Radio România Internațional

Tag: World Cup

  • March 18, 2018

    March 18, 2018

    WEATHER – More than half of the national territory is affected today by a sharp decrease in temperatures, by up to 15 degrees Celsius compared to the multi-annual average, according to a code yellow alert issued by weather experts. The highs of the day range between minus 8 to 10 degrees C. Until Sunday night, in 32 counties in the centre, east and south, including the capital city Bucharest, heavy raifalls are expected, first rain and then sleet and snow. Strong winds are reported in most of the country, with gusts of 55 – 65 km/h. Meteorologists say the weather will remain unseasonably cold until the end of next week. Several rivers in the north, centre and south are subject to code orange and yellow alerts for flash floods, until Monday at noon.





    DEFENCE – This years first meeting of the Supreme Defence Council, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, will be held on Tuesday. According to the presidential administration, the participants will analyse the work conducted by the Council and relevant institutions in the field of national security in 2017, and will set the main goals for this year. Other topics of interest with respect to national security will also be approached.




    BOOK FAIR – The Leipzig Book Fair comes to an end in Germany today. Romania was the guest of honour, and under the motto “Zoom in Romania it organised over 70 events to promote contemporary Romanian writers. For 4 days, readers had an opportunity to meet several Romanian authors already present in the German market, such as Mircea Cărtărescu, Norman Manea, Nora Iuga and Filip Florian, as well as young writers like Lavinia Branişte and Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu. During the event, more than 40 works translated from Romanian were promoted. The Leipzig Book Fair is one of the most important such events in Europe and the world. Meanwhile, Romania is also taking part these days, alongside 45 other countries, in the 38th Paris Book Fair. Romania, as you have never read it is the motto of the Romanian stand, which presents more than 50 recent releases and over 20 events.




    BESSARABIA – The “Basarabia National-Cultural Association of Romanians in Odessa region organised this Saturday the 2nd Forum of Romanian Language Teachers in the region of Odessa. The theme of this years forum was “Education in the native language: accomplishments, reality and prospects. Taking part in the event, held in the Romanian Information Centre within the Ismail State University of the Humanities, were teachers from pre-school, secondary school and university-level institutions from the region of Odessa, in Ukraine.





    MOSCOW – Russia is holding presidential elections today, precisely 4 years since Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula. The incumbent president Vladimir Putin is seeking a fresh 6-year term in office, and is facing 7 challengers, including a Communist millionaire, Pavel Grudinin, a former TV anchor, Ksenia Sobchak and a nationalist veteran, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The main opponent for Kremlin, Alexey Navalny, was banned from running on account of a criminal sentence that he claims was staged by the authorities. Putin has been heading Russia for the past 18 years, as either president or prime minister.





    CRIMEA – The European Union does not recognise the annexation of Crimea by Russia, which took place 4 years ago, and continues to condemn this violation of international law and direct challenge to international security, says the EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini in a news release. The Romanian Foreign Ministry joins in the statement of the EU High Representative on the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. Romania firmly condemns, once again, the breaching of international law principles and rules. On this occasion, Romania reiterates its support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.




    RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team, ranking 17 in the world, is playing today against Georgia, in the last stage of Rugby Europe International Championship 2018. Romania is playing for qualification in the 2019 Japan World Cup. So far the national team has defeated Russia, Germany and Belgium and lost to Spain. So far in the competition, Georgia tops the standings and Romania comes second. The winner secures its participation in the 2019 World Cup.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 18, 2018

    February 18, 2018


    Visit – Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila travels to Brussels next week for her first foreign visit. She will have talks with European leaders, including the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, the European Council President Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila has recently stated that her immediate plans include boosting foreign policy actions and economic relations with the partner states.



    Visas – As of December 1st 2017, citizens of Romania no longer need a visa to travel to Canada. The decision has triggered a surge in asylum requests, which called for a meeting between the Federal Government and the Romanian diplomats posted in Ottawa, according to the Canadian site La Presse. According to the Immigration Ministry, since December 1st 2017, 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada, as compared to 120 claims in 2016. According to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Paul MacKinnon, it is not clear yet whether this is going to be a trend, or just a temporary circumstance, relating to the decision to lift visas for Romanians. The parties have agreed to maintain the programme, but, if asylum claims exceed a certain limit over a period of 12 months, then compulsory visas might be reintroduced, the Canadian official has stated. The changes brought to the Canadian immigration policy were associated with the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU last year.



    Security Conference – The Munich Security Conference has come to an end. The forum brought together officials who talked about the role of the EU in terms of international security and its relations with the US and Russia. On Saturday, the last day of the event, the British Prime Minister Theresa May said that she did not want Brexit to be the end of the cooperation between Great Britain and the EU in fields such as defense and security, and suggested a security cooperation treaty to be concluded with the European partners, next year at the latest. In turn, the EC President Jean Claude Juncker gave assurances that Europeans were not at war with Great Britain and would not give up the security bridge connecting them for ages. The Defense Minister Mihai Fifor represented Romania at the conference. During the working lunch with his German counterpart Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, the Romanian official stressed the importance of bilateral and regional cooperation, especially with regard to military intelligence and defense industry.



    Berlin Film Festival – Romanian productions are screened in almost every important section of the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilies feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with Childs Pose, the Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer is this year part of the jury. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzers Ana, mon amour. Ioana Uricarius Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboius documentary Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children and young people. Also, the Romanian actress and director Alina Grigore, screen writer Ioan Antoci and film critic Flavia Dima have been selected for the Berlinale Talents, a section devoted to young cinematographers.



    Rugby – Romanias rugby team (The Oaks) is today playing against the Spanish Los Leones in Madrid, in a decisive match in terms of qualification for the 2019 World Cups European Group. Romanias record in the past 60 years has been impressive, with 33 victories, as compared to Spains only 2. The Oaks rank 15th in the World Rugby Rankings, and Leones 19th.




