Radio România Internațional

Tag: Halep

Sports roundup

Unfortunately,
Romania is no longer represented at the Roland Garros tennis tournament. The
competition’s odds-on favourite and the world’s number two, Romanian Simona
Halep, failed to qualify for the quarters after losing to Iga Swiatek of Poland
on Sunday, 6-1, 6-2.

Also in the
round of 16, the Romanian pair made up of Andreea Mitu and Patricia Tig was
outperformed by Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France 6-2,
6-3. In the men’s competition the Romanian/Dutch pair Horia Tecau – Jean Julien
Rojer were stopped in their tracks by Mate Pavic of Croatia and Bruno Soares of
Brazil, who won the game 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.

Romanian
gymnast Marian Dragulescu came fourth in the vault event of the World Cup held
in the Hungarian city of Szombathely. The contest went to Igor Radivilov of
Ukraine with 14.150 points.

SC Miercurea
Ciuc and ACSH Gheorgheni on Sunday secured victories in the regional ice hockey
competition called Erste Liga. Miercurea Ciuc clinched a 5-2 win against Opten Vasas
Budapest through goals scored by Judd Blackwater, Csanad Fodor, Justin Maylan,
Mathieu Tousignant and Andrei Taratuhin. ACSH obtained a 2-1 away win against
Ferencvaros Budapest in the extra time. Shauwn Ouellette, ST Amant and Tero
Koskiranta scored for the winners.

Last weekend
saw the games of the sixth leg of Romania’s first football league. On Friday in
Craiova, local side Universitatea outperformed Poli Iasi 1-0. On Saturday,
Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe secured a 1-0 home win against FC Arges while FC
Voluntari clinched a 3-2 away victory against Astra Giurgiu.

FCSB
outperformed Dinamo Bucharest 3-2. On Sunday, Chindia Targoviste defeated FC
Botosani 2-0, while the match pitching Gaz Metan Medias against FC Hermannstadt
ended in a one-all draw and so did the game in Ovidiu, southern Romania,
opposing FC Viitorul to CFR Cluj. Universitatea Craiova tops the table with 18
points followed by FCSB and CFR each with 12.

(bill)

5 October 2020
Sports roundup

Unfortunately,
Romania is no longer represented at the Roland Garros tennis tournament. The
competition’s odds-on favourite and the world’s number two, Romanian Simona
Halep, failed to qualify for the quarters after losing to Iga Swiatek of Poland
on Sunday, 6-1, 6-2.

Also in the
round of 16, the Romanian pair made up of Andreea Mitu and Patricia Tig was
outperformed by Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France 6-2,
6-3. In the men’s competition the Romanian/Dutch pair Horia Tecau – Jean Julien
Rojer were stopped in their tracks by Mate Pavic of Croatia and Bruno Soares of
Brazil, who won the game 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.

Romanian
gymnast Marian Dragulescu came fourth in the vault event of the World Cup held
in the Hungarian city of Szombathely. The contest went to Igor Radivilov of
Ukraine with 14.150 points.

SC Miercurea
Ciuc and ACSH Gheorgheni on Sunday secured victories in the regional ice hockey
competition called Erste Liga. Miercurea Ciuc clinched a 5-2 win against Opten Vasas
Budapest through goals scored by Judd Blackwater, Csanad Fodor, Justin Maylan,
Mathieu Tousignant and Andrei Taratuhin. ACSH obtained a 2-1 away win against
Ferencvaros Budapest in the extra time. Shauwn Ouellette, ST Amant and Tero
Koskiranta scored for the winners.

Last weekend
saw the games of the sixth leg of Romania’s first football league. On Friday in
Craiova, local side Universitatea outperformed Poli Iasi 1-0. On Saturday,
Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe secured a 1-0 home win against FC Arges while FC
Voluntari clinched a 3-2 away victory against Astra Giurgiu.

FCSB
outperformed Dinamo Bucharest 3-2. On Sunday, Chindia Targoviste defeated FC
Botosani 2-0, while the match pitching Gaz Metan Medias against FC Hermannstadt
ended in a one-all draw and so did the game in Ovidiu, southern Romania,
opposing FC Viitorul to CFR Cluj. Universitatea Craiova tops the table with 18
points followed by FCSB and CFR each with 12.

(bill)

5 October 2020
October 4, 2020

PANDEMIC Over 35 million people have been confirmed infected with the
novel coronavirus worldwide and the death toll stands at more than one million
people, according to worldometers.
The US continues to be the most affected with 7.6 million infections and a
death toll over 214 thousand. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 100
thousand people in India, which has reported over 6.5 million infections.
Brazil has a death toll of 146 thousand and 5 million infections. Europe has
also been affected; Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic have reported a
growing number of infections, which is also on the rise in Italy, where
authorities are considering an extended state of emergency until February next
year.

COVID-19 1,835 people have tested positive
for the novel coronavirus in Romania on Sunday; the local authorities have also
announced 56 fatalities. 598 patients are in intensive care units while the
death toll since the beginning of the pandemic stands at 5,003. Romania has so
far reported a total number of 135,900 infections. In spite of the growing
number of infections, the authorities believe they don’t need to impose another
state of emergency. They insist on prevention though by observing the safety
measures already known such as social distancing, disinfection and the wearing
of masks in public places. According to Raed Arafat, head of the Department for
Emergency Situations, tougher restriction measures could be imposed in certain
areas, if the situation worsened.

ELECTION An election campaign has
kicked off in the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova for the presidential
election on November 1st against a recrudescence of the Covid-19
epidemic. 8 candidates are vying for the presidential seat but only two stand
chances, the incumbent president, the pro-Russia Socialist Igor Dodon and the
leader of the Action and Solidarity Party and former Prime Minister Maia Sandu,
who is seen as pro-Europe. Dodon won the 2016 election by getting a little over
52% of the votes and experts believe the two candidates are going to be neck and
neck in the upcoming election.

