Radio România Internațional

Tag: journalists

  • November 1, 2024 UPDATE

    November 1, 2024 UPDATE

     

    DEFENCE Romania and Norway continue to stand by Ukraine at these critical times, the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said on Friday, after a meeting in Bucharest with his Norwegian counterpart, Bjorn Arild Gram. Minister Tîlvăr highlighted the successful cooperation between the two countries’ air forces under a programme in which the Romanian government awarded to Norway a contract for the procurement of 32 F-16 aircraft with initial logistic support, and for complementary goods and services from the US. A total of 12 airplanes have been received so far, after less than a week ago 3 F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role aircraft arrived in Romania. The entire lot is expected to be received by the end of 2025.

     

    FLOODS A person on the list of Romanian nationals missing following the devastating floods in Spain has been found dead, the Romanian foreign ministry announced on Friday. The foreign ministry via the Romanian consular office in Castellon de la Plana and the Romanian Embassy in Madrid continues to check information on an estimated 15 Romanian nationals on the list of missing persons. The region of Valencia, in the south-east of Spain, has been hit by unprecedented floods. At least 205 people died in Spain following the rainfalls and floods, according to updates provided by the Spanish authorities. Scores of people are still missing. Spain declared 3 days of national mourning.

     

    ELECTIONS The election campaign for the parliamentary elections of December 1st officially got under way on Friday. Romanian voters will elect 466 MPs, 330 in the Chamber of Deputies and 136 in the Senate. The election campaign will come to an end on 30th November. Romanian citizens residing abroad will be able to cast their ballots either through postal voting or in person at one of the polling stations set up abroad. The Romanian foreign ministry submitted to the Permanent Electoral Authority its proposals for the 950 polling stations to be set up abroad for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. The election campaign for the presidential elections began a week ago. The first round will take place on 24th November, and the second round on 8th December. In June, Romania also saw European and local elections.

     

    ANNIVERSARY Radio Romania Friday celebrated 96 years of uninterrupted service. With over 3 million listeners a day, the public radio station must reinvent itself and make itself more attractive to younger audiences, said the director general of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan-Ioan Dincă. Radio Romania broadcast its first programme at 5 pm on 1st November 1928. In recognition of its decisive role in the country’s history, in December 2019 Parliament declared 1st November National Radio Day in Romania. To mark this occasion, the Radio Concert Hall Friday night hosted an anniversary concert conducted by the celebrated Romanian conductor Cristian Mandeal.

     

    TRADE The Romanian minister of the economy, entrepreneurship and tourism, Ştefan-Radu Oprea, and the trade minister of Turkey, Omer Bolat, Friday chaired the second session of the Romanian-Turkish Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO). The Romanian official said there is evident progress in terms of the value of bilateral trade, while Omer Bolat said bilateral economic relations have grown in all areas, from trade to investments, tourism, transport and services. He also appreciated Romania’s support for his country within the EU, in respect of the modernisation of the customs union. The Romanian-Turkish JETCO establishment declaration was signed by the two economy ministers on the sidelines of the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Romania on April 1, 2015.

     

    JOURNALISTS In most cases in which journalists get killed around the world, their killers go unpunished, said UNESCO in a report on International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which is marked every year on 2nd November. 85% of all crimes against journalists recorded by UNESCO in 2006 are still not solved, the report also writes. Over the two years covered by the UNESCO report, namely 2022 and 2023, 162 journalists were killed, almost a half of them in countries with ongoing armed conflicts. In 2022, Mexico reported the largest number of journalists killed, 19, followed by Ukraine, with 11 journalists killed. In 2023, Palestine reported the largest number of journalists killed, namely 24. (AMP)

  • September 27, 2024 UPDATE

    September 27, 2024 UPDATE

    Deficit – In Romania, the budget deficit rose, after the first eight months of this year, to over 80 billion lei (about 16 billion Euros), almost 4.6% of the GDP, double compared to the same period of last year, according to data published on Friday by the Finance Ministry. Throughout this period, state expenditures exceeded 450 billion lei (approx. 90 billion Euros), while revenues were only 375 billion lei (approx. 75 billion Euros). In the budget rectification recently adopted by the government, the deficit for the current year was revised upwards from 5% to 6.94% of the GDP.

     

    Storm – The Romanian authorities will mobilize additional forces in the counties where they are expecting problems caused by Storm Ashley. Heavy rain is expected around the country starting on Sunday afternoon for at least 24 hours, while temperatures will drop significantly, from 34 to 15 degrees Celsius. Operative meetings were held at the government, with the Romanian authorities preparing for extreme weather phenomena. The situation on the Danube is also being monitored, but the director general of the Romanian Waters, Sorin Lucaci, is not expecting big problems. According to hydrologists, the flow of the river Danube upon entry into the country will reach 7,600 cubic meters per second, and even up to 9,500 cubic meters after the rainfalls and the water brought by the rivers.

     

    Researchers’ Night – The Researchers’ Night was marked, on Friday, in Bucharest, and other cities in Romania, with events meant to show the public what it means to be a researcher and how interesting research work is. Among other things, the National Natural History Museum ‘Grigore Antipa’ in Bucharest invited science enthusiasts to discover, among other things, invisible details of the specimens through electron microscopy. The Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy exhibited meteorite fragments recovered from different areas of the planet, as well as models of the main types of space vehicles through which man currently explores the outer space. In the “Children’s World” Park in Bucharest, researchers presented innovative projects, original experiments and unique demonstrations of natural phenomena and cutting-edge technologies. Every year, at the end of September, researchers from 23 countries and over 400 cities in Europe celebrate, through meetings with the public, the contributions of science to the sustainable development of a better society.

     

    Agreement – The Agreement regarding Romania’s hosting the seat of the European Competence Center in the field of industry, technology and research in cyber security (ECCC) was signed in Bucharest, on Friday. According to a government press release, hosting the headquarters of the European Competence Center in Bucharest is a major achievement for Romania. “It is for the first time that our country hosts a European agency, a fact that reconfirms Romania’s increasingly important role in strengthening European cyber security, especially in the current international context marked by numerous security challenges,” the press release states.

