Romania

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Dracula's Castle Now Being Guarded by Bears

And tourists are being kept away

(Newser) - After 600 or so years, it's once again wise to give Dracula's castle a wide berth. The AP reports the historic Poenari Castle in Romania was closed to tourists late last month "for the safety of visitors." Apparently tourists climbing the nearly 1,500 steps to...

It's Known as Dracula's Castle, to Its Owner's Dismay

Dominic Habsburg aims to educate tourists about its true history

(Newser) - Just about everyone associates Bran Castle with Dracula—except its owner. For Archduke Dominic Habsburg, the Romanian fortress is the former home of his grandparents, Queen Marie and King Ferdinand I, who made it "a happy place of light and flowers." Today, however, few know anything about the...

You Can Spend Halloween in a Coffin at Dracula's Castle

Don't let the vampire bite

(Newser) - You could spend a night in Dracula’s Transylvanian castle—but sleep is no guarantee. Airbnb is offering two guests an overnight stay at Bran Castle in the mountains of Transylvania, fittingly, on Halloween night. The great grandnephew of Bram Stoker, who based his 19th-century novel on the very place,...

Russia: US Missile Defense Site in Romania a 'Direct Threat'

The US says defense site is meant to stifle threats from Iran, not Russia

(Newser) - A US missile defense site in Romania aimed at protecting Europe from ballistic missile threats went live Thursday, angering Russia, which opposes its presence in its former area of influence, the AP reports. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tried to reassure Russia as he spoke at a ceremony attended by...

'Shocking Downfall' for the Country That Gave Us Nadia

Romanian women's team fails to qualify for Rio

(Newser) - The Romanian women's gymnastics team has scored a medal in every Olympics since 1976, making it the longest Olympic medal streak in the sport—and one that has now been broken, reports NPR . The team failed to nab a spot at the Rio Olympics during a qualifying "test...

Snoop Dogg Accidentally Promotes Transylvanian Village

'Snoop Dogg checked into Bogata by mistake—but you don't have to'

(Newser) - A small village in northern Romania is reveling in the virtual attention caused by a spelling mistake by Snoop Dogg. Posting a selfie on Instagram, the rapper who has been on tour in Bogota, Colombia, told his fans he was in Bogata, in Transylvania. (It seems he accidentally checked in...

32 Nightclub Deaths Bring Down Romanian Government

Prime minister quits amid outrage

(Newser) - Romanians who took to the streets in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed 32 people didn't just vent their anger, they brought down the government. Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned Wednesday, as did the mayor of the district in Bucharest where the fire took place, reports the...

27 Die in Nightclub Inferno
 27 Die in Nightclub Inferno  
Oct 31, 2015 7:07 AM CDT

27 Die in Nightclub Inferno

Romania declares 3 days of national mourning

(Newser) - A heavy metal band's pyrotechnical show sparked a deadly fire Friday at a Bucharest nightclub, killing 27 people and injuring scores of the club's youthful patrons, officials and witnesses say. Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea initially said an explosion occurred at Colectiv club, located in a basement in a...

Teen Dead After Taking Selfie Atop Train

It was parked, but she apparently touched high-voltage wire

(Newser) - A teenager is dead after she was electrocuted while taking selfies atop a parked train in northeast Romania. Anna Ursu, 18, was hospitalized in the city of Iasi on Friday with severe burns after she apparently touched a high-voltage wire above the train. She died on Sunday. "Her whole...

In Romania, a Surprise Victor Vows 'Deep Change'

New president Klaus Iohannis upsets country's old guard

(Newser) - An ethnic German mayor who defeated the prime minister in a runoff to become president of Romania said today his victory signals stronger relations with the West and greater stability for Eastern Europe. Thousands of Romanians celebrated the surprise victory of Klaus Iohannis over Victor Ponta, which the mayor of...

Guy Who Hacked Bush Family, Celebs: 'What I Did Was Right'

'Guccifer' points to worldwide Illuminati conspiracy as justification

(Newser) - The hacker known as Guccifer, whose exploits brought the world such images as George W. Bush's self-portrait in the shower , doesn't regret his actions: "OK, I broke the law, but seven years in a maximum-security prison? I am not a murderer or a thief," he tells...

Historian Who Revealed Real Dracula Dies

Florescu linked legends to Vlad the Impaler

(Newser) - The historian who linked legends of Dracula to sadistic 15th-century Romanian ruler Vlad the Impaler has died at the age of 88. Romanian-born professor Radu Florescu, who fled his homeland on the Orient Express as World War II broke out, gained fame in the '70s with In Search of ...

For Sale: Dracula&#39;s Castle
 For Sale: Dracula's Castle 
May 12, 2014 4:00 AM CDT

For Sale: Dracula's Castle

Transylvanian property owner seeks bites

(Newser) - A one-of-its-kind property is available for buyers looking for a big stake in the Transylvanian property market: the castle that once housed the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. Bran Castle, long one of Romania's top tourist attractions, has been owned by everybody from Teutonic knights to Communist governments...

Couple May Have Buried $2.7M in Coins, Says FBI

Romanians built huge shelter in Washington state

(Newser) - A Romanian couple are being sent back to their homeland to be questioned over alleged tax evasion —and authorities suspect they are leaving $2.7 million in "buried treasure" behind in Washington state. The FBI arrested Radu and Diana Nemes in March and discovered they owned six properties...

Putin Signs Crimea Decree ... Romania Shudders?

Romania's president: Other Eastern-European countries are next

(Newser) - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree today recognizing Crimea as a "sovereign and independent country," hours after the strategic Black Sea peninsula declared it had broken from Ukraine and would merge with Russia following a weekend referendum. The moves triggered the toughest Western sanctions against Russia since...

European Corruption 'Breathtaking': EU Report

Romania and Bulgaria lead the pack of worst offenders

(Newser) - Think Europeans are unlikely to be corrupted by a bribe? Not according to a new EU report that calls European corruption "breathtaking" in scope and says it costs at least $120 billion a year, the BBC reports. The extent of corruption varies by country, but 75% of Europeans surveyed...

Cops: We Got Hacker Who Leaked Bush Paintings

Romania police say they've caught 'Guccifer'

(Newser) - It appears that the run of Guccifer, hacker of the rich and famous, has come to an end. Police in Romania say they arrested 40-year-old Marcel Lazar Lehel this morning at his home in Arad, reports Romania-Insider . Guccifer is probably best known in the US for hacking into the emails...

Transylvania Scientist: I've Made Artificial Blood

It's been successful in mouse transfusions

(Newser) - Synthetic blood that can perform all the tasks of the real thing may be far off. But in the meantime, scientists have been working, with varying degrees of success, on an artificial substance that can at least transport oxygen around the body in emergencies. Now, a scientist in Transylvania—where,...

eBay Scammers Made $3M in Fake Car Sales: FBI

Romanian ringleader now being sought

(Newser) - The FBI has a new wanted man—a 33-year-old Romanian accused of leading a ring of scammers who made $3 million selling non-existent vehicles on sites such as eBay and Cars.com, reports CNN . Nicolae Popescu allegedly found plenty of victims between 2011 and 2012. Authorities say he and his...

Art Thief Wants to Sue Museum: It Made Job Too Easy

Radu Dogaru says Dutch museum should share costs of theft due to negligence

(Newser) - We've surely all been there: You walk into a museum and think, "Wow, this place has so little security, it'd be a crime not to steal a painting!" The accused ringleader in a huge daytime heist of Picasso, Matisse, and Monet works from a Dutch museum...

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