December 18, 2022
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 18.12.2022, 13:55
COMMEMORATION Timisoara, a city in
Western Romania, on Saturday kept a moment of silence in memory of the first
victims of the Romanian anti-communist revolution 33 years ago. Following the
orders given by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, officers with the Interior and
Defence Ministries opened fire on the peaceful protesters who had taken to the
streets of this martyr-city. The anti-communist revolt broke out in Timisoara,
on December 16th and extended to Bucharest on December 21st and also to other
cities across Romania. Over one thousand people were killed and about 3
thousand were wounded in clashes between the protesters and troops of the Defence and Interior ministries all over Romania, the only country in eastern
Europe where the communist regime was changed through violence and bloodshed.
SPORT Romanian swimmer David Popovici
on Sunday won the silver medal in the 200 meter free-style race of the FINA
World Swimming Championship 25 meters in Melbourne, Australia. The Romanian
came second after South-Korean Sunwoo Hwang with Tom Dean of Britain coming third
in the race. Popovici’s prize closet also includes a European title in the 200
meter free-style race, which he won in Kazan last year. In 2022 he walked away
with gold in the 100 meter and 200 meter races both in the European and world
championships.
TALKS
After heated debates on Saturday night, negotiators of the European Parliament
and EU Council reached an agreement to overhaul the bloc’s carbon market,
cutting planet-heating emissions faster and imposing new CO2 costs on fuels
used in road transport and buildings. According to the Czech Environment
Minister Marian Jurecka, the agreement will allow the EU to meet climate
objectives within the main sectors of the economy while making sure the most
vulnerable citizens and micro-enterprises are effectively supported in the
climate transition.
GAS Azerbaijan intends to slightly increase its gas exports to Europe in 2023,
the country’s president Ilham Aliyev has said as Brussels seeks to replace the
diminishing energy supplies from Russia, Reuters reports. On Thursday, Gazprom
announced its exports to countries outside the Community of Independent States
dropped 45.1% between January 1st and December 15th as
compared to the same period in 2021. If Russia completely stops gas deliveries
to Europe and Chinese gas demand rebounded from the Covid-19 restrictions, the
EU could face a shortfall of 27 billion cubic meters of gas next year.
FOOTBALL In the World cup finals in Doha, Qatar, France is defending against
Argentina the title it obtained four years ago. On Saturday Croatia celebrated
its win against Morocco for the third position in the ranking. After a third
place in 1998 and the finals it lost against France in Russia in 2018, it has
been Croatia’s third podium since the country declared its independence back in
1991. Morocco, the revelation of this world cup edition, is the first African
and Arab country to have made it to the finals of the prestigious competition.
The Moroccans outperformed Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the
quarters but lost to France in the semis.
(bill)