     

    Foreign workers – Romania has become an increasingly attractive destination for foreign workers, owing to economic growth and local deficit of labor in various sectors. The number of individual employment contracts last year passed 200,000. Most workers come from Asia, states with a modest living standard. Experts are warning that integrating foreign workers is not easy, but their contribution to the local economy is essential for maintaining the pace of development. The Romanian authorities wish to introduce a legislative framework to help migrants. According to the National Institute for Statistics, Romania had an active population of 8.4 million people in the April-June period, of whom 7.9 million were in employment and 421,000 unemployed.

     

    Journalists – The Romanian Foreign Ministry condemns the fact that Russia has opened investigations against three journalists, stressing that the media representatives must be protected and not silenced. This is a blatant attack on the freedom of the press and against fundamental rights, the Romanian ministry said on the online platform X. Russia’s Federal Security Service has opened criminal investigations against three journalists, two Americans and a Romanian, who allegedly crossed the border illegally from Ukraine to make reports in the occupied part of the Kursk region, the Russian press agencies, taken over by AFP announced on Friday. According to them, the Romanian journalist is Mircea Barbu and works for HotNews.ro. In total, investigations were launched against 12 foreign journalists for the same type of accusations. The targeted journalists do not appear to be in Russia, but face up to five years in prison under the Russian Criminal Code. We remind you that on August 6, the Ukrainian army launched a surprise offensive in the Kursk border region, the first offensive of a foreign army in Russia after the Second World War.

     

    Football – FCSB defeated the Latvian side RFS 4-1 on Thursday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the first leg of the new Europa League format. The Romanian champions will play seven matches in the group, taking on Glasgow Rangers, Manchester United, PAOK Thessaloniki and Olympiakos Piraeus, as well as Hoffenheim. FCSB is the only Romanian side playing in the European cups.

  • Behind the Social Networks

    Behind the Social Networks

    According to the survey, people are no longer interested in these topics and turn to social media instead. They do this because it’s more comfortable. What they need is to access Facebook, Instagram or TikTok on their phones, tablets or laptops and get the information they need, even if that piece of information is not verified and the sources not mentioned. Raluca Radu professor PhD at the Faculty of Journalism and Sciences of Communication with the Bucharest University – the Romanian partner of Reuters Institute in the world’s biggest survey on information consumption and opinion of digital viewers has given an interview to Radio Romania about the aspects of this year’s report.



    Raluca Radu: There was a watershed moment during the pandemic, when the traditional media ceded its place to the social media in terms of news access. A problem was that some of these social networks aren’t those redirecting people either to certain sites or to the traditional media but keep them there, as is the case of TikTok and Instagram. These are two networks mainly used by the young people at the global level, but also in Romania. And one of the surprises we have been seeing for the past couple of years is that TikTok is on the rise as it is very popular with the young generation and of course, year after year the young population comes with its new habits and replaces the aging population, in our survey. TikTok has a very small market share in some countries; these are the countries in Western Europe, more developed from the economic point of view with more stable democracies. In other countries, in South America or the Middle East, TikTok has a very strong presence, just like in Romania. And if we are to compare Romania with the rest of Europe, the Romanians are getting most of their information from TikTok as compared to the rest of the European countries included in the Digital News Report.



    The surveyalso highlights the issues facing the press – distrust, the lack of interest and misinformation pointing out that the people’s trust in the Romanian press continues to diminish. For the second year in a row, trust has been at the lowest level in the past 7 years: out of 10 interviewees, 7 are avoiding press information. The crises coming one after another after the pandemic, which forced people indoors, the war in Ukraine, the over-information and what could be described as information fatigue have led to a diminished interest in news and the classical information sources, says Raluca Radu.



    The report shows that journalists aren’t the first information source for the people accessing social media platforms. These are actually common people and this all of a sudden is a major problem. So, I get my information from the people in the street, some John Does who have no contact with the press, says Antonia Matei PhD lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences.



    Antonia Matei: Eventually we have to admit that journalists have many problems too. Now, to be sure that you have given a correct piece of news, it takes you much more time to verify it than it did ten years ago, let’s say, when we were not coping with this phenomenon of fake news. Journalists’ entire work has changed a lot and they are faced with lots of pressures. The newsrooms in Romania still do not have fact-checkers, all this work is additional effort by journalists, and it is not easy at all. All the research and documentation work in writing an article, in making a simple news story, which used to take you very little time before, now it takes much longer.



    The X-ray of the media in the world, starting from the results of the Digital News Report, shows that there is tremendous pressure on journalists at global level, and Raluca Radu also confirms it.



    Raluca Radu: Practically, the situation of the media is deteriorating and it’s not just the fact that the public is going to social networks. The pressure of the states on journalists is increasing. This year, for the first time, the colleagues from Oxford thought to add a very important detail to the two pages of the report: where the respective country is in the Reporters Without Borders ranking, which is a ranking of the freedom of information, and which has questions like – Are journalists beaten? Are you afraid to talk about your political views on social media? Do you need state approval when you open a website? There are some countries in which the answer was ‘yes’ to these questions, which are terrible. All over the world it is basically a battle between autocracies that are trying to gain more and more power and democracy, journalists, who are obliged to defend democracy for the whole community.



    And sometimes they do that in spite of the community, which would rather watch cute videos with little animals on TikTok, Raluca Radu added. (bill&LS)


  • Reporters Without Borders – Report on the freedom of the press

    Reporters Without Borders – Report on the freedom of the press

    The lack of transparency of media financing, especially from public funds, as well as the market difficulties undermine the reliability of information and confidence in the media – writes the report on Romania drafted by the organization ‘Reporters without Borders. The authors of the report admit that the Romanian media landscape is diverse and pluralistic and provides fertile ground for strong public interest investigations. In the 2023 press freedom index, Romania ranks 53rd out of 180 countries, up in the ranking against last year, when it was ranked 56th.



