Around the World: Romania

Runoff vote begins

Romanians began voting yesterday in a hotly contested presidential runoff that could resolve almost two months of political crisis and unfreeze an international loan Romania needs to emerge from its worst recession since 1989. Centrist President Traian Basescu is running for a second five-year term. His rival is former Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, who heads the leftist Social Democrats and is head of the Senate.