Radio România Internațional

Tag: tennis

  • January 13, 2025

    January 13, 2025

    Election – The Romanian government will officially set the date of the presidential election this week, after the leaders of the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) decided, on Wednesday, at the first meeting of 2025, that the presidential election should take place on May 4th and 18th. A large protest was organized on Sunday, in Bucharest, by the opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), where people requested the resumption of the second round of the presidential election and the resignation of President Klaus Iohannis. The leader of AUR, George Simion, announced that the protests would continue. The Constitutional Court canceled last year’s presidential election on the grounds that the entire electoral process was flawed.

     

    Culture Day – As every year on January 15, Romania will mark the National Culture Day on Wednesday. This is also celebrated in the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, as well as in the diaspora, in the context of celebrating in 2025 175 years since the birth of Mihai Eminescu, considered the greatest Romanian poet. Cultural and educational institutions, NGOs and authorities have prepared events in different more or less conventional spaces to bring culture closer to the public. Among other things, on Tuesday evening, a National Culture Awards Gala will be organized in Botoşani (north-east), during which prizes will be awarded for excellence in culture, for the promotion of Eminescu’s work and of Romanian culture in general or for the development of Romanian literary studies internationally.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian obtained a difficult victory, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 against the Croatian Petra Martic, on Monday, in Melbourne, in the first round of the Australian Open tournament, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. Also on Monday, in Melbourne, the Romanian Sorana Cîrstea was defeated by the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4. Svitolina has defeated Cîrstea in all four straight games so far. Anca Todoni, coming from the qualifications, also lost in the first round, on Sunday, against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng. Tuesday will see the match between the last Romanians from the main singles draw, Irina Begu and Gabriela Ruse, who will play against each other.

     

    Visa waiver – Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the United States, after March 31, through a simplified procedure, after the American authorities granted Romania the status of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program. According to a press release from the Romanian embassy in Washington, Romanians will be able to go to the USA based on an electronic authorization called ESTA, this being applied to all trips for tourist or business purposes whose duration does not exceed 90 days. The authorization will be valid for two years, with unlimited entries or exits from the US. To participate in the Visa Waiver Program, a country must meet requirements related to counterterrorism, immigration enforcement, document security and border management. The requirements also include a visa refusal rate of less than 3%.

     

    Croatia – The acting president of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, won with a crushing score the decisive round of the presidential election on Sunday for a new 5-year mandate at the helm of the country. A socialist with populist views, Milanovici is credited with over 74% of the votes in front of his opponent supported by the conservative right-wing Government. Unlike the Executive, he criticized the military aid provided by the West to Kyiv, which made him be labelled as a pro-Russian, which destroys the country’s credibility within NATO and the European Union. The press agencies also note that the presidential election in Croatia took place in the context in which this country with less than 4 million inhabitants is facing the highest inflation rate in the Eurozone, endemic corruption and an acute lack of work force.

     

    Fires – A total of 24 people have died due to the California wildfires, according to an updated death toll. Residents evacuated because of the fires are flocking to checkpoints set up by law enforcement, hoping that they can recover belongings from their homes or simply to see if the houses still exist. Firefighters estimate that people will not be able to return home before Thursday, so they were promised that a system will be put into operation to check the condition of the homes online. Many areas look like after a bombardment, the international press reports and the power lines and gas pipelines still represent a major danger. (LS)

  • Sports flash

    Sports flash

    Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar on Thursday advanced to the women’s doubles finals as part of the WTA 250 tennis tournament in Tasmania’s Hobart, an event with 275,000 USD in prize money all told. On Thursday, the Romanian-Hungarian pair in the quarterfinals defeated the second-seeded Norwegian Japanese pair made of Ulrikke Eikeri and Makoto Ninomiya, 6-1, 7-6. Monica and Fanny play straight in the finals as their scheduled semi-finals opponents, pulled out of competition. They were third-seeded US player Sofia Kenin and Magda Linette of Poland.

    Romanian motorcyclist Emanuel Gyenes on Wednesday succeeded the best result so far at the ongoing edition of the Dakar Rally. In the fourth leg of the moto class, Gyenes came in 22nd, arriving 25 minutes and 21 seconds later than the winner, Australia’s Daniel Sanders. Also, Gyenes is 12th-placed according to Rally 2 ranking. Emanuel Gyenes is also the leader according to the ranking of pilots competing with no technical assistance.

    Romania’s national water polo team sustained yet another defeat in the second game as part of the World Cup in Otopeni, nearby Bucharest. In Division One’s Group C, on Wednesday Romania sustained a 12-16 defeat by Japan, being placed at the bottom of the table according to the final ranking. In Group A, Hungary are at the top of the table. Greece won Group B, while the United States, Group C. In Group D, Croatia emerged at the top of the table.

    Group winners have advanced straight to the quarterfinals alongside Japan, the best second-placed team. On Thursday, three other games are scheduled for the other places in the quarterfinals, as Spain takes on Serbia, France play Montenegro, while Romania goes against Georgia.

    In news from basketball, U-BT Cluj-Napoca on Wednesday sustained at 79-91 home defeat by Israeli opponents Hapoel Jerusalem, in a Group B confrontation as part of EuroCup men’s competition. Haopel thus took their revenge as in October 2024 in Bulgaria’s Samokov, U-BT Cluj Napoca grabbed a 81 – 73 win. According to Group B tables, Spain’s Valencia are at the top, with 12 wins and two defeats. Holders U-BT Cluj-Napoca are 5th-placed with seven wins and seven defeats. U-BT’s next scheduled fixture is this next week’s away game against Italian opponents of Umana Reyer of Venice.

