Radio România Internațional

Tag: CSM Bucharest

February 6, 2021

Covid-19 Ro. The
Romanian Prime Minister, Florin Cîţu, has received the second dose of COVID 19
vaccine today. President Klaus Iohannis too got the second jab on Friday. He
said that the vaccine is safe and effective and recommended vaccination to all
Romanians, as the only way, together with the observance of anti-vaccine
protection measures, to get Romania out of the pandemic. The anti-Covid vaccine
produced by AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Oxford University, will be
administered in Romania only to people between 18 and 55 years old. By the end
of this month, 800,000 doses of this vaccine will have reached the country.
Meanwhile, the immunization campaign with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine continues.
The administration of the Moderna vaccine started on Thursday. In total, so
far, about 650 thousand Romanians have been vaccinated. On Friday, more than
2,500 new cases of Covid and 73 deaths were reported in Romania, after 31,000
tests run in 24 hours. About 950 people are hospitalized in intensive care
units. The total number of Sars – Cov – 2 infections has exceeded 740,000, and
the number of deaths has reached 18,740.

Fire. Two more
patients who were in the fifth ward of the Matei Balş Institute in Bucharest
during last week’s fire died, the
Ministry of Health announced today. These are two men, aged 73 and 91,
respectively. Five people lost their lives on the day of the fire, and nine
more deaths were reported later among patients transferred to other hospitals.
The prosecutor’s office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal announced that it finished,
on Friday, the on-site investigation. So far, 33 people, medical staff,
administrative staff, police officers who participated in the initial
intervention and relatives of the victims have been heard. Several wards burned
and the whole building was affected by smoke. More than 100 patients were
evacuated and transferred to other health facilities. A similar tragedy took
place in November, at the emergency hospital in Piatra Neamţ (northeast), as a
result of which 10 patients died.

Navalny. The leader of the Renew Liberal
group in the European Parliament, the former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian
Ciolos, has said that the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the Union,
Josep Borrell, must come with explanations before the MEPs, after he was
humiliated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov. Today’s
events are a slap in Europe’s face and should serve as a lesson that in
negotiations with the Russians we can only impose ourselves if we are united in
defending the values on which the European Union is founded: respect for
human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights
– Ciolos wrote in a post on Facebook, after Moscow announced on Friday
the expulsion of three diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden, because they
participated in the protests for the release of Aleksei Navalny. The head of
European diplomacy had admitted, since the beginning of the week, that he would
not obtain the release of the most fierce opponent of President Vladimir Putin.
At a meeting with Lavrov, Borell reiterated his call for the release of Navalny
and the start of an impartial investigation into his poisoning with Noviciok in
August 2020. Already sentenced to prison on Tuesday in a case of embezzlement
that he says it was politically fabricated, Navalny appeared in court again on
Friday on charges of defaming a World War II Soviet army veteran.

Training. Soldiers
from the Romanian Naval Forces and Air Force carried out, on Friday, in the
Black Sea basin, a joint training mission with US Navy soldiers. According to
the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest, the exercise was the first joint
Romanian-American training activity this year and aimed at strengthening the NATO
assurance measures in the South-East of Europe, as well as increasing the level
of interoperability, demonstrating, once again, the US involvement in ensuring
security in the Black Sea area. The strategic partnership with the USA is one
of the pillars of Romania’s defense and security. In an increasingly dynamic
security environment, such as the Black Sea, cooperation between the Romanian
Army and American forces deployed in Europe contributes to strengthening the
ability to react, quickly and efficiently, to a wide range of social security
threats on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance, the Romanian
Defense Ministry states.

Tennis. Romanian
tennis player Simona Halep, world number two and second seed, will meet
Australian Lizette Cabrera in the first round of the Australian Open, the first
Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Monday in Melbourne. According to the
draw, the first round also includes the duel between the Romanian Patricia Ţig
and Sorana Cîrstea. Another Romanian, Irina Begu, will play against the Serbian
Nina Stojanovic in the inaugural round, and Ana Bogdan will take on the
American Danielle Collins. Mihaela Buzărnescu, who joined the main board from the position of
lucky loser, will play in the first round against the Romanian-born
Canadian Bianca Andreescu.

Handball.
Romania’s women’s handball vice-champion, CSM Bucharest, returns
today to the Champtions League, after two matches in a row that were posponed
to to the cases of Covid-19 reported in their oponents’ teams. The Bucharest
team plays, on home turf, with the Danish team Esbjerg. After 10 matches, CSM
holds the 5th place in the Group A ranking, whiel the Danes are on 6th, with 8
points. On Sunday, the Romanian champion, SCM
Râmnicu Vâlcea, also plays away in Group B, in the company of another Danish
team, Odense. Vâlcea is on the 6th place in the group, with only 4 points. Only
the first two teams qualify directly in the quarterfinals, while the other will
have a play-off. (M. Ignatescu)

