Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Junior Swimming Championships

July 10, 2022 UPDATE

COMPANIES – The
number of companies with foreign capital set up in Romania has gone up in the
first five months of the year by 35% compared to the similar period of 2021,
according to data centralized by the National Trade Register Office. Most new
companies were set up in the administrative, scientific and technical sectors,
in trade, car repairs and transport. In May, most enterprises with foreign
capital participation had investors from Italy – over 50,000 companies with a
total capital of 4 billion USD, whereas companies with the largest capital were
from the Netherlands, with total investments of 12 billion USD, invested in
approximately 5,800 companies.

USR -
Former transport minister Cătălin Drulă has
been elected president of USR in opposition. Drulă grabbed 71% of the vote held online over the course of
a number of days. Ranking second was MP Cătălin Teniță with 14%, while the
former head of the Environment Guard,
Octavian Berceanu came in third with 11%. Drulă promised to step up the
opposition’s efforts. The vote is expected to be validated at the USR
Congress scheduled on July 16. After leaving the ruling coalition last year,
USR has been affected by a number of internal disputes, which led to the
withdrawal of its former president, MEP Dacian Cioloș. Cioloș has in the meantime founded the REPER party.

SWIMMING -
Romanian swimmer David Popovici has won gold in the 100m freestyle event on
Sunday at the European Junior Swimming Championships hosted by Otopeni near
Bucharest. Popovici thus grabbed his fourth European title, after also winning
the 50m freestyle, the 200m freestyle and the men’s 4x100m relay events. Also
on Sunday, Vlad Stancu won silver in the 400m freestyle event. With 9 medals (5
gold and 4 silver), Romania has secured 3rd place in the medal standings,
after Hungary and Poland. Some 500 athletes from 42 countries took part in the
competition. Representing Romania were 26 swimmers, 14 in the men’s competition
and 12 in the women’s competition.

FOOTBALL -
Romanian football club Sepsi OSK Sfântu
Gheorghe has won for the first time in its history the Romanian
Supercup after defeating Romanian champions CFR Cluj 2-1 in a match played on
neutral turf, in Arad, western Romania. Founded in 2011, Sepsi managed to win
its second trophy this year after winning the Romanian Cup this season. CFR
Cluj will next week play the return leg against Piunik Yerevan of Armenia which
will decide which of the two teams advances to the Champions League second
preliminary round. In the first match played away from home, CFR drew 0-0.
Should it secure qualification, CFR will play the winner of the match pitting
F91 Dudelange of Luxembourg against KF Tirana of Albania. If it loses the match
against Piunik, CFR will perform in the Europa Conference League second
preliminary round. Here it will face the winner of a playoff tournament
featuring Levadia Talinn of Estonia, Vikingur Reykjavik of Iceland, La Fiorita
of San Marino and Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra. The three Romanian teams
qualified to European Conference League will go up against less formidable
clubs in the second preliminary round. Therefore, Romanian vice-champions, FCSB
will take on the winner of the match pitting FC Saburtalo of Georgia against
Partizani Tirana of Albania. Sepsi OSK will play the winner of the match
pitting Olimpja Ljubljana of Slovenia against Differedange 03 of Luxembourg,
whereas finally, Universitatea Craiova will play KF Vllaznia Shkoder of
Albania, the winner of the Albanian Cup. The return legs are scheduled this
month.

ROWING – The
Romanian delegation at the World Rowing Championships hosted by Lucerne,
Switzerland, has won six medals – 1 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze. The Romanian
women’s pair made up of Simona Radiș and Ancuța Bodnar won gold. The silver went to the
women’s pair made up Ioana Vrînceanu and Denisa Tîlvescu, as well as to the
women’s quad-scull crew made up of Mădălina Bereş, Iuliana Buhuş, Magdalena
Rusu and Amalia Bereș. The bronze medals were won by the women’s 8 crew, made
up of Gianina Beleagă, Ioana-Mădălina Moroșan, Adriana Ailincăi, Elena
Logofătu, Cristina Popescu, Roxana Anghel, Ioana Vrînceanu, Denisa Tîlvescu and
Victoria-Ștefania Petreanu. In the men’s competition, the men’s quad-scull crew
made up of Mihai Chiruță, Ciprian Tudosă, Ioan Prundeanu and Florin-Marian
Enache scooped bronze, as did the men’s four crew, made up of Mihăiță
Țigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ștefan Berariu and Florin Lehaci. (VP)