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    The year 2025 in sports has begun in Otopeni, nearby Bucharest, with a top-flight water polo competition, actually the World Cup fixtures. On Tuesday, in Division One’s Group C, Romania sustained a 7-10 defeat by the United States. In the first part of the game, Romania succeeded to put on a balanced game against the bronze medalists at the Paris Olympics, yet the US team had the upper hand in the final part of the match. On Wednesday, Romania take on Japan.

    Division One’s first six teams in descending order advance to the Super Final. Joining them are Division Two’s two best teams. Taking part in the competition are the world’s strongest teams. Serbia, in Group B, is the defending Olympic champion. Also part of Group B is Croatia, the Olympic vice-champions. In Group A, Spain is the European champion and the current World Cup holders.

    After three legs in the Dakkar Rally, the Romanian motorcyclist Emanuel Gyenes is 3rd-placed. In the third leg, Gyenes was 30th-placed, finishing 24 minutes and 20 seconds later than the winner. In the auto class, one of the Romanian carmaker Dacia’s cars is piloted by the French Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time rallies world champion. Also driving a Dacia Sandriders is Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah, who is second-placed according to the general rankings, arriving 7 minutes and 17 seconds later than the leader, the South-African Henk Lategan, driving a Toyota Gazoo Racing.

    In news from tennis, on Wednesday Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar have advanced to the women’s doubles finals as part of the WTA 250 tournament in Tasmania’s Hobart, an event with 275, 094 USD in prize money. The Romanian-Hungarian in the round of 16 defeated the all-American pair made of Sabrina Santamaria and Sloane Stephens, 5-7, 6-3, 10-4. In Melbourne where the Australian Open is well under way, Anca Todoni and Gabriela Ruse have reached the last round of the qualifiers. On Wednesday, Todoni grabbed a 6-3, 6-2 win against Spanish challenger Leyre Romero Gormaz. Ruse defeated Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

    A training stage is ongoing in Turkey’s Antalya for several Romanian football teams. In the recently-played friendlies, on Tuesday, FC Botosani and Bulgarian champion team Ludogoreţ Razgrad, drew, 1-all. Gloria Buzău grabbed a 2-1 win against third-tier Turkish team Kastamonuspor. FC Hermannstadt Sibiu grabbed a 3-nil win against third-tier German team Alemania Aachen. Alo on Tuesday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe sustained a 1-4 defeat by Swiss champions Young Boys Berne. We recall on Monday Sepsi sustained a 1-3 defeat by second-league Belgian team Molenbeek.

  • December 29, 2024 UPDATE

    December 29, 2024 UPDATE

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

     

    ORDER – The Bucharest government on Monday, in their last meeting this year, will pass an emergency order that provides for the reduction of public sector spending in 2025. The project, agreed on by the leaders of the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition, includes measures such as suspending state employment or freezing pensions and salaries for the public sector employees at the level of 2024. Moreover, extra-hours will no longer be paid and no bonuses or premiums will be granted. According to the draft order made public by the Ministry of Finance, the measures provided for in this ordinance will have a financial impact of about 26.6 billion euros next year. In 2025, budget revenues will increase by over 1.4 billion euros, and budget expenditure will decrease by about 25.2 billion euros.The unions criticized the provisions of the document and warned that protests will follow. As for the State Budget Law for next year, it is to be adopted by the government in January and sent to Parliament for adoption.

     

    CRASH – South Korea is observing seven days of national mourning after a Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people crashed while landing at Muan Airport, south of the capital Seoul. According to the latest data, there were only two survivors. It is the deadliest plane crash ever to occur in South Korea. The accident appears to have been caused by “bird strike, which led to a malfunction of the landing gear,” South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

     

    SURVEY – More than half of Romanians say that 2024 has been, from an economic viewpoint, worse than the previous year for their country, according to an IRES survey. The war in Ukraine, the political crisis and the rising prices have been the main concerns in 2024. One in four Romanians is unhappy with the way they currently live, and a similar number say that they did not have a single reason for joy in 2024. The data also shows that politicians continue to be last in the ranking of categories that Romanians trust. Asked which event they think has had the most negative affect on Romania in 2024, more than 4 in 10 Romanians indicate the cancellation of the first round of the presidential elections, by the decision of the Constitutional Court. Over 60% believe that this decision was bad, while a third say it was good.

     

    ELECTIONS – The presidential elections in Romania could take place on March 23, 2025, the first round, and on April 6, the second round, according to the Bucharest media that cites political sources with the PSD-PNL-UDMR government coalition. Held on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT), grounded their ruling on the interference of an unnamed state. The second round, scheduled for December 8, was to be contested by the independent nationalist Călin Georgescu, accused of connections with Putin’s Russia, and by the leader of the USR (in opposition), Elena Lasconi. In the Diaspora, where the polling stations for the second round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted by the time the Court decided to invalidate the first round.

     

    TRAFFIC – Over 183,600 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, have crossed the borders of Romania in the last 24 hours, the border police have announced. As of January 1, 2025, when Romania joins the Schengen free movement area with land borders, 33 border crossing points with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as from the Black Sea and the maritime Danube, will be permanently closed. These are 17 road and railway crossing points located on Romania’s western border with Hungary and 14 road points, including ferry crossings, railway and port points on the southern border with Bulgaria and two port crossing points in Brăila and Cernavodă. As of January 2025, there will no longer be checks at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria at the crossing points. Such checks will be carried out only randomly, based on risk analysis.