TENNIS The odds-on favourite of the Roland Garros tennis tournament, Romanian
Simona Halep was outperformed today by Iga Swiatek of Poland in the
competition’s round of 16. The two also played against each other in the same
competition a year ago, and the game went to Simona in 45 minutes. Simona came after
a two-set win against US challenger Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-1. Another two
Romanian players were eliminated in the third round on Saturday when Irina Bara
lost to Sofia Kenin of the USA 6-2, 6-0 and Patricia Tig to Fiona Ferro of
France, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0.

DEFENCE Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis has summoned the Higher Defence Council (CSAT) on October 6th
for talks over the country’s defence and national security. No details on the
talks agenda have been made available. The latest CSAT session was held in late
May when the country’s national defence strategy was discussed.

(bill)

4 October 2020
October 3, 2020

SUMMIT Prevention measures and the making of a vaccine against the novel
coronavirus were the main issues of the European Council proceedings, which
ended in Brussels on Friday. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von
der Leyen announced that the Union was holding talks with several companies for
the purchase of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. She said the situation is
worrying and that the European states and institutions can overcome this
situation only if they cooperate. Attending the summit, the Romanian president,
Klaus Iohannis, appreciated the EU’s diplomatic efforts for defusing the
situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and reiterated Romania’s solidarity with
Greece and Cyprus, whose sovereignty must be respected. The head of the
Romanian state highlighted the need for a balanced and constructive approach of
the EU-Turkey relations.

PANDEMIC 34.5 million people have been confirmed infected with the novel
coronavirus the world over with a death toll standing at over one million, data
released by the US-based Johns Hopkins University shows. US president Donald
Trump has been admitted to a military hospital after having been infected with
the novel coronavirus, but he has given assurances that he is feeling all right.
The pandemic has a fast advancement in India, which has reported 100 thousand
new cases daily and a total number of infections of 6.4 million people. 100
thousand Indians have so far been killed by the virus. The highest mortality
rate has been reported in Mexico though, where 753 thousand people have been
reported infected and the death toll is around 78 thousand. In Europe, where
several countries are currently facing a second wave of the pandemic,
authorities are increasing the number of restrictions to contain the spreading.
This is the case of Spain, whose capital, Madrid and another eight cities in
the region are in quarantine for another two weeks. New infections have been
reported in Ukraine, Hungary, Russia and Northern Macedonia.

COVID-19 2,064 new COVID-19
infections and 32 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania.
583 people are in intensive care units. The death toll since the beginning of the
pandemic stands at 4,947 and a total number of over 134.000 cases has been
confirmed. The high number of infections has prompted the country’s
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban to request daily checking on the observance of
protection measures. Orban says that where the rate of infection exceeds 1.5
cases per thousand, any activity in restaurants, bars and other indoor
facilities will cease. In another development over 338 education units in
Romania are offering online courses as over 770 students have been confirmed
positive for the novel coronavirus in the past week, according to data released
by the country’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru. He made an appeal for complying
with the hygiene rules to limit the spreading of the virus particularly in schools.
According to Tataru, Romania does not need to impose the state of emergency.

TENNIS Two tennis players from Romania are today vying for a place in the round
of 16 of the Roland Garros tennis tournament. One of them is Irina Bara who is
taking on Sofia Kenin of the US. Kenin is a champion in the Australian Open and
has eliminated another Romanian in the previous round, WTA’s 93rd Ana Bogdan.
Romania’s second representative, Patricia Tig will be up against Fiona Ferro of
France. The odds-on favourite Simona Halep, also from Romania, secured a clear
win against US challenger Amanda Anisimova and will be up against Iga Swiatek
of Poland in the competition’s next round.

(bill)

3 October 2020
29.09.2020 (mise à jour)

Elections locales – Les résultats partiels du scrutin local de dimanche dernier montrent des changements importants à la tête des municipalités des chefs-lieux des départements de Roumanie. La carte politique affiche en ce moment 15 mairies gagnées par le Parti national libéral (PNL – au pouvoir), 14 gérées par le Parti social-démocrate (PSD – dans l’opposition), 4 remportées par l’Union Sauvez la Roumanie-PLUS et 4 autres par l’Union démocrate magyare de Roumanie (UDMR). Pour ce qui est des conseils départementaux, le PSD s’est adjugé 20, le PNL – 17, et l’UDMR – 4. A Bucarest, le candidat indépendant au fauteuil de maire de la capitale, Nicuşor Dan, soutenu par le PNL et l’USR-PLUS, a remporté environ 43% des suffrages, tandis que la maire sortante, Gabriela Firea, candidate du PSD, a été votée par près de 38% des électeurs présents aux urnes, selon les résultats partiels communiqués par le Bureau électoral central (BEC).

Coronavirus en Roumanie – En Roumanie, le taux d’incidence du coronavirus a dépassé le seuil de 1,5 infection pour mille habitants dans deux départements du pays, à savoir Iaşi (nord-est) et Vâlcea (centre – sud), où les autorités locales examinent la possibilité d’imposer de nouvelles restrictions pour la population. Par ailleurs, les autorités de Bucarest ont rapporté, aujourd’hui, 1470 nouveaux cas de COVID-19. Le bilan général est de plus de 125.400 personnes infectées par le nouveau coronavirus en Roumanie depuis le début de la pandémie. Avec 44 nouveaux décès, le nombre des morts s’élève à 4.792 et 551 malades sont hospitalisés en unités de soins intensifs. Selon l’Institut national de santé publique, la capitale, Bucarest, et les départements de Iaşi (nord-est), de Bacău (est) et de Constanţa (sud-est) se partagent 34,3% du total des cas d’infection par le SARS-CoV-2 rapportés par la Roumanie.