  • 14 September 2017, UPDATE

    14 September 2017, UPDATE

    Defence. The country’s Supreme Defence Council chaired by
    president Klaus Iohannis met on Thursday in Bucharest. Participants debated and
    approved the deployment of a Romanian army naval capability to a NATO mission
    in the second part of 2017. The move was taken following requests by
    international organisations for an additional contribution from Romania to foreign
    missions and operations. The Supreme Defence Council also discussed and
    approved the national strategy for the proliferation of weapons of mass
    destruction. The strategy is to be implemented in the 2017-2019 period and
    mainly aims to strengthen the ability for rapid reaction and consolidate
    inter-institutional cooperation. Energy security and the associated risks and
    opportunities were also on the Council’s agenda. This was the first meeting to
    be attended by Mihai Fifor in his new capacity as defence minister and the new
    economy minister Gheorghe Simon.




    EU summit. The Romanian authorities have
    already started preparations for a special EU summit in the central Romanian
    city of Sibiu in the spring of 2019, the minister for European affairs Victor
    Negrescu has announced. The summit, which is to take place on 30th
    of March, will discuss the future of the community bloc immediately after the
    UK’s leaving the Union. The proposal for Sibiu to host this summit came on
    Wednesday from the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker in
    his State of the Union address in the European Parliament. He also said that
    the Schengen area should be immediately opened for both Romania and Bulgaria.
    In light of these remarks, minister Negrescu said Bucharest would launch a new
    campaign to join this area of free movement.




    National minorities. Romania, Bulgaria,
    Greece and Hungary have sent a common letter to the Ukrainian authorities, the
    Council of Europe and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
    expressing their concern and profound regret vis-à-vis the new education law
    passed by the Ukrainian Parliament. According to a press release by the
    Romanian foreign ministry, the move reflects the interest of the signatory
    countries with regard to the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities and
    calls on the Ukrainian authorities to comply with international standards in
    the field. Ukraine is home to almost half a million ethnic Romanians, most of
    whom live in the Romanian territories annexed by the former Soviet Union in
    1940 through an ultimatum and inherited by Ukraine as a successor state in
    1991.




    Protests. Trade
    unions in the healthcare sector say they are planning a number of protests,
    including picketing the headquarters of the finance, healthcare and labour
    ministries and possibly even a strike between the 2nd and the 6th
    of October, as well as a large-scale street protest on the 19th of
    October in Bucharest. They say 15-20,000 people are expected to take part.
    Employees are unhappy with the lack of a collective employment contract, the
    provisions of the new salary law and the elimination of meal vouchers as of
    2018.




    NATO. The Piatra Craiului air-defence detachment from
    Brasov, in the centre, on Thursday left for Poland. Its 120 military and their
    35 mm anti-aircraft gun will be deployed in this country until March 2018,
    being part of a US-led NATO combat force. Their mission is to provide advance
    and consolidated presence in the north-east of the Alliance, on a rotational
    basis, to discourage possible aggression, in keeping with the measures adopted
    at the NATO summit in Warsaw. The Romanian troops are replacing their
    colleagues from the General Gheorghe Parvulescu
    anti-aircraft battalion from Craiova, in the south, who have just finished
    their 6-month mission.




    Hindi Day. Hindi
    Day, held on September 14th and aimed at promoting the importance of
    the Hindi language, was also celebrated in Romania. The date marks the day when
    Hindi was given the status of official language on the 14th of
    September 1949. The Indian Embassy in Bucharest held a special event during
    which the popular Romanian pop music singer Loredana Groza awarded brailles
    versions of the yoga manual Yogikasparsh to several associations
    for the blind and visually impaired.




    Football. The first foreign manager of the
    Romanian football team, Germany’s Christoph Daum, has just seen his contracted
    terminated, the Romanian Football Federation has announced. With only 9 points
    in 8 preliminary matches, Romania have missed all chances to qualify for next
    year’s World Cup in Russia. Romania rank 4th in Group E, after
    Poland, Denmark and Montenegro. Daum has come under severe criticism recently
    from fans, football professionals and the media over the disappointing
    performance and results of the national side.






    Davis Cup. The Romanian Davis Cup team are in Vienna,
    where they will face Austria at the weekend in the first-round play-offs to
    remain in the Europe/Africa Group I. The first match is scheduled for Friday.
    Playing for Romania are Dragos Dima, Nicolae Frunza and Bogdan Borza, none of
    whom are in the top 500, as well as Horia Tecau, the new winner of the doubles
    title at the US Open. Marius Copil, no. 87 in the world and Romania’s
    best-ranked singles player, is not part of the team. The Austrian team includes
    world no. 7 Dominic Thiem.



  • September 5, 2017

    September 5, 2017

    Economic growth — Romanian’s Gross Domestic Product went up by 5.8% in the first half of the year as against the same period of 2016, Romania’s National Statistic Institute has announced. All economic sectors have contributed to the growth, except for constructions. Industry, trade, transportation, tourism and the IT&C sectors have contributed most to the growth. According to Romanian PM Mihai Tudose, the 5.8% economic growth rate, the biggest in Europe, is the best indicator of how the country’s real economy stands.




    North Korea – The UN Security Council is this week discussing a resolution in response to North Korea’s having conducted a nuclear test at the end of last week, its sixth so far. North Korea said its test of what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile was “a perfect success.” The UN Security Council strongly condemned North Koreas “outrageous” test, saying is “deliberately undermining regional peace and stability”. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was “begging for war” as she urged the UN Security Council to adopt the strongest sanctions possible to stop Pyongyangs nuclear program. Speaking at a Security Council emergency meeting, Nikki Haley said North Koreas sixth nuclear test was a clear sign that “the time for half measures” from the UN had to end. The Council will take a decision on Monday.




    Enescu Festival — The “George Enescu” International Festival, one of the most prestigious music events in Europe, continues in Bucharest. The Russian National Orchestra is today holding a concert as part of the Great Orchestras of the World series. Also today, soloist Madalina Pasol is performing alongside Radio Romania’s Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Tiberiu Oprea. For 3 weeks, 80 concerts and other events will bring more than 3,000 of the best international artists to Bucharest and 7 other major Romanian cities. Radio Romania is the only media institution in the country to broadcast the concerts live, on its channels Radio Romania Music and Radio Romania Culture. First organised in 1958, 3 years after the famed Romanian composer had died, the George Enescu Festival was discontinued in 1971 by the communist regime, and was resumed in 1989. It has been held every 2 years ever since.




