Radio România Internațional

Tag: Pope

February 25, 2025

A roundup of local and international news.

RESOLUTION – The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine. The document, which does not include any criticism of Moscow’s aggression, was also voted by the United States, after a significant softening of its tone. Europeans have said that there can be no peace that rewards aggression. From Europe’s point of view, this only highlights major rifts in the transatlantic alliance, the international media say.

DACIA – Sales of the Romanian-brand Dacia cars in Europe registered an annual decline of 5.2% in January, and the car manufacturer’s market share fell to 4.9% from 5.1%, according to data published today by the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers. The statistical data is valid for the European Union, the United Kingdom and the countries of the European Free Trade Association, namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Large car manufacturers reported mixed sale developments in January: increases of 5.4% at Renault and 16.6% at Volkswagen, but a decrease of 12.2% at Ford. The European Commission is hosting talks between car manufacturers, suppliers and unions in the field, with a view to implementing plans at EU level to protect the automotive sector, vital for the prosperity of the community bloc. In recent weeks, European carmakers have announced plant closures and layoffs, amid competition from rivals in China and the prospect of additional tariffs from the US. The European car sector employs 13.2 million people and accounts for 10.3% of all jobs in the EU industry.

INFLATION – After ten months in which Romania had the highest average annual inflation in the EU, in January 2025 Hungary climbed to first position, with 5.7%, followed by Romania, with 5.3%, and Croatia, with 5 percent, according to data published by the European Statistical Office. At the opposite end, last month, the lowest average annual inflation rates in the EU were recorded in Denmark (1.4%), Ireland, Italy and Finland (1.7%). Compared to December 2024, Eurostat shows that the average annual inflation rate decreased in eight EU member states, including Romania, from 5.5% to 5.3%, remained stable in four and increased in 15 countries. The National Bank has revised upwards the inflation forecast in Romania for the end of 2025, from 3.5% to 3.8%. The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, anticipates that this indicator will reach 3.1% at the end of 2026.

CONSULTATIONS – Romania’s acting President, Ilie Bolojan, will hold consultations with all parliamentary parties on Wednesday to prepare Romania’s position at the extraordinary European Council meeting on March 6. The main topics of discussion are related to support for Ukraine and the preparation of the European Union’s common defense strategy, after the American administration announced that it wants to reduce its military presence in Europe. Each of the seven parties represented in Parliament and the parliamentary group of national minorities has been allocated an hour for discussions.

MOTION – A censure motion against the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition government in Bucharest has been submitted to Parliament today. The standing bureaus will set the calendar for the debate and the vote. The document is signed by 154 parliamentarians from the opposition parties SOS Romania, AUR and POT. However USR, also in opposition, has announced that it does not support the motion, as there are not enough votes to adopt it and that the process should have been initiated after the presidential elections in May.

POPE – The health of Pope Francis, 88, hospitalized with double pneumonia, is showing a slight improvement, but remains critical, the Vatican said in a statement. Given the complexity of his condition, doctors are cautiously avoiding commenting on it, the same source said, adding that the Pontiff thanked all the people who prayed for him in recent days. Hospitalized since February 14, the Pope’s condition suddenly deteriorated on Saturday. In a message on Sunday, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery.

25 February 2025
February 23, 2025 UPDATE

POPE FRANCIS Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery, in a message sent on Sunday on behalf of himself, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the clergy and all Romanian Orthodox believers.

The Patriarch says he prays for Pope Francis to recover and resume his pastoral and missionary work as soon as possible.

Aged 88, Pope Francis has been hospitalised in Rome for almost 10 days with bilateral pneumonia, and his health has worsened. Pope Francis was elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013. (AMP)

23 February 2025
September 2, 2024 UPDATE

Parliament – The last session of the current Parliament began on Monday in Bucharest, with parliamentary elections to take place on December 1. The Senate adopted, as the first chamber notified, the Government’s draft law on the donation of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system to third parties. The project will also be sent to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. After the adoption of the law by Parliament, the Government will be able to issue the decision that will make the act of donation operational. Another bill is aimed at exempting from taxation the pensions below 3,000 lei (600 Euros), for which a decisive vote is expected on Tuesday in the Chamber of Deputies. The bill allows the people who benefited from pension increases as a result of recalculations not to lose any money following the raising of the current tax ceiling of 2,000 lei (400 Euros).

Government – In its Monday meeting, the government issued an emergency ordinance to raise the ceiling for the social benefits granted to low-income pensioners whose pensions went up as a result of recent recalculations. The ceiling by which food allowances will be granted is to go up from 2,000 to 2,210 lei, that is some 440 Euros. An allowance of 1,400 lei to help with utility bills during winter will continue to be granted, regardless of the pension rises. The ceiling was also raised by which pensioners can benefit from 90% subsidies on medicines. In another move, the government is to start consultations with the representatives of people with disabilities to draft a special pensions law for this category that should take into account the low contribution levels recognized previously.

Drills – Romanian military are taking part in the Ample Strike international exercise under way in the Czech Republic until September 20. They will carry out air support and air surveillance missions alongside other NATO troops. According to the Romanian defense ministry, 25 military and two helicopters are taking part in the exercise.

Weather – Meteorologists have issued a code orange alert for heat wave valid, on Tuesday, in several counties in the west and south-west of Romania. Thermal discomfort will be high, and the temperature-humidity index (ITU) will reach the critical threshold of 80 units. Maximum temperatures, particularly high for this date, will be around 37 degrees Celsius. Also on Tuesday, a yellow code alert for heat will be valid in almost the entire country. The maximum temperature will reach 35 degrees C.

