Radio România Internațional

Tag: Holy Week

  • May 4, 2024

    May 4, 2024

    HOLY WEEK – Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania are making the final preparations ahead of Easter Sunday. Holy Saturday marks the last day of Holy Week and the last day of Lent, a solemn day that ends in the evening with the Easter Vigil. On Saturday, Jerusalem hosts the Holy Fire special service in the Holy Sepulcher, a unique ritual whereby the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the Tomb of Jesus to receive the light of the Resurrection, lit by the Holy Spirit, which he then shares with the faithful. The Holy Light is also expected to reach Romania. In his Easter sermon, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church said that healing the world of passing illnesses was not the ultimate design of Jesus Christ, but rather saving mankind from sin and death. The Patriarch urged Romanians to pursue good deeds. In turn, Cardinal Lucian of the Eastern-Catholic Church said that, although temptation is always lurking due to passion, evil, conflict, violence, breaches of human dignity or freedom, the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord strengthens our faith and kindles a hope that no one and nothing can destroy. The high-ranking Eastern-Catholic cleric also said that intellectual creativity and technological progress, including artificial intelligence, should be put to good use with the observance of ethical standards, in order to make society more humane and change it for the better.

     

     

    FRANCE – ROMANIA COOPERATION – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, on Friday had a bilateral meeting with the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné. Talks focused on the robustness of bilateral dialogue, the close diplomatic cooperation between Bucharest and Paris regarding European topics, as well as a mutual desire to advance cooperation at both bilateral and European levels. The two foreign ministers agreed to continue joint efforts to consolidate the Strategic Agenda with a view to promoting the European project and boost resilience at EU level. Minister Odobescu thanked France for its remarkable contribution to the consolidation of the NATO Eastern Flank and for taking on the role of a framework nation in the NATO Battlegroup deployed to Romania. In addition, the Romanian official expressed gratitude for France’s growing interest in the Black Sea region, particularly in the context of Russia’s acts of aggression against Ukraine and regional challenges generated by the conflict. The two ministers highlighted the need to continue to provide multidimensional support to Ukraine and to coordinate actions to help the Republic of Moldova, a country faced with multiple security threats from the Russian Federation.

     

     

    WAR IN UKRAINE – Russia on Friday night launched a massive drone attack on Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, wounding at least six people and hitting critical infrastructure, commercial and residential buildings, regional officials announced on Saturday. According to the Ukrainian Air Forces, Russia launched 13 Shahed drones, targeting regions in northeastern and central Ukraine. Local air defenses shot down all the drones, the commander of Ukrainian air forces announced. In another development, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said that energy supplies have been covered in the last 24 hours using domestic energy production, energy imports, as well as emergency energy aid delivered by Romania, Poland and Slovakia.

     

     

    ATTACK – Poland too announced it was targeted by alleged Russian cyber-attacks, which may also have been directed against Germany and Czechia, Reuters reports. Warsaw expressed solidarity with the two countries in light of the cyber-attacks targeting democratic institutions and political parties, the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a press release. Germany too accused Russia on Friday of launching cyber-attacks against the Social-Democratic Party in power, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and local defense and airspace companies, but also targets from other countries, warning the attack will not remain without consequence.

     

     

    LIFE EXPECTANCY – Spain has the highest life expectancy rate at EU level – 84 years, above the EU average of 81.5 years. According to a Eurostat report, Romania has the third-lowest life expectancy in the EU, 76.6 years, followed only by Latvia with 75.9 years and Bulgaria with 75.8 years. However, the biggest increase in life expectancy rates across the EU over 2019-2023 was reported in Romania. 15 of the 27 EU Member States exceed the EU life expectancy average. Countries with lower rates are those in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, whereas countries in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Central Europe have higher life expectancy rates.

     

     

    HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s champions, CSM Bucharest, are today taking on Metz of France away from home in the return leg of the EHF Champions League quarterfinals. In the first leg Metz won 27-24 in Bucharest. In men’s handball, Dinamo Bucharest has qualified to the EHF European League Final Four, where it will play SG Flesburg Handewitt of Germany. In the other semi-final, Fuchse Berlin, the defending champions, will go up against Rhein-Nekar Loewen in an all-German match. The Final Four tournament is hosted by Hamburg over May 25-26. (VP)

  • May 2, 2024

    May 2, 2024

    HOLY THURSDAY – Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania today celebrate Holy (or Maundy) Thursday that commemorates the Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. A mass devoted to the 12 Gospels will be held this evening, while the Lamentation at the Tomb, a unique religious service, will be held tomorrow night. On Wednesday, Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel conveyed a special Easter message, saying that the Resurrection of Christ is a celebration of the pious and merciful love of Christ, who overcame hatred, violence and death and gave people eternal life. This makes Easter a celebration of forgiveness, peace and joy, the Patriarch said, urging people to share the news of the Lord’s Resurrection with everyone around through good deeds, love and peace.

