to the home page of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Vlad was first introduced to a cycling circuit at the age of 14. At 16 he took part in his first cross-country race and he came out second, which is the moment that actually shaped his future sports career. Only a year later, at the European championship for juniors, he finished the 6th.



    When he was 18, he came to Romania and won the national mountain bike championship, the Cross-Country Olympic event, although he was only taking part as an amateur, without being a member of any team. He was immediately recruited by Dinamo BikeXpert Superbet, and a string of major performances followed. He travelled regularly from Spain to Romania to train with his team, he won World Cup points and started being noticed by top-class teams.



    In 2018 he signed a contract with Brujula Bike Racing Team in Spain, with which in July 2019, in Brno, the Czech Republic, he won the European Youth Championship in the U23 category. A month later, in Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada, he won the world title in the same category. He also had an excellent run at the World Cup, where he won 4 out of the 7 stages of the competition.



    These performances made him the cyclist of the year 2019 in Romania.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 4, 2020

    August 4, 2020

    COVID-19 The total number of COVID-19 cases in Romania since the start of the pandemic 5 months ago is now over 55,000, and the authorities announced 1,232 new cases in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 2,480, with a record-high number of deaths reported on Tuesday—48. More than 7,771 people are hospitalised, 436 of them in intensive care. Of the Romanians living abroad, 5,571 have tested positive for COVID-19, most of them in Germany and Italy, but the number of deaths stays at 123. The health minister Nelu Tătaru warns that Romania is at a stage of extensive community spread of the novel coronavirus, and says that unless protection rules are observed, intensive care units will be overwhelmed, and what happened in Italy and Spain in March and April may well happen in Romania now. Nelu Tătaru added that public healthcare directorates, which are at the frontline of epidemiological triage, have enough staff after the posting of school doctors and nurses.



    PANDEMIC Meanwhile, the total number of Covid-19 cases worldwide has reached 18.5 million, and the number of deaths is over 697,000, according to ”Johns Hopkins” University. Figures are also on the rise as regards the number of patients having recovered since the start of the pandemic—nearly 11.7 million. At present Latin America and the Caribbean are reporting more than 5 million cases and 200,000 deaths. Columbia now comes before the UK to 10th place in the world in terms of the number of infections. The US, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa are the hardest hit countries. In Europe, Spain and France are introducing compulsory face covering outdoors as well, in a move to avoid complete lockdown. Tourists traveling to Greece have to wear protection masks both inside, and on the decks of the ferries taking them to the islands. World Health Organisation officials warn that a miraculous solution for the novel coronavirus may never be found, although research for a vaccine is beginning to yield results.



    CORRUPTION The former head of the National Water Management Agency Victor Sandu has been taken into custody by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for bribe-taking. He is probed into for reportedly receiving one million euros in bribes for earmarking the funds required for the provision of services by a specific private company. A businessman is also being detained in the same investigation, under charges of bribe-giving, while the managers of 2 private companies are under court supervision. Specifically, the former agency director received the money for a number of river management contracts in Bihor County. Two companies controlled by an associate of Victor Sandu issued invoices for goods and services that were never actually provided. Prosecutors are today requesting the Bacau County Court to approve a 30-day pre-trial arrest warrant against Victor Sandu and the businessman.



    TRAINING Until August 7, around 200 navy troops from Romania, Bulgaria and the US are training as part of the 11th Eurasian Partnership Mine Countermeasure Dive 2020, hosted by the Romanian Navy. The main focus of the exercise is on countering underwater threats, by means of mine search and destruction scenarios. Eurasian Partnership Mine Countermeasure Dive 2020 is the only annual multinational exercise organized in the Black Sea Waters in order to consolidate the training of NATO military divers.



    FOOTBALL CFR Cluj won their 3rd consecutive national football championship, after defeating Universitatea Craiova away from home on Monday night, 3-1, in a decisive match for the League I trophy. CFR are now 6 times champions, whereas Universitatea Craiova missed the chance of winning the title after a 29 year wait. Still, this is the best run for Craiova since their comeback to Romanias top football league.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Sports Weekend

    Sports Weekend

    On Thursday, Vienna hosted the drawing of the Euro 2020 European Womens Handball Championship groups. The matches are scheduled to take place in December in Norway and Denmark.