Coronavirus dans le monde – Dans le monde, le nouveau coronavirus a fait plus d’un million de morts. Le secrétaire général des Nations unies, Antonio Guterres, a qualifié ce chiffre de choquant, tandis que, selon les experts, le nombre réel des décès serait bien plus élevé. Près de la moitié de ces décès a été enregistrée aux Etats-Unis, au Brésil et en Inde. Confronté au revirement du coronavirus, de plus en plus de pays à travers le monde envisagent de mettre en place nouvelles restrictions.

Brexit – Le dernier round de négociations prévues entre l’Union européenne et le Royaume Uni sur un accord commercial post-Brexit a débuté aujourd’hui à Bruxelles. L’absence d’un tel accord entraînera une majoration des taxes et des quotas de marchandises, après la fin de la période de transition, à la fin de cette année. L’UE espère que Londres va atténuer sa position concernant des sujets controversés, tels les subventions gouvernementales ou les droits de pêche. Le Royaume Uni est sorti de l’UE en janvier, les deux parties étant bloquées dans les négociations sur un nouvel accord commercial qui entre en vigueur en 2021. Les dirigeants des 27 examineront ce sujet au sommet du mois prochain, mais la perspective d’un Brexit sans accord reste possible.

Roland Garros – Plusieurs joueuses de tennis de Roumanie sont qualifiées au deuxième tour du tournoi de Roland Garros. Mardi, au premier tous, Sorana Cîrstea a perdu le match contre Elena Rîbakina, 0-6, 3-6 et Monica Niculescu n’a eu aucune chance contre l’Américaine Danielle Collins, qui s’est imposée 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. En échange, Ana Bogdan s’est imposée face à Timea Babos de Hongrie. Ce mardi également, dans le premier tour, Irina Bara a vaincu la croate Donna Vekic sur le score de 6-3, 6-4 pour se qualifier elle aussi dans l’étape suivante de la compétition. Et Patricia Tig s’est qualifiée en première dans le deuxième tour après avoir vaincu lundi la Suisse, Stefanie Voegele en deux sets. Deux autres sportives roumaines sont déjà qualifiées au deuxième tour Simona Halep et Irina Begu.

Meteo – Ciel plutôt couvert dans les prochaines 24 heures. Les pluies seront au rendez-vous sur le relief, ainsi que sur le nord-est, où les quantités d’eau seront plus importantes. Des précipitations mixtes pluie-neige seront possibles à des altitudes de plus de 1800 mètres. La vitesse du vent sera plus élevée sur le sud et le centre, ainsi que sur le relief. Les températures iront de 11 à 22 degrés.

29 September 2020
Nachrichten 27.09.2020

Der unabhängige Kandidat Nicusor Dan wurde, laut Wählerbefragung, zum neuen Bürgermeister Bukarests gewählt. Er hat, mit Unterstützung der Liberalen und der mitte-orientierten Union USR-PLUS, 47 % der Stimmen erhalten. Vertreter der Liberalen und der Union USR-PLUS haben bei den Kommunalwahlen am Sonntag 3 der 6 Bezirke der Landeshauptstadt errungen. Der Vorsitzende der Liberalen, Ludovic Orban begrü‎ßte das Ergebnis und sprach vom aufsehenerregendsten Ergebnis der letzten drei Jahrzehnte. Die Kommunalwahlen sind auch ein Test für die bevorstehenden Parlamentswahlen, die am 6. Dezember stattfinden sollen. Landesweit lag die Wahlbeteiligung bei 46 %. Die Rumänen wähleten 41 Vorsitzende der Kreisräte, mehr als 1.300 Kreisräte, 40.000 Gemeinderäte und 3.200 Bürgermeister wählen. Die Wahlen wurden in einem einzigen Wahlgang durchgeführt. Die Kommunalwahlen waren ursprünglich für Juni anberaumt, wurden jedoch wegen der Pandemie verschoben. Die Abstimmung fand unter Einhaltung der durch die Pandemie auferlegten Gesundheitsschutzvorschriften statt.

Weitere 1.438 neue Fälle von COVID-19 wurden in den vergangenen 24 Stunden in Rumänien gemeldet, womit die Gesamtzahl der Infektionen auf 122.673 gestiegen ist. Dies meldete die Gruppe Strategische Kommunikation. Weitere 31 Menschen, die mit dem neuen Coronavirus infiziert waren, sind gestorben, sodass sich die Gesamtzahl der Todesfälle auf 4.718 beläuft. Mehr als 98.600 Patienten haben sich erholt, 535 Menschen befinden sich derzeit auf Intensivstationen.

Weltweit haben sich bis zu 33 Millionen Menschen mit dem neuen Coronavirus infiziert. Seit Beginn der Pandemie, Ende 2019 in China, sind fast 1 Million Menschen gestorben. Die WHO warnt, dass wahrscheinlich mehr als 2 Millionen Menschen dem neuen Coronanvirus zu Opfer fallen könnten, wenn nicht auf internationaler Ebene Ma‎ßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der Krankheit ergriffen werden. Die USA sind nach wie vor das Land mit der höchsten Zahl von Ansteckungen und Todesfällen. Mehr als 7,1 Millionen Amerikaner sind mit SARS-CoV-2 infiziert worden und mehr als 207.000 sind gestorben. Russland meldete in den letzten 24 Stunden fast 8000 SARS-CoV-2 Fälle. Gro‎ßbritannien wird nun von einer zweiten Welle der Pandemie erfasst.