     

     

    PUBLIC ORDER – In the last 24 hours, security forces and emergency services were dispatched to over 4,000 incidents. According to the Interior Ministry, 12 people were saved, 700 drivers’ licenses were suspended, in the many of these cases the drivers having been found driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, and 141 people were arrested for various crimes. The Interior Ministry will intensify its actions designed to ensure public order for the Labor Day and Easter mini-holiday, considering that hundreds of events will be held across the country, with over 150,000 people expected to attend.

     

     

    AWARD – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has been designated as one of the recipients of the 2024 Atlantic Council Distinguished Leadership Awards, which will be bestowed in a special gala held on May 8 in Washington. The Romanian president will be honored for his remarkable career, exemplary leadership of Romania, and his transatlantic and European leadership role. The other recipients of the award are U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher G. Cavoli, and Academy Award-winning actress and producer Michelle Yeoh. Each year, the Distinguished Leadership Awards convenes a high-level international audience of more than six hundred policy, business, military, artistic, and civil-society leaders to celebrate individuals, including policy leaders, business executives, military brass and artistic and humanitarian champions, who best represent the pillars of the global relationship. Past recipients include US presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and then-Vice President Joe Biden, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, current and former International Monetary Fund managing directors Kristalina Georgieva and Christine Lagarde. Set up in 1961, the Atlantic Council is a non-profit organization whose staff must observe high standards of personal and professional integrity, candor and honesty in communications and interactions with one another as well as with other organizations, government officials, the media and the public.

     

     

    YOUTH DAY – Lawmakers will know their actions were well-inspired if young Romanians at home and abroad will choose Romania in the future, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said to mark Youth Day. We must provide everyone with equal chances and development prospects, including at institutional level, the Prime Minister said. Marcel Ciolacu says he believes in young people, with whom he has preserved constant dialogue since taking office, via representative associations or through government internship programs, aimed at familiarizing young people with decision-making processes at the level of the Romanian government and institutions in its subordination.

     

    WAR IN GAZA – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on the Hamas Palestinian organization to accept a truce in Gaza, reiterating the United States’ opposition towards an Israeli offensive on Rafah (south). During his 7th mission to the Middle East since the conflict broke out, Antony Blinken visited Israel, expressing determination to reach a consensus “right now” to allow for the liberation of hostages held by Hamas in the last seven months. The US official met with a number of Israeli officials, including the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel, Antony Blinken argued that, while Washington firmly supporters Israel’s right to self-defense, it opposes the idea of an all-out attack on Rafah, insisting on continuing to expand humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian population in Gaza.

     

     

    EVACUATIONS – Nine Romanian citizens and their families have been evacuated from Gaza and have reached Egypt, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. From there they were picked up by a mobile consular team of the Romanian Embassy in Egypt, which accompanied them to Cairo and helped board them on the flight to Bucharest. Another Romanian citizen on Tuesday was assisted in leaving Gaza. So far, 323 Romanian citizens and their families have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip since the Israel-Hamas conflict started. The Romanian Foreign Ministry remains in permanent contact with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to assist in the evacuation process, depending on requests and developments on the ground.

     

     

    GYMNASTICS – The Romanian women’s gymnastics team will today compete in the qualifiers of the European Gymnastics Championships in Rimini, Italy. The team comprises Sabrina Voinea, Lilia Cosman, Amalia Ghigoarţă, Maria Ceplinschi and Ana-Maria Bărbosu. (VP)

  • February 16, 2024 UPDATE

    February 16, 2024 UPDATE

    FUNDS Romania presently ranks second in the European Union in terms of European funds absorption through the 2014-2020 Cohesion Policy, the Romanian Minister of Investment and European Projects, Adrian Câciu has announced. Romania has so far received over 23 billion Euros it requested from the Commission for this financial exercise and has reached a percentage of 98%. According to Câciu, Romania is presently sending 600 million Euros worth of expense statements to the European Commission and another expense statement also of 600 million Euros is to be sent in March.

