Radio România Internațional

Tag: handball

  • THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    The mini-holiday of May 1 and Orthodox Easter

    Orthodox believers, a majority faith in Romania, along with Greek Catholics, celebrated Passion Week before Easter, which they celebrate on Sunday, May 5. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, sent a message on Wednesday stating that the Resurrection of the Lord is the celebration of the merciful love of Christ, the one who defeated hatred, violence and death, giving people eternal life. That is why Easter is the celebration of forgiveness, peace and joy, Daniel said. He urged the sharing of Christ’s love, peace and joy with those around, by word and deed, especially to orphaned children, the sick and the elderly, as well as Romanians among foreigners. We remind you that, this year, the Catholic faithful celebrated Easter on March 31. The Easter holidays will end the mini-holiday that started on Wednesday, May 1, on Labor Day. Tens of thousands of Romanians spent time at the seaside, where the summer season officially opened, and in mountain resorts.

    Voting abroad in the European Parliament election

    12 parties or alliances and four independent candidates registered for the European Parliament elections that will take place on June 9 in Romania. The Central Electoral Bureau validated the final list this week,and established by drawing lots the order in which the formations will be entered on the ballot. The printing of ballot papers for polling stations abroad has already begun. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, declared that there will be a record number of polling stations outside the country, over 900, almost double those organized at the 2019 European Parliament elections. It is also the largest number of voting stations ever organized abroad. Along with the elections for the European Parliament, local elections will also take place in Romania on June 9. The political formations that wanted to enter the race for mayors, local, municipal, and county councils only had Tuesday to submit their candidacies.

    Help for TAROM

    The European Commission has given its consent for TAROM, the national airline, to receive state aid worth over 95 million euros in order to restructure. According to the Community Executive, the subsidies will allow the company to restore its long-term viability. In order to limit the possible distortions of competition generated by public support, TAROM will significantly reduce the number of routes and aircraft. The measures in the restructuring plan provide for the cancellation of a debt of over 49 million euros, and a capital injection of almost 46 million euros. The European Transport Commissioner, Adina Vălean, stated that the approval of the aid for TAROM represents a health certificate for the company, and an advantage in finding investors for the national airline operator. The Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, stated that the aid will be used mainly for renewing the aircraft fleet, optimizing destinations and commercial policy, streamlining aircraft maintenance activities, and digitizing the company.

    New evacuations from Gaza

    Nine Romanian citizens and their family members were evacuated from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, and reached the territory of Republic of Egypt, where they were taken over by the mobile consular team of the Romanian Embassy in Cairo. 323 Romanian citizens and their family members have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

    Romanian cinematography awards

    The film ‘Liberty’, directed by Tudor Giurgiu, received the Gopo Trophy for the best feature film at the Gopo Awards Gala, which took place on Monday. The film won the most Gopo statuettes, including those for best director, Tudor Giurgiu, best actor in a leading role, Alex Calangiu and best actor in a secondary role, Iulian Postelnicu. Inspired by real events, the film tells a story that happened in Sibiu (center) during the Revolution of 1989. “Freedom” and “Don’t expect too much from the end of the world”, by Radu Jude, were rewarded, ex aequo, with the prize for best script. The distinction for best actress in a leading role went to Ilinca Manolache for her role in the film ‘Don’t expect too much from the end of the world’. ‘Anatomie D’une Chute’ / ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, directed by Justine Triet (France) received the award for best European film. The actress Rodica Mandache received the award for her entire career, and the actor Dan Nuţu was honored with the award his entire activity.

    A new soccer champion

    The domestic football competition has not yet reached the end, but the team FCSB from Bucharest has mathematically secured the title of champion, since the seventh stage of the play-off, by winning against the current title holder, Farul Constanţa (southeast ). It is the first title won by FCSB in the current competitive system, with play-off and play-out, and comes after a 9-year break for the Bucharest team. In handball, the Romanian men’s champion, CS Dinamo Bucharest, qualified for the semifinals of the EHF European League continental competition, after a double victory against the Danes from Skjern Handbold. The Final Four tournament of the EHF European League will take place on May 25 and 26, in Hamburg, Germany.

  • May 3, 2024 UPDATE

    May 3, 2024 UPDATE

     

    EASTER        The Holy Fire for Orthodox Easter will be brought from Jerusalem on Saturday night and sent out to every parish in Romania. The Holy Fire is believed to be an Orthodox miracle, taking place every year on Holy Saturday in Jerusalem, at the end of Holy Week, a period of prayer when the faithful revisit the events of the last day in the life of Jesus Christ. On Friday night believers attend the Vespers of the Taking-Down from the Cross, when an epitaphios is carried to a low table in the church nave which represents the Tomb of Christ, with the epitaphios itself representing the body of Jesus wrapped in a burial shroud.

     

    JOURNALISTS According to the latest annual World Press Freedom Index, released on Friday by Reporters without Borders organisation (RSF), Romania ranks 49th out of 180 countries, up from 53rd last year. RSF says Romania “boasts a diverse and relatively pluralistic media landscape, providing fertile ground for hard-hitting public interest investigations. But a lack of transparency surrounding media financing, especially by the state, as well as market difficulties undermine the reliability of information and trust in the media.” “The market is diversified but fragmented, with many TV channels whose sustainability is fragile. Editorial decisions are often subordinated to the interests of owners, transforming the media into a propaganda tool,” the Index also reads. In Romania, RSF also says, the media lack independence and suffer from attempts at interference, especially regarding the appointments of the heads of public radio and television, and the National Audiovisual Council. Political parties can obtain favourable media coverage in return for opaque media funding. Populist politicians have adopted an aggressive political discourse towards journalists, the organisation also finds.

     

    GAZA Negotiations continue for a ceasefire and a new prisoner exchange in Gaza. The talks take place amid threats that Israel would strike the border town of Rafah, where the last Hamas units are located. But Rafah also hosts half of the population of the Gaza Strip, and the international community has warned that a land offensive there would cause a humanitarian disaster. A high-level UN official said the funds for the reconstruction of war-hit Gaza may reach as much as USD 40 bln. The UN Assistant Secretary-General Abdallah al-Dardari told a press conference that the scope of the destruction is unprecedented. Meanwhile, Gaza-related protests carry on in universities in the US. The police cleared a pro-Palestinian protest camp at UCLA in Los Angeles, with at least 200 people arrested. In Washington, president Joe Biden said that while he would always uphold the right to free speech, order must prevail.

