Nicolae Ceaușescu

A Romanian court on Monday started the trial of Ion Ficioru, former commander of a Communist-era labour camp, who is charged with crimes against humanity for the deaths of 103 political prisoners half a century ago.

“Deep under the streets of Bucharest - in Europe, in the 21st century - there is a network of tunnels and sewers that is home to hundreds of men, women and children stricken by drug abuse HIV and TB,” a recently released Channel 4 News film (see it below) says.

The former Ceausescu residence, known as the Palatul Primaverii (Spring Palace), with an adjoining 14,000-square-metre plot of land, is to be sold because it is rarely used as an official building, the authorities said.