Commissioner – The Social Democratic MEP (in the government coalition with the National Liberal Party – PNL), Roxana Mînzatu, is Romania’s official proposal for the position of European Commissioner, the PM Marcel Ciolacu announced on Monday. The social-democratic leader said that the EC president, Ursula von der Leyen, already had the interview with Roxana Mînzatu. He also said that he would discuss, in the next period, with the head of the European Commission about the portfolio that Bucharest will manage. The PM points out that the field would be established by Ursula von der Leyen, but assured that it would be a relevant one. The PNL leader, Nicolae Ciucă, says that the options are for the Enlargement portfolio or the Agriculture portfolio. The makeup of the future European Commission will be announced on September 11. Roxana Mînzatu has a degree in political sciences in English, she was a Braşov county deputy in the last legislature, and, in 2019 she was appointed Minister of European Funds.

Bank – The foreign exchange reserves of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) exceeded 63 billion Euros at the end of August 2024, down by 0.62% as compared to the level of July 31, according to a communiqué of the Central Bank, sent to AGERPRES. The level of the gold reserve remained at 103.6 tons. Against the backdrop of international price developments, its value was 7.588 billion Euros.

Visit – Pope Francis is starting his 45^th apostolic trip abroad. Until September 13, the Sovereign Pontiff will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, states marked by strong religious, economic and social contrasts. Immigration, inter-religious dialogue, ecology, the role of the Church in relation to access to health and education are the main themes that the pontiff will address in his speeches and meetings. According to the Radio Romania’s correspondent in Rome, in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, the central theme will be the dialogue between Islam and Christianity. On September 5, there will be an interfaith meeting in the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, in the presence of representatives of six official religions, on which occasion the Pope will sign a joint statement with the Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar. Pope Francis is the third Sovereign Pontiff to visit this archipelago, after Paul VI and John Paul II.

Israel – The US President Joe Biden said on Monday that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to reach an agreement to release the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. A strike called by the main trade union confederation took place in Israel on Monday in protest against the delay in a cease-fire agreement in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas. Employees of banks, hospitals and malls joined the protest, and flights were suspended at “Ben Gurion” Airport, the Israeli press writes. The strike call came after about half a million Israelis took to the streets in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities on Sunday evening to ask the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to bring home the 101 hostages who are still in Gaza, reports Reuters. The protests took place after six hostages aged between 23 and 40 were found dead in a tunnel in Gaza by the army that said that they had been killed recently. (LS)

2 September 2024
January 2, 2023 UPDATE

FLIGHTS Many flights scheduled to land on or depart from the Avram Iancu International Airport in Cluj-Napoca, north-western Romania have been delayed or cancelled because of the fog. The airport’s normal schedule was completely disrupted, with flights diverted to other airports in the country or in neighbouring Hungary. Hundreds of people are queuing and complaining that the delays or cancellations had not been announced by airlines. Cluj County is subject to an extended code yellow alert for fog, with visibility below 200m and in some cases even below 50m.

DRUGS Over 1,000 people were arrested for drug trafficking in Romania in the first 11 months of 2022. Many of them formed organised crime groups, and 55 such groups were dismantled. Over one tonne of risk and high-risk substances were seized, the Romanian Police announced on Monday.

PENSIONS As many as 4,787,920 pensioners were registered in Romania in December 2022, with the average pension benefits standing at roughly EUR 350, according to data centralised by the National Public Pensions Agency (CNPP). Nearly 700,000 of them had worked in agriculture, with pensions only amounting to EUR 100 in their case.

RECYCLING All traders in Romania that sell bottled water, soft drinks or alcoholic drinks in plastic, glass or metal containers between 100 ml and 3 l are bound to register within 2 months on the platform of a guarantee-return system (SGR). Otherwise, they risk fines between EUR 4,000 and EUR 8,000. The authorities want the system to become operational at the end of November 2023. Shops will also have to arrange packaging return centres. The prices of drinks will include the roughly EUR 0.10 packaging guarantee, which consumers will collect when returning the bottles. Romania will thus have the second-largest such system in Europe, after Germany, the environment minister Tanczos Barna said recently.

NATO Western countries must be prepared to provide long-term support to Ukraine as Russia shows no signs of relenting, NATO’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said. In an interview to the BBC, Stoltenberg said military support would ensure the survival of Ukraine as a sovereign country and force Russia to sit down and negotiate an end to the war. According to Jens Stoltenberg, Russia’s partial mobilisation programme, ordered in September, indicated that Moscow had no desire to end the war, and NATO must make sure that Ukraine stays in a strong position in the event of negotiation talks between the two sides.

UKRAINE At least 63 Russian troops were killed in a Ukrainian attack on Makeevka, in the east, the Russian defence ministry announced on Monday, quoted by international media. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Russian defence ministry’s spokesman, said four missiles hit a point of temporary deployment of the Russian army in Makeevka, a town under Russian occupation. Moscow, which very rarely discusses its losses, has never reported such a large number of casualties in one strike since the start of its invasion in Ukraine on February 24 last year. The media had previously released information on the attack in Makeevka, saying it had taken place on New Year’s Eve, and that a building hosting recently mobilised reservists had been affected. The strike was facilitated by the soldiers’ extensive use of mobile phones, which enabled the Ukrainian army to identify their location, Russian sources say.

