12 Romanian counties have already been covered with snow. It has been snowing for several hours during Friday, slowing down traffic in several areas in Moldova, Transylvania and in the mountains area. Prahova, Gorj, Vâlcea, Hunedoara, Arad, Alba, Bihor, Cluj, Braşov, Sibiu, Mureş and Harghita are the counties where it was snowing in the first day on Friday.

Romania's external debt has reached EUR 90 billion, out of which the Romanian state has to pay EUR 18.5 billion, the Romanian Central Bank (BNR)- other EUR 9 billion, while EUR 17 billion stem from the population, according to BNR data.

The Romanian Government plans to sell its 46 percent stake in telecom operator Romtelecom and Greek OTE, the main shareholder in the telecom company, has been invited to submit an offer for the remaining share package. Another option for the sale would be listing the state's share package on the stock exchange.

A documentary about American fighter pilots and bombers who raided Romanian targets in the Second World War will be aired on December 1 on TVR 1, Romania's national television channel. The documentary, called "Knights of the Sky: Air War Over Romania" is produced by Romanian-born Dan Dimancescu and directed by Nicholas Dimancescu, the founder of Kogainon Films, in partnership with National Geographic magazine Romania.

The French Film Festival will take place in Bucharest from December 10 to December 16 in three cinema halls in the capital city, according to the French Institute. 30 movies will be included in the festival, which will be opened by "Donnant, donnant", with Daniel Auteuil and Romanian actor Medeea Marinescu.

The Christmas lights decoration recently lit at Sun Plaza shopping center in Bucharest, with 449,658 light bulbs, entered the Guinness Book, establishing a record for the Christmas lights decoration with the biggest number of light bulbs. The previous record was of 150,000 light bulbs.

The unemployment rate in Romania was 6.9 percent in 2009, compared with 5.8 percent in 2008, while the number of unemployed during the same period reached 681,000 people, up from 576,000 people in 2008, according to the European Commission's annual report on employment in Europe.

Former cinema Favorit in Drumul Taberei neighborhood will be turned into a European Cultural Center and cultural mall by the Bucharest Sector 6 City Hall, which has recently taken over the building from Romania Film.

Former Romanian envoy to Singapore Silviu Ionescu will be released Thursday evening from prison, after the Court of Bucharest accepted his request for his arrest to be replaced with a ban on leaving the country. On November 17, a lower court rejected his request, ruling that Ionescu's arrest is legal and justified.

*15% increase in salaries for state employees will cost state EUR 1.4 billion – in Ziarul Financiar
*Atenor Group builds office building in Pipera with its own funds – in Ziarul Financiar
*The high prices of gold puts pressure on jewelry trade – in Ziarul Financiar
*Developers finalized 3,000 new apartments in Titan, the Bucharest neighbourhoods with the biggest investments in residential – in Ziarul Financiar

Movies in Bucharest this week-end: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Europolis, You Again, movies coming up the following weeks.

Romania's Finance Ministry on Thursday sold three-year foreign currency bonds worth EUR 1.3 billion, above the planned amount, at an average yield of 4.8 percent a year.