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Romanian President Opposes Lottery Staff’s Access To Cut In Co Profit

Romanian President Traian Basescu asked the Parliament to reexamine the law allowing the employees of the Romanian lottery to participate in the company’s net profit, through the distribution of 10% of the accounting profit, saying this provision is not adequate.

Romanian PM Calls On Unions Again To Understand 50% Wage Hikes Are Impossible

Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu urged unions again Monday to understand that a 50% wage his would have severe consequences on the economy and accused the leftist opposition of backing wage hikes for electoral purposes alone.

Romania’s Petrom Cuts Gasoline Prices By RON0.06/Liter

Romania’s largest oil company Petrom SA (SNP.RO) cut Monday gasoline reference prices by 0.06 lei (EUR1=RON3.7482) per liter and kept diesel oil prices unchanged, the company said in a statement.

Romanian Social Democrats’ Campaign Bus Hit In Alleged Shooting

The windshield of the bus carrying Romanian social democrat leader Mircea Geoana was broken Sunday evening near Bucharest, and the driver said the bus was shot at.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Sign Agreement With Employers In Energy, Industry

Romanian democrat liberal leaders Monday signed a cooperation agreement with the Employers’ Alliance in the industry and energy sectors, stipulating mutual support on projects and advice for the party in some fields, said Vasile Turcu, head of the Employers’ Alliance in Industry, or CONPIROM.

Romanian Senate’s Labor, Education Commissions Reject Delay Of Teachers’ Pay Hike

The Romanian Senate’s labor and education commissions adopted Monday 14 to three votes a report rejecting the government ordinance which puts off a 50% wage increase for staff in education.

Romanian Education Unionists On Warning Strike Monday, Threaten General Strike

Romanian education unionists are on a two-hour warning strike Monday, as a protest to the Government’s decision to delay the 50% wage hike until April 1, 2008.

Romania’s 9-Mo Trade Def Up 12.5% On Yr To EUR16.93B

Romania’s January-September trade deficit rose 12.5% on the year to EUR16.93 billion, from EUR15.05 billion in the same period a year earlier, but exports grew at a higher pace than imports during the first nine months, the National Statistics Institute reported Monday.

Fitch Downgrades Romania’s Rating By Two Notches To Below Invest Grade

Ratings agency Fitch has lowered on Monday the sovereign ratings on Romania by two notches, citing vulnerabilities in the emerging markets, spurred by the global crisis and the countries’ high current account deficits.

Romanian Prosecutors’ Office Closes File On Communist Police Crimes And Abuse

Romania’s General Prosecutors’ Office closed the file on the crimes and abuse committed by Romania’s communist, in which 67 former activists, psychiatrists and police employees had been indicted. Prosecutors said the file had passed its statute of limitations.

Romanian Children Earn Gang Millions In UK – Paper

At least 200 gypsy children from Romania has been smuggled into Britain and could be earning more than GBP19 million a year from street crime and fraud, the European Union’s head of police has disclosed, the Sunday Times reported.

Romanian Chief Anticorruption Prosecutor Has Mandate Extended Until Yearend

Romania’s prosecutor general Codruţa Kovesi extended the mandate of chief anticorruption prosecutor Daniel Morar until the end of the year, as the justice minister and the head of state haven’t reached an agreement to appoint a new chief prosecutor.

Romanian President Briefs Media On Informal EU Meeting Conclusions

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Friday in Brussels, after the informal reunion of the heads of states and governments, that other crisis outbreaks could occur, in the world, after the USA and the EU, as the size of the financial crisis generated the risk of a global economic crisis.

People’s Advocate Notifies Romania Constitutional Court On Act Putting Off Teachers’ Pay Hike

Romania’s Constitutional Court was notified by the People’s Advocate on the alleged unconstitutionality of the provisions of Government Emergency Ordinance postponing until April 2009 the enforcement of the law increasing teachers’ pay hike by 50%.

Romanian Social Democrat Accuses Govt Official Of Campaigning Using Public Money

The secretary general of Romania’s leftist opposition Social Democratic Party, Titus Corlatean, urged Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu Friday to suspend Petre Roman from the position of government representative for Romanians abroad, accusing the latter of using public money to pay for his election campaign.

Romania’s Petrom To Cut Gas, Diesel Oil Pump Prices By RON0.06/Liter

Romania’s largest vertically integrated oil company Petrom (SNP.RO), owned by Austria’s OMV (OMV.VI), will cut Saturday its gas and diesel oil pump prices by 0.06 lei (EUR1=RON3.7271) per liter, the company said in a statement.

Romania’s BCR To Close Inactive Current Accounts Of Pvt Individuals

Romania’s largest lender by assets Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) will close, during November 8-9, the current accounts of private individuals that have been inactive for the past six months and store no money, the bank said Friday.

Documentary On Romanian Orphanages Lacks Objectivity, Presents False Data – State Secretary

The journalistic approach in the documentary made by the Duchess of York is not balanced and objective, as it presents unreal facts, State Secretary with the Romanian Authority for Children’s Rights Protection Mariela Neagu said after visiting an orphanage included in the documentary broadcasted Thursday.

Romania Will Be Affected By Fin Crisis, But Can Overcome It – President

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Friday before leaving for Brussels that Romania will certainly be affected by the global financial crisis, but it has enough resources to overcome it and the pending threat shouldn’t impair reform.

Romanian Healthcare Union Federation Calls Off Planned Protests

Romania’s healthcare sector union federation Sanitas decided Friday to call of planned protests and will sign an agreement with health minister Eugen Nicolaescu next week.