     

    FARMERS The European Commission has extended the temporary framework enabling member states to provide state aid more easily to the farmers affected by the impact of the war in Ukraine. The mechanism was introduced in March 2022, after Russia attacked Ukraine, which triggered skyrocketing energy and fertilizer costs. The temporary crisis framework allowed member states to earmark up to EUR 280,000 in aid to affected farms until June 2024, and up to EUR 335,000 to fishery and aquaculture enterprises, as a derogation from the EU’s strict state aid rules. The agriculture ministers in 15 member countries also demanded an increase from EUR 20,000 to EUR 50,000 of the ceiling for the aid granted to an enterprise without consulting Brussels, but the request was dismissed.

     

    DISTINCTION Romanians have received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Second of May from the Community of Madrid, for their integration and for representing a cultural and economic asset for the region. “Apart from being hard-working, Romanians with their effort and courage help us create jobs and opportunities for others,” said the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuos. “The Romanian community in Madrid is not only the largest foreign community here, but also the one that contributes the most to the social and economic development of the local society,” the charge d’affaires with the Romanian embassy in Madrid, Raluca Mihăilă, said in turn. More than one million Romanians are currently living in Spain.

     

    SPORTS The Romanian women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest Saturday take on the French side Metz, away from home, in the decisive leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. In the first leg, the French team won 27-24. Playing in the other quarter-finals are Gyor (Hungary) vs Kristiansand (Norway), Odense (Denmark) vs Bietigheim (Germany) and Esbjerg (Denmark) vs Ferencvaros (Hungary). In the men’s competition, Romania’s champions, Dinamo Bucharest, are up against the German side SG Flensburg-Handewitt in the semis of the EHF European League final tournament. The other semi-final is pitting defending champions Fuchse Berlin against another German team, Rhein-Neckar Loewen. In the quarterfinals, Dinamo outplayed the Danish side Skjern Handbold, after 28-27 in Bucharest and 38-34 away from home. (AMP)

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash

    At the World Ice Hockey Championships in Bolzano, Italy, Romania secured a 2-1 win against Hungary. The Romanians lost the first two matches to Italy and Slovenia with the same scoring 1-6. On Friday, Romania will be playing South Korea in an attempt to avoid the last place in the group.

     

    Romania’s male handball side Dinamo Bucharest has qualified for the semifinals of the European League, the second best inter-club competition after the Champions league. On Tuesday, the Romanian champions clinched a 38-34 away win against Danish side Skjern Handbold in the second round of the quarterfinals. The league’s Final Four tournament will be taking place in Hamburg over May 25th and 26th.

     

    In women’s handball, Rapid Bucharest continue their fight for a second position in the Romanian championships, a position which can push them right into the Champions League. Rapid defeated Gloria Buzau 32-28 in an away match on Wednesday. Eliza Buceschi and Serbian player Anđela Janjušević each scored seven goals for the vice-champions. Diana Ilina also scored seven goals for Gloria. Rapid has three points ahead the side, which also aspires to the title, Gloria Bistriţa, with a game in hand. CSM Bucharest ranks first in the standings.

     

    This weekend will be seeing matches counting towards the Romanian football Superleague. On Friday in Ovidiu, on the Romanian Black Sea coast, local side Farul will be up against Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe.

     

    On Sunday CFR Cluj plays Rapid Bucharest at home while on Monday, Universitatea Craiova, on their own turf, takes on FCSB. The Bucharest side is already champion, while Universitatea has the same number of points with CFR and are fighting for a second place, which ensures qualification for the preliminaries of the European Conference League.

     

    On Saturday, FC Voluntari goes to Botoşani, and Dinamo plays in Cluj the local side Universitatea. On Sunday in Ploiesti, southern Romania, local side Petrolul is taking on Oţelul Galati. On Monday, Hermannstadt plays Poli Iaşi at home, while UTA receives FCU 1948. On the last positions in the ranking and fighting to avoid demotion are Poli Iaşi and Dinamo, each with 21 points. FC U Craiova has 22, FC Voluntari 23 and FC Botoşani – 24.

    (bill)

  • April 24, 2024

    April 24, 2024

    Seoul – On the last day of the visit of Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, to South Korea, the official delegation visited, today, the Doosan Enerbility complex in Busan, a world leader in energy production. On Tuesday evening, the Romanian president participated in an exhibition of traditional Romanian art. During his visit to Seoul, Romania and South Korea decided to expand their bilateral cooperation, by signing a joint declaration on strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership and several cooperation agreements in the fields of defense, energy or emergency situations management.

     

    Study – The number of Romanian children whose parents went to work abroad is five times higher than the official figures show, and the local authorities need more information about them, so as to be able to develop programs to help them. These are the main conclusions of a study carried out by the “Save the Children Romania” organization for the south-eastern region of the country, where 57,000 minors are in such a situation. The data also show that almost 14% of children in Romania had, in the last year, at least one parent who went to work abroad, and those left in the care of grandparents, relatives or, sometimes, left to fend for themselves run a higher risk of dropping out of school, are more prone to emotional trauma and more vulnerable to violence and bullying.

     

    Cannes – Two Romanian films are in the official selection of the famous Cannes Film Festival in France: the feature film “Three kilometers to the end of the world”, the story of the complicated relationships between a teenager and his parents, directed by Emanuel Pârvu, and the documentary “Nasty”, about the life and career of the first world number one in men’s tennis, the Romanian Ilie Năstase, made by Tudor Giurgiu, Cristian Pascariu and Tudor D. Popescu. “Nasty” will be presented in the Special Screenings section. The Cannes festival also invited in the competition an Iranian filmmaker who criticizes the fundamentalist regime in Tehran, Mohammad Rasoulof. A total of 22 films will compete in 2024 to win the Palme d’Or trophy. The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 14-25.

