Refugees. 4,387 Ukrainian citizens have applied for asylum in neighboring Romania, since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, benefiting from all the rights provided by the national legislation, the Romanian Interior Ministry said on Sunday. Since March 18, 69,064 residence permits have been issued for beneficiaries of temporary protection, 48 being granted in the last 24 hours. In another move, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police informs that on Saturday, September 17, 241,400 people crossed Romanias borders, of which 11,173 were Ukrainian citizens, by 4.3% more compared to the previous day. According to a press release on Sunday, starting February 10, two weeks before the Russian army invaded their country, 2,339,683 Ukrainian citizens have entered neighboring Romania.
Ukraine. The Czech Presidency of the European Union requested the establishment of a special international tribunal, after the discovery of hundreds of bodies buried near Izium, a city in eastern Ukraine, reseized by Kievs troops after months of Russian occupation. “In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are inconceivable and heinous”, the Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Twitter. Ukrainian authorities reported “450 bodies of civilians, bearing signs of violent death and torture, buried in a forest on the outskirts of Izium”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that “the exhumation process continues”, also stating that “torture was a widespread practice in the occupied territories” and that the Russian fascists are doing what the Nazis did. The president promises to find the culprits, “on the battle field or in justice”. The US President, Joe Biden, once again warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, against the use of chemical or nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Such a measure “would change the course of the war, like never before” since the second world war, Biden said, promising a “substantial response” of the United States if this step were taken.
Diplomacy. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the interim Charge dAffaires of Belarus to Bucharest, after president Aleksandr Lukashenko said the United States was pushing Europe into a military confrontation with Russia on the territory of Ukraine and several states, including Romania, were directly involved. The interim Chargé dAffaires of Belarus has been told that the Romanian side firmly rejects such inadmissible statements, which feed the rhetoric based on the threat and use of force in international relations. The Romanian MFA has also stressed that the international role and responsibility of Belarus as an accomplice of Russia in supporting the war of aggression against Ukraine cannot be ignored. At the same time, the Romanian diplomacy recalls that Romania is a NATO member state and benefits, to the highest degree, from all the security guarantees arising from this status.
Funeral. The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain takes place in London on Monday. The first religious service will take place at 11AM local time at Westminster Abbey, where nearly 3,000 guests are expected to attend, including heads of state, members of royal families, high-ranking politicians or representatives of humanitarian organizations. Later, the coffin will be carried through the streets of London, then it will be taken to Windsor Castle, on the western outskirts of the Capital, where a new religious service will be held. In the evening, the Queen will be buried in King George VIs Chapel in a private ceremony. On Sunday, tens of thousands of people continued to wait patiently in the longest queue in history, about 8 kilometers long, to pay their last respects to Elizabeth II. The foreign leaders who arrived for the funeral were invited by King Charles III to a state reception. Romania will be represented at Mondays funeral by President Klaus Iohannis. Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown of Romania, and Prince Consort Radu will also be present. The Romanian and British royal houses are related.
Tourism. Following the votes of more than 500,000 tourists from all over the world, the city of Oradea, in the north-west of Romania holds the sixth place among the top destinations suitable for both city-break trips and extended holidays, reads a Facebook post by the Romanian Ministry of Tourism. According to the “European best destinations” ranking, Oradea is considered a model for many destinations in Romania, with a surprising architectural landscape and a diverse cultural program. Designated this year as the most beautiful art nouveau destination in Europe, Oradea deserves to be on the list of tourist destinations that must be visited at least once in a lifetime, the ministry representatives say.
Handball. Romanias womens handball champion, Rapid Bucharest, tied with the French team Metz Handball, 32-32, on Sunday, in Bucharest, in Group B of the Champions League. A week ago, in the first game, Rapid defeated, in Croatia, the team Lokomotiva Zagreb 31-27. The next match is due on September 25, away from home, against the Turkish squad Kastamonu. Also on Sunday, Romanias vice-champion, CSM Bucharest, defeated another French team, Brest, 33-26, in Group A of the Champions League. In the first game, the Romanians beat the Slovenian team Krim Ljubljana at home, 30-28. In the third stage of the competition, CSM will play on September 25, at home, against SG BBM Bietigheim (Germany). Bucharest is the only European capital that has two teams in the most important continental womens interclub handball competition. (MI)
