Romania imported 24 percent more natural gas during the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year, while the local natural gas production was 3 percent lower during this interval, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.

Romania’s upcoming agreement with the International Monetary Fund will “certainly” be lower than its current EUR 13 billion deal, IMF mission head Jeffrey Franks said Wednesday, adding that the financing program will most likely be a precautionary one.

Several Romanian artists have started to become famous abroad, some even more famous internationally than in their home country. They have started to work with international producers, deliver European tours and rank high in European charts, while shooting their videos abroad. Romania-insider.com looks at some of the names that got international fame.

The proposal to cut the income tax from 16 to 10 percent has passed the budget commission in the Senate. The proposal to diminish the flat tax was submitted to the Senate in June this year by a group of senators from the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), among which current Economy Minister Ion Ariton.

US real estate investor Rockefeller Group International has bought the 75 percent stake in Europa Capital, an investment fund manager which has properties in Romania. The company manages Europa Emerging Europe Fund, which focuses on Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Croatia and Serbia. The fund has properties in Bucharest, Timisoara and Cluj Napoca.

Romania and Bulgaria were taken out of Skype's Unlimited Europe services package from October, according to Bulgarian agency Novinite. The package allowed users make unlimited phone calls to 24 countries in Europe for 4,99 British pounds a month and used to be available for Romania and Bulgaria too.

Romania's electricity consumption was 4.3 percent higher in the first eight months of the year than during the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. The population used 3.1 percent more electricity, while the public lightning use dropped by 3 percent.

Romania's unemployment rate fell to 6.8 percent in the second quarter, from 8.1 percent a quarter earlier, the National Statistics Institute said Tuesday. However, the jobless rate was higher compared with a rate of 6.3 percent in the second quarter of 2009, the statistics data showed.

The organizers of TEDx Bucharest have opened the applications sessions for the upcoming TEDx Bucharest event on October 15. The event will take place at the Crystal Palace Ballrooms in Bucharest, where 13 speakers from across four countries will create 'a brain spa of ideas', finding a common ground innovation between arts, culture, social entrepreneurship, technology, entertainment and design.

State-owned metro company Metrorex will choose the consultant for the airport metro line next year in spring. The consultant will decide whether the metro line connecting downtown Bucharest to the Otopeni airport will start from 1 Mai or Piata Victoriei existing metro stations.

Romania imported 24 percent more natural gas during the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year, while the local natural gas production was 3 percent lower during this interval, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.

Romania’s upcoming agreement with the International Monetary Fund will “certainly” be lower than its current EUR 13 billion deal, IMF mission head Jeffrey Franks said Wednesday, adding that the financing program will most likely be a precautionary one.

Several Romanian artists have started to become famous abroad, some even more famous internationally than in their home country. They have started to work with international producers, deliver European tours and rank high in European charts, while shooting their videos abroad. Romania-insider.com looks at some of the names that got international fame.

The proposal to cut the income tax from 16 to 10 percent has passed the budget commission in the Senate. The proposal to diminish the flat tax was submitted to the Senate in June this year by a group of senators from the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), among which current Economy Minister Ion Ariton.

US real estate investor Rockefeller Group International has bought the 75 percent stake in Europa Capital, an investment fund manager which has properties in Romania. The company manages Europa Emerging Europe Fund, which focuses on Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Croatia and Serbia. The fund has properties in Bucharest, Timisoara and Cluj Napoca.

Romania and Bulgaria were taken out of Skype's Unlimited Europe services package from October, according to Bulgarian agency Novinite. The package allowed users make unlimited phone calls to 24 countries in Europe for 4,99 British pounds a month and used to be available for Romania and Bulgaria too.

Romania's electricity consumption was 4.3 percent higher in the first eight months of the year than during the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. The population used 3.1 percent more electricity, while the public lightning use dropped by 3 percent.

Romania's unemployment rate fell to 6.8 percent in the second quarter, from 8.1 percent a quarter earlier, the National Statistics Institute said Tuesday. However, the jobless rate was higher compared with a rate of 6.3 percent in the second quarter of 2009, the statistics data showed.

The organizers of TEDx Bucharest have opened the applications sessions for the upcoming TEDx Bucharest event on October 15. The event will take place at the Crystal Palace Ballrooms in Bucharest, where 13 speakers from across four countries will create 'a brain spa of ideas', finding a common ground innovation between arts, culture, social entrepreneurship, technology, entertainment and design.

State-owned metro company Metrorex will choose the consultant for the airport metro line next year in spring. The consultant will decide whether the metro line connecting downtown Bucharest to the Otopeni airport will start from 1 Mai or Piata Victoriei existing metro stations.