Romania’s potential new financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund will also include a loan accord with the European Commission, similar to the one signed in 2009, Romanian representative to the IMF, Mihai Tanasescu, said Thursday.

Movies in Bucharest cinema opening on October 22 and on screens until October 28; upcoming movies

Romania-insider.com has discovered two new Romanian bands you might want to check out. They are part of a new generation of young local artists who come up with songs and sounds of foreign inspiration– and yes, their songs are mostly in English (so far).

The Sensation dance event due for December 31st in Bucharest this year has been canceled due to issues related to the local promoter in Romania. “The local promoter in Romania is unable to meet the agreed financial and operational obligations. Therefore we are forced to withdraw Sensation Romania 2010/2011 from the event schedule,” according to an announcement on the Sensation website.

The European Commission has approved a EUR 124.3 million financing for the Arad – Timisoara highway from the EU's Cohesion Fund. The project includes a 44.5 km highway between Arad and Timisoara, out of which 12.25 km represent the Arad bypass. The highway segment is part of the 7th priority transport corridor which crosses Romania from Nadlac to Constanta.

Romanian authorities and representatives of the International Monetary Fund discussed Thursday about the privatization of Oltchim and Cuprumin, as well as stake sales in other state-owned energy companies, according to the Economy Ministry. The meeting included talks on company activity optimization, which would include stake sales, reorganization in view of privatization and the recapitalization of several companies, by drawing investment.

Two days after the VAT drop for basic products was mistakenly voted in the Romanian Parliament by the ruling party Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), including some of the ministers, the Government has asked the ministers to pay more attention to legislative initiatives. State secretaries will also be required to attend the parliamentary commission meetings where law projects related to their ministry will be debated, according to Mediafax newswire.

Two managers from the private business sector and a city mayor are on the national Liberal Party's list of possible alternative prime ministers, should the no-confidence motion pass the Parliament next week. Stere Farmache, president of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE- BVB), Mariana Gheorghe, executive general manager of oil and gas company Petrom (in picture) and Klaus Johannis, the Sibiu mayor are on PNL's list of candidates for the PM seat, according to Romanian media quoting sources within the Liberal Party.

The Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (in picture) will visit Bucharest to sign a

Automobile Dacia has launched a limited edition of its Sandero model, called Sandero Orange, which will be priced at EUR 9,200, slightly higher than the regular model. The special edition will feature 1,000 units and comes with several design and connectivity changes.

Romanians buy less than last year but several products stay at the top of the shopping list, such as water, medicine, sweets, coffee, according to Daedalus Group. Around 60 percent of Romanians have said they buy less this year than they did last year.

Prime Minister Emil Boc, who went to New York for four days during September to attend a United Nations meeting, was accompanied by a staff of 35 people and the cost of the trip reached EUR 470,000, according to Romanian media reports.