Der Präsident des Europäischen Rates Charles Michel forderte am Sonntag die Beendigung der Feindseligkeiten zwischen den aserbaidschanischen Truppen und den Separatisten in Berg-Karabach sowie die sofortige Aufnahme von Verhandlungen. Er rief dazu auf, nachdem Armenien am Sonntag nach den Zusammenstö‎ßen mit Aserbaidschan in der Region Berg-Karabach das Kriegsrecht und die totale militärische Mobilisierung verhängt hatte. Armenien sagte, dass Aserbaidschan einen Luft- und Artillerieangriff in Berg-Karabach gestartet habe, während Aserbaidschan die armenischen Streitkräfte beschuldigte, militärische und zivile Ziele von seinem Territorium aus zu bombardieren. Zwischen den beiden Kaukasus-Länder herrscht ein ungelöster Konflikt um Berg-Karabach.

Tennis — Die rumänische Tennisspielerin Simona Halep, die Weltranglisten 2. und Hauptfavoritin des Roland-Garros-Turniers, hat sich am Sonntag in der ersten Runde gegen die Spanierin Sara Sorribes Tormo behauptet. Halep spielt nun gegen Irina Begu, welche die Schweizerin Jil Teichmann bezwang.

27 September 2020
September 14,2020 UPDATE

ALERT The government in Bucharest has for the fourth time extended the
state of alert against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, upon a proposal
by the National Committee for Emergency Situations. The Romanian government has
also been considering fresh measures to safely hold the local election on
September 27th. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has said that he has
been considering the use of larger rooms and outdoor spaces allowing people to
keep a physical distance. Voters will have to wear facemasks and demonstrations
of up to 100 people are allowed with the observance of the rules also valid in
case of election meetings. The first state of alert was instated on May 15th
after Romania had been on the state of emergency for two months. The total
number of infections with the novel coronavirus, almost seven months since the
first case was reported in Romania has exceeded 104 thousand and the death toll
stands at 4185.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Patricia Tig reaped her first WTA title in
Istanbul on Sunday after a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 win against Eugenie Bouchard of
Canada. This has been the third WTA finals for Tig after those in Baku (2015)
and Bucharest (2019). Her prize closet also includes a WTA 125 K title, which
she won in Karlsruhe. In Italy, another Romanian, Irina Begu, has qualified for
the main draw after a 6-1, 6-1 win against Ana Lena Friedsam of Germany in the
qualifiers. The Romanian will be taking on Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy who
benefitted from a wild card. Top-seed Romanian challenger Simona Halep will be
playing in the competition’s second round against Italian Jasmine Paolini.

SCHOOLS An atypical school year began in
Romania on Monday with special coronavirus protection measures in place.
Education is a vital prerequisite for a civilised society, and children are
returning to schools with one more lesson to learn-how to take care of one’s
health and of the health of others, said PM Ludovic Orban in a message on this
occasion. He warned that the danger posed by the disease is not over and that
the new school year is a challenge for children, their families, teachers and
authorities.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan
Aurescu had telephone talks with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi,
following the political consultations held during his visit to Israel this
month. According to the Foreign Ministry, the 2 officials reviewed the
preparations for a new joint government meeting due next year. They also looked
at the arrangements for the set up of a new expert group preparing the meeting,
which will focus on mutually relevant topics like agriculture, water
management, IT, cyber security and AI. The talk also occasioned an exchange of
opinions on the Middle East peace process. Romania supports the resolution of
this problem based on international law and on the 2-state solution, Israel and
Palestine, living next to each other in peace and prosperity, the Romanian
foreign minister said. On September 2-3, minister Aurescu discussed with
high-level political officials both in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and in Ramallah.

PANDEMIC Many countries are reintroducing
lockdowns in the context of a so-called second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The World Health Organisation Sunday reported nearly 308,000 new infections for
the last 24 hours, a new global record, Reuters reports. The most significant
increases were in India, the USA and Brazil. The total number of cases
worldwide is nearing 29.2 million, and the number of COVID-related deaths is
928,000. Israel reintroduced a 3-week lockdown in a move to contain the new
wave. Strict restrictions regarding groups larger than 6 people have come into
force in the UK today. And also as of Monday, face masks, already compulsory in
supermarkets and public transportation, must be worn in all public buildings
and shops in Austria.

(tr bill)

14 September 2020
Sports roundup

The world’s no.
2 tennis player, Simona Halep, has won the WTA tournament in Prague, a
competition with more than 202 thousand dollars in prize money. On Friday the Romanian
clinched a two-set win, 6-2, 7-5 against Elise Martens of Belgium. This has
been Halep’s 21st title and the second this year after the one in Dubai, in
February shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic.

In the doubles
finals of the same tournament in Prague, Romanians Monica Niculescu and Raluca
Olaru lost to Lucie Hradecka and Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, 6-2. Niculescu and
Olaru have so far won 9 WTA titles in doubles competitions each, but none as
partners.

The Romanian
women’s handball side Minaur Baia Mare on Saturday clinched a 29-22 win against
Slovakian champions Iuventa Michalovce in a friendly away game. Minaur had also
won a first game against Iuventa a day before 33-23. Another Romanian women’s
side, Gloria Bistrita, lost to German challenger Thuringer HC 34-26 on Friday
in their first game of the Most tournament hosted by the Czech Republic.

Mirel Radoi the selector of Romania’s national side has announced the
preliminary lineups in the two games Romania is about to play in the Nations
League, against the Northern Ireland and Austria. Romania will first take on
Northern Ireland in a home match on September 4th. Three days later
our footballers will be up against Austria.