    FILM Holy Week, a feature film directed by Romanian Andrei Cohn will be premiered at the Forum section of the International Film Festival in Berlin. The film is based on Ion Luca Caragiale’s short story ‘The Easter Torch’ and is starring actors Iulian Postelnicu, Bogdan Farcas and Mihaela Sarbu. The 74th edition of the Berlinale kicked off on Thursday night and for the first time the jury is being presided by a black person, the Mexican-Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o. At the present edition, the great US director Martin Scorsese is to get ‘The Golden Bear’ award for his entire career.

    FORECAST The National Bank of Romania (BNR) revised down, to 4.7%, the inflation forecast for the end of this year, from 4.8% in November, and believes it will hit 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to data presented on Thursday by Central Bank governor, Mugur Isărescu. The Central Bank decided, at the same time, to keep the key interest rate at 7%.

     

    CONFERENCE Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, is participating in the International Security Conference in Munich, Germany, until Sunday. She will be presenting Romania’s assessment as regards current security threats, especially those in its neighborhood. Odobescu will highlight the deterioration of the security situation in the Black Sea region, caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and will encourage NATO allies to increase their presence in Romania, as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s response to the threats to the Euro-Atlantic security. At the same time, she will emphasise the importance of the 2024 NATO Summit for the Alliance’s adjustment to the growing number of threats to the security environment. Luminiţa Odobescu will reaffirm Romania’s support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and will emphasize the need to continue providing solid support to the Republic of Moldova in order to counter the pressures on its stability. The Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Chief of the Defense Staff, Gheorghiţă Vlad, also participate in the security conference. The international conference in Munich represents one of the most prestigious security forums, which brings together important leaders and decision-makers in the field of security and defense.

  • April 2, 2018

    April 2, 2018

    HEALTHCARE – In Romania, a new framework contract for public healthcare services took effect on April 1. Aimed at improving the access to healthcare services and medicines, and at reducing red-tape and making the operations in the sector more transparent, the document stipulates that as of July 1 members of the public health insurance system will be able to purchase subsidised medicines from any participating chemists in the country, instead of only those units which have a contract signed with the same insurance agency as the prescribing physician.




    DIPLOMACY – A cooperation programme in the field of professional training was signed by the Romanian and Algerian education ministries, during an official visit made by the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu to Algeria. The Romanian official pointed out that broadening cooperation with non-EU member countries is a major element in Romanias plan to improve bilateral relations with its traditional partners, Algeria included. According to Minister Meleşcanu, Romania and Algeria have reached an important stage of strengthening their relations, and this reflects in the firm political will to encourage dialogue and cooperation, particularly in the economic sector, in education, security and home affairs. Teodor Meleşcanu also reaffirmed Romanias interest in a close cooperation in fighting and preventing radicalisation.




    EASTER – For Orthodox Christians in Romania and around the world, Holy Week begins today, with special services performed every night of the week in churches to commemorate the last days in the life of Jesus Christ before being crucified. The most important masses are the ones on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. By means of fasting and confessions, believers prepare for Easter, the greatest feast in Orthodox Christianity. Catholic Christians celebrated the first day of Easter yesterday.




    ACCIDENT – The Romanian Embassy in Hungary is closely monitoring the situation of the 8 Romanian citizens injured in an accident on the runway of the Budapest International Airport, and is prepared to provide consular assistance if so requested. Two buses taking the passengers of an aircraft that had arrived from Bucharest crashed on Sunday. Hungarian police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.




    MOLDOVA – An opinion poll is currently run in the Republic of Moldova, concerning a prospective union with Romania. The poll is scheduled to end on April 14 and will involve 500 operators who will go door to door to collect the answers. Electronic voting is also an option. On March 27 events were organized to mark 100 years since Bessarabia joined the Kingdom of Romania. In Bucharest, Parliament convened in a special session to honour the authors of that historic decision. Previously, in Chisinau, tens of thousands of citizens took part in a rally, asking for the Republic of Moldova to be reunited with Romania. A province with a Romanian-speaking majority that had been part of the Tsarist Empire, Bessarabia joined the Kingdom of Romania on March 27, 1918. The Soviet Union reannexed the province under an ultimatum in 1940, and some of its territory now constitutes the Republic of Moldova.




    HANDBALL – CSM Bucureşti won Romanias Cup in womens handball for the 3rd consecutive year. The Bucharest-based club defeated HCM Râmnicu Vâlcea 29-22. CSM Bucureşti, coached by the Swede Per Johansson, played its 4th consecutive Romanian Cup final, which they already won in 2016 and 2017.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 10, 2017 UPDATE

    April 10, 2017 UPDATE

    EURO — The Romanian PM, Sorin Grindeanu, said Monday that adopting the euro would be possible only when Romanians’ revenues came closer to those of the citizens of the other EU states. He added that the Romanian authorities’ task was to make the adoption of the single currency easier for Romanian citizens. He made these statements at the meeting of the inter-ministerial committee for the adoption of the Euro, which was also attended by the governor of the national bank, and the finance and economy ministers, among others.