6 February 2021
October 11, 2020

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another 2.880 new cases of COVID-19
and 53 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, the Group for Strategic
Communication announced on Sunday. 628
patients are still in intensive care. The infection rate per thousand
inhabitants in the last 14 days stands at 2.52 in Bucharest, with high rates
also reported in Alba and Valcea counties. The rate is over 1.5 in another nine
counties. If the rate exceeds 3, authorities want to reintroduce certain
restrictions. On Saturday, hundreds of people protested in Bucharest against
restrictions imposed by the authorities to prevent the coronavirus from
spreading. A similar protest was staged in Iasi, the second-most affected city
in the country, where people are disgruntled with the ban on the pilgrimage to
Saint Paraskeva. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said the protests are unfounded,
and anyone who doesn’t observe the regulations in force will be fined.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Health authorities in numerous
states across the world have raised alarm signals regarding the mounting
pressure on national healthcare systems, in the context of a resurge of the
coroanvirus pandemic. There are nearly 37 million confirmed cases of COVID-19
globally, while over a 1million people have died worldwide, 5,500 in the last
24 hours alone, the World Health Organization reports. The figures also very
close to their corresponding marks in spring, when experts said the pandemic
peaked. The European Commission has signed an agreement with Gilead
biopharmaceutical company to receive 500 thousand shots of Remdesivir, an
antiviral drug that has been successfully used so far to treat COVID
infections. All EU member states and some of its neighbors are due to receive
dozes. China has announced its willingness to join the agreement to grant
vaccines to poor countries, an initiative launched by the WHO.

ELECTION – A partial local
election is held on Sunday in a city and three villages in Romania, where
officials could not be elected on September 27. In the three villages the first
two candidates were tied in terms of number of votes and will face each other
in the second round, while in Moldova Noua city the vote on September 27 was
invalidated due to irregularities linked to the voting procedure. In last
month’s election Social-Democrat Gabriela Firea missed her chance to win a
second mandate at the helm of the Bucharest City Hall, losing to independent
candidate Nicuşor Dan, backed by the National Liberal Party and the Save
Romania Union – PLUS Alliance. Candidates backed by the Liberals and the
Alliance won three of the six districts of Bucharest. Nationwide, the
Social-Democratic Party won 20 county councils, the Liberals 17 and the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania 4.

INVESTIGATION – The head of the National Agency for
Preventing and Combating Money Laundering, Laurenţiu
Baranga, has been detained for 24 hours and is accused of having used forged
diplomas, which tribunals have disqualified. According to investigators,
Baranga’s use of fake education certificates allegedly caused a prejudice worth
over a hundred thousand Euro. Baranga resigned after having taken office just
last month, after allegations arose regarding his forged Baccalaureate diploma,
which he obtained aged 32. Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban denied having
any prior knowledge in this respect, saying all vetting procedures were applied
when Baranga’s candidacy was analyzed. Interim Senate Speaker, Social-Democrat
Robert Cazanciuc, said Orban has to step down for appointing a forgerer in a
public office with a direct control of Romania’s financial dealings.

MARATHON – The International
Bucharest Marathon, due to take place on Sunday, was cancelled upon the
authorities’ request, due to the negative evolution of the coronavirus
pandemic. The infection rate in Bucharest now stands at 2.52 per thousand
inhabitants. 250 professional runners had enrolled in the Bucharest marathon,
in an attempt to qualify to the Olympic Games due to take place in Tokyo next
year. We hope the specific qualities describing a professional marathon
runners, such as determination, endurance and planning, will help them overcome
this difficult moment, all the more so as some of them had already traveled to Bucharest,
coming from other continents, the president of the Bucharest Running Club,
Valeria van Groningen, has said. The decision to cancel the Bucharest
International Marathon will not be affecting runners enrolled in virtual races,
who will be taking part individually in the said events, over October 11-18.
Virtual racers get to pick their own track and start time.

HANDBALL – Romanian handball club CSM
Bucharest lost 25-30 away from home on Saturday to Vipers Kristiansand of
Norway, in a match counting towards Champions League Group A. CSM could not
field its top player, Cristina Neagu, the world’s handballer in 2010, 2015,
2016 and 2018, who tested positive for COVID-19. Previously, with Neagu in the
lineup, CSM had won both group fixtures. Scheduled for Sunday in Group B, the
match pitting SCM Ramnicu Valcea against Podravka Koprivnica of Croatia was
postponed, also due to COVID infections reported at the Romanian club. SCM has
lost the first three group matches. In the men’s Champions League, Romanian
champions Dinamo Bucharest will play straight into the Europa League group
phase, due to kick off this month.

FOOTBALL – Romania’s national football
team is today playing Norway in Nations League Group B. Romania is top of the
group tables after drawing 1-all at home against Northern Ireland and defeating
Austria 3-2. On Thursday, Romania missed the chance to qualify to the 2020
European Championship after losing 1-2 to Iceland in the playoff semis.