    US Open — Romania only has one player left at US Open, the last grand slam of the year. Horia Tecau is today playing in the quarterfinals in both the men’s doubles alongside Jean Julien Rojer and in the mixed doubles alongside the American Coco Vandeweghe. On Monday Romanian Monica Niculescu and Wei Hsieh of Taiwan failed to qualify to the women’s doubles quarterfinals.




    Football –Romania’s national football team was defeated by Montenegro on Monday 1-0 in Podgorica, in Group E of the World Cup qualifiers, losing any chance to qualify to the final tournament in Russia. Romania ranks fourth in the group, after Poland, Denmark and Montenegro. Romania’s next fixture against Kazakhstan will be held on home turf in the town of Ploiesti on October 5th while the one against Denmark will be held on November 8th in Copenhagen. The manager of the Romanian national team, the German Christoph Daum, has been strongly criticised for the team’s poor results.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • September 3, 2017

    September 3, 2017

    PARLIAMENT – In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate have convened for the second regular session of the year. At the request of the National Liberal Party, the Chamber of Deputies has decided that on Monday PM Mihai Tudose is to present a report on the national economy, as part of the “Prime Ministers Hour series. On Saturday, during a meeting of his partys National Executive Committee, the Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea announced the priorities of the current parliamentary session. These include laws in the fields of the judiciary, pensions, healthcare, coalmines, the Labour Code, lobbying, land sales, energy, animal breeding and urban planning. As for the referendum on modifying the Constitution in the sense of redefining the concept of “family, Dragnea said the vote would be held this autumn, and to this end the law on the referendum should be endorsed by the Senates judicial committee next week.



    ENESCU FESTIVAL – The George Enescu International Festival, one of the most prestigious music events in Europe, continues in Bucharest. The National Radio Orchestra will perform on the unconventional stage of the George Enescu Festival Square, under the baton of conductor Cristian Oroşanu and with the Czech violinist Roman Patočka as a soloist. In the series entitled “Great Orchestras of the World, the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, which opened the 23rd edition of the Festival on Saturday, returns to the Palace Hall, to play works by Wagner, Berg and Shostakovich. For 3 weeks, 80 concerts and other events will bring together in Bucharest and 7 other major Romanian cities more than 3,000 of the best international artists. The honorary president this year is the famous conductor Zubin Mehta, and another conductor, Vladimir Jurowski is the artistic director. Radio Romania is the only media institution in the country to broadcast the concerts live, on its channels Radio Romania Music and Radio Romania Culture. First organised in 1958, 3 years after the famed Romanian composer had died, the George Enescu Festival was discontinued in 1971 by the communist regime, and was resumed in 1989. It has been held every 2 years ever since.



    NUCLEAR TEST – Japan and South Korea confirmed that on Sunday Pyongyang conducted its 6th nuclear test. The American Geophysics Institute reported a 6.3 Richter quake, suggesting a possible blast in North Korea. The artificial earthquake caused by the explosion was nearly 10 times the strength of North Koreas previous test. Pyongyang announced it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb and said it could be installed on an intercontinental ballistic missile. This is the 6th and most powerful nuclear test conducted by North Korea, with the last one reported in September 2016. Pyongyang disregarded the UN sanctions and the international pressure and continued to develop its nuclear and ballistic programme. The country is now suspected of having built missiles able to reach the US.




    FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is playing on Monday in Podgorica against Montenegro, in preliminary Group E of the 2018 World Cup. On Friday in Bucharest Romania defeated Armenia, 1-0, only managing to score in extra time, although their opponents had one player sent out of the pitch. Romania currently ranks 4th in the group, 7 points behind group leader Poland and 4 points behind Denmark and Montenegro. In this qualifying campaign, Romania is for the first time coached by a foreign manager, the German Cristoph Daum, who has been facing growing criticism because of the teams poor performance.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Football Club

    Football Club

    The next couple of days will be decisive for Romania’s national football squad, as the Romanians have their last chance to qualify to next year’s World Cup held in Russia. Also, depending on the results, the team’s technical management may be changed.



    Romania will be up against Armenia on Friday on home turf while on Monday in Podgorica, it will play against Montenegro. The Romanians are now 4th ranked in group E, with only 6 points collected in 6 matches. Romania only won the away match against Armenia, in October 2016, lost two other matches and ended another three in a draw. Romania is now 10 points behind the group leader Poland and 4 points behind Denmark and Montenegro, which compete for the 2nd place in the group. Under these circumstances, Romania must win both matches on Friday and Monday, or risk losing any chance to qualify to the World Cup.



    The manager of the Romanian national team, the German Christoph Daum, is once again betting mostly on footballers playing for foreign teams. However, Daum’s decision to select 15 of the 24-team members from among the ones playing abroad and to leave out good footballers from the domestic championship, such as Denis Alibec and Constantin Budescu from FCSB, has triggered the criticism of the Romanian team’s supporters. Budescu has only been put on an additional list of prospective substitutes, in case one of the regulars becomes unavailable due to injuries. Romania’s next fixture against Kazakhstan will be held on home turf in the town of Ploiesti on October 5th while the one against Denmark will be held on November 8th in Copenhagen.

  • August 31, 2017

    August 31, 2017

    DIPLOMACY – The Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy continues in Bucharest today with a conference on the role of the Romanian business community in economic diplomacy. During Wednesdays meeting with the Romanian ambassadors and consuls abroad, President Klaus Iohannis called on diplomats to promote the rule of law and focus on protecting the rights and interests of the Romanian citizens abroad. The head of state also discussed the importance of the strategic partnership with the United States and urged the Romanian diplomats to support the trans-Atlantic relation. This years meeting of Romanian diplomats was themed A changing world: the goals of Romanias foreign policy.



