Radio România Internațional

Tag: peak

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    Mountain peaks have always posed a challenge for the human being,
    Notwithstanding, it was not until 1950 that the first over-8,000m peak was
    climbed by man. Back then the French Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal climbed the Annapurna peak in the Himalayas.
    Being able to climb at such an altitude has remained, to this day, a great
    performance. Last week such a performance was reiterated by a
    Romanian. Climber Horia Colibăşanu this past Saturday succeeded to climb Broad
    Peak in the Karakorum Massif, on the Pakistani-Chinese border, at an altitude
    of 8, 051 meters. Colibasanu succeeded that with no help from the sherpas and
    with no extra supply of oxygen. For 2023, it was Romanian climbing’s greatest
    performance. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Horia
    Colibăşanu the Athlete of the week.


    The Broad Peak 2023 Expedition was a project
    carried by the Timisoara-based Alternatives Sports Club, affiliated to the
    Romanian Climbing and Escalade Federation. Horia Colibasanu has been a member of, for so many years now. The Romanian set
    off from Bucharest on June 26, heading towards the Pakistani city of Islamabad. From there, he went to Askole, on the Karakorum
    main road, which is part of the ancient Silk Road. From there, he went trekking
    for a week, to the base camp. Then the ascension towards the Broad Peak followed,
    a peak formerly known as K3, a peak separated, to the north, from the spectacular
    K2 by the Godwin – Austen glacier.


    Broad Peak was the tenth over-8,000m peak Horia Colibăsanu has escalated
    in his career. Also, he took part in 25 international expeditions, being the most
    accomplished Romanian in high-altitude climbing. Horia still remains the
    only Romanian to have reached the K2 and Daulagiri peaks, rated among the world’s
    most dangerous such peaks. In 2017, Horia Colibasanu climbed Everest with no sherpas
    and no extra supply of oxygen. Of the 6,000 successful ascensions of Everest,
    less than two hundred were made with no extra supply of oxygen, a performance
    considered impossible until 1978.

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    The European Women’s U-19 Handball Championship
    has drawn to a close in Pitesti his past Sunday. Romania won the bronze medal,
    an absolute first for the national squad in the last 16 years, for the U-19 category.
    In the 3rd-place final Romania defeated Portugal, 39-32. The European title went
    to Hungary, a team that secured a 35-26 win against Denmark.


    Romania
    has had a no-medal record at the end of the European U-23 Athletics Championships
    held in Espoo, Finland. Romanian delegation’s best performance in the
    competition was Mihai Sorin Dringo’s coming in 4th in the 400m race.
    Romania sent a 20-strong delegation in Finland. 12 athletes competed in the women’s
    version, while 8 other in the men’s version of the event.

    The Romanian climber Horia Colibăşanu has yet
    again succeeded a great performance. On Saturday, Horia climbed the Karakorum Massif’s
    Broad Peak located on the Pakistani-Chinese border, at an altitude of 8, 051 meters.
    Broad Peak is the 10th over-8,000m peak Colibasanu has climbed in
    his career.


    Romanian women’s national football team in Bucharest this past Sunday
    grabbed a 2-nil win in a friendly against Bulgaria. Towards the end of the
    first half Romania twice turned two penalty kicks into goals. On September
    22nd, in the League of Nations B2 Group, Romania makes its debut in the competition
    with an away fixture against Croatia. Also part of B2 group are Finland and Slovakia.


    This past weekend saw the Romanian Football
    Super League kick-starting for a fresh edition. On Friday, the match pitting Oţelul
    Galaţi against UTA Arad ended 1-all, while the match pitting Rapid Bucharest against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe ended in a blank draw. In Sibiu on Saturday,
    Farul Constanţa defeated FC Hermannstadt, 1-nil, while on home turf, CFR Cluj outclassed
    Poli Iaşi, 2-nil. In Ploiesti on Sunday, the local side Petrolul drew against Universitatea
    Cluj, 1-all, while in Târgu Jiu, FCSB grabbed a 3 -1 win against FC U
    Craiova 1948.

  • Peak of respiratory viral infections

    Peak of respiratory viral infections

    Romania is in a state of epidemiological alert, given that it is facing an avalanche of respiratory infections. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, has recently stated that he will not declare an epidemic, as this would imply a return to “certain restrictions”, similar to those imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The health minister stated that the week from December 26 to January 1 was the third week of epidemic. Cases of flu, viral infections and pneumonia are on the rise, so more and more adults and children with symptoms are crowding in the hospital emergency rooms. As of this week, the wave of respiratory viral infections could reach its peak, given that these cases are multiplying rapidly.



    Specialists believe that most cases could be reported until February 10, and then a decrease will follow. The latest data from the Health Ministry indicate over 100,000 respiratory infections: viral infections, flu and pneumonia, detected by doctors in the first week of this year. The number is much higher than the total number of cases reported in the previous interval and almost double compared to the period before the pandemic.