    Romanias team is playing in Group D, alongside Norway, Germany and Poland. Group D matches will be played in Trondheim, Norway, and so will Group C matches, with the defending world champions Netherlands, and Hungary, Serbia and Croatia as protagonists.



    Groups A and B matches will take place in Denmark. The defending European champions, France, will play in Group A, in Herning, against Denmark, Montenegro and Slovenia. Olympic champions Russia are the stars in Group B, scheduled to play in Frederikshavn, opposite Sweden, Spain and the Czech Republic.



    The top 3 teams in each group will move forward into the main groups. Romanias womens handball team qualified straight into the EHF EURO 2020 after the remaining matches were cancelled by the Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation in March, over the coronavirus pandemic.



    Four legs in the qualifying series were outstanding at that point, and Romania had won 2 matches out of 2, in a group that also included Poland, Ukraine and the Faroe Islands. In the previous edition of the European Championship, held in 2018, Romania came out 4th. In the history of the competition, Romania only won one medal, a bronze one, in 2010, an edition hosted once again by Norway and Denmark.



    We move on to football now. This week saw the 4th round of the Romanian League One playouts. On Tuesday, FC Voluntari won 2-1 away from home against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. On Wednesday, in Ploiesti, Chindia Târgoviște also won 2-1 against Viitorul Constanța. On Thursday, Academica Clinceni outperformed Poli Iași, 1-0 away from home. The match pitting FC Hermannstadt against Dinamo will be rescheduled.



    The 4th round of the playoffs will take place over the weekend. One match on Friday, Universitatea Craiova vs Astra Giurgiu. On Saturday FC Botoșani takes on CFR Cluj, while on Sunday in Bucharest FCSB plays against Gaz Metan Mediaș.



    Top of the current standings are Cluj, with 33 points, followed by FCSB and Craiova, with 26 points each.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Sports Weekend

    Sports Weekend

    On Thursday, Vienna hosted the drawing of the Euro 2020 European Womens Handball Championship groups. The matches are scheduled to take place in December in Norway and Denmark.



    Romanias team is playing in Group D, alongside Norway, Germany and Poland. Group D matches will be played in Trondheim, Norway, and so will Group C matches, with the defending world champions Netherlands, and Hungary, Serbia and Croatia as protagonists.



    Groups A and B matches will take place in Denmark. The defending European champions, France, will play in Group A, in Herning, against Denmark, Montenegro and Slovenia. Olympic champions Russia are the stars in Group B, scheduled to play in Frederikshavn, opposite Sweden, Spain and the Czech Republic.



    The top 3 teams in each group will move forward into the main groups. Romanias womens handball team qualified straight into the EHF EURO 2020 after the remaining matches were cancelled by the Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation in March, over the coronavirus pandemic.



    Four legs in the qualifying series were outstanding at that point, and Romania had won 2 matches out of 2, in a group that also included Poland, Ukraine and the Faroe Islands. In the previous edition of the European Championship, held in 2018, Romania came out 4th. In the history of the competition, Romania only won one medal, a bronze one, in 2010, an edition hosted once again by Norway and Denmark.



    We move on to football now. This week saw the 4th round of the Romanian League One playouts. On Tuesday, FC Voluntari won 2-1 away from home against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. On Wednesday, in Ploiesti, Chindia Târgoviște also won 2-1 against Viitorul Constanța. On Thursday, Academica Clinceni outperformed Poli Iași, 1-0 away from home. The match pitting FC Hermannstadt against Dinamo will be rescheduled.



    The 4th round of the playoffs will take place over the weekend. One match on Friday, Universitatea Craiova vs Astra Giurgiu. On Saturday FC Botoșani takes on CFR Cluj, while on Sunday in Bucharest FCSB plays against Gaz Metan Mediaș.



