Radio România Internațional

Tag: League

  • June 15, 2021

    June 15, 2021

    VISIT The
    president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to Estonia on
    Wednesday and Thursday, the Presidency announced. Iohannis will have talks with
    his Estonian counterpart, Kersti Kaljulaid, with PM Kaja Kallas, and with the
    Parliament speaker, Jüri Ratas. The agenda focuses on strengthening the
    bilateral relations, including economic and sectoral cooperation, with an
    emphasis on the digital sector, on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and on
    EU-related topics, such as the EU Recovery Plan, the green transition and the
    digital transition, the EU enlargement process, and developments in the
    Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The officials will also discuss the
    Romanian-Estonian cooperation within NATO, including in terms of security at
    the Black Sea and Baltic Sea, and cooperation as part of the Bucharest 9 and
    the Three Seas initiatives.



    COVID-19 Authorities reported on Tuesday 103 new coronavirus infection cases and
    96 COVID-19 related deaths, most of which however date back to previous months.
    Some 200 patients are in intensive care. Meanwhile, efforts to persuade people
    to get the vaccine are stepped up. Over 4.5 million people have received the
    COVID-19 vaccine since December, and more than 4.2 million have got both doses.



    CORRUPTION The coronavirus pandemic has fuelled corruption among EU citizens, less than half of whom believe the crisis has been transparently managed by the authorities, says a survey made public on Tuesday by Transparency International and quoted by AFP. According to the organisation, healthcare services are particularly affected by corruption. Although only 6% of the interviewees said they offered bribe in exchange for access to healthcare, 29% of them said they used personal connections to gain privileged access. The frequency of bribe in the healthcare sector, as reported by interviewees, is higher in Romania (22%) and Bulgaria (19%), whereas the use of personal connections is higher in the Czech Republic (54%) and Portugal (46%). The authors of the report call on EU governments to step up efforts to guarantee that the on-going pandemic is overcome in a fair and equitable manner. Over 40,000 of the citizens of the 27 EU member states took part in this European corruption barometer conducted in October – December 2020.



    MOTION In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies votes today on the simple motion against the minister for investments and EU-funded projects Cristian Ghinea, tabled by the Social Democrats in opposition. The motion signed by 82 Social Democratic Deputies was discussed in Parliament on Monday. The authors argue that minister Ghinea must be dismissed for his “managerial dilettantism, and that the National Resilience and Recovery Plan is a “disaster and “will destroy Romania for the next 5 years. Cristian Ghinea dismissed the motion as a collection of lies, fakes and self-conflicting claims, and says Romanias current EU fund absorption rate is 55%.



    COLECTIV The Bucharest Court of Appeals is trying today and tomorrow the case against the owners of the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest and the technicians who organised the fireworks that caused the fire that killed 64 people on the night of October 30 2015. On Monday, the Court decided to split the Colectiv case into two, with the former mayor, city hall employees and fire-fighters to be tried this autumn, separately from the club owners. In December 2019, all the defendants received prison sentences and were ordered to pay damages of nearly 50 million euro to the victims of the fire.



    FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj are finding out today their opponents in the Champions League first preliminary round. The draw takes place in Nyon (Switzerland). CFR Cluj will be the only Romanian team in the competition, after in 2021 they won their 4th consecutive football championship and their 7th ever. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • March 13, 2021 UPDATE

    March 13, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 On Saturday the Strategic Communication Group reported nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases in Romania, with 79 new deaths and over 1,200 patients in intensive care. The total number of infections so far is over 855,000, with the death toll standing at over 21,400. As of March 14, Romania extends the state of alert by another 30 days, amid growing numbers of COVID-19 cases. All restrictions valid so far will be maintained, and a night curfew will be in place between 10 pm and 5 am, one hour longer than at present. Accommodation facilities in mountain resorts will only be allowed to receive guests at 70% of their capacity. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout continues, with nearly 1.4 million people immunised since late December, most of them with the Pfizer vaccine. Romania has temporarily suspended the use of an AstraZeneca vaccine batch, but continues to use doses from other batches. The decision came after several European countries reported severe side effects and even deaths among people who have received doses from the respective batch.




    PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation said there are no reasons not to use the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, after several European countries announced they had suspended it as a precaution, according to WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris. The European Commission calls on states to follow the advice of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which says that so far nothing points to higher blood clot risks in people having received the AstraZeneca shots. Meanwhile, the “digital green passport project to be presented in Brussels on Wednesday will only take into account the COVID-19 vaccines authorised by the EMA, a senior EU official said on Friday. Four vaccines are authorised for use in the EU at this point–Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson. The Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, used in Hungary even by PM Viktor Orban, is not included, and neither is Russias Sputnik V, ordered by Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and under EMA assessment since March 4. Around the world, according to worldometers, over 119 million people have so far caught the virus. Some 95 million people recovered and more than 2.6 million died.




    FRIGATE The Romanian frigate ‘Regina Maria’ Saturday joined the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2), operating in the Black Sea. The frigate, with a crew of 238, will carry out NATO monitoring missions along with 5 other vessels from Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey, as part of SNMG-2, subordinated to the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM).




    CRASH An An-26 military aircraft flying from Kazakhstans capital city Nur-Sultan crashed on Saturday while landing on Almatî Airport. Four of the 6 people on board died, according to the countrys ministry for emergencies. The Russian news agency Interfax quoted one source as saying the aircraft was part of Kazahstans border service in the Committee for National Security.




    MOLDOVA The president of R. of Moldova Maia Sandu presented the government with a set of measures to help the economy overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Under the plan, small enterprises and farmers would have easier access to financial resources thanks to a Loan Guarantee Fund. Maia Sandu explained in a Facebook post that the Fund would be increased to over 1.5 billion Moldovan leu. Procedures will also be simplified, the Moldovan president promised, and added that she was counting on solidarity on everybodys part, including banks.




