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PM Declines President’s Invitation To Talks On Justice Min Issue – Sources

Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu decided to decline President Traian Basescu’s invitation for talks on the issue of the proposal for justice minister, considering the president has no constitutional prerogatives to reject his proposal, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Citizens Might Travel To Israel Visa Free

The Israeli Parliament on Wednesday ruled that Romanian citizens no longer need visas in order to travel to Israel, according to Romania’s national news radio station Radio Romania Actualitati.

Trial Btw Oil Tycoon – Intelligence Service Postponed

The Bucharest Court of Appeals postponed on Thursday the trial involving oil tycoon Dinu Patriciu and the Romanian Intelligence Service, or SRI, on procedural grounds.

Romanian Foreign Min Urges Politicians Not To Campaign On Romanian Immigrants Issue

Romania’s foreign affairs minister Adrian Cioroianu said Wednesday after talks with Italian foreign minister Massimo D’Alema that the issue of Romanian immigrants is one of image, and urged politicians not to use it in their election campaigns.

EXCLUSIVE: Car Tax Could Triple For New Cars Under New Calculation Method

Romania’s much disputed car tax will nearly triple for new cars and will be lowered in direct ratio with the car’s age for vehicles with the same cylinder capacity and emission standards, government sources told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

Romania’s Pres Calls For Consultations With PM On Justice Min Proposal

Romanian president Traian Basescu invited Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu to debate on Thursday the latter’s proposal to appoint liberal Senator Norica Nicolai as the country’s justice minister.

New Agriculture Census In Romania Between Dec ‘10-Jan ‘11

Romania is to carry out a new general agriculture census between December 2, 2010 and January 31, 2011, which will update the data regarding the existent land surfaces, the number of animals, the irrigation systems as well as the number of farmers.

Romania To Introduce Oripavine On Illegal Narcotics List

Romania’s Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform, or MIRA, on Wednesday launched for public debates a draft law banning the use of the oripavine, a high-toxicity opiate.

Romania’s Govt Ups Social Aids 4.5% As Of Jan ’08

The Romanian Government decided to increase by 4.5% allowances and other social aid, starting with January 2008, Government spokesperson Camelia Spataru announced on Wednesday.

Romanian President Asks Court To Declare Unconstitutional 2 Govt Ordinances

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Tuesday asked the Constitutional Court to declare unconstitutional two government ordinances that were approved without prior assent from the country’s defense council CSAT, the presidency said in a statement Wednesday .

Romanian Auto Register To Issue New Registration Cards Only For Euro 4 Cars

The Romanian Auto Register, or RAR, on Wednesday announced new vehicles that do not comply with the Euro 4 norms will no longer receive registration cards.

PM: President’s Reasons To Refuse Justice Min Proposal, Ungrounded – Sources

Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu told ministers in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that government legal advisers consider the reasons cited by President Traian Basescu on the proposal of liberal senator Norica Nicolai for justice minister are ungrounded, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Govt Assures EU 112 Emergency Call Sys Will Work

The Romanian government decided in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting to send a letter to the European Commission with an action plan to render the 112 emergency call service more efficient, assuring the EU the system would comply starting February 2008.

Petrol Bomb Attack On Romanian Camp In Italy

Unidentified individuals threw four petrol bombs at an abandoned factory near Rome, site inhabited by some 20 Romanian illegal immigrants, Il Tempo online reported.

Civil Society Organizations Propose Minimum Guaranteed Yield For Prv Pensions

Several organizations of the civil society proposed, in an open letter to authorities including the president, prime minister and the central bank governor, the introduction of a minimum guaranteed annual yield for mandatory private pensions, equal to annual inflation.

EP Socialist Group VP Says Official Spats Taint Romania’s Image

The vice president of the socialist group within the European Parliament, Hannes Swoboda, said, in connection with Romanian president Traian Basescu’s refusal to accept Norica Nicolai as justice minister, that Romania’s image is deteriorating because of these quarrels.

Romanian Maid Arrested For Murder In Rome

A Romanian immigrant woman was arrested by Italian authorities after assaulting and murdering an 80-year-old woman for whom she had been working as house cleaner for a few days. The incident occurred in Albano Laziale, a town near Rome.

Romanian Pres Rejects PM Proposition For Justice Min

Romanian president Traian Basescu wrote a letter to Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu asking him to stop proposing Norica Nicolai as justice minister, since her negative image in the public eye will not hike the people’s confidence in justice.

Romania’s President OKs Law Against Sports Violence

Romania’s president Traian Basescu on Tuesday signed the decree to promulgate the Law regarding the prevention and fight against violence in sporting events.

EXCLUSIVE: Syrian Justice Evader Boasts Ease In Flight

Syrian businessman Omar Hayssam, sentenced by a Bucharest court to 20 years in jail for the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in 2005 in Iraq, told prosecutor Ciprian Nastasiu that he fled Romania “like a gentleman, his head held high, dressed to the nines, with a fake passport and a new look”.