One Dies, Two Severely Injured In Car Crash S. Romania

One man died and two other were severely injured after their car crashed Thursday night into a commuter bus on national road DN 73 in Clucereasa locality, southern Romania.

Duchess Of York Uncovers Terrible Condition Of Romanian Orphanages

British television station ITV1 broadcasted Thursday evening a documentary film made with the help of a hidden camera during the visit of the Duchess of York and her daughters to orphanages in Romania and Turkey, which showed the poor condition of the children sheltered there.

Romanian Railway Unionists Call Off Strike

Romanian railway unionists on Thursday called off a six-hour warning strike scheduled for Friday, saying they decided to wait the results of their talks with Transportation Minister Ludovic Orban.

Romanian Migrants Own 1,500 Cos In Italy’s Milan – Press

Romanian migrants own over 1,500 companies and firms in Italy’s city of Milan, which places them first among EU migrants in the city, Italian regional Chamber of Commerce said Thursday, quoted by APcom news agency.

Romanian Police Issues National Drug Consumption Report

The youngest age stated by a respondent, when asked when they started to use cannabis, was 11, but 76.6% of users stated starting ages below 24, according to the Romanian National Report on Drug Consumption, presented Thursday in Bucharest.

Bechtel Constr Errors Trigger Landslides On Romanian Motorway – Roads Auth

U.S. constructor Bechtel has made several design and execution errors at the Transylvania Motorway, which triggered landslides on a surface of 36 kilometers on the motorway, Romania’s roads authority CNADNR said Thursday.

Romanians Rent Flats In Bucharest, Afraid Or Unable To Buy

The number of home renting transactions is growing compared to fall 2007 as people wishing to buy a home have a tough time accessing loans, or are confused by the market’s evolution, thus preferring to rent in the meantime, according to real estate company Coldwell Banker.

Romanian PM Wants Elimination Of Fishing In Danube Delta For Economic Purposes

Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said Thursday he wants fishing in the Danube Delta to continue only for touristic purposes, and be eliminated as an economic activity.

Ten Romanian Deputies Cash Accommodation Money Although They Own Homes In Bucharest – Report

Each Romanian lawmaker not residing in Bucharest spent a average EUR13,000 for accommodation last year, and some received accommodation money even though they own apartments in Bucharest, the Institute for Public Policies said in a report on public costs for activities of lawmakers in the interval November 2006 - May 2008.

Romanian Lawmakers Spent An Avg EUR7,000/Month In 2007

The average Romanian lawmaker spent about EUR7,000 of the state budget per month in 2007, according to a report released Thursday by the Institute for Public Policies, which said it calculated the sum using "incomplete and hard to decipher information” provided by the two Chambers of Parliament.

Romanian Railway Unionists Reach Agreement With Transp Min, Call For Strike Delay

Romanian railway unionists of the Miscare Comercial Federation ask the members of the organization to postpone the strike scheduled for Friday, as they are waiting for budget approval, following talks Thursday talks with transport minister Ludovic Orban.

Romanian Pvt Auth To Put Up For Sale Mining Cos Cuprumin, Moldomin

Romanian Privatization Authority AVAS will put up for sale next week the mining companies Cuprumin, in the central town of Abrud, and Moldomin, in the southwestern town of Moldova Noua, AVAS president Teodor Atanasiu said Thursday.

Romanian Police Officers To Organize New Protests On Nov 22

Romania’s National Police Officer Union "Pro Lex" members will take to the streets again on November 22, displeased with the faulty management applied by the Ministry of Interior and the fact that law and order laws and the police officer statute were not passed.

Romanian Ambassador To Israel Responds To Anti-Semitism Accusation Against Romania

The statement of Romanian president Traian Basescu, cited by the November 2 edition of the Israeli daily Haaretz, according to which Syria’s neighbors are Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, is “truncated and taken out of context”, Romania’s ambassador to Israel Edward Iosiper said.

Bucharest Citizen Sought In France, Caught In Romania

One Romanian citizen sought by French authorities, under suspicion of being involved in an erotic website network, was arrested Wednesday evening in Bucharest, after several raids performed by Romanian and French police officers in the Baba Novac area of Bucharest.

Romania Could Be Net Exporter Of Food In Less Than 10 Yrs – Min

Romania could become a net exporter of food products in less than ten years if it has a good fiscal policy and farmers are well organized, agriculture minister Dacian Ciolos said Thursday.

Romanian Troops To Have Safer Missions If They Stay in Iraq – Defense Min

Romanian defense minister Teodor Melescanu said Thursday that new Romanian missions in Iraq would focus on advice and assistance for Iraqi troops, not patrolling and security.

European Commission Extends Romania’s SAPARD Program Until End 2009

The European Commission approved Romania’s request for a one year extension, until end 2009, in the country’s SAPARD fund absorption, agriculture minister Dacian Ciolos said Thursday.

Passenger Train Catches Fire In NW Romania, No Casualties

One passenger train travelling between northwestern Romanian towns Oradea and Jibou caught fire Thursday morning around the locality Ip in Salaj county. There were no victims and several firefighter crews intervened to put out the flames.

Romania’s Petrom 9-Mo Net Pft Up 48% to RON2.29B -2-

Romania’s oil company Petrom SA (SNP.RO) reported a net profit of RON2.29 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 48% compared with RON1.548 billion in the same period a year earlier, the company said in a statement Thursday.