    At the same time, several cases of multiple infection, with the influenza virus and the novel coronavirus, have also been confirmed in recent days, and doctors say that the risk of complications is higher than when the patient only has the flu. However, experts say that the probability of simultaneous infection is quite low. In their opinion, the main concern should be to limit the transmission of viruses in general, even of seasonal ones, which are considered less dangerous.



    Doctors and authorities remind that the protective measures applied during the pandemic have an effect in limiting the transmission of any respiratory virus and say that people should resume wearing masks in crowded spaces, if crowds cannot be avoided, and observing a rigorous hygiene of hands.



    On the other hand, in the context of the current epidemiological situation, the Association of the National Society of Family Medicine recommends the population, in case of viral infection, to seek medical advice and avoid self-medication. They draw attention that the release of antiviral medication is based on a medical prescription and that the treatment of a medical condition is based on the active substances and the dosage that a medicine contains and not on its trade name.



    Doctors warn that treatment schemes must be adapted to each individual patient, depending on age, type of virus, comorbidities, so treatments are not “universally valid”. Observing these principles will lead to rapid healing and recovery, avoiding the complications of this seasons viruses, doctors also highlighted. (LS)

  • Economic measures in times of crisis

    Economic measures in times of crisis

    As of Wednesday, in Romania employers may apply for governmental funds to pay their employees in idle time. The applications may be submitted online, to the county employment agencies. The same type of aid is available not only for companies with employees, but also to the self-employed. In order to benefit from these funds, employers must submit to county employment agencies an application, a sworn statement and a list of the employees on idle time.



    The Labour Minister, Violeta Alexandru, promised that all applications will be processed as quickly as possible. Idle time benefits are capped at around 800 euros per month, before tax and healthcare and pension contributions. According to the latest data, over 500,000 employees have already seen their employment contracts temporarily suspended over the coronavirus crisis. Tax analysts warn however that the idle time benefits, accounting for maximum 75% of the gross salary, will be subject to the same tax rates as the regular salaries.



    Meanwhile, the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, says that the tensions created by the COVID-19 crisis in the monetary, financial and banking sector have already reached the peak and will subside. Isărescu explained in a news release that after successive days with substantial cash withdrawals, the situation is now stable.



    According to the central bank governor, there were isolated, temporary bottlenecks shortly after the state of emergency was announced. Between March 11 and 20, banks withdrew some 900 million euros in cash from the central bank, in order to cover the demand for cash from their clients. This was double the figure reported during the winter holidays in December 2019.



    Over the past few days, however, the National Bank says, withdrawals fell substantially, and at present banks are able to cover their ATM and payment needs from their own resources. The cash reserves of the National Bank also stayed within prudential limits and increased slightly in the last several days.



    According to the central bank, there are no problems in covering the demand for cash in local currency. The bank recommends nonetheless that individuals and companies try and use non-cash payment instruments as much as possible these days.



    After the National Bank announced its monetary policy decisions, interest rates were cut considerably, and the exchange rate for the national currency stabilized within a 1% range, with a slight upward trend reported lately, the central banks news release also reads.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Inflation reaches 5-year peak

    Inflation reaches 5-year peak

    In Romania, the year-on-year inflation rate went up to 5% in March 2018, its highest level in the past five years, the National Statistics Institute (INS) announced on Thursday. According to INS, the increase is the result of a rise in the prices of non-food products by almost 7%, of food products by 4% and of services by around 3%. In the case of food, the price of citrus fruit went up the most, followed by fresh fruit and vegetable prices. Also in March, Romanians paid more for fuel and natural gas. A higher annual inflation rate than the current one was reported back in 2013 when consumer prices jumped 5.3%. In February 2018 the National Bank of Romania revised the inflation forecast for the end of the year from 3.2% to 3.5%.



    Eurostat has also confirmed that in February this year Romania reported the highest annual inflation rate in the EU, namely 3.8%. The annual inflation rate in Romania has increased significantly since the start of 2018. In January, it went up to 4.32% from 3.32% a month before, while in February it stood at 4.72%. The Central Bank explained in February, when it made public its Report on inflation, that the main cause for this is related to the effects of the reduction and elimination of several indirect taxes and non-tax fees during the corresponding period of last year, as well as of the recent rise in the prices for electricity, natural gas, thermal energy and fuel.



    Ionel Danca, the spokesman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), in the opposition, said Thursday, after the INS report was published, that such a high annual inflation rate means a significant increase in prices which impacts Romanians purchasing power. He added that the ruling alliance made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats managed to counteract Romanias economic growth in one year alone. He also said that the government must be stopped through a censure motion tabled by the National Liberal Party.



    In another development, the Government of Romania on Thursday passed an emergency order turning the National Commission for Prognosis into the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis. According to the Government, the Commission will draw up economic development and social programmes, and surveys and forecasts on macroeconomic balance. Moreover, it will assess the economic and social impact of state aid schemes and of the public investment projects conducted through public-private partnerships.


    (translated by: Elena Enache)