    Top of the current standings are Cluj, with 33 points, followed by FCSB and Craiova, with 26 points each.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 17, 2020 UPDATE

    June 17, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 The Romanian Government decided to extend the state of alert by another 30 days, against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic. The measure came into force on Wednesday, though several restrictions have also been lifted. Among other things, fitness centres, betting and gambling centres and the shops inside malls have been reopened. Also, religious services are allowed inside churches. According to the authorities, although the trend has been downward, the number of cases of infection with the new coronavirus might grow anytime. Lately, new cases have been reported, raising the total to 22,760 infections. The death toll now stands at 1,451. Of those who tested positive, more than 16,100 recovered. In related news, 85 Romanian nationals working on a farm in Bavaria tested positive for the novel coronavirus. All are asymptomatic and quarantined.



    PENSIONS The Chamber of Deputies Wednesday endorsed a bill regulating the taxation of the so-called “special pensions, a controversial topic in Romanian society. With 307 votes in favour and just 1 against, the bill, endorsed by the Senate in 2019 as well, was backed by all parliamentary parties. According to Radio Romania News and Current affairs, the Deputies decided to introduce a tax on the balance between regular pensions, based on contributions to social security funds, and special pensions. Incomes from special pensions in excess of 7,000 lei (little under 1,500 euros) will thus be subject to an 85% tax. Unless it is challenged at the Constitutional Court, the bill will be forwarded to the President for promulgation. The Chamber of Deputies also passed a bill that provides that criminals convicted for manslaughter, rape, aggravated robbery, sexual abuse against children and exploitation of begging can no longer benefit from conditional release.



    FLIGHTS The Bucharest Airports National Company organized on Wednesday an event titled ‘Everything will be fine!’, which marks the resumption of flights after the break imposed by the global coronavirus crisis. Specifically, flights have been resumed to and from Austria, Germany and Switzerland, whereas those to and from the Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal and Scandinavian countries were resumed a while ago. A spokesman for the company said investments were not suspended or delayed in April and May, when the companys revenues fell by nearly 98%. At the same time, Wednesdays event was devoted to the anniversary of the first flight by a Romanian plane, designed, built and piloted by Aurel Vlaicu, on June 17, 1910.



    FOOTBALL The match pitting Romanias football team against Iceland, in the semi-finals of the European Championship playoffs, postponed twice over the coronavirus pandemic, will be played in Reykjavik on October 8, UEFA announced on Wednesday. Should it win, Romania will take on the winner of the match between Bulgaria and Hungary, on November 12. The goal is to qualify into the European Championship final tournament, rescheduled for the summer of 2021, which will be hosted by the same 12 European cities, including Bucharest. UEFA Nations League matches will also be played this autumn.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    This weekend matches counting for the 25th leg of Romanias top football league are scheduled, accounting for the last but one stage in this regular season. Two matches on Friday, Chindia Targoviste vs FC Voluntari, in Ploiesti, and CFR Cluj vs Viitorul Constanta in Cluj, will be followed on Saturday by a game pitting Academica Clinceni against Gaz Metan Medias. Also on Saturday, Politehnica Iasi take on Universitatea Craiova. On Sunday, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe face FC Botosani, while later in the evening the traditional Romanian derby between Dinamo Bucharest and FCSB takes place on the National Arena.



    This is the 176th match between the two Bucharest clubs, and we cannot help noticing the perfectly even score in direct matches so far: each team has won 59 games, and the other matches ended in draws. In terms of championship matches, Dinamo have a slight advantage, with 48 wins against 43, whereas in Romanias Cup FCSB have so far won 15 games and lost 8 of its matches against Dinamo.



    The first time the 2 sides met in the Romanian League One was in November 1948, when Dinamo beat the Army Sports Club, as the team was called at that time, 1-nil. The most recent match was in October 2019, and was a 1-all draw. Dinamo has not won any direct matches against FCSB for almost 3 years, more specifically since May 1, 2017.



    Sundays match comes at a time when the 2 sides are widely apart in the championship standings. FCSB is ranked 3rd at the moment and targets a new champion title. Dinamo, on the other hand, ranks 9th, stands no more chances to move up into the playoffs and, for the 3rd consecutive year, will stay in the play-outs. Still, this is the one match in which the players drive and sense of competitiveness might overturn any previous mathematical estimates.



    We should also mention that the 25th championship leg will end on Monday with a game in Sibiu, pitting FC Hermannstadt against Astra Giurgiu.



