Britain took the rare step of stripping former Royal Bank of Scotland chief Fred Goodwin of his knighthood, after intense criticism of his role in RBS’s near-collapse during the 2008 credit crisis, and amid public anger towards wealthy bankers.

Romanian police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters during an anti-government rally, the third consecutive day of demonstrations against austerity cuts and falling living standards.

ROMANIAN lawmakers have voted to make it legal to euthanise the thousands of stray dogs that roam the country’s streets, angering animal rights activists who have lobbied for months to stop the measure.

ONCE NATO gave military support to those Libyans who wished to depose Col Muammar Gaddafi, the tyrant who had run that country as a plaything for 42 years, his fate was sealed.

EVERYONE curses the taxman, but Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time yesterday were using cat excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the president and government.

Everyone curses the taxman, but Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time are planning to use cat excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the president and government today.

DNA tests confirmed Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was buried in a grave in Bucharest, lifting doubt over his burial place.

THE son of former Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu has sued a theatre for performing a play about his late parents, arguing he wants the “Ceausescu” trademark to be protected.

Forensic scientists exhumed the bodies of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena today at the request of the couple’s family.

HERTA MUELLER, a member of Romania’s ethnic German minority who was persecuted for her critical depictions of life behind the Iron Curtain, won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature yesterday in an award seen as a nod to the 20th anniversary of communism’s collapse.

Madonna was booed by thousands of fans when she spoke against discrimination of gypsies in Eastern Europe during a Romanian concert.

HE HAD a tight grip on all aspects of his nation’s life but Romanian diplomats were anxious that their president Nicolae Ceausescu would not be outdone by rival communist leader Marshall Tito during a 90-minute stopover in Shannon during April, 1978.

Romanian president Traian Basescu was to visit a warehouse today where millions of files of the former Communist secret police, the Securitate, were being held following their handover to a national archive.

When Harry Potter author JK Rowling saw a newspaper photo of a child in a caged bed in the Czech Republic almost two years ago, her initial instinct was to turn the page.

Best-selling author JK Rowling is to visit Romania where she will take part in a fundraising gala to help children in need in Romania and across Europe, organisers said Monday.

A Romanian court today denied a request by late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s daughter to have her parents’ remains exhumed to ensure that authorities were telling the truth about the burial site.

JUST like many other former League of Ireland players, Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon has a few recollections of being on the receiving end of a drubbing in European competition.

Exit polls show Romania’s ruling party leading in parliamentary elections, but forced into a runoff in the race for president.

Romanian MPs today approved a law virtually banning the adoption of orphans by foreigners.

George W Bush says the courage of Romanians who toppled Nicolae Ceausescu should inspire others to tackle aggressive dictators such as Saddam Hussein.

The BBC was today launching a new digital cultural and arts channel to replace BBC Knowledge.

Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci has ended an 11-year journey to freedom when she took the oath to become a United States citizen.

A member of the firing squad which executed Nicolae Ceausescu says pictures of the event were faked.

Romania's communists want the body of former communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu exhumed so that he can be given a decent burial.