May 1, 2024
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 01.05.2024, 14:04
Holidays. Roads to tourist destinations are busy as Romanians begin an extended break for Labour Day and Orthodox Easter on Sunday. To ease traffic and prevent accidents, 1,600 traffic police forces have been deployed to oversee busy roads. A total of 25,000 police troops, gendarmes and fire fighters will be on stand-by these days to ensure citizens’ safety. Some 4,000 border police troops are carrying out surveillance and control activities on the state border. Resorts on the Black Sea coast, where the summer season has started, are hosting various events are held, with thousands of people expected to arrive each day.
Workers’ Day. In 2023, 7.1% of the number of employed people in the European Union worked at least 49 hours a week in their main job, according to data published by Eurostat on International Workers’ Day. The biggest share of employed people working at least 49 hours a week was reported in Greece (11.6%), followed by Cyprus (10.4%) and France (10.1%), while the lowest share of employed people working at least 49 hours a week was recorded in Bulgaria (0.4%), Lithuania and Latvia (each with 1.1%) and Romania (1.8%). More likely to work at least 49 hours are week are workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as managers. In a statement on International Workers’ Day, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit said teleworking and the right to disconnect are the next pieces of the puzzle as far as employment in the European Union is concerned.
Fugitives. Almost 300 fugitives convicted in a Romanian court were repatriated since the start of the year, said justice minister Alina Gorghiu. She welcomed the favourable report issued by the Senate on a bill known as “the fugitive pays” and said she was expecting a similar vote from the Chamber of Deputies, as this is a bill that benefits the Romanian state, providing that convicted fugitives will cover the costs of repatriation.
Olympiad. Romanian pupils won one gold medal, four silver and one bronze at the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad held in Varna, in Bulgaria. 22 teams took part in the competition, from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Serbia as member states, as well as from the guest countries Algeria, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, France, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Great Britain.
Handball. The Romanian men’s handball champions CS Dinamo Bucharest reached the semifinals of the EHF European League after beating the Danish side Skjern Handbold 38-34 on Tuesday evening in an away match in the quarterfinals. Dinamo also won the first leg, held in Bucharest, 28-27. Three German sides also made it to the Final Four, Flensburg-Handewitt, Fuchse Berlin and Rhein Neckar. The EHF European League Final Four tournament will take place on the 25th and 26th May in Hamburg, Germany.