    HANDBALL The best Romanian womens handball teams, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea and CSM Bucharest, played on Saturday against each other in the second leg of the Champions League eighth-finals. The Bucharest side moved up into the quarter-finals, although they lost to SCM Ramnicu-Valcea 27-21. In the first leg, CSM Bucharest had won 33 – 24, playing away from home. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • March 13, 2021

    March 13, 2021

    COVID-19 On Saturday
    the Strategic Communication Group reported nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases in Romania,
    with 79 new deaths and over 1,200 patients in intensive care. The total number
    of infections so far is over 855,000, with the death toll standing at over
    21,400. As of March 14, Romania extends the state of alert by another 30 days,
    amid growing numbers of COVID-19 cases. All
    restrictions valid so far will be maintained, and a night curfew will be in
    place between 10 pm and 5 am, one hour longer than at present. Accommodation
    facilities in mountain resorts will only be allowed to receive guests at 70% of
    their capacity. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout continues, with nearly 1.4
    million people immunised since late December, most of them with the Pfizer
    vaccine. Romania has
    temporarily suspended the use of an AstraZeneca vaccine batch, but continues to
    use doses from other batches. The decision came after several European
    countries reported severe side effects and even deaths among people who have
    received doses from the respective batch.




    PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation said there are no reasons not to use the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, after several European countries announced they had suspended it as a precaution, according to WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris. The European Commission calls on states to follow the advice of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which says that so far nothing points to higher blood clot risks in people having received the AstraZeneca shots. Meanwhile, the “digital green passport project to be presented in Brussels on Wednesday will only take into account the COVID-19 vaccines authorised by the EMA, a senior EU official said on Friday. Four vaccines are authorised for use in the EU at this point–Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson. The Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, used in Hungary even by PM Viktor Orban, is not included, and neither is Russias Sputnik V, ordered by Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and under EMA assessment since March 4. Around the world, according to worldometers, over 119 million people have so far caught the virus. Some 95 million people recovered and more than 2.6 million died.




    ENERGY The Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu announced he will be in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, to discuss the restructuring of the Oltenia Power Compound. In December, the Romanian government notified the European Commission of the restructuring plan for the power production unit, which included state aid. On February 5, the EC announced launching an in-depth investigation into the state aid measure. The Oltenia Power Compound needs the Commissions approval by the end of April, if it is to receive state aid enabling it to pay the CO2 emission certificates for last year.




    FRIGATE The Romanian frigate ‘Regina Maria’ Saturday joined the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2), operating in the Black Sea. The frigate, with a crew of 238, will carry out NATO monitoring missions along with 5 other vessels from Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey, as part of SNMG-2, subordinated to the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM).




    DRUGS Romanian prosecutors with the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism and police officers with the Organised Crime Brigade seized over 1 kilo of cocaine and nearly 4,000 Ecstasy pills in Brasov, as part of a high-risk drug trafficking investigation. Eight people were apprehended, and for 6 of them the court has issued 30-day arrest warrants.




    HANDBALL The best Romanian womens handball teams, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea and CSM Bucharest, are playing today against each other in the second leg of the Champions League eighth-finals. In the first leg, the Bucharest side won 33 – 24, although playing away from home. The European handball federation has decided that all teams in the 2 groups should move on into the eighth-finals, as a result of many matches being postponed over the Covid-19 pandemic. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The new coronavirus strain discovered in the UK, and which spreads more easily, has been confirmed in Romania, in a 27-year old woman, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Friday. The patient, who has a mild form of the disease and is isolating at home, has not travelled abroad recently. Nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday, many of them in the capital Bucharest. The total number of cases since the onset of the pandemic is over 660,000. 1,100 patients are in intensive care, and the death toll exceeds 16,500. The Romanian Health Minister plans to streamline procedures for the set-up and authorisation of COVID-19 vaccination centres. Minister Vlad Voiculescu announced the relevant legislation is being amended to this end. PM Florin Cîţu said in a post that Romanias vaccination capacity is growing from one day to the next, and explains the number of centres is soon expected to reach 1,000, with a combined capacity of 150,000 vaccine doses per day. So far over 92,000 people have received the vaccine in Romania.




    VACCINE The EU has signed a new deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for the purchase of another 300 million doses of anti-Covid vaccine, in addition to the 300 million already bought, said the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen quoted by DPA. According to the EU official, 75 million doses would be delivered in the second quarter of the year. The EU started rolling out the vaccine produced by the German-US consortium Pfizer-BioNTec in December. The EU has also approved the Moderna vaccine and is waiting for the delivery of the first 160 million doses. The European Commission has been criticised for the slow pace of the immunization campaign addressing its 450 million citizens.




    BUDGET The European Commission has again cautioned the centre-right government in Bucharest that it has to keep budget deficit in check, after expenditures soared in 2020 whereas incomes went down against the background of the health crisis. We are expecting a robust 2021 budget from Romania, the vice-president of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said in a phone talk with the Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare. The Romanian official pledged that investments and EU fund absorption remain top priorities. Minister Nazare said Bucharest plans a gradual narrowing of the deficit starting this year, so that it may reach 3% of the GDP in 2024.




    TEEN PREGNANCIES Romania ranks 2nd in the EU by number of teenage births, which has serious consequences on teenage mothers as well as social and economic costs, according to a report released by UNICEF and SAMAS Association in Romania. Adolescent childbearing is recurring within families from one generation to the other, and is linked with poverty and with poor health services and social-economic status. According to the report, in 2019 Romania had nearly 17,000 teenage pregnancies. Recommendations include legislative and administrative reforms to remove barriers to underage access to reproductive health and information and the introduction of mandatory reproductive health classes in schools.




    SPORTS The womens handball side CSM Bucharest is playing on Saturday against the Hungarian team Ferencvaros, away from home, in the Champions League Group A. In the first leg of the round, the Romanians won 25-19. CSM Bucharest ranks 2nd in Group A with 11 points, with Ferencvaros coming 4th with 8 points. On Sunday, Romanian womens handball champions SCM Ramnicu Valcea, take on several times European champions Györ, in the competitions Group B. The Romanian team is 8th in the group, with no points after 5 games.




