Radio România Internațional

Tag: wildfires

  • The danger of wildfires

    The danger of wildfires

    The severe wildfires in recent days, affecting a large area of ​​Romania, have led to the death and injury of several people. Dozens of violent fires have broken out since the beginning of the month, and the fire has also come close to people’s homes in several areas. The authorities have deployed impressive forces to fight the flames. The firefighters were helped by employees of other structures to extinguish the fires, some of them in hard-to-reach areas. They were involved in large-scale interventions in dozens of localities in seven counties. Intervening along the firefighters were also mountain rescuers, as well as pilots from the Ministry of Interior and Defense. The two Black Hawk helicopters of the General Aviation Inspectorate carried out dozens of launches part of which they dropped over 77 tons of water to put out the fires, and another helicopter carried out a reconnaissance mission.

     

    At the same time, a Spartan aircraft of the Ministry of National Defense acted in support of the intervention forces, to extinguish the fires. The authorities are calling for responsibility and are telling people to stop burning plants on agricultural lands. At the same time, the authorities have drawn attention to the serious situation: 650 hectares burned in January, another 4,400 hectares in February, and this month, in the first eight days alone, 4,600 hectares have burned. In just three days, there were over 300 fires. According to the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, it is only the people who are to be blamed for these destructions. He explained that the wildfires did not break out due to meteorological phenomena.

     

    Raed Arafat: “It is clear, at this point we cannot blame these forest fires to increased temperatures, to lightning. We can only attribute them to intentional actions by some people, who have either become accustomed to doing this for a long time, or some are doing it intentionally just to try to clear some fields or to set fire to an area where there is dry vegetation, which is why we consider most of them to be the result of intentional actions.”

     

    On the other hand, Raed Arafat called on the local authorities to explain to people about the danger of vegetation fires, also asking for the help of priests. Preventing fires not only protects nature, but also contributes to the safety of the community, the authorities say. Military firefighters remind citizens that burning dry vegetation is prohibited by law. Failure to comply with the legal provisions is an offence and is punishable by fines of up to 15,000 lei (approx. 3,000 euros) for individuals and up to 100,000 lei (approx. 20,000 euros) for legal entities. In addition, farmers who do not comply with the burning ban may lose the direct or annual payments to which they are entitled. In some cases, they may be excluded from financial support for one or more consecutive years. (LS)

  • March 10, 2025

    March 10, 2025

    CLASHES The leadership of REPER, an opposition party from outside the Romanian Parliament, on Monday submitted a criminal complaint for public incitement and outrage during the events on Sunday at the headquarters of the Central Election Office. The complaint is focusing on the public statements made by the president of AUR (from the ultra-nationalist populist opposition), George Simion, by mercenary Horatiu Potra and the former independent candidate in the presidential election, the pro-Russia, anti-western extremist, Calin Georgescu. Through their messages, the aforementioned people incited to violence against the state authority, which had as result acts of vandalism and aggression against the riot police in downtown Bucharest, REPER says. The National Liberal Party, of the ruling coalition, has also vehemently condemned and rejected any form of violence from the public or private life. Over 500 protesters were asked to produce identity cards following the violent protest on Sunday night before the headquarters of the Central Election Office and police is presently looking for those who got involved in anti-social actions. 13 gendarmes were wounded in the clashes between the protesters and riot police and four of them had to be admitted to hospitals. The protesters, mainly supporters of Calin Georgescu, also resorted to acts of violence shortly after the Election Office, also known as BEC, had rejected Calin Georgescu’s candidacy in the presidential election in May. BEC has motivated its decision upon the Constitutional Court’s ruling in December to cancel the first round of the presidential election won by Calin Georgescu.

     

    FIRES Military firefighters together with teams of forest rangers and voluntaries from the Services for Emergency Situations backed by planes of Romania’s Interior and Defence ministries are fighting to contain wildfires in over 20 localities around the country. Two people have lost their lives so far and others have been wounded and in some regions, the access of intervention teams has been prevented by the rough terrain. Authorities have reminded the citizens that burning dry vegetation is banned under the law and violators will be severely punished. Fines have been applied and criminal files have been opened against arsonists in the past days. Authorities have advised citizens to comply with the environment protection rules and resort to alternative land clearing methods.

     

    MEDAL Romanian athlete Andrei Rares Toader has reaped the gold medal in the shot-putting event at the European Athletics Indoor Championship in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. With a throw of 21 meters and 27 centimeters Toader managed to set a new national record. Romania ends the aforementioned competition with two medals, Toader’s gold and another one of silver won by Diana Ana Maria Ion in the triple jump event. Seven Romanian athletes participated in the European Championships in Apeldoorn.

     

    TAXES Romania’s Finance Ministry has announced it will not change regulations over taxes and duties this year but it does not rule out changes where their application needs improvement. State Secretary Alin Marius Andries says that any such legislation amendment should be made after talks with all the parties interested. The main objective this year is the fiscal consolidation aimed at increasing the partners’ rust, including the international rating agencies and the European Commission, the official went on to say.

    (bill)

  • August 18, 2024

    August 18, 2024

    WEATHER The weather remains extremely hot in almost the entire Romanian territory where meteorologists have issued a series of code yellow, orange and red alerts for extremely high temperatures and thermal discomfort. The most affected is the Timis County in western Romania, for which a code red alert has been issued. Temperatures there are expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius and the Temperature-Humidity index to go over the 80 unit threshold. An orange code alert has been issued for another ten counties in the country’s west and south, including the capital city Bucharest where the highs of the day are expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 31 degrees.

     

    PARIS An icon of the French cinematography, Alain Delon, died today at his home in Douchy surrounded by his three children and his family. The actor was a star of the golden era of the French cinematography, and shot to fame with the parts he played in ‘The Samurai’ and ‘Borsalino’. Once described as the most beautiful man in the movies, Alain Delon starred in some of the best French productions of the 60s, such as ‘The Leopard’ and ‘Rocco and his Brothers’. From the 1990s his film appearances grew rare and although he appeared in more than 90 films during the course of his career, he won only one Cesar Award in 1985 for ‘Our story’ by Bertrand Blier. ‘Le Parisien’ called Delon ‘a legend of the cinema’ while ‘Liberation’ described him as ‘a leading figure of cinema, the actor with crazy charisma’. Alain Delon’s last major public appearance was to receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival in 2019, when he delivered an emotional speech in which he appeared to bid farewell to cinema and his fans.

