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Romania’s Avioane Craiova To Lay Off 300 Employees By Yr-End

Romania’s Economy Ministry, the main shareholder of Avioane Craiova (AVIO.RO) decided Friday to dismiss 300 employees in the state-owned airplane maker by the end of the year, if certain conditions are fulfilled, the company stated.

Romania’s Petrom May Change Name To OMV Petrom

The shareholders of Romania's largest oil company Petrom (SNP.RO) will discuss on October 20 a proposal to change the company’s name into OMV Petrom, to include the name of its majority stockholder, Austrian OMV group.

Court Releases Romanian Ex General Chitac, Reincarcerates Stanculescu

Romanian former general Mihai Chitac, sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter, was released for three months on medical grounds, while former general Victor Athanasie Stanculescu, who received a similar sentence for the killing of civilians in 1989, will go back behind bars.

Romanian Magistrates With Bucharest Court Of Appeals To Continue Protests

Romanian magistrates with the Bucharest Court of Appeals voted Friday to continue protests until a pact for justice is signed, despite the High Council of Magistrates’ call for a halt in protests, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romanian Social Dem Leader Says PM Must Discuss Reshuffle Plans Within Coalition

Mircea Geoana, leader of Romania’s ruling coalition Social Democratic Party, said Friday Prime Minister Emil Boc cannot decide on his own to dismiss social democrat Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu but needs to discuss matters first in the ruling coalition.

Romanian Transport Min Exempts Buses Carrying School Children From Bridge Toll

Buses transporting school children will not pay the Fetesti bridge toll, according to a decision of the Romanian Ministry of Transport, public road authority official Adrian Ionescu said Friday.

Romanian Newly-Built Housing To Be Adapted To Crisis – Impact Head

The apartments currently under project stage will be adapted to the crisis, and will be cheaper, smaller, and built with low quality materials and technologies, according to Dan Ioan Popp, president and the main shareholder of Romanian realtor Impact Developer & Contractor (IMP.RO).

Romanian Education Min To Explain School Mgmt Appointment Order To PM

Romanian education minister Ecaterina Andronescu said Friday she will have a talk with Prime Minister Emil Boc and explain why she passed the order over which he threatened to oust her from the Cabinet.

Romanian PM Threatens To Sack Education Minister Unless She Pulls School Mgmt Order

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday he asked Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu to cancel the order she passed recently entitling her to replace and appoint school principals, and said he would dismiss her if the act is applied

Salman Rushdie To Visit Romania In November

World-renowned author Salman Rushdie will visit Romania between November 23 and 26, officials with Romanian publishing house Polirom, which organizes the event, told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romanian Govt Body Starts Looking Into Tourism Ministry’s Spending

The Romanian prime minister’s control body has started investigations on the activity of the country’s Tourism Ministry and will look into public procurement and advertising contracts the ministry has concluded recently, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Two Wins, Two Draws For Romanian Teams In Europa League Debut

Romania’s Dinamo Bucharest and CFR Cluj secured their first wins in this year's Europa League with Sturm Graz and FC Copenhagen respectively, while FC Timisoara and Steaua Bucharest drew with Ajax Amsterdam and Serif Tiraspol respectively.

Romania’s President Hails Tourism Min’s Promotion Campaign As “Very Efficient”

Romania’s President Traian Basescu said Thursday on the public radio that tourism minister’s efforts to promote Romania abroad are “extremely efficient” and added he would rather his statement were not ridiculed.

Romania’s President Dismisses Infrastructure Problems As Real, But Worn Out Cliché

Romania’s President Traian Basescu said Thursday on the public radio the issue of foreign tourists not being able to visit Romania because of the poor state of the country's road infrastructure is real, but became a cliche, as 70% of tourists fly to Romania.

Romanian Transport Min To Introduce Monthly Bridge Pass For Locals

The Romanian Ministry of Transport could introduce a monthly pass for the locals using the Fetesti-Cernavoda bridge, Transport Minister Radu Berceanu told a news conference Thursday.

Laid Off Staff In Romania’s Railway Sector To Get Only Three Wages For Starters – Min

Employees of Romania's state-owned railway companies might get three wages as severance in a first stage and another three wages after the unemployment period of nine months, unless they manage to find some other job, Transport Minister Radu Berceanu said Thursday.

Republic Of Moldova Lifts Visas For Romanians

Moldova’s interim president Mihai Ghimpu said Thursday he signed a decree suspending the government’s decision of April 8 which introduced travel visas for Romanian citizens, Unimedia.md reported.

Romanian Opposition Submits No-Confidence Motion In Parliament

Romania’s opposition liberals and Hungarian minority party members have submitted in Parliament a no-confidence motion, in a bid to overthrow the government because of its adoption of the unitary pay law regulating wages across the public sector, liberal lawmaker Eugen Nicolaescu said Thursday.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Call On PM To Sack Education Minister

Romanian democrat liberal lawmaker Mircea Toader, leader of the democrat liberal group in the Chamber of Deputies, said Thursday he calls on Prime Minister Emil Boc to dismiss Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu unless she pulls the order regulating school principal appointments.

Romania To Overcome Fincl Crisis Late 2010 – Coface

Romania will exit the crisis at the end of 2010, one year later than the USA and Europe's developed economies, as the effects of the crisis also occurred one year later, according to risk management company Coface Romania.