10 July 2022
July 10, 2022

COVID – Starting next week
authorities will revert to daily reports of COVID-19 infection and fatalities
after official data indicate a resurge in the daily number of infections. The
Health Ministry announced it would present a weekly update on Monday, while
starting Thursday updates will be released daily. According to the latest
report, the number of infections has doubled. Health Minister Alexandru Rafila
expects a new wave of infections that might peak at the end of summer. Of the
7,700 new cases, 1,300 people had already had the disease in the last three
months. The new strain of the virus doesn’t seem to cause serious forms of the
disease, although vaccination is still recommended in the case of vulnerable
categories. The authorities expect a new adapted vaccine starting this autumn.
Meanwhile, hospitals were recommended to prepare for a new wave of the pandemic
and activate their action plans.

POPULATION
AGEING – Population ageing is gaining ground in Romania, according to the
latest data published by the National Statistics Institute. On January 1, 2021,
of the approximately 19.2 million inhabitants, a little less than 16% were
below 14 years of age, while over 19% were over 65. People aged 15-64 accounted
for nearly 65% of the total population, a slight decrease compared to early
2020. The figures also show that over half of the country’s population lived in
urban settlements.

REFUGEES – The total number of
Ukrainian citizens who have entered Romania since the start of the Russian
invasion in Ukraine has exceeded 1 and a half million. Data published on Friday
reveals a significant increase in arrivals compared to the previous day.
According to the Romanian Border Police, 22,500 Ukrainian citizens have entered
Romania in the last 24 hours. Border authorities say they are working at full
capacity.

PROTEST – Thousands of people
protested in Washington against the elimination of the Constitutional right to
abortion. The rally was held two weeks after the Supreme Court overturned the
Roe v. Wade precedent that had guaranteed the national right to abortion for
nearly 50 years. Some 10,000 people from across the USA took part the protest.
On Friday, United States president Joe Biden signed an executive order
directing health authorities to expand access to medical abortion pills
prescribed to end pregnancies.

SWIMMING
– Romania has so far won seven medals, four gold and three silver, at the
European Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, near Bucharest. On Saturday,
Vlad Stancu won silver in the 800m freestyle event. Romania ranks third in the
medal standings, after Hungary (10 medals) and Poland (13 medals). On Sunday,
David Popovici will take part in the 100m freestyle final, while Vlad Stancu
will take part in the 400m freestyle final. Romania also won gold in the men’s
4x100m freestyle relay (David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ștefan Cozma and Patrick
Sebastian Dinu), gold in the 200m and 50m freestyle events (David Popovici),
silver in the 1,500m freestyle event (Vlad Ștefan Stancu), silver in the mix
4x100m freestyle event (David Popovici, Patrick Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea
and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu) and silver in the women’s 50m freestyle event
(Bianca Costea). Attending the Championships are 500 athletes from 42
countries. 26 swimmers are representing Romania, 14 in the men’s competition
and 12 in the women’s competition.

ROWING – The World Rowing Championships
are coming to a close on Sunday in Lucerne, Switzerland. So far, the Romanian
women’s pair made up of Ioana Vrînceanu and Denisa Tîlvescu won silver, while the
men’s four-scull crew made up of Mihăiţă Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan
Berariu and Florin Lehaci have won bronze. (VP)

10 July 2022
July 9, 2022 UPDATE

COVID – The Health Ministry announced that starting next week the authorities will revert to daily reports of COVID infections and fatalities, due to an increase in teh number of daily cases in recent weeks. According to the Health Ministry, 7,726 new cases of COVID infection were reported over June 27 – July 3, of whom 1,307 retested positive.