    Topping the charts at present are CFR Cluj with 48 points, followed by Craiova and FCSB with 43 points each.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    This weekend matches counting for the 25th leg of Romanias top football league are scheduled, accounting for the last but one stage in this regular season. Two matches on Friday, Chindia Targoviste vs FC Voluntari, in Ploiesti, and CFR Cluj vs Viitorul Constanta in Cluj, will be followed on Saturday by a game pitting Academica Clinceni against Gaz Metan Medias. Also on Saturday, Politehnica Iasi take on Universitatea Craiova. On Sunday, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe face FC Botosani, while later in the evening the traditional Romanian derby between Dinamo Bucharest and FCSB takes place on the National Arena.



    This is the 176th match between the two Bucharest clubs, and we cannot help noticing the perfectly even score in direct matches so far: each team has won 59 games, and the other matches ended in draws. In terms of championship matches, Dinamo have a slight advantage, with 48 wins against 43, whereas in Romanias Cup FCSB have so far won 15 games and lost 8 of its matches against Dinamo.



    The first time the 2 sides met in the Romanian League One was in November 1948, when Dinamo beat the Army Sports Club, as the team was called at that time, 1-nil. The most recent match was in October 2019, and was a 1-all draw. Dinamo has not won any direct matches against FCSB for almost 3 years, more specifically since May 1, 2017.



    Sundays match comes at a time when the 2 sides are widely apart in the championship standings. FCSB is ranked 3rd at the moment and targets a new champion title. Dinamo, on the other hand, ranks 9th, stands no more chances to move up into the playoffs and, for the 3rd consecutive year, will stay in the play-outs. Still, this is the one match in which the players drive and sense of competitiveness might overturn any previous mathematical estimates.



    We should also mention that the 25th championship leg will end on Monday with a game in Sibiu, pitting FC Hermannstadt against Astra Giurgiu.



    Topping the charts at present are CFR Cluj with 48 points, followed by Craiova and FCSB with 43 points each.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Sports Weekend

    Sports Weekend

    Bucharests FCSB football club Thursday went up to the second place in the Romanian League One ranking. They beat FC Voluntari, away from home, 2-1, in a postponed match counting for the 18th leg of the championship. Darius Olaru from the defending vice-champion team scored first, 8 minutes into the game, for the first time since playing for the club. The hosts equalizer came in minute 32, with the winning goal coming only 10 minutes later from Florinel Coman. The hosts played the entire second half with only 10 players, after defender Igor Armas was sent out of the pitch one minute before the break for a foul.



    Games counting for the 24th leg of the football championship are scheduled this weekend. On Saturday Gaz Metan Medias play at home against CFR Cluj. On Sunday, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe take on Politehnica Iasi, FC Voluntari play at home against Dinamo Bucharest, and the legs derby pitches Universitatea Craiova against Viitorul Constanta, in the village of Ovidiu. Monday sees the last 2 matches of this leg: FC Botosani vs FC Hermannstadt, and FCSB vs Academica Clinceni.



    Top ranking are CFR Cluj with 47 points, followed by FCSB with 42 points.



    Games in the womens handball European championships are also scheduled this weekend. In the Champions League, main group 1, CSM Bucharest play away from home against the Norwegian team Vipers Kristiansand. In main group 2, SCM Ramnicu Valcea take on the defending European champions, the Hungarian team Gyor on home court. Both games take place on Saturday. The 2 Romanian teams in the EHF Cup are pitted against Hungarian sides. In Group B, Magura Cisnadie play against Siofok, while in Group C Gloria Bistrita-Nasaud is meeting ERD, on Sunday.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Sports Weekend

    Sports Weekend

    Bucharests FCSB football club Thursday went up to the second place in the Romanian League One ranking. They beat FC Voluntari, away from home, 2-1, in a postponed match counting for the 18th leg of the championship. Darius Olaru from the defending vice-champion team scored first, 8 minutes into the game, for the first time since playing for the club. The hosts equalizer came in minute 32, with the winning goal coming only 10 minutes later from Florinel Coman. The hosts played the entire second half with only 10 players, after defender Igor Armas was sent out of the pitch one minute before the break for a foul.