(translated by V.
Palcu)

11 October 2020
September 21, 2020 UPDATE

Covid-19 RO. Romania has for the first time exceeded 9,000 new cases of COVID-19 in a week. The rate of positive results in the total number of tests performed also increased. Also, the transmissibility index has again gone over 1. The latest report from the Strategic Communication Group indicates 808 new infections in the last 24 hours, out of almost 8,000 tests performed. On the other hand, the number of deaths associated with the new coronavirus has decreased to 23 announced on Monday at noon. 464 patients are in intensive care. The total number of deaths is 4,458. Romanian authorities are once again calling for health safety measures to be observed in order to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. The Minister of Health, Nelu Tătaru, has also drawn attention to the importance of vaccinating the population against seasonal flu, so that the COVID-19 epidemic does not overlap with a flu epidemic.

Statement. The presidents of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, and Poland, Andrzej Duda, state in a joint statement their will to support the people of Belarus in building a democratic path for their country. They call on the international community to join the EU and its member states in preparing a positive agenda for Belarus, together with a package of support for the countrys political, economic and social transition. The three heads of state are willing to provide Belarus with the expertise and know-how of their countries to implement political and economic reforms, to help build independent institutions and ensure an environment where respect for human rights and freedom of expression are a fundamental norm. The joint statement comes amid growing allegations of human rights violation and electoral fraud by the Minsk regime. In power for 26 years, the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is often described as the last dictator in Europe.

Meeting. We believe that Belarus is currently in a phase of transition to modernization and democracy, and the EU has a duty to support this effort, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu told a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Minister Aurescu said that Romania supports the adoption of sanctions in Belarus as soon as possible and supports an OSCE mission to mediate dialogue in that country. EU foreign ministers failed to approve on Monday a list of Belarusian officials against whom Brussels could impose sanctions for rigging the elections, using violence against protesters and violating human rights. On the other hand, the EU Council at the level of foreign ministers will examine the issue of relations with Russia in the context of the incident with Aleksei Navalny during the next council meeting in October, announced the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Market. The Romanian capital market has been upgraded from the status of “border market” to that of “emerging market”. The decision was made after the transactions of the main companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange were monitored for three years. The first two Romanian companies included in the emerging market index are Banca Transilvania and Nuclearelectrica. They will still have to meet the liquidity criteria in the next three months. The moment was marked at the Bucharest Stock Exchange, through an official opening of the trading session. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, who attended the event, reaffirmed the governments intention to further support the development of the capital market.

Budget. In Romania, debates on the Liberal Government’s budget adjustment bill start in parliament this week, after it was radically amended by the specialized committees of the opposition Social Democratic Party. Among other things, an increase in pensions by 40% and an increase in teachers’ salaries were introduced in the bill, as of September 1st. Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has warned that it’s impossible to support the Social Democrats’ proposals. On Monday, the Senate approved the Social Democratic Party’s proposal to grant incentives for teachers and the auxiliary staff during a state of emergency and alert, because they are exposed to infection with the new coronavirus, after the model used for doctors and nurses that treat Covid-19 patients. The bill will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision making forum on this matter.

Tennis. Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number two, won on Monday the final of the WTA tournament in Rome, with total prizes of over 2 million dollars. Simona Halep met in the last act of this competition the Czech Karolina Pliskova (4 WTA), who abandoned the match when the score was 6-0, 2-1. Halep (28 years old) played her third final in Rome. In 2017 and 2018 she was defeated in the last act by the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.

Handball. The Romanian womens handball club CSM Bucharest on Sunday defeated Team Esbjerg of Denmark 30-29 away from home in Champions League Group A. Also in Group A, Metz Handball of France defeated SG BBM Bietigheim 36-27. The group leader with 4 points, CSM will next play Rostov-Don of Russia on September 27 at home. On Saturday, the other Romanian team playing in Champions League, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea lost to Odense Handbold of Denmark, 30-21 in Group B. Râmnicu Vâlcea will next play CSKA Moscow on September 26. (M. Ignatescu)

21 September 2020
RRI Sports Club

Handballer Christina Neagu has extended
her contract with CSM Bucharest for two more seasons, the Bucharest club has
announced on Tuesday. 31-year old Neagu has four times been designated the world’s
best handballer, in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018. A serious knee injury kept Neagu away
from the court for quite a long time, yet she had her comeback and as of late
has confirmed she was a piece de resistance in CSM Bucharest’s lineup. We recall
Neagu score 14 goals in CSM’s Champions League fixtures, against French side Metz
and Norway’s Vipers Kristiansand, respectively.

According to a piece of news also
made public by CSM Bucharest, Swedish coach Per Johansson returns to CSM’s
technical staff, this time as a deputy head coach. Johannson signed a contract
which is valid until the end of the ongoing season. We recall Per Johannson had
twice acted as head-coach for CSM in the past. With Per Johansson at the helm
CSM won two bronze medals in the Champions League, in 2017 and 2018. Teaming up
with Johannson will be head-coach Adrian Vasile. Johansson and Vasile also work
together at the helm of Montenegro’s national squad, for which Johansson is the
head-coach and Vasile his deputy.