INFLATION – The inflation rate is expected to slightly drop in the next months, the Central Bank (BNR) announced. However, prices might again peak next spring unless the government extends its national schemes capping electricity and gas prices past the April 2023 deadline, the BNR spokesman Dan Suciu has told Radio Romania. Romania has an imported inflation, Dan Suciu argues, meaning that it is generated by the global increase in energy and fuel prices. In May, the inflation rate stood at 14.5%. The authorities expect the rate to grow and peak by the end of July.

DROUGHT – 70% of Romanias surface is affected by drought. People in a number of areas have access to tap water only for a few hours every day. Traffic on the Danube River is also affected, as the water level is half the multiannual average and is estimated to keep dropping. The Porțile de fier I and II hydroelectric power plants are also reporting difficulties. Navigators will have to observe a maximum mass limit to avoid getting stuck in sand crossings on the bottom of the river. The National Water Administration has given assurances that right now there are no water shortage risks in centralized water supply systems in large urban settlements. At the same time, Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, told a private TV station that irrigation systems are functioning normally without any major impact on shelf prices due to the shortage of water. This years crops will cover internal demand and Romania will export any excess, the Minister went on to say.

ENERGY – Romania will have energy independence and security, Romanias Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, wrote on Saturday on Facebook. The Romanian official explained Romania will be producing coal-based electricity at full capacity over the coming years in order to overcome the current energy crisis. Minister Popescu recalled the authorities decision to invest in a new power plant that will produce electricity using Romanian gas. The energy crisis has forced a number of European states to reopen coal-based power plants, despite environmental concerns. European governments are thus seeking to curb their dependency on Russian energy imports. In recent months, Moscow has significantly reduced its exports to Europe, fueling fears it might cut off the supply altogether.

REFUGEES – 107,837 people entered Romania on Friday, of whom 22,298 Ukrainian nationals, a 104% increase compared to the previous day, the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate reports. Since February 24, some 1.5 million Ukrainians have entered Romania.

SWIMMING – Romania has so far won six medals at the European Junior Swimming Championships hosted by Otopeni, and is now ranked third in the medal standings, after Poland and Hungary. On Saturday, David Popovici qualified to the 100m freestyle final, scheduled for Sunday. So far Romania has won gold in the mens 4x100m relay event (David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ștefan Cozma and Patrick Sebastian Dinu), in the 200m freestyle event (David Popovici), in the 50m freestyle event (David Popovici) and in the 1,500m freestyle event (Vlad Ștefan Stancu). Additionally, the mix 4x100m relay team won silver (David Popovici, Patrick Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu), while Bianca Costea scooped silver in the 50m freestyle event. Attending the European Junior Swimming Championships are 500 athletes from 42 countries. Romania is represented by 26 swimmers, 14 in the mens competition and 12 in the womens competition. (VP)

9 July 2022
July 9, 2022

INFLATION – The inflation rate is
expected to slightly drop in the next months, the Central Bank (BNR) announced.
However, prices might again peak next spring unless the government extends its
national schemes capping electricity and gas prices past the April 2023
deadline, the BNR spokesman Dan Suciu has told Radio Romania. Romania has an
imported inflation, Dan Suciu argues, meaning that it is generated by the
global increase in energy and fuel prices. In May, the inflation rate stood at
14.5%. The authorities expect the rate to grow and peak by the end of July.

DROUGHT – 70% of Romania’s surface is
affected by drought. People in a number of areas have access to tap water only
for a few hours every day. Traffic on the Danube River is also affected, as the
water level is half the multiannual average and is estimated to keep dropping.
The Porțile de fier I and II hydroelectric power plants are
also reporting difficulties. Navigators will have to observe a maximum mass
limit to avoid getting stuck in sand crossings on the bottom of the river. The
National Water Administration has given assurances that right now there are no
water shortage risks in centralized water supply systems in large urban
settlements. At the same time, Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, told a private
TV station that irrigation systems are functioning normally without any major
impact on shelf prices due to the shortage of water. This year’s crops will cover internal
demand and Romania will export any excess, the Minister went on to say.

