Romania calls for political truce in Moldova

The political crisis in Chisinau could endanger Moldova's efforts to join the EU.

By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest -- 28/02/13

Moldova Prime Minister Vlad Filat is at the centre of the political crisis. [AFP]

At the urging of Romania Foreign Affairs Minister Titus Corlatean, the Group of Support for Moldova's European Action is scheduled to convene in less than two weeks in Brussels to address ongoing internal disputes in Moldova's ruling coalition.

"I hope that, in the ongoing debates in Chisinau, politicians will primarily have in view the interest in advancing the democratic reforms, the

Foreign investors express interest in BiH economy

Investors from Azerbaijan expect to sign several business agreements with BiH in the coming few months.

By Mladen Dragojlovic for Southeast European Times in Banja Luka -- 27/02/13

A recent business forum in Banja Luka hosted potential investors from Azerbaijan. [Mladen Dragojlovic/SETimes]

The first Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)-Azerbaijan business forum gathered dozens of business representatives looking for investment interest or co-operation with potential Azeri partners.

The forum, held in Banja Luka, attracted more than 20 Azerbaijan company representatives interested in investment or co-operation with potential BiH partners.

"We have significant financial resources and investment interest in various countries,

Brazil: current account deficit outpacing FDI expected to continue for two months

Maciel: FDI flows usually slow at the start of the year, but pick up throughout the year.

Brazil posted a current account deficit of 11.37 billion dollars in January ahead of the 8.4bn deficit registered in December.

The large gap had been expected due to a soaring trade deficit, which hit an all-time monthly high of 4.4bn in January. Behind the surging trade deficit was an accounting change which tallied billions of dollars of fuel imports from 2012 in

Norfolk chain Roys buys Norwich garden centre

Norfolk chain Roys of Wroxham is adding another garden centre to its portfolio in an acquisition deal expected to go through today.

Highway Garden and Leisure is one of Norfolk's largest independent garden centres

The business is taking over Highway Garden and Leisure in Framingham Pigot, near Norwich, which is one of the largest independent garden centres in Norfolk.

Highway was put up for sale at the end of last year because founder Joe High wants to retire, although he is expected to retain his home on the site. It is understood that several potential purchasers had put in bids

Waterspouts form near tornado-hit town

Water spout off QLD coast

Andrew Smart has captured amazing vision of a water spout at Kelly's beach Queensland

BUNDABERG authorities say up to six waterspouts have been spotted off Bargara, a seaside town near Bundaberg which was hit by tornadoes last month.

Swimmers were evacuated from Bargara Beach as one of the spouts made landfall, causing minor damage to the Bundaberg Surf Lifesaving Club building.

Another crossed at Coral Cove near Innes Park and turned into a rain cell, according to one witness.

WEATHER: Flash flood warning 'for all of Brisbane'

GALLERY: See more pictures of the waterspouts

Bargara councillor Greg Barnes said one waterspout was seen off Coral Cove at Innes Park and two unconfirmed reports off Bargara.

Cr Barnes said the spout off Coral Cove could be seen as a tube stretching up from the sea but it dissipated into

New government in FBiH may solve political issues

Politicians said the vote of no confidence was long in coming.

By Bedrana Kaletovic for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo -- 23/02/13

The FBiH government failed a vote of confidence. [Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]

Politicians in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) said they hope that a new cabinet will restore public trust and resolve the ongoing political standoff after the government lost a no-confidence vote.

"The federal government no longer operates well, and it is inevitable that the changes must be made. Citizens no longer have trust in politicians and politicians are considered to

Serbia is on the right track, experts say

Belgrade is making progress on the country's most significant challenges.

By Bojana Milovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade -- 22/02/13

Serbian soldiers prepare for an honour salute in celebration of the 209th anniversary of the modern Serbian state. [AFP]

As Belgrade marks 209 years of the modern Serbian state, experts said Serbia is successfully tackling its three main challenges: relations with Kosovo, the fight against corruption and improving the economy.

Dejan Vuk Stankovic, a sociology professor at Belgrade University, said the government is leading a pragmatic Kosovo policy based on compromise, with the aim of reaching a lasting solution.

"In the current course of negotiations a very delicate issue is being handled -- the redistribution of authorities between the local Serbs in the north

Unasur, invited by electoral officials will observe the April 21 election in Paraguay

Salomon Lerner as Unasur representative signed the accord

TSJE officials underlined the significance of the accord for international acknowledgement of the April 21 elections since the Unasur Electoral Follow-up mission will be participating in all stages of the organization and process, plus the fact that Mr Lerner has shown ‘unquestionable impartial criteria’ in his reporting on the political situation in Paraguay.