    EXCISES – Romanian carriers criticise the Governments decision to increase fuel excises, and predict dark times will come for Romanian transports. The Romanian Federation of Transport Operators says each additional eurocent in the price of petrol and diesel will have a direct impact on the competitiveness of Romanian road carriers and will force many international transport operators to buy fuel from abroad. On Wednesday the Government decided to increase fuel excises in 2 stages, as of September 15 and October 1, respectively. Finance Minister Ionuţ Mişa explained that the measure would be introduced gradually so as not to generate a shock, consisting in higher prices and lower consumption, which would affect the state budget.



    LANGUAGE DAY – Today is the Romanian Language day, celebrated on the last day of August since 2013. On this occasion, the Ministry for the Romanian diaspora is organising in Bucharest, in a partnership with the Romanian Academy, a conference on Romanian language revival and renewal in the diaspora, while the Romanian Cultural Institute organises activities in major cities abroad. Conferences, roundtables, book launches, recitals and exhibitions are organised in Istanbul, New York, Madrid, Tel Aviv and Warsaw. The Romanian Language Day is also celebrated in the Republic of Moldova, and according to the ambassador of Romania to Chisinau, Daniel Ioniţă, this is further proof of the profound unity of the people living on the two banks of Prut River.




    JUDICIARY – The Romanian Justice Ministry has made public the bill modifying the laws on the judiciary, on which Minister Tudorel Toader has requested the official opinion of the Superior Council of Magistrates. The bill, which is intended to make the management of courts and prosecutor offices more efficient, stipulates changes primarily in terms of the professional assessment, promotion, and appointment to senior positions of staff in the judicial system. Some of the changes announced a while ago by Minister Tudorel Toader concern the appointment of the prosecutor general and of the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism by the Superior Council of Magistrates based on a nomination by the Justice Minister, and the setup of a special directorate to investigate offences committed by magistrates. The measures have been criticised and prompted street protests. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate says this is a form of pressure on the work of prosecutors, while the Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazar, says that if endorsed, the bill would affect the independence of magistrates and the activity of judicial institutions.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is preparing for the game against Armenia, to be played on Friday on home turf, and the one against Montenegro away from home on Monday, as part of the preliminary Group E of next years World Football Cup hosted by Russia. The unchallenged leader of the group is Poland, with 16 points, followed by Montenegro and Denmark, with 10 points each, Romania and Armenia, 6, and Kazakhstan, with 2 points. In this preliminary campaign, the Romanian team is for the first time in its history managed by a foreign coach, the German Cristoph Daum.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 13, 2017

    June 13, 2017


    CORRUPTION – Romanian prosecutors re-started the criminal prosecution of the former president of Romania Traian Basescu, for abuse of office in the so called Flora case, after judges with the High Court of Cassation and Justice admitted the request filed by the Prosecutors Office. The case was re-opened after a businessman filed a complaint, accusing Traian Basescu of having illegally returned, back in 2003, when he was the mayor of Bucharest, a 40,000 square meter piece of land. The commercial complex Flora was later built on that ground. The businessman claims that Basescu abused his office by endorsing the return of the property, and the damage is estimated at more than 100 million Euros.



    NSI – According to the National Statistics Institute, the average income in Romania went up by 1% in April, reaching the equivalent of 520 Euro, which is a historic record. The most significant increases were reported in relation to financial transactions and auxiliary activities, while decreases were recorded in the oil and natural gas extraction industry and in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. In another development, the number of pensioners dropped to under 5.2 million, and the average pension went up by 8.1%, reaching some 220 Euro. The pensioners/employees ratio is still 9 to10, which means that 10 employees support 9 pensioners.



    MINERS RAID – Romania is commemorating 27 years since miners raids of June 13-15, 1990, which put an end to a large-scale rally against the left wing power instated after the fall of the communist dictatorship in December 1989. Against the background of violent clashes in the capital, which the army had already managed to stifle, the then president of the country Ion Iliescu claimed the right wing had planned a coup and called on the population to defend the democratic institutions. As a result of the call, miners from Jiu Valley came to Bucharest and attacked the University, the headquarters of the main opposition parties and the offices of independent publications. Their raids ended in four deaths, hundreds of people wounded and more than one thousand people arrested abusively. Romanias image abroad was also affected by the violent raid of June 1990. As part of the investigation, restarted in 2015, the General Prosecutors Office has prosecuted the former president Ion Iliescu, the former Prime Minister Petre Roman and the Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service Virgil Magureanu, alongside another 15 people.



    RUSSIA – The main opponent of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, was sentenced last night to 30 days in prison for staging unauthorized manifestations across the country, against corruption in politics. His main collaborators and the opposition politician Ilya Yashin were also detained. The largest number of protest rallies were held in Moscow and Sankt Petersburg, with thousands of people participating. The special police OMON intervened brutally when activists started chanting against the regime, and arrested some 2000 people in the two cities, including youth and even pupils. The US and the EU have condemned the arrests and have called on Moscow to release them.



    HANDBALL – Romanias womens handball team is playing today, away from home, against the Austrian squad, in the decisive leg of World Championships qualifiers. In the first game, on Friday night, on home turf, in Oradea, north-western Romania, the Romanians defeated Austria 34-29. Romania is the only country that has participated in all 22 editions of the World Championship, and in 2015 it won the bronze medal.



    FOOTBALL – Tonight, Romanias national football team takes on in Cluj, north-western Romania, the representative of Chile, in a friendly game. This is the first match to be played before the Romanian supporters after the defeat sustained in Warsaw on Saturday, when the national squad lost 1-3 to Warsaw, in the World Cup preliminaries group E. Poland is leader of the group with 16 points, followed by Montenegro and Denmark, both with 10 points, Romania and Armenia with 6 and Kazakhstan with 2 points. In the next preliminary match, Romania will play against Armenia, on September 1st. For the first time in its history, Romania is trained by a German , Cristoph Daum. He is increasingly contested by the Romania media, supporters and specialists, who say that he has done nothing to improve the performance of the national squad.