FORUM – Energy security, the
reconstruction of Ukraine and the EU accession prospects of countries in the
region ranked high on the joint Parliament Forum hosted by Romania. Romania
supports the European trajectory of Moldova and Ukraine and is committed to
providing assistance and sharing its expertise to help these countries attain
European standards, the interim Senate speaker, Alina Gorghiu, said on the
sidelines of the event, also recalling Romania was one of the staunchest
supporters of the two countries. Romania plans on playing a key role in
rebuilding Ukraine and will allot substantial funds in this respect, the
Romanian official said. In turn, Economy Minister, Florin Spătaru, said that the reconstruction
of Ukraine is the responsibility of European society, and that all EU countries
should pitch in. Minister Spătaru also recalled the support
Romania has already provided to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian
invasion.

ROMANIA
– USA RELATIONS: Next
week Romania will mark 25 years since it signed the Strategic Partnership with
the USA. The moment will be marked through a series of events hosted by the
Romanian Embassy in Washington, including a Romanian Festival held on July 9
and 10 in Washington. A website devoted to bilateral relations between the two
countries will be launched on July 11. On July 12, the Strategic Partnership
will be celebrated in the United States Congress. Over the next couple of days,
ceremonies will be held to decorate a number of personalities. A former
ambassador to Washington, Mircea Geoană, at present deputy
Secretary General of NATO, has hailed the importance of Romania’s relation with the USA,
stating it should be permanently upheld and refreshed, requiring investment.
Nothing is more important than the relation between our citizens. Nothing
is more important than the relation between our young people,
between our universities, our researchers, our business communities, our
politicians, young and old. Such an important relation cannot be maintained
strictly in strategic terms. Every day, it gains a deeper, more civic and
citizen-oriented dimension, underpinned by a sense of belonging to a set of
shared values. This is Romania’s relation with America, Mircea Geoană says.

SHINZO ABE
– World leaders, including from Romania, have conveyed condolences for the
death of Shinzo Abe, who was shot on Friday while campaigning for the
parliamentary election. Countries such as India and Brazil have decreed a
period of national mourning to express solidarity with Japan. The assassin is a
former member of the Japanese Navy who used a handmade gun to shoot the former Japanese
Prime Minister, for reasons unknown. Shinzo Abe was the longest serving Japanese
Prime Ministers, with mandates in 2006 and then again between 2012-2020.

SWIMMING
– Romania has so far won six medals at the European Junior Swimming
Championships hosted by Otopeni, and is now ranked third in the medal
standings, after Poland and Hungary. So far Romania has won gold in the men’s
4x100m relay event (David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ștefan Cozma and Patrick Sebastian Dinu), in the
200m freestyle event (David Popovici), in the 50m freestyle event (David
Popovici) and in the 1,500m freestyle event (Vlad Ștefan Stancu).
Additionally, the mix 4x100m relay team won silver (David Popovici, Patrick
Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu), while Bianca
Costea scooped silver in the 50m freestyle event. Attending the European Junior
Swimming Championships are 500 athletes from 42 countries. Romania is
represented by 26 swimmers, 14 in the men’s competition and 12 in the women’s
competition. (VP)

9 July 2022
July 8, 2022

Japan. Former Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died from his injuries after being shot in the
street by a former member of the Japanese defense forces, the Japanese public
broadcaster NHK reports. Abe, 67, was delivering a campaign speech near a train
station in the western Japanese city of Nara when he was the target of an armed
attack. Armed violence is extremely rare in Japan, where firearms are banned.
Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving Japanese prime minister in history. He led
the Japanese executive from 2006 to 2007 and then from 2012-2020. He resigned
two years ago on health grounds.

