Radio România Internațional

Tag: March of Holocaust survivors

  • April 9, 2018 UPDATE

    April 9, 2018 UPDATE

    EASTER — Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians in Romania on Monday celebrated the second day of Easter and a new day in Easter Week, which follows the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this day people attend mass while priests’ vestments are white. The first day of this week is believed to be the day when the gates of heaven are open and all sins are forgiven. People who die on this day go straight to Heaven without undergoing the Last Judgment. Psalms are not recited on this day, while funeral services are replaced by Resurrection mass.



    EURO — The National Commission for the switch to the euro will convene on Thursday in its first session. Talks will focus on convergence criteria for adopting the European single currency. Two weeks ago Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced the setup of the commission, whose role is to prepare the roadmap for Romania joining the Eurozone, as well as the necessary actions to prepare the Romanian economy and society for this move.



    ELECTION — Viktor Orban has secured a new term as Prime Minister after his party Fidesz won the parliamentary elections in Hungary by a landslide. The right-wing nationalist politician says the result will ensure the security of Hungary. Orban’s party grabbed nearly half of the vote and will hold two thirds of the seats in Parliament. The nationalist Jobbik party won 26 seats, while Hungarian socialists won 20 seats. The Democratic Coalition led by former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsnay could win 9 seats, while the ecologist LMP party will get 8 seats. The Together party won one seat while an independent and a representative of the German minority will each get one seat. The final results will be made public at the end of the week. On Monday, the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, congratulated Viktor Orban on his win.



    MARCH — The “Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi” Institute for Romanians Worldwide, an institution subordinated to the Ministry for Romanians Worldwide, in cooperation with the Lauder-Reut Educational Complex, is organizing “The March of Holocaust Survivors — Let’s Learn Together”, held over April 9-13 in Poland. Taking part in the event are young people from 52 countries. The march has an educational purpose, aimed at familiarizing participants with a tragic chapter in world history. Romania’s delegation is made up of students and teachers from the Lauder-Reut school in Bucharest, but also from the Republic of Moldova. The project is part of the IEH-led program “Caravan of Romanian Identity”, which involves a series of cultural actions, aimed at promoting Romanian culture and consolidating Romania national identity. The project is also part of the Romanian Cultural Space strategic programme devoted to the celebration of one hundred years since the Great Union of 1918.



    AIRPORT — A few dozen Romanians were left stranded on Sunday on Ciampino Airport in Rome, after Ryanair canceled its flight to Bucharest. Some of the passengers were rescheduled for flights on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Those who accepted to change their flight schedule will receive accommodation for just one night. Others bought tickets with other flight operators at double or triple the price. Ryanair has cancelled flights in the past without providing too many explanations.



    RUSSIA — Russian authorities believe the latest US sanctions on Russia have no legal grounds and will entail a response, including regarding ongoing trade agreements, Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev said on Monday. On Friday, Washington announced fresh sanctions against thirty-eight Russian individuals and entities accused mainly of taking part in Russia’s attacks against western democracies, France Press reports. Seven Russian oligarchs and their companies have been targeted as well as 17 senior government officials, a state-owned weapons trader and its subsidiary, a Russian bank. All those targeted will have their assets under US jurisdiction frozen. The US has taken these measures in response to Russia’s malign actions such as the annexation of Crimea, the incitement to violence in eastern Ukraine, the support of the Syrian government and its malicious cyber activities, France Press quoted a US official as saying.



    BOOK FAIR — The 47th edition of the International Book Fair in London will take place over April 10-12. Romania’s participation in the fair is under the aegis of the Romanian Cultural Institute. Under the heading “Writing and Making History: Remembering the Great War Generation”, events organized at Romania’s pavilion are first of all evoking Romania’s participation in the first world war and the Great Union by means of literary and artistic echoes of these two crucial moments in history.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • April 9, 2018

    April 9, 2018

    EASTER — Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians in Romania on Monday celebrated the second day of Easter and a new day in Easter Week, which follows the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this day people attend mass while priests’ vestments are white. The first day of this week is believed to be the day when the gates of heaven are open and all sins are forgiven. People who die on this day go straight to Heaven without undergoing the Last Judgment. Psalms are not recited on this day, while funeral services are replaced by Resurrection mass.



    EURO — The National Commission for the switch to the euro will convene on Thursday in its first session. Talks will focus on convergence criteria for adopting the European single currency. Two weeks ago Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced the setup of the commission, whose role is to prepare the roadmap for Romania joining the Eurozone, as well as the necessary actions to prepare the Romanian economy and society for this move.



    ELECTION — Viktor Orban has secured a new term as Prime Minister after his party Fidesz won the parliamentary elections in Hungary by a landslide. The right-wing nationalist politician says the result will ensure the security of Hungary. Orban’s party grabbed nearly half of the vote and will hold two thirds of the seats in Parliament. The nationalist Jobbik party won 26 seats, while Hungarian socialists won 20 seats. The Democratic Coalition led by former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsnay could win 9 seats, while the ecologist LMP party will get 8 seats. The Together party won one seat while an independent and a representative of the German minority will each get one seat. The final results will be made public at the end of the week. On Monday, the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, congratulated Viktor Orban on his win.