  • March 27, 2017

    March 27, 2017

    ALDE – Daniel Constantin, co-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), has lost the political support of his party for the positions of deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister, which he was holding in the leftist government in Bucharest led by Sorin Grindeanu. Gratiela Gavrilescu has been proposed to replace Daniel Constantin. The decision was made after Constantin had contested a decision by some party colleagues that an extraordinary congress be staged next month, the other ALDE co-president Calin Popescu Tariceanu explained. He has also criticized Constantin for his latest political moves. Constantin has rejected the allegations adding the decision runs against the partys status. At present Gavrilescu is minister for the relation with Parliament but ALDE proposed this portfolio be taken over by Viorel Ilie. Social-Democratic Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu on Monday said upon the latest PSD-ALDE session that it would forward the proposals to president Klaus Iohannis.



    CALL – The European Union has called on Moscow to release immediately the several hundred protesters the authorities arrested during the peaceful anti-graft rallies in Russia on Sunday. Famous anti-Putin campaigner Aleksei Navalny is reportedly among those arrested. Tens of thousands protesters all over the country have chanted anti-government slogans asking for the resignation of Prime Minister Medvedev whom they accuse of corruption. Navalny, who is a lawyer, has been denouncing high-level corruption in Russia for years now and has made public his intention to run in the presidential election in 2018.




    CELEBRATION – Bucharest and other big cities across Romania are today hosting events aimed at celebrating 99 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania, an event recently declared a national holiday by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. On Sunday in Chisinau, hundreds of people attended a rally in support of the national flag, where they unfolded a 100-meter long flag chanting unionist slogans. On March 27th 1918, after the dismantling of the Czarist Empire, the countrys legislative body, which convened in solemn session, ruled with an absolute majority the union of Bessarabia with the Romanian kingdom after 106 years of Russian occupation. Through an ultimatum in 1940, Soviet Moscow annexed both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, territories today belonging to the former soviet republics of Moldova and Ukraine.




    TALKS – A new round of talks is taking place in Bucharest between the authorities and representatives of the policemen discontented with their low salaries. Interior Minister Carmen Dan said she would try to identify solutions together with trade unionists so that policemen may benefit from bonuses of 40% and 100% if they work during the weekends and other legal holidays. The minister of Public Consultations and Social Dialogue, Gabriel Petrea has explained that pay differences and other flaws in the system cannot be settled without affecting the budget. The policemen claim a 20% pay rise as well as bonuses for difficult work conditions, night shifts, for working on weekends and other legal holidays.



    GAME Romanias national eleven ended in a draw their home fixture on Sunday against the Danish side in qualifying group E for the next years World Cup in Russia. Also on Sunday Montenegro conceded a 1-2 defeat to Poland and Armenia outperformed Kazahstan 2-0. The qualifyiers next leg is due on June 10th when Romania will be up against Poland in an away match. On the same date Kazahstan will be playing Denmark and Montenegro takes on Armenia. Poland tops the groups table with 13 points followed by Montenegro and Denmark both with 7, Romania and Armenia each with 6 and Kazahstan with 2 points. We recall the Romanian national side is for the first time in its history led by a foreign selector, German Cristoph Daum, who came to the helm in autumn upon the teams lackluster play at Euro 2016 in France.




    TENNIS The worlds fifth tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, today takes on Australian Samantha Stosur (WTA19) in the round of sixteen of the tournament in Miami, Florida, a competition with 6.9 million dollars in prize money. In the third round on Sunday the Romanian secured a two-set win 6-3, 6-0 against Estonian Anett Kontaveit. Another Romanian playing in Miami Patricia Tig has conceded a two-set defeat, 6-3, 6-0, to Venus Williams of the USA.

    (translated by: Daniel Bilt)

  • 25 March, 2017

    25 March, 2017

    EU anniversary. The EU heads of state and government today signed a
    solemn declaration renewing their European commitments against the backdrop of
    UK’s leaving the Union. They came together in Rome to celebrate the 60th
    anniversary of the signing of the treaty that established the European Economic
    Community, which later became the European Union. Romania is represented at the
    summit by its president, Klaus Iohannis. According to a document Romanian
    officials sent to EU member states before the summit, Romania is in favour of a
    stronger Union and believes that one of the basic principles of the Rome
    declaration should be about unity, cohesion and endurance. On Friday at the
    Vatican, Pope Frances received all states of head and government attending the
    summit and urged for greater European solidarity at a time when, in his
    opinion, the European Union is faced with a vacuum of values and was losing its sense
    of direction.


    Protests. Thousands of police employees are staging
    protests today in front of the interior ministry and government headquarters,
    on the anniversary of Romanian Police Day. They are unhappy with their salaries
    compared with those of other public sector employees. They demand, among
    others, bigger pay and the calculation of their benefits based on the increased
    wage. Protesters blow vuvuzela horns and carry placards saying that more than
    60% of the interior ministry’s employees earn the minimum wage and requesting
    the modernisation of police stations and a fairer pay law.

    Earth Hour. Millions of people from across the globe will take part today in Earth Hour, the biggest environmental movement in history. The event encourages everybody to turn off their lights in a symbolic gesture meant to help fight the effects of climate change. It is for the 9th year in a row that Romania also takes part in Earth Hour. The external lighting of the Cotroceni presidential palace and of the Parliament building will be turned off. The government will also turn the lights off for one hour, thus expressing concern for the environment and the desire to promote non-polluting technology and encourage energy efficient programmes.




    Summertime. Romania switches to summertime tonight. Like
    every year on the last Sunday in March, 3 am will become 4 am. Clocks will be
    turned forward in more than 100 states across the world, including the entire
    European Union. Daylight saving time was introduced in Romania before World War
    II, but was given up in 1943 before being reintroduced in 1979. The purpose of
    the practice is to make the most of natural light provided by the sun as a
    means of saving electricity.




    Church. Orthodox Christians, who are the majority in
    Romania, as well as Greek-Catholics, today celebrate the Feast of the
    Annunciation, which commemorates the moment when the Virgin Mary received the
    news that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ. Also today, the 7th
    March for Life is taking place in 300 localities in Romania and the majority
    Orthodox Republic of Moldova, with participants calling for a ban on abortions
    and for support for women and families. The purpose of the march, which is
    organised with the help of the Romanian Patriarchate, is to warn about the high
    number of legal abortions carried out in pubic hospitals in Romania, namely 23
    million between 1958 and 2016. The organisers of the march even say the figure
    could be twice as high, given that it does not reflect the illegal abortions
    carried out during the former communist regime and those performed in public
    hospitals today.