    Unitary Pay Bill — The bill on unitary pay for public sector employees was no longer submitted to Parliament on Monday, said the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the governing coalition, Liviu Dragnea who is also the president of the Chamber of Deputies. He pointed out that the bill would be submitted for public debate this week as well. The labour minister, Lia Olguţa Vasilescu, explained that the military and policemen would be the first to have their salaries raised with the coming into effect of the unitary pay law, on July 1. The other categories of public sector employees will have their salaries increased as of January 2018. According to the unitary pay bill, the highest salary in the public sector will be that of the president of the country, amounting to 12 minimum wages.



    US-Romania Cooperation — The Romanian defense minister, Gabriel Leş, on Monday met in Bucharest with a delegation of the American House of Representatives. The main topic of discussion was military cooperation both within the Strategic Partnership and within NATO. The situation in the Black Sea area and the Syrian case were also high on the agenda of talks. In the context, minister Leş underscored Romania’s commitment to fighting terrorism, as part of the anti-DAESH international coalition. In turn, the American congressmen have appreciated the Romanian-American military cooperation in Afghanistan and have hailed the decision of the Romanian authorities to allot 2% of the GDP to defense.



    Holy Week – Christian believers the world over, among whom those in Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, on Monday entered the Holy Week, ahead of Easter. Special masses are celebrated every evening, the most important ones being those given on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. This year, Orthodox and Catholic believers will celebrate Easter at the same time.



    Cairo — Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has declared a state of emergency for a three month period all across the country, following the Coptic church bombings carried out on Palm Sunday, which left over 40 people dead. The Coptic Orthodox believers make up the largest Christian majority in the Middle East, accounting for 10% of the total number of 92 million Egyptians. The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Pope Francis, who will pay a visit to Egypt in 20 days time, has prayed for the victims of the attacks and sent a message of condolence to the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church and to the whole Egyptian nation. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has firmly condemned the terrorist attacks in Egypt.

  • April 10, 2017

    April 10, 2017

    UNIFIED PAY LAW — Romanian labour minister, Lia Olguta Vasilescu, has announced a bill on the unified pay scale for state sector employees will be sent today to Parliament, where changes can be brought- to the initial text, also by the trade unions. The Labour Ministry says the military and policemen will be the first to receive pay-rises, as of July 1. The other categories of state sector employees will receive pay-rises as of January 1, 2018. According to the bill, the president will get the highest salary, which will be the equivalent of 12 national minimum wages.



    VISIT — The Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, is today meeting in Brussels with the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the EU Commissioner for Justice, Věra Jourová. The agenda of talks covers such issues as the future of the European Union, Brexit and the stage of monitoring Romania’s judicial system. Tariceanu has been constantly pleading for lifting the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, CVM, imposed by the EU in 2007, when Romania joined the community bloc. Talks are held against the backdrop of sustained political efforts that Romania should make to support its national interest at Euroepan level, taking into consideration the important role played by Parliaments of the EU member states in shaping up the future of the Union — a communiqué issued by the Senate shows.



    HOLY WEEK – Christian believers the world over, among which those in Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, today enter the Holy Week, ahead of Easter. Special masses are celebrated every evening, the most important ones being those given on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. This year, Orthodox and Catholic believers will celebrate Easter at the same time.



    CAIRO — Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has declared a state of emergency for a three month period all across the country, following the Coptic church bombings carried out on Palm Sunday, which left over 40 people dead. The Coptic Orthodox believers make up the largest Christian majority in the Middle East, accounting for 10% of the total number of 92 million Egyptians. The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Pope Francis, who will pay a visit to Egypt in 20 days time, has prayed for the victims of the attacks and sent a message of condolence to the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church and to the whole Egyptian nation. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has firmly condemned the terrorist attacks in Egypt.



    PARIS — The presidential election campaign has officially started in France today. The election will be held on April 23, with a run-off on 7 May 2017 if no candidate secures an absolute majority of the vote in the first round. According to the latest polls, the first four candidates credited with the highest chances in the French election are the representative of the far-right wing, Marine Le Pen, centrist Emmanuel Macron, the right wing candidate François Fillon and the candidate of the radical left-wing, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.



