September vote last chance for election law

Adoption of the election law is the first condition Montenegro must fulfil in order to get a date for starting EU accession negotiations.

By Mirjana Boskovic for Southeast European Times in Podgorica -- 31/08/11

The opposition wants Serbian and Montenegrin to be taught equally in schools. [Reuters]

The Montenegrin parliament votes on Friday (September 2nd) on an amendment to the education law that envisions equality between the Serbian and Montenegrin languages in the education system.

The vote is hinged on a bigger hurdle -- the country's election law.

After seven failed attempts to pass the election law -- required by the EU for the country's accession -- a vote on

US prosecutor to head Kosovo organ trafficking investigation

US prosecutor John Clint Williamson was appointed on Monday as the head of a team investigating accusations against Kosovo's prime minister.

(AP, AFP, DPA, VOA, Deuitsche Welle, BBC, The Independent, B92, EULEX - 29/08/11)

US prosecutor John Clint Williamson (right) will lead the Kosovo organ trafficking investigation. [Reuters]

EULEX named a former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes as head of a group tasked with investigating allegations linking Kosovo officials to organ trafficking on Monday (August 29th).

"John Clint Williamson from the United States has been appointed lead prosecutor for the EULEX Special Investigative Task Force," the official announcement said.

Contracts To Buy Homes Fell In July

Enlarge Pat Wellenbach/AP

This year is shaping up to be the worst for sales of new homes on records dating back to 1963.

Pat Wellenbach/AP

This year is shaping up to be the worst for sales of new homes on records dating back to 1963.

The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes fell in July, further evidence that the depressed housing market remains a drag on the economy.

The National Association of Realtors said Monday that its index of sales agreements fell 1.3 percent in July to a reading of 89.7. A reading of 100 is considered healthy by economists. The last time the index reached that level was in April 2010, the final month that buyers could qualify for a federal tax credit.

Contract signings are usually a reliable indicator of where the housing market is headed. There's typically a one- to two-month lag between a sales contract and a completed deal.

But the Realtors group says a growing number of buyers have cancelled contracts after appraisals showed the homes were worth less than they bid. A sale isn't final until a mortgage is closed.

Signings are roughly 18 percent above the June 2010 reading of 75.9, the lowest figure since the housing market went bust more than four years ago.

Even though pending home sales rose in two of the past three months, that hasn't translated

Automated social media updates: cheating or just good business?

Just before dawn this morning, Guy Kawasaki published dozens of tweets. From a link to beef jerky potato chips to The Skinny on Apple's new CEO. If you're not familiar with the bestselling author's publishing process you might think that he suffers from insomnia. However, Kawasaki makes it quite clear when talking to him that he has a team of people pushing out updates, automating the process so that his feed is active pretty much 24-7.

Does it work? Well, it depends on how you define social media success. Today @guykawasaki is hovering around 400,000 followers, a pretty significant community of listeners. Of course Kawasaki isn't the only one posting to Twitter and other sites without

Disloyalty Charges Threaten N.H. GOP Chair

Presidential candidates aren't the only Republicans jockeying for position in the state that holds the first presidential primary. Jack Kimball, New Hampshire's GOP chairman, is fighting to remain in office. The Tea Party-backed newcomer was elected to lead state Republicans just seven months ago. He now faces removal amid charges of incompetence and disloyalty. New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers reports.

Source: NPR : National Public Radio

India Pakistan Football match in memory of Riot victims

A HISTORIC football match between old foes India and Pakistan is to be dedicated in the honour of three Birmingham men who died during riots in the city.

Rivals India and Pakistan will meet in a special football match in Derby in what has been billed as an event to unite communities.

The match will honour Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, who died in the early hours of August 10 after they were struck by a car during riots in the Winson Green area of Birmingham.

The men were laid to rest last week in the city following an open-air prayer service which was attended by over 20,000 people.

The match, which had been originally scheduled to take place at Derby FC’s Pride Park on

Muslims ‘feeling effects of rising food prices’, say Charities

MUSLIMS across the world have been feeling the effects of rising food prices during Ramadan, says Oxfam and MADE in Europe.

Rising food prices and a lack of political will has affected how millions of people across the world have been breaking their fasts during the holy month of Ramadan.

