Tag: China

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    In the second half of last century Romania used to boast some of the world’s best table tennis players. Between 1957 and 1975, Maria Alexandru, for instance, reaped 12 medals in world championships, three gold, five silver and four bronze.

    Asia came back with a vengeance in recent years though and its players became better and better preventing their European counterparts from making it to the competitions’ final stages.

    In men’s world rankings, for instance, only three non-Asians are among the top ten players, a Frenchman, a Brazilian and a Swede. In women’s competition though, the top 13 players are from Asia. Next after these top 13 players comes an athlete from Romania, namely, Bernadette Szőcs, currently ranking 14th, followed by Austrian Sofia Polcanova, who was born in the Republic of Moldova.

    Several days ago, in the mixed contest of the World Cup held in Chengdu, China, the Romanian side exceeded all expectations and came fourth.

    The Romanians secured wins against the teams of Taiwan, and Singapore and lost to South Korea.

    In the second stage they clinched an 8-3 win against France, 8-0 against the USA and 8-2 with Japan. Then our athletes won 8-5 against Germany but lost to China 0-8. Thus Romania managed to make it to the semifinals for the first time. Last year we recall that Romania was stopped in its tracks in the competition’s first stage.

    The Romanians took on China for a place in the finals but lost 8-1. The only Romanian point was obtained by the mixed pair Ovidiu Ionescu / Bernadette Szőcs.

    The two won a set out of the three they played against the world’s best pair made up of Chuqin Wang şi Yingsha Sun. The Romanians also lost the battle for the third position to Hong Kong.

    (bill)

  • November 25, 2024 UPDATE

    November 25, 2024 UPDATE

     

    PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Călin Georgescu, running independently for president of Romania, has surprisingly won Sunday’s first round of the presidential election, with 22.94% of the votes after counting 99.94% of the ballots. Second comes  Elena Lasconi, the leader of Save Romania Union, with 19.17% of the votes, followed by the head of the Social Democratic Party and PM Marcel Ciolacu with 19,16%. He is followed by the president of AUR party, George Simion (13.87%) and the Liberal leader, Nicolae Ciuca (8.79%). The turnover was over 52%, with more than 821,000 Romanian nationals voting abroad. According to the Permanent Electoral Authority, the largest number of valid votes cast abroad went to Călin Georgescu (43.35%), followed by Elena Lasconi (26.82%) and George Simion (12.07%). The former NATO deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, and the Liberal Nicolae Ciucă were voted for by less than 5% of those who went to the polls, while Marcel Ciolacu was elected by less than 3% of the Romanians in the diaspora. There were 13 candidates in the presidential race, 9 backed by political parties and 4 independents. The second round of the presidential elections will take place on December 8. On December 1, Romania’s National Day, general elections will be held, after on June 9, local and European parliamentary elections were also organised in Romania.

     

    RESIGNATION Romania’s prime-minister Marcel Ciolacu announced his resignation as leader of the Social Democrats over the poor results in the first round of the elections for president of Romania. Ciolacu failed to reach the decisive round, having lost to the candidate of the Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi, by several thousand votes. Ciolacu congratulated the two candidates who qualified for the second round and announced that his party will not challenge the results, because the importance of the decisive round on December 8 is much greater than personal interests. He also said he would stand by his colleagues until after the parliamentary elections due next Sunday, and that he would not run for any party position after that. The MEP Victor Negrescu is now the interim party president. The Liberals, the governing partners of the Social Democrats, are facing a similar situation. The party leader Nicolae Ciucă, who also serves as speaker of the Senate, resigned following the presidential election results, where he came in fifth place. He called on traditional parties to “keep Romania united.” Ciucă said that the Liberal Party “is aware of the mistakes it has made and will fight to the end for Romania to remain a free and democratic country.”

     

    DIASPORA The first round of the presidential election came to a close at 7 AM in all the polling stations abroad, the Romanian foreign ministry announced. The last polling stations to close were in Vancouver, Canada, and on the US West Coast. Voters were able to cast their votes as early as Friday. The foreign ministry has set up 950 polling stations abroad for the presidential and parliamentary elections this year. According to the Permanent Electoral Authority, 821,703 Romanians cast their votes abroad, 817,476 on additional lists and 4,227 by post.

     

    REFERENDUM Bucharest residents were invited on Sunday to cast their votes in a local referendum called by the mayor general, Nicușor Dan. The referendum passed the 30% participation threshold. Preliminary results indicate the majority response to the three questions was “Yes”. 67% of respondents agreed that construction permits be issued by the Bucharest City Hall alone, 64% voted in favor of the City Hall Council approving the budgets of the City Hall and local districts, while 82% voted in favor of creating a program designed to fight drug use in schools. The referendum needs to be first confirmed by parliament.

     

    CHINA China has eliminated visa requirements for Romanian nationals over November 30, 2024 – December 31, 2025. The Romanian foreign ministry welcomed the decision, and said the measure will help facilitate the mobility of Romanian citizens, expanding the scale of person-to-person contacts. Visas will be lifted for citizens travelling for business, tourism, visiting or transiting China. (AMP)

  • May 6, 2024

    May 6, 2024

    EASTER Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania are celebrating Easter Monday, the second day of Bright Week. Easter Monday is also known as Bright Monday and it is said to be the day when the gates of Heaven and forgiveness are opened. As for specific traditions, on this day young girls and homes are sprinkled with holy water, and people visit their parents and godparents, bringing Easter cake and eggs.

     

    STATISTICS Romania has the 3rd-lowest life expectancy in the EU, 76.6 years, according to a report released by Eurostat. The only 2 countries in the European bloc with poorer rates in this respect are Bulgaria and Latvia (below 76 years). Spain has the longest life expectancy in the European Union, 84 years, followed closely by Italy and Malta. According to Eurostat data, lower rates are reported in Eastern Europe and in the three Baltic states, whereas in Mediterranean, Scandinavian and Central European countries people live longer. On the other hand, the EU statistics office said, Romania sees the steepest increase in life expectancy, with one year gained between 2019 and 2023.

     

    MILITARY A multinational exercise called Swift Response 24 takes place until May 24 in Romania and other countries. Thousands of troops and hundreds of vehicles and other equipment from 7 Allied and partner states are taking part. The exercise is organised by the US Army Europe and Africa, and according to the Romanian defence ministry it will include one of the largest air assault operations conducted in Europe since WWII, with around 2,000 paratroopers from France, Germany, Romania, Spain, the US and the Netherlands taking part. Romania contributes 2,300 troops, several air bases and 3 firing ranges. The drills on Romanian territory are coordinated by the German Armed Forces jointly with the Romanian Land Forces, with support from the Romanian Air Forces.

