Romania makes U-turn on Holocaust

BUCHAREST, Romania, May 7 (UPI) -- Romania bowed to pressure from Jewish groups Friday and agreed to set October 9 as the country's official memorial day for victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

Romania got into a major row with Israel last year after refusing even to admit the Holocaust had taken place on its soil.

Around 400,000 Jews from Romania are known to have died during World War II.

Romania's war time leader, Ion Antonescu, was an ally and sympathizer of Nazi Germany.