Romanian Police Disbanded Network Of Currency, Credit Card Forgers

Romanian prosecutors made 29 searches Thursday morning in Craiova, southern Romania, Constanta, southeastern Romania, and capital city Bucharest to disband a criminal network specialized in forging currency and credit cards.

Students Can Pay EUR80 Monthly Rent To Live In Private Student Hostel In Bucharest

Students in Bucharest can pay a monthly rent of EUR80 and live in a student complex of studio flats and apartments located in the western part of Bucharest, in the West Gates neighborhood.

Romania Ctrl Bk’s Costs To Keep Leu Stable Seen At EUR4.5B Over Past Yr – ING

Romania’s central bank might have spent approximately EUR4.5 billion since last fall to keep the leu exchange rate stable, but the move was “necessary” to ensure financial stability, according to an ING Bank report.

Romania July Constr Output Posts Largest Monthly Fall In EU

Romanian construction output posted in July the biggest monthly decline among European Union states and the third-largest fall compared with the same month of 2008, the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat said Thursday.

Wyndham Delays Luxury Brand Launch In Romania For 2 Years

U.S. hotel operator Wyndham, the franchiser of Howard Johnson, Days Inn and Ramada brands, postponed for at least two years the launch of its luxury brand Wyndham on the Romanian market, after announcing earlier this year that a Wyndham hotel will be developed as of 2010 in capital Bucharest.

August, Worst Month In 10 Years For Bucharest Hotels – Consultant

August was the worst month in revenues and demand of the past ten years for the 4- and 5-star hotels in Romania’s capital city Bucharest, and the occupancy rate fell to 30%-40% because of the economic crisis, according to consultancy company Trend Hospitality.

Romanian Education Minister Issues Order Regulating School Mgmt Appointments

Romanian Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu issued an order Wednesday that bans school inspectorates from appointing school principals and assistants and stipulates that school managers will be appointed at the proposition of the managing boards of school inspectorates.

Romanian President Reassures Local Politicians No Longer Control Intelligence Services

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday, on public television, that he does not think there still are politicians out there who control the country’s intelligence services, stressing he would take a firm stand if that happened.

Romania Reports First Infection With AH1N1 Virus In Southern High School

A high school student in Slobozia, southern Romania, was found to be infected with the new AH1N1 virus flu and her class will suspend activity for a week to avoid further infection among her classmates.

Romanian PM Meets Pope Benedict XVI In First Day Of Official Visit To Italy

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc and Pope Benedict XVI had a short meeting on Wednesday, part of his two-day official visit to Italy.

Romania’s Unirea Urziceni Loses 0-2 to Spain’s FC Sevilla In Champions League Debut

Romania’s Unirea Urziceni made its debut in the Champions League Group G with a 0-2 (0-1) loss to Spain’s FC Sevilla, which put the Spanish team at the top of the group.

One Romanian Brutally Killed By Five Spanish Xenophobes

One Romanian aged 33 was killed, Friday evening, near Madrid, by five Spanish youths, because of his Romanian origins, El Mundo informed.

Dinu Patriciu, Ex Georgian PM Buy Narodny Bank of Georgia – Interfax

Romanian businessman Dinu Patriciu, jointly with former Georgian Prime Minister Vladimir Gurgenidze, bought Narodny Bank of Georgia from Eurooil, a unit of RAKInvestment of the UAE, Interfax reported Wednesday.

Michelin Romania May Raise Shr Cap By RON510M At RON950M

The majority shareholder of Michelin Romania, Compagnie Financiere Michelin, part of French tire maker Michelin Group, might hike the share capital of the Romanian company by 510 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2618) to around RON950 million, by cash contribution.

Salman Rushdie Might Visit Romania In November

World-renowned author Salman Rushdie could visit Romania in November and is in advanced talks about that with Romanian publishing house Polirom, people close to the talks told MEDIAFAX Wednesday.

Cheapest Cigarette Pack In Romania To Cost RON7.1 Next Year, From Current RON6.4

The cheapest cigarette pack in Romania will cost 7.1 lei (EUR1=RON4.2618) next year, when excises increase, compared with the current price of RON6.4, and will reach RON12.4 in 2016, said Wednesday Philip Gambaccini, fiscal affairs manager of cigarette producer Philip Morris International.

Romania Convicted Ex General Smoked, Had Coffee Waiting For Release On Medical Grounds Ruling

Romanian retired general Victor Athanasie Stanculescu, sentenced to 15 years in prison for the killing of civilians in the 1989 revolution and released in May on medical grounds, had coffee and smoked while judges decided whether to send him back to prison.

Romanian Ex Youth Min Files Criminal Complaint Against Inquiry Committee

Romanian former youth minister Monica Iacob Ridzi filed a criminal complaint with the General Prosecutors' Office against the members of the parliament inquiry committee that investigated the manner in which the "Youth Days" event was organized.

Romanian Senate Adopted Tacitly Pension, Wage Amassment Law

The Romanian Senate on Wednesday tacitly adopted a draft law that prohibits the amassment of pensions and wages for retirees who took new jobs in the public sector and their pensions top gross average wage.

Romanian Parliament Commission Wants To Finish Drafting National Security Laws By Sept ‘10

A parliament commission drafting Romania’s national security laws plans to have the acts completed and submitted for Parliament debate by September 1, 2010, democrat liberal Cezar Preda, the commission president, said Wednesday.