Oxfam has been speaking to communities in the Muslim world as families gather together for Iftar (Breaking of the Fast) at sunset. This is the time of day when people reflect on their fast and come together as a family. Many have been speaking about how food has become much more expensive and how this has been an incredibly tough Ramadan for them.

Rising food prices are already affecting how Muslims are breaking their fasts, and with depleting land and energy resources and the gathering pace of climate change, this is likely to get worse in the future.

“For many people around the world Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and remembering those that are less fortunate and hungry. We must ensure that people always have enough to eat, especially at the end of a fast when people need to replenish themselves.” said Penny Lawrence International Director for Oxfam.

One of the starkest examples is in East Africa, where more than 12 million people are facing desperate

Anger over airline's 'breast check-ups'

Candidates for highly-coveted female flight attendant positions with Garuda Indonesia were required to strip down to their panties to screen out those with tattoos or breast implants. Picture: Supplied Source: Bloomberg

WOULD-be flight attendants in South Korea have accused Indonesia's national airline of making them strip nearly naked and have their breasts handled in medical check-ups, provoking a storm of criticism.

Several dozen candidates for 18 highly-coveted female flight attendant positions with Garuda Indonesia were required to strip down to their panties to screen out those with tattoos or breast implants, one applicant told AFP.

She declined to be named, saying she was still waiting to hear whether she had got a job after the tests last month.

"The

Fighting Rages On Inside Tripoli

Enlarge ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images

A demonstrator smashes a poster of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi during a protest outside the Libyan embassy in Ankara on August 22, 2011. Fighting rages in Libya today, a day after jubilant rebels overran the symbolic heart of the capital.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images

A demonstrator smashes a poster of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi during a protest outside the Libyan embassy in Ankara on August 22, 2011. Fighting rages in Libya today, a day after jubilant rebels overran the symbolic heart of the capital.

Rebels recently swept inside Libya's capital. They're facing pockets of violent resistance from forces loyal to Colonel Moammar Gadhafi. To learn about the battle for Tripoli and what a post-Gadhafi era may mean for the region, host Michel Martin speaks with a representative of the Libyan Transitional National Council and Al Jazeera

30 Years Later, Say Hello To 'Operation Farewell'

istockphoto.com

Vladimir Vetrov was a KGB colonel turned double agent, who ultimately helped bring down some 400 spies in an operation codenamed "Farewell."

Thirty years ago this summer, President Reagan was at an economic summit in Canada when his French counterpart, Francois Mitterand, pulled him aside to deliver startling news: The French had a mole, a high-level KGB colonel. Could the U.S. make use of him?

Richard Allen was Reagan's National Security Advisor at the time, and he was with the President in Ottawa when Mitterand made his offer.

"His name was Vladimir Vetrov," Allen tells weekends on All Things Considered host Laura Sullivan. "Vetrov was the incoming recipient of all the stolen technology, and it was copious."

The KGB had a vast network of spies, known as

Chilean central bank ends hike cycle early and keeps key rate unchanged

Finance Minister Felipe Larrain: closely watching international economy risks Zoom Image

The central bank said in a statement monetary policy changes would depend on macroeconomic conditions abroad and at home, and notably removed a reference from previous rate statements that had said further increases were likely.

Chile followed Peru's lead and held its rate in July for the first time in six months, as inflation across Latin America eased on lower global commodity prices, and currencies at multi-year

Kosovo becoming asylum transit country

Kosovo has achieved the dubious distinction as a transit country, but is unprepared to handle the situation.

By Muhamet Brajshori for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 20/08/11

Porous borders, especially in the north, are blamed for the trend. [Reuters]

Since 1999, Kosovo has seen an increasing number of asylum seekers from Asia and Africa. They have other destinations in mind, but use Kosovo as transit point and often end up being arrested by police at the borders for illegal passage.

Mainly, their countries of origin are Afghanistan, Palestine, Pakistan and Nigeria. It is up to the internal affairs ministry to determine whether they will remain in Kosovo or

Fears of new global recession grow

Global markets tumbled on Thursday following warnings that Europe and the United States are heading towards a new economic slowdown.