POPE Thousands of believers have gathered in Vatican to pay their respects to the former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday aged 95 and whose body is lying in state at St Peter’s Basilica ahead of the funeral scheduled for Thursday. On Sunday Pope Francis paid tribute to his dearest predecessor, emphasising his sacrifices offered for the good of the Church. Benedict XVI, who announced his resignation from the papacy in 2013 on account of his ill health and age, was a highly praised theologian. The funeral will be presided over by Pope Francis, and it will be the first time in the 2,000-year long history of the Catholic Church that a Pope will be buried by his successor.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (34WTA) started the year 2023 on the right foot, defeating Shelby Rogers 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, on Monday, in the first round of the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide (Australia). In the round of 16, Irina Begu will take on the winner of the match between Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia). (AMP)

2 January 2023
January 2, 2023

SWIMMING The Romanian athlete David Popovici was awarded the best
swimmer of the year 2022 title by the well-known website Swimswam.com. The
peak of Popovici’s year came at the 2022 European Championships. There, he
first took down Cesar Cielo’s super-suited world record time of 46.91 in the
100 free, going 46.86. Then, he swam a 1:42.97 in the 200 free, becoming the
third male to break 1:43 behind Paul Biedermann and Michael Phelps and the first
to do so in a textile suit, the website says. David Popovici won the 100 and
200 free at every major long course international meet that he competed at: the
World Championships, the European Championships, the World Junior Championships,
and the European Championships.

RECYCLING
All traders in Romania that sell bottled water, soft drinks or alcoholic drinks
in plastic, glass or metal containers between 100 ml and 3 l are bound to
register within 2 months on the platform of a guarantee-return system (SGR). Otherwise,
they risk fines between EUR 4,000 and EUR 8,000. The authorities want the
system to become operational at the end of November 2023. Shops will also have
to arrange packaging return centres. The prices of drinks will include the
roughly EUR 0.10 packaging guarantee, which consumers will collect when
returning the bottles. Romania will thus have the second-largest return system in
Europe, after Germany, the environment minister Tanczos Barna said recently.

NATO
Western countries must be prepared to provide long-term support to Ukraine as
Russia shows no signs of relenting, NATO’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said.
In an interview to the BBC, Stoltenberg saidmilitary
support would ensure the survival of Ukraine as a sovereign country and force
Russia to sit down and negotiate an end to the war. According to Jens Stoltenberg,
Russia’s partial mobilisation programme, ordered in September, indicated that
Moscow had no desire to end the war, and NATO must make sure that Ukraine stays
in a strong position in the event of negotiation talks between the two sides.

UKRAINE
Russia last night carried on attacks on Ukraine using Iranian-made drones, and
targeting the capital city in particular. Air raid alerts sounded for several
hours, and local authorities say a young man was injured and several buildings
damaged. This is the second consecutive night of heavy Russian missile attacks
on Kyiv, after the massive one on New Year’s night. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian
forces, which destroyed some of the drones, announced having caused substantial
casualties among the Russian troops in Bakhmut, a small town in the east of the
country which has been seeing heavy fighting for several months now. Apparently
170 Russian troops were killed and at least 200 wounded. Moscow has not yet
confirmed the losses, but said its recent attacks targeted buildings where the
Ukrainians were reportedly producing drones.

POPE
Thousands of believers have gathered in Vatican to pay
their respects to the former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday aged 95
and whose body is lying in state at St Peter’s Basilica ahead of the funeral scheduled
for Thursday. On Sunday Pope Francis paid tribute to his dearest predecessor,
emphasising his sacrifices offered for the good of the Church. Benedict
XVI, who announced his resignation from the papacy in 2013 on account of his
ill health and age, was a highly praised theologian. The funeral will be
presided over by Pope Francis, and it will be the first time in the 2,000-year
long history of the Catholic Church that a Pope will be buried by his successor.

BRAZIL
Brazil’s new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was sworn in and vowed to rebuild
the country together with the Brazilian people. For his 3rd term in
office as president, Lula da Silva (77) announced plans to strengthen
environment protection and curb famine. He criticised his far-right
predecessor Jair Bolsonaro’s government, arguing
that They emptied the resources for health, dismantled education, culture,
science, and destroyed the environmental protections. Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva governed the country in 2003-2010, when he fought poverty through major
social programmes. However, corruption had deepened during his previous terms
in office, and da Silva himself served time for corruption and money
laundering, although later on the Supreme Court ruled it a mistrial. (AMP)

2 January 2023
December 31, 2022 UPDATE

NEW YEAR PM Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians proved their solidarity, handled challenges “hard to imagine” and managed to do more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised that the government would continue to protect citizens interests, to support the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of Romania wished “A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts” to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and abroad.

MEASURES In Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel prices rise beyond citizens spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will remain in place.

JUDICIARY The year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institutions Facebook page. According to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says that the Ministrys top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.

POPE European leaders paid tribute to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday, aged 95. The president of France Emmanuel Macron praised him for his work towards a “more brotherly world”. Former Pope Benedict XVI was a “giant of faith and reason” and “a great figure in history, that history will never forget”, Italys PM Giorgia Meloni said in turn. The British PM Rishi Sunak voiced his sadness with the former Popes death, and praised him as a “great theologian.” Germanys chancellor Olaf Scholz also said that with the death of Benedict XVI, the world lost “a formative figure” of the Catholic Church. “He had set a strong signal through his resignation. He saw himself first as a servant for God and his Church,” the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen posted. The former Pope spent his last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state. Elected on April 19, 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health. Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down voluntarily.

ECONOMY Romania has the most stable economy in the region and ends the year 2022 with an over 5% economic growth rate, the finance minister Adrian Câciu posted on social media. He warned however that 2023 will be a difficult year, still marked by inflation and requiring the best use of public policy instruments for investments, reforms and supporting vulnerable categories. Adrian Câciu also emphasised the political stability and the sound partnership between the government and social and economic stakeholders. (AMP)

31 December 2022
December 31, 2022

NEW YEAR PM
Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians
proved their solidarity, handled challenges hard to imagine and managed to do
more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at
its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised
that the government would continue to protect citizens’ interests, to support
the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of
Romania wished A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts
to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and
abroad.