     

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian is in the main draw of the tournament in Auckland (New Zealand), which kicks off on Monday. The Romanian (26 years old, 85 WTA) will play in the first round against Ukrainian Iulia Starodubteva (24 years old, 101 WTA), a first-time meeting. We remind you that, on Saturday, Romanians Anca Todoni and Ana Bogdan qualified for the main draw of the WTA tournament in Brisbane, Australia.

  • December 29, 2024

    December 29, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    SURVEY – More than half of Romanians say that 2024 has been, from an economic viewpoint, worse than the previous year for their country, according to an IRES survey. The war in Ukraine, the political crisis and the rising prices have been the main concerns in 2024. One in four Romanians is unhappy with the way they currently live, and a similar number say that they did not have a single reason for joy in 2024. The data also shows that politicians continue to be last in the ranking of categories that Romanians trust. Asked which event they think has had the most negative affect on Romania in 2024, more than 4 in 10 Romanians indicate the cancellation of the first round of the presidential elections, by the decision of the Constitutional Court. Over 60% believe that this decision was bad, while a third say it was good.

     

    ELECTIONS – The presidential elections in Romania could take place on March 23, 2025, the first round, and on April 6, the second round, according to the Bucharest media that cites political sources with the PSD-PNL-UDMR government coalition. Held on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT), grounded their ruling on the interference of an unnamed state. The second round, scheduled for December 8, was to be contested by the independent nationalist Călin Georgescu, accused of connections with Putin’s Russia, and by the leader of the USR (in opposition), Elena Lasconi. In the Diaspora, where the polling stations for the second round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted by the time the Court decided to invalidate the first round. The costs of the invalidated elections would be nearly 1.4 billion lei (280 million euros). On December 21, the second and final five-year presidential term granted to the incumbent President, Klaus Iohannis, was due to expire, but his mandate was extended until the election of a new president, to be validated by the Constitutional Court.

     

    ORDER – The Bucharest government on Monday, in their last meeting this year, will pass an emergency order that provides for the reduction of public sector spending in 2025. The project, agreed on by the leaders of the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition, includes measures such as suspending state employment or freezing pensions and salaries for the public sector employees at the level of 2024. Moreover, extra-hours will no longer be paid and no bonuses or premiums will be granted. The government claims that, with these measures, they want to reduce budget spending by 19 billion lei or 1% of the GDP, but not to give up on improving people’s lives and investments. The unions criticized the provisions of the document and warned that protests will follow. As for the State Budget Law for next year, it is to be adopted by the government in January and sent to Parliament for adoption.

     

    TRAFFIC – Over 183,600 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, have crossed the borders of Romania in the last 24 hours, the border police have announced. As of January 1, 2025, when Romania joins the Schengen free movement area with land borders, 33 border crossing points with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as from the Black Sea and the maritime Danube, will be permanently closed. These are 17 road and railway crossing points located on Romania’s western border with Hungary and 14 road points, including ferry crossings, railway and port points on the southern border with Bulgaria and two port crossing points in Brăila and Cernavodă. As of January 2025, there will no longer be checks at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria at the crossing points. Such checks will be carried out only randomly, based on risk analysis.

     

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian is in the main draw of the tournament in Auckland (New Zealand), which kicks off on Monday. The Romanian (26 years old, 85 WTA) will play in the first round against Ukrainian Iulia Starodubteva (24 years old, 101 WTA), a first-time meeting. We remind you that, on Saturday, Romanians Anca Todoni and Ana Bogdan qualified for the main draw of the WTA tournament in Brisbane, Australia. Ana Bogdan faced Colombian Emiliana Arango in the decisive match, whom she defeated 6-2, 6-4, and will debut in Brisbane against Russian Anastasia Potapova. Anca Todoni won the match against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-3, and will be up against Cristina Bucsa of Spain.

     

    PLANE CRASH – At least 177 people died on Sunday after a Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in Muan, South Korea. Likely caused by a collision with a flock of birds, this is an unprecedented aviation disaster in the Far East country. It is also the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of the biggest low-cost airlines. According to the authorities in Seoul, quoted by international press agencies, the airport control tower warned the crew about the risk of a collision with birds. The plane hit a wall at the end of the runway and was immediately engulfed by flames.

  • December 28, 2024 UPDATE

    December 28, 2024 UPDATE

    Election – The first round of the presidential election in Romania might take place on March 23, 2025, and the decisive round on April 6, the media in Bucharest announced on Saturday, citing political sources from the government coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR. Organized on time, on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), invoked the interference of an unnamed state actor. Running in the second round, scheduled for December 8 were the independent nationalist Călin Georgescu and the opposition USR leader, Elena Lasconi. In the Diaspora, where the polling stations for the decisive round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted until the CCR decided to invalidate the first round. The costs of those invalidated elections is said to be almost 1.4 billion lei (the equivalent of about 280 billion Euros). On December 21, the second and last five-year presidential mandate of the current president, Klaus Iohannis, expired but his mandate was extended until the election of a new head of state, to be validated by the CCR.

     

    Ordinance – On Saturday, talks were held in Bucharest on the Emergency Ordinance regarding the reduction of public sector expenses, between the social-democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of employers’ associations and trade unions that are part of the National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue. The union leaders believe that the freezing of salaries means a decrease in the incomes of the state employees, and the employers’ associations believe that the coalition government (PSD-PNL-UDMR) will manage to reduce the budget deficit next year, if it applies the measures included in the document. It stipulates that in 2025 state employment will be blocked, overtime will be compensated with free time, state salaries and pensions will be frozen. The government claims that it thus wants to reduce budget expenses by 19 billion lei (almost 4 billion Euros), i.e. 1% of the GDP, and, in parallel, to improve the lives of Romanians and maintain investment programs.

