Bad and sinister news from Russia compete with bad and sinister news from the Romanian seaside and the economy as a whole. The optimistic figures about poverty at the Finance Ministry are far from what anyone can see, except in case they are blindfold. Meanwhile, politicians run real-estate affairs in Manhattan and Washington, since prices for the land near Bucharest dropped 10%.
The best news for the beginning of the week is dedicated to environmentalists: free plastic bags will be banned in shops starting on January 1, 2009. All shops have to use bio-degradable bags or sell the plastic ones for 0.2 RON (1 euro = 3.6 RON), Cotidianul informs.
From the seaside, news isn't all that well: income for hotel owners decreased in August, as it also did the number of tourists. The main problems this year, besides the poor accommodation conditions, were related to gangs violence. "It became usual to see armed conflicts. The underworld gangs seeking justice through ninja swords are not something to surprise anyone", Romania Libera notes.
In the not-so-near but important news, Evenimentul Zilei reads that South Ossetia and Abkhazia prepare to become part of the Russian Federation. Russia is expected to install military bases on their territories. From the same newspaper, a new reason to worry: Russia may deliver anti-missile equipment for Iran, in case NATO continues its plan to integrate Georgia and Ukraine.
Back home, the price of land near Bucharest dropped 10% and the interest of investors moved from the luxurious North towards East and South, Gandul reads.
The energy field isn't doing great also: the European Commission seems to be against the construction of the 3rd and the 4th nuclear reactors at the Cernavoda plant, as long as the state holds 51% of the enterprise. The fact that the state-owned company Nucleare