Romanian midfielder Erik Bicfalvi scored a goal for his side Ural
Ekaterinburg, which ended in a one-all draw their away game against Rubin
Kazan, on Saturday in the second leg of Russia’s football championship.
Bicfalvi converted a penalty kick in the 12th minute of the game
helping Ural to get their first point in the championships. The team is
presently ranking 11th in a championship attended by 16 sides.

Romanian fullback Cosmin Moti scored a goal for his side Ludogorets
Razgrad, which secured a 3-0 win against Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria’s football
championships.

Another Romanian, striker Claudiu Keseru has been left out of the lineup
as he got infected with the coronavirus. And that’s all from our sports desk.

(translated by bill)

17 August 2020
Sports roundup

The world’s no.
2 tennis player, Simona Halep, has won the WTA tournament in Prague, a
competition with more than 202 thousand dollars in prize money. On Friday the Romanian
clinched a two-set win, 6-2, 7-5 against Elise Martens of Belgium. This has
been Halep’s 21st title and the second this year after the one in Dubai, in
February shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic.

In the doubles
finals of the same tournament in Prague, Romanians Monica Niculescu and Raluca
Olaru lost to Lucie Hradecka and Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, 6-2. Niculescu and
Olaru have so far won 9 WTA titles in doubles competitions each, but none as
partners.

The Romanian
women’s handball side Minaur Baia Mare on Saturday clinched a 29-22 win against
Slovakian champions Iuventa Michalovce in a friendly away game. Minaur had also
won a first game against Iuventa a day before 33-23. Another Romanian women’s
side, Gloria Bistrita, lost to German challenger Thuringer HC 34-26 on Friday
in their first game of the Most tournament hosted by the Czech Republic.

Mirel Radoi the selector of Romania’s national side has announced the
preliminary lineups in the two games Romania is about to play in the Nations
League, against the Northern Ireland and Austria. Romania will first take on
Northern Ireland in a home match on September 4th. Three days later
our footballers will be up against Austria.

Romanian midfielder Erik Bicfalvi scored a goal for his side Ural
Ekaterinburg, which ended in a one-all draw their away game against Rubin
Kazan, on Saturday in the second leg of Russia’s football championship.
Bicfalvi converted a penalty kick in the 12th minute of the game
helping Ural to get their first point in the championships. The team is
presently ranking 11th in a championship attended by 16 sides.

Romanian fullback Cosmin Moti scored a goal for his side Ludogorets
Razgrad, which secured a 3-0 win against Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria’s football
championships.

Another Romanian, striker Claudiu Keseru has been left out of the lineup
as he got infected with the coronavirus. And that’s all from our sports desk.

(translated by bill)

17 August 2020
Halep gewinnt WTA-Turnier in Prag

Rumäniens Tennisstar Simona Halep hat am Sonntag das mit 200.000 Dollar dotierte Turnier von Prag gewonnen. Die Wetranglistenzweite und erste Favoritin besiegte im Endspiel in zwei Sätzen (6-2 und 7-5) Elise Mertens aus Belgien.

Im Doppel-Endspiel besiegte das tschechische Paar Kristýna Plíšková/Lucie Hradecká ebenfalls in zwei Sätzen (beide 6-2) das Team Raluca Olaru/Monica Niculescu aus Rumänien.

16 August 2020
August 14, 2020 UPDATE

Coronavirus Ro – The Romanian government has approved a decision on extending the state of alert by another month. The decision comes into force on August 16 and was prompted by the persistence of a high rate of contamination with the new coronaviurs across Romania as well as by the identification of new cases of infection on a daily basis. In Romania more than 68 thousand cases of contamination have been reported since the coronavirus outbreak, with almost 32 thousand patients having recovered. The Strategic Communication group has also announced that 473 patients are in intensive care. The total death toll in Romania stands at 2,904.

GDP — Romania’s GDP has dropped by 12.3% in the 2nd quarter of this year as compared to the 1st quarter, and by 10.5% as compared to the 2nd quarter of 2019, the National Institute of Statistics informed on Friday. A drop in the GDP was also reported in the first six months of 2020, when it decreased by 3.9% as against the same period of last year. The National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis also reviewed the estimates regarding the evolution of the Romanian economy in 2020, so, at present, the Commission forecasts a contraction going up to 3.8%, as compared to 1.8% previously estimated. According to the summer economic forecasts, published by the European Commission, Romanias GDP will register a significant drop – 6%, in 2020. Also the Romanian authorities estimate a budget deficit of 8.6% of the GDP. The annual inflation rate went up to 2.8% last month from 2.6% in June. The growth was caused by the increased prices of foodstuffs, services and nonfoods.

Navy Day — The Romanian Navy Day is traditionally celebrated on August 15, when Christians celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. This year the events have been adapted to the new context imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, unlike in the previous years, this years edition, dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the establishment of the Romanian Naval Forces, takes place mainly online. The Naval Forces official Facebook page has already launched thematic contests and virtual projects that offer the public the opportunity to get to know the marines better. Recitals of the Military Music of the Naval Forces were also streamed online, as well virtual tours of Romanian ports. Nevertheless, on Saturday, on Navy Day, there will be ship parades on the Black Sea and the Danube. To prevent the crowding of people, access of the public will not be allowed.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world’s no.2 and top seed in Prague, on Friday qualified to the semifinals of the WTA tournament hosted by the Czech capital which offers total prizes worth more than 200 thousand dollars, after defeating the Polish player Magdalena Frech (174 WTA) 6-2, 6-0. Also on Friday the Romanian Irina Begu qualified to the quarter finals after defeating the Swiss Leonie Kung 7-6, 5-7, 7-6. Another Romanian player Ana Bogdan withdrew from the competition at the score 5-2 against the Czech Kristyna Pliskova who thus goes further to the semifinals. In the doubles, the Romanian players Monica Niculescu and Raluca Olaru have qualified to the semifinals and will play against the Czech pair Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.