“The head of the High Level Group, Mr. Salomon Lerner also referred to the process underlining

Locksmith ad gave fake address

An ad showing a locksmith's address to be in Salisbury when it wasn't was likely to mislead consumers into thinking they were dealing with a local trader.

That is the conclusion of the Advertising Standards Authority, which received a complaint about a sponsored search result on Google stating 'Locksmiths in Salisbury. mylocksmithsalisbury.co.uk 20 Park Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire'. The complainant said she understood that Salisbury Locksmith did not in fact have premises in the city.

The ASA said Salisbury Locksmiths - which is the trading name of Rapid Locksmiths based in Southampton - did undertake work in the area, but because

$50m in diamonds taken in airport heist

Baggage carts make their way past a Helvetic Airways aircraft from which $50 million worth of diamonds were stolen on the tarmac of Brussels international airport in a daring diamond heist. Source: AP

EIGHT masked gunmen made a hole in a security fence at Brussels' international airport, drove onto the tarmac and snatched some $50 million worth of diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot, authorities said.

The gang used two black cars in their daring raid late Monday, grabbed the cache of stones and sped off into the darkness, said Anja Bijnens, spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor's office.

"They tried to pass themselves off as police officers," Ms Bijnens said. They reportedly wore outfits which resembled dark police clothing and both cars had blue lights on top, she said.

Police found one burnt-out vehicle close to the airport later Monday night and said they were still looking for clues.

The heist was estimated at some $50 million in diamonds, said Caroline De Wolf of the Antwerp

Bungie unveils Destiny

Bungie's Destiny might have armour-clad space marines and plenty of guns, but the company's plans go far beyond those of its Halo franchise.

Bungie, the company best known for its work on the Halo series of games, has announced its latest title: Destiny, an unsurprisingly gun-filled sci-fi shooter-adventure game with a fully persistent on-line world.

Founded in 1991 by Alex Seropian following the popularity of his Pong clone Gnop, Bungie had a string of successes developing games for Apple's Macintosh platform before hitting the big time with Marathon - a game that would directly influence the plot and style of Halo, the company's best-known release. Originally developed as a third-person shooter for PCs, Microsoft would pick up

Yaz Lawsuit News and Info

Yaz Lawsuit News and Info

Yaz Lawsuit News Release

02/13/2013 Bayer announces reports increase in Yaz and Yasmin sales while announcing Yaz Lawsuit Settlements. In a move typical of a major pharmaceutical manufacturer, Bayer agreed to Yaz lawsuit settlements that may total about 750 million in the US but refuses to admit wrongdoing, instead pushing forward with the sales of the popular oral contraceptives.

Yaz Lawsuits number in the Thousands

 

Bayer discloses information about Yaz lawsuit settlements and Yasmin lawsuit settlements in their Stockholder's Newsletter covering their financial report for the period ending September 30, 2012. The same newsletter announces the news that their oral contraceptives, Yaz and Yasmin while the subject of over 13000 Yaz lawsuits and Yasmin lawsuits remains among Bayer's top selling pharmaceuticals.

Bayer's disclosure to stockholders says "Claimants allege that they have

Greece intensifies efforts against corruption

The government is making efforts to send tax cheats to jail.

By Andy Dabilis for Southeast European Times in Athens -- 16/02/13

Former Greek Defence Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos (front) has been detained since April. [AFP]

After securing 52.5 billion euros in new loans from international lenders in a fight to keep the economy afloat, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras now faces a foe on another front -- the country's reputation for runaway corruption.

After generations of impunity, Greece has begun what seems to be a crackdown, although skeptics note that it could take years to prosecute major cases.

On the heels of a tax evasion scandal that led

ONS reports January sales drop at odds with BRC

Retail sales fell by 0.6% year-on-year in January, according to the Office for National Statistics, which reported it as the first time year-on-year growth had halted in the sector since August 2011 - in total contrast to a sunnier picture painted by the BRC.

Heavy snowfall in January was blamed for small shops' downturn in sales, according to the ONS

It was small stores in particular who missed out, said the ONS, with the findings showing an overall fall in the volume bought at stores with less than 10 employees.

Heavy snowfall across the country was largely blamed for

Kosovo, Serbia presidents' meeting heralded as a step forward

Experts said the meeting between the two presidents signals a constructive atmosphere for the normalisation of relations.