     

    Crime report – Romania is among the states with the lowest level of crime, offering a more favorable situation from this point of view than many Western European countries, shows a Romanian Interior Ministry (MAI) press release based on the reports of the US Department of State and the European Commission. According to them, Romania is recognized as a very safe country for citizens and tourists. In the ‘Report for American citizens traveling abroad’, Romania is indicated as having a low and very low risk of crime. According to the MAI, official international documents highlight Romania’s significant progress in combating crime, confirming its status as a safe country. In recent years, Romania has recorded figures below the European and international average for crimes such as robberies, thefts and other acts committed with violence, the press release also shows.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Anca Todoni and Ana Bogdan on Saturday qualified for the main draw of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane. Ana Bogdan faced the Colombian Emiliana Arango in the decisive match, whom she defeated 6-2, 6-4, and will debut in the main draw in Brisbane against the Russian Anastasia Potapova. Anca Todoni won the match with Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-3, and will debut in the competition against Cristina Bucsa from Spain.  The WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes worth more than 1.5 million dollars, will take place between December 29 and January 5.

     

    Gas – The Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Saturday that it would suspend gas exports to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population) from January 1, 2025, due to an alleged unpaid debt by the Moldovan authorities. The company claims that it reserves the right to take any action, including termination of the supply contract. Russia delivers to the Republic of Moldova about 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year, through Ukraine invaded by Moscow’s troops. The gas is transported through pipelines to the pro-Russian separatist region of Transndniester, which uses the gas to generate cheap electricity, which it then sells to the rest of Moldova. (LS)

  • December 28, 2024

    December 28, 2024

    Meeting – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is today participating in the meeting of the National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue, a body that brings together employer and trade union confederations and government representatives. The meeting takes place after, on Friday, during the consultations of the government coalition from Bucharest made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, the emergency ordinance on the basis of which the state budget for next year will be built was not finalized. According to some political sources, the most recent form of the ordinance provides that in 2025 state employment will be blocked, overtime will be compensated with free time, and state salaries and pensions will be frozen. The coalition leaders must also establish the date on which the presidential election will be held.

     

    Crime report – Romania is among the states with the lowest level of crime, offering a more favorable situation from this point of view than many Western European countries, shows a Romanian Interior Ministry (MAI) press release based on the reports of the US Department of State and the European Commission. According to them, Romania is recognized as a very safe country for citizens and tourists. In the ‘Report for American citizens traveling abroad’, Romania is indicated as having a low and very low risk of crime. According to the MAI, official international documents highlight Romania’s significant progress in combating crime, confirming its status as a safe country. In recent years, Romania has recorded figures below the European and international average for crimes such as robberies, thefts and other acts committed with violence, the press release also shows.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Anca Todoni and Ana Bogdan on Saturday qualified for the main draw of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane. Ana Bogdan faced the Colombian Emiliana Arango in the decisive match, whom she defeated 6-2, 6-4, and will debut in the main draw in Brisbane against the Russian Anastasia Potapova. Anca Todoni won the match with Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-3, and will debut in the competition against Cristina Bucsa from Spain.  The WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes worth more than 1.5 million dollars, will take place between December 29 and January 5.

     

    Moldova – The Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) has decided to increase defense spending and promises that the military investments budget will reach 1% of the Gross Domestic Product in five years. The provision is included in the National Defense Strategy, adopted by the Moldovan Parliament. The strategy identifies as security risks to Moldova the continuation of the war Russia started against Ukraine and the hybrid operations carried out by Moscow against Chisinau. Also, according to the Defense Minister, Anatolie Nosatîi, the illegal presence of the Russian armed forces in Transndniester represents a threat to Moldova’s security and puts in difficulty the legal functioning and the international recognition of the state’s neutrality status. The Republic of Moldova has the smallest army in Europe, relative to the population, and does not have its own defense industry. According to statistical data, the Republic of Moldova ranks 144 out of 145 as a military power worldwide.

     

    Schengen – More than 166,300 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, and approximately 45,100 means of transport completed the formalities for crossing the Romanian border, both to enter or exit the country, on the third day of Christmas, the General Inspectorate of Border Police informs. We remind you that 33 crossing points on Romania’s border with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as from the Black Sea and the Maritime Danube, will be closed from January 1, 2025, when Romania enters the Schengen free travel area with land borders too. 17 road and rail points are located on Romania’s western border with Hungary, and 14 road points, including ferry crossings, rail and port crossing points on the border with Bulgaria. The data appear in a draft government decision designed by the Interior Ministry. (LS)

  • December 27, 2024 UPDATE

    December 27, 2024 UPDATE

    Crime report – Romania is among the states with the lowest level of crime, offering a more favorable situation from this point of view than many Western European countries, shows a press release from the Romanian Interior Ministry, based on the reports of the US Department of State and the European Commission. According to them, Romania is recognized as a very safe country for citizens and tourists. In the ‘Report for American citizens traveling abroad’, Romania is indicated as having a low and very low risk of crime. In recent years, Romania has recorded figures below the European and international average for crimes such as robberies, thefts and other acts committed with violence, the press release also shows.