    SUMMIT— Leaders of seven countries in southern Europe, France, Cyprus Greece, Italy, Portugal, Malta and Spain are today meeting in Madrid for talks on the future of the EU, post Brexit. The seven leaders are expected to take a common stand, which will later be shared with the other 20 EU member states. According to the correspondent of Radio Romania “News and Current Affairs” Channel, RRA, a final declaration should include two main ideas: negotiations should lead to a better relation between the Union and Great Britain and not to put in jeopardy people’s individual rights. The summit is held three weeks ahead of the European Council due on April 29, which is to define the main lines of negotiation to put Brexit into practice. The officials will also approach such issues as the situation in Syria, following the US missile strike, security and defence in the Mediterranean Sea area.

  • April 9, 2017 UPDATE

    April 9, 2017 UPDATE

    UNIFIED PAY LAW – The unified pay law for state sector employees will be submitted to Parliament on Sunday, for debate, so it may take effect as of July 1. The bill creates equal conditions for all those who carry out the same activity and have the same seniority. Another principle is that of creating a scale, a hierarchy, for heads of institutions not to have smaller salaries than their subordinates. The bill also sets a timetable for the pay- rises to be made in the following years. The ratio between the smallest and the highest salary in the Romanian state sector will be 1/12. The political opposition in Bucharest contests this unified pay law drafted by the coalition Government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, saying it is unrealistic, as there is not enough money to cover all pay rises. In turn, the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, says the pay-rises are necessary but they should be kept in check, given that Romania managed to secure the current economic and financial balance at high costs.



    STOCKHOLM ATTACK VICTIM – Bishop Macarie Dragoi, the representative of the Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe on Sunday visited the Romanian woman who got injured in Fridays Stockholm attack. The woman, 83, was hit by fragments of concrete projected by the truck which rammed into a group of people. She suffered a double leg fracture. The Orthodox Diocese of Northern Europe writes in a communiqué that bishop Macarie has encouraged the woman and assured her of his entire support. 4 people got killed and 15 others were wounded in the Stockholm attack. The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the attack and reiterated Romanias commitment to the effort of combating all forms of terrorism.



    HOLY WEEK – Christian believers the world over, among which those in Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, on Monday enter the Holy Week, the week immediately before Easter. The Holy Week, was preceded by Palm Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday, thousands of Orthodox and Catholic believers attended the traditional Palm Sunday processions, carrying icons, willow tree branches and flowers. This year, orthodox and Catholic believers will celebrate Easter at the same time.



    ROAMING CHARGES – As of June 15, roaming charges will no longer be applied to European citizens travelling to another EU member state. Thus, the Europeans will be able to call, text and go online in another EU country without paying extra-charges. European mobile users will thus be charged the same price for using their phone while abroad as they pay in their country of residence. The European Commission has taken action for 10 years to reduce and finally eliminate extra-charges imposed by telecommunication operators, and last week, the European MPs eliminated the last obstacle in the effort to completely eliminate roaming charges.



    ROAD TAXES – The National Road Company of Romania intends to notify the European Commission relative to the new system of cashing in road taxes instated by Bulgaria. Sofia eliminated the possibility of purchasing the road vignette from petrol stations, a move which results in long queues of trucks at the Giurgiu-Ruse border checkpoint between Romania and Bulgaria. According to the company, the Bulgarian side has so far rejected all proposals made by Romania in an effort to ease traffic. Giurgiu-Ruse is the main border checkpoint between Romania and Bulgaria, and is transited by over 1,000 trucks a day.



    CHURCH BOMBINGS – The Islamic State Jihadist group has claimed responsibility for Sundays church bombings in Egypt, which left scores of dead and over 100 others injured. The bombings hit two Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria, respectively, while the believers were celebrating Palm Sunday. Coptic believers are making up the largest Christian community in the Middle East, accounting for some 10% of the total population of 92 million Egyptians.



    SYRIA – Russian and Iranian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rohani, respectively, on Sunday had a phone conversation, condemning the recent US strikes on a Syrian air-base. The US cruise missile strikes came in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in north-western Syria.Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rohani have underlined the US aggressive actions against a sovereign state are unacceptable and running counter to the rule of law. The two presidents called for an objective investigation to be made in order to cast light on the circumstances in which the chemical attack occurred. Russia and Iran are the main supporters of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has said on CNN that President Donald Trump does not rule out the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Russia and Iran for the support they provide to the Syrian leader. Washington made public its intention to launch further attacks if need be, but it expressed hope this will not be necessary.