(Reuters, WSJ, BBC - 19/08/11; AP, AFP, RTT News, RFE/RL, VOA, Bloomberg, New York Times, WSJ, Dnevnik.bg - 18/08/11)

Several Eurozone countries suggested they might ask to get collateral in exchange for their contributions to the package of rescue loans for Greece. [File]

Concerns about a pending economic slowdown hit stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic on Thursday (August 18th), with European shares suffering their biggest daily decline since March 2009.

Further fanning the already existing fears, Wall Street investment bank Morgan Stanley warned in a report the same day

August 18: Your daily horoscope

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY:

You may be the only one supporting a certain point of view at the moment but over the next few months more and more people will come round to your way of thinking. Yes, you’re ahead of the times. How can you make it pay?

ARIES (March 21 - April 20):

By all means disagree with someone whose authority you no longer respect. With Mars, your ruler, on good terms with justice planet Jupiter today you don’t care about rank or reputation, you care only about the truth.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21):

You may be willing to change your social or travel plans to fit in with someone else’s schedule but don’t think that you have to. And if you do, make sure they know it’s a

U.S. chipmaker in hostile bid for Ottawa’s Zarlink

Shares of Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. ZL-T traded higher Wednesday as investors speculated that a rival bid to a $548.7-million (U.S.) hostile takeover offer from U.S. chipmaker Microsemi Corp. could be possible.

The pop in the stock came as California-based Microsemi mailed details of its offer to Zarlink shareholders.

Zarlink shares were up 22 cents, or 6.7 per cent, at $3.53 in early trading, topping the offer of $3.35 per share by California-based Microsemi.

Shares in the Ottawa-based Zarlink traded for $2.39 before the offer was first announced on July 20.

Zarlink has dismissed the bid as undervaluing

Economic Issues Drive Obama's Midwest Bus Tour

President Obama will host a forum on rural economic development in Iowa Tuesday. It's the middle stop on a three-day bus tour of the upper Midwest. As he talks about job growth, Obama is also testing out the themes that are likely to define his 2012 re-election campaign.

Source: NPR : National Public Radio

Bhangra star signs for the Reds

BRITISH Asian Bhangra star Jaz Dhami has signed for Liverpool – as part of its Equality 4 All Summer campaign.

The music star will support the campaign which aims to integrate diverse communities across Merseyside through football.

The Equality 4 All Project has been devised to engage with young people from ethnic and excluded backgrounds, regardless of their race, religion, gender, social background or sexual orientation.

The camps provide opportunities for young people to take part in a series of coaching sessions and workshops during the holidays, whilst also addressing issues surrounding social inclusion and health.

Speaking about his involvement with the campaign Jaz said: "I am excited to take part in the club's Equality 4 All camps as the

‘We want justice for our sons’

THE family of two brothers killed when they were hit by a car during a night of rioting in Birmingham have spoken publicly for the first time.

Abdullah Khan, uncle of brothers Shahzad Ali and Abdul Musavir said the killing of his two nephews “was not about race, was not about religion, it was a pure criminal act.”

The two brothers, who ran a car valeting business, were killed alongside Haroon Jahan, 20, when they were hit by a car on Dudley Road in the early hours of Wednesday August 10.

A murder investigation was launched immediately after witness statements and CCTV footage showed the “deliberate and intentional actions” of the driver as he mowed down the three men and fled the scene. 

Police continue to question five people who have all been arrested on suspicion of murder.

As a press conference today the devastated families of the young men paid tribute to their loved ones and urged witnesses to help police bring their killers to justice.

Abdullah Khan, 58, said the deaths of his two nephews had left their family in “complete shock and devastation.”

Sat next to him was Abdul Nasir Khan, 28, cousin of the brothers who wiped away tears as tributes were paid to the two brothers.

“Shahzad and Abdul were hardworking young men who had their own car valeting business on Dudley Road and all they wanted to do was protect their business and other businesses within the community,” Mr Khan

Corridor 10 highway a hostage to debt

Instead of building roads, Nibens Group road workers have ended up blocking them in order to get paid.

By Biljana Pekusic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade -- 13/08/2011

Road construction workers in Serbia. [Reuters]

Workers at Serbia's largest road construction company, Nibens Group, say they have not been paid for months -- even though they are building the country's most important transportation artery and maintaining 40% of the roads.

