Heating and hot water products company Ariston Thermo Romania hopes to reach EUR 33 million in turnover for 2010, almost double the turnover it posted last year, the company has announced.

CB Richard Ellis Romania intermediated office lease contracts of around EUR 26 million in the first half of the year, with the total leased area reaching 28,600 sqm.

Romanian Interior Minister Vasile Blaga has resigned following the Romanian President's request to replace the heads of the local Police and Gendarmery, according to local media. Blaga will hold a press conference at 11,00 hours today.

Romania’s national women’s handball team won the GF World Cup on Sunday, after defeating Norway 24-23 (12-12). This is the second year in a row when the Romanian team wins the world cup after defeating Norway in the final. Third place, decided in a match Sunday, went to the French team, which beat host nation Denmark 28-26 (17-15). Romania's women's handball team won the GF World Cup in 2009 as well, having also faced Norway in the final.

Romanian-born writer Herta Muller, winner of the Nobel Prize for Litterature in 2009, will be in Romania on Monday and Tuesday, September 27 and 28, where she was invited by the Humanitas Fiction publishing house and by the Goethe Institute.

The New York state Governor takes into account the opening of an investments office in Romania, similarly to the one the New York state had opened in Turkey. David A. Paterson, the New York state governor, told Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc, who was on a visit to the US, that he was considering opening a NY investments office in Romania.

Around 150,000 local volunteers cleaned Romania last Saturday, within the Let's Do It Romania local program. The volunteers collected 200,000 bags of garbage from out of town areas in Romania. Sponsorships for the project, some EUR 30,000 in total, covered the cost of bags, gloves for the volunteers, as well as the free transport of the garbage.

*Duster orders double. Romanians queue up to get the car – in Ziarul Financiar
*President accuses Police of undermining state authority – in Ziarul Financiar
*IMF approves another EUR 900 million but state pledge on debt remains uncovered – in Ziarul Financiar
*90% of the telecom market stays in the hands of five companies – in Ziarul Financiar
*Tarom tries to shake off the old brand label with EUR 500,000 – in Ziarul Financiar

Romanian President Traian Basescu has requested that Interior Ministry personnel be relieved of providing his security, as of last Friday, after ministry employees took part in an unauthorized march near the presidential palace, said the President’s spokesman, Valeriu Turcan.

Calendar of events for the period September 27-30 in Bucharest

Romania’s national women’s handball team beat France 23-21 (15-7) in the first semifinal of the GF World Cup, taking place in Aarhus, Denmark. Last year, the Romania team won the final, after beating Norway.

The International Monetary Fund Friday approved the disbursement of around EUR 900 million to Romania, following a new review of the country's performance under a EUR13 billion standby agreement.