    US The outgoing US president Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will not take part in the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. Trump will be the second US president to decline attending his successors inauguration, after Andrew Johnson in 1869. The announcement came hours after Trump had promised a smooth transition for president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, in a video posted on Twitter where he said he was ‘outraged by the lawlessness, violence and mayhem’ caused by his supporters who stormed the US Capitol. In Congress, the Democrats called on Vice-president Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove Trump in the wake of the violent events on January 6th, in which 5 people were killed. The US Capitols security chief and other members of his administration resigned following the riot, in order to protest the violence. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • November 20, 2020 UPDATE

    November 20, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romania saw 9,272 new coronavirus cases on Friday, with the total number now passing 400,000. 160 new deaths were also reported, the death toll now standing at 9,765. Around 70% of the COVID-19 patients in Romania have so far recovered. Bucharest has run out of intensive care beds and a number of patients were taken to hospitals in other cities. The capacity of ICUs is set to increase in the forthcoming period, health minister Nelu Tătaru said. Local lockdowns were imposed in places with a spike in cases. President Klaus Iohannis announced that on Monday he would have talks with the health, defence and interior ministers, to clarify all the aspects related to the anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which he sees as a matter of national security. He added that the latest data allows for “moderated optimism, and called for strict observance of the measures introduced by the authorities.



    PANDEMIC Global coronavirus cases passed 57.5 million and fatalities 1.3 million, with over 39 million patients recovered so far, according to Worldometers.info. US president elect Joe Biden said he would not order a national lockdown to fight the pandemic, despite cases soaring in the US over the last few weeks. The country has so far reported over 12 million cases and at least 258,000 deaths. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the Union could approve two Covid vaccines by the end of the year, made by Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna. South Tyrol, an autonomous province in northern Italy, Friday started a massive screening campaign, with 70% of the population to be tested. In turn, Austria announced mass testing in December and January, to prevent new lockdown periods. The Regional Director for Europe at the World Health Organisation, Hans Kluge, said one person dies every 17 seconds from Covid-19 in Europe, where the general mortality rate rose by almost one-fifth in the last two weeks.



    FACE MASKS Romania has so far issued four safety notifications for non-conforming face masks made in China, the National Consumer Protection Authority said Friday. The products in question are not certified as protective equipment by a relevant body, so it is possible they do not meet the health and safety requirements in place. The notifications were received by the EU rapid alert system for non-food products, also known as RAPEX. The authorities have recommended that such products be withdrawn from the market and have warned sellers to consult the consumer protection and RAPEX websites before marketing them to make sure they are not banned. Recently, the National Consumer Protection Authority withdrew over 31 million protective face masks after checks conducted across the country.



    EU BUDGET EU leaders meeting in video conference format on Thursday night failed to reach a breakthrough in talks on the bloc’s future multiannual budget, following opposition from Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, who don’t agree with the idea of linking funding to the rule of law. The EU leaders also discussed the management of the coronavirus pandemic with a focus on the mutual recognition of the results of Covid tests, the progress made in developing a vaccine and a joint approach to lifting restrictions. Romania was represented by president Klaus Iohannis, who, prior to the meting, had a telephone conversation with German chancellor Angela Merkel. Iohannis said Romania constantly supported the need to finalise the talks on the EU multiannual budget and the economic recovery plan as soon as possible. He also emphasised that the mutual recognition of Covid tests facilitates free movement within the EU and called for an efficient communication campaign with respect to vaccination against the novel coronavirus.



    COOPERATION The EU is looking forward to working with the US president-elect, Joe Biden, on issues like the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference on Friday. She also voiced hopes that the G20 summit due this weekend will be “a new beginning for multilateralism. And while the United States has resisted engaging on this topic so far. I’m very hopeful now with the new president elect that this will change, the EU official also said, although the summit will be attended by the outgoing president Donald Trump. Ursula von der Leyen said she would call on the Unions G20 partners to step up economic efforts to provide access to COVID-19 vaccine and treatment for poorer countries as well. The goal is to purchase 2 billion vaccine doses for countries with below-average revenues, the EU executive said.



    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side CSM Bucharest on Thursday night lost to the Russian side Rostov on Don in a Champions League Group A match. CSM were initially due to play at the weekend against SC BBM Bietigheim from Germany, but the match was postponed after the German side was quarantined. This was the CSM’s final match in 2020, finishing the year second in their group behind Rostov. In Group B, CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea have lost all of their matches so far and will not be playing another match this year. The competition breaks up after this weekend for the European Championships held in Denmark and will be resumed in January. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • November 19, 2020

    November 19, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania Thursday reported 10,108 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of cases so far up to 394,000. Nearly 70% of them have so far recovered. The most cases were reported in Bucharest and the counties of Constanţa (south-east) and Cluj (north-west). Another 167 coronavirus-related deaths were also reported, and the number of patients in intensive care is 1,131. The pandemic has put the spotlight on the long-standing structural flaws of Romanias healthcare system, president Klaus Iohannis said. On Wednesday he met with officials and experts involved in the management of medical equipment, who presented reports on the infrastructure and failures in the national healthcare sector.



    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers held online. According to the Foreign Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will voice support for strengthening the EU-USA partnership, emphasising that only by consolidating trans-Atlantic ties can current and future global challenges be managed properly. The Romanian official will also emphasise that efficient multilateralism relies on compliance with international law and democratic values, and on the cooperation between countries that share the same views. Aurescu will also present an assessment of the presidential election in the Republic of Moldova, with a focus on the victory of the pro-European candidate Maia Sandu and its implications for the relation between the EU and Chisinau.