Agreement — The Romanian Foreign Ministry hails the announcement regarding the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates as well as the relevant role of the US that brokered the agreement. In this context, the Romanian diplomacy expressed confidence that the agreement between Israel and the UAE, two of Romania’s important regional partners, will contribute to the stability and security of the Middle East. This is the biggest progress towards peace between Israel and the Arab world in the past 26 years, being the starting point for the third agreement between Israel and an Arab nation, said the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel also has peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. The Palestinian National Authority labeled the agreement a “betrayal” of the Palestinian cause and called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League to denounce this agreement.

MAE — The Romanian Foreign Ministry MAE has categorically rejected Russia’s criticism related intentions to consolidate the American presence in Romania. The Romanian diplomacy on Friday published a response to the recent statements made by the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zaharova who accused NATO and the US of intending to consolidate a north-south axis from the Baltic to the Black Sea, an axis meant to discourage Russia. MAE explained that NATO’s process to consolidate security in the Black Sea region was a legitimate and legal response after the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia’s aggressive actions on the Black Sea basin. (translation and update by L. Simion)

14 August 2020
August 13, 2020

COVID-19 The
Strategic Communication Group in Bucharest has today announced another 1,454
new Covid infections. 66,631 cases have been confirmed in Romania since the beginning of the pandemic more
than five months ago. Over 31,547 patients have been declared cured and
released from hospitals whereas 485 patients are still in intensive care units.
The death toll stands at 2,860. Romania’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru has today
said that Romania is in a situation in which it needs to extend the state of
alert due to the novel coronavirus. The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has
again made an appeal for responsibility asking people to wear masks and keep
the social distancing. He specified that local elections are possible on
September 27th as set by Parliament, provided all the prevention
measures are being observed. According to him, Romania has already applied to
the EU for 10 million doses of vaccine when this is ready and certified at the
EU level.

POLL
Almost one quarter of the Romanian employees say they need to take steps
towards a new career as the companies they are presently working for have been
seriously affected by the present economic context. A poll conducted by an
online recruitment platform shows that more than 20% of those interviewed are
ready to start from scratch in their new careers. Most of the Romanian
employees, (70%) are looking for a secure job from the context of the present
Covid pandemic. A quarter of the interviewees have completely ruled out jobs in
the Horeca industry while 22% believes the best jobs are those in companies or
fields tightly connected to the online environment. The poll was carried out
between July 1st and the 10th on almost 13 hundred
people.

FESTIVAL The Independent International Film Festival ‘Anonimul’ is underway in
Sfantu Gheorghe, south-eastern Romania. A screening of the multi-award winner ‘Colectiv’
has been scheduled for today. This documentary, produced and directed by
Alexander Nanau is depicting events taking place in the first year after a devastating
blaze that killed 64 in a night-club in Bucharest five years ago. The plot chiefly
follows the relationship between the authorities and journalists in their
attempt to find out the truth about the event. Until August 16th the
17th edition of the Anonimul festival will be held outdoors with a
maximum of 400 participants in every screening in compliance with measures
imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. This festival also includes a short-reel section
involving Romanian and international productions as well as feature film screenings
followed by talks between film-makers and audience. 50 productions are vying
for a prize in the short-reel competition of the aforementioned festival.

TENNIS Romanian tennis players Simona Halep and Irina Begu are today playing
in the round of 16 of the WTA tournament in Prague a competition with over 200
thousand dollars in prize money. Halep, the odds-on favourite and the world’s
second best player, is up against Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic
while Irina Begu will be playing Leonie Kung of Switzerland. Ana Bogdan of
Romania has already qualified for the quarters after the withdrawal of her
opponent, Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, and will be up against Kristyna Pliscova
of the Czech Republic. In the doubles contest, Monica Niculescu and Raluca
Olaru are to take on Lidia Morozova of Belarus and Yana Sizikova of Russia.

LIST
Germany has added Bucharest and another 10 Romanian counties to its list of high
risk areas during the Covid-19 pandemic. The new areas in Romania are the
counties of Bacau, Braila, Brasov, Dambovita, Galati, Gorj, Ilfov, Prahova,
Vaslui and Vrancea. According to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest the measure
has come into effect since 7 counties were already part of the aforementioned
list, which now includes 17 Romanian counties as well as the capital city. Under
the new regulations, all people coming to Germany from one of the
aforementioned regions in Romania, irrespective of their citizenship, must
produce a negative Covid-19 test 48 hours before their arrival, which has to be
translated in German or English or take a free test 72 hours upon their arrival.
Those who do not comply with the rules could be subjected to fines up to 25
thousand Euros. If the test is done in Germany, subjects are requested to go into
self isolation until the result is known. Travelers transiting Germany do not
have to comply with the aforementioned rules.

(translated by
bill)

13 August 2020
Nachrichten 12.08.2020

ST TR 1 12.08.20

Der rumänische Premierminister Ludovic Orban hat am Mittwoch vor dem Parlament Rechenschaft über den Umgang mit der COVID-Pandemie abgelegt und über die Ma‎ßnahmen berichtet, die seine Regierung für den Beginn des neuen Schuljahrs und die Ausrichtung der Kommunalwahlen getroffen hat. Marcel Ciolacu, der amtierende Parteichef der Sozialdemokraten und Präsident des Unterhauses teilte anschlie‎ßend mit, dass seine Partei als stärkste parlamentarische Kraft am 17. August einen Misstrauensantrag gegen die Regierung einlegen will. Laut Opposition habe die liberale Regierung nur Geld aus dem Haushalt veruntreuen wollen. Ein Bericht des Rechnungshofes zur Beschaffungspolitik der Regierung hat finanzielle Ungereimtheiten und Schaden für den Staat aufgedeckt.