G20. The foreign
ministers of the world’s largest economies have gathered in a closed-door G20
meeting, overshadowed by the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting, held on the
Indonesian island of Bali, has brought together Moscow and its harshest
critics, for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine. At the
meeting of the foreign ministers of the G20 member countries, which was also
attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the High Representative of
the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell,
called on all participants to help end the war, restore Ukraine’s sovereignty
and ensure that global repercussions are limited. Retno Marsudi, the foreign
minister of Indonesia, called for an end to the war in Ukraine in the presence
of his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. It is our responsibility to end the
war as soon as possible and resolve our differences at the negotiating table,
not on the battlefield, Retno Marsudi said. In reply, Sergei Lavrov accused
the West for the lack of an armistice with Ukraine.

Gas. An
interconnector between the gas pipelines in Greece and Bulgaria, which becomes
operational today, gives Romania access to other natural gas resources, in an
international context in which it becomes increasingly likely that Moscow will stop deliveries to the European Union. Romania will be able to help other states in
the region reduce their dependence on Russian gas, said Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciuca in Athens, where he paid a working visit and met with his Greek
counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Appointment. President Klaus
Iohannis has signed the decree appointing Petre Daea as Minister of Agriculture
and Rural Development. On Wednesday, the leadership of the Social Democratic
Party voted unanimously for Petre Daea to return to the Ministry of
Agriculture. The former Minister of Agriculture, the deputy Adrian Chesnoiu,
retired from office and suspended himself from the Social Democratic Party, as
the National Anticorruption directorate requested his criminal investigation in
a case in which he is accused of abuse of office. He claims that he did not
commit any act of criminal nature or corruption and asked his colleagues in the
Chamber of Deputies to vote for the lifting of his immunity, which happened at
the end of last month.

Conviction. Police officer
Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 21 years in prison by the US federal
justice for violating the African-American George Floyd’s civil rights, France
Presse reports. The 46-year-old former officer had already been sentenced to
22-and-a-half years in prison for murder by Minnesota state justice, but
appealed the sentence. On May 25, 2020, in a Minneapolis police operation,
Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. The
African-American man died in the incident. The footage of the crime, which went
viral, sparked widespread protests against racism and police violence in the
United States.

Swimming. After three days
of competition at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, near
Bucharest, Romania climbed to the first place in the country rankings with five
medals, of which three gold and two silver. This afternoon, David Popovici (17
years old), the new double world champion in seniors in 100 and 200 m
freestyle, will swim in the final of the 50 m freestyle even, and Aissia
Claudia Prisecariu in the final of the 200 m backstroke. We recall that
Thursday was a very good day for Romania. Vlad Stancu managed a new performance
winning the 1500 m freestyle. For Stancu it is the second gold medal after the
one won with the 4×100 m relay, a triumph to which David Popovici, Stefan Cozma
and Patrick Dinu also contributed. Also yesterday, Bianca Costea managed to win
a silver medal in the 50 m freestyle. On Wednesday, David Popovici won his
second gold medal in this competition, winning the final of the 200 m
freestyle. On the same day, the mix Romanian relay, including David Popovici,
Patrick Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu, won the
silver medal in the 4×100 m freestyle. About 500 athletes from 42 countries are
participating in the championship. Romania is represented by 26 swimmers – 14
boys and 12 girls. (MI)

8 July 2022
July 7, 2022 UPDATE

Visit. On a visit to Greece on Thursday, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca called on his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to support Romania’s accession to Schengen. The message was conveyed during a joint press statement of the two officials. Joining Schengen is a national goal, it is a recognition of the efforts that Romania has made in this regard, efforts that have been quite visible during this period, since the war began in Ukraine, and we have provided all the elements so that the transit of people, goods, cereals from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova can take place in safe conditions, thus proving that we comply with the requirements of the Schengen acquis, Nicolae Ciuca said. The visit was occasioned by the operationalization of the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector, extremely important for the transport network to Europe, through which up to three billion cubic meters of gas could be delivered annually.

