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Romanian Lawmakers Argue Over Draft Civil Code Provision On Marriage Between People Under 16

Members of the Parliament sub-commission debating Romania’s draft new Civil Code failed to agree Thursday on the provision that states marriages between minors younger than 16 would no longer be declared null if the wife is pregnant or the couple has children.

Rail Co Employees To Stage Protests Against Personnel Cuts In Apr – Unionists

More than 10,000 employees of Romanian state-run rail company CFR SA are expected to attend a series of protests in April, in response to the company’s plans to fire 12,139 staff, trade union officials said Thursday.

Moldovan Band Zdob şi Zdub Drop Suit Against Reckless Driver, Claim Damages

Members of Moldovan hardcore band Zdob si Zdub dropped a criminal lawsuit against the driver who injured them in a car accident last summer, but will claim damages in a civil suit, Pro TV Chisinau reported.

Romania Sports Min Woos Bute To A Homeland Fight

Romanian Sports Minister Monica Iacob-Ridzi on Thursday said she will try to organize a fight for IBF super-middleweight champion Lucian Bute in his homeland this year.

Romania ’09 FDI Seen Halved At EUR4.5B – Ctrl Bk Head

Foreign direct investments in Romania are seen halved in 2009, between EUR4 billion and EUR4.5 billion, compared with EUR8 billion in 2008, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Thursday.

Most Romanian Internet Users Read Two To Five Blogs Daily – Survey

Most Romanian internet users read tow to five blogs every day, and only 2.9% of them read over 50 blogs daily, according to a survey on the most accessed 40 blogs in Romania.

Romania Not To Change Main Taxes In 2009 – Fin Min

The Romanian Finance Ministry plans no changes in the main taxes, namely the flat tax, the value added tax or social security contributions for 2009, finance minister Gheorghe Pogea said Thursday.

Romanian TV Star Mihaela Radulescu Files Criminal Complaint Against Ex Over Alimony

Romanian TV star Mihaela Radulescu filed a criminal complaint against her former husband Elan Schwartzenberg, whom she accuses of not having paid alimony for two months in a row.

Romanian Ctrl Bk May Cut Min Required Reserves Ratio Before IMF 1st Loan Tranche

The National Bank of Romania BNR may reduce the minimum required reserves ratio before IMF disburses the first loan tranche to the country, a decision being expected based on the talks in Vienna, Radu Ghetea, president of CEC Bank and Romanian Banks Association said Thursday.

Nearly 200 Romanian Pensioners Picket Government HQ

Nearly 200 pensioners picket Thursday the headquarters of the Romanian government protesting to the fact that the pension point will no longer be 45% of the gross average wage as of April.

Romanian Rock Star Cristi Minculescu To Undergo Two More Surgeries In Upcoming Days

Cristi Minculescu, the frontman of Romanian rock band Iris, who had a liver transplant Tuesday morning in Germany, will undergo two more surgeries in the upcoming days, officials of the Regensburg hospital said Wednesday evening.

Romanian Govt Ups Tobacco Excise To EUR57/1000 Cigarettes

Romanian government on Wednesday decided to hike tobacco excises by EUR7/1000 cigarettes to EUR57/1000 cigarettes as of April 1.

Romanian Govt OKs Letter Of Intent Agreed With IMF

Romanian government approved in a meeting Wednesday the letter of intent for the EUR20 billion external loan from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, Prime Minister Emil Boc said.

Bucharest Appeals Court Ruled Interior Ministry Scandal Protagonists To Be Tried At Large

The Bucharest Court of Appeals decided Wednesday night that former Interior Ministry secret service head Cornel Serban, head of operations with the ministry’s General Anticorruption Department Petre Pitcovici and businessman Gabriel Puiu Popoviciu will be tried at large but can’t leave the country.

Marriage Defined In Romanian Draft Civil Code As Union Between Man And Woman

Romanian MPs have defined marriage as the consensual union between a man and a woman, concluded according to law.

Romania Pres Calls On Unionists To Temporarily Refrain From Wage Claims

Romanian President Traian Basescu urged trade union representatives not to ask for salary increases until the law regulating the public wage system is in place, union officials said Wednesday.

Former Head Of Romanian Intelligence Dept Accused Of Leaking Classified Information

The former chief of the Romanian Interior Ministry’s General Intelligence and Internal Protection Department (DGIPI), Cornel Serban, is accused of using and providing unauthorized access to private information.

IMF Official: Foreign Loan To Protect Romania Of Crisis’ Worst Effects

Romania’s agreement with the IMF will protect the country’s economy from the worst effects of the worldwide crisis and will put Romania in a position for a strong return to growth as soon as the current difficulties ease, the future IMF Representative in Bucharest, Tonny Lybek, said Wednesday.

Raiffeisen Bank Romania Warns Clients Against Phishing Attacks

Romania’s Raiffeisen Bank warned its clients not to answer requests received through e-mail or SMS regarding personal data or confidential information, such as passwords or PINs, as the bank will never send out such messages.

Romanian Ctrl Bk Chief To Explain IMF Loan In Parliament Hearing

Romania’s central bank governor Mugur Isarescu will be asked to explain in parliament the reverberations of the IMF loan on local economy during a hearing of the budget and finance committees, democrat liberal Deputy Mircea Toader said Wednesday.

Romanian Liberals Threaten No-Confidence Vote If Govt Takes Responsibility For Civil, Criminal Codes

Romanian liberals, in opposition, threaten to initiate a no-confidence vote in Parliament if the government takes responsibility for the Criminal Code, Civil Code and their respective procedure codes and they become law, liberal lawmaker Eugen Nicolaescu said Wednesday.