     

    ATHENS The Romanian firefighters who had joined the efforts of putting out fires in Greece were given a new assignment on Saturday; they are monitoring two regions in Attica. According to a press release by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), 16 firefighters with four fire engines have been deployed to Agia Kiriaki, while another 15-strong rescue team is getting ready to intervene in Rafina. Both teams are accompanied by Greek liaison officers, and according to IGSU, they are in stand-by, ready to intervene under the coordination of their Greek counterparts. The regions where the two Romanian teams have been deployed are known for being at higher risk of wildfires at this time of the year. Greece has applied for help from the European Union and is in a state of high alert after wildfires went out of control and have affected over 10 thousand hectares.

     

    BOOKFAIR The Gaudeamus book fair staged by our radio station is going on in Sibiu, central Romania. On the fair’s last day, on Sunday, people were invited to visit its 15 pavilions located in the city’s historical center known as the Big Square, and check on the huge offer of books, games, music and other educational materials. The fair is being attended by the most renowned publishing houses in the country. Besides its varied and huge book offer displayed on over 40 stands, the fair also included a series of editorial events, book launches and autograph shows, which are also available online at gaudeamus.ro.

     

    EXAMS Next week will be seeing the written exams of the second round of the Baccalaureate in Romania. On Monday students are to take exams in the Romanian language and Literature and in the following days in mathematics and history according to their chosen profile. The first results are to be listed on August 26th and the final ones after all applications have been solved, on August 30th. Over 33,600 students are to take their exams in this second round. Most of them, two thirds, are this year’s graduates. Over 78% of the students passed the baccalaureate exams in its summer session. The Ministry of Education plans to allow students to see their exam papers shortly after the grading so that they may decide whether to challenge results.

    (bill)

  • August 17, 2024 UPDATE

    August 17, 2024 UPDATE

    WEATHER Meteorologists have issued code red alerts for extremely hot weather for seven counties in south-western Romania, whose residents are bracing up for temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius these days. Another eight counties and the capital city Bucharest are under a code orange alert for hot weather and a higher temperature-humidity index. The highs of the day here are to stay around 38 degrees Celsius, while in the rest of the territory they will range between 34 and 37 degrees.

     

    STATISTICS Greenhouse gas emissions caused by economic activities in the EU dropped in 20 member countries last year, remained stable in Cyprus and rose in Romania, Malta, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece and Slovenia. The most significant reductions of these gases have been reported by Bulgaria, over 15% and Germany 7%. The process of curbing the greenhouse gas emissions has affected Europe’s GDP, which grew only 0.3%, according to Eurostat. Out of the 20 countries, which managed to curb their gas emissions, eight have also reported a drop in GDP, whereas 12 have announced minor GDP growths.

     

    FAIR The Gaudeamus Book Fair staged by Radio Romania remains open in the historical center of the city of Sibiu in central Romania over the weekend. The 15 pavilion book fair has brought together over 40 exhibitors, which include some of Romania’s best-known publishing houses as well as a series of suppliers of books, games, music and other educational materials. Gaudeamus book fair also includes editorial events, book launches and autograph shows, which can be watched online at gaudeamus.ro.

     

    FIRES The Romanian firefighters who are helping in the efforts of putting out fires in Greece were given a new assignment on Saturday, namely to monitor two regions in Attica. According to a press release by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), 16 firefighters with four fire engines have been deployed to Agia Kiriaki, while another 15-strong rescue team is ready to intervene in Rafina. Both teams are accompanied by Greek liaison officers, and according to IGSU, are in stand-by, ready to intervene under the coordination of their Greek counterparts. The regions where the two Romanian teams have been deployed are known for being at higher risk of wildfires at this time of the year.

     

    MIDDLE EAST Talks regarding a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages held by the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip are to be resumed in Cairo next week around a fresh US proposal. The information is included in a joint statement issued in Doha by the USA, Qatar and Egypt, the main mediators between Israel and Hamas. Washington presented a roadmap, which includes several stages for the cessation of hostilities and the release of the hostages kidnapped during the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7th. Now the way is open to save lives, to help the population in Gaza and reduce regional tensions – the mediator countries say. In response Hamas rejected the new Israeli conditions – two Hamas representatives told France Press. According to them, the new conditions include the presence of the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip along its border with Egypt. The war that followed the Hamas attack in October led to a disastrous situation for almost all the 2.4 million famished Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the Israeli bombardments and onslaught have caused the death of roughly 40 thousand Palestinians, mostly civilians.

    (bill)

  • August 26, 2023 UPDATE

    August 26, 2023 UPDATE

    TRAFFIC – This weekend as
    well the Romanian Border Police reported increased traffic flows, particularly
    on western and southern checkpoints on the Bulgarian and Hungarian borders.
    Western border crossings were crowded on Saturday as many drivers were leaving
    Romania. Another busy checkpoint was Albița on the Moldovan border. Truck
    drivers waited over 400 minutes in Galați and Isaccea. The Border Police
    announced additional measures to increase the workload capacity to maximum,
    saying they are in permanent contact with their Hungarian and Bulgarian peers
    in order to ease border crossing.




    WILDFIRES – Romanian
    firefighters are engaged in interventions abroad, the General Inspectorate for
    Emergency Situations reports. In France, Romanian firefighters joined efforts
    to help stop a wildfire in the southeast from spreading. Military firefighters
    in Greece intervened to contain and eventually put out a wildfire threatening a
    settlement in the east and remain on standby for future missions.




