June 4, 2017

At least 7 killed, about 50 wounded in London terror attack Saturday night

Newsroom, 04.06.2017, 13:53

LONDON ATTACK – Terror attacks are a distortion of Islam, and Britain “cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are, the British PM Theresa May said on Sunday, after the terror attack on Saturday night in London, which killed 7 and wounded nearly 50 others. After a meeting of the Governments emergency response committee on Sunday, the British PM emphasised that the 3 recent attacks in Britain are not connected, although all are linked by radical Islamist ideology. May said there was far too much tolerance of extremism in Britain, and added the anti-terrorism strategy would be reconfigured. According to the British PM, the parliamentary election will still be held on June 8, as scheduled. Three attackers rammed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday night, before getting out and attacking people with knives. They were shot dead by police. This is the third terror attack in UK in less than 3 months, after the Westminster Bridge one less than two weeks ago and Manchester Arena. The international community, including the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, firmly condemned the attack. The Romanian Embassy in UK is closely monitoring the incident, and has taken emergency measures to obtain further information on whether Romanian citizens were among the victims.

STATE VISIT – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis is, as of Sunday, on an official visit to the United States, where he has a meeting scheduled with his US counterpart, Donald Trump on June 9. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Washington, Klaus Iohannis is the first Central and East European head of state to be received at the White House since Trump took office. The talks are intended to strengthen bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between the two countries, 20 years after it was signed. Over the past 2 decades Bucharest has grown into an important ally for Washington in the region. The agenda of the Romanian Presidents visit to the US also includes meetings with the Romanians living in that country. On June 5, Klaus Iohannis will be the guest of honour in the Global Forum of the American Jewish Committee, where he is to receive the highest distinction of this organisation.

PENTECOST – 50 days after Easter, Christians around the world, including in mostly Orthodox Romania, are celebrating the Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the birth of the first Christian community. The holiday is also known as White Sunday, or Whitsunday. The biblical narrative of Pentecost is given in the Book of Acts. 50 days after Resurrection, about one hundred and twenty followers of Christ, including the Twelve Apostles, heard a sound from heaven and saw tongues of fire. The Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in languages they had not known before. On that day, following Apostle Peters address, 3,000 people were baptised, coming together into the first Christian community, which was the core of the future Christian Church.

TURIN PANIC – Hundreds of people were injured as they fled in fear on Sunday night in a piazza in Turin, Italy, while watching the Champions League final. What led people to stampede is still unclear, as media reports diverge: one points to people mistaking firecrackers for a bomb, others that a handrail to an underground parking collapsed, creating the panic. Around 400 people were treated for injuries, while 5 are seriously injured.

JUDO – The Romanian Monica Ungureanu won the gold in the 48 kilo category of the Bucharest Judo Open, after defeating the Italian Francesca Milani in Saturdays final. Ungureanu is a two-time winner of bronze in the European Championships, in 2016 and 2017. This is the most important judo competition organised in Romania, with 438 athletes from 31 countries on 4 continents taking part. Romania is represented by 52 athletes, 34 men and 18 women.

ROLAND GARROS – The best ranking Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep (no. 4 WTA), is facing Spains Carla Suarez Navarro, no 23 WTA in Mondays eighth-finals of the Roland Garros. This will be the 12th direct match for the two, six of which were won by the Romanian. In the womens doubles event, the Romanian Irina Begu and the Chinese Saisai Zheng are playing on Sunday, in the eighth-finals, against the Chinese pair made up of Ying-Ying Duan/Shuai Peng, while the Romanian Raluca Olaru and Ukrainian Olga Savchuk are taking on Gabriela Gabrowski of Canada / Yi Fan Xu of China.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)