    Large parts of the Romanian population tend to believe the false information often provided by the Russian propaganda, which leads to disinterest and mistrust in the quality journalism – the report also shows. The Romanian state remains at the bottom of the classification of European states in terms of respecting and guaranteeing the freedom and safety of the press, as well as the unrestricted access to information of public interest – said, last month, the president of the local non-governmental organization ActiveWatch, Liana Ganea. Her statement comes after the vice-president of the European Commission for values ​​and transparency, Vera Jourova, had stated that the situation of the media in Romania was not very rosy and that there was a lot of room for improvement.



    One of the main problems, the two aforementioned officials said, remains the fact that the big political parties non-transparently finance the press, a fact that leads to reasonable suspicions that the public agenda in the mass media is distorted. At the same time, the few journalists who are critical of the politicians became the target of smear campaigns initiated either by political actors or by media institutions with a long history of deviations from professional ethics. Moreover, journalists remain the targets of threats, including death threats. In 2022, the courts handed down two criminal convictions against people who committed crimes aimed at the safety of journalists. One of these convictions, which is not final, was related to the plotting to kill a journalist, Liana Ganea explained.



    Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris also notes that, according to the Reporters Without Borders report, the conditions for exercising the profession of journalist are difficult in seven out of ten countries of the world. More than 50% of the world’s population lives in countries where the situation is very unfavorable and less than 1% enjoys the privilege of real freedom of the press. Last year, 55 journalists were killed during or because of the exercise of their profession, and another seven since the beginning of this year. At present, more than 500 journalists are currently arrested or detained for press offences. Propaganda, politics, economic manipulations, false content generated by artificial intelligence generate disinformation, which is presented in the report as the major threat to press freedom in the world. (LS)

  • May 11, 2022 UPDATE

    May 11, 2022 UPDATE

    Chisinau — Two Romanian journalists from the Digi 24 television station were released following diplomatic actions by officials in Bucharest, after being detained by the so-called security forces from the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria, in the east of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). The two were in the region for professional reasons and, on Tuesday, they could not be contacted by their colleagues. According to the Foreign Ministry, the Romanian embassy in Chisinau urgently undertook multi-channel procedures and obtained, after only a few hours, their release. They were escorted safely to Chisinau, where they are now safe, and from where they will return to Romania. The Foreign Ministry asks journalists interested in going to the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova to contact the ministry in advance and to avoid traveling in the next period. Transnistria de facto went out of the control of the central authorities after an armed conflict that left behind hundreds of dead and that was stopped following the intervention of Russian troops on the side of the separatists in 1992, less than a year after Chisinau had declared its independence. The former Russian President Boris Yeltsin has pledged to withdraw troops from Transnistria since the 1999 OSCE summit in Istanbul. Some 1,500 Russian military and important arsenals are said to still be there.



    Covid-19 – The 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose will be available on request in Romania, in vaccination centers and family physician practices, as of May 16. According to the health ministry, only Pfizer vaccines can be administered, to people over 18 who have received 3 doses of mRNA vaccines, and at least 4 months after they have received the 3rd dose. Meanwhile, the health ministry announced 705 new COVID-19 cases and 7 related deaths in 24 hours. 144 COVID patients are currently in intensive care.



    Eurovision – WRS soloist, with the song “Llamame”, will represent Romania on Thursday in the second semifinal of the Eurovision 2022 contest, organized in Turin, Italy. Romanias best performances at the Eurovision contest were: twice the third place (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem – Kyiv, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi – Oslo, 2010) and once the fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu – Athens, 2006). The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that no Russian artist will take part in this years Eurovision Song Contest, as this would “discredit the competition”. In Turin, the Republic of Moldova is represented by the band Zdob and Zdub, already qualified to the final, with a song about the train that connects Chisinau to Bucharest, the lyrics being about the communion of history, culture and destiny between the two Romanian states.



    Ukraine — Ukraines reconstruction plan, tougher sanctions against Russia and support for Moldova’s, Ukraine’s and Georgias aspirations to join the EU were among the topics addressed by the Romanian Senate Speaker Florin Citu on Wednesday at a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Tomasz Grodzki. The two also discussed in Warsaw the intentions of Sweden and Finland to join NATO. Florin Citu announced that, after his visit to Poland, he will go to the Republic of Moldova.



    Meeting – On Wednesday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu attended a ministerial meeting of the Global Anti-ISIS/Daesh Coalition, hosted by Morocco, in cooperation with the US, in Marrakech. He informed that Romania would launch a Fund for the Future of Africa through Peace, Education and Development and reiterated, in his speech, Romanias commitment to supporting the specific activities of the coalition, both within its Forces and through its national contribution to support efforts for stabilization and assistance for development to those states affected by ISIS/Daesh actions. He reiterated Romanias interest in ensuring the security and stability of the Middle East and Africa, “where there is an increase in the terrorist phenomenon”, and highlighted the “firm” support for the African states in the Sahel region, which are engaged in fighting ISIS / Daesh and other extremist organizations.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse sustained an outright defeated in front of the Polish Iga Swiatek, the world leader, score 6-3, 6-0, on Wednesday, in the second round of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Rome, which has total prizes worth 2,527,250 Euros. Swiatek will play in the Round of 16 against the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka. Ruse will continue in the doubles, together with the Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk, and will play in the Round of 16 against the Russians Veronika Kudermetova/Anastasia Pavliucenkova.



    Offshore Law — The bill amending the Offshore Law, which will green-light gas exploitation in the Black Sea, was adopted on Wednesday by the Romanian senators, with 91 votes for and 13 against. Except for the AUR (Alliancce for the Union of Romanians) senators, all political groups were in favor of the bill, which will next go to the Chamber of Deputies, which is a decision-making body. The representatives of the governing coalition, who proposed it, say the law is a much more balanced option than the one passed four years ago. Tax changes have now been introduced in favor of the companies concerned, and dependence on Russian gas would be significantly reduced in a few years’ time. The Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, underlined that by amending the current law, investments in the area will be unblocked and investments in deep onshore exploitation will be accelerated. Also Romania’s energy security will be ensured in case of an energy crisis, and the country will be able to become a regional energy security provider, after it will produce more than it will consume. According to the project, the Romanian state will have the right of preemption for the acquisition of natural gas. The national state-owned company Romgaz – the largest gas producer in Romania – and the Austrians from OMV will extract gas from the Black Sea in the coming years.