Forum. Romanian
parliament will quickly go through the process of ratifying the NATO accession
protocols for Finland and Sweden, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies,
Marcel Ciolacu, has announced, also mentioning that an extraordinary parliament
session will be convened. Marcel Ciolacu participated in the 22nd edition of
the Inter-Parliamentary Forum on Security, where the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Ukraine, Dmitro Kuleba, also had a video intervention. The Ukrainian
official pointed out that Russia’s aggression against one’s country is a
phenomenon that comes as a challenge to international security and made a fresh
call for his country to receive heavy armament to stabilize the front line.
Romania remains one of the most active supporters of Ukraine’s European integration
efforts, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said in a video message sent to
participants in the Bucharest event.

Resignation. Boris Johnson
announced on Thursday his resignation from the office of Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom, yielding to the pressure coming from ministers and
parliamentarians of the Conservative Party, Reuters reports. It
is clearly now the will of the Parliamentary Conservative Party, that there
should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister, and
I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the
process of choosing that new leader should begin now, and the timetable will be
announced next week, Johnson told a news conference. Earlier on
Thursday, Boris Johnson announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative
Party, which automatically leads to him losing the prime minister’s seat. Boris
Johnson has agreed to resign amid a major political crisis marked by the
resignation of dozens of his ministers. His term was a turbulent one, dominated
by Brexit, the pandemic and a series of scandals that highlighted the way he
understands to relate to rules, laws and truth, the Radio Romania correspondent
reports from London. Basically, Boris Johnson’s resignation is the result of a
revolt in the Conservative Party, his colleagues accusing him of lying,
arrogance, lack of integrity and competence.

Ukraine. The evacuation of civilians from Slavyansk continues. The town is the new primary target of the Russian
invasion forces in their plan to conquer Donbas. Mayor Vadim Lyah announced
that of the 110 thousand people who inhabited the city before the war, only
20,000 are left. 17 people have died and 67 have been wounded’ since the start
of hostilities, Vadim Lyah said. The city has been under heavy artillery
fire for a few weeks, but the essential infrastructure is still operational.
In the last month, the main water supply line has broken down, and a third of
the city is regularly left without electricity. Much like other local
officials, Mayor Lyah claims Ukrainian forces have repelled the attempts of the
Russian army to get close to Slavyansk and the neighboring town, Kramatorsk,
which serves as the administrative center of the Ukrainian-held part of Donbas.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has accused Ukrainian nationalists of having
organized a toxic chemical attack in the Donetsk region, with the use of large
quantities of chlorine, brought over from a water filtering site. On Sunday,
the Russian army occupied the town of Lysychansk and now claims to be
controlling the entire region of Lahaska, which the Ukrainian authorities
continue to deny.

Swimming. The European Junior
Swimming Championships continue in Otopeni, near capital Bucharest. On
Thursday, Vlad Stefan Stancu won the fifth medal of the Romanian Delegation, in
the 1,500 m freestyle event. On Wednesday, David Popovici grabbed his second
gold medal after winning the 200m freestyle event in 1.45 minutes. Also on
Wednesday, Romania’s 4x100m mix relay team, made up of David Popovici, Patrick
Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu, won silver in the
4x100m freestyle event. On Tuesday, on the first day of the competition, 4x100m
men’s team, made up of David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ștefan Cozma and Patrick
Sebastian Dinu, won gold in the freestyle event. A total of 500 athletes from
42 countries are taking part in the competition. Representing Romania are 26
swimmers, 14 boys and 12 girls. Aged 17, David Popovici has recently won the 100m
and 200m world titles.