    EU BUDGET The European Parliament announced it would make no concession as regards the rule of law, on which the allocation of EU funding will depend as of next year. This is a response to proposals from some member states regarding a compromise with Hungary and Poland, which are disgruntled with the new conditions. On Monday they vetoed the endorsement of the Unions multiannual budget and the economic recovery plan post-COVID-19. Polands PM Mateusz Morawiecki explained that his countrys position on making funds conditional on compliance with the rule of law is designed to avoid arbitrary measures. In turn, the Hungarian PM Viktor Orban spoke about Brussels blackmailing the countries that oppose immigration. The EU budget for the forthcoming 7 years and the economic recovery plan are discussed today by the EU heads of state and government. The combined financial effort amounts to over 1,800 billion euro.



    PANDEMIC The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide is over 56.6 million, and the death toll exceeds 1.3 million, according to worldometers.info updates. The US reports over one-fifth of the total number of deaths (over 250,000). As the healthcare community focuses on producing a vaccine, the final assessments run by the US company Pfizer and the German company BioNTech point to a 95% protection rate. The head of the World Health Organisation Emergencies Programme, Mike Ryan, warned however that the vaccine will not be available in time to fight for the second wave of the pandemic. Meanwhile, UNICEF Thursday called for averting a lost generation as COVID-19 threatens to cause irreversible harm to childrens education, nutrition and well-being.



    SPORTS Romanias national football team last night drew 1-all with Northern Ireland in Belfast, in the last match in the UEFA Nations League. Romania came out 3rd in Group B, meeting its goal of being allocated in Pot 2 of the 2022 World Cup qualifying draw. Romanias U-21 team managed to qualify for the 2nd consecutive time in the final tournament of the relevant European Championship. In womens handball, CSM Bucharest take on Russian side Rostov on Don at home tonight, in the Champions League Group A. CSM and Rostov currently top the group rankings. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    With 2 matches played in the Euro 2022 qualifiers, Romanias mens handball team ranks second in Group 8. Romania was defeated by Sweden in Gothenburg on Thursday night, 30-33, and won the following match, 36-27 against Montenegro in Baia Mare, on Sunday. On the same day, Sweden beat Kosovo, in Prishtina, 30-16. Sweden is top of the group with 4 points, followed by Romania with 2, Montenegro, also 2 points, and Kosovo with 0 points.



    Romanias next game will be on March 10, away from home, against Kosovo. Twenty-four countries will take part in the 2022 European Handball Championship. Defending champions Spain and vice-champions Croatia are already qualified, and so are the host countries Hungary and Slovakia. The top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 teams ranking 3rd in their group will also move on into the final tournament. Romania last took part in a European handball championship in 1996, in Spain, where it came out 9th.



    In womens handball, CSM Bucharest outplayed the Slovenian side RK Krim Ljubljana, 25-23, away from home on Saturday night, in the Champions League Group A. also on Saturday, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria was, surprisingly, defeated in Budapest by SG BBM Bietigheim, 35-24, while Rostov-on-Don beat Team Esbjerg, 28-24. The game pitting Vipers Kristiansand against Metz Handball was postponed. After Saturdays leg, CSM Bucharest ranks first in the group with 10 points out of 6 games, followed by Rostov-on-Don with 9p in 5 games, Vipers Kristiansand, 7p in 4 games, Metz Handball, 6p in 5 games, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, 4p in 5 games, Team Esbjerg and RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana – 3p (6 games), and SG BBM Bietigheim, 2p (7 games). CSM Bucharest is next to take on Krim, at home on November 14.



    The Romanian player Bernadette Szocs left the Table Tennis World Cup in Weihai (China), after she was defeated in the 8th-finals by Chinas Meng Chen, 4 – 0. Bernadette Szocs had to self-isolate for 15 days in order to take part in the tournament. She had come out 2nd in the qualifier groups, after losing a match to Hyo-won Suh (South Korea), 2-4, and winning against Dina Meshref (Egypt), 4 – 3.



    In Romanian football League One, matches were played this weekend, counting for the 10th round. Top of the standings so far as FCSB and Universitatea Craiova, with 24 points each, followed by CFR Cluj with 21 points. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    With 2 matches played in the Euro 2022 qualifiers, Romanias mens handball team ranks second in Group 8. Romania was defeated by Sweden in Gothenburg on Thursday night, 30-33, and won the following match, 36-27 against Montenegro in Baia Mare, on Sunday. On the same day, Sweden beat Kosovo, in Prishtina, 30-16. Sweden is top of the group with 4 points, followed by Romania with 2, Montenegro, also 2 points, and Kosovo with 0 points.



    Romanias next game will be on March 10, away from home, against Kosovo. Twenty-four countries will take part in the 2022 European Handball Championship. Defending champions Spain and vice-champions Croatia are already qualified, and so are the host countries Hungary and Slovakia. The top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 teams ranking 3rd in their group will also move on into the final tournament. Romania last took part in a European handball championship in 1996, in Spain, where it came out 9th.



    In womens handball, CSM Bucharest outplayed the Slovenian side RK Krim Ljubljana, 25-23, away from home on Saturday night, in the Champions League Group A. also on Saturday, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria was, surprisingly, defeated in Budapest by SG BBM Bietigheim, 35-24, while Rostov-on-Don beat Team Esbjerg, 28-24. The game pitting Vipers Kristiansand against Metz Handball was postponed. After Saturdays leg, CSM Bucharest ranks first in the group with 10 points out of 6 games, followed by Rostov-on-Don with 9p in 5 games, Vipers Kristiansand, 7p in 4 games, Metz Handball, 6p in 5 games, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, 4p in 5 games, Team Esbjerg and RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana – 3p (6 games), and SG BBM Bietigheim, 2p (7 games). CSM Bucharest is next to take on Krim, at home on November 14.



    The Romanian player Bernadette Szocs left the Table Tennis World Cup in Weihai (China), after she was defeated in the 8th-finals by Chinas Meng Chen, 4 – 0. Bernadette Szocs had to self-isolate for 15 days in order to take part in the tournament. She had come out 2nd in the qualifier groups, after losing a match to Hyo-won Suh (South Korea), 2-4, and winning against Dina Meshref (Egypt), 4 – 3.