     

    RUSSIA Russia’s president Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear weapons drills “in the near future,” involving in particular troops deployed close to Ukraine, France Presse and Reuters report. According to the Russian defence ministry, the drills are designed to keep the Army trained, following “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation.” Missile units from the Military District South and naval forces will take part in the drills. Russia currently has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin led to the worst deterioration of Russia’s relations with the West since the Cuban missile crisis, both US and Russian diplomats said. While Moscow claims the war is a response to NATO’s attempts to control Ukraine while expanding its military presence eastwards, the West and Ukraine define Putin’s war as intended to occupy new territory and bring Ukraine under Moscow’s control, Reuters says.

     

    VISIT The war in Ukraine and economic relations between China and the European Union are the main topics on the agenda of today’s talks in Paris, held as part of a 2-day state visit by China’s president Xi Jinping to France. The Chinese official called for a consolidated strategic coordination between China and the EU, as major world powers, at the start of a 3-party meeting with president Emmanuel Macron and with the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen. President Macron pleaded in turn for “fair rules for all” in the trade between China and Europe. “The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner,” Macron said, and added that “coordination” with Beijing on “major crises” including Ukraine and the Middle East was “absolutely decisive.” In turn, the EC president Ursula von der Leyen said that China and the EU have a shared interest in peace and security, and emphasized the determination to end Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to achieve just and long-term peace.

     

    GAZA On Monday the Israeli armed forces started to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah, ahead of a planned military move in this town in the south of Gaza, an Israeli radio station, Army Radio, has announced. The Israeli Army said it “encourages” residents in eastern Rafah to move to an extended humanitarian area close by. Seven months since the start of its attack on Hamas, Israel says Rafah is hosting thousands of Islamist Palestinian fighters and that the town is critical for its victory. But with over one million Palestinian civilians relocated to Rafah, the prospect of a military operation with a large number of victims is a concern for the West and for neighbouring Egypt, Reuters reports. (AMP)

  • June 19, 2023

    June 19, 2023

    Exams – In Romania, more than 160,000 8th graders today started the National Assessment with the written exam in Romanian language and literature. On Wednesday, the students will take the math test, and on Thursday, the students who belong to national minorities will be evaluated in their mother tongue. For the first time this year, the national assessment is the only one that counts for high school admission. We remind you that the registration period for the national assessment and the baccalaureate exam has been extended this year, due to the all-out strike in education. The protest lasted three weeks and was suspended after the government met the salary demands of the education system employees.



    Moldova — Romania’s new foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu is paying on Monday and Tuesday a visit to the republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) upon the invitation of her counterpart, Nicu Popescu. This is the first visit that the new Romanian FM pays since taking over her mandate last week. The two ministers will discuss the development of bilateral relations and the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU. On Tuesday a joint meeting will be held in Moldova’s Parliament with the members of the committee for human rights from the Romanian Senate.



    Conference – 20 European defense ministers and NATOs Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, are participating, today, in Paris, in the Conference on Joint Air Defense organized at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting aims at relaunching the strategic issue regarding air defense and long-range missiles. At present, no EU country has weapons capable of firing a missile from its territory to hit a target more than 1,000 km away, while the Russians can hit all European capitals in just a few minutes. President Emmanuel Macron is calling on the partners in the EU to create the conditions to defend themselves and not leave the future of the borders to the whims of the Russians or the Americans, as he declared a few months ago, when he proposed todays conference in Paris. ‘The air defense of our continent is a strategic matter. We cannot limit ourselves to promoting a national defense industry at the expense of European sovereignty’, said Emmanuel Macron. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the remark is aimed directly at Germany. Determined to strengthen the country’s air defense, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched last year, within NATO, the European Sky Shield initiative, the American European shield, which 14 of the allies joined, among which Romania, but not France.



    Visit – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet in Beijing with China’s most important foreign policy officials. The US officials first visit to China comes almost five months after a major breakdown in relations over an alleged Chinese spy balloon. His initial trip was abruptly canceled after the balloon, which Beijing says was monitoring the weather, flew over the US territory before being destroyed by US military planes. It is not yet known whether the American Secretary of State will also meet with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. The two global superpowers have a long list of topics on the agenda, including major disagreements as well as potential areas of cooperation.



    Grand Prix Nova — Bucharest saw the start of the ‘Grand Prix Nova’ Radio Drama Festival, an event organized by Radio Romania under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania. In this years edition, 27 productions from 12 countries are participating. The festival promotes, this year as well, in its three sections, innovation in radio drama. In the 11 years since it has been organized by Radio Romania, this festival has become a cultural context in which the experiment is not only displayed but also awarded at the international level, said the president and director general of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan Ioan Dincă.



    Statistics – Romanias gas imports in the first four months of the year decreased by 45.6%, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics. On the other hand, domestic production increased by almost 7% as compared to the same period of last year. The National Committee for Strategy and Forecast estimated for 2023, in the latest forecast of the energy balance published, a gas production increasing by 2% and a decrease in imports by 6.2% from one year to the next.



    Football – This evening, in Lucerne, the Romanian national football team meets the Swiss national team, in a Group I match of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. On Friday evening, the Romanian national team obtained an important point against Kosovo, away from home. Romania’s national eleven is ranked 2nd in the group, after Switzerland. (LS)

  • Globale Sicherheit und Völkerrecht im 21. Jh.: Gespräch mit dem Politologen Iulian Chifu

    Globale Sicherheit und Völkerrecht im 21. Jh.: Gespräch mit dem Politologen Iulian Chifu





    Nach mehr als einem Jahr, seitdem Moskau die so genannte militärische Spezialoperation losgetreten hat, sagt der Kremlchef, dass es bei der Militäraktion in der Ukraine um die Existenz Russlands als Staat ginge. In einer Rede vor Arbeitern in einer Fabrik, in der Hubschrauber für das russische Militär hergestellt werden, wiederholte Wladimir Putin seine These, dass das Ziel des Westens darin bestehe, Russland zu zerschlagen. Für uns ist dies keine geopolitische Aufgabe, sondern eine Überlebensfrage, bei der es darum geht, die Voraussetzungen für die künftige Entwicklung unseres Landes und die Zukunft unserer Kinder zu schaffen“, so der Kremlchef, der den Westen beschuldigte, die Ukraine als Instrument für einen Krieg gegen Russland zu benutzen. In Bezug auf die Ukraine betonte Putin, dass Moskau jahrzehntelang versucht habe, gute Beziehungen zu dem Land aufrechtzuerhalten, doch mit dem vom Westen angezettelten Staatsstreich“ im Jahr 2014 habe sich alles geändert“.