    Corruption – The former head of the Fiscal Anti-Fraud General Directorate in Bucharest, Georgiana Popa, has been sent to court for influence peddling. She is under house arrest after being caught red-handed on March 29 while receiving 100,000 Euros. According to the National Anticorruption Directorate, Georgiana Popa has repeatedly claimed this amount from a former director of the Fiscal Anti-Fraud General Directorate, a witness in the case. She claimed that she would give the money to an anti-corruption prosecutor, who was supposed to give a solution favorable to the witness in a criminal case in which he was being investigated. (LS)

  • December 9, 2021

    December 9, 2021

    Covid — In Romania, the state of alert established in the context of the coronavirus epidemic has been extended, today, by another 30 days but, amid the drop in the infection rate, the government has removed a number of restrictions. Therefore, people will no longer have to wear masks in uncrowded, open spaces, and access into enclosed premises will also be allowed to unvaccinated people who provide a negative Covid test result. Also, the ban on people’s movement at night after 11 p.m. has been eliminated. At Christmas and New Years Eve, restaurants will be open at half capacity, but only for the vaccinated people, those who had the disease or who provide a negative test result. For the citizens coming to Romania from outside the EU, it has been established that they must present a negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours. Unvaccinated people or people who have had the disease will be quarantined for 10 days, and if they do not have a PCR test, they will be quarantined for 14 days. Over 1,000 new cases of COVID infection were reported by Romanian authorities on Thursday. 74 deaths were also reported, of which 2 from previous days.



    Visit — The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, with a majority Romanian-speaking population) Natalia Gavriliţa, had a meeting in Bucharest with her Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. He said that he supported the consolidation of Romanian investments in the Republic of Moldova, consequently the business environment in this country needs to be improved for that purpose. Nicolae Ciuca also said that the parties wanted to conclude as soon as possible a new agreement on granting non-reimbursable financial assistance for the benefit of the Republic of Moldova, after the old agreement expired this year. According to the Romanian PM, the priority bilateral issues are energy interconnection and the implementation of infrastructure projects with a central role in connecting the Republic of Moldova to the European space through Romania. The Moldovan PM said the two states had a historic chance to turn the language community into one of the big projects for the benefit of the people on both sides of the Prut River. A better economic, commercial and infrastructure integration of Romania and the Republic of Moldova is the guarantee for an accelerated integration of the latter in the EU, Natalia Gavrilita underlined. She will also be received by President Klaus Iohannis.



    Anti-corruption – The pandemic context fuels corruption and there is a major risk that money might not go where it should go, namely for hospitals, protective equipment, specialized equipment, products and medicines, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate DNA said on the occasion of the International Anticorruption Day, marked on Thursday. The embezzlement of public money slows down the development of society, encourages clientelism and promotes nepotism, perpetuates poverty and, therefore, fighting corruption must remain a major goal not only of criminal justice, but also of society as a whole, through its representatives. In a message sent on this occasion, President Klaus Iohannis stated that, despite the health, economic or political challenges it has faced, Romania remained a landmark in Eastern Europe due to the progress made in the field of the rule of law. ‘I remain firmly committed to developing the countrys democratic path and I am convinced that we can build a better future as long as we build on the solid foundation of European values, integrity, justice and zero tolerance for corruption’, Klaus Iohannis added.



    Handball – Today, Romania’s national womens handball team meets the Dutch team in the Main Group II of the World Championship in Spain (Castello). The group also includes Norway, Kazakhstan, Sweden and Puerto Rico. The teams ranked on the first two places in the 4 Main Groups will qualify to the quarterfinals, which will take place on December 14-15. Romania is the only team present in all 25 editions of the World Championship (including this one). Romania has won four medals at the World Championship: one gold (1962), two silver (1973 and 2005) and one bronze (2015).



    Journalists – The number of journalists around the world who are behind bars has reached an all-time record in 2021, according to a report by the non-profit organization Committee to Protect Journalists. 293 reporters have been put behind bars until December 1 this year. At least 24 journalists have been killed because of their reports, and another 18 have died in circumstances that make it too difficult to determine whether they were targeted because of their work, the annual document on press freedom and attacks on the press also shows. While the reasons for the imprisonment of reporters vary from country to country, the record number of imprisoned journalists reflects the political unrest around the world and a growing intolerance towards independent reporting, shows the US-based nonprofit organization. (LS)

  • May 1, 2020 UPDATE

    May 1, 2020 UPDATE

    CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA – Romanian authorities have announced another three deaths from the coronavirus, which brings the death toll to 726 in the country. So far 12,567 people tested positive to the virus, of whom 4,328 have recovered and 249 are in intensive care. Some 2,348 Romanian citizens have been infected abroad, of whom 91 have died.




    FUNDS – The Bucharest Government issued an emergency order on Thursday, for the allocation of over 42 million euros for the conducting in the mass media, of an information campaign regarding the rules that need to be observed during the state of emergency triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and also during the subsequent period, when restrictions are to be lifted. 47% of the amount will go to national televisions and 53% to the local and regional printed and online press and local and regional radio and TV stations. According to the Government, this is also a support mechanism for the media industry and journalists who, during this period, are highly affected by the dramatic drop in revenues from advertising. Some of the potential beneficiaries of these funds have announced they do not support the idea of receiving money from the Government under the pretext of an information campaign but rather as fiscal solutions to help the media industry indiscriminately. In another development, a number of websites have been closed over the spread of fake news at the request of the Romanian Government’s Group for Strategic Communication. Authorities said the measure was part of their efforts to block disinformation campaigns. The Ombudsman, however, has pointed out that restricting the right to free speech is not among the rights that can be restricted during a state of emergency.