    In Romanian football League One, matches were played this weekend, counting for the 10th round. Top of the standings so far as FCSB and Universitatea Craiova, with 24 points each, followed by CFR Cluj with 21 points. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • October 25, 2020 UPDATE

    October 25, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Bucharest is considering the reintroduction of night curfews in several parts of the country, the PM Ludovic Orban said after 3 counties in central Romania (Alba, Cluj and Harghita) as well as the capital Bucharest have passed 3 infections per thousand inhabitants this week. According to the most recent national update, 3,855 new cases and 73 deaths were reported in 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 6,391. Over 800 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care. Romania is one of the 23 European countries where the pandemic causes serious concern at EU level, both in terms of the daily infection numbers among the elderly, and in terms of the death rate, which is the second-highest in Europe.



    PANDEMIC Spain decided on Sunday to declare a state of emergency and to order lockdowns across the country, as the number of COVID-19 cases is again rising at a fast pace. This will be the second time a state of emergency is declared in Spain, after one that lasted from March until June. A growing number of countries have introduced new restrictions to help contain the pandemic. Spain and France are seeing the largest numbers of infections, over 1 million cases each, out of the total 8.5 million reported in Europe as a whole. Across Europe, the number of COVID-19 related deaths has passed 260,000.



    VISIT The PM of Romania Ludovic Orban will be on an official visit to France on Monday and Tuesday. According to the Romanian Government, Ludovic Orban will have meetings with his French counterpart Jean Castex, with the speakers of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, and the Senate, Gerard Larcher, and with the leader of the centre-right party ‘Les Republicains’, Christian Jacob. The Romanian PM will also take part in a meeting of the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and will have official talks with the OECD secretary general Angel Gurria. The visit also includes a meeting with members of the Romanian community in France.



    KING In Bucharest, an international sculpture competition was officially launched on Sunday, for a statue of Michael I, the last king of Romania. The statue will be place next year in Sinaia, a mountain town that was the royal residence during the rule of Romanias first king, Carol I. The ceremony was organised on the day when Romania marks 99 years since the birth of King Michael I. Romanias last sovereign died on December 5, 2017.



    HANDBALL The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest Sunday defeated the German side SG BBM Bietigheim, 32-22, away from home, in the Champions League Group A. CSM tops the group at present. The other Romanian team in the competition, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, was scheduled to play at home on Saturday against the german club BV Borussia 09 Dortmund, but the match was postponed after several members of the Vȃlcea team tested positive for Covid-19. SCM Ramnicu Vâlcea is ranking last in Group B of the Champions League. The top 4 teams in each group qualify into the competitions quarter-finals. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • October 23, 2020 UPDATE

    October 23, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 A new record-high number of new SARS-CoV-2
    cases in 24 hours in Romania, 5,028 out of 35,351 tests, was reported on
    Friday. So far, 201,032 people have tested positive for the virus, and 144,429
    of them have recovered. The Strategic Communication Group also announced that
    another 82 people died, taking the death toll to 6,245. A total of 10,427
    COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalised, 782 of them in intensive care-the
    largest number so far. Of the Romanians living abroad, 6,851 have so far
    tested positive, and the number of deaths remains 126, the authorities also
    announced.


    PANDEMIC Global coronavirus cases are nearing 42 million, while the number
    of fatalities has passed 1.14 million, according to Worldometers.info. Europe
    is seeing a large number of infections in the second wave. Spain has passed 1
    million cases. Ireland has seen over 2,000 daily cases and its government has
    imposed strict measures. The UK has also reported its highest number of daily
    cases, 27,000. Germany has also seen a record number of new 11,000 infections.
    Poland’s PM announced on Friday that the entire country would be classified as
    COVID red zone, with restaurants and primary schools partly closed down. The
    Warsaw National Stadium will be converted into a temporary field hospital and
    similar facilities will be arranged elsewhere in the country, after over 13,600
    new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. On Friday Slovakia initiated a
    3-week mass testing programme. Belgium and Czech Republic have the highest
    number of infections per number of inhabitants. Beginning on Saturday, Greece
    will impose travel restrictions in Athens, Thessaloniki and other badly hit areas.
    France has extended its night curfew imposed in the main cities to most of the
    country, beginning on Saturday.


    MOBILITY On Friday the government of Romania challenged several provisions
    in the EU Mobility Package I at the Court of Justice of the EU. Bucharest views
    these provisions as having a negative impact on the domestic market and
    affecting competitiveness of commodity transport in the Union. The move concerns,
    among other things, the ban drivers on taking their compulsory weekly rest
    hours on board of vehicles, the obligation for drivers to return to the
    employer’s office or to their place of residence on a regular basis, and the
    obligation to return vehicles to a company office within 8 weeks from
    departure. The claim submitted to the Court of Justice of the EU follows
    repeated efforts by the Romanian authorities against the restrictive and
    disproportionate nature of these provisions in the Mobility Package I, the
    Romanian Foreign Ministry said. Romania voted against the 3 regulations,
    alongside 8 other EU member states (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
    Lithuania, Malta and Poland).


    VISIT Romania’s PM Ludovic Orban will be on an official visit to
    France on Monday and Tuesday. According to the Romanian Government, Ludovic
    Orban will have meetings with his French counterpart Jean Castex, with the
    speakers of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, and the Senate, Gerard
    Larcher, and with the leader of the centre-right party ‘Les Republicains’,
    Christian Jacob. The Romanian PM will also take part in a meeting of the
    Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The visit
    also includes a meeting with members of the Romanian community in France.