    Es sei nicht das erste und wahrscheinlich auch nicht das letzte Mal, dass die Rhetorik eines russischen Staatschefs aus einer parallelen Realität zu stammen scheint, wobei sich Wladimir Putin in eine anklagende Position begibt und Russland als Opfer des Westens hochstilisiert. Die Besonderheit des 21. Jahrhunderts besteht darin, dass die Welt sich von einer bipolaren Stabilität in eine Instabilität mit vielen Unbekannten begeben hat, sagt der rumänische Sicherheitsexperte und Politikwissenschaftler Iulian Chifu im Gespräch mit Radio Rumänien. Professor Chifu, der mit der ehemaligen Sowjetunion bestens vertraut ist und als Russland-Experte gilt ist, hat in seiner vierbändigen Studie Die Neugestaltung der Sicherheit und das Völkerrecht im 21. Jh.“ die Entwicklungen, Trends und die aktuellen Verwerfungen in der Weltpolitik analysiert.



    Gorbatschow konnte eines nicht vorhersehen und er wusste auch nicht, wie er sich darauf einstellen sollte – die Tatsache, dass nach der Entlassung der verschiedenen Nationen aus dem berüchtigten »Gefängnis der Völker«, wie die Sowjetunion genannt wurde, diese versuchen würden, ihre Identität wieder zu finden und ihren eigenen, unabhängigen Weg zu gehen. Daher war der Zusammenbruch der Sowjetunion ein natürlicher Prozess. Es war ein Versuch des kommunistischen Regimes, zu überleben, und er endete nur mit dem Zusammenbruch des sowjetischen Staates, wie wir ihn kannten, denn es war ein künstlicher Staat, der aus Teilen zusammengesetzt war und nur durch Gewalt und Repression sowie die erdrückende Macht einer totalitären Ideologie zusammengehalten werden konnte. Das Gleiche geschieht heute oder wird sich in naher Zukunft vor unseren Augen [in Russland] abspielen. Es ist eine allgegenwärtige Frage: Wie geht es weiter mit Putin, wie würde eine Post-Putin-Ära aussehen, würden Putin und der Putinismus eine Niederlage in der Ukraine überleben? Und hier ist die Literatur sehr reichhaltig, in meinem Buch versuche ich, durch das Prisma meiner eigenen Einschätzungen eine Antwort darauf zu finden. Sicher, Putin wird nicht überleben können, aber das wirft gleich eine andere Frage auf: Es gibt geheimdienstliche Erkenntnisse, die darauf hindeuten, dass man im Kreml bereits nach einem Nachfolger für Putin sucht. Natürlich wird Putin nicht aufgrund von Unruhen, nicht aufgrund von öffentlichem Druck beseitigt werden, sondern sein eigenes Umfeld wird sich seiner Person entledigen. Der Putinismus als Ideologie wird allerdings zu überleben versuchen, indem Putin durch einen Nachfolger aus dem inneren Kreis ersetzt wird, so wie es zum Beispiel bei Leonid Chruschtschow der Fall war.“




    Professor Chifu verwies auch auf die Situation des russischen Militärs — junge, ahnungslose Männer, die mit veralteten Waffensystemen an die ukrainische Front geschickt werden, um als Kanonenfutter verheizt zu werden. Gleichzeitig, so der Politikwissenschaftler, habe Putin ein Jahr nach Beginn der so genannten Sonderoperation noch kein Narrativ gefunden, mit dem er seine eigene Öffentlichkeit, geschweige denn die internationale Gemeinschaft, von der Notwendigkeit dieses Kriegs überzeugen könne. In der komplizierten geopolitischen Lage weltweit sollten andererseits auch die Rolle und die Ziele Chinas nicht unterschätzt werden, führt Iulian Chifu weiter aus:



    Putins Problem ist, dass sich die Welt dramatisch verändert hat, dass die Macht im absoluten Sinne verschwunden ist, dass wir heute anstelle von zwei Supermächten zwei Gro‎ßmächte und viele Regionalmächte haben und dass keine der beiden Gro‎ßmächte Russland ist, sondern die USA und China diese Position einnehmen. Wenn man den Ehrgeiz Putins und des russischen Volkes hat, das schon immer mit diesem Exzeptionalismus und der absoluten Überlegenheit und der Idee der Aufteilung der Welt in Einflusssphären gefüttert wurde, dann ist das aus diesem Gesichtspunkt sicherlich ein Problem. Xi Jinping hat ein anderes Gewicht — China ist eine aufstrebende Gro‎ßmacht, das Land hat Ambitionen globaler Natur, es will die Welt unterwerfen. Putin ist für Xi Jinping ein Anhängsel, ein Juniorpartner, und au‎ßerdem pfuscht er ihm ins Handwerk, er stört seine Geschäfte. Als China den sogenannten 12-Punkte-Plan für die Lösung des Ukraine-Konflikts vorlegte, enthielt er eigentlich nur zwei klare Botschaften: keine Atomwaffen einsetzen und den Krieg so schnell wie möglich beenden.“




    China sei an einer schnellen Beendigung des Kriegs interessiert, weil dieser Krieg indirekt auch China etwas kostet, sagt Iulian Chifu. Und die Strategie der beiden autoritären Führer falle dementsprechend aus: Putin müsse viel Lärm machen, um an den Tisch eingeladen zu werden, an dem über globale Fragen diskutiert wird; Xi Jinping wiederum stützte seine Stärke und seine Macht auf die Wirtschaft. Doch brauche er auch Stabilität und Ruhe, um unter dem Radar zu operieren und seine Macht zu vergrö‎ßern. Wenn Putin für Turbulenzen sorge, habe auch China ein Problem, so der Politikwissenschaftler Iulian Chifu im Gespräch mit Radio Rumänien.

  • April 6, 2023

    April 6, 2023

    Protests — On Friday, the Romanian farmers are organizing protests in several counties and in Bucharest, dissatisfied with the solution found by the European Commission to the problems and serious imbalances facing the Romanian agri-food sector, against the background of market distortions caused by the armed conflict in Ukraine. According to the farmers, the total elimination, since the middle of last year, of customs duties on all goods from Ukraine has exported the effects of the war, commercially speaking, to the neighboring countries, creating an involuntary dumping effect, as it has stimulated Ukrainian farmers to sell cheaper. The representatives of the Romanian farmers point out that this measure has not helped and will not help the Ukrainians to resume their production cycle. Instead, it has strongly disrupted the market in Romania.