     

    Report – The US State Department published the annual report on human rights observance in Romania. The document shows that in 2023, human rights were affected by “serious government corruption” and the authorities sometimes did not do enough against officials who committed abuses. The report also shows that there is inefficiency and lack of accountability in relation to judicial oversight, and bribery was perceived to be common in the public sector. According to Washington, there are also problems in Romania regarding domestic violence and ethnic discrimination.

     

    Fair – Today, the largest book fair in Transylvania – Gaudeamus, organized by Radio Romania, begins in Cluj-Napoca (north-west). The event reached its 23rd edition. 16 pavilions host 60 stands of 85 publishing houses. The fair offers books, music and educational games. There are several thousand books in Romanian, in international languages and in the languages of the national minorities living in Romania. All in all, more than 40 launches and book presentations are scheduled, as well as meetings between writers and readers. The first launch is that of the volume “Naraton” by the late writer Cornel Udrea, one of the voices of the Cluj public radio, who passed away a few days ago.

     

    Handball – The Romanian men’s handball champions, CS Dinamo Bucharest, defeated the Danish team Skjern Handbold, on Tuesday evening, at home, with the score 28-27, in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the EHF European League. More than 2,500 spectators were in the stands, and Dinamo’s coach, the famous Spanish technician Xavi Pascual, said he was delighted with the victory. The second leg takes place on April 30 in Denmark. The winning team advances to the European League Final Four in Hamburg, Germany.

     

    Court – The Constitutional Court of Romania is going to debate, today, the notification submitted by Save Romania Union – USR and the opposition Force of the Right in relation to the law for amending and completing the ordinance on road transport. The opposition MPs criticize the law, on the grounds that it would once again postpone the real liberalization of the road transport of people, in order to defend what they call the interests of the politically protected mafia. Today’s agenda of the Constitutional Court also includes several notifications submitted by President Klaus Iohannis. (LS)

  • April 19, 2024 UPDATE

    April 19, 2024 UPDATE

    Visit – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will pay an official visit to the Republic of Korea from April 22-24, at the invitation of his counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol. The Republic of Korea is the first country in the Asia-Pacific region with which, in 2008, Romania raised relations to the level of Strategic Partnership. On the occasion of the upcoming visit by President Iohannis to Seoul, this Partnership will be consolidated through a document that will establish the directions of cooperation in the next 10 years. Relevant documents will be signed regarding defense, nuclear energy, investments and foreign trade, cooperation in emergency situations and disaster management, cooperation in the fields of culture, mass media, youth and sports. In the Republic of Korea, Romania’s President will also have meetings with representatives of the Romanian community and the business environment and will visit an exhibition of traditional Romanian art.

     

    Brussels – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, participated, on Wednesday and Thursday, in Brussels, in the extraordinary meeting of the European Council. The talks focused, among other things, on the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the EU-Turkey relations and the new European pact for the single market competitiveness. According to a Romanian presidency communiqué, Klaus Iohannis reiterated that Ukraine, along with the Republic of Moldova, remain issues of absolute priority and insisted on the need for a security approach that includes the entire Black Sea region. He also pleaded for the rapid advancement of the process of EU accession of the two states, within a predictable and sustained process. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the European leaders reiterated their solidarity with the Israeli people and called for the de-escalation of the situation in the region.

     

    Abu Dhabi – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, said in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, that the Romanian government wants to continue the partnerships it already has with companies from the Emirates. In this way, the Port of Constanţa is consolidating its strategic and logistic capacity in the run up to the recovery and reconstruction process of Ukraine, said the Romanian PM. Moreover, the Romanian Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, announced that on May 15 the new terminal in the Port of Constanţa will be inaugurated, a joint project developed by the port company from Dubai and the Administration of the Port of Constanța, worth 82 million Euros. He pointed out that Romania was interested in attracting new financing to increase the port capacity in reducing ship unloading/loading times and smoothing the flow of ships in the port’s basins. The statements come in the context of the discussions that the Romanian delegation had on Friday with the management of the Dubai Ports company, at the end of the visit to the Middle East.

     

    Attack – Friday’s attack near the city of Isfahan in Iran, apparently carried out by drones and attributed to Israel, worries the international community, which asks both countries to stop the confrontation. In turn, Iran minimized the impact of the explosions, did not directly accuse Israel and promised not to respond militarily. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the Iranian nuclear facilities in the Isfahan region suffered no damage and reiterated the call for restraint. “We must do everything possible for all parties to stop the escalation of the conflict in this region,” said, in turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. And the G7 group announced that it would carry out a diplomatic effort to ease tensions between Israel and Iran. Tehran launched a missile and drone attack against Israel last Saturday in retaliation for the bombing – attributed to Israel – of the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, which killed seven members of the Revolutionary Guards, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army. Israel threatened with reprisals for this attack.

     

    Handball – The Romanian national handball team was assigned to Group B, along with the teams of Montenegro, the Czech Republic and Serbia, at the European Women’s Handball Championship – EHF EURO 2024, following to the drawing of lots held on Thursday evening, in Vienna. Romania, which won the first group of the preliminaries with the maximum score, was part of the second most valuable urn, while Montenegro was top seed. The 16th edition of the EHF EURO for women will take place between November 28 and December 15, in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland, with the participation of 24 teams, eight more than in the previous editions. Romania participated 14 times in the European Women’s Championship, obtaining only one medal, bronze, in 2010.

     

    Planes – Three F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft purchased by Romania from Norway landed, on Friday, at the 71st Air Base ‘General Emanoil Ionescu’ from Câmpia Turzii (central Romania), and are to be assigned to the 48th Fighter Squadron. According to a defense ministry communiqué, the purchase of the new planes and the related package of goods and services will ensure the increase of Romania’s security by ensuring the defense of the national and NATO airspace, in peacetime and in crisis situations. “Through the gradual arrival, throughout this year and the next, of the 32 multi-role F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, which will provide two more squadrons of the Air Force, Romania is strengthening its air defense capabilities at a level adapted to security challenges from the region”, Minister Angel Tîlvăr said.