    CORRUPTION The Liberal George Scripcaru, the outgoing
    mayor of Braşov in central Romania, has been charged with blackmail and is
    under judicial supervision. According to the National Anti-Corruption
    Directorate, while running for a new seat he threatened to cause problems to an
    advertising company unless it posted his election ads on public transport buses
    in the city. On September 27, Scripcaru lost the election to Allen Coliban
    (Save Romania Union). Meanwhile, 2 former mayors of the Black Sea port city of Constanţa,
    Decebal Făgădău and Radu Mazăre, both from the Social Democratic Party, have
    been indicted in a new corruption case. They are accused of having unlawfully authorised
    the construction of a luxury building on a beach.


    NATO The Romanian defence minister Nicolae Ciucă
    took part on Friday in a conference call of NATO defence ministers. The online
    meeting focused on ongoing Allied missions and operations, with a focus on
    those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nicolae Ciucă reiterated Romania’s commitment to
    NATO missions, in a flexibly planned contribution that enables its
    reconfiguring in line to future Allied decisions and the dynamic of specific
    operational needs.


    FOOTBALL The Romanian football champions CFR Cluj on Thursday night defeated the
    Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia 2-nil in their opening Europa League Group A match.
    In the same group, the Italian side AS Rome defeated the Swiss side BSC Young
    Boys 2-1. Next week, AS Rome will be playing CSKA Sofia and CFR will be playing
    BSC Young Boys. Eliminated from the Champions League in the preliminary
    matches, CFR are the only Romanian side in the European competitions this year.
    (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • October 22, 2020

    October 22, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania reported on Thursday new record-high figures in terms of COVID-19 infections: 4,902 cases out of over 34,000 tests conducted, and 98 deaths. More than 10,354 people are hospitalised, 778 of them in intensive care. Since the start of the epidemic in Romania, the total number of cases has reached 196,004and the death toll stands at 6,163. The Government will amend the Quarantine Act today, in an emergency order, in view of preventing hospital overcrowding. Patients with mild forms of the disease and those without symptoms are to be treated at home, unless they suffer from previous conditions, the health minister Nelu Tătaru explained. The bill has been criticised by family physicians, who say examining patients at home is out of the question because physicians would be at risk.



    ELECTIONS Today is the deadline for entering candidacies for the parliamentary elections in Romania, due on December 6. The highest-ranking parties in polls have already submitted their lists of Bucharest candidates to the Municipal Election Bureau. Also today is the last day when Romanian citizens living abroad can register for postal voting. The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority, Constantin-Florin Mituleţu-Buică, says that in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, postal voting is a safe and comfortable option, which does not require traveling, costs and risks. President Klaus Iohannis said the parliamentary election is crucial, in that it represents the only democratic option that would enable a representative parliament to manage the current healthcare crisis.



    GOVERNMENT The Government is analysing in todays Cabinet meeting a draft order allowing parents to take days off from work if they need to stay at home with their children when schools are closed. The bill also stipulates support measures for employers and employees in the context of the ongoing pandemic. PM Ludovic Orban announced that also today the Bucharest Prefect Gheorghe Cojanu would be replaced. Cojanu has been criticised, including by president Klaus Iohannis, for his response when the COVID-19 infection rate in Bucharest moved over the 3 per thousand threshold. His replacement may be Traian Berbeceanu, a former police with the Organised Crime Division and currently the chief of staff of the interior minister Marcel Vela.



    MILITARY Two Romanian troops were wounded on Wednesday night in Afghanistan, during a patrol mission. According to the Defence Ministry, they are stable, under medical supervision at the hospital within the Kandahar Air Base. The 2 are members of 191st Golden Lions Force Protection Battalion, and were deployed to Afghanistan in August, for a 6-month mission. Romanian troops have been present in Afghanistan since 2003, one year before Romania was admitted into NATO. Nearly 30 Romanian servicemen have been killed in that country.



    AFGHANISTAN The situation in Afghanistan is discussed today by the NATO defence ministers as well, alongside the threat posed by Chinas and Russias space programmes, which may jeopardise NATO satellite communications. The Alliances secretary general Jens Stoltenberg explained that NATOs baseline requirements for national resilience have already been updated, including 5G and telecommunications, cyber threats, the security of supply chains, and the consequences of foreign ownership and control. Stoltenberg also voiced concern with Turkeys decision to purchase Russian S-400 defence systems, which cannot be integrated in the NATO system.



    FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj are playing tonight away from home against the Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, in their first match in the Europa League Group A. Also today, in the same group, the Swiss side Young Boys Berna takes on AS Rome. Kicked out of the Champions League qualifiers into the Europa League, CFR Cluj is the last Romanian club to be playing in this years edition of the European football cups. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • September 25, 2020

    September 25, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania has had 1,629 new SARS-CoV-2 cases in 24 hours, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Friday at noon. The total number of infections thus reaches 119,683. Also on Friday, another 42 COVID-19-related deaths were reported, taking the total death toll up to 4,633. A total of 7,245 patients are currently hospitalised, with 508 of them in intensive care. Of the Romanians living abroad, 6,693 have so far tested positive for the virus, and 126 of them died.



    ELECTIONS In Romania, today is the last day of audio-visual campaigning ahead of the local elections due on Sunday. The campaign, which started on August 28 and was rather atypical because of the coronavirus pandemic, ends at 7 AM on Saturday. For the first time ever, the campaign took place in a state of alert and under strict healthcare protection regulations, and so will the ballot itself. A total of 18 million voters are expected in polling stations, to elect, in only one round, mayors, chairs of county and local councils and county and local councillors. Analysts say voter turnout will make an important difference in Sundays elections.



    SCHOOLS In Romania, face-to-face teaching in the schools where polling stations are organized for Sundays local elections will be suspended as of today, with classes only to be taught online until September 30. A number of 146 schools in Bucharest, which will not be hosting polling stations, will carry on in-person teaching, according to a scenario approved by the Bucharest Committee for Emergencies.



