Romanian government fails; opposition premier suggested

October 7th, 2009 Thousands of Romanian workers protest low wagesBUCHAREST, Romania — Thousands of Romanian workers from all over the country protested low wages in the capital on Wednesday, rallying outside government headquarters to demanded leaders do something to increase their pay. Trade unions said up to 20,000 workers were expected to take part in the three-hour rally, and traffic was diverted in Bucharest.

September 16th, 2009 BEIRUT - Saad Hariri Wednesday accepted re-nomination for the post of Lebanese prime minister after getting backing from 71 MPs of his majority party and two from the opposition Armenian Tashnag party. His nomination for the second time since the June parliamentary elections was sure to restart the debate between opposition groups and the majority over the planned makeup of the cabinet.

September 15th, 2009 BEIRUT - Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition Tuesday refrained from renaming the head of the ruling majority, Saad Hariri, as prime minister on the first day of parliamentary consultations. The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Christian leader Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and also Hezbollah all said they had "reservations on renaming Hariri to become prime minister".

September 11th, 2009 Italian lawmaker moves to block Romanian filmBUCHAREST, Romania — A movie about a Romanian immigrant who dreams of finding a better life in Italy has caused an uproar even before it hits the screens. "Francesca" may not even reach Italian movie theaters, because lawmaker Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of dictator Benito Mussolini, has filed a legal motion to ban the film, in which she is called "a whore" in one scene.

September 7th, 2009 Taiwan president names new premierTAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan's president has named Wu Den-yih, the ruling party's secretary general, as premier after the incumbent resigned amid mounting criticism of the government's slow response to a devastating typhoon. He succeeds Liu Chao-shiuan who resigned Monday as part of a Cabinet reshuffle.

July 23rd, 2009 Romanian president wants legislator prosecutedBUCHAREST, Romania — President Traian Basescu urged a Romanian legislator on Thursday to surrender his parliamentary immunity so he can be prosecuted on corruption charges. The European Commission said Wednesday that Romania is not doing enough to fix its flawed justice system.

July 18th, 2009 Hijacked German cargo ship released off SomaliaBERLIN — Somali pirates have released a German-owned cargo ship that they captured in the Gulf of Aden in May, the German foreign ministry said Saturday. A ministry spokesman said the MV Victoria and its 11 Romanian crewmembers were released Saturday morning.

June 27th, 2009 LONDON - The Indian Community Centre in the city of Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, came under alleged racist attack at around the same time as attacks on Romanian gypsies, reports said. The BBC said the centre's priest and his family are now planning to move out after the June 15 attacks, which they believe was racially motivated.

May 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Alina Percea, the 18-year-old Romanian girl who auctioned off her virginity for 8,800 pounds, could lose half the money in tax, with the act classed as "tantamount to prostitution". Alina, who is a student in Germany, was paid in cash for a weekend of sex with the Italian businessman after she auctioned her virginity online.

May 8th, 2009 Father, daughter among those kidnapped by piratesCONSTANTA, Romania — The wife and mother of two Romanian sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates has made an emotional plea for their safety. Elena Sarchizian told Associated Press Television News that she would give "my heart and soul" to have her husband and daughter safely returned.

May 8th, 2009 Diplomat: Somali pirates seize small Dutch shipNAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates seized a small Dutch ship Thursday in the Gulf of Aden, the latest hijacking in one of the world's busiest and most dangerous waterways, a Western diplomat said. There were no immediate details on the number of crew or their nationalities.

May 6th, 2009 Somali pirates seize German-owned shipNAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates have seized a German-owned ship with its 11 Romanian crew members in the Gulf of Aden, a U.S. Navy spokesman said Wednesday.

April 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Left parties will not prop up a Congress-led government, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat reiterated Wednesday. Though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two days ago hinted at tying up with them after polls, Karat said the Left parties would prefer to sit in opposition in case the Third Front fails to form the government.

March 19th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who signed a Norwegian-backed peace deal with Tamil Tiger rebels as the country's prime minister in 2002, is under pressure from his own party to step down, media reports said Wednesday. A section of lawmakers from the opposition United National Party (UNP) has urged Wickremesinghe to step down.

January 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Thursday threatened to field candidates for all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala unless the Congress agreed to ally with it by Feb 15. NCP Kerala leader K.