    MAY 1st — The May 1st 3-day holiday in Romania, which started on Friday, is usually celebrated at the seaside or at the mountain, with barbecues and parties together with family and friends. This year, given the coronavirus pandemic, Romanians are urged by the authorities to stay home and continue to observe restrictions in place. Around 36 thousand policemen, gendarmes, military and firefighters are patrolling the roads and leisure areas to prevent people from travelling to the places where they traditionally spent the May 1st holiday. Authorities have warned that unless the social distancing measures are being observed during this period, the number of new infections may surge, which makes the planned easing of restrictions as of May 15th impossible.




    JOURNALISTS — At least 55 journalists have died so far in 23 countries from the coronavirus since the beginning of March, the Swiss NGO Press Emblem Campaign reports. The safety of media workers is particularly at risk during the pandemic because they must continue to provide information on the ground and testify by visiting hospitals, interviewing political, economic and scientific officials, doctors, nurses and patients, the NGO says on its website. Of the 55 journalists who have died 9 are from Ecuador, 8 from the US, 4 from Brazil, 3 from Britain and 3 from Spain.




    PANDEMIC — The coronavirus pandemic killed over 230 thousand people worldwide since its emergence in China in December, of whom 90% in Europe and the United States, according to a France Press report. Most deaths were reported in the US, Italy, Britain, Spain and France. Italy, which reported the largest number of victims in Europe, has started to ease restrictions while in Spain, after 48 days of almost total isolation, people are allowed to go out for a walk starting the 2nd of May. France is expected to ease restrictions starting the 11th of May.




    MEDICAL STAFF — As many as 42 Romanian doctors and nurses travelled to the Republic of Moldova on Thursday, to help their colleagues in the neighboring country fight the coronavirus. They are providing medical assistance to infected patients and help train the medical staff in hospitals in Chisinau, Balti and Cahul. Also, the Bucharest Government has granted 3.5 million euro humanitarian aid to Moldova, consisting protection masks, hazmat suits and medicines needed in the treatment of the disease. Also on Thursday, Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, travelled to Chisinau to convey a message of support in the context of the pandemic and to assure the country’s authorities of Romania’s support for Moldova’s EU integration bid. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • April 18, 2019 UPDATE

    April 18, 2019 UPDATE

    CABINET The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader Thursday announced his resignation, and said he would stay in the Ministry until the name of his replacement was published in the Official Journal. On Wednesday, PM Viorica Dăncilă sent President Klaus Iohannis the proposal for his replacement. The main partner in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party, nominated Deputy Eugen Nicolicea to replace him. The SDP decided to withdraw political support for the Justice Minister after he refused to pass controversial changes to the criminal codes. PM Viorica Dancila also made new nominations for the positions of Minister for Romanians Abroad and Minister for European Funds, along with the resignations of the Minister for European Funds, Rovana Plumb, and of the Minister for Romanians Abroad, Natalia Intotero. The two are running for the European Parliament in the upcoming elections. Deputy Oana Florea was nominated for the Ministry for European Funds, and Senator Liviu Brăiloiu for the Ministry for Romanians Abroad.




    CANNES The latest feature film by the Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu, “La Gomera / The Whistlers, has been included in the official competition of the Cannes International Film Festival. The film will have its world premiere in the 72nd edition of the Festival, to be held on May 14th to 25th. Cristi, a Romanian corrupt policeman involved in a 30-million euro deal with the mafia, gets to La Gomera Island, in Spain, to learn ‘El Silbo’, a whistling language used by the locals. The code will help him release a criminal arrested in Bucharest, the only one in the gang who knows where the money is kept. Corneliu Porumboiu has been awarded several times in Cannes, his “Police, Adjective having won in 2009 the Grand Prize and the FIPRESCI award in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section.




    ROMANIA – FRANCE Exhibitions at the National History Museum and the Museum of Art Collections, the 5th edition of Spotlight – the International Light Festival, and a Theo Lawrence & The Hearts concert, were included on Thursday in the opening programme for the Romanian section of the 2019 Romania – France Cultural Season. Romanias National Art Museum opens an exhibition entitled “Species of Spaces: the Societe Generale Contemporary Art Collection, in the presence of the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, the Culture Minister Valer-Daniel Breaz, his French counterpart Franck Riester and the Ambassador of France to Bucharest, Michele Ramis. Launched in November in France, the cultural dialogue between the 2 countries will continue in Romania until July 14th, with scores of performances, concerts, film screenings, literature-related events, exhibitions and roundtables held in more than 30 cities. The Cultural Season ended in France on April 16th and included events held in over 100 cities.




    MASS MEDIA Hatred towards journalists has triggered violence and an intense climate of fear, reads the 2019 World Press Freedom Index released on Thursday by Reporters without Borders NGO. The organisation warns that the number of safe countries for journalists continues to decline. According to the report, only 24 out of the 180 countries covered by the barometer are safe. First ranks Norway, for the 3rd year in a row, followed by Finland, Sweden and Netherlands, whereas the countries that rank the lowest in terms of press freedom are China, Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan. Romania is placed 47th in the World Press Freedom Index, which says that part of the Romanian mass media have been gradually turned into propaganda tools, are under political control, with obscure funding mechanisms and editorial policies subordinated to the interests of their owners.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 1, 2019 UPDATE

    January 1, 2019 UPDATE

    EU – Romania, which joined the community bloc on January 1, 2007, is holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time, as from January 1, 2019. Romania has taken over the presidency from Austria and hands it over to Finland, in July. Romania will stand the chance and equally will have the responsability to prove and capitalise on its potential and its European valences in an effort to boost what it means the European construction, to achieve a union of citizens, freedoms, joint efforts and capacities, Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă, said on Tuesday in a video message marking Romanias taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Members of the European Commission, led by Jean-Claude Juncker, will arrive in Bucharest on January 10 for talks on the priorities of the Romanian Presidency. Great Britains leaving the community bloc, negotiations on the EU budget for 2021-2027 and European Parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2019 will render the agenda of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union more complex. Against the backdrop of such challenges, Romania intends to promote during its 6-month tenure a pragmatic vision, focussed mainly on the principle of European cohesion at all levels: political, economic and social, the Romanian Foreign Ministry underlines. The priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union are based on four main action pillars: Europe of convergence- growth, cohesion, competitiveness, connectivity, Europe of safety, Europe, a global actor and Europe of common, shared values. The official site of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union has also been launched. The webpage available in Romanian, English and French at “romania2019.eu offers useful information for journalists, the public at large and experts on European affairs.



