TENNIS The world’s third tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep on Sunday
clinched a three-set win against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-4,
5-7, 6-4 while Mihaela Buzarnescu lost
to Katerina Siniakova 4-6, 2-6. The score is two all but the doubles match
pitching Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu against Barbora Krejcikova and
Katerina Siniakova is regarded as decisive. After the matches on Saturday,
Halep – Siniakova 6-4, 6-0 and Pliskova – Buzarnescu 6-1, 6-4, the score was also
even, one-all. Lots drawn on Wednesday pitted Romania’s male side against
Zimbabwe in the first round of the Davis Cup’s second value Group Two, the
Europe-Africa zone.
EXTRADITION 14 Romanians have been extradited to the USA for having
masterminded a scheme to steal money from Americans and launder the funds by means
of cryptocurrency. The suspects have been apprehended after almost 100 US
Secret Service agents and policemen did searches in Romania’s capital Bucharest
and its surroundings. The prejudice has been estimated at 34 million dollars.
Scores of mobile phones, electronic equipment and various amounts of money have
been seized during the operation.
FILM A Romanian film has reaped the
grand prize of the short-reel festival in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The
award-winner is Bogdan Muresanu’s 20-minute ‘The Christmas Gift’, whose plot is
placed on December 20th 1989 shortly after the beginning of the
Romanian anti-communist revolution. The plot thickens after the parents of a
little boy have found out that he mailed Santa a letter saying that his
father’s only wish was to see dictator Nicolae Ceausescu dead.
AMENDMENTS Romanian MPs have time until Monday to
submit amendments to the budget draft law endorsed by the ruling PSD-ALDE
coalition on Friday. The draft was drawn up taking into account a 5.5% economic
growth, a 2.5% deficit and a GDP of over 200 billion euros. Under the fresh
budget scheme, 2% of the country’s GDP will be allotted to the country’s
defence, in accordance with its pledges to the NATO allies. Pension rises of
15% have also been envisaged as early as September this year. The right-wing
opposition has lashed out at the delayed draft and some of its provisions,
which it deemed unrealistic.
ELECTION NGOs in the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, have
called on the Election Committee to allow the Diaspora to cast their ballot in
the Parliamentary election on February 24th even if they have
expired IDs. The aforementioned NGOs have referred to the previous elections,
when this was possible. In a first for the ex-soviet republic, elections are to
unfold under the mixed voting system, in which the 50 MPs will be elected on
party tickets, while the rest 51 in constituencies. Concurrently with the
election, a referendum is to be carried out on cutting the number of MPs from
101 down to 61 as well as on the possibility for these MPs to be revoked by the
citizens. According to the polls the pro-Russia socialists of incumbent president Igor Dodon are among the
favourites with allegedly 40% of the vote intentions, followed by ACUM, a bloc
made up of pro-European right-wingers, which has been credited with 25% of the
votes and the centre-to-left Democratic Party, the main political force in the
pro-western coalition government.
HANDBALL Romania’s champions in women’s handball CSM
Bucharest secured a 30-18 away win against German side Thuringer HC on Sunday
in the Champions League. The result pushed CSM to the second place in the
standings after the en titre champions Gyor Audi ETO of Hungary. Next comes
Viper Kristiansand of Norway, Ferencvaros of Hungary, Krim Ljubljana of
Slovenia and Thuringer. The first four sides in the group are qualified for the
competition’s quarter finals. We recall that CSM won the trophy back in 2016 at
their first participation.
(translated by bill)