     

    Survey – More than a quarter of Romanians (27%) are pessimistic about the year 2025, the rate increasing by 8% compared to last year, according to the latest survey conducted by Reveal Marketing Research. Also, 45% of Romanians have neither an optimistic nor a pessimistic perspective, this attitude highlighting the uncertainty they feel about the future. On the other hand, 28% declare that they look optimistically towards the coming year, the share being higher, 33%, among those with incomes over 6,000 lei (the equivalent of 1,200 Euros). The pessimism of Romanians reaches high levels in relation to the prospects of the country’s evolution in the next year. Reducing corruption (54%), reducing inflation (51%) and improving the economic situation (47%) are considered difficult objectives to achieve in the next 12 months.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Ana Bogdan and Anca Todoni debuted with victories, on Friday, in the qualifiers of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes up for grabs worth 1,520,600 US dollars, which marks the beginning of the new competitive season. Ana Bogdan (32 years old, 114 WTA) passed the Australian Arina Rodionova (35 years old, 164 WTA) in the first preliminary round, 6-1, 6-2, after 64 minutes. Anca Todoni (20 years old, 118 WTA) won just as easily against the Swedish Mirjam Bjorklund (26 years old, 770 WTA), 6-1, 6-2, in 68 minutes. Ana Bogdan will face the Colombian Emiliana Arango (24 years, 169 WTA) in the decisive match for accessing the main singles draw, and Anca Todoni will meet the Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (30 years, 110 WTA).

     

    Plane crash – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu sent a message of condolences on Friday following the plane crash reported in Kazakhstan, an aircraft of the Azerbaijan Airlines company crashing near Aktau, a port on the Caspian Sea (west of Kazakhstan). “The Romanian government stands in solidarity with the Azerbaijani people. We are sending our condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic plane crash and we wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” the prime minister wrote on a social network. With 67 people on board, the aircraft was on a flight from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Groznyy, the capital of the Caucasian republic of Chechnya in Russia, on Wednesday. The plane crashed and caught fire, and 38 of the passengers died. On Friday, the airline announced that the aircraft had suffered ‘external physical and technical interference’ and that it was suspending flights to several Russian cities, especially in the Caucasus. (LS)

     

  • December 26, 2024 UPDATE

    December 26, 2024 UPDATE

    Christmas – For New Rite Orthodox Christians, Greek Catholics and Catholics all over the world, including Romania, which has a majority Orthodox population, December 26 is the second day of Christmas, the celebration of the Nativity, one of the biggest in Christianity. On December 26, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, one of the oldest feasts in honor of the Virgin Mary. The holiday was established 1,500 years ago. Christmas is a celebration of generosity and compassion, of the revival of hope for a better future, President Klaus Iohannis wrote on a social network. Christmas is a celebration of joy, and true faith is the one that works through love, says the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel. At the Vatican, Pope Francis made a new call for peace in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Old Rite Orthodox believers, who form the majority in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Georgia, celebrate Christmas on January 7.

     

    Government – One of the priorities of the new Romanian government is to draft next year’s budget, which seems to be, at the same time, the main difficulty it will face in the assumed effort to reduce expenses. The draft budget is based on a new emergency ordinance regarding fiscal-budgetary measures, which is to be approved in the following days. In includes a large part of the unpopular measures that the government must implement in order to reduce the deficit. Some of the measures are the freezing of salaries and pensions in 2025 or the taxation of large fortunes. The investiture of the new government in Bucharest, made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, sent a positive signal to Romanian businessmen and to foreign investors, claims the Prime Minister and social-democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu.

     

    Schengen – As of January 1, 2025, when Romania enters the Schengen free travel area also with land borders, 33 border crossing points with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as from the Black Sea and the maritime Danube, will be permanently closed, namely 17 road and rail crossing points located on Romania’s western border with Hungary and 14 road crossing points, including ferry crossings, rail and port crossing points on the border with Bulgaria and two port crossing points from Brăila and Cernavodă. The Interior Ministry has put up for debate a draft government decision in this regard. From the beginning of 2025, there will no longer be checks at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria at the crossing points. Such checks will only be done randomly, based on risk analysis. Lifting controls at the land borders takes place after the so-called partial accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, made at the end of March, when they joined the area only with the air and sea borders.

     

    Recovery and Resilience – At the beginning of this week, Romania received over 37 million Euros from the European Commission as part of the second payment request from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan following the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, Romania has received 9.4 billion Euros out of a total of over 28 and a half billion Euros allocated to it. In mid December, the Romanian Government sent the European Commission the payment request number three, which involves a financing of 2.7 billion Euros. The money is given in the form of grants, and a series of reforms must be carried out in return.

     

    Moldova – The Russian Foreign Ministry accused NATO, on Wednesday, of trying to turn the Republic of Moldova into a logistics center for the supply of the Ukrainian army and of trying to bring its military infrastructure closer to Russia. Maria Zaharova, the spokeswoman for the ministry, said that the majority of the population of the Republic of Moldova (mostly Romanian speaking) does not want to join the military alliance. She referred to the extensive arms transfers to Moldova in recent months and to Maia Sandu’s pro-Western views. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis congratulated Maia Sandu on taking over her second mandate. Romania and the Republic of Moldova will continue to work for well-being, stability, European values, resilience and democracy, said Klaus Iohannis. On December 24, Maia Sandu was officially inaugurated as president of the Republic of Moldova. In her speech, she emphasized that European integration and justice reform remain the main objectives in her second term. Despite the regional and global crises, caused by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, external threats and the Kremlin’s energy blackmail, the Republic of Moldova managed to maintain peace and advance on the European path, she said. Maia Sandu is the first woman to hold this position and the first president elected by direct vote, who obtained two mandates.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep forfeited her matches for the WTA tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, and for the Australian Open in which she had to participate in the following period due to some medical problems. ‘I will rest and I intend to participate next in the tournament in Cluj (north-western Romania, February 1-9), where I can’t wait to play in front of the extraordinary Romanian fans,  said Halep, former world number one player. The WTA 250 in Auckland, with total prizes worth 275,094 dollars, is scheduled from December 30 to January 5, while the Australian Open, next year’s first Grand Slam tournament, will be held in Melbourne between 6 and January 26.