    ENESCU
    FESTIVAL – The Palace Concert Hall in Bucharest
    on Sunday will host the opening concert of the George Enescu International
    Music Festival, which will feature the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
    conducted by Cristian Măcelaru, who is also the Festival’s artistic director.
    The program includes Concerto in B Minor for cello and orchestra opus 104 by
    Antonín Dvořák, George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody no. 2 in D Major opus 11, and
    the Knight of the Rose suite opus 59 by
    Johann Strauss. The 26th edition of the George Enescu Festival is
    themed Generosity through Music. Taking part will be 3,500 of the most
    renowned artists in the world and over 40 orchestras from 16 countries. Among
    other things, the festival also includes opera concerts and educational
    concerts for children. This year a number of great orchestras are taking part, including
    the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra and Choir, London Symphonic Orchestra,
    the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse or the Philharmonic Orchestra of
    Israel. The George Enescu Festival has been held in Bucharest since 1958,
    honoring the memory and works of the great Romanian composer, pianist,
    violinist and conductor George Enescu.




    WEATHER – Meteorologists have issued a code orange alert for
    extreme heat and high thermal discomfort for the west and the south, where
    temperatures will exceed 37 degrees. The temperature-humidity index will exceed
    the critical level of 80 units. The rest of the territory is under a code
    yellow alert against extreme heat. The code orange alert will remain in place
    for Sunday in 19 counties in the south, west, center and the capital Bucharest,
    where temperatures will reach 39 degrees. The code yellow alert will also
    remain in place for most regions, where highs will range between 35 and 37
    degrees. On Monday the heat wave will continue to affect most regions, while
    starting Tuesday only the east will be affected.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse (166 WTA)
    has qualified to the main draw of the women’s singles at US Open, set to kick
    off at Flushing Meadows in New York on Monday.
    In the final preliminary round Ruse ousted Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.
    Another four Romanian players will compete in the opening round – Sorana
    Cîrstea, Irina Begu, Ana Bogdan and Patricia Țig.




    ROWING – Romanian athlete Cătălin Chirilă won silver in the
    1000m race at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships hosted by Duisburg,
    Germany, after winning gold in the 500m race the previous day. Chirilă was the
    defending champion in this event after winning gold at the World Championships
    in Dartmouth, Canada. The competition counts for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where
    the top six athletes will qualify directly. (VP)

  • Romanian firefighters abroad

    Romanian firefighters abroad


    This summer, Romania has been faced with successive waves of excessive heat, but not with wildfires, although the risk of their occurrence existed. Under these circumstances, the Romanian firefighters were on duty in European Union states seriously affected by fires, following the request of these countries for international assistance. Greece is one of the states that asked for support in fighting the fire. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) in Bucharest informed that the Romanian firefighters successfully completed, on Tuesday, the mission extinguishing the fire in Alexandroupolis and were sent to the Dadia area for another intervention. There, they are acting to extinguish a fire on a front of more than 3 km, the General Inspectorate announced. 52 Romanian rescuers were involved in locating and extinguishing the fire that occurred near a hospital in Alexandroupolis. All in all, 56 firefighters, with ten firefighting trucks, a first response and command vehicle and a bus left for Greece on Monday following the request for international assistance, in the context of the existing forest fires in this country.



    The intention to provide support was announced on August 20 to the Emergency Response Coordination Center of the European Commission by Romanias Department for Emergency Situations through the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, in its capacity as national contact point. The Romanian firefighters are not on their first mission in Greece this summer. In the second part of July and the beginning of August, dozens of firefighters from Bucharest acted to extinguish the fires affecting mainland Greece and some islands. The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu praised the rescuers for their selflessness, courage and effort. Romania and Europe are in solidarity with the Greek people, who are in need of support, and we hope that, together, we can bring things back to normal as soon as possible, the Romanian PM said at that time.



    On the other hand, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations announced that Romanian firefighters in the French island of Corsica were involved in extinguishing a forest fire that broke out near the town of Corte. It was the first mission of the Romanian firefighters in Corsica. In their mission, the Romanian firefighters intervened alongside the military and civilian fire-fighting crews of the host country. In order to carry out aerial reconnaissance missions and efficiently cover the entire affected area, 2 helicopters and 2 firefighting planes were assigned to the intervention. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations reminds that, on August 15, Romania sent to the island of Corsica a specialized module to extinguish forest fires, made up of 20 soldiers. (LS)




  • August 15, 2023 UPDATE

    August 15, 2023 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT — The Bucharest Government’s agenda this week includes two emergency orders on cutting public spending and reforming the fiscal system. According to a draft order, the government is considering tax increases and the elimination of certain tax facilities, as well as the cancelling of 200,000 public sector positions that are currently vacant and a reduction of expenditure in ministries. Also, public servants whose net salaries exceed 2000 euros a month will no longer receive holiday vouchers.



    CELEBRATION – Orthodox Christians and Catholic believers on Tuesday marked the Dormition of Virgin Mary, also known as the Assumption of Virgin Mary, the oldest religious holiday dedicated to the Mother of Jesus. The term “Dormition“ or “falling asleep” is a reminder that Mary’s death was a gentle and holy passage from earthly life into heaven. It is a day of celebration for the reunion of Mother and her Son rather than one of mourning and loss. The Dormition or the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, marked every year on the 15th of August, is a public holiday in Romania.



    NAVY DAY – The Romanian Naval Forces contribute significantly to the improvement of the regional, European and Euro-Atlantic security, and the missions carried out with our allies and partners from NATO and the European Union in order to make the territorial waters and those of the world safer, fully prove this fact, Romania President Klaus Iohannis said Tuesday in Constanta (south-east), where the Navy Day celebrations where held. The Romanian Naval Forces have had and will continue to have a significant contribution to the security of Romania and our partners in the North-Atlantic area, said in turn Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who also attended the ceremonies alongside other high-ranking officials.



    EXERCISE – About 250 servicemen from France and Luxembourg and 65 pieces of military equipment from the NATO Battle Group stationed in Romania are involved as of Monday until August 18th in a military drill entitled DEPLOYEX, which is taking place in the shooting range at Babadag, south-eastern Romania, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. The exercise is meant to test the rapid deployment of troops and military gear and contributes to improving the level of interoperability of the forces making up the NATO Battle Group, being a sequel of the training programs earlier staged in Cincu, central Romania. The NATO battle group contributes to increasing Romanias military cooperation with the rotating participant countries, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and implicitly to strengthening the security of the Euro-Atlantic space on the Eastern Flank, a Defense Ministry communiqué writes. Cooperation with the strategic partners and the existence on the national territory of relevant war structures contribute to raising the of defense and deterrence capabilities in the context of the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Black Sea region, the ministry also shows.