     

    Ukraine – NATO member states agreed on Friday to provide Kyiv with additional air defense systems, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after a special meeting of allied defense ministers. ‘In addition to the Patriot, there are other weapons that allies can provide, including the French SAMP/T system, and many others that do not have systems available have pledged financial support to acquire them for Ukraine’ Jens Stoltenberg also said in Brussels. Also on Friday, the foreign ministers of the G7 states pledged to “strengthen the air defense means of Ukraine” against Russian attacks. In the final statement issued at the end of the three-day meeting on the Italian island of Capri, they say they are examining ‘all possible options’ to use frozen Russian assets to help Kyiv ahead of the G7 summit of heads of state and government, scheduled to take place in mid-June also in Italy. On Saturday, in Washington, the House of Representatives will vote on the 61 billion dollar package proposed by the Biden administration for Ukraine. (LS)

     

  • March 31, 2024 UPDATE

    March 31, 2024 UPDATE

     

    SCHENGEN Romanian seaports and international airports officially joined the Schengen Area on Sunday, March 31. At sea, controls are not eliminated, but they are simplified. Passengers flying to or from Schengen member states will go directly to their respective boarding gate after security checks, without having their travel documents checked by the border police. Currently, 27 European states are full members of the Schengen Agreement, and Romania and Bulgaria become members with partial rights on March 31. Border checks remain in place at land checkpoints, after Austria vetoed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen membership. The EC president, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed and congratulated the 2 countries on their accomplishment, and promised talks would be carried on this year to complete the process.

     

    EASTER Roman-Catholic and Protestant Christians, including around 1.3 million believers in mostly Orthodox Romania, celebrated Easter Sunday. At midnight, at the Vatican, Pope Francis presided over the Easter Vigil service at St. Peter’s Basilica. Enmity and wars, self-absorption and indifference, the fears that hold us back from accomplishing the good we mean to do, are our own stone blocks, the tombstones in our hearts, that rob us of enthusiasm and of the strength to persevere, the Pope said in his Homily. In a pastoral letter, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, Aurel Percă, said that unfortunately, the song of joy proclaimed by the church on Easter comes in contrast with the cries coming from so many painful situations, such as wars, injustice, inequality and poverty. In turn, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said in a message that “Easter gives us an opportunity to be together with our loved ones and reminds us that we are always accompanied by the divine love and strength.” This year, Easter for Roman Catholics and Protestants is 5 weeks before the corresponding Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Neo-Protestant celebration on May 5.

     

    NATO The Parliament of Romania convenes on Tuesday in a joint meeting to mark 20 years since the country joined the North Atlantic Alliance and 75 years since the establishment of NATO. On April 2, exactly 2 decades ago, Romania’s colours were first flown at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, after the ratification documents had been received by the US Department of State on March 29.

     

    DST Saturday night Romania switched to daylight saving time, with clocks going forward one hour. Sunday was the shortest day this year. With the transition to summer time, the difference between the official time in Romania and UTC is three hours. Daylight saving time is observed until October 27. EU member states were supposed to decide by 2021 whether they wanted to permanently adopt summer time or winter time. However, the discussion is still open.

     

    AGRICULTURE Last year Romania came 2nd in the EU, after France, in terms of the sunflower seed yield, thus losing the top EU position held in 2022, the National Statistics Institute announced. In 2023 the yield was 3.7% below the figures reported the previous year, although the surface area under sunflower crops was the same. Romania remains the 6th in Europe in terms of the area under potato crops, and the 9th-largest producer in Europe in 2023, after countries like Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Poland.

     

    OIL SECTOR In 2023, Romania remained the main supplier of oil products for the Republic of Moldova, the National Energy Regulatory Agency in Chişinău announced. Last year, Moldova imported around 1 mln tonnes of diesel, petrol and LPG, accounting for a 6.6% rise since 2022 and for a complete recovery of the oil market after the successive crises entailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Radio Chişinău said, quoting energy sector experts. Russia, which used to be one of the largest oil product suppliers for Moldova, only exported insignificant amounts to Moldova last year.

     

    HANDBALL The western Romanian handball team CS Minaur Baia Mare qualified for the semi-finals of the EHF European Cup, although they were defeated by the Austrian side Bregenz Handball 30-28 on Saturday night, in an away game in the second leg of the quarter-finals. The Romanian vice-champions had won the first leg at home, 37-31. In the semis, Minaur takes on Valur Reykjavik (Iceland), which outplayed CSA Steaua Bucharest in the previous round. On April 2, Romanian champions CS Dinamo Bucharest play away from home against the Danish side Bjerringbro Silkeborg, in the second leg of the EHF European League play-offs. Dinamo won the home game 37-34. The quarter-final winners are to play in the Final Four round. (AMP)

  • March 27, 2024

    March 27, 2024

    Visit – The National Bank supports and encourages initiatives aimed at the development of the capital market in the Republic of Moldova, and as an institution responsible for prudential supervision and the stability of the financial market, we want to facilitate the free movement of capital and financial services, the governor of the National Bank of Moldova, Anca Dragu, said on Wednesday in Bucharest. She emphasized that these are actually chapters of negotiation for Moldova’s accession to the European Union, “chapters in which the National Bank has a leading role, so that the Republic of Moldova should enjoy prosperity and economic stability”. Romania commits and continues to commit unconditionally to supporting the European path of the Republic of Moldova, said, in turn, the speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. They participated, on Wednesday, together with the Moldovan Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, and the head of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, in a forum organized by the Stock Exchange, an event that promotes solid economic cooperation and the interconnection of the capital markets between the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

     

    Bessarabia – Romania is among the staunch supporters of the European future of the Republic of Moldova, as its citizens wish, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in a message on the occasion of the Day of Bessarabia’s Union with Romania. The Romanian Cultural Institute – ICR and its representations abroad are organizing a series of cultural events to mark 106 years since this historic moment. Today, at the National Art Museum of Romania, a painting exhibition is opened that includes 100 works by artists from the Republic of Moldova, and the National Theater in Bucharest will host performances in which Romanian and Moldovan actors will participate. On March 27, 1918, the Chisinau State Council voted in favor of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, Bessarabia being a Romanian province annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812, after the Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812). This historical act opened the process of the unification of Romania, completed on December 1, 1918, through the Union of all the Romanian provinces which were then under foreign rule. 22 years later, in the summer of 1940, following an ultimatum, Stalin’s Moscow annexed both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, territories that currently belong to the former Soviet Republics of Moldova and Ukraine, respectively.