    Beijing – The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the French President Emmanuel Macron are discussing today, in Beijing, with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, especially about Chinas role in finding a peace solution in Ukraine. The two are trying to convince the Chinese leader to exert his influence on Russia to end the war. Shortly after arriving in Beijing, Emmanuel Macron expressed concern about growing tensions between China and the West, and Ursula von der Leyen adopted a tougher stance, warning that the future relations between China and the EU will be influenced by how Beijing will approach the war in Ukraine. For the moment, Western allies only see an ever-closer economic rapprochement between China and Russia. The issue was on the agenda of the meeting of the NATO foreign ministers on Wednesday, who expressed concern about the Chinese-Russian partnership, which threatens Ukraine. In response, NATO decided to close ranks with its partners in the South Pacific. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg announced that the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand are also invited to the summer summit of the Alliance in Vilnius, in which the Ukrainian president will also participate.



    Gaudeamus – The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair, organized for the 22nd time in the heart of Transylvania, in the city of Cluj, takes place from Thursday until Sunday. The event is hosted in 14 exhibition pavilions, including over 60 stands that bring together the offer of numerous publishing houses, Romanian and foreign book distributors, producers and distributors of music and games. The virtual stands of the participants can be found on www.gaudeamus.ro, in the online version of the fair, so that the editorial novelties, special offers and surprises prepared by the participants are also accessible to book lovers who cannot visit the fair. More than 30 book launches and presentation sessions are organized, numerous book-prize contests, as well as the “Miss Reading” contest – one of the highlights of the Gaudeamus Fairs for over 15 years.



    Codes – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies adopted the draft laws that regulate the criminal and criminal procedure codes in the form drafted by the Ministry of Justice, without any amendment. Thus, they gave up the setting of a value threshold from which criminal sanctions are applied for abuse and negligence in office, as the senators had decided. Also, they kept the possibility of using phone tapping made by specialized services as evidence in the case of several crimes, including tax evasion and corruption. The Chamber of Deputies is a decision-making body in this case.



    NATO – On Friday, the NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană will visit the South-East Multinational Brigade from Craiova (southern Romania), whose Command has the mission to ensure the command and control of a NATO operation of the Article 5 type – Collective Defense, contributing, in this way, to the consolidation of the South-Eastern flank of the Alliance, to the security of the territory and the population of the member states. The NATO official made this announcement in an interview given to AGERPRES news agency, in Brussels, after the conclusion of the meeting of foreign ministers from the allied states, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mircea Geoana spoke in the interview about the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance and the relationship with the partner countries, as well as about the agenda of his mandate as NATO Deputy Secretary General, which was extended until October 2024. Mircea Geoana also referred to the war in Ukraine. In his opinion, the Kremlin leadership has been using the nuclear rhetoric in the most unprofessional and irresponsible way, even before the start of the war in Ukraine.



    Visit – The former president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, is visiting Bucharest today. He will be received by president Klaus Iohannis and will be granted the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Academy of Economic Studies (ASE). The event takes place in the context of the manifestations organized by the higher education institution, on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of its establishment on April 6. Jean-Claude Juncker was the President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019.

  • March 21, 2023

    March 21, 2023

    TALKS Russian
    president Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are currently having
    talks in Moscow. Economic cooperation is high on the agenda on the second day
    of the Chinese President’s three-day visit to Moscow. Yesterday, the two
    leaders tackled the war in Ukraine and the two sides are expected to sign two
    major agreements on expanding the strategic bilateral cooperation and
    partnership. According to sources in Moscow, the talks’ agenda also includes technical-military
    cooperation between the two sides, amid the West’s fears that Beijing could
    supply weapons to Russia for the war the latter is presently waging on Ukraine.
    According to experts, the Chinese president’s visit is important for president
    Putin who can now prove that Russia isn’t internationally isolated. China
    hasn’t condemned the war in Ukraine but has been engaged in peace talks and at
    the beginning of his visit president Jinping has underlined China’s neutral
    stand.








    CUT Last year Romania
    managed to slightly curb the number of road accidents by 200 as compared to
    2021. Fatalities from road accidents were also reduced by 145 and the number of
    wounded by 100. In 2022 Romania reported 47 hundred accidents and 1,630
    fatalities. 37 hundred people were also severely injured. According to the
    Romanian Police General Inspectorate, these have been the lowest figures in the
    past decade. Road traffic police are these days conducting a series of
    preventive activities on the high-risk sections of the country’s road network.








    DAY Numerous events have been announced in
    Romania on the World Poetry Day marked on March 21. The National Museum of
    Literature in Bucharest has scheduled a series of public lectures, exhibitions
    and shows in libraries and education units as well as several outdoor events
    focusing on poetry. At the Ipotesti Memorial in north-eastern Romania, The Mihai
    Eminescu National Study Center is staging the traditional poetry marathon
    involving the participation of almost 20 authors. The National Museum of
    Literature in Iasi, eastern Romania is also staging a poetry marathon.








    PLAN Romania is one of the 17 EU members to have endorsed the EU
    joint weapon-purchase plan, which will enable the EU nations to jointly
    purchase weapons amid growing appeals from Ukraine for more military support.
    According to EU officials the initiative will allow the EU to replenish arms
    that have already been provided to Ukraine. The plan has been drawn up by the
    European Defence Agency in an attempt to connect the weapon demands of the EU
    members and Ukraine and the European arms industry. The programme has two lines
    of procurement, one for the 155 mm howitzer shells for a period of two years
    and for other types of ammunition for a period of seven years. The plan’s third
    component is focusing on raising the production capabilities of some weapon
    producers in the EU.




    (bill)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, is these days seeing a major womens WTA 500 tennis tournament with 780 thousand dollars in prize money.


    At the aforementioned competition, Romania is being represented by Monica Niculescu who pairs with Miyu Kato of Japan seeded 38th in the double ranking.


    The Romanian-Japanese pair will compete in the round of sixteen on Wednesday against the pair made up of Norwegian Ulrikke Eikeri and Alexa Guarachi of Chile, WTA 51st and 47th respectively.


    Monica Niculescu comes after a good week when she had made it to the semis of the Lyon tournament together with Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland. Her qualification for the French competition has been the best Romanian performance of the past days for which Radio Romania International has designated Monica Niculescu athlete of the week.


    Monica was born in Slatina, on September 25, 1987 and has lived in Bucharest since the age of four. She took up tennis when she was five years old and turned professional in 2002. She made to her highest position in the world ranking, 28th, in February 2012. She won three WTA single tournaments, in 2013 in Florianopolis, Brasil, in 2014 in Guangzhou, China, and in 2016 in Luxembourg.


    Her performances in the doubles competitions were even more notable as she reaped 10 WTA titles starting the year 2009, when she emerged as winner in Budapest together with Russian Alisa Kleybanova. She got the highest position in the WTA doubles ranking in April 2018 when she went eleventh.


