Holocaust Remembrance Day
Following a Knesset (Israeli parliament) initiative in 1979, a Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoa, is observed as Israel’s day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories, and for the Jewish resistance. In Israel, it is a national memorial day. Holocaust Remembrance Day began at 8 P.M. on Wednesday night with an official state ceremony at Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem.
However, a UN Resolution established January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day while urging every member nation of the U.N. to honour the memory of Holocaust victims, and encouraging the development of educational programmes about Holocaust history. In Romania, the National Day of Commemorating the Holocaust (Ziua Naţională de Comemorare a Holocaustului din România) is observed on October 9.
In his address at the opening ceremony on Wednesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced global anti-Semitism noting that before destroying the Jews, the Nazis slandered them. „Nazi propaganda portrayed Jews as well poisoners”, Netanyahu said. „Seventy-one years ago the Nazi regime was stopped, but the anti-Semitism and the lies didn’t die with Hitler in the bunker in Berlin. Today millions of people in the Muslim world read and hear terrible lies about the Jewish people. They are told that the Jews are descendants of monkeys and pigs. They are told that Jews drink the blood of their enemies from goblets”, Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed out.
Plans of Romania’s new culture minister
A solution to crisis at the Romanian National Opera in the capital Bucharest and ways of protecting the country’s national heritage are among of the priorities of Corina Şuteu, the new Culture Minister who was sworn in at the Presidential Palace of Cotroceni on Wednesday. Ms. Şuteu is also planning to ensure renewed contacts with the civil society while keeping an eye on cultural state institutions and trying to improve existing legislation. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis warned that Ms. Şuteu’s appointment came at a difficult time when expectations should be exceeded in all respects.
New corruption charges against a former Bucharest mayor
The former mayor of Sector 5 in the Romanian capital Bucharest is facing new corruption charges. Romania’s anti-corruption watchdog brought new corruption charges on Thursday against Marian Vanghelie, a former mayor already under investigation for corruption-related crimes. The country’s National Anti-Curruption Directorate (DNA) told Mr. Vanghelie that he faced renewed prosecution for his alleged involvement in two cases of abuse of office. Mr.Vanghelie appeared to illegally sign two sanitation contracts of Ron 6.5 million for 147 streets. The former mayor denied the accusations
Bucharest International Light Festival
In 2016, the Festival of Lights is the international festival partner of the Spotlight – Bucharest International Light Festival with light art installations provided by Festival of Lights Interantional GmbH in Germany. The second edition of the festival will open in the Romanian capital on May 5 while the final night is planned on May 8. Interactive installations, light and sound shows, video mappings and colourful projections of Romanian and international artists will illuminate the City of Bucharest. Guests at the opening night include the British Lords of Light with a show inspired by inventions of famous scientist Nikola Tesla. The Bucharest International Light Festival is also expected to mark Bucharest’s application for the title of European Cultural Capital in 2021.
Alexandru Danga – RADOR
