English

Eighth Suspect Arrested In Romanian High Profile Kidnapping Case

An eighth person involved in the case where Romanian businessman Gigi Becali is charged with kidnapping, was arrested and will be brought to the Bucharest District 1 Court to be heard.

Romanian Football Financer Penescu Arrested Over Flash Stick Marked “Kickback”

Investigators found, following a search in the office of corruption case defendant Cornel Penescu, an USB stick marked "kickback C. G.", which would point to a crime of soliciting and offering bribe in September 2007, according to the explanation issued by the Arges Court in Penescu’s arrest.

EP Members State Solidarity With Romania In Moldovan Crisis

The members of the European Parliament expressed solidarity with Romania regarding the crisis in Moldova, and requested that calm be restored in the Republic of Moldova, according to a press release issued by the EP.

The Liberal Govt Spent All The Money, Left Us Penniless – Romanian PM

The liberals have spent EUR4 billion in the last quarter of governing, money that could have covered the budget deficit in 2009 without loans from the European Commission, and have depleted the funds obtained from the sale of BCR, but they are still the ones to comment, said prime minister Emil Boc.

Romanian Competition Watchdog OKs Bere Azuga Takeover By Ursus

Romanian Competition Authority authorized the takeover of local brewer Bere Azuga (BEGY.RO) by Ursus Breweries, part of international group SABMiller, Ursus stated Thursday.

Romania Govt Calls For Annulment Of ‘Spiteful’ MPs Pension Law

The Romanian government wants to have the Law allowing MPs to collect special pensions annulled, considering the act spiteful toward the population in times of crisis, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday.

Romanian Foreign Min Talks About Moldova Situation In EP

Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu told the Foreign Commission of the European Parliament that the Moldovan “authorities have crossed the line”, by restricting the right to free circulation and expelling Romanian journalists, referring to the riots last week.

Romania Posted 3rd Highest March Annual Infl In EU – Eurostat

Romania reported in March the third highest annual inflation in the EU, with an annual rate of 6.7%, more than five times higher than the EU average of 1.3%, according to second estimates from Eurostat, EU's Statistical Office.

Moldovan President Blasts Romanian President’s Comments On Riots

Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin called statements made by Romanian President Traian Basescu, with respect to recent anti-communist riots in Moldovan capital of Chisinau, "extremely biased and untimely," RIA Novosti reported on its website.

Romania’s Govt To Discuss Unitary Pay Sys Principles, Not Wage Hikes – PM

Romania’s Government will discuss next week the principles of Law on the single and unitary wage system in the public sector, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday, specifying that the authorities have no clear intention to hike the minimum wage per economy as of July.

Romania Simplifies Citizenship Proceedings

Romanian government decided to simplify proceedings for acquiring and reacquiring Romanian citizenship, due to the high number of ongoing applications, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday.

Romania’s ’09 Wine Production Seen Up 13% On Yr

Romania’s wine production might total 6 million hectoliters in 2009, up 13% compared with 5.3 million hectoliters a year before, according to the ONIV industry association of wine makers that also sees a 10-12% growth of the wine exports.

Euronews Mulls Broadcasting In Romanian

European news network Euronews is thinking about broadcasting in Romanian as well, Euronews CEO Philippe Cayla told a press conference Wednesday.

Boycotting National Exams Not A Solution For Romanian Education Sys – Minister

Romanian education minister Ecaterina Andronescu said Wednesday that boycotting national exams is not a solution for the Romanian education sector.

Romanian Employers: 40,000 Small Cos Sharply Affected By Lump-Sum Tax

Romanian Employers' Organization disagrees with the government's decision to introduce the lump-sum tax, saying that it will sharply affect 40,000 small companies that will be forced to close down or find ways to declare lower revenues.

Romanian Central Commission Of Referees Chief Resigns Amid Corruption Scandal

Romanian chief football referee Gheorghe Constantin, in custody for 29 days over corruption charges, faxed in his resignation Wednesday, the general manager of the Central Commission of Referees, Dan Petrescu, told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Deputies Adopt Decree Hiking Clergy Wages

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted Wednesday with 201 pros, one con and one abstention, the government decree hiking the wages of the clergy, to 65% of teachers’ base salary and to 75% for priests serving in churches with scarce funding.

Romanian Interior Min Secret Service Division Has New Chief

The Romanian Interior Ministry stated that, as of Wednesday, chief inspector Aurel Smochina has been appointed department head with the General Office for Intelligence and Internal Protection (DGIPI), and chief inspector Mihai Calinescu has been appointed head of the Bucharest Police Department.

AC/DC Date In Bucharest Falsely Advertised – Official Band Website

Promoters in Bucharest, Romania have been falsely advertising AC/DC as the headliner for their two-day Bucharest Rock Arena festival happening on May 30 and 31, 2009, band officials said on the Aussie rockers’ official website.

New Request To Release Steaua Owner From Custody To Be Tried April 21

A Bucharest court will try on April 21 a new request to release Steaua football club owner Gigi Becali on probation, after judges ruled Wednesday that he is to remain in custody awaiting trial on kidnapping charges.

