August 18, 2022 UPDATE

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)