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Romania’s Foreign Min Backed By Liberals, Govt

Liberal vice-president, senator Puiu Hasotti, said Monday foreign affairs minister Adrian Cioroianu still has the support of the Liberal Party, or PNL, and that of the government.

Romania’s Dorinel Munteanu To Quit National Team – Coach

Romania’s national football team coach Victor Piturca told a news conference Monday that FC Vaslui coach and player Dorinel Munteanu plans to leave the national team.

Sportswear Giant Puma Enters Romanian Mkt Directly

Puma group, one of the world’s largest sportswear producers, will open a unit in Romania by yearend.

Romanian Education Unions Trigger Protests Monday

Unions affiliated to the National Education Federation, or FEN, start protests Monday accusing the Education Ministry of indifference to the unions’ planned strike.

Romania Announces Squad For Euro ’08 Qualifiers

Romania coach Victor Piturca on Sunday named his squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Bulgaria away on November 17 and Albania, at home, on November 21, Romanian Football Federation, or FRF, said.

Moldovan President Says Romania Pulls Strings To Reclaim Its Eastern Neighbor

The president of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, resumed accusations directed at neighbor Romania in an interview for daily Evenimentul Zilei, saying Romania is Europe’s last empire.

Clashes Between Romanian Gendarmes, Fans At Dinamo-Rapid Ftbl Match

Bucharest Police gave fines and set criminal records for several football fans following clashes between gendarmes and fans of FC Dinamo Bucuresti and FC Rapid Bucuresti on Sunday evening, police spokesman Christian Ciocan said Monday.

France Speeds Up Expulsion Procedures For Rroma Minority

France has sped up collective expulsion procedures for Rroma people living in improvised barracks on the outskirts of Paris, in a move to finish the operations before the cold season, when the law forbids expulsions.

Romania’s Oct CPI +0.97% In Oct, +6.84% YY

Romania's consumer price index rose by 0.97% on the month in October, boosting the annual index to 6.84%, the National Institute for Statistics, or INS, said Monday.

Romania Is The Largest New Car Mkt In Central, Eastern Europe – Study

The number of new cars sold on the Romanian market hiked by 23.1% in the first nine months of the year, to 228,877 units, pushing Romania to the top position in the hierarchy of the largest auto markets in central and eastern Europe, according to a study compiled by the company Jato Dynamics.

Romanian Pres Says Oligarchs Block Information

Romanian president Traian Basescu complained, Sunday, in the northeastern city of Iasi, where he took part in a Liberal Democratic electoral gathering, that the oligarchs do not let him explain to Romanians why they should opt for the voting system he proposed in the November 25 referendum.

Romanian Woman Killed In Milan

A Romanian woman was found dead near an improvised cottage that caught fire near the Forlanini Boulevard in Milano, Northern Italy.

Blizzard Uproots Trees In Central Romania

A man in central Romania mountain resort Sinaia remained stranded in his home when a tree uprooted by the strong winds blocked the entrance and tore the phone lines.

Romania Will Not Lose Structural Funds

Romania will not lose the structural and cohesion funds allocated for 2007, worth EUR1.28 billion, if it fails to spend it in 2007, since the deadline for the use of these funds is 2010, said Stefan Ciobanu, director within the Romanian Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Romanian Girl Jumps From School Second Floor In Italy

A twelve year old Romanian girl jumped from the second floor of a school in Italian locality Azzano Decimo (Pordenone province in North-Eastern Italy), in an apparent suicide attempt.

Romanian Political Leader Says Econ Fin Min Is In Prosecution Crosshairs

The president of the Romanian National Initiative Party, or PIN, Cozmin Gusa, said in a press conference that the next “criminal minister” within the Tariceanu Cabinet would be the economy and finance minister, liberal Varujan Vosganian.

Bucharest Hosts Protest Against Discrimination

The march against discrimination and for the promotion of tolerance organized Satuday through the center of Romanian capital Bucharest ended without incidents, while the some 50 participants walked for two hours from Constitutiei Square to Alba Iulia Square and back.

Romanian Chamber Speaker Sends Fourth Letter To Pres

Romanian Chamber Speaker, liberal Bogdan Olteanu, sent a new letter to president Traian Basescu, asking him to cease delaying the promulgation of the law on the uninominal voting system, for which the Government assumed responsibility in Parliament.

Romanian Defense Minister Supports Iran Nuke Plan If Peaceful

Romanian defense minister Teodor Melescanu told MEDIAFAX that in his meeting with the Ambassador of Iran he stated his opinion that the right to nuclear energy in peaceful purposes needs to be acknowledged for every state, but he proposed the signing of a guarantee agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.

Syrian Investigated In Hayssam Case Allowed To Leave Romania

A Romanian court on Friday decided Syrian businessman Mustafa Tartoussi, investigated in connection with the escape of Omar Hayssam, is to be allowed to leave the country.

Romania To Have New Center-Left Alliance After EP Elections-Liberal Democrat

Romania’s social democrats, liberals and conservatives will join forces into a new coalition, the Center-Left Pole as of November 25, the date of the EP elections, executive president of the National Liberal Party, or PLD, Gheorghe Flutur said Friday.