Tennis. Romanian Simona
Halep (18WTA) lost, on Thursday, in two sets, 6-3, 6-3, to Elena Ribakina (23WTA) of Kazakhstan, in the
semifinals of the Grand Slam tennis tournament at Wimbledon. Former world
leader, Simona Halep won the London tournament in 2019 and, a year before, the
one at Roland Garros, in France. The 2022 final will be played between Elena
Ribakina and the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, world number 2, who defeated, on
Thursday, the German Tatjana Maria (103 WTA) in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. This
year’s Wimbledon tournament has a record 40,350,000 pounds in prize money, but the WTA and ATP have announced that they
will not be awarding points due to the British organizers’ decision not to
allow Russians and Belarusians players to attend, following Ukraine’s invasion
by Russia. (MI)

7 July 2022
July 7, 2022

VISIT – Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciucă is today paying a state visit to Greece, occasioned by the official
launch of the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector. The Prime Minister is
expected to meet his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The two Prime Ministers
will make official statements at the end of the meeting of the two official
delegations. Later today, the Prime Minister will return to Bucharest to meet
John L. Hopkins, president and CEO of NuScale. On June 26, the White House
announced that the United States government and the American company NuScale
Power LLC (Tigard, Oregon) will offer 14 million USD to support engineering and
design programmes with a view to implementing a power plant using SMR (Small
Modular Reactor) technologies in Romania.

WAR IN UKRAINE – The
civilian evacuation from Slavyansk continues. This is the new primary objective
of the Russian invasion forces in their plan to conquer Donbas. Mayor Vadim
Lyah announced that of the 110 thousand people who inhabited the city before
the war, only 20,000 are left. 17 people died and 67 were wounded since the
start of hostilities, Vadim Lyah went on to say. The city has been under heavy
artillery fire for a few weeks, but essential infrastructure is still
operational. In the last month, the main water supply line has broken down, and
a third of the city is regularly left without electricity. Much like other
local officials, Mayor Lyah claims Ukrainian forces have repelled the attempts
of the Russian army to get close to Slavyansk and the neighboring town,
Kramatorsk, which serves as the administrative center of the Ukrainian-held
part of Donbas. The Russian Ministry of Defense has accused Ukrainian
nationalists of having prepared a toxic chemical attack in the Donetsk
region, with the use of large quantities of chlorine, brought over from a
water filtering site. On Sunday, the Russian army occupied the town of
Lysychansk and now claims to be controlling the entire region of Luhansk,
something which the Ukrainian authorities continue to deny. There is still
fighting in two villages, says Serhiy Haidai head of the Luhansk Regional
Military-Civil Administration.

REFUGEES – The Border Police
Inspectorate announced that 191,700 people entered Romania on Wednesday, of
whom 10,486 are Ukrainian citizens (up by 10.1% compared to the previous day).
Over February 10 – July 6, 1,477,571 Ukrainian citizens have entered the
country.

WIMBLEDON -
Romanian Simona Halep is today playing Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the
Wimbledon semi-finals, after ousting Amanda Anisimova of the USA in straight
sets, 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday. In turn, Rybakina knocked out Ajla Tomljanovic of
Australia at the end of three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. A former world no. 1, Simona
Halep won the Wimbledon tournament in 2019, after winning Roland Garros the
previous year. Organizers will award record-high prizes in this year’s edition,
standing at a total of 40.3 million pounds. However, WTA and ATP authorities
announced they will not be awarding any points at the end of the tournament
after Wimbledon organizers decided to ban the participation of Russian and
Belarusian players, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

SWIMMING – The European
Junior Swimming Championships continue in Otopeni. On Wednesday, David Popovici
grabbed his second gold medal after winning the 200m freestyle event in 1.45
minutes. Also on Wednesday, Romania’s 4x100m mix relay team, made up of David
Popovici, Patrick Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu,
won silver in the 4x100m freestyle event. On Tuesday, on the first day of the
competition, men’s 4x100m men’s team, made up of David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ștefan Cozma and Patrick Sebastian Dinu, won gold in the 4x100m freestyle
event. A total of 500 athletes from 42 countries are taking part in the
competition. Representing Romania are 26 swimmers, 14 boys and 12 girls. Aged
17, David Popovici has recently won the 100m and 200m world titles. (VP)

