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Romanian Children To Enjoy Smarty TV As Of Sunday

Smarty TV channel, operated on digital platform Boom TV, will be officially launched in Romania on Sunday during an event organized in Bucharest’s Tineretului Park, starting 10:00 local time.

Romanian Govt To Buy Laptops For Ninth Graders, High-School Teachers

Romanian ninth graders and high school teachers will receive laptops starting with school year 2008-2009, to be bought by schools with funds assigned by the Education Ministry.

Romania’s Prognosis Commission May Up ’08 GDP Growth Forecast To 7.5%

Romania’s Prognosis Commission, or CNP, might revise this year’s estimation for the gross domestic product growth to 7.5%, from 6.5%, CNP president Ion Ghizdeanu said on Thursday.

Romanian Fin Min Says ’09 Budget Def Around 2% Of GDP

Romania’s 2009 budget will be constructed on a deficit of nearly 2% of gross domestic product, Economy and Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian said Thursday.

Romanian Govt To Assign EUR200M For Transylvania Highway In Jun Budget Revision

The Romanian government will assign EUR200 million for works at the Transylvania Highway, linking central Brasov to western Bors, and the first 25 kilometers of the road are to be completed this year, transport minister Ludovic Orban said Thursday.

Romanian Nuclearelectrica Shrs Listing Impossible By Yearend-BVB Pres

Romanian power station operator Nuclearelectrica could not list its shares on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, or BVB, by yearend, as the company has not effectively started the listing process, BVB president Stere Farmache said Thursday.

Romania’s Econ Growth Seen Nearing 8% In 2Q – Fin Min

Romania’s economic growth is seen nearing 8% in the second quarter, compared with a gross domestic product growth of 8.2% in the first three months of the year, Economy and Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian said Thursday.

Romania Gets Yellow-Code Weather Warning For Rain, Thunderstorms

Romania’s national meteorological authority issued code yellow warnings Thursday to 36 counties and capital Bucharest, except the south-eastern region, forecasting heavy rains and thunderstorms for Thursday afternoon through Friday night.

British Indie Rockers Air Traffic To Play Romanian Stufstock Festival Aug 14

British indie rock band Air Traffic will play Romania Aug 14 at the Stufstock festival taking place on Aug 14-16 in Vama Veche, on the Romanian Black Sea coast.

Police Consider Arson In Evangelical Church Fire N Romania

County police in Bistrita-Nasaud, northern Romania Thursday said they did not rule out arson in case of the fire that ruined the 75-meter high steeple of the Evangelical Church in Bistrita city.

Romanian Education Faces Kindergarten Deficit

The number of Romanian children with ages between 3 and 7 and who could register in kindergartens in school year 2008/2009 is higher by 200,000 compared to the number of kindergarten vacancies on a national level, according to education minister Cristian Adomnitei.

Romanian Govt Pays RON31.656M To Buy Back 44 Schools, Kindergartens

Romania’s government approved total funds of 31.656 million lei (EUR1-RON3.6673) to buy back 44 schools and kindergartens that have been retroceded to their rightful owners, Education Minister Cristian Adomnitei said Wednesday.

Mobile Op Orange Romania To Cut Roaming Data Transfer Prices By Up To 80%

Mobile operator Orange Romania launches Monday two pricing systems that will lower the costs of roaming data transfers by up to 80% for subscribers traveling in the European Union, the operator said Wednesday.

Extra Tickets For Metallica Concert In Bucharest Sold In Under 15 Minutes

The 1,500 extra tickets for the Metallica concert to take place in Bucharest on Jul 23 were sold in less than 15 minutes, event organizers said.

Romanian Romgaz To Negotiate Gas Acquisition For Nabucco Pipeline

Romanian gas producer Romgaz Medias will negotiate gas acquisition from the Middle East for the Nabucco pipeline, after state-owned gas pipeline operator Transgaz transferred this right to it, while Romania risks being a transit market, and not a beneficiary of gas.

Romanian Econ Seen Up Over 6% In ’08 If Good Farming Output – Ctrl Bk Governor

Romania’s second-quarter economic growth is expected to be at around the same level as in the first three months and might exceed the initial 6% forecast at the end of the year, given a good farming output, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said on Wednesday.

Police Detains Two Suspects In Murder Of Underworld Head, E Romania

Police Tuesday evening arrested two suspects in the killing of Marian Ivan, known as one of the heads of the underworld in Romania’s eastern town of Galati, who died Sunday night after he was stabbed in the neck outside a local bar.

Romania’s Mediafax News Agency Expands Into Czech Republic

Romania's Mediafax news agency enters the Czech market Wednesday, where it is the only private news agency providing real time information on all fields of interest.

Romanian May CPI +0.49% On Mo, +8.46% On Yr, Meets Expectations

Romania's consumer price index picked up 0.49% on the month in May, on higher prices for food products and fuels, in line with analysts' expectations, the National Statistics Institute said Wednesday.

Romanian Govt Bans Zoo, Botanical Garden Land Exchanges

Romania’s executive on Tuesday decided to limit real estate speculation by forbidding land transfers in areas where green spaces, zoos, botanical gardens or dendrologic parks are located, the Environment Ministry said in a statement.

