Bucharest  - Romania's central bank raised its key interest rate Thursday for the sixth time this year in a bid to fight inflation that is among the European Union's highest.

The quarter-point hike pushed the monetary policy rate to 10.25 per cent, keeping the cost of borrowing at a three-year high after consumer prices rose 8.6 per cent in June.

Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu's government, which faces November parliamentary elections, recently pushed through increases in retirement benefits and the minimum wage - moves that will increase inflationary pressure, local analysts said.

Curbing inflation is a key requirement for Romania to switch its currency to the euro, a goal the government has set for 2014.

Bucharest- Romania's secret police, and not the army, fired on demonstrators during the rev

Bucharest  - The Romanian authorities aided by colleagues from the US and several EU states have broken up a 17-person drug and cigarette smuggling gang, the Romanian border police said Monday.

Bucharest  - Romanian prosecutors Monday filed corruption charges against former Agriculture Minister Traian Decebal Remes.

Bucharest  - Romania's central bank Tuesday raised its key lending rate to 9.75 per cent from 9.5 per cent, seeking to fight inflation with the fifth consecutive hike since October.

Bucharest - Romanian anti-graft prosecutors Friday asked