    She started off on the right foot in 2023 with a qualification in the quarter finals of the Hobart tournament together with Alicia Barnett of Britain. Then she teamed up with Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland to make it to the round of 16th of the Australian Open. She is presently ranking 43rd in the world doubles ranking.


    (bill)


  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, is these days seeing a major womens WTA 500 tennis tournament with 780 thousand dollars in prize money.


    At the aforementioned competition, Romania is being represented by Monica Niculescu who pairs with Miyu Kato of Japan seeded 38th in the double ranking.


    The Romanian-Japanese pair will compete in the round of sixteen on Wednesday against the pair made up of Norwegian Ulrikke Eikeri and Alexa Guarachi of Chile, WTA 51st and 47th respectively.


    Monica Niculescu comes after a good week when she had made it to the semis of the Lyon tournament together with Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland. Her qualification for the French competition has been the best Romanian performance of the past days for which Radio Romania International has designated Monica Niculescu athlete of the week.


    Monica was born in Slatina, on September 25, 1987 and has lived in Bucharest since the age of four. She took up tennis when she was five years old and turned professional in 2002. She made to her highest position in the world ranking, 28th, in February 2012. She won three WTA single tournaments, in 2013 in Florianopolis, Brasil, in 2014 in Guangzhou, China, and in 2016 in Luxembourg.


    Her performances in the doubles competitions were even more notable as she reaped 10 WTA titles starting the year 2009, when she emerged as winner in Budapest together with Russian Alisa Kleybanova. She got the highest position in the WTA doubles ranking in April 2018 when she went eleventh.


    She started off on the right foot in 2023 with a qualification in the quarter finals of the Hobart tournament together with Alicia Barnett of Britain. Then she teamed up with Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland to make it to the round of 16th of the Australian Open. She is presently ranking 43rd in the world doubles ranking.


    (bill)


  • December 29, 2022

    December 29, 2022

    ENERGY The government of Romania passed a bill lifting the
    obligation for owners of more than one house to submit sworn statements in
    order to benefit from energy price caps. On the other hand, the government also
    decided that the 10 Eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will no
    longer be applied as of January 1, 2023. PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that the
    authorities are prepared to reintroduce this measure in the future, should
    prices go up beyond citizens’ spending power.


    FOREIGN POLICY In 2023, ‘Romania’s foreign ministry will continue to
    give special attention to Romania’s Schengen accession and to joining the
    Organisation for Cooperation and Economic Development (OCDE)’. The announcement
    was made by the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu in a Report on Romania’s
    diplomatic activity released on Thursday. As far as 2022 is concerned, the
    Report says the year was marked at both a regional and a global level by the
    war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The
    report also covers the outcomes of the NATO Summit in Madrid in June 2022, and Bucharest’s
    successful hosting of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers and of the Munich
    Leaders Meeting in November 2022.


    COVID The
    European Commission organises today a meeting of healthcare officials to
    discuss a coordinated EU approach of the surge in Covid cases in China, AFP
    reports. After China loosened its strict zero-tolerance rules earlier this
    month, which triggered an explosion of cases in the country, states around the
    world are worried that new variants of the virus would spread from there. Italy
    has already on Wednesday introduced compulsory testing for incoming travellers
    from China, a measure also adopted by other countries, including the US and Japan.


    UKRAINE Ukraine suffered
    ‘massive’ attacks involving over 120 Russian missiles on Thursday morning in
    several cities including the capital Kyiv, the Ukrainian Army and Presidency announced.
    Air raid alerts sounded across the country. According to Ukraine’s head of
    intelligence services, the war is currently at a deadlock, as neither Ukraine
    nor Russia are able to make significant progress. In an interview to the BBC, Kyrylo
    Budanov said Russia was at a dead end, suffering significant losses, but he
    admitted that Ukraine lacks the resources to move forward. He added that Kyiv
    was waiting for more advanced weapons. Ever since October, Russia has been regularly
    hitting Ukraine’s energy and other critical infrastructure. Kremlin warned that
    there will be no New Year ceasefire in Ukraine.


    SOLIDARITY
    In the Republic of Moldova, neighbouring both Romania and Ukraine, lights will
    be turned off in the government’s and other public buildings, in solidarity
    with the millions of people in Ukraine left without electricity, water supply and
    heating. Last week, the Rome Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House, the European
    Parliament and the Wembley went dark in solidarity with Ukraine. In Bucharest, the
    City Hall discontinued holiday lighting for one hour during the winter solstice
    night.


    HANDBALL Romania’s
    men’s handball team takes on Algeria today in the 3rd place playoff
    of the Carpaţi Trophy, a competition
    traditionally hosted by Romania and taking place this year in Oradea. On Wednesday, Romania lost to Slovakia, 31-30, and
    Algeria was defeated by Egypt 38-27. The trophy
    final pits Egypt against Slovakia. (AMP)

  • Provocări pentru aliați

    Provocări pentru aliați

    Definită la summitul Alianței Nord-Atlantice de la Madrid drept o “provocare pentru aliați, China rămâne o preocupare, alături de situația din Ucraina. Aliaţii NATO sunt îngrijorați de consolidarea militară a Chinei şi de cooperarea acesteia cu Rusia, a declarat secretarul de stat al SUA, Antony Blinken, după o întrunire ministerială a alianţei militare în România. Politicile chineze de interes pentru NATO includ utilizarea dezinformarii, acumularea sa militară rapidă şi opacă, alături de cooperarea cu Rusia, a explicat Antony Blinken. Provocările pe termen lung pe care le reprezintă Beijingul la adresa intereselor, valorilor şi securităţii aliate au ocupat un loc aparte în cadrul discuțiilor aliaților de la București.

    Secretarul general al Alianței, Jens Stoltenberg: “NATO este o Alianţă a Europei şi a Americii de Nord. Dar provocările cu care ne confruntăm sunt globale şi trebuie să le abordăm împreună în cadrul NATO. Nu vedem China ca pe un adversar, vom continua să avem relații cu China, atunci când este în interesul Alianţei, inclusiv pentru a transmite poziţia noastră unită în privinţa războiului ilegal al Rusiei din Ucraina. Miniștrii au luat în considerare evoluțiile militare ambiţioase ale Chinei, progresele sale tehnologice şi numeroasele sale activităţi hibride şi cibernetice. Războiul din Ucraina a demonstrat dependența noastră periculoasă de gazul rusesc. Iar acest lucru ar trebui să ne facă să evaluăm dependenţele noastre și de alte regimuri autoritare, nu doar din China, în ceea ce privește furnizarea de tehnologie, lanţuri de aprovizionare sau infrastructură. Vom continua, bineînţeles, să avem relații economice cu China, dar trebuie să fim conştienţi de dependenţele noastre, să ne reducem vulnerabilităţile şi să gestionăm riscurile.