     

    Gaza – A Palestinian television channel, affiliated to the Islamic Jihad group, on Thursday announced the death of five of its journalists in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip. The people were allegedly killed in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the center of the Palestinian enclave, ‘while carrying out their journalistic and humanitarian duty’. In turn, the Israeli army stated, on the Telegram network, that it executed ‘a precise strike on a vehicle with an Islamic Jihad terrorist cell on board in the Nuseirat area.’ The Israeli forces claim that before the attack, measures were taken to reduce the risk of hitting civilians. Last week, the Palestinian Union of Journalists announced that more than 190 journalists had been killed and more than 400 wounded since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023.

     

    Rescue – Three Ukrainians lost in the Maramureş Mountains (northern Romania) were rescued after difficult searches. The three crossed the border into Romania in extreme weather conditions and asked the authorities for help. The rescuers expanded the search area after they did not find the lost people at the place they had indicated. An aerial search was not possible due to bad weather, and searches were carried out only on foot. After several hours, the rescuers found the Ukrainians in a dangerous valley, with mild hypothermia, and one with traumas caused by falling in that rugged area. The three were hospitalized. Ukraine invaded by Russian troops has repeatedly reported cases of men dying while trying to flee the country to escape military service. In particular, the mountain river Tisa, which flows along Ukraine’s border with Hungary and Romania, has made numerous victims. (LS)

  • November 9, 2024

    November 9, 2024

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    RUGBY Romania’s national rugby team plays in Bucharest today against Tonga, in their first test match this month. Romania (20th place in the world ranking) and Tonga (16th place) have met in 5 games so far, with Romania winning twice. The last time the two teams were face to face was last year, at the World Cup in France, when the Pacific team won 45-24. As part of their preparation for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Australia, Romania will also play at home against Canada on November 16 and Uruguay on the 23rd. In order to reach the final tournament, Romania must rank among the top two teams in Group B, i.e. win two of the three games it has to play: against Germany (February 1/2, 2025, in Bucharest), Belgium (February 8/9, away from home) or Portugal (February 15/16, again in Bucharest). Romania has taken part in all Rugby World Cup finals so far, except for the 2019 edition, when it was disqualified because it had used a naturalised Tongan player, who did not have the right to play.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified for the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in Cali (Colombia), after defeating Australia’s Tina Smith, 6-1, 6-3. Begu (102 WTA), seed no. 2, won after an hour and 12 minutes against a younger and lower ranked opponent (322 WTA). The Romanian won USD 8,000 and 81 WTA points. Begu, who defeated her compatriot Anca Todoni in the quarter-finals, will play the final against the winner of the match between Hungarian Panna Udvardy (146 WTA) and the Slovenian Veronika Erjavec (199 WTA). (AMP)

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    A WTA 125 women’s tennis tournament was held in Bolivia, Santa Cruz. The vent had 115,000 USD up for grabs. The winner was a Romanian, Anca Todoni.

    Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Anca the Athlete of the week.

    In Bolivia, Anca did not lose one single set. She was 6th-seeded at the tournament. In the first round, Todoni defeated Argentinian Sol Ailin Larraya Guidi, 6-3, 6-2. In the round of 16, Anca Todoni faced Canada’s Carson Branstine, who pulled out of competition when the score was 6-nil, 3-nil. Then in the quarterfinals, Todoni defeated 2nd seeded Chloe Pacquet of France, 6-3, 6-nil.

    On Saturday in the semi-final, Anca Todoni outclassed Latvia’s Darija Semenistaja, 6-nil, 6-1. On Sunday, Anca, in the final defeated Colombia’s Emiliana Arango, 7-6, 6-nil. Anca’s match against her south-American opponent was the most difficult one in Santa Cruz.

    However, Todoni secured her win in one hour and 34 minutes of play, despite her being outclassed in the first set, 2-nil and 3-1. Todoni was rewarded with 15,000 USD and granted 125 WTA points, skipping 21 positions according to world rankings and being 117th-placed.

    On October 10, 2024, Anca Todoni turned 21st. She was born in Timisoara. She made her debut as a pro in 2020, in an ITF tournament in Canada. In 2022 Anca won her first ITF tournament in Turkey’s Antalya, in the final outclassing a fellow Romanian, Patricia Tig. In 2024, Anca Todoni succeeded to win her first WTA 125 tournament, in June, in Bari, Italy. In the semifinal, Todoni defeated Hungarian opponent Panna Udvardy, 6-4, 6-nil. Then in Wimbledon, Anca Todoni reached as far as the second round. According to the world rankings, in August 2024 she reached her career-best so far, being 115th-placed.

  • October 28, 2024

    October 28, 2024

     

    AGING The population of Romania in mid-2024 was 21,779,000, down 1% compared to June 1, 2023. According to the National Statistics Institute, demographic aging is deepening, with the over-65 age bracket now almost 1 million people larger than the under-14 segment. 55% of the Romanians live in urban communities, but urban-to-rural migration continues, and over 90,000 people moved to the countryside within a year. The number of women is now half a million larger than the number of men, and the national average age is close to 43.

