Dairy producer Danone Romania saw its sales increase by over 10 percent in Romania in the first half of the year, according to Ziarul Financiar, quoting information from the company. The company has a market share of 60 percent in Romania and posted a turnover of EUR 102 million last year. Last year, its net profit went down compared to a year before, reaching around EUR 6.4 million.

Romanian media, Finance Ministry raises EUR 1.2 billion from banks, 3 times more than planned – in Ziarul Financiar, Banca Transilvania, EUR 4 million profit in Q2 – in Ziarul Financiar, A new term for Property Fund listing: January 2011 – in Ziarul Financiar, Romtelecom launches its own sports TV channel – in Ziarul Financiar, Avon sells 45m euros' worth of cosmetics in rural areas – in Ziarul Financiar, Tarom flies high again after EUR 50 million losses of 2009: 30% growth in H1 – in Ziarul Financiar

La Belle Epoque is a very well established and authentic style Belgian beer cafe in Dorabanti, now in its 10th year. If you ask yourself what are the Belgians are famous for……….. after a short pause, you would have to say beer, chips, chocolate and Jean-Claude Van Damme. La Belle Epoque certainly does the beer and chips very well offering in the beer selection 10 different types and flavours.

Romania celebrates its National Anthem Day today – public ceremonies will be organized in the Tricolor square across the Cercul Militar building. Car traffic will be restricted in the area from 9,30 in the morning to 11,00 hours on the first lane on calea Victoriei, between Matei Millo street and Regina Maria boulevard and on Constantin Mille street, between Calea Victoriei and Ion Brezoianu street.

After 1989, Romania had to go through a long and at times painful transition towards democracy. The legacy of over 50 years of communism could not be eliminated so quickly. But in the 20 years that have gone by since the fall of communism, the country has managed to make some important steps ahead.

Another Romanian language lesson - this time, learn what to say in a restaurant

The Finance Ministry sold EUR 1.2 billion of state titles today, three times more than it was planning. The average yield a year for these certificates is of 4.9 percent a year. The demand for the state titles was even higher – of EUR 1.37 billion. The state titles have a one-year maturity.

An imitative arts studio will be organized withing an exhibition in the Orizont art gallery in Bucharest tomorrow. Those who will visit the gallery tomorrow will be able to see artists at work and event try to create themselves. Another similar studio for the public will be opened on August 12.

Local lender BRD has opened a EUR 50 million credit line from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which it intends to use to offer loans for small and medium enterprises.

Almost a quarter of Romanians pay they bills using automated payment machines, which is double the European average, found a study by Intella Information. However, most Romanians still prefer to receive the paper bills – only eight percent of those included in the study said they chose electronic bills.

Romania is one of the Eastern European markets which looks the most interesting, according to Mark Mobius, the emerging market guru with Templeton Asset Management, in a recent interview published by the Time magazine. But the country comes after Russia, Turkey and Poland.

After five years at the helm of the Athenee Palace Hilton five-star hotel in Bucharest, Friedrich Niemann has decided to change scenery. He will leave at the end of August to run another hotel in the Hilton chain in Berlin. Before embarking on the new journey, he has talked to Romania Insider about the five years in Romania and about the life of a hotel manager.