Der in Rumänien heute geltende Warnzustand wird höchstwahrscheinlich verlängert, wobei eine Entscheidung je nach Gesundheitslage getroffen wird. Am Mittwoch wurden 1.415 COVID-Neuinfektionen gemeldet, die Gesamtzahl seit Ausbruch liegt bei über 65 Tausend Fälle. 2.807 Menschen sind mit COVID-Infektionen gestorben, 43 waren es am Mittwoch.

Der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis diskutiert mit Premierminister Ludovic Orban und Finanzminister Florin Citu über einen Nachtragshaushalt. Dieser werde noch in dieser Woche verabschiedet, hatte der Regierungschef zuvor angekündigt. Er sagte, dass die Haushaltszwänge derzeit sehr hoch sind und jeder Antrag auf Erhöhung der Etats ernsthaft geprüft werde.

Weltweit sind mehr als 20,5 Millionen Fälle von Coronavirus-Infektionen bestätigt, wobei rund 745.000 Todesfälle gemeldet wurden. Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin kündigte vor diesem Hintegrund die Zulassung des ersten Impfstoffs gegen das neue Coronavirus an und erklärte, der Impfstoff sei wirksam und habe alle erforderlichen Tests bestanden.

Russland behauptet, dass mehr als 20 Länder fast eine Milliarde Phiolen bestellt haben. Der Impfstoff wird auf den externen Märkten Sputnik V hei‎ßen. Die WHO hat die Ankündigung Russlands mit Vorsicht zur Kenntnis genommen und gezeigt, dass der Impfstoff die Vorbestätigungsphasen durchlaufen muss. Der deutsche Gesundheitsminister äu‎ßerte seinerseits Zweifel an der Qualität, Effizienz und Sicherheit des russischen Impfstoffs, und ein Experte der Universität London bezeichnete die russische Initiative als unverantwortlich und unklug.

Trotz Corona findet in diesem Jahr auch das Interationale Indie-Film-Festival Anonimul in Sfântu Gheorghe im Donaudelta statt. Der Film The Father mit Anthony Hopkins und Olivia Colman wird zum Auftakt gezeigt — es ist das Spielfilmdébut von Regisseur Florian Zeller, der für die Produktion von der Geschichte seiner Gro‎ßmutter ausging — sie erkrankte an Demenz, als er 15 Jahre alt war. Die diesjährige Ausgabe, die 17., findet bis Sonntag statt. Bei den ausschlie‎ßlich im Freiluftkino gezeigten Filmen dürfen aus Pandemigründen maximal 400 Zuschauer anwesen sein.

Rumänische Tennisdamen kombinieren beim Turnier von Prag offenbar Leistung mit Glück: Ana Bogdan steht schon im Viertelfinale, nachdem ihre Gegnerin Lesia Tzurenko aus der Ukraine nicht mehr angetreten ist. Ana Bogdan spielt nun gegen die Tschechin Kristyna Pliskova. Weitere zwei rumänische Spielerinnen sind im Achtelfinale dabei: Simona Halep, Hauptfavoritin des Turniers und Weltranglistenzweite, sowie Irina Begu. Halep besiegte die Slowenin Polona Hercog in drei Sätzen, Begu setzte sich in zwei Sätzen gegen die Lettin Anastasija Sewastowa durch.

12 August 2020
26 July 2020, UPDATE

Coronavirus
Romania. The number of coronavirus cases in Romania hits 44,798, with more than 1,000 new cases for the
fifth day in a row. More than 25,600 people
have recovered and over 6,600 are in hospital, including 351 in intensive care.
22 new deaths were reported on Sunday, taking the death toll to 2,187. The town of Faget
and three nearby villages in Timis county, in western part of Romania, are
in lockdown for 14 days beginning on Sunday evening. Faget, where 47 cases were
confirmed, is the third locality in Romania to go into lockdown after Cartojani
in Giurgiu county and Gornet in Prahova county, in the south. In another move,
Romanians will no longer be able to travel to Cyprus for tourism, and if they
travel for different purposes, they will be ordered to isolate for 14 days. It
is now also obligatory to produce a negative Covid-19 test for travellers
arriving in Greece from Romania by plane, not just for those arriving by road.
The test must have been conducted no more than 72 hours prior. Travellers who
have not had time to do the test before the new measure was introduced will be
tested at the airport in Greece on Tuesday and Wednesday. New entry conditions
are also in place for travellers arriving in Austria from Romania. A negative
Covid-19 test must now be produced that was conducted 72 hours prior instead of
4 days prior, and the isolation period has been reduced from 14 to 10 days.
These measures will remain in place at least until the end of September. Italy
has also changed the rules for travellers from Romania and Bulgaria, who are
now ordered to isolate for 14 days on arriving in Italy.

List. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has updated the
list of countries and regions with a high epidemiological risk valid as of
Sunday midnight. All travellers from these countries will be ordered to isolate
for 14 days at home, at another location of their choosing or in a
government-run facility. The list features 44 countries, including Argentina,
Brazil, Israel, Luxemburg, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North
Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Hertegovina, Serbia, Russia and the United States.
The list was last updated on 7th July.

Coronavirus world. New records are being reached
around the world in terms of the number of infections with the novel
coronavirus. Statistical figures show that more than a third of all cases were
reported since 1st of July, in less than a month. The United States
is the worst hit in terms of the death toll, and Mexico is also seeing a spike
in new infections. South Korea, a country held as an example for it kept the
pandemic in check, has announced more than 100 new infections. European nations
are also faced with a massive rise in the number of new infections, being
caught between containing the new outbreaks and restarting their economies. A
spike in cases in Spain has led to new measures amid fears of a second wave. Germany
has also reached a record number of infections in the last two months. Europe’s
worst hit countries are the UK, with 45,000 deaths, Italy with 35,000 and
France with 30,000.