Men’s handball teams CSM Bucharest and
Potaissa Turda on Tuesday found out their adversaries in the Challenge Cup
quarterfinals, CSM play Russian side Victor Stavropol, while Potaissa face Greek opponents
AEK Athens, according to the drawing of lots held in Vienna on Tuesday. CSM and
Potaissa will play the first leg of the tie away from home, on March 21st
or the 22nd, while the return leg will be played on home turf, on March
28 or 29. If they go through to the semifinals, Potaissa play the winner of the
match pitting Norway’s Halden Topphandball against Valur Reykjavik of Iceland. If
they go past the quarterfinals, CSM Bucharest play a Czech team, Karvina or Dukla Prague.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

—–

19 February 2020
RRI Sports Club

Handballer Christina Neagu has extended
her contract with CSM Bucharest for two more seasons, the Bucharest club has
announced on Tuesday. 31-year old Neagu has four times been designated the world’s
best handballer, in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018. A serious knee injury kept Neagu away
from the court for quite a long time, yet she had her comeback and as of late
has confirmed she was a piece de resistance in CSM Bucharest’s lineup. We recall
Neagu score 14 goals in CSM’s Champions League fixtures, against French side Metz
and Norway’s Vipers Kristiansand, respectively.

According to a piece of news also
made public by CSM Bucharest, Swedish coach Per Johansson returns to CSM’s
technical staff, this time as a deputy head coach. Johannson signed a contract
which is valid until the end of the ongoing season. We recall Per Johannson had
twice acted as head-coach for CSM in the past. With Per Johansson at the helm
CSM won two bronze medals in the Champions League, in 2017 and 2018. Teaming up
with Johannson will be head-coach Adrian Vasile. Johansson and Vasile also work
together at the helm of Montenegro’s national squad, for which Johansson is the
head-coach and Vasile his deputy.

Men’s handball teams CSM Bucharest and
Potaissa Turda on Tuesday found out their adversaries in the Challenge Cup
quarterfinals, CSM play Russian side Victor Stavropol, while Potaissa face Greek opponents
AEK Athens, according to the drawing of lots held in Vienna on Tuesday. CSM and
Potaissa will play the first leg of the tie away from home, on March 21st
or the 22nd, while the return leg will be played on home turf, on March
28 or 29. If they go through to the semifinals, Potaissa play the winner of the
match pitting Norway’s Halden Topphandball against Valur Reykjavik of Iceland. If
they go past the quarterfinals, CSM Bucharest play a Czech team, Karvina or Dukla Prague.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

—–

19 February 2020
RRI Sports club

Romanias national womens handball team as of next week takes part in the Japan-hosted World Championship. Romania is included in group C, alongside Hungary, Montenegro, Spain, Senegal and Kazakhstan. The Japanese city of Kumamoto on November 30 plays host to Romanias debut fixture, the match against Spain. According to one of Romanian lineups top-notch handballers, the young Eliza Buceschi, the game against Spain counts as a final match, while a win will secure Romanias qualification in the competitions main group stage.

Romanias head-coach, Swedish Tomas Ryde, only one day before the Romanian delegations departure to Japan had no choice other than operating two changes in his pool or regulars. Cristina Laslo and Bianca Bazaliu did not join the delegation, because of the two handballers alleged infringement of anti-doping rules. Agerpres news agency quoted a gsp.ro post whereby Laslo and Bazaliu, together with another Corona Brasov team-mate, Daciana Hosu, resorted to the intravenous laser infusions, a line of therapy the World Anti Doping Agency has included on its list of prohibited treatment lines. In for Laslo and Bazaliu are SCM Craiovas Patricia Vizitiu and Anca Polocoser of Minaur Baia Mare.

Fresh from a long recovery period she had in the wake of a serious knee injury she sustained during the European Championship in December 2018, world-acclaimed Cristina Neagu has joined the Romanian delegation for the final tournament in Japan. We recall CSM Bucharest regular Cristina Neagu was the worlds number one handballer in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018. “Theres something bracing in the air once Cristina Neagu has joined in. We have a different morale”, Eliza Buceschi told the press.

Romanias record in womens handball includes three word titles, in 1956, 1960 and 1962. In 1972 and 2005, Romania won two silver medals. The national teams most recent feat is the silver medal they won in 2015; we recall that back then, Romanias current head-coach Tomas Ryde was also at the helm of the national squad. At the previous edition of the World Championship, in 2017, Romania came in 10th.

20 November 2019
RRI Sports club

Romanias national womens handball team as of next week takes part in the Japan-hosted World Championship. Romania is included in group C, alongside Hungary, Montenegro, Spain, Senegal and Kazakhstan. The Japanese city of Kumamoto on November 30 plays host to Romanias debut fixture, the match against Spain. According to one of Romanian lineups top-notch handballers, the young Eliza Buceschi, the game against Spain counts as a final match, while a win will secure Romanias qualification in the competitions main group stage.