Referendum Among Romanian Teachers Shows 80% Want National Exams Boycotted, 60% Want Strike

Partial results of a referendum among teachers represented by the Romanian Federation of Free Unions in Education regarding protest actions indicate that about 80% of unionists want to boycott national exams and 60% support a general strike.

Three Dead, Eleven Seriously Injured In Road Accident N Romania

Three people died and other eleven were seriously injured Tuesday night in an accident involving a dumb truck and a commuter minibus in Bistrita-Nasaud, northern Romania.

AC/DC Concert In Romania Cancelled, Bucharest Rock Arena Festival Delayed

Australian band AC/DC will no longer perform in Romania on May 31, part of the Bucharest Rock Arena festival, which was delayed due to organizational problems, representatives of One Event agency, which was supposed to promote Romanian artists in the festival, told MEDIAFAX.

Basescu Used The Parliament For Electoral Purposes – Social Democrat Head

Romanian social democrat leader Mircea Geoana said Tuesday that president Traian Basescu addressed the Parliament with a message regarding the situation in Moldova, to use the Legislative in electoral logics.

Steaua Owner Remanded Into Custody

A Bucharest court on Tuesday ruled to remand Steaua football club owner Gigi Becali into custody awaiting trial on kidnapping charges.

Romania To Launch Online Tax Payment After Easter – Fiscal Auth

Romanian taxpayers will be able to file their income statements online shortly after the Easter Holidays, the country’s fiscal authority ANAF said in a release Tuesday.

Romania Seeks Court Action Against Parties Responsible For Moldovan Violence – Pres

Romanian President Traian Baseascu said in parliament on Tuesday that Romania will take all necessary steps to bring to court the people responsible for the recent violence in Moldova’s capital Chisinau, saying that using weapons against citizens is a crime.

Romanian President: We Must Not Abandon Those Who Speak Our Language

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Tuesday, in his address to Parliament, that we must not abandon those who speak our own language, stressing Romania has no intention whatsoever to lay claim to past territories or contest the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova.

Romanian Fin Min: Govt Negotiated With IMF To Keep Flat Tax, VAT Unchanged

The measures negotiated by the Romanian Government with the International Monetary Fund allowed the keeping of the main taxes at their current level, Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea said Tuesday.

Restructuring At Railroad Cos To Cause Social Disturbance – Transport Min

The staff in state-owned railroad companies is oversized and receives high pay, which is why in the next two-three weeks there will be some changes that will cause social disturbance, Romanian transport and infrastructure minister Radu Berceanu said Tuesday.

Romanian Stock Mkt Regulator Bans SSIF Broker Heads From Operating Capital Mkt For Up To 5-Yrs

Romania's Securities Commission CNVM suspended for two weeks the operations of brokerage company SSIF Broker Cluj-Napoca (BRK.RO) and banned its general manager Petru Prunea, and deputy general manager Adrian Ceuca from operating on the capital market for a five and three years, respectively.

Romanian Liberals To Call For No-confidence Vote Over Budget Revision

The president of Romania’s opposition Liberal Party, Crin Antonescu, said Tuesday that liberals decided in the execute council meeting to call for a no-confidence vote in Parliament against the government over the budget revision it operated over the weekend.

Bucharest’s Old Apartment Prices Down An Average 15% M-M In March- Colliers

Prices of old apartments in Romania’s capital city Bucharest lowered an average 15% on the month in March, while prices of new apartments remained unchanged, according to a survey conducted by real estate consultancy firm Colliers International.

Romania’s Unitary Pay Law Ready By Oct 1 – Fin Min

The Romanian government pledged at negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to complete the legislation on the single and unitary salary by October 1, while the law on public pension system is due for completion by yearend, Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea said Tuesday.

Romania’s 1Q Budget Deficit At 1.56% Of GDP – Fin Min

Romanian consolidated budget posted after the first three months of the year a deficit of 8.29 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.1263), or 1.56% of the gross domestic product, Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea told a news conference Tuesday.

Romanian Fin Min Sees Curr Acct Gap Shrinking To 7.5% Of GDP

Romania's revised budget sees the current account deficit shrinking to 7.5% of the gross domestic product at the end of 2009, from more than 12% of the GDP in 2008, Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea said Tuesday.

Romanian Jan-Feb FDI At EUR1.37B, Up 38% On Yr

Foreign direct investments, or FDI, in Romania rose 38% on the year to EUR1.37 billion in the first two months of 2009, the central bank said Tuesday.

Hungary Shoots Documentary On The Killing Of Romanian Handball Player Marian Cozma

A documentary about the murder of Romanian handball player Marian Cozma is being shot in Hungary and will be screened at the end of April in Budapest, Hungary, The Budapest Times reported.

Romanian Govt Decides To Recall Five Consuls

The Romanian government approved a decision recalling Romania’s consul in Turin, Italy, Iulia Buje, who said in February that Italian interior minister Roberto Maroni called the consular offices several times in 1998-2000 to intervene in favor of Romanians working illegally.

Romanian Arges Football Club Owner Arrested On Bribery Charges

The Arges Court, southern Romania, ruled Tuesday to place Arges football club owner Cornel Penescu under arrest for 29 days, alongside Gheorghe Constantin, head of the Central Commission of Referees, and other two officials in Arges, on bribery charges involving several football matches.