    Football World Cup. Romania face Denmark on Sunday night in Cluj
    Napoca in a Group E match as part of the qualifiers for Football World Cup
    hosted by Russia next year. Other Group E fixtures will see Armenia play
    Kazakhstan and Montenegro play Poland. After a categorical 5-nil win against
    Armenia, a 1-all draw at home against Montenegro, and another, goalless draw,
    against Kazakhstan in an away match, as well as a painful nil-3 defeat by
    Poland at home, Romania now rank 4th in their group with only 5
    points.




    Miami tennis. World no. 5 Simona Halep of Romania on Friday reached the
    third round of the WTA tennis tournament in Miami, worth 6.8 million dollars in
    prize money. In the second round, she defeated the Japanese player Naomi Osaka
    in three sets. Another Romanian player, Patricia Maria Tig pulled off a
    spectacular straight-set win against France’s Kristina Mladenovici to reach the
    third round. Sorana Cirstea also reached the third round after she defeated
    Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in three sets. Irina Begu, however, seeded 28 in
    Miami, failed to qualify, suffering an unexpected defeat at the hands of
    Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena.



  • March 21, 2017

    March 21, 2017

    DEFENCE – The Supreme Defence Council convenes in Bucharest today, at the initiative of President Klaus Iohannis. The main topics on the agenda are the army equipping programme and Romanias stand at the NATO summit due to take place in Brussels in May. The Council members will review the progress made last year with respect to the army upgrading and equipping programme by 2026 and after that date, as well as the activity of national security institutions in 2016 and their main goals for this year. The previous meeting of the Supreme Defence Council was held on January 31.



    MILITARY CEREMONY – The south-eastern Romanian port city of Constanta has hosted today a repatriation ceremony for the Romanian troops in Battalion 341 Infantry, known as “the White Sharks. Between August 2016 and March 2017 they took part in the NATO-led mission Resolute Support in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The 420 troops were in charge with the security of the Kandahar Airport and the coalition forces deployed there. According to data made public by the Defence Ministry, 25 Romanian military died in missions in Afghanistan, in which Romania has been taking part since 2001 as a member of the international coalitions led by NATO and the USA. Over 100 other troops have been wounded in missions in that country.




    FRANCOPHONIE – The French section of Radio Romania International won the Francophonie Award, granted by the group of Francophone embassies, delegations and institutions in Romania. Our colleagues were handed the award yesterday, on the International Day of La Francophonie, for their outstanding contribution to promoting the French language and the values of La Francophonie in Romania. Also yesterday, in central Bucharest, a bust was unveiled, in memory of Leopold Sedar Senghor, co-founder of La Francophonie. Many cultural, artistic and scientific events were also organized abroad, by Romanias diplomatic missions. The International Francophonie Day is celebrated on March 20 every year. Romania has been a member of this organization since 1993.




    FRENCH ELECTIONS – Centrist Emmanuel Macron strengthened his leadership in polls ahead of the forthcoming presidential election in France, after the first TV debate last night between the top 5 out of 11 candidates. Macrons pro-European rhetoric was counterweighed by the leader of the far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who tried to blame all Frances problems on immigration and the EU, and promised an EU membership referendum and the implementation of nationalist policies. Originally seen as the election frontrunner, but severely affected by a judicial scandal, the Conservative François Fillon presented an economic and social programme based on ultra-Liberal measures. The presidential election in France is scheduled for April 23rd and May 7th. According to current polls, Marine Le Pen will likely win the first round, but will be defeated by Emmanuel Macron in the runoff.




    HOLY SEPULCHRE – Conservation works on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalems old city centre have been finalised, and the site where Jesus Christs body is buried, according to Christian belief, will be reopened tomorrow. The last restoration works were performed over 200 years ago, and authorities were concerned with the stability of the site. The project lasted for 9 months and cost 3.3 million euros, contributed primarily by the Greek Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian churches. The Holy Sepulchre dates back to the 12th Century, and it was built over a 4th Century structure.




    FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is preparing Sundays home match against Denmark, in preliminary Group E for next years World Cup in Russia. After a clear win, 5-0 in Armenia, two draws, 1-1 on home turf in Montenegro and 0-0 away from home in Kazakhstan, and a severe defeat, 0-3 in Bucharest against Poland, Romania ranks 4th in the group with only 5 points. During this season the national football team is for the first time in history coached by a foreigner, the German Cristoph Daum, brought in last autumn after a poor performance at Euro 2016 in France.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 19, 2017, UPDATE

    March 19, 2017, UPDATE

    PARTY ELECTIONS – The special congress in which the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, the junior partner in the ruling coalition, will elect a president, will take place on April 21, one of the partys current co-presidents, the Senate Speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu announced on Sunday. The other co-president is the incumbent Environment Minister, Daniel Constantin. Calin Popescu Tariceanu also said that Sundays meeting of the party leaders was organised in keeping with party regulations, and added that he would run for party president. News agencies have reported that the two co-presidents were at odds with respect to the date of the planned congress. Tariceanu wanted quick preparations for an election in late April, whereas Constantin argued that party elections should begin in local branches, and the newly elected county leaders should decide who the next party president will be.



    LA FRANCOPHONIE – The Romanian Foreign Ministry will organise two public diplomacy events in Bucharest on Monday, on the occasion of the International Francophonie Day. A bust of Leopold Sedar Senghor, co-founder of La Francophonie, and a leading political and cultural personality of Senegal, will be unveiled in the Francophonie Square, completing this unique site in Europe. The Francophonie Night will be hosted later on Monday by the I. L. Caragiale National Theatre. The programme includes a concert by Cantata – The Romanian Youth Orchestra and the Francophonie Awards ceremony, organised by the group of Francophone embassies, delegations and institutions in Romania. As a member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, Romania celebrates the International Francophonie Day on March 20th.



