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Romanian Director Mungiu Nominated For César Awards

Cristian Mungiu’s "4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days" was nominated for the 2008 edition of the César awards, at the “best foreign film category,” ecranlarge.com informs.

Romania’s Labor Min Called To Appear Before Anticorruption Dept

Labor minister, liberal Paul Pacuraru, Friday said he was summoned to present himself next week to the National Anticorruption Department, or DNA, but did not state the exact date of the hearing.

BRD Officials Ask Investors To Remain Calm

The management of Romania’s second largest bank Banca Romana pentru Dezvoltare – Groupe Societe Generale (BRD.RO) expressed hope that investors react reasonably to the news of French bank Societe Generale being defrauded.

Animal Diagnosis Inst: Bucharest Zoo Runaway Jaguar Died Of Stress

Experts with Romania’s Institute for Animal Diagnosis and Health on Thursday established that the jaguar that escaped from the Bucharest Zoo late November died of stress.

International Charter Flights 10% More Expensive Starting Summer

Romanian tour operators announced that ticket prices for charter flights going from Romania to international destinations are to increase 10% this summer.

Romanian Govt Notifies Court On President’s Refusal To Appoint Nicolai Jus Min

The Romanian executive on Thursday notified the Constitutional Court on President Traian Basescu’s refusal to appoint Norica Nicolai minister of justice.

Romanian Telecom Users Can Change Op, Keep Number

Romanian telecom users can opt as of October 21, 2008 to change their telecom operator for another one while maintaining in the same time their telephone number.

Romania’s Agric Min To Maintain Current Subsidies For Farmers

Romania’s agriculture ministry will maintain the current subsidies granted to producers in the agriculture field, said on Thursday minister Dacian Ciolos.

Romania’s Sanitas Federation Postponed Going On Strike

The Sanitas Federation on Thursday postponed going on general strike after unionists signed an agreement with the health ministry.

Preventive Arrest For Romanian Cop Cristian Cioaca On E-Mail Violation Charges

The Romanian High Court of Justice decided the preventive arrest, for 29 days, of Cristian Cioaca in the case where he is charged with violating the e-mail address of his wife, lawyer Elodia Ghinescu.

New Romanian Car Tax To Come Into Force On July 1, ’08

The changes in the Romanian car registration tax will come into force on July 1. The sums collected will go from the state budget to the Environment Fund. The values in the new grid published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance are highly similar to the ones presented Wednesday by MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Pres Heckled In Iasi

Romanian president Traian Basescu was booed and heckled in northeastern Romanian city Iasi, at the beginning of the speech he was about to hold. He immediately retorted saying that the event is not political, but the public offered the same response at the end of the speech.

Romania Failed To Counteract South Stream Pipeline Constr On Pol Grounds-Patriciu

Romania was not able to counteract, on political grounds, the project for the construction of South Stream gas pipeline, transporting gas from Russia to Europe, Romanian oil tycoon Dinu Patriciu said Wednesday.

Romanian PM Says Parliament Must OK Criminal Probe On Ministers

Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said that Parliament has to approve the starting of criminal investigation against former and acting ministers.

EXCLUSIVE: EUR950 Tax On Euro 4 Cars In Romania

The value of the Romanian car first registration tax for cars will hike two-three times for new Euro 4 cars, namely EUR420 for 1400 cubic centimeters, EUR480 at 1600 cubic centimeters and EUR950 at 1900 cubic centimeters, but it will also drop ten times for 14-15 year old Euro 1 cars, between EUR323 and EUR652.

Romania To Rein In Yearend Spending Frenzy-PM

Romania's government plans to take tight measures to rein in massive budget spending in the last two months of the year to keep the country's budget deficit in check.

Romania’s Insurance Regulator Extends Deadline For Compulsory Additional RCA Reserve

Romania’s insurance watchdog on Wednesday said it postponed until April 1 a regulation compelling insurers authorized to sell mandatory civil liability car policies, or RCA, to set up and preserve an additional technical reserve for insurance contracts.

Romanian Govt To Approve Single-Digit Salary Hike In 2008-PM

The Romanian executive on Wednesday agreed upon a single-digit hike in average wages in 2008, with education and healthcare fields to receive the highest increases, Premier Calin Popescu Tariceanu said.

EC To Drop Infringement When Romanian Parliament OKs New Car Tax

Romanian economy and finance minister Varujan Vosganian informed the members of the Romanian government that the changes to the "car pollution tax" will be promoted in the next Government meeting, and Romania will stop facing infringement once the Parliament approves these changes.

Romania To Deploy 175 Troops To Kosovo

Romania will send 175 police officers and gendarmes to a Kosovo region at European Union’s choice, President Traian Basescu said on Wednesday.

Foreign Cos Appreciate Romanian Workers For Skills, Salary Demands – Report

The number of Romanian women working abroad is larger than the number of men, while Romanians are considered the best employees, due to their skills and the fact that they are working overtime for modest pay, according to a report compiled by European Citizens Advice Service.