    RESIGNATION Giorgiana Hosu, chief prosecutor of DIICOT (the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism), Thursday announced she was stepping down. The decision follows a 3-year suspended sentence given to her husband by a court of first instance. Appointed this February, Giorgiana Hosu is the 3rd DIICOT chief to resign in the past 5 years. Dan Hosu, former chief in the Romanian Polices organised crime division, was sentenced for inciting illegal access to a computer system and inciting the use of information not intended for publication, in view of obtaining undue benefits for himself or others. The ruling is not final.



    MILITARY Over 200 troops from Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia and Turkey, with air and land equipment, are taking part in the 2020 Carpathian Eagle multinational exercise of Special Operations Forces, hosted by the Cincu base in Romania. According to the Defence Ministry, the exercise is designed to train military structures in planning, organising, implementing and managing independent special operations, with a view to enhancing regional security.



    BSEC The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu will char today an informal, online meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), held on the sidelines of the 75th top-level UN General Assembly meeting. Romania is the acting president of the BSEC until the end of this year. The special guest of the meeting is the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi.



    FOOTBALL Romanias football champions, CFR Cluj, qualified into the Europa League playoffs, after defeating Thursday night the Swedish team Djurgaarden IF, 1-0 away from home. In the playoff due on October 1, the Romanians will play on home turf against the Finnish side KuPS Kuopi. On the other hand, Romanias Cup winner FCSB (Bucharest), Thursday night lost at home to the Czech team Slovan Liberec, 0-2, and failed to qualify in the Europa League playoffs. FCSB played with a team of substitutes, because of the large number of coronavirus infection cases reported among its regular players. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • New decisions in Romanian football

    New decisions in Romanian football

    An emergency committee of the Romanian Football Federation decided on Thursday, after online consultations with the members of the Executive Committee, to increase the number of teams playing in League I from 14 to 16, starting the 2020-2021 season. Consequently, no team will be demoted this summer.



    The decision rescues the Bucharest club Dinamo, ranked one but last at the end of this years championship matches. The team was in this situation because COVID-19 cases among its players prevented them from playing as many as 5 games, and the championship was suspended on August 6 with all teams preserving their places in the standings, irrespective of the number of matches played.



    The team in last place, Chindia Târgoviște, will face the third-ranking team in League II, CS Mioveni, in a playoff. The top 2 teams in League II, UTA Arad and Campionii FC Argeș, will move up into League I. The president of the Romanian Football Federation, Răzvan Burleanu, explains the new decision:



    Răzvan Burleanu: “What this means, first of all, is that no team will be relegated from League I. there will be no direct relegation. Also, given that the League II teams completed their competition, they have the right to move up, and this right will be protected, with 2.5 teams from League II moving into the top league. In other words, the team ranking 3rd will have to compete for promotion. There will be a playoff round for the place in League I, pitting Chindia Târgoviște, placed last in League I, against CS Mioveni, ranked 3rd in League II. The playoff will have 2 legs, on August 9 and 12.



    Burleanu also said the elements taken into account for the 16-team competition system include television ratings, the number of viewers, infrastructure, financial stability and the predictability of match scores. “We think this system is more attractive and will help us increase the revenues of League I clubs. This system also addresses a number of flaws of the 14-team system, such as the difference between the number of playoff and playout matches. Also, we have to admit that in the old format there were matches with no actual stake, and this is going to change now, Burleanu added.



    On the other hand, at the end of the 2020-2021 season the new system will allow a playout team to compete against a playoff team for qualification in the European football cups.



    The new football season may start on August 22. The president of the Romanian Football Federation Răzvan Burleanu warned that the new season will come with financial difficulties, and said the Federation urges clubs to be cautious and to safeguard their financial stability. He added that he would like football fans to be back on stadiums as soon as possible, but that this will only be permitted after all health risks have been addressed. Romanias football champion this year is CFR Cluj, while the Romanian Football Cup went to FCSB from Bucharest.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 29, 2020 UPDATE

    February 29, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID19 Romania has 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, with the patients current state reported as good. Another 52 people are quarantined across the country, and 8,796 are under home monitoring. The healthcare authorities in the counties Timiş in the west and Maramureş in the north-west are running investigations to establish the people who were in contact with the 2 persons who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. Both of them had travelled to Italy recently. The first patient in Romania, a 25 year old man from Gorj County, in the south, is feeling well, and Fridays tests came out negative, doctors say. If the next test is also negative, the patient will be discharged. In Europe, Italy remains the most affected country. As the epidemic spread, stock exchanges across the world reported total losses of over 5 trillion US dollars. The BBC says the US financial markets have not been hit so hard since the 2008 financial crisis. Investors fear that the growing number of coronavirus cases outside China may turn the disease into a pandemic.



    AFGHANISTAN Romania welcomes Saturdays agreement signed by the USA and the Taliban for the normalisation of the situation in Afghanistan, as well as the joint declaration between Washington and Kabul for bringing peace to Afghanistan, the Romanian foreign ministry announced. Romania voices confidence that full implementation of these agreements will lead to stability in Afghanistan. According to the foreign ministry, Bucharest will continue to support the efforts to ensure peace and security in Afghanistan, coordinating with its NATO allies. The US and the Taliban Saturday signed in Doha, Qatar, a historic agreement that paves the way for the withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan in the next 14 months and for inter-Afghan peace negotiations after 18 years of war.



    EUROVISION Buzau, in the south-east of the country, is hosting on Sunday the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The public and a specialised jury will choose the song to be performed in the 2020 Rotterdam international competition by Romanias representative, Roxen. Several pieces have been written for her, and the best 5 of them are in the national final. Roxen gained popularity last summer with her song You Dont Love Me, aired in France, Mexico, the USA, Russia, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Estonia. Roxen will compete in the Eurovision first semi-final on May 12, with the final scheduled for May 16.