The artery, connecting Belgrade with the border crossing at Horgos, Hungary, is part of the EU's Corridor 10.

Nibens is awash in debt, with all of its proceeds going

A traveller's guide to avoiding faux pas

In the Middle East always eat with your right hand. Eating with your left is considered unclean. Picture: Flickr user hiyori13 Source: news.com.au

In Japan bowing is a sign of respect. Picture: Flickr user alf melin Source: news.com.au

EVERY country has its cultural quirks. To avoid being the subject of tut tuts and disapproving looks while you're travelling, we take you through the top taboos from Japan to the Middle East.

JAPAN:

The most common greeting in Japan is the bow; the timing, posture and movement of which should reflect sincerity, respect and graciousness. A beautiful bow is often compared to a ripe rice stalk swaying in the wind: the more mature the person, the deeper the head is lowered. An improper bow hints at a lack of education and maturity. As a foreign visitor you are not expected to emulate this ritual faithfully - a gentle nod will do.
-Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook

LATIN AMERICA:

Personal space boundaries vary from country to country, but in Latin America they are set closer than in Anglo-Saxon countries. People stand closer when talking to one another, and casual touching of the arm or shoulder during conversation is not unusual. Good friends will typically greet each other with an abrazo (hug) or beso (kiss), and it’s quite normal

Pre-order a .xxx domain name today

Will the new .xxx domain clean up the internet?

Web hosting company Daily.co.uk has announced that you can now pre-order domain names from it with the adult-only suffix .xxx. These domains 'are to be rolled out through several "pre-registration" and reservation phases starting for Daily, with pre-ordering now available.'

The preliminary 'Sunrise' reservation phase starts in September and lasts 30 days, and is open to 'trademark holders that meet membership requirements of the XXX community, trademark holders not in the XXX community who wish to protect their trademarks (blocking www.theirname.xxx) and also owners of existing pornographic websites recognised by the IANA.'

A further phase scheduled for 'Oct/Nov 2011' will be called 'Landrush' and will be open to 'any member of the XXX community to register any other domain.' General release is slated for December this year and prices will start at £49.99 per year to £199.99 per year, depending on the phase of purchse.

The

MLS inks TV deal with NBC networks

Major League Soccer games will be televised by NBC's networks starting next season, doubling the number of homes that dozens of games will be available in.

The package currently on Fox Soccer Channel will move mainly to the NBC Sports Network, Versus' new name beginning Jan. 2. The cable channel will air 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two U.S. men's national team matches each year.

NBC will broadcast two regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two national team appearances under the three-year contract announced Wednesday.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber says “it shows our sport is ready for

Police issue CCTV of Birmingham looters

POLICE have released a number of CCTV images of people they want to trace in connection with violent disorders across Birmingham last night.

A full scale investigation has been launched by police as they look to trace those responsible for bringing havoc to the city.

Police say more than 700 people were involved in the disturbances with up to 30 shops broken into and looted.

Last night 133 people had been arrested, and that figure rose as police issued search warrants across the city today.

While most of the disorder was contained within the city centre, some gangs spilled into the Handsworth area of the city and set fire to an unmanned police station.

Two hotline numbers have been set up for the

Rebels in captured town head to Tripoli

Libyan rebels who seized this town 80 km south of Tripoli said on Monday they would now push on towards Moammar Gadhafi's stronghold in the capital.

This small settlement in the desert is the closest rebel position to Tripoli and its capture at the weekend is likely to give new hope to a faltering six-month campaign to oust Mr. Gadhafi.

Anti-Gadhafi fighters had been camped since late June on the outskirts of Bir al-Ghanam, unable to advance. According to rebels in the town on Monday, they moved in on Saturday under cover from NATO warplanes.

They said their next target was Zawiyah, a town on the Mediterranean coast 50 km west of Tripoli.

