Eugen Tomiuc is a senior correspondent for RFE/RL.
The top education official in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Sarajevo Canton is driven out of the country by fierce criticism from Muslim clerics and threats against his life over a decision to exclude elective religion classes from students' final grade averages.
Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs.
An attack last month on a Ukrainian barge on the Romanian sector of the Danube River has caused a diplomatic tussle between Bucharest and Kyiv, sparking media reports of possible acts of piracy on Europe's second-largest river. But do “Danube pirates” actually exist?
U.S. President Barack Obama made a rare admission on January 30 when he acknowledged that the United States’ has used unmanned aircraft -- known as "drones" -- to attack high-value terrorist targets on Pakistan’s territory. Now that President Obama had confirmed such attacks take place, RFE/RL presents this quick explainer to cast some more light on these mysterious planes.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says negotiations to resolve the frozen conflict in Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region could resume soon. The Kremlin leader also raised eyebrows by suggesting that Romania, which Moscow had previously tried to freeze out of negotiations, also has a role to play in the process. Are efforts to resolve one of Europe's most intractable conflicts about to get a fresh life?
“I can’t stand this anymore,” she said. I looked around, at the bleak platform, at the mass of gray, drab-looking people, at the old train pulling into the station with a long screech. It was freezing cold, and the somber atmosphere just made everything feel even colder.
Romania’s President Traian Basescu has won reelection by a very narrow margin -- less than 1 percentage point -- in a fiercely contested second round against leftist opponent Mircea Geoana. Geoana has not conceded defeat, however. The Social Democrats said a large number of annulled ballots and evidence of multiple voting may force them to contest the results.
RFE/RL interviews the abdicated king of Romania, King Michael, about his involvement in World War II, the future of Romania, and the problem with Moldova.
Even as Moldova's president has called for a full recount of the disputed parliamentary elections that sparked bloody riots, an expected demonstration in Chisinau has failed to materialize after warnings that security forces would use all means to prevent a repeat of the violence and destruction of April 7.
The street protests in the Moldovan capital that briefly gave way to vandalism and dramatic violence have subsided as signs emerged that authorities and the opposition are taking steps to reduce the political tensions behind the confrontation. But a diplomatic row with Romania and unconfirmed reports that security forces were arresting and dealing harshly with suspected protesters suggested all is not forgotten.
Peaceful protests return less than 24 hours after demonstrations gave way to bloody clashes and the ransacking of government offices. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Voronin has accused "certain forces" in Romania of masterminding the violence and has refused entry to noncitizens.
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin's Communist Party has won a third consecutive term in parliamentary elections. The Communists, who have been in power in Europe's poorest country since 2001, easily secured 50 percent of the vote and will control enough seats to elect a new president without the support of other parties.
A Kremlin-brokered meeting was only the second direct contact between Moldovan President Voronin and Transdniestrian leader Smirnov in almost eight years. Moscow scored what looks like a foreign policy success by bringing together the Moldovan and Transdniestrian leaders and extracting pledges to conduct more consistent bilateral negotiations.
With the last RFE/RL Romanian broadcast, silence will fall for good on one of radio's most distinguished voices. RFE/RL's Eugen Tomiuc pays tribute to the radio that for 60 years of existence carried information into Romanian homes, and hope to Romanian souls.
The recent announcement that RFE/RL's Romanian Service would be shut down after nearly 60 years on the air has prompted a media debate in the country.
A human pyramid scheme threatens to extend the reach of traffickers. Criminals use enslaved sex workers to recruit new victims and keep themselves off the radar screen.
In an exclusive interview, President Vladimir Voronin says international mediators have produced a plan for resolving the 15-year-old conflict with the breakaway region of Transdniester. He also sounded off on troubled ties with Romania and Moldova's bid to build a future between East and West.
Romania’s President Traian Basescu faces an impeachment referendum on May 19 following his suspension by parliament on charges of power abuse.
April 19, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Romania's parliament has suspended President Traian Basescu on charges of unconstitutional conduct.
Over recent months, hundreds of thousands of Moldovans have applied for Romanian passports. But the EU hasn't seen any dramatic influx.
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