August 18, 2022 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 18.08.2022, 20:02

VISIT
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday paid a visit to Prague at
the invitation of his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky as this country is presently
holding the EU rotating presidency. Talks focused on prospects of deepening the
bilateral political-diplomatic dialogue as well as strengthening the sectoral
cooperation in fields of mutual interest such as energy, transport, logistics,
tourism and agriculture. The two ministers also referred to the joint
objectives at European level in the wake of the Summit in Madrid and before the
upcoming NATO Foreign Ministers meeting Romania is to host in autumn. The two
sides discussed the multidimensional impact of the Russian aggression against
Ukraine. The two ministers had an exchange of opinions on the regional
security, the situation of the Ukrainian refugees and the impact on other key
issues such as food safety and energy security. Topical issues on the European
agenda were also discussed and Minister Lipavsky reiterated his country’s
staunch support for Romania’s Schengen accession.

COVID-19 On Thursday Romania’s Health
Ministry announced 55 hundred new cases of Covid-19. 35 hundred people are
presently being treated in hospitals out of whom 269 in ICUs. 24 related
fatalities have also been reported in the past 24 hours.

CHAMPION Romanian swimmer
David Popovici, gold medalist in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, was named
the best athlete in the men’s swimming events at the European Aquatics
Championships in Rome, according to the Romanian Swimming and Modern Pentathlon
Federation. In a score-based ranking, following the best performances in the
competition, David Popovici came in first in the men’s category with 1,003
points, while in the women’s category the Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte was the
first with 985 points. David Popovici, 17, became, on Saturday, in Rome, the
world record holder in the 100 m freestyle race with 46 seconds and 86
hundredths. Later, on Monday, he also won the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle
event. With 1 minute 42 seconds and 97 hundredths, he set, also in this event,
a new world and European record.

ATHLETICS Romanian
athlete Bianca Florentina Ghelber won the gold medal in the hammer throw event,
on Wednesday, at the European Athletics Championships in Munich. Ghelber,32, who
ranked sixth at the Tokyo Olympics last year, won the final in Munich with
72.72 meters, ahead of the Polish Ewa Rozanska, 72.12 m, and the Italian Sara
Fantini, 71.58 m. Thus, Romania won the first continental gold medal in
athletics after a break of 20 years. Also in Munich, Romania secured new medals
at the individual European Table Tennis Championships, in the women’s doubles
event. Four Romanians are in the semifinals, the phase that secures the bronze
medals, so there will definitely be at least one player in the finals. Romania
has already got a silver medal at the European Table Tennis Championships in
the mixed doubles event, won by Bernadette Szocs and Ovidiu Ionescu.

(bill)