RESIGNATION – Research Minister Sebastian
Burduja will act as interim Education Minister after Liberal Sorin Cîmpeanu resigned on Thursday in the wake of plagiarism accusations. Sorin
Cîmpeanu is accused of having plagiarised dozens of pages written by other
university professors.
MOSCOW – Russia’s
president, Vladimir Putin, is preparing to annex four Ukrainian regions
partially occupied by Russia. The Kremlin leader is about to declare Kherson,
Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk Russian territories as part of a ceremonies
scheduled this afternoon in Moscow. Ukraine has announced it will continue to
fight to liberate these territories. Kyiv officials say the annexation lacks
any legitimacy and represents Moscow’s reaction to the latest defeats on the
frontline. The annexation will also probably lead to an escalation of the war,
considering the Kremlin could claim that any attack on these regions will be an
attack on a Russian territory. Russian forces are now controlling most of the
Luhansk and Kherson regions, but only a few areas in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
Western powers say they will not recognize any of Russia’s declarations and
threatened to introduce new sanctions. Romania has also condemned in strong
terms the illegitimate referendums organized on the annexation of Ukrainian
territories illegally occupied by Russian forces and said it does not recognize
their results. The Romanian Foreign Ministry says Moscow is once again
breaching fundamental principles of international law and is acting against its
responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
UN – The UN Security
Council is today expected to pass a resolution condemning the so-called
referendums on the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions. The resolution
cannot be however adopted as Russia still holds veto rights in the Security
Council. Consulted by AFP, the document condemns the organization of illegal
referendums in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia by the Russian
Federation, claiming they are not legitimate and cannot serve as a basis for any
modification in the status of these regions, including any possible annexation
by Russia. The draft resolution prepared by the United States and Albania advises
all states and other organizations against recognizing a possible annexation of
the four regions by Russia, also demanding Moscow should immediately end its
invasion of Ukraine and withdraw its entire military forces from this country.
If Russia’s veto is unquestioned, China’s position remains under scrutiny as
Western powers have sometimes condemned Beijing’s reconciling attitude towards
Russia. At official level, China has repeated its call for observing the
territorial integrity of all states. India’s position will be equally
monitored. The vote in the UN General Assembly, where none of the 193 members
of the UN has veto rights, will permit a possible isolation of Russia.
RESEARCH – 24 cities across
Romania on Friday will host a captivating science and research event – the
Night of European Researchers. The event is designed to introduce guests to the
ins and outs of a researcher’s life. In Bucharest, the largest open-air
laboratory will open its doors at the House of Scientists, where people can
learn more about the importance of sleep, first-aid, the magic of chemistry and
the unknown life of bats. Science buffs will also get the opportunity to
perform physics and chemistry experiments and take part in interactive
mechatronics or robotics workshops.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis
player Ana Bogdan (53 WTA) on Thursday advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA
tournament in Parma, Italy, totaling over 200 thousand EUR in total prizes. In
the quarterfinals, Bogdan knocked out another Romanian player, Irina Begu (33
WTA), score 6-2, 7-6. This was the first match pitting Bogdan against Begu. In
the semis, Ana Bogdan will take on Mayar Sherif of Egypt (74 WTA). (VP)