Romanias head-coach, Swedish Tomas Ryde, only one day before the Romanian delegations departure to Japan had no choice other than operating two changes in his pool or regulars. Cristina Laslo and Bianca Bazaliu did not join the delegation, because of the two handballers alleged infringement of anti-doping rules. Agerpres news agency quoted a gsp.ro post whereby Laslo and Bazaliu, together with another Corona Brasov team-mate, Daciana Hosu, resorted to the intravenous laser infusions, a line of therapy the World Anti Doping Agency has included on its list of prohibited treatment lines. In for Laslo and Bazaliu are SCM Craiovas Patricia Vizitiu and Anca Polocoser of Minaur Baia Mare.

Fresh from a long recovery period she had in the wake of a serious knee injury she sustained during the European Championship in December 2018, world-acclaimed Cristina Neagu has joined the Romanian delegation for the final tournament in Japan. We recall CSM Bucharest regular Cristina Neagu was the worlds number one handballer in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018. “Theres something bracing in the air once Cristina Neagu has joined in. We have a different morale”, Eliza Buceschi told the press.

Romanias record in womens handball includes three word titles, in 1956, 1960 and 1962. In 1972 and 2005, Romania won two silver medals. The national teams most recent feat is the silver medal they won in 2015; we recall that back then, Romanias current head-coach Tomas Ryde was also at the helm of the national squad. At the previous edition of the World Championship, in 2017, Romania came in 10th.

20 November 2019
November 6, 2019

SESSION – The new Liberal Government in
Bucharest, led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, is today convening for its
first joint session. According to the Prime Minister, the agenda for today
includes an emergency decree on reducing the number of ministries, from 24 to
16. On Tuesday the newly-appointed ministers took over their portfolios.
Ludovic Orban promised the new Government will engage in permanent dialogue and
will take into account Romanians’ expectations. Orban’s Cabinet has replaced the
outgoing Social-Democratic Government led by Viorica Dancila after the later
did not survive a no-confidence motion in Parliament on October 10.

TRANSPORT – Romanian haulers have pointed
the serious issues reported on the Hungarian border in the last few days, where
freight trucks wait in a 25-km-long line to cross the border. One of the
biggest employers in the field has announced protests and the blocking of
crossing points for light traffic. The Europa 2002 Association of Transport Employers
from Arad say crossing the Hungarian border has never been harder, pointing the
finger at Hungarian authorities, who starting November 1 have been performing
detailed inspections of freight transport vehicles, which incrementally
increases waiting times for crossing the border.

PROTEST – Coal miners from Paroseni and
Uricani on Jiu Valley continue to protest underground for the tenth consecutive
day. Due to be laid off on January 1, miners demand the same rights as other
employees made redundant in the sector, namely monthly redundancy payments for
two years and the inclusion of this period on their seniority with the mining
company. Trade unions say the 100 miners are determined to continue their
protest, the longest in the last 15 years, until the Government passes an
emergency decree that meets their demands. The matter could be settled in today’s
Government session, which will discuss the passing of a decree. Laszlo Domokos,
the head of a miners’ syndicate, is today in Bucharest discussing the miners’
demands with representatives from the line ministry. At the end of 2017 the two
mines were listed for shutdown and remand.

TABLE TENNIS – Romania’s table tennis
team, the defending European champions, is today playing its first match at the
World Cup in Tokyo against Taiwan. Drawn in Group C, Romania will also play against
Vanuatu on Thursday. The top two teams will qualify to the quarterfinals.
Romania’s team is made up of Elizabeta Samara, Daniela Dodean Monteiro, Bernadette Szocs and
Adina Diaconu. We recall that in September Romania reaped gold at the European
Table Tennis Championships in Nantes, France, defeating Portugal in the final.

HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s handball team Dinamo Bucharest on Wednesday
is playing Kadetten Schaffhausen of Switzerland in Champions League Group D.
The match has a major stake. If it wins, Dinamo will secure mathematical qualification
to the playoff. Dinamo ranks first in the group tables with 10 points, followed
by GOG Svendborg of Denamrk with 8 points, Kadetten of Switzerland with 6
points, Wisla Plock of Poland with 5 points, Chehkovskie Medvedi of Russia with
4 points and Kristianstad of Sweden with 3 points. The top two teams will
advance to the next phase. In the women’s Champions League, CSM Bucharest has
already qualified to the main group phase, while champions SCM Ramnicu Valcea
on Sunday is playing SG BBM Bietigheim of Germany in Group C. Brest Bretagne
Handball of France is top of the tables with 6 points, followed by Buducnost of
Montenegro with 6 points, SCM Ramnicu Valcea with 2 points and SG BBM
Bietigheim with 0 points. The top three teams will qualify to the main group
phase.