MEASURES In
Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to
reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the
other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be
discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel
prices rise beyond citizens’ spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will
be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will
remain in place.

JUDICIARY The
year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice
Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institution’s Facebook page. According
to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to
achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders
able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical
social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state
from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says
that the Ministry’s top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania
being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification
Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.

POPE Pope emeritus
Benedict XVI died this morning, aged 95, the Vatican announced. Over the past
few days his health had deteriorated, AFP reports. The former Pope spent his
last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state, after
resigning in 2013, for reasons that are still unclear. Elected on April 19,
2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader
of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI
announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health.
Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down
voluntarily.

FUNDING
Romania this year received the green light for the partnership agreement and
all the 16 programmes under the 2021-2027 cohesion policy, thus avoiding the
risk of losing EUR 5.2 bln, the ministry for investments and European projects
announced. According to the institution, these 16 programmes will bring into
the country EUR 46 bln in strategic investments in safer hospitals, transport
networks, the water and sewage infrastructure and support for the business
community. Eight of the 16 programmes are regional. In the previous EU financial
period, 2014-2020, Romania received EU funds totaling EUR 25.4 bln. (AMP)

31 December 2022
April 2, 2021 UPDATE

VACCINE Romania’s vaccine rollout is in full swing at a rate of over 50,000 doses per day. So far over 2 million people have been vaccinated, and half of them have also got the booster dose. President Klaus Iohannis has announced that in the following period Romania will receive a significant amount of vaccine and the rollout can be stepped up. The head of the Romanian state has urged citizens to trust the benefits of immunization. In turn, the National Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca announced that 15 new vaccination centers are to become available as of April 5th. On Friday Romania registered a new all-time high in the number of patients in intensive care (1,454). Over 5,800 new infections have been reported at national level and 146 related fatalities. Roughly one million Romanians have been infected since the onset of the pandemic and the death toll stands at 24,000. A curfew between 8 pm and 5 am is in force over the weekend in the regions with an infection rate above 4 per thousand, with shops to be closed at 6 pm. At a rate above 7.5 cases per thousand, these measures are applied throughout the week, not only at weekends.

PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation has criticized the sluggish pace of Europe’s vaccine rollout, also mentioning the latest surge in coronavirus infections. The statement was made by the WHO European branch several days ahead of the Catholic Easter. Immunization and restrictions remain the main solutions to contain the spread of the more contagious variants, which have become dominant in countries like France, Spain or Germany. On Thursday, authorities in Berlin reported over 24 thousand new cases and over 200 Covid-related fatalities. In Spain, which has a major community of Romanians, the infection rate exceeded 150 cases per one hundred thousand people and in some regions indoor bars and restaurants have been closed. Travel restrictions have been imposed these days when Spain is celebrating the Holy Week without street events for the second year in a row. In Greece, where the number of active cases and infections isn’t going down, authorities have decided to open shops under very strict medical protocols after six weeks of lockdown. According to worldometers.info, over 130 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus and 2.8 million have died since the beginning of the pandemic.

EASTER Roman-Catholic and protestant believers the world over, including from Romania, are celebrating the most important Christian holiday, the Lord’s Resurrection, on April 4th, a month before the Orthodox believers. This is for the second year when Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic believers from all over the world, will deliver a mass in front of a lower number of participants because of the pandemic. On Good Friday, Pope Francis commemorated Christ’s passions and crucifixion. In spite of the lockdown in Italy, churches are open and citizens can attend religious services close to their homes, however they have to fill in a form stating their reasons to travel. In Romania on Saturday night the curfew has been lifted between 10 pm and 2 am, so that believers may attend the Easter Mass.

FRIGATE ‘Regina Maria’ Frigate moored in the military port of Constanţa (south-eastern Romania) after completing its participation in the missions of SNMG-2 (Standing NATO Maritime Group 2), in the Black Sea. The vessel, equipped with a Puma Naval helicopter and having a unit of combat divers on board, took part in naval, air and anti-submarine surveillance and medical evacuation missions, jointly with 4 other combat ships from Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey. NATOs standing naval presence in the Black Sea contributes to enhancing the Allies collective defence capabilities in the region, reads a news release issued by the Romanian Naval Forces Command. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

2 April 2021
March 28, 2021 UPDATE

SERVICE Pope Francis delivered a religious service in the St.
Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Palm Sunday urging believers to stay close to those
in need and suffering. On Palm Sunday, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made his
triumphal entry in Jerusalem where he was welcomed by many with Palm branches.
Five days later He was crucified, died and came back to life again. In the past
years, on Palm Sunday, the day marking the beginning of the Holy Week before
Easter, tens of thousands used to take to the St. Peter’s Square with palm and
olive branches in hands for an outdoor religious service. This time, due to the
pandemic restrictions, only 120 believers were allowed to join the Pope and the
30 cardinals in the basilica. Italy is presently seeing a national quarantine
expected to end after Easter. The Vatican, a sovereign state in downtown Rome,
has applied similar restrictions. However, unlike one year ago, the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem remained open to visitors on the Catholic Palm Sunday
allowing believers to attend the service. This year, Catholic believers are
celebrating Easter on April 4th while the Orthodox, a majority in
Romania, are to celebrate Christ’s resurrection almost a month later, on May 2nd.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Horia Tecau and Marcelo Arevalo of
Salvador have qualified for the round of 16 of the Miami Open ATP Masters 1000,
a competition with over three million dollars in prize money. The two secured a
6-4, 6-3 win against Henri Kontinen of Finland and Edouard Roger Vasselin of
France. This new pair will be up against top-seeded Juan Sebastian Cabal and
Robert Farah in the eighth finals.