    MIGRANTS Greece prevented 4,000 migrants to enter its territory “illegally from Turkey, a spokesman for the Greek government announced on Saturday after an emergency meeting chaired by PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, AFP and Reuters report. On Friday, the country faced a mass, organised and illegal border crossing attempt, but it managed to overcome it, the government spokesperson explained. He added that Greece protected its borders and the borders of the EU. Also on Saturday, in an address in Istanbul, Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will open its borders to enable migrants to leave, and criticised the EU for not helping Ankara enough. Turkey says it was forced to ease border controls for the refugees trying to reach the EU from Turkey, because of the pressure of the refugees coming from Syria amid clashes in the rebel stronghold of Idlib.



    RUSSIA Thousands of Russian opposition supporters gathered in Moscow on Saturday to protest the constitutional reforms initiated by president Vladimir Putin and to pay tribute to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, murdered 5 years ago near Kremlin, AFP reports. In Sankt-Petersburg, nearly 2,000 people rallied in the centre of the city. The authorised march is the first important public gathering since Putin announced a Constitution review set to strengthen the role of the president and of the State Council. The killing of Boris Nemtsov in February 2015 had huge echoes in Russia and abroad. Nemtsov was in the middle of an investigation into the involvement of the Russian Army in the east Ukraine war.



    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Ramnicu Valcea, Saturday defeated the Swedish side Savehof, 28-20 at home, in the Champions League Main Group 2. In Main Group 1 in the same competition, vice-champions CSM Bucharest play away from home on Sunday against the French team Metz. The Romanian teams are ranking 4th in their respective groups and CSM is the only one having secured a place in the quarter-finals. In mens handball, champions Dinamo Bucharest take on Sporting Lisbon, on Sunday night, after a 26-25 win away from home. If they go past the Portuguese team, Dinamo move into the Champions League round of 16.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 29, 2020

    February 29, 2020

    COVID19 Romania has 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, with the patients current state reported as good. Another 52 people are quarantined across the country, and 8,796 under home monitoring. The healthcare authorities in the counties Timiş in the west and Maramureş in the north-west are running investigations to establish the people who were in contact with the 2 persons who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. Both of them had travelled to Italy recently. The first patient in Romania, a 25 year old man from Gorj County, in the south, is feeling well, and Fridays tests came out negative, doctors say. If the next test is also negative, the patient will be discharged. In Europe, Italy remains the most affected country. As the epidemic spread, stock exchanges across the world reported total losses of over 5 trillion US dollars. The BBC says the US financial markets have not been hit so hard since the 2008 financial crisis. Investors fear that the growing number of coronavirus cases outside China may turn the disease into a pandemic.



    ARREST The former healthcare minister in the Social Democratic government Sorina Pintea, currently the manager of the Baia Mare Emergency Hospital in the north-west of the country, was detained on Saturday by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for continuing bribe taking. According to the DNA, between December 2019 and February 28, this year, Pintea received 10,000 euros and 25,000 euros from a business operator, in 2 instalments, accounting for 7% of the value of a public procurement contract concerning the design and building of a cardiovascular and thoracic surgery unit. The contract was signed in 2019 by the hospital with the company in question. Pintea allegedly received the money in exchange for completing some of her duties as a manager and authorising officer, anti-corruption prosecutors say. They requested the Bucharest Court to approve a 30-day pre-trial arrest order against Pintea. Sorina Pintea was a healthcare minister in Viorica Dancilas left-wing government dismissed last October.



    DISEASE Romania has too few doctors able to diagnose rare diseases, experts warn today, the International Rare Disease Day. They say investments in medical equipment in the field of genetics, which are vital for accurate diagnoses, are scarce. Physicians also warn that rare disease patients and their families face severe challenges in terms of access to care. So far more than 6,000 different rare diseases have been identified, most of which are without treatment across the world. In Romania, such diseases are underdiagnosed.



    MIGRANTS Greece prevented 4,000 migrants to enter its territory “illegally from Turkey, a spokesman for the Greek government announced on Saturday after an emergency meeting chaired by PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, AFP and Reuters report. On Friday, the country faced a mass, organised and illegal border crossing attempt, but it managed to overcome it, the government spokesperson explained. He added that Greece protected its borders and the borders of the EU. Also on Saturday, in an address in Istanbul, Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will open its borders to enable migrants to leave, and criticised the EU for not helping Ankara enough. Turkey says it was forced to ease border controls for the refugees trying to reach the EU from Turkey, because of the pressure of the refugees coming from Syria amid clashes in the rebel stronghold of Idlib.



    SLOVAKIA Slovakia is voting on Saturday for a new Parliament, hoping to fight corruption, frequently linked to the populist, left-of-centre ruling party Smer-SD. The vote may be crucial for the history of the country, which is still outraged by the murder of anti-corruption journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee in 2018, AFP reports. His killing, ordered by a businessman with political connections, mobilised the public, and polls suggest that the ruling party Smer-SD is running shoulder to shoulder with the centre-right opposition party OLaNO, which turned the fight against corruption into its rallying call. The double murder in 2018 triggered massive street protests against the government, and prime minister Robert Fico had to resign.



    RUSSIA Hundreds of Russian opposition supporters gathered in Moscow on Saturday to protest the constitutional reforms initiated by president Vladimir Putin and to pay tribute to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, murdered 5 years ago near Kremlin, AFP reports. In Sankt-Petersburg, nearly 2,000 people rallied in the centre of the city. The authorised march is the first important public gathering since Putin announced a Constitution review set to strengthen the role of the president and of the State Council. The killing of Boris Nemtsov in February 2015 had huge echoes in Russia and abroad. Nemtsov was in the middle of an investigation into the involvement of the Russian Army in the east Ukraine war.



    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Ramnicu Valcea, play today at home against the Swedish side Savehof, in the Champions League Main Group 2. In Main Group 1 in the same competition, vice-champions CSM Bucharest play away from home on Sunday against the French team Metz. The Romanian teams are ranking 4th in their respective groups and CSM is the only one having secured a place in the quarter-finals. In mens handball, champions Dinamo Bucharest take on Sporting Lisbon, on Sunday night, after a 26-25 win away from home. If they go past the Portuguese team, Dinamo move into the Champions League round of 16.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)