    MESSAGES – In his New Year message, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis has urged the Romanians to capitalise on the opportunity of holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union as from January 1, 2019 to prove that “Romania is seriously involved in consolidating the European project. In her turn, Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă said Romania is ready and prepared to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. She has underlined that this is a country project which should unite the state institutions, the political parties and civil society. In turn, the Senate Speaker, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, expresses confidence that 2019 will bring changes for the better to Romania, which should consolidate its position within the European Union. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, has said Romania has a huge development potential and can play a major role in Europe and not only.


    FINANCIAL – As from January 1st, the minimum wage in the Romanian economy has gone up to 445 Euros, 505 Euros for higher education graduates and to 645 Euros in the constructions sector, respectively. State sector employees will get higher salaries, with the exception of healthcare employees, as well meal bonuses, but they will no longer be paid for doing extra-hours, which will be compensated with hours off.


    CELEBRATIONS – Hundreds of thousands of Romanian revellers spent the night at the turn of the year in the street, attending various events organised in big cities across the country. In Bucharest, the City Hall organised an open air party, under the slogan “The Centennial New Years Eve Party, a show which marked 100 years since the setting up of the Romanian national unitary state. Performing onto the stage mounted in front of the Palace of Parliament were Delia, Antonia and Smiley, among others. The special guest of the event was the internationally acclaimed DJ, Andre Tanneberger, aka ATB. Grandiose fireworks crowned the show in the Constitution Square. Tighter security measures have been taken across the country, with over 25,000 employees of the Interior Ministry being mobilised to maintain order. Prevention and rescue missions in case of emergency situations have been accomplished by over 4,900 fire-fighters. Teams of paramedics have been dispatched in the proximity of public venues. 300 SMURD medical teams of the Service for Emergency Situations were also ready to intervene in case of medical emergencies.



    JOURNALISTS – The number of journalists and mass-media employees who died while doing their job increased to 94 in 2018, as compared to 82 in 2017, according to the International Federation of Journalists. The victims included 84 journalists, camera operators and technicians, as well as 10 staff members, among whom drivers and protection officers. They were assassinated, deliberately targeted at, or died in bomb attacks or skirmishes. Data released by the International Federation of Journalists actually show the current security and safety crisis in journalism, marked by the cruel killing of Washington Posts Saudi editorialist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, in October. This was the latest in a series of devastating attacks on media professionals, including multiple bomb attacks which turned Afghanistan into a lethal area for journalists.



    TENNIS – Romanian woman tennis player, Monica Niculescu (no.99 WTA), on Tuesday defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (no.22 WTA), in the first round of the Shenzhen tournament in China, with over 750,000 dollars in prize money up for grabs. Monica will face, on Wednesday, in the eighth finals, the Czech Kristyna Pliskova (no.94 WTA). Also on Tuesday, in Shenzhen, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (no.84 WTA) defeated the French Pauline Parmentier (no. 55 WTA) 6-2, 6-2 and qualified to the next stage of the competition. In the quarters, Sorana will face the American Alison Riske (no.62 WTA).

  • January 1, 2019

    January 1, 2019

    EU – Romania, which joined the community bloc on January 1, 2007, will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time, as from today. Romania takes over the presidency from Austria and hands it over to Finland, in July. Members of the European Commission, led by Jean-Claude Juncker, will arrive in Bucharest on January 10 for talks on the priorities of the Romanian Presidency. Great Britains leaving the community bloc, negotiations on the EU budget for 2021-2027 and European Parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2019 render the agenda of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union more complex. Against the backdrop of such challenges, Romania intends to promote during its 6-month tenure a pragmatic vision, focussed mainly on the principle of European cohesion at all levels: political, economic and social, the Romanian Foreign Ministry underlines. The priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union are based on four main action pillars: Europe of convergence- growth, cohesion, competitiveness, connectivity, Europe of safety, Europe, a global actor and Europe of common, shared values. The official site of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union has also been launched. The webpage available in Romanian, English and French at “romania2019.euoffers useful information for journalists, the public at large and experts on European affairs.



    MESSAGES – In his New Year message, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis has urged the Romanians to capitalise on the opportunity of holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union as from January 1, 2019 to prove that “Romania is seriously involved in consolidating the European project. In her turn, Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă said Romania is ready and prepared to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. She has underlined that this is a country project which should unite the state institutions, the political parties and civil society. In turn, the Senate Speaker, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, expresses confidence that 2019 will bring changes for the better to Romania, which should consolidate its position within the European Union. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, has said Romania has a huge development potential and can play a major role in Europe and not only.


    CELEBRATIONS – Hundreds of thousands of Romanians spent the night at the turn of the year in the street, attending various events organised in big cities across the country. In Bucharest, the City Hall organised an open air party, under the slogan “The Centennial New Years Eve Party, a show which marked 100 years since the setting up of the Romanian national unitary state. Performing onto the stage mounted in front of the Palace of Parliament were Delia, Antonia and Smiley, among others. The special guest of the event was the internationally acclaimed DJ, Andre Tanneberger, aka ATB. Grandiose fireworks crowned the show in the Constitution Square. Tighter security measures have been taken across the country, with over 25,000 employees of the Interior Ministry being mobilised to maintain order. Prevention and rescue missions in case of emergency situations have been accomplished by over 4,900 fire-fighters. Teams of paramedics have been dispatched in the proximity of public venues. 300 SMURD medical teams of the Service for Emergency Situations were also ready to intervene in case of medical emergencies.