DST
Daylight Saving Time began in Romania on Saturday night when clocks were set
one hour forward and the difference between the local time and GMT became of
three hours. DST was first introduced in Romania back in 1932 but this might be
the last hour change as the European Parliament in 2019 voted in favour of
scrapping this measure inside the EU. Each member state is to decide whether to
keep implementing the DST or not. Countries willing to keep the summer hour
made the change last night, whereas those preferring the winter hour are to
make the final change in the last Sunday of October.

MEASURES A new series of measures aimed at fighting the Covid-19 pandemic came
into effect in Romania as of Sunday. The new measures include a weekend night
curfew starting at 20 hours in regions with an infection rate that exceeds four
per thousand. In these regions shops are to close down at 18 hours while in
areas with an infection rate over 7.5 per thousand, restrictions will be in
force during the entire week. According to the latest data published by the
authorities, over 44 hundred new infections have been reported in Romania in
the past 24 hours most of them in Bucharest. A year on from the onset of the
pandemic, 930 thousand infections have been reported in Romania with a death
toll over 23 thousand. The number of Romanians who got at least a dose of the
anti-Covid vaccine has exceeded 1,900,000. Half of them have also been given
the booster dose.

(bill)

28 March 2021
March 7, 2021

Hospitals. Romania will build more hospitals in the next four years
using European funds. This promise was made by prime minister Florin Cîţu, who
said he would like this to be a legacy of his government. He explained that the
only condition for using the European money is for the new hospitals to be
finalised by 2026, just like the other projects carried out under the EU’s
Recovery and Resilience Facility, under which Romania can benefit from 30
billion euros worth of funding. Cîţu said this instrument will be simple and transparent,
and that private projects and entities will also be eligible for funding,
alongside public companies and institutions. Prime minister Cîţu said earlier
that education will receive some 9% of the budget of the recovery and
resilience fund, while healthcare will receive some 3 billion euros.

Covid Romania. More than 1.16 million
people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Romania, most of them with the
Pfizer-BioNTech jab. The Moderna and AstraZeneca jab are also used. Romania
reported almost 3,300 new cases on Sunday, with the total number of infections
now passing 828,000, 90% of whom have recovered. The death toll passed 20,900
and some 1,100 Covid patients are in intensive care. Amid rising infection
rates, the education and health ministries issued a joint order saying that
pupils in their finals years will continue to go to school even if Romania
enters the red tier, in a combination of remote and in-person learning. This
decision remains in place until the infection rate hits six cases per 1,000
inhabitants, when it will be reviewed. Wearing face masks in class is
mandatory, with the exception of music school pupils studying wind instruments,
of all children during physical exercise classes and of pre-school children. A
few counties are in the red zone, reporting more than 3 cases per 1,000
inhabitants over the course of 14 days, namely Timiş (west), Maramureş
(north-west), Ilfov (south), Cluj (north-west) and Braşov (centre). The capital
Bucharest has also re-entered the red zone, with restaurants and cafes now closed
for business indoors. The western city of Timişoara and four neighbouring
villages will go into lockdown on Sunday midnight because of high infection
rates, while Râmnicu Vâlcea, in the south, and four
other villages in Vâlcea county entered the red tier.

Covid world. The European Union will
begin talks with the US on the provision of American parts for the Covid
vaccines and which are subject to severe export restrictions by Washington. In
another development, thousands of people protested in Vienna against the
restrictions to combat the pandemic. Austria lifted some restrictions in
February, reopening schools, shops and museums, but other measures are still in
place, with cafes and restaurants still closed and mandatory Covid tests for
pupils attending in-person classes. Globally, Covid infections are nearing 117
million, while the death toll is 2.6 million.

Statistics. The proportion of women holding seats in the national
Parliaments of EU member states grew from 21% in 2004 to 33% in 2020, according
to statistics published by Eurostat. Although this percentage varies
significantly across the Union, no country has more women than men in
Parliament. Last year, the highest proportion of women in Parliament was
recorded in Sweden (almost 50%), Belgium (43%) and Spain (42%), while Hungary
and Malta had the lowest percentages (both 13%), alongside Romania and the
Czech Republic (with 20%). With respect to the proportion of women in
government in 2020, Finland had the highest level (55%), followed by Austria
(53%), Sweden (52%), France (51%) and Belgium (50%), while the lowest numbers
were recorded in Malta (8%), Greece (11%), Estonia (13%) and Romania (17%). Eurostat
published this report ahead of International Women’s Day on 8th
March.

Pope visit. On the final day of his historic
trip to Iraq, Pope Francis is meeting today members of the Christian community
in northern Iraq. The pontiff will pray for the victims of wars in Mosul and
Qaraqosh, two cities still in ruin after the devastation caused by the Islamic
State jihadist organisation. The pope’s final day in Iraq will end with a large
outdoor mass in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, considered an oasis of
peace in a region devastated by war and which is a place of refuge for many
Iraqi Christians. On Saturday, the pope met Iraq’s top
Shiite cleric, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and visited Ur, the
city believed to be the birthplace of Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism,
Christianity and Islam. During an ecumenical prayer, the pope denounced
terrorism that abuses religion. The pope’s visits abroad to mostly Muslim
countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, the United
Arab Emirates and the Palestinian territories, have been aimed at boosting
inter-religious dialogue.