Punk Legends Sex Pistols In Talks For Romanian Gig

British punk pioneers Sex Pistols are in talks for a concert in Romania, event organizers Kompas Events, who have been negotiating with the band since December, told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Pres Asks Parliament To Ratify Lisbon Treaty

Romanian President Traian Basescu signed, Tuesday, the Decree submitting to Parliament for ratification, the Lisbon Treaty, on the EU reform.

US Embassy Says Attaché Involved In Car Accident To Return To Romania Shortly

Kevin Sandlin, the attaché of the U.S. Embassy to Bucharest involved in a car accident in Bucharest, continues to work for the embassy and will return to the country shortly, the embassy press bureau told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.

Preliminary Forensic Report: Transport Min Did Not Injure Anyone In Road Accident – Sources

The currently incomplete forensic report in the case of Simona Todean, the alleged victim of the accident caused by transports minister Ludovic Orban, indicates the girl was not the victim of a car accident, people close to the investigation said.

EU Received No Formal Notice On Romania CO2 Lawsuit

The European Commission received no formal notification regarding Romania’s legal action over its carbon dioxide national allocation plan for 2008-2012, a spokesperson of EU commissioner for environment, Stavros Dimas, said Tuesday.

Romania’s Budget Def 1.14 % Of GDP In Jan-Nov ’07

Romania’s general consolidated budget reported a deficit of 1.14% of gross domestic product in January-November 2007, the Economy and Finance Ministry said.

EXCLUSIVE: No Foul Play In Bucharest Zoo Runaway Jaguar Death

Police experts have established that the net around the cage of the escapee jaguar that was killed in a capture attempt by caretakers at the Bucharest Zoo late November was weakened because it was very old, and no foul play was involved in the animal’s breakout attempt.

Daniel Daianu Quit BCR Supervisory Board

Daniel Daianu, member of the Supervisory Board of Romania’s largest lender Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), resigned his position to avoid controversy following his election to represent Romanian liberals in the European Parliament.

Romanian Intelligence Service Counters Radioactive Trafficking Theory

The spokesman for the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), Marius Bercaru, told MEDIAFAX that SRI does not hold any information on the possibility for al-Qaida elements or al-Qaida affiliates to be interested in buying radioactive material from Romania.

IAEA Chief Fears Al-Qaeda Might Get Radioactive Materials From Romania-Paper

The head of the UN atomic watchdog IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei on Monday said he fears al-Qaeda terrorist network might be preparing a nuclear or radioactive attack and voiced concern over radioactive material trafficking from Romania, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Romanian Online Payment Sales Tripled In ’07

The electronic commerce market, with online card payment, increased 263% in 2007 compared to 2006, to EUR34.8 million, with a total of some 450,000 transactions, according to data from RomCard, quoted by computer solutions integrator Gecad ePayment.

Romanian Govt, Unionists Talks Digress From Original Topic-Labor Min

Romanian labor minister Paul Pacuraru said that the debates between government officials and unionists on Monday digressed from the initial topics, such as lowering employees’ contributions to the state, even if this was one of the main issues on the meeting agenda.

Romania To Host Asian Handball Championships

The president of the Romanian Handball Federation, Cristian Gatu, said federation board members decided Monday, at the request of the International Handball Federation, that Romania will host the matches of the men and women Asian Handball Championships.

Romania’s Rompetrol Cuts Gas, Hikes Diesel Oil Prices Early Jan

Romania’s second-largest oil company, Rompetrol Group NV cut during January 7 and 13 the gasoline pump prices by 0.07 lei/liter (EUR1-RON3.5897), and hiked the diesel oil prices by 0.03 RON/liter, the company said Monday in a statement.

Romania’s Ctrl Bk Ups Main Rate To 8% From 7.5%

Romania’s central bank decided Monday to hike the key monetary policy rate by 50 basis points to 8%, a move most analysts had expected, the central bank said in a statement.

NY Times Critics Nominate Romanian „4,3,2” For 6 Oscars

Film critics of the New York Times consider Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s "4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days" should be nominated in six categories in this year’s edition of the Academy Awards, not just the Best Foreign Language Film section, the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York said.

Blast In NW Romania Injures Three, Destroys Seven Apartments

Three people were injured and seven apartments destroyed in an explosion on Sunday night in an apartment building in Romania’s northwestern county of Satu Mare, caused by a build-up of gas.

No Interest For Leadership Of Romanian Conservative Party One Day Before Deadline

Romania’s Conservative Party, or PC, has not received any applications for the position of party president, PC spokesman Bogdan Ciuca said Sunday, mentioning those interested have until Monday night to apply.

Steaua Bucharest To Attend 3 Training Tournaments Ahead Of New Season

FC Steaua Bucharest players will attend three training tournaments ahead of the next season, in Spain, Cyprus and Turkey, the club reported on its website Sunday.

Romanian Man Confesses To Murdering Two Compatriots In Rome-Paper

A Romanian man confessed to murdering two compatriots in a hotel in Rome, officials close to the matter said on Saturday, cited by Italian media.