    MARCH — The “Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi” Institute for Romanians Worldwide, an institution subordinated to the Ministry for Romanians Worldwide, in cooperation with the Lauder-Reut Educational Complex, is organizing “The March of Holocaust Survivors — Let’s Learn Together”, held over April 9-13 in Poland. Taking part in the event are young people from 52 countries. The march has an educational purpose, aimed at familiarizing participants with a tragic chapter in world history. Romania’s delegation is made up of students and teachers from the Lauder-Reut school in Bucharest, but also from the Republic of Moldova. The project is part of the IEH-led program “Caravan of Romanian Identity”, which involves a series of cultural actions, aimed at promoting Romanian culture and consolidating Romania national identity. The project is also part of the Romanian Cultural Space strategic programme devoted to the celebration of one hundred years since the Great Union of 1918.



    AIRPORT — A few dozen Romanians were left stranded on Sunday on Ciampino Airport in Rome, after Ryanair canceled its flight to Bucharest. Some of the passengers were rescheduled for flights on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Those who accepted to change their flight schedule will receive accommodation for just one night. Others bought tickets with other flight operators at double or triple the price. Ryanair has cancelled flights in the past without providing too many explanations.



    SYRIA — The UN Security Council is today convening at the request of Russia and the United States after Syria was the target of a chemical attack. 70 people were killed on Sunday in the Syrian city of Douma, Reuters reports. The Security Council must immediately demand access to the site of the attack in order to carry out an independent investigation to ascertain what happened and to hold accountable the people who perpetrated this terrible attack, the US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said. The US official last month warned that unless the Security Council took concrete action against Syria, Washington is prepared to act and might launch a new attack on the region.



    BOOK FAIR — The 47th edition of the International Book Fair in London will take place over April 10-12. Romania’s participation in the fair is under the aegis of the Romanian Cultural Institute. Under the heading “Writing and Making History: Remembering the Great War Generation”, events organized at Romania’s pavilion are first of all evoking Romania’s participation in the first world war and the Great Union by means of literary and artistic echoes of these two crucial moments in history.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • April 5, 2018 UPDATE

    April 5, 2018 UPDATE

    ROMANIAN ACADEMY – Historian Ioan-Aurel Pop, the rector of the ”Babeş-Bolyai” University in Cluj-Napoca (north-western Romania) on Thursday was elected president of the Romanian Academy. He received 86 of the 148 votes that were cast during the General Assembly of the Romanian Academy. The newly elected president, who will have a four-year term in office, will take over the position 15 days since his election. The elections for four positions of vice-president and one of secretary general will be held on April 20. The former president of the Romanian Academy, Ionel Valentin Vlad, passed away in December 2017.



    SECURITY MEASURES – Over 50,000 employees of the Romanian Interior Ministry have been mobilised to maintain public order, safety and security across the country at Easter. Gendarme and police troops will be chiefly deployed around churches and other religious institutions. 250 thousand people are expected to attend more than 700 public events that will take place in Romania in the next four days. Traffic police, equipped with more than 300 traffic radars and backed by helicopters, will be monitoring traffic on Romanias motorways at Easter.



    MARCH – The “Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi Institute for the Romanians abroad, an institution subordinated to the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad jointly with the Lauder-Reut Educational Complex will be staging a March of Holocaust survivors – “Lets learn together, in Poland, over April 9-13. The event, which has an educational character and is aimed at teaching students a dramatic episode in history, involves the participation of young people from 52 countries. The Romanian delegation includes students from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The project is part of the IEH “The Romanian Identity Caravan, which includes a series of cultural events destined to promote Romanian culture and to consolidate Romanian national identity, and is part of the Strategic Programme – “The Romanian Common Cultural Area – the Great Union Centennial 1918 – 2018.



    HEALTHCARE – Romanian health minister, Sorina Pintea, on Thursday said a revision of the legislation on the purchase of medicines is needed, in order to make sure that suppliers who take part in tenders provide the necessary amount of pharmaceutical products throughout the duration of the contract. She also said that the line authorities are permanently monitoring the stocks and the consumption level of pharmaceutical products in order to intervene urgently and legally, so that the necessary amount of medicines be provided to patients. The statements were made after last month, the relevant minister requested a report with centralised data as to the lack of medicines or to discontinuities in the process of supplying with medicines hospitals and medical centres included in the national oncology program.



    SKRIPAL CASE – The US diplomats who have been declared persona-non grata by Russia, in retaliation for the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats by the US, in the wake of the Skripal scandal, on Thursday left the US Embassy in Moscow, on the last day set by the Kremlin for them to leave the Russian soil. Serghei Skripal, a former Russian double agent who was living in the UK and his daughter, Yulia, were poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury, south-western England on March 4. London has openly accused Russia of involvement in the case and has announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from British soil, a decision which was followed by similar measures taken by the US and over 20 other countries, with a total of 150 Russian diplomats being sent home. In late March, Russia, which denies any involvement, took a retaliatory measure, by expelling 60 US diplomats, closing down the US Consulate in Saint Petersburg and calling on London to reduce the number of its embassy and consular staff in Russia.



    HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest on Friday will meet on home soil the French team Metz, in the first round of the Champions League quarter finals. In the three other matches, the defending champion, Gyor of Hungary will meet Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro, FC Midtjylland of Denmark will face Vardar Skopje of Macedonia, and Ferencvaros Budapest of Hungary will take on Rostov- Don of Russia. The winners will qualify for the Final Four tournament. We recall that CSM Bucharest won the Champions League in 2016.(Translated by D.Vijeu and D. Bilt)