TENNIS Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and
Andreea Mitu have qualified for the final of the BRD Bucharest Open, a WTA
tennis tournament with over 226 thousand dollars in prize money after a 2-1 win
against the pair made up of Jaqueline Cristian and Gabriela Ruse. Second-seeded
Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania has conceded defeat to Croatian Petra Martic 6-4,
6-4 in the competition’s semifinals.
WATER POLO Romania’s national side on
Sunday will be taking on the European vice-champions Montenegro in an attempt
to qualify for the quarter finals of the European Water Polo Championships
underway in Barcelona. Romania ranked third in group D after a win against
Slovakia and two defeats against European champions Serbia and Russia. The
winner of the game pitching Romania against Montenegro will be taking on
Croatia in the quarterfinals.
MAIDEN FAIR Thousands are expected this weekend to attend
a traditional event underway on Mount Gaina in central Romania. The famous
Maiden Fair here is Romania’s largest traditional event and was first
documented in 1816. Back in the day the fair used to be a good opportunity for
young people to meet, know each other and eventually get married. Today the
fair has become a mere traditional event including workshops of traditional
craftsmanship, concerts and various exhibitions. Religious services are
expected to be held at Iancu’s Cross during the Maiden Fair on Mount Gaina.
EPIDEMIC 57 new rubella cases have been
confirmed in 10 counties in Romania and the capital city Bucharest. According
to the National Centre for Supervision and Control of Communicable Diseases
most of these cases are in the capital Bucharest, in Buzau county in the
southeast and in Iasi, northeastern Romania. More than 14,700 people have so
far been infected and 59 died since the rubella outbreak in Romania.
MODERNIZATION Checkpoints at Romania’s
border with the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia will be modernized and
fitted with fixed and mobile scanners for a better monitoring of the goods
shipped into the country, Public Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has
announced. According to him, the measure is meant to keep smuggling at bay and
curb losses in the state budget. The minister has also added that a series of
government agreements are to be signed to allow for the purchase of the proper
equipment by the end of the year and the authorities in Bucharest have already
held talks with the big producers of scanners from China, the USA and
Switzerland.
TALKS The Romanian Minister for the
Romanians abroad, Natalia Intotero has held talks with members of the Romanian
communities in the Spanish region of Andalusia about opportunities to fund the
Romanian communities abroad through non-reimbursable funds as well as about
projects aimed at supplying these communities with the proper teaching equipment,
books in Romanian as well as traditional folk costumes, a communiqué issued by
the Ministry on Friday says. The Romanian minister has thanked the Spanish
authorities for the support granted to the Romanians in Andalusia and has
underlined the good cooperation concerning aspects related to the fields of
labour and social security. The Romanian official has also presented the
ministry’s projects aimed at providing support for the Romanian communities
with regard to the preservation of their identity as well as their involvement
in the life of the local communities. One of the priorities is focusing on
education and on the preservation of the national identity. Natalia-Elena
Intotero has hailed the courses of Romanian language, culture and civilization
taught in Spain, which are presently contributing to the education of 8000
children. ‘I have requested support from the Spanish authorities for these
courses to be taught in schools attended by Romanian children in the province’,
Minister Intotero has also said.
(translated by bill)