(translated by V.
Palcu)

6 November 2019
Athlete of the Week – Handballer Crina Pintea

The most
important women’s handball team of recent years, CSM Bucharest, seems to have
returned to the form that earned its past glory. Romania’s vice-champions this
past weekend have claimed the top position in Champions League Group B, now
having five points, and is the only undefeated team after the first three
fixtures. This follows Saturday’s win secured against the Polish side Perla
Lublin, which CSM won 35-19. The topscorer for CSM that game was Crina Pintea,
with six goals. For her remarkable performance we have designated her Athlete
of the Week on RRI.

Crina Pintea was
born April 3, 1990 in Podu Turcului, Bacau County. She made her professional
debut with HC Zalau, at the time coached by Gheorghe Tadici. In 2012 she
reached the EHF Cup final. A year later, Zalau, with Pintea in its first
lineup, played the semi-finals of the same competition. In 2015 Crina Pintea
started talks for a move to HCM Baia Mare, which made coach Tadici bench her.
She was eventually signed by Germany’s Thuringer, with which she won Bundesliga
in 2016. In 2017 she moved to Issy Paris Hand, today known as Paris 92. In
the 2017-2018 season she was designated best pivot in the French domestic championship.
From Paris 92 she moved to Gyor in Hungary, with which she won Champions League
this season. Starting this autumn Crina Pintea is playing for CSM Bucharest.

Crina Pintea’s
debut match for the national team was in 2012. Three years later she won bronze
with Romania at the World Championships in Denmark. At the European
Championship in December 2018, Romania ranked 4th, and Pintea was
included in the competition’s dream team.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

22 October 2019
Athlete of the Week – Handballer Crina Pintea

The most
important women’s handball team of recent years, CSM Bucharest, seems to have
returned to the form that earned its past glory. Romania’s vice-champions this
past weekend have claimed the top position in Champions League Group B, now
having five points, and is the only undefeated team after the first three
fixtures. This follows Saturday’s win secured against the Polish side Perla
Lublin, which CSM won 35-19. The topscorer for CSM that game was Crina Pintea,
with six goals. For her remarkable performance we have designated her Athlete
of the Week on RRI.

Crina Pintea was
born April 3, 1990 in Podu Turcului, Bacau County. She made her professional
debut with HC Zalau, at the time coached by Gheorghe Tadici. In 2012 she
reached the EHF Cup final. A year later, Zalau, with Pintea in its first
lineup, played the semi-finals of the same competition. In 2015 Crina Pintea
started talks for a move to HCM Baia Mare, which made coach Tadici bench her.
She was eventually signed by Germany’s Thuringer, with which she won Bundesliga
in 2016. In 2017 she moved to Issy Paris Hand, today known as Paris 92. In
the 2017-2018 season she was designated best pivot in the French domestic championship.
From Paris 92 she moved to Gyor in Hungary, with which she won Champions League
this season. Starting this autumn Crina Pintea is playing for CSM Bucharest.

Crina Pintea’s
debut match for the national team was in 2012. Three years later she won bronze
with Romania at the World Championships in Denmark. At the European
Championship in December 2018, Romania ranked 4th, and Pintea was
included in the competition’s dream team.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

22 October 2019
Athlete of the Week on RRI – Handballer Denisa Dedu

Romanian women’s handball has
brought good results for sports fans of late. The same happened this past
weekend, when both clubs representing Romania in Champions League grabbed wins.
On Friday, in Group C, SCM Ramnicu Valcea defeated 34-27 Germany’s Bietigheim,
while on Sunday CSM Bucharest won 24-22 against Denmark’s Team Esbjerg away
from home. For today’s Athlete of the Week we had to choose between some of the
players performing for the two winning sides. We’ve picked CSM goalkeeper
Denisa Dedu, who had a solid contribution to winning the match against Esbjerg.
Dedu had 15 saves during the match, also saving 2 7-meter penalty throws. Her
full-match percentage was 42%.

Denisa Dedu was born September 27,
1994 in Brasov. She took up handball relatively late, at the age of 13, and
made her debut with Rulmentul, the present-day Corona Brasov three years later.
In 2017 she was signed by Siofok of Hungary, which this year won the EHF Cup.
She then moved to CSM Bucharest, where she is the first-team goalkeeper.

For Romania’s national team, Denisa
Dedu played at the 2011 World Cup in Brazil, when Romania ranked 13. At the
time Dedu became the youngest handballer to represent Romania at a World Cup,
at only 17 years and 3 months. She shinned at the 2016 European Championship of
Sweden, where Romania ranked 5th. In the group phase match against
Russia, won 22-17, she saved 22 out of 39 throws on target, with a 56%
percentage.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

8 October 2019
October 7, 2019

JHA – Romania’s
Justice Minister, Ana Birchall, is attending the Justice and Home Affairs
Council meeting held under the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU. For
two days, the meeting will focus on EU measures against corruption, combating
cross-border crime by means of Eurojust, electronic issues and the creation of
the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. EU officials will also discuss the
EU’s accession to the European Court of Human Rights, combating hate speech
online, the protection of personal data as well as the relation between
democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights. Minister Birchall will meet with
counterparts from Member States on the sidelines of the event.