    Games counting for the 24th leg of the football championship are scheduled this weekend. On Saturday Gaz Metan Medias play at home against CFR Cluj. On Sunday, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe take on Politehnica Iasi, FC Voluntari play at home against Dinamo Bucharest, and the legs derby pitches Universitatea Craiova against Viitorul Constanta, in the village of Ovidiu. Monday sees the last 2 matches of this leg: FC Botosani vs FC Hermannstadt, and FCSB vs Academica Clinceni.



    Top ranking are CFR Cluj with 47 points, followed by FCSB with 42 points.



    Games in the womens handball European championships are also scheduled this weekend. In the Champions League, main group 1, CSM Bucharest play away from home against the Norwegian team Vipers Kristiansand. In main group 2, SCM Ramnicu Valcea take on the defending European champions, the Hungarian team Gyor on home court. Both games take place on Saturday. The 2 Romanian teams in the EHF Cup are pitted against Hungarian sides. In Group B, Magura Cisnadie play against Siofok, while in Group C Gloria Bistrita-Nasaud is meeting ERD, on Sunday.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • October 11, 2019

    October 11, 2019

    CONSULTATIONS In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis has a first round of consultations with the parliamentary parties today, after Mrs Dancilas Social Democratic Cabinet was dismissed through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. The first to talk to the President were the Liberals. After the discussions, the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban said the National Liberal Party would prefer early elections, but that they are prepared to take over power. Save Romania Union, the next party invited to the Presidency, said they wanted early elections, which according to the party would put an end to the political crisis. The head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, Kelemen Hunor, nominated a PM from his own party, and offered the alternatives of an independent prime minister from the financial sector or of a government headed by the Liberal leader. The head of the Peoples Movement Party Eugen Tomac voiced lack of confidence in the early election scenario and urged the President to consider the nomination of a prime minister from PMP. The Social Democrats, scheduled to be the last to see Iohannis today, announced they did not accept the invitation. The President said he wanted a Cabinet with a clearly defined mission, to ensure responsible and efficient governing until the forthcoming parliamentary elections, irrespective of their date.




    ELECTION In Romania, the campaign for Novembers presidential election officially starts on Saturday, with 14 candidates in the race, including the incumbent President Klaus Iohannis, backed by the Liberals in opposition, the incumbent PM Viorica Dăncilă, backed by the Social Democratic Party, Dan Barna, backed by the USR-PLUS Alliance, Theodor Paleologu (Peoples Movement Party), Mircea Diaconu, supported by ALDE and Pro Romania, and Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Cătălin Ivan, Ninel Peia, Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, John-Ion Banu, Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels and Viorel Cataramă represent political parties from outside Parliament, whereas Bogdan Stanoevici and Alexandru Cumpănaşu run as unaffiliated candidates. The first round of the presidential election is due on November 10th, and the second on the 24th. Under a government order, the Romanians living abroad will be able to vote between November 8th and 10th in the first round, and again for 3 days, November 22nd to 24th, in the second round.




    NATURAL GAS The ‘Transgaz’ SA National Gas Transport Company and Russias ‘Gazprom Export’ have agreed to extend their natural gas transport contract by another 3 months, until December 31. According to Transgaz, this extension ensures the continuity of natural gas transport from Russia to Turkey, Greece and other south-east European countries. Transgaz SA is the technical operator of the National Transport System for natural gas, and ensures the efficient, transparent, safe, fair and competitive implementation of the national strategy regarding the domestic and international natural gas transport, as well as research and design in the natural gas sector.




    NOBEL Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, “for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea. Ethiopia and Eritrea, involved in a war over disputed border territory between 1998 and 2000, resumed official relations in July 2018, after years of hostility. On Thursday, the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, after the postponement triggered by the sex assault scandal at the Swedish Academy, and the 2019 Prize went to Austrian Peter Handke. The last Nobel Prize this year is the one for economics, to be awarded on Monday.