    MISSION – Two aircraft of the Romanian Air Force transported 20 Romanian firefighters and three special vehicles to the island of Corsica, France, on a mission to put out wildfires, the Romanian Ministry of Defense has announced. The Romanian firefighters thus answered the request for support by the French authorities through the CECIS (Common Emergency Communication and Information System) a dedicated information portal of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, as a result of the situation created by the extension of wildfires in recent days. The Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union coordinates the response to natural and man-made disasters at the EU level, allowing the provision of coordinated, effective and rapid assistance in support of the affected populations.



    CHISINAU – Dozens of Russian diplomats and employees in administrative positions with the Russian embassy and ​​consulate and the Russian culture center in Chisinau, as well as members of their families, left the Republic of Moldova on Monday. Last month, the small state neighboring Romania and Ukraine ordered the reduction of the number of Russian diplomats and technical personnel on its territory, to 25 from 80, to establish parity with Moldovas embassy in Moscow. The decision was taken amid concerns about alleged Russian attempts to destabilize Moldova. (EE)



  • August 6, 2023

    August 6, 2023

    FIRES The Romanian
    fire-fighters deployed to Greece worked on Saturday and Sunday together with
    their Greek colleagues to put out a fire in the Aragonitis area, around 55 km
    from the village of Vilia, in the region of Attica, the General Inspectorate
    for Emergencies announced. According to the institution, at the request of the
    Greek liaison officers, the Romanian unit supported the Greek fire-fighters
    with 4 fire engines, personnel rotating every 4 hours, and additional lighting
    equipment. Scores of Romanian fire-fighters have already taken part, over the
    past few weeks, in similar missions to help the Greek authorities manage
    extensive wildfires.

    BORDERS Road traffic across
    Romanian borders is difficult these days as Romanians leaving or returning from
    their holidays are queuing at checkpoints. According to the authorities, queues
    of tens of minutes are reported at Romania’s western and south-eastern entry checkpoints.
    Vehicle queues are recurrent every summer, although all available lanes are
    open, because of the high volume of checks border police are required to
    complete.


    UNTOLD The 8th edition of UNTOLD, one of
    the largest music festivals in Europe, held in Cluj-Napoca, central Romania,
    ends today. The theme of this year’s festival was Phoenix Light. The 4-day
    festival brought together well-known international artists like Armin Van
    Buuren, Goran, David Guetta, world-famous DJs like Martin Garrix, as well as
    many Romanian artists. Theme parties were organised, and music fans were
    entertained by international acrobats, animators, dancers, drummers from Romania,
    France, Spain, UK and Germany.




    HAFERLAND Today is the last day of Haferland Week
    Festival, currently in its 11th year, held near Sighișoara, the only
    medieval citadel still inhabited in south-eastern Europe. This is one of the
    most important events devoted to the culture of Saxons, a group of German ethnics
    that settled in Transylvania in the Middle Ages. The festival is held in 10
    localities in the region of Haferland (Oat Country). The theme of the event
    attended by officials and public personalities from Romania and Germany, was sustainability
    in Haferland’s Saxon villages. On Sunday, an event entitled The brass band is
    playing up the hill was followed by a religious service at the fortified church
    in Criţ. The public also attended woodworking, painting, weaving and embroidery
    workshops.





    GAMES Romania came out 2nd in the Francophonie Games hosted
    by Kinshasa (Congo), after Morocco, with a total 17 gold, 9 silver and 12 bronze
    medals. Third came Cameroon. On Saturday, the Romanian athletes won 2 medals, a
    silver and a bronze, in African wrestling. Romania participated in the Games
    with 57 athletes, competing in athletics, women’s basketball, freestyle and
    African wrestling, road cycling, table tennis and judo. The 9th
    Francophonie Games were held between July 28 and August 6. (AMP)

  • July 28, 2023

    July 28, 2023

    WEATHER The PM of Romania Marcel
    Ciolacu requested all the institutions in charge to centralise data on the damages
    caused by the extreme weather over the past few days in Romania. Measures will
    be taken subsequently to address the situation and to avoid similar occurrences
    in the future, a government spokesperson said. According to the General
    Inspectorate for Emergencies, over 50 localities in 19 counties and the capital
    city Bucharest have been affected this week by storms and heavy rainfalls.
    Several people died, and houses, buildings and vehicles have been damaged.


    CANCER The government endorsed a National Plan on
    Cancer Prevention and Treatment. The new programme facilitates quick access to
    prevention measures, diagnostic, treatment and palliative services. The
    healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, said investments would be made in the
    field of oncology, and all services for patients would be free of charge,
    including advanced radiation therapy. He added that the government would also
    develop an innovation fund, mainly benefiting cancer patients. The plan will be
    implemented in several stages over the next 5 years. Representatives of the
    Federation of Cancer Patients Associations however are unhappy with the absence
    of implementing rules for the plan, without which, they argue, it is impossible
    to know how long it would take from diagnosis to the start of the actual
    treatment.


    DISSIDENT The High Court of Cassation and Justice in
    Bucharest Thursday upheld a ruling clearing two former Communist political
    police officers, Marin Pîrvulescu and Vasile Hodiş, of the charges related to
    the torturing of dissident Gheorghe Ursu.
    They were originally tried for crimes against humanity. The construction
    engineer, poet and writerGheorghe Ursu was investigated by the Securitate in the ’80s,
    after he sent letters to Radio Free Europe and kept a diary of the horrors
    of the communist regime. He was arrested in September 1985 and died 2 months
    later, after being beaten while in detention. After
    Thursday’s ruling of the supreme court, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu said she would have liked not to see
    any form of repression and torture validated. The Group for Social
    Dialogue, a political and social NGO, says the supreme court’s decision to
    acquit the torturers of the dissident Gheorghe Ursu is the most radical form of
    rehabilitation of communist totalitarianism. Prosecutors are looking into
    exceptional methods to challenge the ruling.


