Waiting for Santa, Romanians could hardly care any less about news. After most of the budgetary employees - and there's lots of them - took an early vacation, the newspapers today struggle to find something happening out there.

Except for the first official indictment of a minister in the entire history of strategic privatizations and some new blunders of president Basescu, nothing much is happening.

Romanians in Italy have the same news for a month now: the season has opened for illegal workers. Over 2200 Romanians were taken in custody by the Italian Police, out of which 1000 were sent back home and 700 are still arrested, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

Back home, former Economy Minister, Codrut Seres, was officially charged with treason and espionage, an absolute first in the recent history of the Romanian Justice. Details in Romania Libera and all other major newspapers.

Writing about corruption or wars may prove to involve more risks than first evaluated. 2006 was the bloodiest year for journalists, with 94 reporters killed in conflict areas or civil wars, according to Romania Libera.

Writing anything at all is something to blame, since president Basescu accused yesterday the journalists as a whole for working for controversial media owners. Journalists took a stand against the rough generalizing and one may find their reactions in Adevarul.

The last piece of bad news is that concrete price has grown without any reason in Romania, given the boom in the construction business. The 15-20% price growth made the white cement from Turkey a viable choice instead of the locally produced one, Gandul reads.

But it's Christmas and people should deal more with the human aspects in their fellows, right?

Maybe that's why the Seres officials indictment is a piece of news just as popular as the one about PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who wants another child, this time a girls (he's already got two boys), but has problems convincing his lady (Gandul).

Another baby story is about Alina, the girl born in the first day of the Revolution, December 22, 1989. Surprisingly, she seems to know a lot about the life before 1989, as an interview in Gandul shows. Not the same thing goes on with other high school kids, interviewed by the rest of the papers.

Still, it's better to be in Romania during this Christmas. Santa may soon resign after most of the actions he was famous for (holding kids in his lap, kissing them etc.) are no longer allowed in the UK. Not even for parliamentarians, Gandul tells. Political correctness against holiday spirit… Well, something is not right!

The presents under the Christmas tree came early for the Romanian Police, who found there 50 BMW power-bikes, perfect to chase criminals, Adevarul found out.

As for the rest of Romanians - party! Parties are almost included in the job description, with Christmas presence as obligation, Adevarul found out. With a new minimum exchange rate between Euro and RON, we have a lot to party about.

Or to read Cotidianul, to see if the new Euro fall is good news or not.