Tennis. Several Romanian players are
in competition at the Dubai WTA tennis tournament worth 1.84 million dollars in
prize money and which got under way today. Ana Bogdan (ranked 100 in the world)
reached the main draw after defeating Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova in the qualifiers. Sorana Cîrstea (67 WTA) and Patricia
Țig (61 WTA) are two other Romanian players on the main draw in
Dubai. Țig will face Latvia‘s Jelena Ostapenko, while Cîrstea will
play a qualifier. Irina Begu (world no. 72) may be the fourth Romanian player in
competition if she defeats Austria’s Barbara Haas. Simona
Halep, the winner of the Dubai trophy last year, is not playing this year. (CM)

7 March 2021
September 20, 2020 UPDATE

Covid-19 RO. Bucharest authorities reported 1,231 new cases of COVID-19, after performing over 13,300 tests. Since the start of the pandemic, at the end of February, more than 112,000 people have been infected with the new coronavirus in Romania. Of these, some 90,000 have been declared cured and 4,435 have died. 470 patients are currently in intensive care. A protest against the protection measures implemented in schools was held in Bucharest on Saturday evening. Participants in the event challenged medical recommendations, such as wearing protective masks and keeping physical distance. They also challenged specialized studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of these measures in limiting the spread of the new coronavirus and even the risk it poses. Similar protests took place in Cluj (northwest), Timisoara (west), Oradea (northwest). In turn, specialists have again stressed that there are serious concerns about the risks associated with infection with the new coronavirus and have called for responsibility and compliance with health protection rules. Doctors emphasize that wearing a protective mask is one of the simplest and most effective measures to prevent infection.

EU. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, participates, on Monday, in Brussels, in the meeting of the heads of diplomacies from the member states of the European Union. Before the meeting, Minister Aurescu will take part, along with other EU ministers, in a working brunch with Svetlana Tihanovskaia, leader of the Belarusian opposition. During the meeting, the foreign ministers and the High Representative Josep Borrell will review, among other things, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanon and Venezuela, as well as EU-China and EU-Russia relations. Also, the agenda of talks includes a strategic debate on the future of the EUs partnerships with the states in the southern neighborhood. Also, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, the head of the Romanian diplomacy will have a bilateral meeting with Miroslav Lajcak, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.

Anniversary. The capital of Romania celebrated on Sunday 561 years since it was first mentioned in documents. This year, the events part of the Days of Bucharest took place in a special context, caused by the coronavirus pandemic. An online review of the previous six editions of the iMapp Bucharest International Festival was held in the evening. Also, video projections were made on the facades of the National Theater, the InterContinental Hotel and the University buildings. Several tram sets, personalized with graffiti made by some of the best street art artists in Bucharest, run, in an exhibition of moving urban art, to several areas of the capital.

Pope. A plaque commemorating Pope Francis apostolic visit to Romania was unveiled on Saturday at St. Josephs Cathedral in Bucharest. The plaque includes a medallion representing the Holy Father giving the apostolic blessing to Romania. Last year, between May 31 and June 2, Pope Francis paid a historic three-day visit to Romania under the motto “Lets walk together”. He made this visit 20 years after that of Pope John Paul II, the first of a Sovereign Pontiff to a predominantly Orthodox country.

Migration. The European Commission will present a draft reform of EUs migration policy on Wednesday. Postponed several times, this new pact on migration and asylum was due to be presented on September 30, but the fire that destroyed the refugee camp in Moria (Greece) on September 9 emphasized the urgency of a lasting European solution. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised measures to fight traffickers, strengthen external borders and deepen partnerships with non-EU countries, and create legal access routes. In her first speech on the state of the EU held a few days ago, Ursula von der Leyen said that there would be common structures for asylum and return, as well as a strong new solidarity mechanism, in the context of countries at the forefront of migrants arrival – Greece, Malta or Italy – saying they had to deal with a disproportionate burden. In recent years, attempts to move asylum seekers within the EU have been hampered by the refusal of the Visegrad Group countries (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) to accept migrants.

UNITER. The annual Prizes of the Romanian Theater Union (UNITER) will be awarded in Craiova (south) on Monday evening. At the Gala, which, due to the new coronavirus, will take place outdoors, at the Summer Theater in the Nicolae Romanescu Park, 250 artists and professionals from the cultural world, close to the theatrical phenomenon and the Gala, are expected to attend. The jury will announce the winners of the 11 award categories. According to the organizers, this year, the celebration is threefold: 30 years since the establishment of UNITER, 170 years since the establishment of the Marin Sorescu theater in Craiova and … the joy of seeing artists and partners again after six months of waiting, due to the crisis. Usually, the UNITER prizes were awarded in April / May. Radio Romania is a traditional partner of the Gala.

Tennis. Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number 2, qualified, on Sunday, for the final of the WTA tournament in Rome, with over 1.7 million euros in prize money, after defeating the Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Halep (28 years old) will play her third final in Rome, after in 2017 and 2018 she was defeated, in the last act, by the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. Also on Sunday, in the doubles, the Romanian-German pair Raluca Olaru / Anna-Lena Friedsam was defeated by Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) / Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic), 6-2, 6-2. Raluca Olaru played her 20th doubles final. She has won 9 titles and lost 11. (M. Ignatescu)

20 September 2020
100th anniversary of the birth of Pope John Paul II

For Christian Catholics and
perhaps other denominations as well, 18th May is a special day. St. Peter’s
Basilica in the Vatican, which, like many churches across Europe, had been closed
because of the coronavirus pandemic, opened its doors for the celebration of
Mass at John Paul II’s tomb to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth
of the former pope. From heaven
he continues to intercede for the People of God and peace in the world,
said the current pontiff Francis about the most popular pope in history.

John Paul II was born Karol
Josef Wojtyla in 1920 near Cracow, in Poland. He was ordained in 1946 after finishing
his university theological studies. In 1948 he was awarded a doctoral title in
theology from the Angelicum University in the Vatican and in 1964 was appointed
archbishop of Cracow, before being made a cardinal three years later. On 16th
October 1978, after the death of John Paul I, the papal conclave elected Karol
Josef Wojtyla as the 263rd successor of Saint Peter, making him the
first Polish pope in history and the first non-Italian pope since 1522. His tenure
as head of the Catholic Church and bishop of Rome began officially on 22nd
October 1978.