    ORLY AIRPORT ATTACK – Flights were resumed at Orly Airport, near Paris, one day after a shooting triggered the temporary closing down of two terminals, AFP reports. An armed man was shot dead on Saturday while attempting to steal a soldiers gun on that airport. According to the authorities, Ziyed Ben Belgacem, a 39-year old Frenchman held an air pistol at the soldiers head, saying he wanted to die for Allah. Earlier the same day the man had been involved in a shooting and car theft.




    PERU FLOODS – More than 70 people died in the worst floods and landslides in 20 years in Peru, the authorities have announced. The heavy rainfalls that lasted for several days have caused flooding and mudslides in large parts of the country, news agencies reported. A state of emergency has been declared in over 800 towns. According to authorities, this years rainy season brought precipitations 10 times more intense than usual. Over 500,000 people were evacuated as floods washed away homes, and many are stranded and depend on bottled water deliveries, after drinking water sources were contaminated or supply was cut off.



    CHUCK BERRY DIES – The American rock legend Chuck Berry died on Saturday at the age of 90. During a 7-decade long career the guitarist, singer and songwriter refined rhythm and blues music and enriched it with elements that made rock&roll an independent music style. Chuck Berrys first hit, the 1955 Maybellene, was followed by other famous songs like Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen and Johnny B Goode. In 1984 he won a Grammy for lifetime achievement, and in 1986 he was one of the first musicians inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chuck Berry was planning a studio album release in 2017, after a 38-year break.



    RUGBY EUROPE – Romania defeated Georgia 8 – 7, in Bucharest, in the last leg of Rugby Europe Championship, and won the ”Antim Ivireanu” Cup, granted to the winning team in direct matches. Previously in Rugby Europe, also known as Six Nations B, Romania had won its away games against Belgium and Russia and the match against Spain on home turf, but it surprisingly lost to Germany away from home. The performance in Rugby Europe Championship is a qualification criterion for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.



    GYMNASTICS WORLD CUP – The Romanian Catalina Ponor has won the beam and floor finals of the Gymnastics World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the finals, the 2004 Olympic champion outperformed the Australian Emily Little and the Azeri Marina Nekrasova. Catalina Ponor was the only member of the Romanian team to have qualified into the finals of the competition. 120 athletes from 21 countries took part in the gymnastics World Cup in Baku, which marks the start of preparations for the European competitions to be hosted by the north-western Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca in April.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 19, 2017

    March 19, 2017

    PARTY ELECTIONS – The leaders of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania (ALDE), a junior partner of the Social Democrats in the ruling coalition, convene today to set a date for the congress in which the party will elect its president. ALDE is currently headed by the Senate Speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, and the Environment Minister, Daniel Constantin. According to news agencies, the two disagree over the date of the congress. Tariceanu wants quick preparations for an election in late April, whereas Constantin argues that party elections should begin in local branches, and the newly elected county leaders should decide who the next party president will be.




    ORLY AIRPORT ATTACK – Flights have been resumed at Orly Airport, near Paris, one day after a shooting triggered the temporary closing down of two terminals, AFP reports. An armed man was shot dead on Saturday while attempting to steal a soldiers gun on that airport. According to the authorities, Ziyed Ben Belgacem, a 39-year old Frenchman held an air pistol at the soldiers head, saying he wanted to die for Allah. Earlier the same day the man had been involved in a shooting and car theft.




    PERU FLOODS – More than 70 people died in the worst floods and landslides in 20 years in Peru, the authorities have announced. The heavy rainfalls that lasted for several days have caused flooding and mudslides in large parts of the country, news agencies reported. A state of emergency has been declared in over 800 towns. According to authorities, this years rainy season brought precipitations 10 times more intense than usual. Over 500,000 people were evacuated as floods washed away homes, and many are stranded and depend on bottled water deliveries, after drinking water sources were contaminated or supply was cut off.



    CHUCK BERRY DIES – The American rock legend Chuck Berry died on Saturday at the age of 90. During a 7-decade long career the guitarist, singer and songwriter refined rhythm and blues music and enriched it with elements that made rock&roll an independent music style. Chuck Berrys first hit, the 1955 Maybellene, was followed by other famous songs like Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen and Johnny B Goode. In 1984 he won a Grammy for lifetime achievement, and in 1986 he was one of the first musicians inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chick Berry was planning a studio album release in 2017, after a 38-year break.



    RUGBY EUROPE – Romania is playing against Georgia in Bucharest today, in the last game in the current season of Rugby Europe Championship. The match is seen as a virtual final of the competition, given that the Georgians lead the standings with 18 points, followed by Romania with 15. Rugby Europe Championship has replaced, as of this year, the former European Nations Cup, the second-tier continental rugby competition after the famous Six Nations. So far in the competition, Romania won against Belgium and Russia away from home and against Spain on home turf, but surprisingly lost its away match against Germany. The performance in Rugby Europe Championship is also taken into account for qualification to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.



    GYMNASTICS WORLD CUP – The Romanian gymnast Catalina Ponor is competing today in the beam and floor finals of the World Cup in Baku, Azerbaidjan. She is the only member of the Romanian team to have reached the finals of this competition. 120 athletes from 21 countries are taking part in the Gymnastics World Cup in Baku, which marks the start of preparations for the European competitions to be held in the north-western Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca in April.

  • November 10, 2016

    November 10, 2016

    US PRESIDENCY – The President in office of the USA, Barack Obama, is to receive his successor, Donald Trump, at the White House today, for talks on the presidential transition. On Wednesday, thousands gathered in several American cities to protest the election of the Republican Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US, criticising his rhetoric against immigrants, Muslims and other groups. The protesters, who carried anti-Trump banners and flags, blocked traffic in several cities, but according to police sources most rallies were without incidents.




    HIGH-LEVEL MEETING – The PM of Romania, Dacian Cioloş, has a meeting today in Timisoara, western Romania, with his Serb counterpart, Alexandar Vucic, with whom he is to discuss mainly about Serbias EU accession, including ways in which Romania is able to support this process. The two will also look at how the rights of the Romanian minority in Serbia are respected. Several agreements will be signed, including one on preventing and managing disasters. Under this agreement, the two countries will provide mutual assistance in the event of disasters whose consequences cannot be fully removed through the efforts of the affected or threatened state.