    La București, miniștrii NATO au discutat și despre extinderea Alianței cu Suedia și Finlanda, despre terorism, cea mai directă amenințare asimetrică la adresa securităţii, precum și despre intensificarea sprijinului personalizat pentru Bosnia și Herțegovina, Georgia și Republica Moldova – parteneri ai Alianței -, inclusiv în ceea ce privește consolidarea capacităților, reforma și formarea pentru a-și îmbunătăți instituțiile de securitate și apărare. Dar ministeriala a fost dominată de războiul declanșat de Rusia în Ucraina, cu toate consecințele acestuia. Ucraina a făcut progrese semnificative în faţa invaziei ruse, dar nu trebuie să subestimăm Rusia, ale cărei rachete continuă să atace oraşele, civilii şi infrastructura critică din Ucraina – s-a subliniat în cadrul ministerialei NATO de la finalul lui noiembrie. Alianța Nord-Atlantică trebuie să se asigure că Ucraina va ieşi victorioasă din războiul împotriva Rusiei, a declarat Jens Stoltenberg – “cea mai urgentă sarcină este să ne asigurăm că Ucraina va triumfa ca naţiune suverană, democrată şi independentă în Europa. Pentru a face asta, trebuie să mobilizăm un sprijin militar, economic, financiar şi umanitar constant şi cât mai mare, iar asta este exact ceea ce facem acum, a explicat oficialul NATO.



    La București, aliaţii au anunţat contribuţii semnificative la Pachetul NATO de Asistență Comprehensivă, oferind Ucrainei ajutor neletal, inclusiv combustibil şi generatoare. Un ajutor extrem de important și cu atât mai necesar cu cât finalul războiului încă nu se întrevede. Putem anticipa în acest moment care poate fi obiectivul Rusiei pe termen lung? Este una dintre întrebările la care a răspuns, la Radio România, profesorul universitar Dan Dungaciu, directorul Institutului de Ştiinţe Politice şi Relaţii Internaţionale al Academiei Române. Moscova îşi doreşte în primul rând ca negocierile să se întâmple atât timp cât este Rusia pe teren, a explicat Dan Dungaciu:



    În momentul în care încep negocieri cu trupele ruse aflate pe teritoriul Ucrainei, indiferent de geografia acelei prezenţe, astăzi undeva la 15%, atunci Rusia este avantajată. Este avantajată din două motive. Unu: este foarte abilă în a purta asemenea negocieri, încercând să exonereze vina ocupantului şi plasându-se într-o poziţie de negociere de parcă ar fi neutră sau egala Ucrainei – ăsta este un exerciţiu pe care Rusia l-a făcut în foarte multe ipostaze, şi când a fost vorba de Georgia, şi când a fost vorba de Transnistria, şi-a suspendat pur şi simplu statutul de ocupant şi a devenit un jucător la negociere. În al doilea rând, îi convine, pentru că se întâmplă astăzi o schimbare psihologică la nivelul Federaţiei Ruse, inclusiv la nivelul populaţiei, – şi asta explică într-un fel scorurile mari sau rata mare de acceptabilitate şi de încredere pe care încă Vladimir Putin o are (…) – a transmis mesajul în Federaţia Rusă, inclusiv la populaţie, că războiul este cu Vestul, Rusia se luptă cu Vestul, Vestul însemnând Uniunea Europeană, NATO, Statele Unite.


    În momentul în care Rusia se luptă cu Vestul, se schimbă radical statutul victoriei sau înfrângerii. Nu mai contează care a fost foaia de parcurs a aşa-numitei operaţiuni speciale. Nu mai vorbeşte nimeni de Rusia şi Ucraina, nici măcar nu se mai foloseşte foarte des formula operaţiune specială. Acum este vorba de lupta cu Vestul şi victoria pentru Federaţia Rusă nu mai înseamnă îndeplinirea atribuţiilor sau prerogativelor din documentele iniţiale de război, înseamnă simpla rezistenţă.



    Dacă Federaţia Rusă nu este învinsă în Ucraina, a explicat Dan Dungaciu, e o chestiune care poate fi utilizată de Kremlin, de preşedintele Putin, de autorităţile statului inclusiv în dialogul cu populaţia: nici măcar tot Occidentul aliat în Ucraina nu a reuşit să ne învingă.



  • October 23, 2022 UPDATE

    October 23, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO Spain is going
    to send F-18 and Eurofighter jets to Romania and Bulgaria, to help strengthen
    NATO’s eastern flank in the context of the war in Ukraine. According to Radio
    Romania’s correspondent in Madrid, the aircraft, pilots and relevant auxiliary
    and maintenance personnel will reach the Feteşti air base in the south of
    Romania on December 1, and will be stationed there until the end of March 2023.
    Currently stationed in Zaragoza, they will monitor air space in the region and
    take part in training missions. This is Spain’s response to the Allied request
    for an enhanced contribution to NATO’s prevention capability, the Spanish
    defence ministry said, and added that Spain has already installed a long-range
    air surveillance radar in Schitu, Constanţa County, operational since October
    17 and serviced by 38 troops.


    BORDER Romania’s
    border police announced that over 97,000 people entered Romania on Saturday, of
    whom more than 9,500 were Ukrainian nationals, up 15.6% since the previous day.
    According to current data, over 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens have entered
    Romania since February 10, and nearly 4,400 of them have applied for asylum
    here.


    NRRP Romania is
    set to receive EUR 2.6 bln in the coming days under the National Recovery and
    Resilience Plan, to be channelled into the country’s economic recovery. The
    funds are transferred after the European Commission authorised the payment of
    the first instalments of the non-reimbursable aid and loan components. Romania submitted
    the first payment request in May, after meeting the targets and benchmarks for
    the 4th quarter of 2021. In September, the European Commission’s assessment of
    these targets was approved and submitted to the Economic and Financial
    Committee, which also approved it. The Romanian minister for investment and
    European projects Marcel Boloş believes this is just the beginning of a long
    road, which, if successfully completed, will translate into investments in
    motorways, railways, schools and hospitals. The next payment request will
    amount to EUR 3.2 bln, for which over 50 targets will have to be met, related
    to the first half of this year. Romania may access a total of nearly EUR 30 bln
    under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, of which it has already
    received 2 pre-financing instalments amounting to a rough EUR 3.8 bln.


    COAL Romania has
    increased its coal output to mitigate the energy crunch. The amounts extracted
    in the first 8 months of the year went up 1.7% and imports rose by 13.5%, the
    National Statistics Institute reports. The National Strategy and Forecast
    Commission estimates for this year a coal output 10% higher than in 2021 and a
    2.8% rise in imports. For 2023, the Commission forecasts an 8% increase in
    output.