An outstanding figure, Pope John Paul II dedicated his
reign to campaigning for a better world and promoting understanding between people
and peace. He advocated for closer relations between the sister churches, the
Orthodox and the Catholic Churches, and was the first pontiff in history since
the Great Schism of 1504 to visit a majority Orthodox country, Romania. This extraordinary
ecumenical event took place between 7th and 9th May 1999
in response to an invitation from the then head of the Romanian Orthodox Church,
patriarch Teoctist. Pope John Paul II was also the first head of the Catholic
Church to travel to Israel and visit a synagogue, as well as the first to enter
a mosque. He was vocal against totalitarian regimes and also got involved in
causes and conflicts with political connotations from across the world.

He made over 100 pastoral trips outside of Italy and
almost 150 in Italy, he saw almost 18 million believers during general
audiences and as head of state made 38 official visits. He was chosen The Personality
of the Year by Radio Romania International’s listeners twice. After 27 years in
office, John Paul II died on 2nd April 2005 and was buried six days
later in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica. He was beatified in 2011 and
canonised in 2014. His famous words Be not afraid are still very much topical
today. (CM)

18 May 2020
April 23, 2020 UPDATE

Covid-19 Romania Another 4 people infected with the new coronavirus have died in Romania, raising the death-toll to 545, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Thursday. The total number of cases of infection has exceeded ten thousand. Abroad, some one thousand Romanians have been infected, mostly in Italy, and 66 have died. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has stated that the latest data show that the epidemic is on an upward trend in Romania and social distancing and hygiene must be strictly observed. In turn, Health Minister Nelu Tataru has stated that Romania is approaching the peak of the pandemic and its up to the citizens to see that the number of cases remains below 12,000 or keeps raising to 15,000.

Measures On Thursday, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies adopted the bill granting a survivors pension worth 75% of the salary benefiting the surviving spouse and the children of the medical staff that died in the fight against Covid-19. The deputies also decided to grant a bonus of 10% to those who pay their taxes on time. Also, people with bank loans might benefit from a postponement of payment, whether their incomes have been affected by the pandemic or not. Farmers whose harvests have been compromised this year because of the drought will also benefit from a postponement of payment of up to 18 months.

Pope Romanian authorities hail Pope Francis decision to donate five medical ventilators and supplies to the County Hospital in Suceava, north-eastern Romania, needed for the treatment of those infected with the new coronavirus, reads a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry on Thursday. “The initiative is proof of His Holiness solidarity with Romania in the sustained efforts of managing the Covid-19 pandemic at national level and demonstrates the excellent relations and the very good cooperation between Romania and the Holy See, in the context of celebrating this year 100 years of diplomatic relations between the two states, the communiqué also reads. The Romanian Foreign Ministry also stresses the fact that the Romanian people keep alive the memory of Pope Francis apostolic visit to Romania, from May 31 to June 2, 2019, on which occasion the Holy Father was present in all historical regions of Romania. We recall that in 1999, Romania became the first predominantly orthodox country ever visited by a Sovereign Pontiff, namely Pope John Paul II.

Pandemic European countries should remain vigilant and careful when considering relaxing the measures aimed to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, said on Thursday the head of the Regional Office for Europe of the WHO, Hans Kluge. Europe reports almost half of the cases registered at global level, which means 1.2 million cases of infection. 2.5 million people have been infected so far across the world, of whom some 180,000 have died. In another move, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that the new coronavirus might be used as an excuse, by some countries, to take repressive measures for reasons that have nothing to do with the pandemic. Guterres has made public a UN report which stresses that human rights must guide the response and the resumption of normality against the background of the current health, social and economic crisis.

Renault On Thursday, the French Group Renault announced a 19% drop in its Q1 revenues, against the background of the coronavirus pandemic. At global level, sales have dropped by some 26% and by 36% in Europe alone. The Dacia brand has been particularly affected, as it has recorded a drop of 44.5% in registrations in Europe. The Dacia plant in Mioveni, in southern Romania, resumed production on Tuesday, with workers who volunteered to start working again. Dacia company was taken over by Renault in 1999. It was re-launched in 2004 with the Logan model, and as of then it has turned into a big player on the European car market. (M.Ignatescu)

23 April 2020
November 23, 2019 UPDATE

ELECTIONS Romania holds the decisive round of its presidential election on Sunday. The incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, endorsed by the National Liberal Party, now in power, is facing the former Social Democratic PM Viorica Dancilă. Just like in the first round, the Romanians living abroad have 3 days to cast their ballots, and the number of pollings stations abroad has been doubled, to 838. The vote started at noon on Friday and will continue until Sunday. The number of citizens having voted so far indicates a higher turnout in the runoff than in the first round. By Saturday evening, over 315,000 Romanians had voted in foreign polling stations, of whom 17,500 voted by post, an option introduced this year for the first time. The largest numbers of voters were reported in Italy, followed by Britain, Germany, Spain and the Republic of Moldova.

GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus International Book Fair, organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania, comes to an end on Sunday. On the last day of the fair, the awards of the 26th edition will be presented. 8,000 book stands have been put up as part of this edition, devoted to the 30 years since the anti-communist revolution of 1989. A total of 900 different events were scheduled, including book launches, debates and book signing sessions. On Saturday, the 4th day of the Fair, Prof. Thierry Wolton took part in the launch of the second volume of his trilogy “A World History of Communism. In this volume, entitled ‘The Victims’, Thierry Wolton speaks about the tens of millions that suffered imprisonment, deportation, torture and even extermination for their anti-communist beliefs.