    FOOTBALL Romanias youth national team defeated Ukraine, 3-0 at home on Thursday night, in a match in Group 8 of the Euro 2021 qualifiers. On Monday the Romanians are to take on Northern Ireland, also on home turf. Last month, Romania lost its first qualifier game, 1-2 away from home against Denmark. The group also includes Finland and Malta. In June, Romanias Under 21 team qualified for the first time into the semi-finals of the continental tournament in Italy and San Marino, securing their tickets for next years Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, the national team plays on Saturday against the Faroe Islands away from home, and on Tuesday against Norway at home, in Group F of next years European Championship. The group draw for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 matches in the final tournament, 3 in the group stage and one in the round of 16.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 21, 2019 UPDATE

    June 21, 2019 UPDATE

    EU The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the president of the European Council Donald Tusk hailed at the end of the Community summit on Friday in Brussels what they called a successful presidency of the Council of the EU on Romanias part. In turn, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis presented a report on the Romanian semester and said the strategic agenda adopted by the EU leaders on Thursday fully reflects the 10 commitments included in the Sibiu Summit Declaration in May. He also voiced his satisfaction with the fact that, at his request, the EU leaders agreed to include the consolidation of support for the Republic of Moldova.




    HACKERS The perpetrators of the recent cyber-attacks on Romanian hospitals might be Chinese, experts with the Romanian Intelligence Services Cyberint Centre announced on Friday. The suspicion is based on the time when the hackers were active and on clues in the ransom messages. Four hospitals, in Bucharest, Husi, Dorohoi (in the north-east) and Alba (centre) were affected by Bad Rabbit 4. The attacks caused problems in the activity of the targeted hospitals, with delays in patient admission and discharge and in the issue of prescriptions.




    5G Romania joined the 12 developed states that have introduced 5G strategies in mobile telephony, which greatly increases rates of data transfer for mobile devices. A decision to this end was made in Thursdays government meeting, upon proposal by the Ministry of Communications. The ministry said in a press release that the 5G strategy for Romania had been the object of wider public debate, including proposals from industry and experts. In principle, Romania wants to launch such networks next year, with 5G coverage of all urban centres and the main roadways by 2025. It is estimated that this new technology will create over 250.000 jobs in Romania, with benefits amounting to 5 billion Euro.




    EUROPEAN GAMES The 2nd edition of the European Games began in Minsk, Belarus on June 21st. Until June 30th, 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete in 15 sports. Romania is represented by 123 athletes. The results in athletics, badminton, cycling, judo, karate, table tennis, archery and shooting will count towards qualification in next years Olympic Games in Tokyo. In the first edition of the European Games, held in Baku in 2015, Romanias Olympic team won 12 medals: 3 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze.




    HANDBALL Lots were drawn in Tokyo on Friday for the four groups of the Worlds Women Handball Championships due to unfold between November 30th and December 15th. Romanias national side has been included in Group C together with Hungary, Spain, Montenegro, Senegal and Kazakhstan. The top three sides in these groups will qualify for the two main groups of the competition. Japan, as a host country, France, the world defending champions, Romania, Russia and the Netherlands (thanks to their good results in the European Championships) have directly qualified for the final tournament.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 16, 2019

    June 16, 2019

    MOLDOVA The PM of Romania Viorica Dăncilă sent a support message to her counterpart from the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and invited her to Bucharest on her first official visit in this capacity. According to a news release issued on Sunday by the Government, Romania is confident that the new Cabinet in Chisinau will carry on the EU accession efforts and successfully implement the required reforms, the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement with the EU. PM Dăncilă also reiterated Bucharests willingness to carry on the Strategic Partnership for the European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, which is at the core of the two countries bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, PM Maia Sandu has called for the resignation of the Constitutional Court judges, who Saturday cancelled their previous rulings that dismantled Parliament and invalidated the new government, thus favouring the Democratic Party headed by tycoon Vlad Plahotniuc. On Friday the Democratic Party relinquished power and its leader left the country.



    NO-CONFIDENCE A no-confidence motion tabled by the right-of-centre opposition in Romania against the Government made up by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats will be discussed on Tuesday in Parliament. According to the document, Romania immediately needs a government with a pro-European stand and focusing on the countrys development priorities, namely education, healthcare, public investments and attracting European funds. The motion signatories, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, Peoples Movement Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, believe Viorica Dăncilăs Cabinet must be dismissed over the repeated attempts at issuing emergency orders in the field of the judiciary and the poor handling of the EP elections. For the motion to pass, it needs 233 votes. PM Dăncilă, who is also the interim president of the Social Democratic Party, has asked the Social Democrat MPs to attend the meeting, but to abstain from voting.