    CHINA The Chinese
    president Xi Jinping was re-elected on Sunday as leader of the ruling Communist
    Party, thus becoming China’s strongest leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of
    the Chinese communist regime, international news agencies report. Xi Jinping was
    appointed for a 3rd five-year term in office by a largely reshuffled Central
    Committee, and is very likely to be re-elected president as well in March. ‘China cannot develop without the world, and the world also
    needs China,’ he said, and praised what he called the two miracles achieved
    by his country-rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Xi
    Jinping appointed many of his close allies in the Standing Committee, a 7-member
    group in power in China. The all-powerful Politburo includes no women among its
    members for the first time in 25 years.


    HANDBALL The
    Romanian women’s handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, Sunday defeated Storhamar Handball Elite,
    of Norway, 27-25, in a home match in Champions’ League Group B. Rapid remain
    undefeated after 6 matches in Group B. Their next game is scheduled on December
    3, away from home, against handball powerhouse Gyori Audi ETO KC. (AMP)

  • October 23, 2022

    October 23, 2022

    MILITARY The
    first shipment of French military equipment to join the NATO battle group deployed
    to Cincu, in central Romania, reaches the country on Sunday, the defence
    ministry announced. A second convoy, comprising a Leclerc main battle tank
    company, is set to arrive in November. The NATO Battle Group Forward Presence
    in Romania (BGFP) was created in May by transforming the Allied multinational
    elements of the NATO Response Force deployed to our country. Upon France’s
    proposal to take over the framework-nation role, the French battalion deployed
    to Romania, considered the Spearhead of the Very High Readiness Joint Task
    Force (VJTF), built up the BGFP on our national territory by integrating, on
    rotational basis, Belgian and Dutch troops. BGFP contributes to the increase of
    the Romanian military cooperation with France and, implicitly, to the consolidation
    of the Euro-Atlantic space security on the Eastern Flank. Cooperation with the
    strategic partners and the deployment of relevant combat structures on national
    territory contribute to the increase of defence and deterrence capacity in the
    context of the Ukraine war and the Black Sea region crisis, the defence
    ministry explains.


    BORDER Romania’s
    border police announced that over 97,000 people entered Romania on Saturday, of
    whom more than 9,500 were Ukrainian nationals, up 15.6% since the previous day.
    According to current data, over 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens have entered
    Romania since February 10, and nearly 4,400 of them have applied for asylum
    here.


    NRRP Romania is
    set to receive EUR 2.6 bln in the coming days under the National Recovery and
    Resilience Plan, to be channelled into the country’s economic recovery. The
    funds are transferred after the European Commission authorised the payment of
    the first instalments of the non-reimbursable aid and loan components. Romania submitted
    the first payment request in May, after meeting the targets and benchmarks for
    the 4th quarter of 2021. In September, the European Commission’s assessment of
    these targets was approved and submitted to the Economic and Financial
    Committee, which also approved it. The Romanian minister for investment and
    European projects Marcel Boloş believes this is just the beginning of a long
    road, which, if successfully completed, will translate into investments in
    motorways, railways, schools and hospitals. The next payment request will
    amount to EUR 3.2 bln, for which over 50 targets will have to be met, related
    to the first half of this year. Romania may access a total of nearly EUR 30 bln
    under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, of which it has already
    received 2 pre-financing instalments amounting to a rough EUR 3.8 bln.


    COAL Romania has
    increased its coal output to mitigate the energy crunch. The amounts extracted
    in the first 8 months of the year went up 1.7% and imports rose by 13.5%, the
    National Statistics Institute reports. The National Strategy and Forecast
    Commission estimates for this year a coal output 10% higher than in 2021 and a
    2.8% rise in imports. For 2023, the Commission forecasts an 8% increase in
    output.


    CHINA The Chinese
    president Xi Jinping was re-elected on Sunday as leader of the ruling Communist
    Party, thus becoming China’s strongest leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of
    the Chinese communist regime, international news agencies report. Xi Jinping was
    appointed for a 3rd five-year term in office by a largely reshuffled Central
    Committee, and is very likely to be re-elected president as well in March. ‘China cannot develop without the world, and the world also
    needs China,’ he said, and praised what he called the two miracles achieved
    by his country-rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Xi
    Jinping appointed many of his close allies in the Standing Committee, a 7-member
    group in power in China. The all-powerful Politburo includes no women among its
    members for the first time in 25 years.


    HANDBALL The
    Romanian women’s handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, play at home today
    against Storhamar, of Norway, in a Champions’ League Group B match. Rapid is
    3rd in the ranking, after the Hungarian side Gyor and the French side Metz. On Saturday, vice-champions CSM Bucharest
    lost their first game in the group, away from home, to defending champions
    Vipers Kristiansand of Norway, 35-29. CSM ranks 3rd in Group A, after the
    German side Bietigheim and Kristiansand. (AMP)

  • Nachrichten 23.10.2022

    Nachrichten 23.10.2022

    Wie das Verteidigungsministerium mitteilte, trifft am Sonntag die erste Lieferung französischer Militärausrüstung für die NATO-Kampfgruppe in Cincu (Zentralrumänien) ein. Ein zweiter Konvoi, der eine Leclerc-Kampfpanzerkompanie umfasst, soll im November eintreffen. Die NATO Battle Group Forward Presence in Romania (BGFP) wurde im Mai durch die Umwandlung der alliierten multinationalen Elemente der NATO-Reaktionskräfte, die in unserem Land stationiert sind, geschaffen. Auf den Vorschlag Frankreichs hin, die Rolle der Rahmennation zu übernehmen, baute das in Rumänien stationierte französische Bataillon, das als Speerspitze der Gemeinsamen Task Force mit sehr hoher Bereitschaft (VJTF) gilt, die BGFP auf unserem Staatsgebiet auf, indem es auf Rotationsbasis belgische und niederländische Truppen integrierte. Die BGFP trägt zur Verstärkung der militärischen Zusammenarbeit Rumäniens mit Frankreich und damit zur Konsolidierung der euro-atlantischen Raumsicherheit an der Ostflanke bei. Die Zusammenarbeit mit den strategischen Partnern und die Stationierung einschlägiger Kampfstrukturen auf nationalem Territorium tragen zur Erhöhung der Verteidigungs- und Abschreckungskapazität im Kontext des Ukraine-Krieges und der Krise im Schwarzmeerraum bei, erklärt das Verteidigungsministerium.




    Die rumänische Grenzpolizei teilte mit, dass am Samstag über 97.000 Personen nach Rumänien eingereist sind, darunter mehr als 9.500 ukrainische Staatsangehörige, was einem Anstieg von 15,6 % gegenüber dem Vortag entspricht. Aktuellen Daten zufolge sind seit dem 10. Februar über 2,6 Millionen ukrainische Staatsangehörige nach Rumänien eingereist, von denen fast 4.400 einen Asylantrag gestellt haben.