World Bank To Implement Fincl Support Package With Romanian Govt

The World Bank is prepared to work closely with the Romanian Government over the next two years to implement a package of measures that will limit the severity of the recession and its impact on the vulnerable, the lender said in a statement Wednesday.

Romania’s Govt May Use Part Of ’09 Additional Budget Revenues As It Likes – IMF

Romania’s Government may spend as it likes part of the additional revenues above the current forecast agreed with the International Monetary Fund, but will have to put aside another part of the money.

Romanian Released In Rome After 34 Days In Custody On Rape Charges To Claim Moral Damages

Romanian citizen Karol Racz, held in custody for 34 days in Rome, Italy, on charges of rape and released Tuesday on lack of evidence, will claim moral damages for the time he spent under arrest, his lawyer Lorenzo La Marca said, cited by Unione.sarda.it.

Foreign Tour Operators Threaten To Take Romania Out Of Catalogues Over Castle Bran Situation

Several foreign tour operators threatened to take Romania off their catalogues and even start an anti-campaign, displeased with reduced visiting hours at Castle Bran and its furniture being moved into the medieval customs building, Romania's Association of Tour Operators (ANAT) said Wednesday.

Romanian PM Took The Subway To Get To Cabinet Meeting

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc took the subway Wednesday to get from the Parliament to the government headquarters to attend the Cabinet meeting and told MEDIAFAX he wanted to see people’s everyday lives.

Romanian Senate Adopted Decree Introducing Holiday Tickets

Romanian senators adopted Wednesday 58 to 16 votes and five abstentions the draft law approving government emergency decree 8/2009 which regulates the granting of holiday tickets to employees.

Romanian Initiative Party Leader Honored By Social Democrat’s EP Candidacy Proposal

National Initiate Party (PIN) leader Lavinia Sandru said Wednesday she is honored that Social Democratic Party (PSD) vice-president Radu Moldovan wants her to run for a seat in the European Parliament along PSD.

Gelu Drajneanu Appointed Interim Head Of Interior Ministry Intelligence Dept

Gelu Drajneanu was appointed interim head of the Romanian Interior Ministry’s General Intelligence and Internal Protection Department (DGIPI) Wednesday, after the department’s chief Cornel Serban was detained by anticorruption prosecutors Tuesday night.

IMF To Ask Main Bks Operating In Romania To Keep Funds In The Country

The International Monetary Fund mission to Bucharest will meet Thursday in Vienna the main foreign banks operating in Romania, to ask them to keep funds in the country and for a capital "buffer."

Romanian Parliament Commission To Hear Interior Min Next Week Over Intelligence Dept Scandal

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies defense commission decided Wednesday to hear interior minister Dan Nica next week about his plans to reorganize the ministry and the situation at the General Intelligence and Internal Protection Department (DGIPI) whose chief was detained by anticorruption prosecutors.

Romanian Int Min To Dismantle Dept Whose Chief Was Detained By Anticorruption Prosecutors

Romanian interior minister Dan Nica is at the headquarters of the General Intelligence and Internal Protection Department (DGIPI) whose chief, Cornel Serban, was taken into custody by anticorruption prosecutors.

Romania Must Revise Salary, Pension Sys In 2 Yrs – IMF

Romanian government has to revise in two years, with international assistance, the pensions system and salaries in the public sector, as well as the monitoring and control procedures for state-owned companies, Jeffrey Franks, the head of the IMF mission to Romania, said Wednesday.

Two Romanian High Officials Detained For Alleged Complicity To Drug Dealing

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors detained Cornel Serban, head of the General Intelligence and Internal Protection Department (DGIPI), and Petre Pitcovici, head of the Operations Division within the General Anticorruption Department, for alleged complicity to crimes.

EXCLUSIVE: Social Democrat To Ask Romanian Initiative Party Leader To Run For MEP

Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD) vice-president Radu Moldovan told MEDIAFAX Wednesday he will ask National Initiate Party (PIN) leader Lavinia Sandru to run for a seat in the European Parliament along social democrats.

Romania Agrees EUR12.95B 2-Yr IMF Standby Loan, Total Package At EUR19.95B

Romania agreed Wednesday with the International Monetary Fund an economic program supported by a EUR12.95 billion (about US$17.51 billion) loan under a two-year Stand-By Arrangement, IMF said in a statement.

Romania To Hike Pensions With Inflation Rate Not Depending On Avg Wage Under IMF Agreement – Sources

Romania will change the calculation of pensions and increase them depending on the annual inflation rate instead of the gross average wage, to balance its public pension fund on the medium and long term under the agreement with the International Monetary Fund, or IMF.

Romania, IMF Set Loan Value At EUR12.95B To Avoid Unlucky 13

Romanian authorities agreed with the International Monetary Fund the loan value in the stand-by agreement at EUR12.95 billion, to avoid 13, a number considered to bring bad luck, a source close to the talks told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian PM: Govt Strives To Protect The Freedom Of The Press

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc on Tuesday said the government would strive to wipe out any suspicions regarding its intention to bring the press to silence via the country’s revised Civil Code.

A Quarter Of Romanians Fear Job Loss In 2009- Survey

A quarter of Romanians, namely 25%, fear they might lose their jobs in 2009, in the fallout of the economic crisis, while 15% of Romanians fear they might not afford to pay their bills, according to a survey conducted in January by market research company Synovate.