    GREECE The Romanian foreign ministry warns the Romanian
    nationals who are in Greece or intend to travel there that the local
    authorities said the risks of wild fires remains high today in several parts of
    that country. The situation is particularly serious in Rhodes, where 92
    Romanian fire fighters are also deployed. In order to better respond to this
    phenomenon, the European Commission announced plans to create its own firefighting
    fleet, and procure an additional 12 aircraft to this end, deployed around the
    Mediterranean, where most wildfires are reported.


    SECURITY
    The US Senate Thursday night endorsed the National Defence Authorisation Act
    (NDAA), which included a bill on Black Sea security. With this decision, the US Senate confirms the
    status of the Black Sea as a region of critical geo-strategic importance and
    paves the way for enhanced US engagement in the region. The US Senate’s
    decision also confirms the county’s strong support for a comprehensive US
    presence in the Black Sea region, jointly with its allies and partners, in
    strategic areas such as security and defence, economy, energy and democratic resilience, the
    Romanian Ambassador to Washington Andrei Muraru
    said. The bill endorsed by the Senate is to be reconciled in September with the
    version of the NDAA already approved by the House of Representatives. A bill
    similar to the
    Black Sea Security Act is also pending in the House, with good chances to be
    included in the reconciliation procedure and in the final text of the NDAA sent
    to president Joe Biden.


    FOOTBALL Three
    Romanian teams played last night in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe won, 2-0
    away from home, the match against the Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. Romanian
    champions Farul Constanța also won their home match against FC Urartu, 3-2, while former champions CFR Cluj drew
    at home against the Turkish side Adana Demirspor,
    1-1. The return leg is scheduled for August 3. (AMP)

  • July 25, 2023 UPDATE

    July 25, 2023 UPDATE

    Security. The Bucharest authorities have announced that at the moment there is no direct military threat to Romanias national territory or territorial waters. The announcement was made after Russia had attacked with drones two Ukrainian ports on the Danube, Reni and Ismail, near the border with Romania. The Russian attack was strongly condemned by the President of Romania, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Senate.



    Finance. The ruling coalition in Bucharest has failed to reach an agreement on the package of fiscal measures to reduce the budget deficit. On Monday, coalition leaders approved a proposal set forth by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu regarding the elimination of 200,000 vacancies in the public sector and one proposal by the Liberal leader Nicolae Ciucă regarding expenditure cuts in all ministries. Solutions to combating tax evasion and improving the collection of revenues to the state budget were also discussed. Among the proposals aimed at reducing the deficit and bringing more money to the budget are the increase in the minimum salary of construction workers, in parallel with the elimination of their exemption from the payment of the healthcare contribution, eliminating the reduced VAT rate of 5%, which currently applies to some products and services, the increase in the tax on dividends and a higher tax for small companies with a turnover of over 500,000 euros. According to the finance minister, Romania should have a budget deficit of maximum 5%, or it risks losing the European funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.



    Climate. No nation can tackle the global climate crisis alone, in isolation, said, on Tuesday, the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. He participated, in Bucharest, in the ministerial meeting organized on the basis of the Agreement between the Governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary regarding the Strategic Partnership in the field of green energy development and transport. In a post on Facebook, Nicolae Ciucă recalled that last December, as prime minister, he signed the agreement between the four countries for the construction of a cable under the Black Sea to transport green energy to Europe. At Tuesdays meeting of the Ministers of Energy from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary, the steps for the implementation of this project were discussed, which, the Senate Speaker also said, will contribute to the transformation of Romania into a regional energy hub.



    Wildfires. The 130 Romanian firefighters who are helping put out the fires in Greece have worked very well together with their Greek colleagues and with firefighters from other countries, said on Tuesday, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations in Bucharest, Raed Arafat. The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has voiced gratitude for the presence of Romanian firefighters in his country, while the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, sent a safety message regarding the situation of tourists on vacation in Greece. In Bucharest, the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism recommended Romanians who intend to travel to Greece to inform themselves, before departure, about the existing situation at their destination and to avoid traveling in areas where there are wildfires. For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs Romanian citizens who are transiting or are planning to travel to the Hellenic Republic that the local authorities decided to maintain, until July 27, the red code alert and the warnings for wildfires in the 4th and 5th degrees, on a scale from 1 to 5. The ministry also recommends to those who are in an area where a fire occurs to strictly comply with the instructions of the local authorities and stay informed.



    Swimming. Romanian swimmer David Popovici (18 years old) came in fourth in the final of the 200 m freestyle event on Tuesday, at the 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 m freestyle, started from lane four and clearly dominated the first three lengths of the pool (150 m), but in the last 50 meters he inexplicably lost speed and finished only fourth with a time of 1min 44sec 90/100. Also in Fukuoka, David Popovici will compete in the 100 m freestyle, scheduled for July 26. The final will take place on the 27th of July. (MI)


  • July 23, 2023 UPDATE

    July 23, 2023 UPDATE

    Patients. Belgium will continue to treat patients with severe burns from Romania. An agreement on this matter will be signed soon, the Minister of Health in the Bucharest government, Alexandru Rafila, has announced. He has also stated that, at national level, the number of beds in hospitals for major burns will increase from 30 to 50, with support from the World Bank.



    Wildfires. Dozens of Romanian firefighters, stationed in Greece, will participate in extinguishing the strong fires on the island of Rhodes, the Department for Emergency Situations in Bucharest has announced. 30,000 locals and tourists from this island were evacuated to safer places, 3,000 of them by water. The countrys fire service has described the fires as the most difficult right now. Firefighters are battling flames fueled by strong winds amid a heat wave that has hit most of Europe. According to the authorities, tourists are being safely evacuated from the affected areas and are being redirected to other hotels on the island.



