Romania News Archives

Meanwhile his people had to subsist on meagre rations of basics such as sugar, flour and cooking oil, and at times just one piece of meat per person a month 1989 Revisited - Part Five The first words I write in the notebook covering my journey through Romania are: garlic, holy water, silver cross and wooden stake.

Romania Bucharest Marian Chiriac The H1N1 virus under a microscope Romania's Health Ministry decided on Friday to bring forward the start of an inoculation programme against swine flu, after the virus spread more quickly than expected in schools in the eastern part of the country.

The Information Communication and Society journal will be co-organizing a 3-day symposium on 'Networking Democracy? New Media Innovations in Participatory Politics' at Babes-Bolyai University , Cluj, Romania, from the 25th through the 27th of June, 2010.

Adrian Severin, a prominent centre-left Romanian MEP, is preparingA to bid for the EU foreign policy jobA to be created by the Lisbon Treaty once it is ratified, EurActiv has learned from several sources in Brussels and Bucharest.

Romania Romanian Subway Workers on Strike Bucharest Marian Chiriac Bucharest subway scene, flickr.com, p@ul Around 700 employees of Romania's state-owned subway company, Metrorex, launched a strike on Thursday in protest at the government's unwillingness to raise their salaries.

No man is a prophet in his own country. As a keen churchgoer and Catholic convert, Tony Blair must be familiar with those words from the Bible a ' a proverb that applies closely to his own situation this week.

Parliamentary committees started hearings Wednesday on nominees to the new cabinet proposed by Prime Minister-designate Lucian Croitoru.

Tech. Sgt. Dexter High high-fives Romanian school children during their visit Oct.

Joe Biden praised Romania's accomplishments over the past 20 years, and said the new democracies of Eastern Europe can be an example to others struggling for freedom.

President Traian Basescu signed a decree Thursday regarding a referendum on making parliament unicameral and reducing the number of parliament members from 471 to 300.

How could you do it Mr. Tadic? 26 October 2009 Belgrade Insighta TMs food critic, Trencherman, offers his unique view on the Medvedev visit EBU: Kosovo's RTK is "Media Arm" of PM 26 October 2009 Lawrence Marzouk The European Broadcasting Union on Monday attacked Hashim Thaci, Kosovoa TMs prime minister, for turning public service broadcaster RTK, ...

BUCHAREST, Romania - An International Monetary Fund delegation heads for Romania on Wednesday to evaluate the country's economic performance, with President Traian Basescu saying the country will not be able to honor all the requirements of its bailout loan agreements.

This show is simply called a oeViata,a the Romanian word for life. It is the best word to describe the Romanian people and their culture.

BUCHAREST, Romania -- Prime Minister-designate Lucian Croitoru told reporters on Monday that he will ask the Social Democratic Party to suggest three candidates for interior minister, in hopes one of them is supported by parliament.

By refusing to confront its past, the Eastern European nation has left its future in doubt.

Representatives from 30 countries gathered for the IT exhibition in Romania. Also in science news: Kosovo's Health Ministry organises a breast cancer awareness march, and Belgrade hosts a congress of cardiologists.

Just Released: A New "Magic Code" that when added to any site you have causes your site to magically start making money.

Representatives of all three of Bosnia's main ethnic groups have essentially rejected the package of demands and incentives proposed by senior EU and US officials ahead of Tuesday's resumption of negotiations.

YOUNGSTERS are helping to bring festive cheer to poor Romanians by donating 90 shoeboxes full of goodies to a charity appeal.

Vice President Joe Biden praised the people of Romania on Thursday for realizing 'the promise of your revolution' and urged students to make their country a force for freedom.

On October 26 the trial of Radovan Karadzic, the wartime leader of the Bosnian Serbs, will start in The Hague.

Bucharest Marian Chiriac Bucharest The former chief of the Romanian Intelligence Service, SRI, Radu Timofte, died on Monday morning at the age of 60, following a prolonged battle with leukemia.

Vice President Joe Biden made significant strides during a trip to Central Europe this week in relieving anxieties the Obama administration stirred up last month when it scrapped a Bush-era plan for missile defense.

The presidential election campaign started Friday in Romania, a country struggling with a severe recession and reeling from political turmoil after its government collapsed last week.

Not only did we follow closely every step and act of the Russian President yesterday but we were obsessed with his arrival for days.

