Romanian newspapers on Tuesday sanction the way authorities in Bucharest acted in the case of 11 European tourists, including a Romanian one, who were kidnapped in Egypt. Also in the papers today, preparations for general elections later this fall continue with the emergence of new star candidates and with governmental plans to lure voters. And US company Bechtel is accused of reinstating the Ottoman Empire on a Transylvanian highway, as one newspaper puts it.

Reports emerged on Monday that a Romanian woman, aged 33, along with 11 other European tourists have been kidnapped in Egypt. Adevarul reports that the woman, who was born in Iasi and now resides and works as a doctor in Germany, was traveling in Southern Egypt with her husband, also a German citizen. The paper provides details of the kidnapping according to various sources and describes the situation as "extreme tourism in Egypt: kidnap-inclusive trip".

The paper also notes that Romanian authorities were very late to react to the kidnapping reports and proved completely unprepared to manage the situation. It also notes that the incumbent president of Sudan - the country were the kidnapped tourists were allegedly taken to - is charged with genocide by an international court and Sudanese authorities have called Romanian President Basescu's support to annul the court's decision.

For its part, Cotidianul writes that the Egypt kidnapping was "sending the Romanian Foreign Ministry head into the sand" as the Ministry was only able to confirm the kidnapping on Monday evening. It also notes that the Italian Foreign Ministry had announced the kidnapping of Italian citizens on Monday at noon, while the German Ministry said the kidnapping took place on Friday.

Also today, Gandul reports that political parties have been putting out star candidates for Romania's first uninominal e