Italian Couple Kills Romanian Worker Over EUR1M Life Insurance Policy

An Italian couple in Verona killed a 28-year old Romanian worker in order to collect the life insurance policy worth EUR1 million.

Wirom Romania Calls For 25% Consumer Gas Price Hike In ’08

Romania should increase natural gas prices by 25% this year, as they are too low and bring losses to gas suppliers, but the authorities are not willing to take this step because this is an electoral year, Wirom Gas Romania said Tuesday.

EC To Advise Romania Wed To Avoid Excessive Budget Def – Sources

The European Commission will make Wednesday a recommendation to Romania to keep this year’s budget deficit below the Maastricht limit of 3% of gross domestic product, European sources told MEDIAFAX news agency.

Romanian Parliament May Annul Social Gas Fund

The Romanian Parliament may annul the social gas fund established earlier this year based on an agreement with Romania’s gas producer Romgaz Medias and the country’s largest vertically integrated oil company Petrom, aiming to provide financial support to 850,000 families for paying gas bills.

Bucharest Ranks 108 In World Quality of Living Chart – Mercer

Romanian capital Bucharest is ranked 108 among 215 cities worldwide with respect for living standards. The city is also ranked second last in the EU, in a world chart led by Zurich, Vienna and Geneva, according to data issued by consultancy company Mercer.

Romania May Import Gas Directly From Russia In 8 Yrs – Econ Ministry

Romania might import gas directly from Russian natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom (GSPBEX.RS) in about eight years, when the local gas production diminishes and the imported gas supply reaches 50% of the country’s consumption, a director in the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Tuesday.

Regional Wage Differences In Romania To Level On Investments

Wage increases for employees in Romania up to a level similar to that in capital city Bucharest are possible on the medium term if investments increase locally and if companies relocate staff to regional offices, human resources experts said.

Flood Damage In Romanian NW Cluj Rises To RON12M

Damages caused by floods mid-May in Romania’s northwestern county of Cluj amount to 12 million lei (EUR1=RON3.6658) and the prefect’s office is to request compensations from the government, prefect Calin Palton said Tuesday.

Romania’s Petrom Mulls Gas Storage Facilities Ahead Of Nabucco Construction

Romania’s dominant oil company Petrom (SNP.RO) is considering building a two billion cubic meters gas storage facility for the gas transported through Nabucco pipeline, Petrom’s CEO Mariana Gheorghe said Tuesday.

Romania, Most Optimistic About Hiring In 3Q- Survey

Romania is among the European countries where companies and institutions are most optimistic about hiring in the third quarter, while Spain, Italy, Ireland and the Czech Republic are the least optimistic in the region and globally, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

Romania’s Yawning Curr Acc Gap Raises Growth Sustainability Concerns – World Bank

Romania’s widening current account deficit raises concerns about the sustainability of the country’s economic growth, the World Bank said in a report Tuesday.

Additional 1,500 Tickets To Go On Sale For Metallica Bucharest Gig

Organizers of the Metallica concert in Bucharest and the band’s management decided to put up for sale an additional 1,500 tickets for the July 23 gig, to curb the black market sale of tickets.

Romanian Pensioners Might Be Compensated For Unused Train Tickets

Romania’s Labor Ministry might compensate pensioners for unused train tickets, according to a draft decision subject to public debate.

Romanian Revolutionary Descendants Protest In Front Of High Court

Members of the organization "Descendants of Martyr-Heroes of Timisoara” protest Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday chained in front of the High Court of Justice, after the court postponed the trial of the Revolution in Timisoara in December 1989.

Romania’s Ruling Liberals Open To Political Alliances After Legislative Elections

Romanian liberals are open to political alliances and plan to be part of the future government coalition to be created after general elections, liberal vice-president Teodor Melescanu told MEDIAFAX Monday.

Romanian Anticorruption Prosecutors Indict Ex Agriculture Ministers In Graft Case

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors indicted former agriculture ministers Traian Decebal Remes charged with favoring a firm to win a public procurement auction in exchange for a luxury car, food products and EUR15,000.

Romanians Euro 2008 Holiday 40% More Expensive In Austria Than At Home

Romanians’ stay in Austria for the European Football Championship will be 40% more expensive in terms of goods and services than in Romania, due to differences in the standard of living, Bank Austria said in a report Monday.

Transelectrica To Select Co For Romania, Serbia’s Electric Pwr Sys Connection

Romania’s state-owned power grid operator Transelectrica (TEL.RO) will select through bid in July the company in charge with drafting the papers on the interconnection of Romania and Serbia’s electric power systems.

Romanian President To Be In Zurich For Romania-France Match

Romanian President Traian Basescu will watch Romania’s match against France from the grandstand of the stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, the country’s first match in the European Football Championship.

Romania’s 4-Mo Trade Deficit Widens 14% On Yr To EUR6.9B

Romania trade deficit widened 14.3% in January-April period to EUR6.902 billion, from EUR6.035 in the year-earlier period, with exports continuing to grow at a faster pace than imports, the National Statistics Institute said Monday.