Zawiyah was the scene of two failed uprisings against Mr. Gadhafi's rule since February. Many of the fighters in Bir al-Ghanam are from there, although a number of those who took part in the uprisings are now in

Credit Rating Agencies Aren't Above Scrutiny, Either

The opinions of the major ratings agencies like S&P carry a lot of weight in the financial markets. Their own reputations, however, were damaged during the financial crisis when they awarded AAA ratings to what turned out to be toxic, mortgage-backed securities. Guest host John Ydstie speaks with Nikola Swann, a credit analyst at Standard & Poor's, about some of the criticism the company's received in the wake of the decision to downgrade the U.S. credit rating.

Source: NPR : National Public Radio

Try 6 summer cocktails from top Canadian bartenders

In the same way that we yearn for hearty potato dishes in December and fresh, raw tomatoes in August, our cocktail cravings change with the seasons as well. I recently spoke with some of my favourite Canadian bartenders to find out what they’re making – and drinking – this summer and what they think makes a quintessential hot-weather drink.

“We’ve had an atypically dismal summer here out on the West Coast,” says Brad Stanton, bar and lounge manager at Vancouver’s recently opened Hawksworth Restaurant, “but I think in general what people are looking for in the summertime is nothing too

MIND Reviews: The Psychopath Test: A Journey through the Madness Industry

The Psychopath Test: A Journey through the Madness Industry
by Jon Ronson. Riverhead Books, 2011

It is easy to convince people that you are mentally ill. Claim to hear voices, threaten to hurt yourself, stop showering … basically if you just freak out enough people over time, you can probably be guaranteed a fresh new drug prescription and maybe even a few days in a psychiatric unit. But how would you go about convincing people that you are sane? That is a much harder task.

In his new investigative adventure The Psychopath Test, journalist and filmmaker Jon Ronson does not just question the definition of insanity, he also expresses

Appeal in Teen crash death

THE family of a Birmingham teenager who was killed after being hit by a motorcycle have described him as a 'kind, loving person'.

Rajinder Mahal, 16, from Smethwick, was struck by a Suzuki motorcycle on Hagley Road, Edgbaston on 1 August.

He suffered critical injuries and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he later died.

As police appeal for information into the accident, Rajinder’s family have spoken for the first time since his death.

In a statement the family said: "Rajinder was a kind, loving person who was loved by his family and friends. He had so much potential it’s sad he was taken away at such a young age. He was always there for you.
“We just want everyone to

Kemal Burkay returns to Turkey

After decades in exile, Kurdish intellectual and politician Kemal Burkay is back home in hopes of advancing the peace agenda.

By Menekse Tokyay for Southeast European Times in Istanbul – 03/08/11

Journalist Oral Calislar (left) and Kemal Burkay (right) at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul. [Oral Calislar]

Kemal Burkay, a prominent poet, intellectual, and one of the most important figures in Kurdish politics, returned to Turkey on July 30th after three decades in exile. The return of Burkay, a critic of the PKK and an advocate of non-violence and Kurdish rights, raises hopes of reconciliation between Turkey and its Kurdish population.

Burkay, the founder and former secretary-general of the Kurdistan Socialist Party, fled Turkey in March 1980, shortly before the September 12th military coup. Under prosecution in Turkey for his

Lawyer: Norwegian Attacker's Demands 'Unrealistic'

The confessed killer in Norway's twin terror attacks that claimed 77 lives has presented a long list of "unrealistic" demands, including the resignation of the government and that his mental condition be investigated by Japanese specialists, his defense lawyer said Tuesday.

Geir Lippestad told The Associated Press his client has two lists of demands. One consists of requests common among inmates such as for cigarettes and civilian clothing. The other is "unrealistic, far, far from the real world and shows he doesn't know how society works," Lippestad said by telephone.

Lippestad said 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik links this second list to his willingness to share information about two other alleged terrorist cells that Breivik

Sania-Yaroslava win Citi Open in US

Sania Mirza won her third WTA doubles title of the season and 12th overall as she and Yaroslava Shvedova pipped Olga Govortsova of Belarus and Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia in the final of the Citi Open.

Defending their top billing, the Indo-Kazakh pair overcame their second seed opponents 6-3 6-3 after one hour and five minutes struggle.

Sania paired with Yaroslava for this tournament since her regular Tour partner, Elena Vesnina, decided to skip the event.

She had triumphed at Indian Wells and Charleston with Vesnina and fell in the final of the French Open.

Sania and