Romanian Jus Min OKs Launch Of Criminal Probe Against Eight Dignitaries

Romania’s interim justice minister Teodor Meleşcanu on Tuesday sent to the prosecutors, as requested by the presidency, the files on starting criminal investigation against eight former and acting ministers.

Romanian IT&C Authority Proposes New Interconnection Fees

A number of 33 fixed telephony operators could apply, starting with the second quarter of 2008, an interconnection fee of 1.15 eurocents/minute, according to a draft decision of the National Authority for the Regulation of Communications and Information Technology (ANRCTI).

Romania Police Seized 2,304 Kg Narcotics, Hallucinogens In 2007

The Romanian Police seized 2,304 kilograms of narcotics and hallucinogens in 2007, up 82% on year, the head of police Gheorghe Popa said Tuesday.

Romanian Interior Min Demands Crackdown On Street Violence

Romanian interior minister Cristian David said Tuesday at the activity report meeting of the Romanian Police that police chiefs in cities with frequent gang wars and gang retaliations should “make room for someone better.”

Parliament Often Bent Constitution To Fit Political Interests –President

Romanian President Traian Basescu told young graduates of the National Magistrates Institute on Tuesday that lawmakers have often “bent” the Constitution to make it fit political purposes.

Romanian PM Romania Supports US Missile Shield

Romania supports the extension of the American missile shield project, but without “hostility” from Russia, which needs to understand that it could team up with the EU and NATO in the set up of such global protection measures, said Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu.

Gas Bills Should Rise 10% In 1Q – Distrigaz Sud

Natural gas prices for end-users should rise 10% in the first quarter of 2008, if the methodology set up by Romanian energy watchdog ANRE, comes into force, gas distributor Distrigaz Sud, majority-owned by French utility Gaz de France, said Tuesday.

AXN Takes “Suicidal Squirrels” Off The Air

TV network AXN will take controversial “Suicidal Squirrels” cartoon off the air, Steven White, General Manager for Central Europe with AXN network said Tuesday in the meeting with the Romanian audio-visual watchdog CNA.

Romanian Leu Likely To Rebound – Ctrl Bk Governor

The Romanian leu is likely to rebound after hitting a three-year low against the euro this week due to local and international jitters, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Tuesday.

Romanian President Criticizes Gov On Energy-Related Question

Romanian President Traian Basescu criticized the government Tuesday as he did not get an answer yet to a question related to the energy sector during a meeting of the country’s defense council last year.

Romania Needs Better Governing On All Levels – President

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Tuesday, at the launch of the project revising the Sustainable Development Strategy, that the country needs better governing on all levels.

EXCLUSIVE: Syrian Justice Evader Paid EUR800 For Refuge Aboard Cargo Ship

Iman T cargo ship captain, Youssef Abd Al-Razzaq Tartoussi, admitted having received EUR800 from Omar Hayssam, sentenced by a Bucharest court to 20 years in jail for the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in 2005 in Iraq, to help him evade the authorities and take refuge in one of the ship’s cabin.

Romanian Physicians College Dismisses TI Allegations On Bribe Legalization

The Romanian Physicians College, or CMR, on Monday dismissed the accusations of Transparency International Romania, which said CMR presented a draft act that would legalize bribe in the healthcare system.

TI Romania Urges Govt To Reject Any Attempt To Legalize Bribe In Health Sys

The Romanian government must firmly reject any act that might legalize bribe in the healthcare system, Transparency International Romania said in a statement Monday.

Romania’s Pres Urges Justice Min To Send Files On Ministers To Prosecutors Office

Romania’s president Traian Basescu on Monday urged interim justice minister Teodor Melescanu to send the notices on the start of criminal investigation against eight high-ranking officials to the Prosecutors’ Office or he might be accused of abuse of office.

Russia Patriarch Criticizes Romanian Church Over Metropolitan Of Bessarabia

Patriarch Alexius II of Moscow on Monday criticized the decisions of the Romanian Orthodox Church regarding the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, saying the Romanian church “interfered with an autocephalous orthodox church” and that its actions were “anti-canonical,” the Moldovan presidency said in a statement.

Romanian Social Democrats Urge Authorities To Ponder Romania’s Energy Situation

Romania’s leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) urged the country’s defense council and government to seriously consider Romania’s energy situation, as the country’s is being cut out of main energy transport routes, spokesman Cristian Diaconescu told a news conference Monday.

Romanian Car Indus EUR7.2B In ‘07 Vs EUR5.6 On Yr-Dacia Oficial

Romania’s car industry reached EUR7.2 billion in 2007, up against EUR5.6 billion in 2006, an official of Automobile Dacia SA, the local unit of French carmaker Renault, said Monday.

Romanian Leu Falls To 3-Yr Low Vs Euro

The Romanian leu fell to a three-year low against the euro Monday, amid average volumes, echoing regional depreciating trends and worsening investor sentiment about Romania’s weak economic fundamentals, dealers said.