A U.S. army official in Romania says an American military base near the Black Sea port of Constanta will become a permanent facility in the spring and be jointly used with Romanian forces.

Bucharest Ruxandra Stanescu Romanian Press Here are the top stories in Romaniaa TMs main newspapers.

Authorities in County Cluj (central Transylvania) began issuing 'biometric passports', which store fingerprints among other personal data, in a bid to meet the new security requirements for entering USA...

BUCHAREST, Romania -- Anticorruption prosecutors pressed charges Wednesday against former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, of the Social Democratic Party , for allegedly taking bribes in the so-called Aunt Tamara case.

RANGERS today condemned the "disgusting" racial abuse of midfielder Maurice Edu following last night's Champions League defeat to Unirea Urziceni at Ibrox .

Biden's visit to Central European countries began in Poland and will be followed by stops in Romania and the Czech Republic.

Transylvanian team CFR Cluj arrived in the Czech Republic's capital for the forth match in Europa League's group K. They are hoping for a decissive victory against Sparta. The other Romanian team in Europa League, FC Timisoara, will try to score their first victory in group A at home against the leader Anderlecht Bruxelles...

Contemporary dance, opera music, and -- of course -- public reading is on the menu of Wolfgang Klein's new book launch event in Cluj city. The Spring of Happiness (Izvorul Fericii in Romanian and Quellen des Glücks in German) comprises a number of 28 short stories. Mr Klein's fourth book was published originally in German, and appears now in Romanian translation...

The Netherlands plan to open an honorary consulate in the Transylvanian city of Cluj. It would be the first one opened in Romania by the Kingdom. Daniel Timoce explains why the Dutch enjoy doing business in this part of Romania...

Romania's region of Transylvania, featured in The Chicago Tribune. 'Stoker's Dracula is not our story. I didn't grow up with this vampire prince tale and only found out about it when I was 18 and heard about it on Radio Free Europe...'

The biggest problem as far as the European fund absorption is concerned is communication, say EU funding specialists and journalists. Two and a half years after Romania's accession to the EU, the European fund absorption rate stood at 4.6% at the end of June, which means that out of the 30 billion euros the country should draw from 2007 through 2013, only 553 million euros have been paid to beneficiaries. Out of the 8,221 projects submitted for structural funds alone by the end of May, 37% were rejected, that is 3,113 projects, while 1,057 had already been approved for financing.

Designated PM Lucian Croitoru, backed by President Basescu and the democrat-liberals (PDL), meets total rejection from Romanian Parliament's 'new majority' led by social-democrat Mircea Geoana. The parties that have worked for the collapse, last week, of the Government, have issued on Wednesday, 21st October 2009, an official declaration by which they maintain their position, and endorse Klaus Johannis as new PM...

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden left Washington Tuesday on a four-day trip that will take him to Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic.

Despite the current economic crisis, Romanian executives are the most optimistic in Central and Eastern Europe when it comes to their business outlook...

Japanese visual artist Tarohei Nakagawa exhibits for the first time in Transylvania at the Art Museum from Cluj city (central Transylvania). For the first time in Romania, the director of the Art School Ginza (Tokyo), also a cousin of the Nippon Emperor, decided to show to the Transylvanian public his paintings inspired by the Japanese traditional calligraphy...

The public social protection institute of Cluj county (central Transylvania) won the Mederic Alzheimer Foundation's prize. Why? Because they came up with an innovative idea...

Madjid Bougherra has been ruled out of Rangers' Champions League game against Unirea Urziceni.

Pfc. Joseph A. Allen, 21, a cavalry scout for the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, picks up spent brass after an early morning exercise at the Babadag Training Area in eastern Romania.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has arrived in the Romanian capital of Bucharest.

Even his best friend betrayed him. Stelian Tanase found out when he asked to see the thick file that Romania's communist-era secret police had kept on him.

Romanian athlete Marian Dragulescu won on Saturday, 17th October 2009, the gold medal in floor exercise at the London' World Gymnastics Championship. Mr Dragulescu scored 5,700 points in the floor exercise during the Apparatus Finals on the 5th day of the 2009 competition at the O2 Arena...

Romanian president Traian Basescu saw his support fall five weeks before a November presidential election, an opinion poll showed, signalling some voters blamed him for a government crisis this month.

