April 20, 2014
A roundup of domestic and international news.
România Internațional, 20.04.2014, 13:07
Christ is risen! This is the customary Orthodox greeting on Easter Day. Orthodox and Catholic believers are today celebrating Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In Romania, a country in which over 87% of the people are Orthodox, Easter was marked by religious services that started on Saturday at midnight, with the sharing of the Holy Fire brought from Jerusalem. Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church called on people not to forget to bring comfort to those in need. At the Vatican, Pope Francis held the traditional Easter mass in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome.
Five people were killed on Sunday in eastern Ukraine after a checkpoint was attacked by armed men, three of whom were pro-Russian separatists while another two were part of the attackers’ group, Reuters quotes the Russian state television. The attack took place several kilometers west of the town of Slaviansk, currently under the control of pro-Russian separatists. An OSCE mediator should start negotiations for the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine to give themselves in. The mission is a difficult one, given that separatists have not yet recognized the accord in Geneva that stipulates, among others, the disarmament of the militants.
The Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera voiced concern on Sunday at the frequent flights of Russian military aircraft close to the Japanese territory. According to the Japanese official, Russia’s moves are unnatural and even more visible than during the Cold War period. Japan will continue to closely monitor the Russian military aircraft, Minister Itsunori Onodera has said.
Another 16 bodies were recovered from sunken South Korean ferry after three days of failed attempts to gain entry. The death toll Sunday stood at 56, with about 246 people unaccounted for. The ferry went down Wednesday with 476 people on board, off the southwestern island of Jindo. 174 people have been saved.
The Romanian women’s tennis team takes lead over Serbia 2-nil in the playoffs of the Fed Cup 2014 World Group, following Sorana Carstea’s victory over Ana Ivanovic on Saturday, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Simona Halep defeated on Sunday Bojana Janovski, 6-2, 6-4. Three other matches are being played today.