    WHITSUNDAY Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the world, including in Romania, celebrate today the Pentecost, the event which, 50 days after Easter, marks the establishment of the Christian Church. According to the New Testament, this is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 Apostles. Following a sermon given by St. Peter, 3,000 people were baptised and formed the first ever Christian community. In Romania, 23,000 police, gendarme and other forces are mobilised to ensure public order and safety during the events organised on Whitsunday and Whit Monday.




    THEATRE The 26th edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) continues. This years motto is “The Art of Giving. Scheduled for Sunday are a Japanese theatre performance and a concert by the French artist Adam Naas. A total of 540 events are held as part of the Festival until the 23rd of June, bringing to Sibiu more than 3,300 artists and guests from 73 countries. According to the organisers, FITS is a celebration of the performing arts, from theatre to dance and music, but book launches, exhibitions and conferences are also organised on the sidelines of the event. This is the largest and more complex theatre festival in Romania and in Europe, and Radio Romania is one of the co-producers.




    MEASLES 207 new cases of measles have been confirmed this week in 19 counties in Romania and in the capital Bucharest, according to data made public by the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control. The largest number of cases was reported in Suceava County – 67, Neamţ County – 42 and Sălaj County – 19, among unvaccinated children. Since the onset of this epidemic, the number of cases has reached 17,340, and 64 people died so far.




    FOOTBALL 12 teams, Romania included, are taking part as of today in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship hosted by Italy and San Marino. Romania plays in Group C alongside England, France and Croatia. The first matches in Group A are played on Sunday, with Poland taking on Belgium and Italy facing Spain. Romania will play its first match on Tuesday, against Croatia. This is the second participation in a final tournament for Romania, after the one in 1998. The top ranking team in each of the 3 groups, as well as the best of the second-placed teams in each group, will move forward to the semi-finals. The final is scheduled for June 30.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 8, 2019

    June 8, 2019

    G20 The Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici is heading the EU Council delegation at the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held this weekend in Fukuoka, Japan. According to a news release issued by the Finance Ministry, the agenda of talks includes topics like financing for development, global economy, international taxation, global imbalances, population ageing, investments in infrastructure and financial sector issues. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will adopt an official declaration comprising the outcomes of the meeting, the news release also says.




    UN The Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleșcanu Friday attended the elections in the UN Security Council held in New York. Romania was a candidate for a non-permanent seat in the Council in 2020 – 2021, but was outrun by Estonia, which won with 132 votes against Romanias 58. The Security Council includes 5 permanent members with veto rights: the USA, Russia, China, France and the UK. Another 10 members have 2-year terms, after which they are replaced by countries from the same region. Next year 5 seats will be vacant, 2 for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Latin America and the Caribbean and one for Eastern Europe. To be elected in the UN Security Council, a country needs the support of two-thirds of the General Assembly members, which means at least 129 votes out of the 193 voting member states.




    TENSIONS PM Viorica Dăncilă called for respect for Romanias state symbols and for public order, and urged responsibility in all political statements and actions concerning the situation in Valea Uzului, Harghita County. She also emphasised that a political approach of the situation is not likely to contribute to a constructive solution, and criticised attempts at deriving political capital by certain politicians. The Romanian Police opened a criminal investigation concerning the destruction of the access gate to the Valea Uzului graveyard, where military of various nationalities are buried, after on Thursday members of several Romanian organisations forced their way into the war cemetery to commemorate the Romanian soldiers buried there. According to the gendarmes, tensions were reported, but there were no violent clashes between the Romanian and the Hungarian ethnics in the area, as some Hungarian politicians had claimed.