Alessandra Mussolini Leaves ITS Group Because Of Romanian Far-Right Leader

MEP Alessandra Mussolini, member of Italian party The Social Alternative, announced her withdrawal from the Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty (ITS) group within the European Parliament, in response to the "offenses" brought to her family by Corneliu Vadim Tudor, leader of Romania’s far-right Greater Romania Party, ASGMedia reported.

Romanian Businessman Tender Eyes Acquisitions In Serbia

Oil Company Tender SA, owned by Romanian businessman Ovidiu Tender, mulls buying a plant manufacturing heavy transport equipment and a private telecom operator in Serbia.

Romania, Second In European Top Of Transition Countries

Romania ranks second in the European top of transition countries in terms of increase in the prices of dwellings, with an annual average rate of 40% during 2004-2006, way above the nearly 6% increase in gross domestic product per capita, according to a report of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or EBRD.

Romania Reports Over 3,500 Child Abuse Cases In First 9-Mo

Romania registered over 3,500 cases of child abuse in the first nine months of 2007, and in five cases, the abuse resulted in the death of the children, according to a report presented on Friday by the organization “Salvati Copiii” (Save the Children), based on data from the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police.

Romania’s Liberal-Democrats, Democrats To Merge After EP Elections – Liberal Official

The vice-president of Romania’s ruling Liberal Party, or PNL, Puiu Hasotti said Friday he is sure the democrats and liberal democrats will merge their parties into a new organization to be called People’s Union, after elections for the European Parliament.

EU Lawmakers To Debate Italy Outcast Law Monday

The European Parliament will debate Monday in plenary session the emergency Italian law which outcasts EU citizens posing a threat to public safety, adopted by the Italian executive shortly after a Romanian citizen allegedly murdered an Italian woman in Rome.

Romanian Murder Suspect Asks To Serve Sentence In Romania

Romanian citizen Nicolae Romulus Mailat, imprisoned in Regina Coeli Penitentiary, Italy, where he is investigated for murdering and robbing an Italian citizen told the Romanian consul in Rome he was treated well by the Italian authorities but that he wishes to serve his sentence in Romania.

Romanian Boxer Lucian Bute Brings Title Home

Romanian boxer Lucian Bute was very impressed about the way in which he was received this week at Parliament’s headquarters in Quebec, Canada. “It was touching to see 130 lawmakers all stranding up and applauding me. It was a once in a life time experience,” Bute said.

Romania Could Notify EU On Italian Deportation Law

Romania could notify the European Commission on the recently approved Italian law allowing prefects to deport EU citizens on grounds of public safety, Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said Thursday.

“I Don’t Have A Problem With The President, He Has A Problem With Me” – PM

Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu declined to make any comments Thursday, when President Traian Basescu gave him as an example arguing the discrimination council uses double standards, saying he has no problem with the president, although the latter has a problem with him.

Romania Informs EC On Progress In Agriculture Payments System

The Romanian Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday sent a report to the European Commission on the progresses in the country’s agricultural payments system, to avoid sanctions from Brussels.

Merck Recalls Vitamin D3 Drugs Due To Soy Oil Deficiency

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) on Thursday decided to recall the vitamins D3 for children "Fluor- Vigantoletten" and "Vigantoletten" distributed in Germany, Romania, Poland and Luxembourg, after data found minor problems with the soy oil used for the drugs.

Poll On Romanians Cultural Habits

A survey conducted by the Urban and Regional Sociology Center reads that 90% of Romanians never go to the cinema, opera, or theatre.

Court Rejects President’s Challenge On Discrimination Ruling

Romanian president Traian Basescu lost, Thursday, the trial against the National Council for the Fight Against Discrimination, or CNCD, since the Bucharest Court of Appeal rejected as unfounded the presidnet’s challenge to the warning rendered by CNCD when Basescu offended a tv reporter.

Russia’s Gazprom Mulls Buying Romania’s Romgaz

Russian giant Gazprom is considering buying the majority stake in Romania’s gas company Romgaz Medias when the company is put up for sale, Lowe Public Relations cited the Russian IT and Communication Ministry as saying.

Cos To Pay Taxes Online As Of Next Year

Companies will be able to pay some taxes online as of next year, and the fiscal agency ANAF is to implement the measure by June 30, 2008, agency president Daniel Chitoiu said Thursday.

Nuclearelectrica OKs All Bids For Negotiations At Cernavoda Nukes Construction

Romanian state-owned nuclear energy company Nuclearelectrica accepted for the negotiation stage all six bids made by companies interested in the construction of nuclear reactors 3 and 4 at Romania power station Cernavoda.

„Road Mafia” Barred Quality Road Construction So Far – Rompetrol CEO

Polymer bitumen should have been used already in road construction in Romania, but the use of the product was impeded by the “road mafia”, Romanian businessman Dinu Patriciu said Thursday.

Romanian Football, Not Good Enough For Intertoto, Let Along Champions League-Official

Dumitru Dragomir, the head of Romania’s Professional Football League, or LPF, on Thursday expressed his disappointment in the evolution of Romanian football, saying Romanian footballers are not skilled enough to play in the Intertoto Cup, let along the Champions League.