    Rumänien wird in den kommenden Tagen 2,6 Mrd. EUR im Rahmen des Nationalen Konjunkturprogramms erhalten, die in die wirtschaftliche Erholung des Landes flie‎ßen sollen. Die Mittel werden überwiesen, nachdem die Europäische Kommission die Auszahlung der ersten Tranchen der nicht rückzahlbaren Hilfe- und Darlehenskomponenten genehmigt hat. Rumänien reichte den ersten Zahlungsantrag im Mai ein, nachdem es die Ziele und Benchmarks für das 4. Quartal 2021 erreicht hatte. Im September wurde die Bewertung dieser Ziele durch die Europäische Kommission genehmigt und dem Wirtschafts- und Finanzausschuss vorgelegt, der sie ebenfalls billigte. Der rumänische Minister für Investitionen und europäische Projekte, Marcel Boloş, ist der Ansicht, dass dies nur der Anfang eines langen Weges ist, der, wenn er erfolgreich abgeschlossen wird, zu Investitionen in Autobahnen, Eisenbahnen, Schulen und Krankenhäuser führen wird. Der nächste Zahlungsantrag wird sich auf 3,2 Mrd. EUR belaufen, für die über 50 Ziele erfüllt werden müssen, die sich auf die erste Hälfte dieses Jahres beziehen. Rumänien kann im Rahmen des Nationalen Konjunkturprogramms insgesamt fast 30 Mrd. EUR in Anspruch nehmen, von denen es bereits zwei Vorfinanzierungstranchen in Höhe von rund 3,8 Mrd. EUR erhalten hat.




    Rumänien hat seine Kohleproduktion erhöht, um die Energieknappheit abzumildern. Die in den ersten acht Monaten des Jahres geförderten Mengen stiegen um 1,7 %, während die Einfuhren um 13,5 % zunahmen, berichtet das Nationale Statistikamt. Die Nationale Strategie- und Prognosekommission schätzt für dieses Jahr eine um 10 % höhere Kohleförderung als 2021 und einen Anstieg der Importe um 2,8 %. Für 2023 prognostiziert die Kommission einen Anstieg der Produktion um 8 %.




    Der chinesische Präsident Xi Jinping wurde am Sonntag als Vorsitzender der regierenden Kommunistischen Partei wiedergewählt und ist damit Chinas stärkster Führer seit Mao Zedong, dem Gründer des chinesischen kommunistischen Regimes, berichten internationale Nachrichtenagenturen. Xi Jinping wurde von einem weitgehend neu zusammengesetzten Zentralkomitee für eine dritte fünfjährige Amtszeit ernannt und wird aller Voraussicht nach im März auch zum Präsidenten wiedergewählt werden. China kann sich nicht ohne die Welt entwickeln, und die Welt braucht China”, sagte er und lobte die “zwei Wunder”, die sein Land vollbracht habe: eine rasante wirtschaftliche Entwicklung und langfristige soziale Stabilität. Xi Jinping ernannte viele seiner engen Verbündeten in den Ständigen Ausschuss, eine 7-köpfige Gruppe, die in China die Macht hat. Dem allmächtigen Politbüro gehören zum ersten Mal seit 25 Jahren keine Frauen an.

  • October 22, 2022

    October 22, 2022

    COVID The European Centre for Disease
    Prevention and Control has cautioned against the spread of a new Omicron
    subvariant, which is expected to increase the number of infections in Europe,
    the EFE Agency has reported. Preliminary surveys conducted in Asia have shown
    the aforementioned subvariant could evade the immune response of the human
    body. Andrea Ammon, director of the aforementioned institution has called on European
    states to remain vigilant about the spread of the new subvariant and monitor the
    number of infections as well as the hospital treatment of patients. According
    to the same institution, raising the vaccination rate remains a priority, and
    that risk groups, such as the elderly and the people with comorbidities, need
    additional booster doses.










    TENNIS Romania’s best tennis player and
    two-times major winner, Simona Halep, has been provisionally suspended after
    testing positive for a banned anti-anemia blood-booster called roxadustat at
    the latest edition of the US Open. The world’s former number one, Halep
    described the ban as ‘the biggest shock of her life’ and denied knowingly
    taking any banned substance. Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating
    never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have
    been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused
    and betrayed, the athlete wrote on Twitter. The 31 year old Romanian athlete
    and winner of the Roland Garros tournament in 2018, says that her fight was not
    about ‘titles and money’ but her honour and that she hoped the truth would
    eventually come out.










    PERMITS Specialised structures with the
    Romanian Interior Ministry have in the past 24 hours issued 302 residence
    permits for Ukrainian refugees. A total of 78 thousand such permits have been
    issued since March. According to authorities in Bucharest only one Ukrainian
    citizen has applied for asylum in the past 24 hours. Roughly 44 hundred
    Ukrainians have applied for asylum in Romania since the beginning of the
    conflict and they are benefitting from all the rights stipulated in the
    national legislation. According to the same sources, 83 thousand people have
    crossed the borders into Romania in the past 24 hours, out of which 93 hundred
    are Ukrainian citizens.










    HANDBALL Romania’s vice-champions in
    women’s handball, CSM Bucharest are today playing defending champions Vipers
    Kristiansand of Norway in an away match counting towards the Champions League
    group A. In their previous game, CSM managed to outperform the last side in the
    group’s ranking Banik Most of the Czech Republic. CSM ranks second in the group
    after German side Bietigheim and before Kristiansand. Romanian champions Rapid
    Bucharest is also ranking second in the Champions League’s group B after
    Hungarian side Gyor. Rapid will be playing a home game against the Norwegians
    of Storhamar on Sunday. Rapid comes after a draw against Buducnost Podgorica of
    Montenegro.








    VISIT The use by Russia of the nuclear
    weapon would be ‘an act of hostility against humankind’, Japanese Prime
    Minister Fumio Kishida said during his visit to Australia on Saturday, France
    press reports. The Russian intimidation concerning the use of nuclear weapon is
    a severe threat to the peace and security of the international community and is
    absolutely unacceptable, says the leader of the only country ever hit by a
    nuclear weapon. In 2023, Kishida is expected to welcome the G7 leaders in
    Hiroshima, the town which was razed to the ground by an atomic bomb in 1945
    when 140 thousand people died. The city of Nagasaki was also bombed three days
    later. In another development, Australia and Japan on Saturday signed an agreement
    on security issues aimed at offsetting China’s military power in the region.




    (bill)