OSCE PA – The 31st session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe continues in Bucharest. Until Wednesday, MPs from over 50 states will be discussing the war in Ukraine. Participants have called for peace, stability and the observance of international regulations. Artificial intelligence, climate change, combating drug and human trafficking as well as migration are other topics high on the agenda for talks.
SECURITY – An additional 1,000 police officers and firefighters are deployed to seacoast resorts this weekend, the Interior Ministry announced in the context of a wave of violence in Black Seacoast resorts. 357 crimes are reported in the last week, the Constanța City Police inspectorate announced, most incidents occurring the wake of spontaneous brawls and alcohol abuse. According to estimates, some 180 thousand tourists are this weekend in seacoast resorts.
FITS – In news from the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu (FITS), actor Constantin Chiriac, the director of the “Radu Stanca” National Theatre in Sibiu and president of the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu was hospitalized after suffering from digestive issues caused by excessive heat, doctors say. Aged 67, Constantin Chiriac was unwell during Saturday evening’s star-awarding ceremony for the Sibiu Walk of Fame. The ceremony paid homage to French actress Isabelle Adjani, American actor John Malkovich and Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse, the recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature. The International Theatre Festival in Sibiu is set to close on Sunday.
ELECTION – French voters are this weekend hitting the polls as part of the first round of snap elections, a historical ballot held after president Emmanuel Macron dissolved Parliament after his party sustained a bitter defeat in the June 9 European Parliament election. Some 49 million voters are expected to cast their votes to elect the 577 representatives in the National Assembly, the lower chamber of Parliament. The populist and nationalist right is favorite to win according to polls, with a wide margin ahead of Emmanuel Macron’s party. The second round is scheduled for July 7.
WIMBLEDON – Romanian tennis players enrolled in the women’s singles at Wimbledon will take on tough opponents in the opening round. Gabriela Ruse (152 WTA) will take on Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan (4 WTA), the 2022 champion. Jaqueline Cristian (62 WTA) will go up against Bianca Andreescu of Canada (165 WTA). Anca Alexia Todoni (141 WTA), who has qualified to the main draw for the first time in her career, will play Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy (41 WTA). Irina Begu (127 WTA) will take on Lin Zhu of China (60 WTA). Ana Bogdan (50 WTA) will play Cristina Bucșa of Spain (63 WTA). Sorana Cîrstea (29 WTA and seeded 29th) will play Sonay Kartal of Great Britain (295 WTA). Romanian-born British player Emma Răducanu (168 WTA), the beneficiary of a wild card, will play Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia (22 WTA and seeded 22nd).
EURO 2024 – The European Football Championship underway in Germany on Sunday will see matches on day 2 of the round of 16. England will play Slovakia while Spain will take on Georgia. On Saturday, the defending champions Italy were knocked out by Switzerland 0-2, while the host country Germany defeated Denmark 2-0. Romania will play the Netherlands on July 2 on Allianz Arena in Munich. The Romanian team qualified from the top of Group E after beating Ukraine 3-0, losing 0-2 to Belgium and drawing 1-1 against Slovakia. All teams in Group E had 4 points at the end of the group phase, but Romania topped the standings owing to a better goal average ratio. The last time Romania qualified to the round of 16 was at EURO 2000. This is the first time Romania wins a group in a world or European competition. (VP)
