TENNIS The world’s third tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep on Sunday
\nclinched a three-set win against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-4,
\n5-7, 6-4 while Mihaela Buzarnescu lost
\nto Katerina Siniakova 4-6, 2-6. The score is two all but the doubles match
\npitching Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu against Barbora Krejcikova and
\nKaterina Siniakova is regarded as decisive. After the matches on Saturday,
\nHalep – Siniakova 6-4, 6-0 and Pliskova – Buzarnescu 6-1, 6-4, the score was also
\neven, one-all. Lots drawn on Wednesday pitted Romania’s male side against
\nZimbabwe in the first round of the Davis Cup’s second value Group Two, the
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EXTRADITION 14 Romanians have been extradited to the USA for having
\nmasterminded a scheme to steal money from Americans and launder the funds by means
\nof cryptocurrency. The suspects have been apprehended after almost 100 US
\nSecret Service agents and policemen did searches in Romania’s capital Bucharest
\nand its surroundings. The prejudice has been estimated at 34 million dollars.
\nScores of mobile phones, electronic equipment and various amounts of money have
\nbeen seized during the operation. <\/p>\n
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FILM A Romanian film has reaped the
\ngrand prize of the short-reel festival in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The
\naward-winner is Bogdan Muresanu’s 20-minute ‘The Christmas Gift’, whose plot is
\nplaced on December 20th 1989 shortly after the beginning of the
\nRomanian anti-communist revolution. The plot thickens after the parents of a
\nlittle boy have found out that he mailed Santa a letter saying that his
\nfather’s only wish was to see dictator Nicolae Ceausescu dead.<\/p>\n
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AMENDMENTS Romanian MPs have time until Monday to
\nsubmit amendments to the budget draft law endorsed by the ruling PSD-ALDE
\ncoalition on Friday. The draft was drawn up taking into account a 5.5% economic
\ngrowth, a 2.5% deficit and a GDP of over 200 billion euros. Under the fresh
\nbudget scheme, 2% of the country’s GDP will be allotted to the country’s
\ndefence, in accordance with its pledges to the NATO allies. Pension rises of
\n15% have also been envisaged as early as September this year. The right-wing
\nopposition has lashed out at the delayed draft and some of its provisions,
\nwhich it deemed unrealistic. <\/p>\n
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ELECTION NGOs in the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, have
\ncalled on the Election Committee to allow the Diaspora to cast their ballot in
\nthe Parliamentary election on February 24th even if they have
\nexpired IDs. The aforementioned NGOs have referred to the previous elections,
\nwhen this was possible. In a first for the ex-soviet republic, elections are to
\nunfold under the mixed voting system, in which the 50 MPs will be elected on
\nparty tickets, while the rest 51 in constituencies. Concurrently with the
\nelection, a referendum is to be carried out on cutting the number of MPs from
\n101 down to 61 as well as on the possibility for these MPs to be revoked by the
\ncitizens. According to the polls the pro-Russia socialists of incumbent president Igor Dodon are among the
\nfavourites with allegedly 40% of the vote intentions, followed by ACUM, a bloc
\nmade up of pro-European right-wingers, which has been credited with 25% of the
\nvotes and the centre-to-left Democratic Party, the main political force in the
\npro-western coalition government. <\/p>\n
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HANDBALL Romania’s champions in women’s handball CSM
\nBucharest secured a 30-18 away win against German side Thuringer HC on Sunday
\nin the Champions League. The result pushed CSM to the second place in the
\nstandings after the en titre champions Gyor Audi ETO of Hungary. Next comes
\nViper Kristiansand of Norway, Ferencvaros of Hungary, Krim Ljubljana of
\nSlovenia and Thuringer. The first four sides in the group are qualified for the
\ncompetition’s quarter finals. We recall that CSM won the trophy back in 2016 at
\ntheir first participation.<\/p>\n
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(translated by bill)<\/p>\n
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