     

    NATURAL GAS Romania has become the EU’s largest natural gas producer, with an output of 2.3 billion cubic metres in Q2, the energy minister Sebastian Burduja announced. According to him, Romania has outperformed the Netherlands, which reported 2.2 billion cubic metres, and compared to last year Romania’s natural gas output was 1% higher. Burduja added that most of the credit for this should go to the Romanian natural gas company, Romgaz, which in the first semester reported a 5% higher gas output than in the corresponding period of last year. The Romanian official explained that Romgaz intends to earmark EUR 120-160 million to increase production. This year alone, the Romanian company started operations with 7 new drilling rigs.

     

    FUELS The average petrol price in Romania has gone up by 3.3% in the past month, to approx. EUR 1.44 per litre in Bucharest. During the same period, average diesel prices rose by 2.3%. Romania has the 7th-lowest petrol prices and the 9th–lowest diesel prices in the European Union.

     

    IMF An IMF mission led by Jan Kees Martijn will be in Bucharest between November 5 and 8, for a review of the latest economic and financial developments and of macroeconomic forecasts. In its latest “World Economic Outlook” report, released recently, the IMF lowered to 1.9% its estimate on Romania’s economic growth rate this year, from the July 2.8% forecast. According to the institution’s latest figures, in 2025 Romania is expected to see a 3.3% economic growth rate.

     

    DEBT According to the Romanian finance ministry, the country’s governmental debt reached approx. EUR 175 bln this July, accounting for 52% of GDP. Romania’s governmental debt is split between domestic debt (roughly EUR 85.7 billion), and foreign debt (approx. EUR 89.5 billion). On the other hand, the budget deficit estimated for 2024 is nearly 8% of GDP. Since 2020, Romania has been subject to an excessive deficit procedure, after in 2019 the country exceeded the 3% of GDP ceiling set under the Stability and Growth Pact. In 2021 the EU Council recommended that Romania bring its deficit below 3% by 2024.

     

    TENNIS The former WTA leader Simona Halep takes on Yue Yuan (China) today, in the first round of the WTA 250 tournament in Hong Kong. This is for the first time that the Romanian player (aged 33, currently no. 869 WTA) plays against Yuan (26, no. 44 WTA). If she wins, Halep is next to take on the winner of the match between Nao Hibino (156 WTA) and Aliaksandra Sasnovich (143 WTA). The main draw of the Hong Kong tournament also includes Romania’s Ana Bogdan (109 WTA), who plays in the first round against Kimberly Birrell of Australia (111 WTA). (AMP)

  • October 26, 2024 UPDATE

    October 26, 2024 UPDATE

     

    NATURAL GAS Romania has become the EU’s largest natural gas producer, with an output of 2.3 billion cubic metres in Q2, the energy minister Sebastian Burduja announced. According to him, Romania has outperformed the Netherlands, which reported 2.2 billion cubic metres, and compared to last year Romania’s natural gas output was 1% higher. The energy minister also mentioned that during the same period Romanians benefited from the fourth-lowest gas price in Europe, according to Eurostat. As of 2027, Burduja added, Romania will practically double its gas output thanks to the deep-water natural gas drilled in the Black Sea. “We will see even better gas prices, we will attract even more investments in our economy and will help the entire region reduce its dependence on Russian gas,” he said.

     

     

    MIDDLE EAST The European Union Saturday called on all parties to exercise utmost restraint to avoid an uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East, after Israel’s retaliatory attack against Iran, AFP reports. “The dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliations risks causing a further expansion of the regional conflict,” the EU warned. Gulf countries have condemned the recent Israeli strikes on Iranian military targets, and warned against possible ripple effects in the region. In turn, Washington called on Iran not to retaliate. Should Tehran choose to strike back, we will be prepared and there will be consequences, the US Administration said. Israel announced that its operations in Iran were over, after 3 rounds of attacks on military targets, particularly the defence system and arms production facilities. Iran says the strike was countered and that damages were limited. The international community had been anticipating this operation for about a month, as a response to Iran’s missile attack on October 1.

     

     

    WINTER TIME Sunday is the longest day of the year in Romania, after switching to winter time on Saturday night, with clocks set one hour behind. The switch is aimed to save energy by aligning work hours with natural light hours. A public poll conducted by the European Commission a few years ago indicates that most Europeans are against the change. The EC considered eliminating the shift, but member states failed to agree on which of the times should be kept. A number of states have given up switches between winter and summer time, such as Mexico in 2022 and Turkey in 2016. Ukraine also decided that as of 2025 it will no longer switch to Daylight Saving Time.

     

     

    AWARD The Romanian writer Ana Blandiana received the 2024 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, in a ceremony hosted by Spain’s Royal Family at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, the Romanian Cultural Institute announced on Saturday. The jury presented the award to Ana Blandiana, whose work reflects profound knowledge of the Romanian spirit during a historic period of oppression, while establishing hope and defeat as the guidelines of her literary undertaking. Ana Blandiana, the first Romanian writer to receive the award, said this was a confirmation of how her books were received in Spain and the result of the many reviews they had received, because in Spain more than in other countries, poetry is in the spotlight. Ana Blandiana, also a Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Salamanca, saw as many as 11 of her books translated into Spanish. She has so far authored more than 30 works, translated into 25 languages, and has received many international awards.