     

    Brancusi – The Pompidou Center in Paris hosts an exhibition-event dedicated to Constantin Brâncuşi, considered the father of modern sculpture, which can be visited until July 1. Hundreds of sculptures, photographs, sketches and archival images are on display in the exhibition which includes Brâncuşi’s Workshop, the place where the great Romanian artist created and lived, alongside works borrowed from major international museums. All of Constantin Brâncuşi’s works from the Romanian heritage are exhibited, sent by the National Art Museum of Romania and the Art Museum in Craiova (southern Romania). ‘Brâncuşi is an artist who was very little exposed during his life, as he preferred to invite his contemporaries to come to his workshop. He liked to control all dimensions of the presentation of his sculptures’, explains Ariane Coulondre, curator of the exhibition, in a press release. The Brâncusi Retrospective at the Pompidou Center, the first in the last almost 30 years and the largest ever organized event, is held with the support of the Romanian Embassy in France and the Romanian Cultural Institute.

     

    Deficit – Romania’s budget deficit reached, after the first two months of the year, almost 29 billion lei (about 6 billion Euros), accounting for 1.67% of the Gross Domestic Product, show data published by the Finance Ministry. The deficit is almost double compared to the same period of last year. The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, however, that it would observe the 5% threshold estimated for the end of the year. The economy is self-financing and we will have the largest economic growth in Europe, the Romanian PM also said.

     

    Handball – CS Dinamo Bucharest defeated the Danish team Bjerringbro Silkeborg, score 37-34, on Tuesday evening, at home, in the first leg of the play-off of the EHF European League men’s handball competition. The second leg will take place on April 2, in Silkeborg. Trained by the Spanidh Xavi Pascual, the Romanian champions start with the first chance in the return leg to qualify for the next stage. Afterwards, the winners of the quarterfinals will play in the Final Four Tournament (semifinals and finals). The German team Fuchse Berlin is the holder of the trophy. (LS)

  • March 25, 2024 UPDATE

    March 25, 2024 UPDATE

     

    MOTION In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies discussed on Monday a simple motion against the agriculture minister Florin Barbu (Social Democratic Party), accused of having backed a bill allowing the reed in the Danube Delta to be used for the financial benefit of certain politicians. The simple motion, called “Praising Ceauşescu will not save the Romanian agriculture,” was tabled by Save Romania Union in opposition, after the agriculture minister’s appreciative discourse about the country’s former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. USR also accused Florin Barbu of having treated the protesting farmers with contempt and of having ignored the MPs requests to present his activity. Barbu dismissed the motion as “a complete joke” and a string of “battle cries, propaganda and many untruths.” The Chamber is to vote on the motion on Tuesday.

     

    DRUG TRAFFICKING The Romanian police will be able to monitor and identify drug traffickers more efficiently once a new special register in this field has become operational. The bill regulating the register was signed into law by president Klaus Iohannis on Monday. Depending on the sentence received in court, traffickers will be entered into the registry for 5 to 20 years, during which the police will be aware of the risks of the monitored person selling banned substances again, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu explained. Drug using and trafficking have seen an upward trend in Romania lately. More than one tonne of drugs was seized last year, and also last year Romanian antidrug structures seized the largest amount of Ecstasy so far (230,000 tablets), the justice minister said.

    SCHENGEN Full Schengen accession by the end of this year is achievable, the Romanian interior minister Cătălin Predoiu believes. He says Romania has already completed preparation for lifting checks at the EU internal air and maritime borders, as approved by the EU Council as of the end of this week. Predoiu added that Romania and Austria cooperate very well in fields like border protection and fighting illegal migration and cross-border crime, and said he suggested extending the cooperation between the 2 countries beyond Schengen, with a focus on fighting drug trafficking and human trafficking.

    INVESTIGATION Romanian prosecutors subordinated to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office seized assets worth EUR 2.4 mln from an Italian suspect subject to an investigation in Bologna concerning cross-border fuel trafficking. The total damages in the case amount to EUR 92 mln. In Romania, prosecutors seized 18 properties owned by the suspect, have frozen 14 bank accounts and assets in Romanian companies. Three Italian nationals are probed into for bringing into Italy oil products from refineries in Croatia and Slovenia, in order to resell them for lower prices to Romanian and British companies, and to bill them to Italian shell companies run by members of the crime group, the EPPO explained.

    ALERT The government of France has raised the terror alert warning to its highest level after Friday’s massacre in Moscow. The country’s PM, Gabriel Attal, said in a social media post that “the decision was taken in light of the Islamic State’s claiming responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country.” France has seen some of the bloodiest terror attacks masterminded by Islamist fighters, such as the ones in 2015-2016, which left roughly 300 dead and hundreds wounded. The government in Paris has explained that the Islamist organisation has been recently involved in a series of attempted attacks, which have been thwarted by police forces in several European countries, such as France and Germany, and the PM Monday morning summoned the heads of the services responsible for the country’s security and safety.

    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side Dunarea Braila has qualified for the final tournament of the EHF European League after a 26-25 home win against the Croatian side Podravka Vegeta on Sunday in the second round of the quarter finals. Dunarea, which also won the first game against Podravka, is Romania’s second representative in the EHF Finals Women, due on June 1 and 2 in Graz, Austria, after Gloria Bistrita. Romania’s champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarter finals of the Champions League in women’s handball after a double win against the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana and will be playing in the quarters against the French side Metz Handball.

  • March 25, 2024

    March 25, 2024

    MOSCOW The four suspects of the Friday’s attack, which killed 137 and wounded over 180 at a concert venue in Moscow were brought to court on Sunday. All had wounded faces and, according to Reuters, one of them, which was being carried in a wheelchair apparently had an eye missing. The authorities have presented them as foreign citizens without revealing their nationality, but according to the Russian press, they are from Tajikistan. The attack has been claimed by the Asian branch of ISIS, which even released images during the massacre. The Russian investigators didn’t mention the Jihadi connection, whereas president Putin and the Russian Security Service FSB have mentioned the suspects’ intention to flee to Ukraine, where they had contacts. Kyiv has rejected the theory as absurd. The Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has conveyed condolences to the victims’ families underlining that Romania is firmly condemning any form of terrorism and violence against civilians.