NATIONAL DAY 3,500 Romanian troops and another 500 from over 20 allied or partner countries, 200 military vehicles and over 50 aircraft will take part on December 1 in Bucharest in the National Day parade, the Defence Ministry has announced. The Romanian military on missions in theatres of operations in Afghanistan, the Western Balkans and Mali will also organise military ceremonies on National Day. Proclaimed a national holiday after the anti-communist revolution of 1989, December 1 marks the conclusion of the establishment of the Romanian nation-state at the end of World War 1, in 1918.

COLECTIV After the Bucharest Court completed its investigations, on Monday the prosecution and the defence will present their closing statements in the case concerning the fire in Colectiv night club in Bucharest 4 years ago, in which 64 people died, one committed suicide further to the trauma and 200 others were injured. The Colectiv trial started in April 2016. After 2 years of deferrals over procedural matters, the judge assigned to the case retired, and during another year the new judge has heard the statements of scores of witnesses and victims.

UN The 15 members of the UN Security Council endorsed a declaration reaffirming the ban on chemical weapons. The Council has reached a consensus long undermined by the war in Syria, and the Skripal affair in the UK or Kim Jong-nam case in Malaysia, AFP reports. The Council reaffirms that the use of chemical weapons is a violation of international law, and declares its firm opposition to it. The declaration, proposed by Great Britain, was passed unanimously. The UN Security Council urges all states that have not yet done so to sign the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons, which was signed in 1993 and came into force in 1997. Syria joined the Convention in 2013, Israel has signed it, but is yet to ratify it, whereas North Korea, Egypt and South Sudan are not yet parties to this Convention.

POPE Pope Francis arrived in Japan on Saturday, on the second leg of his tour of Asia whose main goal is to send a message against nuclear weapons in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the only cities in the world ever hit by atomic bombs, Reuters says. On Sunday in Nagasaki the Pope, a vocal militant against nuclear weapons, will read a message against weapons of mass destruction. He will also meet with survivors of the Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 11, 2011, the most destructive after the one in Chernobyl in 1986. After Thailand, the first stop in his tour, the Pope reached Tokyo, where he will stay for 4 days. This is the first visit by a Sovereign Pontiff to this country in 38 years, and only the second in history. Another goal of his visit is to encourage the Catholic community in Japan, where only 1% of the population are Christians and half of these Catholics. The Pope will perform 2 services, one in Nagasaki and one in Tokyo, and will have meetings with senior Japanese officials and with Emperor Naruhito.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

23 November 2019
5 June, 2019

Referendum.
Talks continue in Bucharest between president Klaus Iohannis and the parliamentary parties to agree on a way to
put into practice the result of the referendum on justice held on the 26th
of May. The president has talks today with the People’s Movement Party, the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, ProRomania, the representatives of ethnic
minorities and the Social Democratic Party. On Tuesday, on the first day of
consultations, he met the leaders of the National Liberal Party, the Save
Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.
President Iohannis emphasised that a referendum on the revision of the
Constitution should be held as soon as possible and that it could be held on
the same day as one of the upcoming elections, whether presidential, local or
parliamentary. The Liberals’ leader Ludovic Orban said the Liberals fully back
the president in his move to revise the Constitution. The president of the Save
Romania Union Dan Barna believes the country’s Constitution needs a more
comprehensive reform, while the president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania Kelemen Hunor has come up with a radical revision,
proposing to restrict entirely the government’s powers to issue emergency
orders unless in exceptional situations such as war and natural disasters.

Pope visit. Pope Francis dedicated his
general audience in St. Peter’s Square today to his recent historic 3-day visit
to Romania. The pontiff spoke at the Vatican about all the different moments of
his trip to Bucharest, Iasi, Sumuleu Ciuc and Blaj, referring to the importance
of the beatification of seven Greek-Catholic bishops and his meeting with
representatives of the Roma community in Blaj.

Economy. The World Bank has revised
its forecast about the growth of the Romanian economy up by 0.1% compared with
its January forecast, according to its Global Economic Prospects report
published on Wednesday. The World Bank also expects a 3.3% and 3.1% growth in
Romania’s GDP in 2020 and 2021, respectively, up 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively,
compared with the previous forecast.

D-Day. 16 countries, including
Britain, the US, France and Germany have signed a joint declaration on the 75th
anniversary of D-Day, when allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy
during WWII. In this declaration, the leaders of these states pledge to work
together to support democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. The festivities
in Portsmouth, in the south of England, are attended by representatives of all
states whose soldiers were involved in operation Overlord, as well as 300 war
veterans. On the 6th of June 1944, 160,000 British, American,
Canadian, French and of other nationalities that made up the allied troops
landed in Nazi-occupied Normandy. Thousands were killed on both sides, but the
landing was a success and marked the beginning of the end for the Nazi German
troops in western Europe.

Weather. A yellow code alert for
unstable weather is in place today in 26 counties until this evening. Showers
and torrential rain are expected, accompanied by lighting, strong wind and
hail. Rivers and the Danube are still at risk of overflowing, leading to
flooding. Orange and red code alerts for flooding have been issued for the next
two weeks for the entire Romanian section of the Danube. According to the
latest toll, 159 towns and villages in 28 counties and the capital Bucharest
have been affected by bad weather, with several hundred houses, outbuildings,
courtyards, cellars and 21 streets being flooded. Travel has been temporarily
disrupted on several national and county roads due to landslides, accumulated
surface water and debris on the road.

Roland Garros. Defending champion
and third seed this year Simona Halep today faces the young American player
Amanda Anisimova, world no. 51, in the
quarterfinals at Roland Garros. This is Anisimova’s first Grand
Slam quarterfinal. The winner will face the winner between the US player and
world no. 14 Madison Keys and the Australian player and world no. 8 Ashleigh
Barty.

5 June 2019