This blog contains assorted news and commentary on the fundraising profession and philanthropy gathered by the AFP Fundraising Resource Center.

President Traian Basescu threatens to dissolve the Romanian Parliament, if it rejects two PM proposals. According to the Constitution, such a decision cannot be taken during a period of 6 months before the presidential elections. Accordingly, Mr Basescu said that, if necessary, he could do it on 7th December, 2009, which is the first day after the second round of the voting process. That is, if he is reelected, of course...

Romanians struggle to reform their heath care system all since the fall of the communism. Although many steps have been taken on this path and large amounts of money have been spent, news on hospitals close to financial collapse doesn't surprise anyone anymore. Romania has adopted the English model for public health and medical system. That means that hospitals have to compete for patients in order to receive health insurance money, and GPs are paid according to the number of their patients...

Almost 10% of Romanian labor force is working abroad. Approximately 2.7 M people aged between 15 and 64 have left the country for better - paid jobs...

Traditional bread of Pecica might be the second Romanian traditional product to be protected in the European Union. It is made only in several bakeries from Pecia town, Arad county (western Transylvania). Bakers say they use an ancient recipe: the bread is baked only in wood fired brick ovens made by Gypsies. The flour is made in the area, while the yeast is homemade and preservatives free. Nevertheless, the bread's freshness lasts up to 10 days, according to producers...

Lucian Croitoru, Romania's former representative to the International Monetary Fund, has become the country's new PM.

His position as PM approaching to an end, Emil Boc announced that the Romanian Government may face problems in paying salaries in November and December 2009...

Awards don't stop coming for Peters Strickland's movie Katalin Varga. The Romanian – British – Hungarian co - production just won the best foreign movie prize at Calgary's International Film Festival...

The political crisis seems to never end in Romania: President Traian Basescu has designated Lucian Croitoru as Prime Minister, upsetting the opposition...

ROMANIA'S PRESIDENT and party leaders failed to resolve the country's political crisis yesterday, disagreeing on how to replace a government that was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

Rangers have donated tickets for an entire section of their stadium for the upcoming Champions League tie to the Army.

The International Monetary Fund is facing key political crunch points in its dealings across Eastern Europe even though it has done much to lose its previous reputation as an advocate of austerity.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Wednesday that he has asked the parties to continue discussions on nominating a new prime minister "until tomorrow around noon." Basescu said the parties must show "responsibility" and continue talks in order to find "the optimal solution." In the President's opinion, the economic consequences of the former Cabinet's removal are more important than the political crisis and that attempting to solve one without the prospect of a solution for the other is "a grave error."

Unemployment in Romania, Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia will boost within the next 2 or 3 months, and only after that will start decreasing, according to the Austrian financial group Erste. The bank analysts believe that in those countries recession has hit its peak in the 3rd trimester of 2009, later then in other European states from the region, such as the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Slovakia.

IMF expects Romania to fulfill the commitments assumed through the foreign funding agreement regardless of who makes up the Executive, the IMF representative Tonny Lybek stressed, the online edition of the daily Romania Libera reports. 'We have a programme with Romania, not with a certain government. We expect the state to fulfill its commitments regardless of the membership of the Executive,' said the regional IMF representative for Romania and Bulgaria, asked if he estimates that...

Manufacturer Takata Petri has moved production of steering wheels from its Polish plant to Arad (Western Transylvania). Takata Petri produces auto components mainly for Mercedes and Honda. The Polish plant in Walbrzych, with 571 employees, was thus closed, as part of a 'global operations restructuring programme', according to company representatives...

Madonna is donating one of her favorite pairs of Christian Dior shoes to a charity that supports education for Gypsy Romanian children.

After the demise, on Tuesday, 13th October 2009, of Emil Boc's cabinet, the most frequently mentioned name for a possible new prime minister is Klaus Johannis, now mayor of Sibiu city. Social-democrats (PSD) and liberals (PNL), the parties that have put forward the project of a no-confidence vote against Mr Boc's government, have now announced their support for a new 'government of technocrats' led by independent Klaus Johannis...

The city of Brasov hosts the 7th edition of a classical and religious music festival, which plans to promote local artists and rare music creations...

A Romanian citizen, aged 35, accused of theft, murderattempted murder and physical assault against a student in Prague, risks life sentence, MEDIAFAX said Tuesday. On March 24, Marius Daniel Rusu attacked a 29-year-old Czech woman with a knife trying to steal her purse, but only injured the victim, according to the case file...