     

    ALERT The government of France has raised the terror alert warning to its highest level after the Friday’s massacre in Moscow. The country’s Premier, Gabriel Attal, said in a post on a social network that “the decision was taken in light of the Islamic State’s claiming responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country.” France is one of the countries, which has seen some of the bloodiest terror attacks masterminded by Islamist fighters, such as the ones in 2015-2016, which left roughly 300 dead and hundreds of wounded. The government in Paris has explained that the aforementioned Islamist organization has been recently involved in a series of attempted attacks, which have been thwarted by the police forces in several European countries, such as France and Germany and the head of the executive this morning summoned the representatives of the services responsible for the country’s security and safety of citizens.

     

    VOTE MPs in Bucharest are today debating upon a simple motion against Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu, who has been accused of having endorsed a law for the financial benefit of some politicians. Under the title ‘Praising Ceausescu cannot save the Romanian Agriculture’ the simple motion has been initiated by the opposition USR following the minister’s appreciative discourse about the country’s former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The USR representatives have been accusing the minister of having treated the protesting farmers with contempt and of having ignored the MPs requests to present his activity. The vote is going to be cast on Tuesday.

     

    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side Dunarea Braila has qualified for the final tournament of the EHF European League after a 26-25 home win against the Croatian side Podravka Vegeta on Sunday in the second round of the quarter finals. Dunarea, which also won the first game against Podravka, is Romania’s second representative in the EHF Finals Women, due on June 1 and 2 in Graz, Austria, after Gloria Bistrita. Romania’s champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarter finals of the Champions League in women’s handball after a double win against Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana and will be playing in the quarters against the French side Metz Handball.

    (bill)

  • March 6, 2024

    March 6, 2024

    Congress – The Congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) takes place, today and tomorrow, in Bucharest, being attended by over 2,000 delegates from 44 countries. The European People’s Party decides the strategy for the European parliamentary elections in June, establish the EPP manifesto and designate the candidate for the head of the European Commission. The incumbent president, Ursula von der Leyen, is the only one officially registered in this competition, her candidacy being validated, last night, by the EPP’s Political Assembly. At the end of the Congress, a document will be adopted that will include the request for Romania and Bulgaria to become full members of the Schengen area. The Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer, who is still opposed to this accession, will also attend the meeting. On Wednesday, at a meeting with young people from Romania, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who is also participating in the congress, said that the Schengen Area will not be complete until it includes Romania. She has given assurances that Bucharest is supported by “numerous friends”, who will help it enter Schengen. She urged the young people to vote in the European Parliament elections and not to ‘underestimate’ their power to send ‘ambassadors’ to the EP. In parallel with the Congress, hosted by the National Liberal party – PNL (in the governing coalition), President Klaus Iohannis, the former leader of the Liberals, and the Social-Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu have meetings with the leaders present in Bucharest. At the meeting with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, they discussed the European Parliament elections, Romania’s European priorities, its full accession to the Schengen area and the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR.

     

    Tennis – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has confirmed that Romanian Simona Halep can immediately return to the professional circuit, after her four-year suspension was reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. Halep has not played an official match since the defeat registered in the first round at the US Open in 2022. She was suspended for four years for doping in September 2023 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. The reduction of the suspension was welcomed by big names in the history of tennis.

     

    US elections – The former US president, Donald Trump, won, on Tuesday evening, the Republican primaries in the states of Virginia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Maine, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Alabama, Minnesota, Colorado and Texas, which are at stake in the so-called ‘Super Tuesday’. 15 states are at stake in this electoral battle, and the world media write that Trump hopes to definitively exclude his last rival, Nikki Haley. In the Democratic camp, President Joe Biden, who wants to get a second term in office, does not face serious opposition. The candidacies of two Democrats, the elected representative of the state of Minnesota, Dean Phillips, and the successful author Marianne Williamson, did not really arouse enthusiasm, despite the recurring criticism of the octogenarian president. Biden already won, on Tuesday evening, in 12 states, including Vermont, North Carolina and Virginia.

     

     

    Drugs – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies adopted, on Tuesday, as a decision-making body, the so-called “2 Mai” Law, which stipulates that high-risk drug traffickers can no longer receive suspended sentences. At the same time, the bill stipulates that trading products that have psychoactive effects represents a crime and is punishable by imprisonment. The Senate had adopted the bill in November 2023, as the first body notified. The bill is now being promulgated by President Klaus Iohannis.

     

    Romanian elections – Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted the draft law that allows the organization of the presidential election in September. The Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL, in the government coalition, agreed that the first round of the election should take place on September 15th and the second on the 29th. The law has already been challenged by Save Romania Union – USR and the Force of the Right at the Constitutional Court, which will discuss the notification of the opposition on March 20. We remind you that the local elections in Romania will take place, for the first time, simultaneously with the European Parliament elections, on June 9, and the vote for the Romanian Parliament on December 8.

     

    Swimming – The World Aquatics Masters Championships in Doha, Qatar, ended with a new success for the representative of the Universitatea Cluj Club (north-west Romania), Maier Orosz Judith, who competed in the 80-84-year category. The athlete won the gold medal in the 50m and 200m breaststroke and the 400m individual medley respectively, all with new national records, as well as in the 100m breaststroke. The other representative of Universitatea Cluj at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Doha, Vlad Dobra, finished sixth in the 50m and 100m backstroke and 400m individual medley of the 30-34-year category. More than 2,500 athletes participated in the Doha competition.

     

    Handball – Romania’s men’s handball champion, Dinamo Bucharest, was defeated by the Portuguese team Sporting Lisbon, score 31-27, on Tuesday evening, at home, in its last match in the Main Group IV of the EHF European League. Dinamo finished on third place in the group and will play in the play-off with the second ranked team in the Main Group III, the Danish team Bjerringbro-Silkeborg. The first match will take place in Bucharest on March 26, and the return leg away from home on April 2. Also in Main Group IV and also on Tuesday evening, CSM Constanţa (south-eastern Romania) was defeated, away from home, by the trophy holder, the German team Fuchse Berlin, and finished the matches on last position. (LS)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    Romania’s women’s handball team has qualified for the 2024 European Championships hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. On Sunday night, in Group 1, Romania, missing its star players Cristina Neagu and Crina Pintea, defeated Croatia away from home 25-23. Romania, which tops the group standings with 8 points, is yet to play against Bosnia-Hertegovina away from home and against Greece at home. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament, along with the best 4 teams having ranked 3rd in each group.