    Vessel. The training ship “Mircea” of the Romanian Navy will dock, on Monday, in the Port of Izmir in Turkey. It will make a stopover until Thursday, during which it will have the mission of promoting the maritime values ​​and traditions of Romania. The diplomatic mission of Romania, through the General Consulate in Izmir, planned during the stopover in the port of Izmir visits of the crew and cadets on board to the tourist attractions in the area, official meetings of the ships commander with the local public authorities, as well as a reception on board the ship, with guests from among the diplomats, civil and military authorities in the region. The ship has a crew of 145 people and is conducting an international training march in the Black Sea until July 31. The ships crew includes 64 second-year students of the “Mircea cel Bătrân” Naval Academy in Constanta (south-east, on the Black Sea) and 10 foreign cadets from partner academies in Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Turkey, Italy and Spain. “Mircea” has so far called in the ports of Piraeus in Greece and Taranto in Italy.



    AUR. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR, in opposition in the Bucharest Parliament) has launched its candidates for next years European Parliament elections. Among them are the senator Claudiu Târziu, president of the National Management Council of the party, the MEP Cristian Terheş, elected in 2019 on the lists of another party, or the entrepreneur Mugur Mihăescu, a former non-professional comedy actor, who gained notoriety playing the role of an idiot policeman named Garcea. Before 1989, Mihăescu was a collaborator of the Securitate, the political police of the communist dictatorship. The average age of AUR candidates to the European Parliament is 45 years, and almost half of the list was reserved for women. The decision to announce the candidates for the European Parliament about a year before the election date is a challenge for the electoral competitors and a test of transparency towards the voters, who have 11 months to get to know those who are asking for their votes – the Alliance for the Union of Romanians has stated. The elections for the representatives of the member states of the Union in the European Parliament will take place between June 6-9, 2024.



    Ukraine. The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, has convened for Wednesday, at the request of Kyiv, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. This will take place at the level of ambassadors and will focus on consultations on the latest developments, including the transport of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea – said the spokesperson for the Alliance, the Romanian Oana Lungescu. Shortly before the announcement, Stoltenberg had a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after which he wrote on Twitter: “We strongly condemn Moscows attempt to make a weapon out of food.” For his part, Zelensky said that he identified, together with the Secretary General of NATO, future measures for unblocking and supporting the grain corridor through the Black Sea.



    Rowing. Romania ended the World Rowing Under-23 Championships in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) with two gold medals. The Romanian athletes won the double sculls on Sunday, and the quadruple sculls on Saturday. In the medal ranking, our country took sixth place. At the World Under-23 Championships in 2022, hosted by Varese (Italy), Romania won three medals: gold in the womens double sculls, silver in the womens quadruple sculls and bronze in the mens double sculls.



    Tennis. Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan won the BCR Iasi Open (WTA 125) tournament, with 100,000 euros in prize money, for the second year in a row. She defeated her compatriot Irina Begu, 6-2, 6-3, in the final on Sunday. In the doubles final, the Romanians Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu were defeated by the Slovenians Veronika Erjavec and Dalila Jakupovic, 6-4, 6-4. (MI)


  • July 23, 2023

    July 23, 2023

    Patients. Belgium will continue to treat patients with severe burns from Romania. An agreement on that will be signed soon, the Minister of Health in the Bucharest government, Alexandru Rafila, has announced. He has also stated that, at national level, the number of beds in hospitals for major burns will increase from 30 to 50, with support from the World Bank.



    AUR. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR, in opposition in the Bucharest Parliament) has launched its candidates for next years European Parliament elections. Among them are the senator Claudiu Târziu, president of the National Management Council of the party, the MEP Cristian Terheş, elected in 2019 on the lists of another party, or the entrepreneur Mugur Mihăescu, a former non-professional comedy actor, who gained notoriety playing the role of an idiot policeman named Garcea. Before 1989, Mihăescu was a collaborator of the Securitate, the political police of the communist dictatorship. The average age of AUR candidates to the European Parliament is 45 years, and almost half of the list was reserved for women. The decision to announce the candidates for the European Parliament about a year before the election date is a challenge for the electoral competitors and a test of transparency towards the voters, who have 11 months to get to know those who are asking for their votes – the Alliance for the Union of Romanians has stated. The elections for the representatives of the member states of the Union in the European Parliament will take place between June 6-9, 2024.


    Ukraine. The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, has convened for Wednesday, at the request of Kyiv, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. This will take place at the level of ambassadors and will focus on consultations on the latest developments, including the transport of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea – said the spokesperson for the Alliance, the Romanian Oana Lungescu. Shortly before the announcement, Stoltenberg had a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after which he wrote on Twitter: “We strongly condemn Moscows attempt to make a weapon out of food.” For his part, Zelensky said that he identified, together with the Secretary General of NATO, future measures for unblocking and supporting the grain corridor through the Black Sea.



    Vessel. The training ship “Mircea” of the Romanian Navy will dock, on Monday, in the Port of Izmir in Turkey. It will make a stopover until Thursday, during which it will have the mission of promoting the maritime values ​​and traditions of Romania. The diplomatic mission of Romania, through the General Consulate in Izmir, planned during the stopover in the port of Izmir visits of the crew and cadets on board to the tourist attractions in the area, official meetings of the ships commander with the local public authorities, as well as a reception on board the ship, with guests from among the diplomats, civil and military authorities in the region. The ship has a crew of 145 people and is conducting an international training march in the Black Sea until July 31. The ships crew includes 64 second-year students of the “Mircea cel Bătrân” Naval Academy in Constanta (south-east, on the Black Sea) and 10 foreign cadets from partner academies in Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Turkey, Italy and Spain. “Mircea” has so far called in the ports of Piraeus in Greece and Taranto in Italy.



    Wildfires. Thousands of people have been evacuated from houses and hotels on the Greek island of Rhodes, due to wildfires. The countrys fire service has described the fires as the most difficult they are currently facing. Firefighters are battling wildfires fueled by strong winds amid a heat wave sweeping across Europe. No injuries have been reported, according to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection in Greece. According to the authorities, tourists are being safely evacuated from the affected areas and are being redirected to other hotels on the island.



    Rowing. Romania has today won the gold medal in the womens double sculls at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships in Plovdiv (Bulgaria). Andrada-Maria Moroşanu and Iulia-Liliana Bălăucă won the race in 06 min 48 sec 50/100. This is the second Romanian gold medal, after the one won on Saturday by the womens quadruple sculls team, made up of Emanuela-Ioana Ciotău, Alexandra Ungureanu, Cristina Drugă and Patricia Cireş. At the World Under-23 Championships in 2022, hosted by Varese (Italy), Romania won three medals: gold in the womens double sculls, silver in the womens quadruple and bronze in the mens double sculls.