With no help from the authorities most of the times, Romanian sportsmen fight to be part of international competitions. It is the case of 4 ski runners from Cluj city (central Transylvania), who struggled to get into La Parva Freeskiing Championships, in Chile. Diana Chis and Calin Petrus, both 17, have been trained by Lászlo Gebefugi and Vasile Cipcigan from Cluj's mountain rescue team and are now Romania's best juniors...

Cluj seems to be the perfect place for film festivals. A comedy festival takes place these days in the city, and an animation one will be organised between 23rd and 25th October, 2009 at Victoria cinema. Actually, Anim'est took place in capital Bucharest at the beginning of October 2009 when awards were given too, but some of the best productions will be presented in Cluj (central Transylvania) as well.

Timisoara's old gates are presented these days through photos at Venice, Italy. The exhibit takes place at Correr Palace until 14th October, 2009...

Romanian liberal leader and presidential hopeful Crin Antonescu said Tuesday, after a meeting with the head of state, that a government of technocrats led by an independent prime minister could continue activity after the presidential elections, 'as long as it gets the job done'...

Prime Minister Emil Boc's cabinet collapsed on Tuesday, 13th October 2009, after the Parliament voted in favour of a no-confidence vote...

Madonna is putting her shoes where her mouth is. The Queen of Pop has offered one of her favorite pairs of Christian Dior shoes to a charity supporting Gypsy child education.

Romania used to be one of Europe's sports powers during the communist years. Now, the performance achieved in this malfunctioning system is considered a miracle. The communist government created a structure of sports clubs, camps, and faculties to extend the area of selection of gifted children and youngsters and to have sportsmen able to compete with those of western countries. The expectations were great, and so was the pressure on the sportsmen. The most famous example is that of the gymnasts, who were simply taken away from their parents at small ages (even preschool ages) and kept in training centres for years. It is the story of Nadia Comaneci...

Weather forecasts announce a quick drop in temperatures and rainfalls from Tuesday 13th to Thursday 15th October, 2009, throughout most regions of Romania...

Little towers, pagodas, and imitations of fairytale castles are typical in many areas inhabited by Romania's Gypsy ethnics. Authorities in the small town of Pecica (County Arad) have decided to officially ban this type of architecture...

Get ready for Romania's largest flashmob ever. Rock music provided on the house...

International Monetary Fund (IMF) severely revised the prognosis related to the evolution of private sector lending in Romania in 2009. Based on the data provided by the latest IMF report, published last Thursday, as to the first appraisal of the standby agreement, from 16 per cent advance estimated in June, a nominal drop by 1.7 per cent is currently in place. The international financial institution indicates more optimistic values for the next two years, namely an advance of non governmental lending by 5.6 per cent in 2010 and a substantially higher growth in 2011, by 13.2 per cent. The report outlines that the funding provided to the private sector advanced by 54.5 per cent in 2006, 60.4 per cent in 2007 and by 33.7 per cent last year.

The city of Bucharest became the latest city to experience the excitement of Formula One over the weekend as the Renault F1 Team staged a spectacular series of shows on the streets of the city.

SABMiller, owners of Cluj's beer Ursus, have decided to get rid of the name of the city from this lager's main label...

Southeastern Europe's first research centre for testing biofuels mixed into regular fuels, is to be created in 2010 at Technical University of Cluj city...

Two weeks after the death of Nicolae Plesita, one of the leaders of Communist Romania's secret police, French daily Le Monde publishes a sinister account of his life. Enrolled in the Communist Party at age 18, young Plesita has quickly received a position in the ancient Securitate. His first mission: To get rid of the opponents of the new regime...

Romania's soccer team failed to qualify for 2010 World Cup finals after a dramatic defeat on Saturday, 10th October 2009, in Belgrade...

It was a red carpet reception befitting a major head of state and RomaniaA's official photographers were out in force as dictator Nicolae Ceausescu welcomed the visiting French president.

Windows 7, the latest version of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems for use on personal computers, will have an official launch in Transylvania...

The economic crisis has some good results too: it selects the competitors on every market...

France decided to honor Doina Cornea, famous Transylvanian opponent of the communist regime...

Two workers died on Thursday night (8th October, 2009) during works at Transylvania Highway in County Cluj...