     

    The Kenyan-born Romanian athlete Joan Chelimo Melly won Sunday’s semi-marathon race in Paris, and set a new national record on this occasion. Coached by Carol Şanta at the Dinamo Bucharest club, Joan Chelimo Melly has qualified to the Paris Olympics marathon event this summer. She finished the race in one hour, 6 minutes and 57 seconds, followed by the Kenyan athletes Veronica Loleo and Jesphine Jepleting, respectively. Romania’s previous semi-marathon record, 1 hour 7 minutes and 45 seconds, had been set by another Kenyan-born athlete, Stella Rutto, on 21 February 2021.

     

    At the Glasgow World Athletics Indoor Championships, the Romanian athlete Alina Rotaru-Kottmann finished 8th in the long jump finals. Two other Romanians, Diana Ion and Andreea Taloş, came out 9th and 10th in the triple jump final.

     

    Romania’s rugby team played on Saturday against Georgia, away from home, in the semi-finals of the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship. Georgia won the match, 43-5. In the other semi-final, on Sunday, Portugal defeated Spain, 33-30. The finals are scheduled on the 17 March in Paris, with Romania and Spain playing for the 3rd place, and Georgia and Portugal competing for the trophy.

     

    This past weekend also saw matches counting towards the 29th round of the Romanian football SuperLeague. On Friday, Poli Iaşi drew against Dinamo Bucharest, 0-0. On Saturday, UTA Arad beat FCU Craiova 3-2, FC Hermannstadt defeated Oţelul Galaţi 4-1, and Farul Constanţa drew against CFR Cluj, 1-1. On Sunday, Universitatea Cluj defeated FC Botoşani 1-0 while FCSB outplayed Petrolul Ploieşti 1-0, with two other matches, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe vs FC Voluntari and Universitatea Craiova vs Rapid Bucharest scheduled for Monday. FCSB rank first in the current standings, with 64 points, followed by Rapid (51) and CFR Cluj (50). (AMP)

  • February 28, 2024 UPDATE

    February 28, 2024 UPDATE

    CONGRESS The European People’s Party (EPP) congress will be held in Bucharest next week, on March 6th and 7th. Over 2,000 delegates from more than 40 countries will take part, including the president of the European Commission, the president of the European Parliament, heads of state as well as European Commissioners affiliated to the EPP. The agenda will focus on the party’s preparations and strategy for the European Parliament elections. The meeting is hosted by the National Liberal Party (a member of Romania’s ruling coalition), jointly with the EPP. Bucharest last hosted an EPP congress in October 2012.

     

    MOLDOVA The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu had a meeting in Bucharest on Wednesday with Moldova’s deputy PM for integration, Oleg Serebrian.  The two officials reviewed the regional security developments and Russia’s destabilising actions, with a focus on their impact on the Republic of Moldova. In this context, minister Luminiţa Odobescu praised Chişinău’s efforts to curb the effects of the hybrid war and reconfirmed the support Romania is prepared to extend in this process. She also reiterated Romania’s support for a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable solution for the issue of Transnistria, in compliance with international law and in line with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, within its internationally recognised borders and without affecting its European future. Since 1992 Transnistria has been de facto independent from Moldova, following an armed conflict in which Russian troops backed the separatists.

     

    NAVALNY The European Parliament Wednesday condemned the killing of the Russian activist Alexei Navalny in prison, and called for an international independent investigation to establish the circumstances of his death. The EP honoured to the life and legacy of the Russian activist in Strasburg, in the presence of his widow, Yulia Navalnaya. The meeting was opened by the EP president, Roberta Metsola, who spoke about Alexei Navalny’s courage of fighting against an authoritarian regime. She emphasised that Alexei Navalny had dedicated his life to the fight against corruption and for a democratic Russia.

     

    CONCERT The Children’s Choirs of Radio Romania and Radio Bulgaria will give a joint concert at the Radio Hall in Bucharest, on Thursday. It will be the first time when these choirs perform together, and the concert programme is spectacular, as both choirs can easily perform difficult works, adding set design elements that will impress the audience. The event is part of an international cooperation programme between the two public radio broadcasters. On the same day, the Bulgarian Children’s Choir will open a reception hosted by the Bulgarian Embassy in Bucharest, on the occasion of Bulgaria’s National Day, celebrated on March 3rd.

     

    HANDBALL Romania defeated Croatia, on Wednesday, 26 – 24 at home, in Group I of the European Women’s Handball Championship qualifiers. The away leg will be held on Sunday, in Koprivnica. The two teams are competing for the top spot in the group, currently having the same number of points, 4, but being separated by goal difference (43 vs. 24). They are followed by Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina, without any points. Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, CS Dinamo Bucharest beat CSM Constanţa 33-25, in main group IV of the men’s EHF European League. The Romanian champions thus secured a spot in the playoffs, with the group winner going straight into the quarter-finals. (AMP)

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    The European Wrestling Championships are underway in Bucharest. On Thursday, Romania’s Andreea Ana won gold in the 55-kilogram category. In the final, Ana outclassed Mariana Dragutan of the Republic of Moldova. Previously, Romania’s Denis Florin Mihai and Razvan Arnaut in the Greek-Romann style won two gold medals, in the 55-kilogram and the 60-kilogram category, respectively.

    The European Weightlifting Championships are underway in Sofia, until this coming Tuesday. After the first four days of competition, Romania has won six medals. The Romania delegation’s scintillating performance was provided by Mihaela Cambei in the 49-kilogram category. Cambei won gold in the snatch and clean-and-jerk styles, as well as combined.