    TIFF The Ambassador of France to Bucharest, Michele Ramis, is in Cluj today to attend the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). This years guest of honour is France, in the context of the France-Romania cultural season. A special programme is devoted to French cinema, including a complete Michel Gondry retrospective, a portrait of director Agnes Varda, music concerts, and the most original French project in TIFF, Uzina de filme (The Film Factory), a film studio where the public can experience a film shooting from scratch. The French Ambassador will also attend a concert entitled Soundtrack of Dreams and will participate in the TIFF closing gala. Established in 2002, TIFF is the first and largest film festival in Romania. Twelve works take part in the official competition this year, but a total of over 200 films will be screened as part of this 18th edition of the Festival.




    RESIGNATION Theresa May Friday stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party and implicitly as a PM, after failing to persuade the Commons to accept her Brexit agreement with Brussels, leading to a postponement of Britains withdrawal from the EU to October 31st. May stays in office until a replacement is chosen, which will likely take place in the second half of July, as the Conservative Party announced. The official campaign is set to begin on Monday, with 11 contenders for Theresa Mays position in the party.




    MOLDOVA The pro-Russian president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, Saturday postponed signing a decree to dissolve the parliament, because MPs may still reach an agreement. He said the republic is on the verge of being destabilised, which is why he urged citizens not to start or join protests and turbulence. Dodon added that, if necessary, on Monday he will hold consultations on dissolving the national parliament. Moldovas Constitutional Court had ruled that parliament was to form a government by June 7, otherwise the head of state could dismantle parliament. MPs said that since their election had been confirmed on March 9, they have until June 9 to form a government.




    FOOTBALL Romanias football team drew against Norway on Friday, 2-all away from home, in the Group F qualifiers for the 2020 European Championships. On Monday Romania will play away from home against Malta. In the first 2 matches in the group, played in March, the Romanians were defeated by Sweden in Stockholm, and won at home against Faroe Islands. Spain tops the Group F standings with 9 points, followed by Sweden with 7, with Romania coming in 3rd with 4 points. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament matches, 3 in the group stage and one in the 8th-finals. In related news, Romanias team will play this month in the European Under-21 Football Championships in Italy and San Marino, in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Athlete of the Week

    The Athlete of the Week

    The European Senior Weightlifting Championships, which are underway in the Georgian town of Batumi, as of this past Sunday have been an opportunity for participants to amass points enabling them to qualify for the 2020 edition of the Tokyo Olympics, so the stakes are really high for the ongoing competition in Batumi.



    A delegation made of 14 Romanian weightlifters traveled to Georgia. Ahead of the departure, the stated goal expressed by the president of the Romanian Weightlifting Federation Nucu Vlad was to win two, maybe three medals. However, the Romanian weightlifters’ excellent run went way above par, since in the debut day of the competition they won no less than five medals.



    Three of those medals were gold. They were won by Elena Andries in the 49-kilogram category. The other two medals were bronze and were won by Cosmina Pana in the 45-kilogram category, the clean and jerk style, and Cristian Marian Luca in the 55-kilogram category, the snatch style. On Monday, Sorina Hulpan won bronze, in the 59-kilogram category, the clean and jerk style.



    Thanks to her outstanding run in Batumi, Elena Andries has been designated the Athlete of the week on Radio Romania International.



    We should also note that in Batumi, Andries compelled recognition in the snatch style, lifting 87 kilograms. Following her in descending order were Russia’s Kristina Sobol, with 85 kilograms and French Anais Michel, with 79 kilograms. In the clean and jerk style, Andries also emerged as winner, with 103 kilograms, failing a second attempt, set at 105 kilograms. Italy’s Giorgia Russo came in 2nd, also with 103 kilograms, while third-placed was Manon Lorentz, also from France, with 99 kilograms. Under the circumstances, Elena Andries came at the top of the table with an overall output of 190 kilograms, followed by Sobol, with 180 and Russo, with 178 kilograms.



    Elena Ramona Andries was born in Galaţi, on September 21, 1994. At the 2012 European Championship in Turkey, Andries came in 4th. However, at the European Championships of 2013 Andries tested positive for Stanazolol and was suspended until 2015. Elena Andries then resumed participating in competitions and in 2017, at the European Championships in Split, she walked away with bronze in the snatch style and overall events. At the European Championships hosted by Romania in 2018, Andries won gold in the snatch and clean and jerk styles, as well as overall, so her excellent run in Georgia only confirms her status at European level, in the 49-kilogram category.