Tennis. World no. 2 Simona Halep has
pulled out of the WTA tennis tournament in Palermo, Italy, the first in the
women’s game to take place since the coronavirus outbreak. Organisers say Halep
decided to withdraw after Italy decided to quarantine all travellers from Romania
and Bulgaria, which have seen a surge in the number of coronavirus cases. The tournament
on Palermo is held on clay between the 3rd and 9th
August. Halep last played against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in February, in
the final of the Dubai tournament, which she won. The director of the Palermo
competition Oliveiro Palma said he was sad and disappointed with Halep’s
decision.

Film. Romanian Cristi
Puiu, German director Christian Petzold, the French actor Ludivine Sagnier, the
Italian writer Nicola Lagioia, the British director Joanna Hogg and the
Austrian director Veronika Franz are part of the jury of the 77th
Venice Film Festival held between 2nd and 22nd September.
The Australian actor Cate Blanchett is the president of the jury. A leading
figure of the Romanian New Wave, 53-year-old Cristi Puiu made his debut in
2001. His second feature film, the black comedy The Death of Mr Lazarescu from
2005 had immense success and won the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes Festival. This year at the Berlin Festival, Puiu won best director award in the Encounters sidebar with Malmkrog.

Weather. A bad weather alert is in place in
Romania for most of the country from Sunday evening till Monday evening. Torrential
rain, thunderstorms, wind and hail storms are expected, first in the west and
north-west and then in the north, centre and the hilly and mountainous regions.
The amount of precipitation is expected to pass 25 litres per square metre and
even reach 50 in some areas. In the
south and south-east, the weather remains hot and the humidity and heat ratio
is forecast to go beyond the critical threshold of 80. (CM)

26 July 2020
July 5, 2020 UPDATE

JUSTICE The year
2021 is inevitably going to mark the beginning of major transformations in
justice, which are going to unfold for a couple of years and these inevitable
developments are to be imposed as a result of the great changes at society,
economic, technological and psychological levels, Romania’s Justice Minister
Catalin Predoiu said in a message conveyed on Justice Day the Romanians
celebrated on Sunday. Also in a message conveyed on this occasion, the
president of the Higher Council of Magistrates, Nicoleta Ţînţ, said that the
process of justice must be maintained at the highest standards in order to
protect citizens from any arbitrary rulings. For president Klaus Iohannis, the
fight against corruption remains a priority, as this scourge prevents economic
and social development bearing on the process of strengthening democracy and
for this reason, this scourge must be firmly repressed. In turn Prime Minister
Orban has announced that the government is working on a legislative initiative
aimed at mending what he describes as mistakes made by the previous governments
regarding the justice laws.

PANDEMIC 11.4
million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus all over the
world, while 534 thousand people have died so far. The United States remains
the most affected country with 2.93 million infections and 133 thousand
fatalities. The number of 40 thousand infections in 24 hours has again been
exceeded as three weeks ago the average daily number stood at 20 thousand.
Brazil comes close to 1.6 million cases and 65 thousand deaths whereas Mexico,
with over 30 thousand deaths has overcome France and Spain. Mexico has also
confirmed 252 thousand infections, while Chile and Peru each have roughly 300
thousand. South Africa has reported 10 thousand cases in the past 24 hours totaling
187 thousand, the largest number in Africa. India comes close to 650 thousand
infections whereas Saudi Arabia has exceeded 205 thousand. Iran is nearing 240
thousand and the third most affected country world-wise seems to be Russia with
over 674 thousand infections and 10 thousand fatalities.

STATUE Protesters in the US city of Baltimore have
toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus, thus adding to the other monuments of
this kind destroyed by protesters after the death of George Floyd, an African
American killed in police custody. Christopher Columbus has been criticised for
having violently repressed native Americans. In his 4th of July address US
president Donald Trump has railed against the
cancel culture of those who toppled monuments during recent anti-racism
protests. Trump has condemned those who targeted statues, describing them as
angry mobs trying to deface quote: our most sacred memorials.

COVID-19 The
government in Bucharest is to endorse next week a bill on maintaining home
isolation and quarantine in the case of people who have come into contact with
a Covid-infected person. The statement has been made by Prime Minister Ludovic
Orban after the Constitutional Court ruled that patients cannot be kept in
hospital, quarantine and isolation against their will. The Prime Minister has
criticised the Court’s decision and recommended the citizens to comply with the
health and safety regulations in order to prevent contamination. According to
the Constitutional Court president, Valer Dorneanu, measures on restricting
rights, such as mandatory hospitalisation, must be imposed through legislation
and not through an order issued by the Health Minister. Nearly four months and
a half since the first Covid-infection was confirmed on its territory, Romania
has reported roughly 29 thousand infections and a death toll of 1750. 122
Romanian nationals died abroad due to complications produced by the novel
coronavirus.

TENNIS Romanian Elena Gabriela Ruse (WTA 177th) on Sunday won
the Winners Open tennis tournament held in Cluj, north-western Romania after a
two-set win, 6-4, 6-3 against her compatriot Irina Begu. The tournament, with
30 thousand dollars in prize money has been the first in Romania since the
authorities lifted the restrictions imposed by the need to contain the Covid
pandemic. During the aforementioned demo tournament, which brought together six
tennis players from Romania Simona Halep and Horia Tecau have outperformed
Marius Copil and Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-4. Tecau and Halep will be representing
Romania at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

(translated by bill)

5 July 2020