    In a second-tier rugby continental competition, the Rugby Europe Championship, in Bucharest on Saturday, the Romanian national squad goes against Portugal, in a fixture counting towards the competition’s Group B final. According to the as-it-stands table, Romania has 9 points, being followed by Portugal, with 6. The Romanian national team has already secured its ticket to the Rugby Europe Championship’s semifinal. We recall that Europe’s top-notch rugby competition is the Six Nations Championship.

    In women’s handball, the last fixtures are scheduled, counting towards the European Cups’ group stage.

    In the Champions League’s Group A, if they grab an away win against Danish challengers Odense this coming Sunday, CSM Bucharest stands real chances to advance to the quarterfinals.

    In Group B, Rapid Bucharest is in dire need of a home win against Danish Opponents Esbjerg. If Hungarian team Ferencvaros is defeated by Metz in France, Rapid advances to the playoffs ahead of the League’s quarterfinals.

    In the European League, two Romanian teams, Gloria Bistriţa and Dunărea Brăila have already booked their ticket to the quarterfinals. On Sunday, Gloria Bistritsa plays a home game against German team Bensheim / Auerbach, while Dunarea Braila plays an away game against Chambray Touraine in France. After five consecutive defeats, the third Romanian team in the European League, CSM Târgu Jiu is still struggling for their first win, as this coming Sunday, CSM Targu Jiu play a home game against Hungary’s Mosonmagyaróvár.

    Matches counting towards the Romanian football Superleague’s 26th round are scheduled at the weekend. On Friday, Petrolul Ploiesti plays Poli Iaşi while Rapid Bucharest takes on FC Hermannstadt. On Saturday, UTA plays an away match against FC Voluntari, while CFR Cluj has a daunting task in the away match against FC U Craiova. On Sunday, Universitatea Craiova takes on FC Botoşani, away, while in Bucharest, Oţelul Galaţi goes against Dinamo. On Monday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe plays Farul Constanţa, while Universitatea Cluj faces FCSB. Nine points clear of the runner-up team, Rapid, FCSB are at the top of the table.

  • Sport Club RRI

    Sport Club RRI

    At least three women handball sides from Romania have made headway in the
    European Cups. In the Champions League, CSM Bucharest stands good chances to
    directly qualify for the quarterfinals if it outperforms Danish side Odense in
    the away game they are going to play on Sunday. Odense ranks second in Group A,
    two points ahead the Romanian champions, but this advantage can be cancelled in
    case of a Romanian win. The first game opposing the two sides in Bucharest, in
    September went to the Romanians 28-24.




    Another Romanian side, the vice-champion Rapid Bucharest also stands good
    chances to qualify for the competition’s next stage. Rapid ranks seventh in
    Group B, a point less than the Hungarian side Ferencvaros. In the event of a
    home win on Sunday against Danish side Esbjerg and if Ferencvaros loses to
    Metz, in France, Rapid goes into the play-offs for the League’s quarterfinals. Both
    sides that represented Romania in last year’s competition were stopped in their
    tracks in the quarters.




    In the EHF European League, a leg before the end of the groups competition,
    Romania already boasts two sides in the quarterfinals. The first Romanian side
    to have assured its place in this stage of the competition was Gloria Bistrita
    with an away win against French team Nantes, their main Group C opponent. On
    Saturday, the Romanians will be up against German side Bensheim / Auerbach. In
    the quarters, Gloria may be playing either the Norwegian side Sola or the Spanish
    side Malaga.




    Dunărea Brăila qualified last Saturday, after a win against the group’s
    leader Thuringer of Germany. At the end of this week, Dunărea will be up
    against Chambray Touraine in France. After the final ranking configuration, in
    the quarterfinals, Dunarea will be playing the Norwegians from Storhamar or Podravka
    Koprivnica of Croatia. The third Romanian side in the European League, CSM
    Târgu Jiu, is hankering for a win after five consecutive defeats. CSM will be
    playing at home on Sunday the Hungarian side Mosonmagyaróvár.


    (bill)

  • Sports flash


    Romanias national water polo team on Wednesday grabbed a 25-3 win against Kazakhstan, in a confrontation counting towards the World Swimming Championship in Qatar. Having been defeated by Hungary in their debut game, 8-15, as part of Group D, the Romanian national team has only one pending game, this coming Fridays match against Italy. The Romanians have already booked the 3rd place according to the group table, also securing their participation to the quarterfinals play-offs. Group winners play straight in the quarterfinals, 2nd and 3rd-placed teams compete in the quarterfinals play-offs, while bottom of the table teams play for the 13-16 positions.




    Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea has advanced to the quarterfinals as part of the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi, an event with 922, 573 USD in prize money. In the tournaments round of 16 this past Wednesday, Cirstea defeated Greek challenger Maria Sakkari, 6-1, 6-1. Sorana has thus secured 24,910 USD and was granted 108 WTA points. In the quarterfinals, Cirstea goes against Russian opponent Daria Kasatkina.




    In news from mens tennis, The Romanian-Austrian pair made of Victor Vlad Cornea and Philipp Oswald has advanced to the mens doubles quarterfinals as part of the ATP 25O tournament hosted by Cordoba, in Argentina, an event with 562, 345 USD in prize money. This past Wednesday, Cornea and Oswald secured a 7-6, 7-5 win against the all-Argentinean pair made of Guido Andreozzi and Guillermo Duran.




    Romanian mens basketball team U-BT Cluj Napoca have advanced to the EuroCups quarterfinals. With 26 points, U-BT Cluj Napoca are 2nd placed according to Group Bs final rankings. French team Bourg-en-Bresse are at the top of the table, while 3rd-placed are Spanish team Gran Canaria, the winner of the EuroCup in 2023. In the last fixture as part of the group stage, U-BT Cluj Napoca sustained an 87-92 defeat by Lithuanian opponents Panevezys Lietkabelis.




    In news from womens handball, Rapid Bucharest have won the Womens National Handball Leagues derby as on Wednesday, Rapid grabbed a 30-28 win against CSM Bucharest. For the latter team, it was the first defeat in the ongoing edition of the domestic championship. Rapids most efficient scorer was the French Orlane Kanor, with 7 goals scored, while for CSM Cristina Neagu scored 6 goals. CSM Bucharest are still at the top of the as-it-stands table, being 6 points clear of runner up team Rapid and 3rd-placed Gloria Bistrita.