    JOURNALISTS – The number of journalists and mass-media employees who died while doing their job increased to 94 in 2018, as compared to 82 in 2017, according to the International Federation of Journalists. Among those killed there were 84 journalists, camera operators and technical staff, as well as 10 members of the media personnel, among whom drivers and bodyguards. They were assassinated, deliberated targeted at, or died in bomb attacks or skirmishes. Data released by the International Federation of Journalists show the current security and safety crisis in journalism, marked by the cruel killing of Washington Posts Saudi editorialist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, in October. This was the latest in a series of devastating attacks on media professionals, including multiple bomb attacks which turned Afghanistan into a lethal area for journalists.



    FINANCIAL – As from today, the minimum wage in the Romanian economy rises to 445 Euros, 505 Euros for higher education graduates and to 645 Euros in the constructions sector, respectively. State sector employees will get higher salaries, with the exception of healthcare employees, as well meal bonuses, but they will no longer be paid for doing extra-hours, which will be compensated with hours off.



    TENNIS – Romanian woman tennis player, Monica Niculescu (no.99 WTA), has today defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (no.22 WTA), in the first round of the Shenzhen tournament in China, with over 750,000 dollars in prize money up for grabs. Monica will face, on Wednesday, in the eighth finals, the Czech Kristyna Pliskova (no.94 WTA). Also today in Shenzhen, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (no.84 WTA) defeated the French Pauline Parmentier (no. 55 WTA) 6-2, 6-2 and qualified to the next stage of the competition. In the quarters, Sorana will face the American Alison Riske (no.62 WTA).

  • December 31, 2018

    December 31, 2018

    EU COUNCIL Romania takes over on January 1st, for the first time since its accession in 2007, the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The priorities of the Romanian presidency fall into 4 categories: Europe of convergence, a safer Europe, Europe – a stronger global actor and Europe of common values. During its term, Romania will have to manage several complex issues like Brexit, the 2021-2027 budget, a coherent strategy on migration and increasing the Unions global role. The official web page of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council has been launched. The page, available at romania2019.eu, in Romanian, English and French, provides useful information for journalists, the general public and European affairs experts.




    NEW YEARS MESSAGE The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Monday released a New Years address, in which he urges Romanians to capitalise on the presidency of the EU Council in order to prove that “Romania is fully committed to consolidating the European project. PM Viorica Dancila also said today in her New Years address that Romania is prepared for the presidency of the EU Council, which it takes over on January 1. She emphasised that this is a national project that must bring together public institutions, political actors and civil society. Viorica Dancila also said that in 2019 her Cabinet will continue to take “the right decisions for Romania, and added that the Government has a “clear role: sustainable economic growth and major investments able to ensure better living standards for as many citizens as possible.




    POLICE In Romania, over 25,000 Interior Ministry personnel are on duty during the New Years holiday. Special attention will be paid to the protection of the participants in the 125 large-scale public events expected to bring together a total of 300,000 people. Emergency intervention and prevention missions will be conducted these days by over 4,900 fire-fighters. On New Years night, fire-fighting and paramedic teams are deployed in the areas where public events are held. Around 300 emergency medical units are on standby. The largest shows will be organised in Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. In Bucharest, the City Hall organises an over 6-hour long outdoor party that also celebrates the 100 years since the Romanian nation state was formed. Romanian artists will be joined by the international DJ Andre Tanneberger, known under the stage name ATB, who will mix live. Impressive fireworks shows are scheduled for midnight.




    RUSSIA The Romanian Foreign Ministry requested the Russian Embassy in Bucharest to update the historical information it uses, and stressed that past bilateral relations must not allow for speculations and unfounded opinions. The message follows a Russian Embassy Facebook post deploring the fact that Romanian and western media regularly publish articles that slander the Red Army troops who freed Central and Eastern Europe from fascism. “Anti-Soviet and anti-Russian critics insist on telling people that the Red Army was a gang of ruthless thieves and rapists, says the Embassy in the post that, the Romanian Foreign Ministry argues, lacks the accuracy required for an academic debate. Bucharest also mentions that a commission of Romanian-Russian historians has been set up, and is best suited to analyse the history of bilateral relations. The Soviet troops that marched into Romania at the end of World War 2 only left this country in 1958, and the communist dictatorship they ushered in lasted until 1989.




    JOURNALISTS The number of journalists and mass media workers killed on the job this year went up to 94, as compared to 82 in 2017, the International Federation of Journalists announced. The victims include 84 journalists, cameramen and technicians, as well as 10 media staff such as drivers and protection officers. They died in targeted killings, bomb attacks and cross fire incidents. The most dangerous place for journalists this year was Afghanistan.




    UKRAINE The presidential election campaign in Ukraine started on Monday and will last until March 31st. candidates have until February 3rd to enrol and until February 8th to register their candidacy with the Central Electoral Commission. According to the latest polls, the former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko, is the frontrunner 16-18% of the vote intentions. The incumbent president, Petro Poroşenko, is gaining ground and ranks second in current polls with 14%, followed by the actor and comedian Vladimir Zelenskiy, with 8-12%.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 19, 2017 UPDATE

    December 19, 2017 UPDATE

    LEGISLATION – The Senate of Romania Tuesday endorsed a bill modifying the statute of magistrates, in the absence of Opposition MPs. At the time of the vote, the MPs of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party left the hall, leaving only the Social Democrats, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania to cast their votes. Several amendments, previously turned down both by the Chamber of Deputies and the special parliamentary commission that analysed the bill, were passed by the Senate, at the proposal of the Social Democratic Party. The most important of them has to do with the concept of judicial error, which entails magistrates liability in case of fault or negligence. Prosecutors or judges having committed a judicial error will therefore be held liable. The Opposition announced it would take the text endorsed by the Senate to the Constitutional Court. Also on Tuesday, Romanian MPs continued debates on other major bills in a package designed to change the judicial framework, namely the bill on judicial organisation and the bill regulating the Higher Council of Magistrates. Meanwhile, hundreds of magistrates gathered in front of courts of justice around Romania, to protest the changes that the ruling coalition intend to operate on the justice laws in what they see as a less than transparent process.