7 July 2022
July 6, 2022

FiscalCode. The Romanian Government is discussing, today, in first reading,
the ample amendments to the Fiscal Code proposed by the Ministry of Finance, aimed
to increase the amounts collected into the state budget. The document,
currently under public debate, contains some measures that would apply starting
August 1. Others are scheduled to take effect early next year. They include
raising taxes on gambling winnings, raising excise duties on cigarettes and
alcoholic beverages, lowering the ceiling to which tax facilities apply in
construction, agriculture and the food industry, or waiving the specific HoReCa
tax and returning to taxation on turnover. The introduction of new taxes and
fees for the population is not being considered, and a new austerity plan in
response to the economic crisis has been ruled out, President Klaus Iohannis
has said.

Moldova. The 73rd anniversary of the biggest wave of Stalinist
deportations is commemorated in the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, mostly
Romanian-speaking), today. On the night of July 5-6, 1949, the Soviet communist
regime deported tens of thousands of peasant families, including women,
children, and the elderly. Their fortunes were seized by the Bolshevik regime.
The so-called Operation South was the culmination of mass terror in Bessarabia
and affected about 40,000 people. Last
month marked the 81st anniversary of the first wave of Soviet deportations from
Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, when 25,000 people were taken to Siberia and
Kazakhstan. Less than a year after the annexation, following an ultimatum, the
repressive bodies displaced, from the night of June 12 to 13 and until June 22,
1941, tens of thousands of Bessarabians, most of them ethnic Romanians. The
wealthiest people, as well as those who were perceived as a threat to the USSR,
were taken to the most remote regions of the former Soviet Union. According to
historians, the deportations aimed at destroying the local elites, so that,
later, the occupants would have those left at home accept the collectivization
and expropriation of goods.

USR. Online elections for the
leadership of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR) are underway in
Bucharest. There are six candidates left in the race, including the interim
president Catalin Drula, deputy Catalin Tenita and the former head of the
Environment Squad, Octavian Berceanu. The first round, in which all the party
members can participate, will be held until Sunday. If neither of the contenders
gets over 50% of the votes, a second round will be held next week. The
validation congress is scheduled for July 16, also online. Last year, the Save
Romania Union left the governing coalition and has been marked by lots of
internal scandals ever since, which culminated with the departure of its former
leader, the EMP Dacian Ciolos, who set up his own party, REPER.

UK crisis. The UK is faced with a government crisis. Two key secretaries
– Finance and Health – resigned last
night, saying they no longer trusted Prime Minister Boris Johnson as leader. He
replaced the two secretaries immediately, a sign that he would not resign easily,
but political pressure increased on him, along with questions he would have to
answer today in the House of Commons and then before a special parliamentary
committee on the need for integrity in public life. Boris Johnson has been in
power for two and a half years, during which time his government has been
shaken by a number of scandals, including corruption. Most often, however, the
prime minister is accused of lying and lack of character. According to the Radio
Romania correspondent in London, the political history of Great Britain shows
that, when important ministers start a revolt against the prime minister, it is
extremely difficult for that person to remain in power.

Swimming. The town of Otopeni, near Bucharest, is hosting the European
Junior Swimming Championships. Yesterday, on the first day of the competition,
the men’s medley relay, made up of David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ştefan Cozma
and Patrick Sebastian Dinu, brought Romania the first gold medal in the 4×100 m
freestyle final, after an exciting duel with Great Britain, ranked second. Nine
finals have been schedule for today. As of July 10, 494 athletes from 42
countries have been competing in the European Junior Swimming Championships.
Romania is represented by 26 athletes – 14 boys and 12 girls, led by the
two-time world champion David Popovici (17 years old.

Tennis. Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is taking on today the American Amanda Anisimova, in the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tennis tournament at Wimbledon. On Monday, in the eighth round, Halep defeated, in less than an hour, 6-1, 6-2, the Spaniard Paola Badosa, and Amanda Anisimova defeated the French Harmony Tan 6-2, 6-3. Former world leader, Simona Halep won the London tournament in 2019 and, a year before, the one at Roland Garros, in France. (MI)

6 July 2022