    JUSTICE – The Romanian Justice Minister, Raluca Prună, offered Bucharests support for the reform process in the Republic of Moldova. At a Forum organised in Chisinau and focusing on fighting corruption, she emphasised that a state cannot be modernised and reformed without an independent judicial system. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Justice Ministry, the Forum is organised by Ms Pruna jointly with her Moldovan counterpart, Vladimir Cebotari, and is intended to become the main communication platform leading to the development of bilateral cooperation in this sector.




    INFLATION – The National Bank of Romania has kept its inflation estimate for this year at negative 0.4%, but has revised its forecast for next year from the 2% estimated in August to 2.1%, reads the Quarterly Report on Inflation presented today by the central bank governor Mugur Isărescu. The National Bank chief mentioned, among the factors that influence inflation, several international elements, like the uncertainty in financial markets induced by the outcome of the US presidential election and by the decisions of oil exporting countries, as well as domestic elements, such as the increase in consumption. The international factors reduce the inflation, whereas the domestic ones encourage it, Isarescu says. According to him, domestic demand has been stimulated excessively, which led to an increase in imports.




    RADIO LICENSE FEE – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is taking part today in a debate on the write off of the public radio and television license fee. The event is designed to facilitate the dialogue between the head of state and journalists, representatives of mass media organisations and civil society members, about the current state of the public broadcasters. The meeting takes place after Parliament endorsed a bill that scraps more than a hundred taxes and fees, including the radio and television license fees. In a separate debate on the same topic, held on Monday at the Romanian Television Corporation, participants emphasised that by eliminating the radio and television license fees, the direct connection between citizens and public services is cut off. Moreover, this would endanger the very operation of the two public broadcasters as of January 1 next year.




    FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is preparing for tomorrows game on home turf against Poland, in the qualifying stage for the 2018 World Cup hosted by Russia. In the first 3 matches in Group E, Romania has a 5-0 win in Yerevan, against Armenia, and 2 draws, 1-1 at home against Montenegro and 0-0, away from home against Kazakhstan. With 7 points each, Montenegro and Poland top the group standings, with Romania ranking 3rd with 5 points. During this qualifying campaign, the national team is for the first time in history managed by a foreign coach, the German Cristoph Daum.

  • October 10, 2016

    October 10, 2016

    OFFICIAL VISIT– The President of Slovakia, Andrej Kiska, is on a 2-day official visit to Romania. The agenda includes talks with President Klaus Iohannis, as well as a meeting in the western Romanian village of Nădlac with representatives of the Slovakian minority in Romania. Klaus Iohannis will discuss with his Slovakian counterpart the main topics on the European agenda, given that Slovakia is currently holding the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council. The two heads of state will exchange opinions on the EU enlargement policy and the eastern neighbourhood, as well as on the reflection on the future of the Union launched at the informal summit held last month in Bratislava. With respect to cooperation within NATO, the Romanian President will reiterate the need for the Alliance to maintain its focus on the Black Sea region, a major component of Euro-Atlantic security, particularly in the context of the current security challenges in the region.




    HOLOCAUST COMMEMORATION – The Jewish and Roma victims in Nazi extermination camps are commemorated today at the Holocaust Memorial in Bucharest. The National Holocaust Victim Commemoration Day is celebrated on October 9 in Romania. On this day in 1941, the deportation to Transdniester of the Jewish population of Bukovina and Bessarabia began. The Romanian authorities officially accepted responsibility for the Holocaust in Romania in 2004, based on the conclusions of a commission headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ellie Wiesel.




    NOBEL PRIZE – The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has announced today the names of the winners of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Professor Oliver Hart and Professor Bengt Holmstrom of the Massachusets Institute of Technology were awarded the prize, for their insights into how best to write contracts. Their work paved the way for institutions and policies in many fields, from bankruptcy legislation to constitutional policies, the jury explained. The winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was the American professor Angus Deaton, for his analysis of consumption, poverty and welfare. The Nobel prize for Economic Sciences has been awarded since 1968 by the Central Bank of Sweden, unlike the other prizes which are financed by the Nobel Foundation. The 2016 Nobel Prize season concludes this week with the award for literature.




    US ELECTION – The nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties in the US election, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Sunday night clashed in the second presidential debate. According to a CNN poll, 57% of the American viewers believe the debate was won by Hillary Clinton, while 34% say the winner was Trump. Also, 39% of the respondents said Hillary Clinton did better than in the first debate. Donald Trump attacked ex-President Bill Clinton, Hillarys husband, and accused her of having “deleted 35,000 emails that had allegedly ruined peoples lives. In turn, Hillary Clinton claimed Russia was getting involved in the US election in order to have Donald Trump win the race. The two candidates also disagreed over the way to handle the crisis in Syria, but according to commentators none of them suggested a concrete solution.




    FOOTBALL – Romanias football team is playing on Tuesday in Astana against the national team of Kazakhstan, in its third preliminary game in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On Saturday, in Erevan, Romania defeated Armenia, 5-0. In the same group E, Poland won 3-2 against Denmark, and Montenegro beat Kazakhstan 5-0. With 4 points each, Romania, Montenegro and Poland top the group table. Last month the national team drew at home against Montenegro, 1-1, in the first game with the German Cristoph Daum as the first foreign manager of the Romanian team. This autumn Romania is to also play at home against Poland, on November 11.




    TENNIS – The best ranking Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, is as of Monday no. 4 in the WTA standings, one place up since last week. Halep is already qualified into the WTA Finals, a tournament that brings together the best 8 players of the world and held this year in Singapore, between October 23 and 30. Angelique Kerber, of Germany, is the WTA leader, followed by American Serena Williams and Polands Agnieskza Radwanska. Four other Romanian players are in the WTA Top 100: Irina Camelia Begu (no. 28), Monica Niculescu (no. 50), and Sorana Carstea (no. 83).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)