    Tennis. Romanians Ana Bogdan and Irina Begu are playing, today, the final of the BCR Iaşi Open tournament (eastern Romania), with 100,000 euros in prize money. Bogdan, number 49 WTA, the reigning champion and second seed at the tournament, qualified in the last act after defeating Raluka Şerban, a Romanian player representing Cyprus, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. For her part, Begu, ranked 31st in the world and the competitions first seed, defeated the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. (MI)


  • July 19, 2023 UPDATE

    July 19, 2023 UPDATE

    WEATHER Extreme temperatures are still forecast in most of Romania,
    particularly in the south and east, where the temperature-humidity index will be above
    the critical 80% ceiling. The highs are expected to range between 25 and 37
    degrees Celsius. Most regions will also be facing atmospheric instability, with
    heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and wind. Code yellow and code orange alerts are
    in place in the west of the country, where strong wind, thunderstorms, hail and
    heavy rainfalls are expected.


    FIREFIGHTERS On Wednesday Romania sent another 40 firefighters and
    several fire engines to Greece, where the authorities requested international
    assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The decision to send
    additional intervention equipment and personnel was made by the Romanian
    government. Romania has deployed a total of 13 fire engines and 80 fire
    fighters, after the Greek authorities issued a code-red alert for extreme heat
    across the country, with temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius expected to
    contribute to the spreading of wildfires. The Romanian fire fighters are to
    stay in Greece until August 1.

    CLIMATE The UN says humanity must prepare for more intense heat
    waves and recommends that citizens develop their own battle plan to
    face these extreme day and night temperatures. In North America, Asia, North
    Africa and the Mediterranean, temperatures will keep exceeding 40 degrees
    Celsius in the coming days. According to experts, heat-trapping greenhouse gas
    emissions are at the origin of climate change. Italy is subject to new alerts for
    particularly hot weather, while several regions in Spain have been placed under
    code red alerts due to the extreme danger induced by the heat wave.


    GOVERNMENT The new minister for labour and
    social solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, and the new minister for family,
    youth and equal opportunities, Natalia Intotero, were sworn in on Wednesday in
    a ceremony held at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. Oprescu replaces Marius
    Budăi, and Intotero takes over from Gabriela Firea, who resigned following a
    scandal concerning abuse in care homes for the elderly. The appointment decrees
    were signed by president Klaus Iohannis earlier on Wednesday.


    MEETING The PM of Romania Marcel Ciolacu had an informal meeting
    with the PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, during a private visit by Orban to Romania. According
    to a news release issued by the government, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that the
    Romanian party is seeking to maintain an open, positive, and constructive
    approach in the relations between the 2 countries. He welcomed Budapest’s
    support for Romania’s Schengen accession efforts, and voiced hopes that Hungary
    would remain an ally in this respect for Romania. The 2 officials also
    exchanged views on the topic of the EU’s current priorities, ahead of Hungary taking
    over the presidency of the EU Council in January 2024.


    GRAIN Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and
    Slovakia would like the ban on Ukrainian grain imports to be extended at least
    until the end of the year, the agriculture ministers of the 5 countries announced
    on Wednesday after a meeting in Warsaw. They signed a
    joint statement on the need to extend the EU preventive measures concerning the
    imports of wheat, maze, rape
    and sunflower seeds from Ukraine. In the same statement, the signatories also
    suggest that the list of products subject to the preventive measures remain
    open. According to a news release issued by the Romanian agriculture ministry,
    the participants sought a joint approach to the problems facing the farmers in
    these countries, which will be presented in the forthcoming AgriFish Council
    meeting. Romania was represented by the agriculture minister Ionut Barbu. Meanwhile, Reuters reports, an official letter from
    the Ukrainian government says Ukraine is currently working on defining a
    temporary maritime transport route via Romanian territorial waters, to continue
    to export grain via Black Sea ports. On Tuesday Russia pulled out of the
    agreement allowing safe passage to Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. (AMP)

  • August 13, 2022 UPDATE

    August 13, 2022 UPDATE

    Celebration. More than 200 thousand tourists are expected, these days, on the Romanian Black Sea coast, to spend the mini-vacation occasioned by the Assumption of Mary, on August 15, when the Day of the Romanian Navy will also be celebrated. The military ports of Constanta and Mangalia have opened their doors for locals and tourists to visit military ships, technical and armament exhibitions or stands presenting the educational offers of military educational institutions. On Monday, everyones attention will focus on the events organized to celebrate the navy. Thousands of people are expected to attend the parade of ships on the sea, in Constanţa, and a naval exercise in Mangalia, but also the seamanship competitions and games in the tourist ports of the two towns. In the evening, there will be music concerts and the spectacular torchlight retreat of the sailors, as well as fireworks. Until then, this weekend, the Romanians who chose to spend their mini-vacation at the seaside can benefit from a wide range of entertaining events, from theater and music evenings, opera and ballet performances to a pop-rock festival and a jazz festival organized outdoors. Throughout this period, 25,000 employees of the Ministry of the Interior – policemen, gendarmes or firefighters – are mobilized at national level to secure order and public safety.



    Firefighters. 36 Romanian firefighters, with nine piece of equipment, continued, on Saturday, the mission of extinguishing wildfires in the south-west of France, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations has stated. According to the quoted source, the firefighters must intervene in extreme conditions: high temperature, low humidity (below 10%) and strong wind. The support mission that Romania offers to the French authorities in the fight against wildfires has been carried out by deploying a specialized intervention module made up of 77 rescue firefighters, with specific means of intervention. The aid is granted based on the request for international assistance requested by the French government through the European Civil Protection Mechanism.