     

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep takes on seed no. 6 Yue Yuan (China), in the first round of the WTA 250 tournament in Hong Kong. Apart from Halep, a former world leader and a wildcard in the Hong Kong tournament, Romania is also represented in the competition by Ana Bogdan, set to face Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in the first round. (AMP)

  • October 8, 2024 UPDATE

    October 8, 2024 UPDATE

    Commemoration – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest hosted an event, on Tuesday, to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack of 7th October 2023 in Israel. Representatives of the embassies accredited in Bucharest, senior officials, diplomats, victims and survivors of the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 attended the event. The participants strongly condemned the aggression of the Hamas group against the State of Israel and launched a call for the release of the hostages from the Gaza Strip. The ambassador of the State of Israel in Bucharest, Lior Ben Dor, declared that the terrorist attack of October 7 represents the greatest tragedy after the Holocaust. The representatives of the State of Israel thanked the Romanian authorities for the gestures of solidarity and friendship shown without reservations. On Monday, one year after the Hamas attacks against the State of Israel, the Romanian government reiterated its firm condemnation, as well as the appeals for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still held captive by the terrorist organization.

     

    Law – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday passed a bill stipulating that causing or facilitating prostitution or obtaining a profit from prostitution by minors is punishable with 7 to 15 years in prison or 10 to 20 in case of persons with previous convictions for crimes against sexual freedom and integrity, child pornography, people trafficking, child trafficking and pimping. The bill amends and supplements the Criminal Code in respect of the criminalization of people trafficking and pimping. The crime of exploitation will also include obliging a person to commit acts covered by criminal law.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian-Spanish pair Monica Niculescu/Cristina Bucşa qualified, on Tuesday, in the round of 16 of the doubles of the WTA 1,000 tennis tournament in Wuhan (China), which has total prizes worth over 3.2 million dollars. The two athletes defeated the pair Demi Schuurs (Netherlands)/Luisa Stefani (Brazil) 6-0, 3-6, 10-4. Niculescu and her partner born in Chişinău, in the Republic of Moldova, champions this year in Strasbourg, will play, in the round of 16, against the pair Ana Danilina (Kazakhstan)/Irina Hromaceva (Russia).

     

    Nobel – John Hopfield, from the United States, and Canadian Geoffrey Hinton won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in the field of machine learning using artificial neural networks. According to a press release from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, “This technology was originally inspired by the structure of the brain. In an artificial neural network, the brain’s neurons are represented by nodes that have different values. These nodes influence each other through connections that can be likened to synapses and which can be made stronger or weaker. The network is trained, for example by developing stronger connections between nodes with simultaneously high values.”

     

    Heritage – Top heritage experts and European and Romanian high-ranking officials gathered in Bucharest to discuss public policy priorities for the protection of cultural heritage at EU level as part of the European Cultural Heritage Summit held between the 6th and the 8th of October. The event was organized by the Europa Nostra network under the patronage of the Romanian president and with the support of the European Commission, the Ministry of Culture and Bucharest City Hall. Researchers, decision makers, artists, historians and leading figures from civil society and the community of European heritage met on Tuesday for an event entitled “European Heritage Policy Agora – Upholding Quality Principles in Heritage Conservation”. Talks focused on the concept of quality in the restoration and preservation of cultural heritage, as well as the priorities for the future agenda of the European Commission. The participants analyzed the links between the EU’s major policies, such as the Green Deal and New European Bauhaus, and the key documents on the preservation of heritage, such as the European Quality Principles and the Davos Baukultur Quality System.

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest this past Sunday have added yet another win to their bracing record. In a Champions League Group A fixture, CSM Bucharest defeated Danish challengers Nykøbing Falster on home turf, 27-26. CSM’s top scorer Cristina Neagu, with ten goals. Neagu has thus become the top scorer in the history of Champions League in women’s handball, with a record of 1,155 goals. Neagu outclassed the former record holder, Montenegrin handballer Jovanka Radičević. CS Bucharest are 4h placed in Group A, with a record of three wins and one defeat.

    Another Romanian team, Gloria Bistritsa-Nasaud, are 5h placed, having sustained a 28-32 away defeat by Hungarian opponents Ferencváros Budapest. Rapid Bucharest, competing in the league; a Group B, on Sunday sustained a 32-39 away defeat by Danish opponents Team Esbjerg. Rapid Bucharest is 6th-placed in group B.

    In news from women’s tennis, Monica Niculescu and Gabriela Ruse have won the women’s doubles event as part of the WTA 125 tournament in Hong Kong, a tournament with 115, 000 USD in prize money. In the final, Niculescu and Ruse defeated the all-Japanese pair made of Nao Hibino and Makoto Ninomiya, 6-3, 5-7, 10-5. Niculescu and Ruse will most likely go against Hibino and Ninomya for a second time around, in the Billie Jean King Cup inter-countries competition on November 14 in Malaga in the round of 16, when Romania is pitted against Japan. For Niculescu and Ruse, this was the second women’s doubles title they have won pairing up with one another. We recall in 2021 Niculescu and Ruse won the ITF lawn tournament in Nottingham, an event with 100, 000 USD up for grabs.

    Matches counting towards Romanian football Super League’s 12th round were played this past weekend. In Arad on Friday, the local side UTA defeated Petrolul Ploieşti, 3-1. In Ovidiu, Farul Constanţa and Dinamo Bucharest drew, 1-all. In Clinceni on Saturday, Unirea Slobozia and Universitatea Cluj drew, 2-all, while in Cluj, CFR defeated Politehnica Iași, 2-1. Also on Saturday, in Galati, the local side Otelul and Universitatea Craiova drew, 1-all.

    The 12th round’s last three games were played on Sunday. In Sibiu, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe trounced FC Hermannstadt, 4-nil, then on home turf FC Botoşani outclassed Rapid Bucharest, 2-nil, while in Bucharest, FCSB grabbed a 3-2 win against Gloria Buzău. Universitatea Cluj are still at the top of the as-it-stands table, with 23 points, followed by Universitatea Craiova, with 20 points.