CHECKS -
Transport Minister Razvan Cuc announced additional checks and safety measures
will be implemented in traffic considering last week was marked by numerous
accidents, the most serious of which killed 10 people and injured 7. The driver
of a truck collided with a minibus on the oncoming lane, preliminary data
indicating the possibility he might have fallen asleep while driving. A mixed
task force made of representatives of the Police and the State Inspectorate for
Traffic Control will examine tachographs to inspect rest hours for professional
drivers.

CYBER THREATS -
Over half of European citizens say they aren’t sufficiently informed regarding cyber
threats, 70% of enterprises stating they hold minimum knowledge regarding such
risks while 80% of European enterprises having faced at least one
cyber-security incident. The statement was made earlier today by Communications
Minister Alexandru Popescu in Bucharest. The Romanian official said the
authorities continue to invest significant resources in increasing the level of
knowledge, training and pre-emptive capacity, as well as response capabilities
in case of cyber-attacks. Minister Popescu went on to say that Romania has
enhanced its cyber diplomacy by signing a memorandum of understanding this year
with Israel, Poland and the United States regarding the cyber security of
hardware and software infrastructure, of telecom networks and systems, including
5G.

NOBEL – The 2019
Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine on Monday was jointly awarded to William
Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza for their pioneering research
into how human cells respond to changing oxygen levels. The Nobel Prize in
Physiology and Medicine is the first in the series of Nobel prizes awarded at
this time of the year. Last year, the Nobel Prize went on to American
researcher James P. Allison and Japanese scholar Tasuku Honjo for their
achievements regarding the treatment of cancer.

FOOTBALL -
Romania’s national football team met in Bucharest to train for the matches to
be played against the Faeroe Islands on October 12 and against Norway at home,
on October 15, in the 2020 European Championship preliminaries. Spain is currently
top of the tables with 18 points, followed by Sweden with 11 points, Romania
with 10 points, Norway with 9 points, Malta with 3 points and the Faeroe
Islands with zero points. The top two teams in each group will advance to the
Championship. The draw for the 2020 European Championship will be held in
Bucharest on November 30. Bucharest will host four matches, three in the group
phase and one in the round of 16. Romania’s under-21 team is also playing
Ukraine on Thursday at home, and Northern Ireland next Monday, also at home, as
part of the 2021 European Championship preliminaries. We recall that this year
Romania’s under-21 team reached the semi-finals of the European Championship
hosted by Italy and San Marino.

HANDBALL -
Romania’s vice-champions in handball, CSM Bucharest on Sunday defeated Team
Esbjerg of Denmark 24-22 away from home in its first match counting towards
Champions League Group B. In the other group fixture, Rostov Don of Russia
defeated MKS Perla Lublin of Poland, 31-21. In the next round CSM will play
Rostov Don while MKS Perla Lublin will take on Team Esbjerg. On Friday,
Romania’s champions SCM Ramnicu Valcea grabbed its first win, 34-27 against
Germany’s SG BBM Bietigheim in Group C. In the next round SCM will play Brest
Bretagne Handball of France. Romania, France and Hungary each have two teams in
the Champions League group phase.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

7 October 2019
RRI Sports Club

The Romanian
men’s handball club CSM Bucharest is favorite to win the Challenge Cup. The
team from Bucharest will this weekend play Madeira Andebol of Portugal in the
second leg of the final. In the first leg played away from home, the Romanian
side drew 22-all. Madeira had a five-goal lead in the second half, but CSM
upped their game and evened the odds towards the end of the game. The return
leg is scheduled for Saturday in Dinamo Sports Hall in Bucharest. Potaissa
Turda of Romania are the defending champions. Another three Romanian teams have
won the trophy over the years: Steaua Bucharest in 2006, UCM Resita in 2007,
2008 and 2009 and HC Odorheiu Secuiesc in 2015. In 2009 Bucovina Suceava reached
the finals.

From women’s
handball let us note that SCM Ramnicu Valcea has won the championship. Last
Sunday, SCM won 29-26 against CSM Slatina in the last but one round of the
domestic championship and have thus secured the trophy mathematically. The team
from Valcea thus ends the winning streak of CSM Bucharest, which has won the
last four editions.

Also on Sunday
Romanian handballer Crina Pintea won the Champions League with her team, Gyor
of Hungary, after winning 25-24 against Rostov Don of Russia. Starting next season
Crina Pintea will play for CSM Bucharest, which next season is eyeing the Final
Four tournament and the domestic championship and is now strengthening its
ranks. We recall 2019 was the first year when CSM missed the accession to the
Final Four.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 May 2019
RRI Sports Club

The Romanian
men’s handball club CSM Bucharest is favorite to win the Challenge Cup. The
team from Bucharest will this weekend play Madeira Andebol of Portugal in the
second leg of the final. In the first leg played away from home, the Romanian
side drew 22-all. Madeira had a five-goal lead in the second half, but CSM
upped their game and evened the odds towards the end of the game. The return
leg is scheduled for Saturday in Dinamo Sports Hall in Bucharest. Potaissa
Turda of Romania are the defending champions. Another three Romanian teams have
won the trophy over the years: Steaua Bucharest in 2006, UCM Resita in 2007,
2008 and 2009 and HC Odorheiu Secuiesc in 2015. In 2009 Bucovina Suceava reached
the finals.