    Rushdie. In an interview just weeks before he was stabbed and seriously injured by an assailant in New York state, writer Salman Rushdie said he was leading a “relatively normal” life after being forced to hide for years due to death threats, Reuters informs. Rushdie, who has been an American citizen since 2016, said in an interview with the German magazine Stern that he was concerned about threats to democracy in the United States. They are driven by racism and hatred of the achievements of liberalism and constitute “a preliminary stage of fascism”, Rushdie said. New York police have arrested Rushdies attacker, a 24-year-old man from New Jersey, but have not yet determined a motive for the attack. Salman Rushdie has written about 15 novels, stories for young people, short stories and essays. However, he became famous thanks to his novel The Satanic Verses, from 1988. The book, considered blasphemy by many Muslims, generated widespread protests, and the former supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, called for the assassination of the writer and his editors. For decades, Salman Rushdie was forced to live in hiding.



    Championships. At the European Championships in Rome, 17-year-old David Popovici grabbed the gold medal in the 100 m freestyle on Saturday, with a world record of 46.86. The young Romanian swimmer shattered the old record fom 2009, when the Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho stopped the clock at 46.91. Also on Saturday, Romanian athletes won 6 medals in Saturdays events of the European Rowing Championships in Munich, Germany. Romania will take part in the race for medals on Sunday as well, in the finals of the lightweight womens single sculls and womens 8+1. At last years European Rowing Championships, in Varese (Italy), Romanian rowers won six medals, two gold and four silver.




    Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has qualified for the semifinals of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Toronto, with over 2.5 million dollars in prize money. Halep (30 years old, 15 WTA) defeated the American player Cori Gauff 6-4, 7-6. In the next round of the competition she will play against another American, Jessica Pegula. The two will face each other for the first time in the professional circuit. Simona Halep won the Canadian Open twice, which is played alternately in Montreal and Toronto, each time winning when the competition took place in Montreal (2016, 2018). She lost the 2015 final in Toronto. (MI)

  • August 12, 2022 UPDATE

    August 12, 2022 UPDATE


    Drought. Almost 340,000 hectares of agricultural land in 33 Romanian counties are affected by drought, according to the latest data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture. More than 182,000 hectares cultivated with wheat and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye) and almost 27,000 hectares of barley, spelt and oats have been destroyed by drought. Over 30,000 hectares of rape and almost 60,000 hectares of corn are in the same situation.



    Fires. Romania has sent dozens of firefighters and specific equipment to France to help put out the wildfires affecting the southwestern Gironde region. 77 Romanian firefighters and 17 pieces of equipment are on mission at the request of the French Government, through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has thanked Romania and the other countries that are helping to extinguish the fires in his country, describing the gesture as a demonstration of European solidarity



    Budget. The budget adjustment bill published on the website of the Romanian Finance Ministry provides for revenues higher by almost 4.3 billion Euros but also for an increased budget deficit, by almost 538 million Euros The Ministries of Labor, Health, Energy, Agriculture and Transport will receive most of the money. The Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Special Telecommunications Service will have their budgets significantly reduced. The additional amounts allocated to the Labor Ministry are intended to cover welfare and compensation for energy bills to families with low incomes. The positive budget adjustment made by the Finance Ministry covers interest rate payments, secures the Government reserve fund available and state aid for some companies. As to the Energy Ministry, the extra money is intended for personnel expenses and the support scheme for compensating electricity and natural gas prices.



    Housing. Romania ranks second among the European countries with the cheapest housing, after Bosnia and Herzegovina – according to a recent study carried out by the Deloitte Company. The ranking was made based on the average cost per square meter. In Romania it is 1,266 euros, calculated at the prices in the main cities. The most expensive homes are in Cluj-Napoca (north-west), followed by Bucharest and Brasov (centre). The study also shows that, at European level, the highest house prices are in Great Britain, with an average of over 4,900 euros per square meter, followed by Austria, France and Germany



    Production. Romania had the strongest drop in industrial production in the European Union in June. The evolution comes in contrast to the general situation on the continent, where industrial production registered an increase beyond expectations, both in the euro area and at the level of the entire Union. The data for the month of June were published on Friday by the EUROSTAT Office. The countries with the strongest industrial production growth rate were Ireland (6.7%) and Malta. At the opposite pole, the states with the strongest decline, from one month to the next, are Romania, where this indicator decreased by 3.9 percent, and Belgium.




    ROBOR. The Romanian Interbank Offered Rate, known as ROBOR, based on which the cost of loans with variable interest is calculated, has returned to a value below the threshold of 8% per year. The National Bank of Romania has announced that the index dropped to 7.98% on Friday, from 8.02% per year as reported the day before. At the beginning of 2022, the 3-month ROBOR index was 3.02% per year.



    Covid. More than 5,700 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been registered in Romania in the past 24 hours, 750 less than the previous day, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Friday. Most new cases have been reported in Bucharest, Cluj and Timis. 3,800 Covid patients are hospitalized, of whom 300 in intensive care. 20 related deaths were also reported in 24 hours.



    Football. Three Romanian football teams qualified, on Thursday, at home, for the play-offs of the Europa Conference League and have chances to reach the groups stage. FCSB defeated the Slovak team FC DAC 1904 Dunajska Streda 1-0 in the second leg of the third preliminary round, after winning the first match 1-0. In the next stage, FCSB will meet Viking Stavanger (Norway). CFR Cluj defeated the Belarusian team Shahtior Soligorsk 1-0, after their first match ended in a draw, 0-0. The Romanian champions will play in the play-offs against NK Maribor from Slovenia. Universitatea Craiova defeated the Ukrainian team Zaria Lugansk 3-0, after winning 1-0 in the first match. In the next stage, U Craiova will face Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC from Israel. The fourth Romanian team from the Europa Conference League, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, was eliminated by the Swedish team Djurgaardens IF.




    Swimming. Romanian swimmer David Popovici has qualified for the final of the 100 m freestyle at the European Aquatics Championships in Rome, with a time of 46 sec / 98 hundredths, a new European record, established in the semi-finals on Friday evening. Popovici (17 years old), the defending world champion in the 100 and 200 m freestyle, had achieved a record of the European Championships with 47 sec / 20 hundredths. The final of the 100m freestyle race will take place on Saturday. The world record of the event is held by the Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho (46 sec / 91 hundredths), from 2009. Romania is represented in Rome by a delegation of 11 athletes. (MI)