Horia Culcescu, one of the biggest vegetables and fruit farmers on the Romanian market, says production will halve next year, and farmers' businesses will see a drastic decline amid a lack of state subsidies and of loans dedicated to farmers, which will no longer be available as of January 2010. Romania has had three years of transition after joining the European Union, during which time Romanian farmers benefited both from state subsidies, and from state incentives for taking out loans.

Byzantine painting inspires many contemporary artists today in Transylvania. Malina Mandru tells about her personal experience that made her approach the Orthodox tradition in painting. 'I grew up with these things around me, yet I was always a rebel, more sensitive to exotic spaces rather than my own culture,' Ms Mandru started when I asked her about her particular choice to approaching the Byzantine tradition. 'Yet, a very cold night of December, high in the mountains...

Romania's Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu said that Romania plans to join the eurozone in 2014-2015...

Romanian unions agree with a minimum wage of lei 705 (approximately euro 165) for 2010, but only if the collective labor contract is observed, namely the minimum wage reached lei 1,300 in 2014. Employers say they will analyze the matter and ask the Government for tax deductions.

The economic crisis isn't always that scary. Hungarian developer Atrium Centres plans to invest € 75 M for building a shopping mall in Arad city (western Transylvania)...

Romania's most important shoe retailer Leonardo is fighting the financial problems...

Cluj airport, one of the most important in Romania, is open again for internal and international flights.

Chanting "thieves! thieves!" participants in Wednesday's rally called on the government to resign.

Romania on Thursday unveiled a monument in memory of some 300,000 Jews and Gypsies killed during the Holocaust in the country, which at times denied that the extermination even happened.

This is a Sunday May 16, 2004 file picture of Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller.

PASSENGERS on a Qantas-affiliated flight are outraged after an Australian man died shortly after the air conditioning failed and temperatures soared above 35C.

Romania recorded the sixth-biggest quarterly economic decline in the European Union in the April-June period, according to revised data released today (Weds). Romania's second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 8.7 per cent year on year in the second quarter, compared to a 6.2 per cent decline in the first quarter, EU statistics agency Eurostat said, adding that average EU GDP had fallen by 4.9 per cent year on year.

An Air France Boeing 777 made an emergency landing at Romanian Airport Henri Coanda on Tuesday night after an 85 year-old passenger had died of a heart attack.

King Michael the first of Romania, 87, will receive today, 7th October, 2009, an academic distinction from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj city (central Transylvania).

Romania is better known for pickpockets and stray dogs than for first-rate concerts of Beethoven and Brahms, and it knows it has an image problem.

Hundreds of thousands of Romania's public sector workers entered a one-day general strike on October 5 protesting against IMF-mandated wage caps raising pressure on the government hit by a coalition split Thousands of Romanians were expected to protest against their low pay on October 7 2009 in front of the government building in Bucharest, ...

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Wednesday departed for tours to five European nations.

BUCHAREST, Romania -- As many as 800,000 civil servants are expected to join a general strike Monday to protest the planned downsizing of the public sector, as well as the so-called single wage bill, which will in effect freeze pay in the sector for an indefinite period.

Some 750,000 health, education, public administration and police employees have started a general strike in Romania on Monday.

BUCHAREST, Romania -- President Traian Basescu announced on Saturday that he will seek another term in the November 22nd election.

So, no gay pride this year in Serbia. But maybe next. Liberals are disappointed.

SAINT GEORGE INTERNATIONAL Founded in 1962 and accredited by the British Council and EAQUALS, SGI is looking to expand its international network of partners and affiliates.

The Hungarian minority organization from Romania will officially launch its candidate for the presidential elections, Kelemen Hunor...

Romania is the only EU country that has no screening program for children with autism, although an internationally approved test can be used by any family physician...

Cluj's Ethnographic Museum has opened the first permanent exhibition in Romania for blind and visually impaired people...

Cluj city has another film festival: The International Comedy Film Festival...

MANOWAR director Neil Johnson a ' who is responsible for overseeing all of the band's DVDs and music videos a ' has uploaded a five-minute video clip featuring backstage and behind-the-scenes footage from MANOWAR 's July 5, 2009 concert at B'Estfest in Bucharest, Romania.

Romania's coalition government has collapsed after the Social Democrat Party resigned, officials say.