From women’s
handball let us note that SCM Ramnicu Valcea has won the championship. Last
Sunday, SCM won 29-26 against CSM Slatina in the last but one round of the
domestic championship and have thus secured the trophy mathematically. The team
from Valcea thus ends the winning streak of CSM Bucharest, which has won the
last four editions.

Also on Sunday
Romanian handballer Crina Pintea won the Champions League with her team, Gyor
of Hungary, after winning 25-24 against Rostov Don of Russia. Starting next season
Crina Pintea will play for CSM Bucharest, which next season is eyeing the Final
Four tournament and the domestic championship and is now strengthening its
ranks. We recall 2019 was the first year when CSM missed the accession to the
Final Four.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 May 2019
April 6, 2019

REFERENDUM – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has called a round of consultations
next week regarding the justice referendum. On Thursday the National Liberal Party,
Save Romania Union and People’s Movement Party will start consultations, along
with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians and national minorities. On
Friday, the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
are expected to meet the president. The latter has already declined the
president’s invitation, while Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea said he
won’t attend the consultations, although the party will send a delegation. We
recall that on Thursday, the President announced
that the themes which he would submit to the vote at the May 26 referendum,
held simultaneously with the European Parliament elections, are related to
forbidding amnesty and pardon of corruption crimes and forbidding the
government to pass emergency decrees related to criminal offences and
punishments, correlated with the right of other authorities to notify the
Constitutional Court over such decrees. At the same time the President
criticized the Social-Democrats’ propensity for passing emergency decrees and
has called on the Government to refrain from any such actions until the
referendum. The power in turn accused the head of state of defending election
interests while the Liberals have welcomed the referendum.

ELECTION – The Central Election Bureau has admitted the
list of candidates submitted by nine political parties and independent
candidate for the European Parliament election due in May. According to a
release published on the institution’s website, the Bureau admitted the
candidacies submitted by the Social-Democratic Party, the National Liberal
Party, the 2020 Save Romania Union – Plus Alliance, the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians and the PRO Romania
party. The candidates of the People’s Movement Party and the United Romania
Party have also been declared eligible. The Bureau also accepted the
independent candidacy of Gregoriana Tudoran, a representative of the Together
for A8 Association. The decision can be challenged by April 12 and the final
result will be announced on April 16. The election campaign starts on April 27
and the election will be held on May 26.

MEETING – The
informal meeting of the EU finance ministers continued in Bucharest on Saturday
against the backdrop of Romania’s holding the EU presidency. The meeting hosted
on Friday under the name Eurogrup, brought together Finance Ministers from the
Eurozone and marked the first working session of the informal meeting of
Finance Ministers and central bank governors, chaired by Romania’s field
minister Eugen Teodorovici. Eurogroup members discussed the banking sector,
inflation and the exchange rate as well as the developments in Greece.
Eurogroup president Mario Centeno said following an analysis of the monitoring
report, Athens has made important steps towards receiving a new financial
assistance package from the EU, worth 1 billion euros.

REPORT – Over a third of the 2,300 alerts on dangerous
products were triggered with respect to toys, a report published by the
European Commission for 2018 reads. Toys are followed by motor vehicles,
clothing, textiles and fashion items. The main risks flagged are chemical risks
and injuries, followed by the choking risk for children. Over half of the total
number of products identified as dangerous originate from China. Cooperation with Chinese authorities in the
product safety field continues to be a priority, the European Commission has
announced.

HANDBALL – Romanian handball champions CSM
Bucharest on Friday lost 31-26 to Metz Handball of France at home in the first
leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. The team from France has thus taken
an important step towards securing qualification to the competition’s Final
Four. For the first time in four years, CSM Bucharest runs the risk of not
qualifying to this phase of the competition. The return leg will be played on
April 13 in Metz. The Final Four tournament will be hosted by Budapest in
Hungary over May 11-12, 2019. CSM won the Champions League in 2016 on its first
appearance in the competition.

TENNIS – Horia Tecau and Florin Mergea will play Benjamin
and Courtney Lock in Piatra Neamt in the doubles match of the Davis Cup match
pitting Romania against Zimbabwe in Group II of Europe-Africa zone. In the
singles, Marius Copil will play Takanyi Garanganga, while Dragos Dima will play
Benjamin Lock. The score is tied 1-all after Dima defeated Garanganga on Friday
while Copil lost to Benjamin Lock. The two teams previously met in 2000 when
Romania won 3-2.

(translated by V. Palcu)

6 April 2019