Radio România Internațional

Tag: Paralympic Games

  • August 27, 2021 UPDATE

    August 27, 2021 UPDATE

    MOLDOVA – Romania reiterates its firm and wide support for
    the processes of reformand European integration in the Republic of Moldova,
    Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis said during his visit to Chişinău on Friday. The Romanian official pointed out
    Romania and Moldova are bound by a solid relationship: a communion of language,
    culture and history. The president said the people of Moldova have expressed
    their firm option in the latest election for the pro-reform trajectory and
    irreversible European accession of their country, offering a worthy example to
    follow by other states in the region. The president gave assurances Romania
    will remain Moldova’s trusted partner in the future as well. President Klaus
    Iohannis and his Ukrainian and Polish counterparts, Volodymyr Zelensky and
    Andrzej Duda, attended festivities held in Chişinău marking 30 years since
    the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence. Moldova’s president, Maia
    Sandu, said her country wants to become a vector of stability in an area
    constantly facing complex challenges. In turn, Polish president Andrzej Duda
    expressed support for Moldova’s European integration ambitions, while his
    Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, underscored that his country is also
    celebrating 30 years of independence in very delicate security context. Created on a part of Romania’s eastern territories,
    annexed by the Soviet Union through an ultimatum in 1940, the Republic of
    Moldova won its independence after the abortive coup in Moscow against the then
    Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Adopted on August 27, 1991 by Parliament in
    Chisinau, the declaration of independence was recognized by Romania on the same
    day. The Republic of Moldova got international recognition on March 2, 1992
    upon its accession to the United Nations Organization.


    ATTACKS – Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has
    firmly condemned the terror attacks in Kabul on Thursday, which made numerous
    victims. In a Twitter message, Aurescu has conveyed condolences to the families
    of the victims. He mentioned that the institutional crisis cell is keeping in
    touch with the 9 Romanian citizens in Afghanistan, who were not wounded in the
    attacks. In another development, US president Joe Biden has pledged to hunt
    down all responsible for the attacks claimed by ISIS, which killed and wounded
    many people, including 13 US troops. The White House leader says the
    evacuations will carry on whereas France, Canada, Poland, the Netherlands and
    Norway have announced the cessation of their evacuation efforts. Over 100
    thousand people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban
    takeover. The US and its allies have warned that more terror attacks are likely
    in the Afghan capital as the deadline for military withdrawal from Afghanistan
    draws near.


    MEDALS – On Friday Romania obtained its first two medals
    in Tokyo Paralympics. Romanian cyclist Eduard Novak, who is also Romania’s
    incumbent Minister of Youth and Sports, won silver in the 4,000-meter
    individual pursuit. Novak has thus won Romania’s first medal in the present
    edition of the Paralympic Games and his fourth. Eduard Novak, 44, obtained gold
    and silver medals at the 2012 edition of these games held in London and silver
    in Beijing in 2008. Another Romanian, judoka Alex Bologa, won bronze in the 60-kg
    category of the aforementioned competition. Romania is being represented by 7
    athletes at the present edition of the Tokyo Paralympics who participate in
    judo, athletics, table tennis, cycling and archery.




    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions CFR Cluj have been
    drawn in Group D in Conference League alongside AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands,
    FK Jablonec of the Czech Republic and Randers FC of Denmark, following Friday’s
    draw hosted by Istanbul. The winners of each group will qualify to the round of
    16. Teams in second place in each group will play matches against teams in
    third position in Europa League groups for a place in the round of 16. The
    final will take place on May 25, 2022 on National Arena Stadium in Tirana. On
    Thursday, CFR lost 1-2 on home turf to Red Star Belgrade of Serbia after losing
    the first leg as well 4-0. (DB &VP)



  • August 26, 2021 UPDATE

    August 26, 2021 UPDATE

    CORONAVIRUS Romanian authorities are preparing for a new wave of the coronavirus
    pandemic, which children are believed to be most vulnerable to. The head of the
    National Department for Emergencies, Raed Arafat, has said that the number of
    infections is expected to rise in the upcoming period but that, unlike previous
    pandemic waves, there are now several million people vaccinated. 953 new infections were reported in Romania on Thursday,
    as well as14 new fatalities. 228 people are in intensive care. Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday made an appeal to parents and teachers
    urging them to get immunized. In a press statement after the meeting he had
    with the Ministers of Education and Health, the Romanian president said it was
    important that the education process be held in person, adding that online education
    can be only a temporary solution. He confirmed that Romania is currently seeing
    the fourth wave of the pandemic whose effects largely depend on the number of
    vaccinated people.


    VISIT Romania’s
    president Klaus Iohannis on Friday will be participating in the events occasioned
    by the anniversary of 30 years of independence by the neighboring Republic of
    Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian speaking country. The events will also be
    attended by the presidents of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky and of Poland Andrzej
    Duda. The four presidents of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and Poland are also
    expected to have talks on this occasion. Created on a part of Romania’s eastern territories, annexed
    by the Soviet Union through an ultimatum in 1940, the Republic of Moldova won
    its independence after the abortive coup in Moscow against the then Soviet
    leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Adopted on August 27th 1991 by
    Parliament in Chisinau, the declaration of independence was recognized by
    Romania on the same day. The Republic of Moldova got international recognition
    on March 2nd 1992 upon its entry into the United Nations
    Organisation.


    AFGHANISTAN At least two explosions were reported close to the international
    airport in Kabul on Thursday. Earlier, the United States, Britain and Australia
    had urged their citizens to avoid Kabul airport due to the high risk of terror
    attacks, after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. On Wednesday, the British
    Foreign Office warned people not to travel to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai
    International Airport, where thousands of people are waiting for planes to take
    them out of the country before the August 31st deadline, when the US
    and its allies will have withdrawn their last troops from Afghanistan. On
    Wednesday, in Bucharest, the Higher Defense Council decided that 200 Romanian
    military will take part in the NATO mission of evacuation and relocation of the
    Afghan citizens who worked for the Alliance’s mission in Afghanistan. The
    Romanian military will take part in this mission for 6 months at the most.


    REPORT – The interest in electric vehicles is on the increase
    in Europe, with 55% of consumers and 100% of fleet managers stating their
    intention to buy such vehicles in the next two years, according to a
    e-Readiness Report survey conducted this year by the PcW’s global strategy
    department. In Romania, authorities want to support the purchase of
    non-pollutant cars through the Rabla Plus car scrapping programme, offering an
    eco-voucher of 45,000 lei for the purchase of a new electric vehicle and of
    20,000 lei for the purchase of a hybrid vehicle. The
    main factors mentioned by the respondents for choosing an electric car are the
    fuel economy, the impact on the environment and the ability to charge the car
    at home. The arguments against such purchases include charging times and the
    lack of a public charging infrastructure.


    PARALYMPIC GAMES – Romanian
    cyclist Eduard Novak came out 11th in the 1,000-m race at the Paralympic Games
    in Tokyo. Novak is the first minister in office to attend the Olympic or
    Paralympic Games. He won Romania’s three out of the four medals in previous
    editions. Romania competes with 7 athletes at the current edition of the
    Paralympic Games, in tennis table, judo, athletics, cycling and archery.


    THEATRE – The Sibiu International theatre festival
    continues in Romania. The show Shakespeare-Bach/ Le Main du temps, featuring
    Charlotte Rampling and Sonia Wieder-Atherton has its world premiere today,
    being one of the most expected events of the festival. On this occasion, the
    two stars will meet with the public in the big hall of the Radu Stanca National
    Theatre in Sibiu. A French-British production, the play brings to the stage
    sonnets by William Shakespeare and suites by JS Bach. (DB)