    COMMEMORATION – Commemorative events continue in Timisoara, western Romania, to mark 28 years since the 1989 anti-communist revolution and in memory of those who lost their lives. Events will continue until December 20, Victory Day, when Timisoara will play host to a rock concert. Started out as a grassroots movement against the local authorities abusive decisions, the revolution spread quickly across the country, and led to the demise of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu on December 22. Over 1,000 people were killed and nearly 3,400 were wounded over December 16-25. Romania was the only country from the Soviet bloc where the anti-communist revolution ended in violence with the dictatorial couple being executed. Prosecutors with the Military Prosecutors Office on Monday said a military diversion was orchestrated on the night of December 22, which led to a massive loss of lives and destruction.




    BUDGET – The Romanian Parliament is debating the draft budget for 2018. Tuesdays session looked at the addendums, after the body of the text and its articles were adopted on Monday, together with the funds allotted to the main credit release authorities: the Presidency, the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Governments General Secretariat. A final vote has been scheduled for Thursday. Romanias budget for next year is based on an economic growth rate of 5.5%, an exchange rate of 4.55 lei against the euro, an average monthly income of €565 and a budget deficit of 2.97% of the GDP. The priorities for 2018 are healthcare, education and infrastructure. The right-wing opposition has criticized the Government, saying the budget projection is risky and will most likely increase public debt.




    SURVEY – Over 85% of businesspeople in Romania are against the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees, reads a recent survey commissioned by the Council of SMEs. 60% of respondents said they encountered serious difficulties in implementing and negotiating the move starting January 1, 2018. Ovidiu Nicolescu, the honorary president of the Council of SMEs, has warned that many net salaries will drop. The survey was conducted over December 12-18 on a sample of 328 businesspeople.




    RwB – 65 journalists were killed in 2017 worldwide, of whom 50 professionals, 7 bloggers and 8 freelancers, reads the Reporters without Borders annual report, made public on Tuesday. According to the report, 2017 was the least deadly in the last 14 years, which is mostly due to a better protection of reporters, and the fact that most journalists have already fled countries located in hot zones across the globe. Same as last year, Syria ranks first in terms of the largest number of journalists killed (12), followed by Mexico (11), Afghanistan (9), Iraq (8) and the Philippines (4).


    (translated by: Vlad Palcu, Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 19, 2016

    December 19, 2016

    COMMEMORATION – The western Romanian city of Timişoara commemorates today the fourth day of the anti-communist revolution of December 1989, with a conference organised by the Romanian Academy. Twenty-seven years ago, protesters were killed and wounded, and on December 20, Timişoara became the first Romanian city free from communism. Sparked by the locals opposition to an abusive measure of the city authorities, the protests quickly spread across the country, culminating on December 22nd in Bucharest, when the protesters stormed the headquarters of the central committee of the Romanian communist party. This is when the dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife attempted to flee by helicopter. They were caught and executed on December 25, after a summary trial. Over 1,000 people died and nearly 3,400 were wounded in the clashes, and Romania remains the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was brought down through violence and the communist leaders were executed.



    PARLIAMENT – The new MPs elected for the 2016 – 2020 term are expected to start today the procedures for taking office in Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. President Klaus Iohannis has announced that he will convene the new Parliament on Tuesday, and will hold talks with the parliamentary parties on Wednesday and Thursday. This week the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, which together hold 54% of the seats in the new parliament, will announce their proposal for the new prime minister. After the President has appointed the PM, the latter will have 10 days to put together a cabinet and the governing programme, after which he is to request Parliaments vote of confidence.




    REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS – This year 57 journalists have been killed around the world, especially in countries affected by war, according to a report made public by Reporters without Borders, an NGO based in Paris. The largest number of deaths, 19, was reported in Syria, followed by Afghanistan, Mexico, Iraq and Yemen. Most journalists lost their lives in their own countries, and one-third of them were targeted by deliberate attacks. Apart from the 57 journalists, 9 bloggers and 8 media collaborators were assassinated. As for the journalists incarcerated or detained this year, their number has increased particularly because of the situation in Turkey, where more than 100 media workers are currently imprisoned.



    SYRIA – The UN Security Council is to vote today on a draft resolution aimed at immediately deploying observers to monitor the evacuation of civilians and rebels from the Syrian town of Aleppo. The resolution initiated by France was originally scheduled to be put to a vote on Sunday, but Russia opposed it, voicing fears with respect to the deployment of UN officials unprepared to monitor the protection of the thousands of people still trapped in the last rebel-controlled area in the east of this Syrian town. After intensive negotiations, a compromise text was drafted.



    US ELECTION – In the USA, the Electoral College is to vote today on Donald Trumps victory in the presidential race. Whereas in previous years this procedure was a mere formality, the controversial success of the Republican candidate, who lost the popular vote but was supported by presidential electors, is generating a variety of scenarios. Major changes are not expected however after todays vote, although some have requested electors to keep in mind that the businessman does not meet the moral criteria to lead the worlds foremost democracy. Adding to these are disclosures by American intelligence services that Russia contributed to Donald Trumps victory.



    HANDBALL – Norways womens team Sunday won the gold medal at the European Handball Championship in Sweden, after having defeated the Netherlands, 30-29 in the final. Norway thus won the 7th European champion title in 12 editions of this competition. In the match for the 3rd place, France beat Denmark, 25-22. Romania came out 5th in this edition of the European championship. The national team had a good performance overall, but failed to qualify into the semi-finals after losing the match against Denmark. In this competition the Romanian players defeated the Olympic champions Russia, as well as Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic, and lost a tightly contested match against the European and world champions, Norway.