By Linda Karadaku and Igor Jovanovic for Southeast European Times in Pristina and Belgrade -- 14/02/13

Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga (right) and Serbia President Tomislav Nikolic (left) met in Brussels with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton (centre right). [EU]

Experts and citizens are calling last week's meeting between Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and Serbia President Tomislav Nikolic a large step forward in the process of normalising relations between the two countries.

"[The presidents discussed] regional, economic and political co-operation, not because

Obama challenges Congress to ‘take a vote’ on a package of progressive reforms

The President addressing Congress with his State of the Union speech

In his Tuesday address to Congress he also called for efforts to reduce gun violence and urged bipartisan immigration reform.

In the Republican response, Senator Marco Rubio urged Mr Obama to end his “obsession” with raising taxes.

Speaking in the House of Representatives, Mr Obama told his audience that his generation's task is “to reignite the true engine of America's economic growth - a rising, thriving middle class”.

Delivering

Sega returns to the hardware market with laptop launch

Sega's latest entry into the hardware market sees it launching a series of laptops themed around its Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast consoles - but they're Japan-exclusive for now.

Sega is getting back into the hardware business, but not in the way you might expect: the company is launching a range of laptops designed to evoke familiarity from gamers of a certain age.

Sega was once one of the biggest names in console gaming: its move from slot machines to home gaming started with the SG-1000 in 1983, but it wasn't until it launched the Master System in 1986 that the company would become a household name. Its success would really skyrocket with the launch of the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive in 1988 - Genesis in the US - and its iconic Sonic the Hedgehog mascot, launched in 1991.

The company would spend years and multiple console generations attempting to outdo rival Nintendo: the Master System won significant ground over the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in

Next Pope could be Latinamerican, admit senior Vatican officials

The frail Benedict XVI is stepping down as Pope at the end of the month

In 2005, Buenos Aires Archbishop Bergoglio was one of the leading candidates

After Pope John Paul and German-born Benedict, the post once reserved for Italians is now open to all and in 2005 allegedly an Argentine cardinal elector (Archbishop of Buenos Aires) made it to the last round of vote.

Who gets the nod depends on the profile of the new pope that the cardinals who elect him at the next conclave think

The Witcher 3 officially announced

Thanks to a new engine underpinning the title, the third Witcher game will be 30 times larger than it's predecessor.

The first details of The Witcher 3 have been revealed with the preliminary release date marked for 2014.

The third instalment of CD Projekt Red's highly successful and popular RPG series' full title is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and it will apparently be the final chapter in the series.

According to Game Informer, it will be available on PC and "all high-end platforms available", heavily implying that it will be launched on as-yet unannounced

Venezuela devalues currency 32% to help cut 11% of GDP fiscal gap

Chavez ordered the move from Cuba, said Finance minister Giordani

A spending spree that almost tripled the fiscal deficit last year helped Chavez, 58 win a third six-year term. The devaluation can help narrow the budget deficit by increasing the amount of Bolivar the government receives from oil exports. Chavez ordered the move from Cuba, where he is recovering from a fourth cancer surgery, Giordani said.

Venezuela’s fiscal gap widened to 11% of GDP last year from 4%

Reshuffle for Kingfisher's management team

Following news that Kingfisher group ceo Euan Sutherland is to leave the business, Kingfisher has announced that Mr Sutherland's main responsibilities will be assumed by two members of the senior management team.

Following news that Kingfisher group ceo Euan Sutherland is to leave the business, Kingfisher has announced that Mr Sutherland's main responsibilities will be assumed by two members of the senior management team.

Guy Colleau, who is currently ceo of Kingfisher's Castorama business in France, will become ceo for group sourcing and offer, where he will be responsible for the development of Kingfisher's sourcing offices and the Kingfisher brand network. In his new position he will join Kingfisher's group executive team.

Mr Colleau will be replaced at Casto France by Véronique Laury, who has held a number of senior roles at

First-class flight of sandy fancy

Sand sculptures of the inside of a Qantas plane at Circular Quay / Pic: Craig Wilson Source: The Daily Telegraph

LIKE archaeologists uncovering China's Terracotta Army, a legion of artists has been sculpting a life-size replica of the inside of a Boeing B737-800 in front of Customs House at Circular Quay this week.

Complete with flight deck, six rows of seats, pilot and passengers, the artwork celebrates the return of Qantas Sydney-Gold Coast flights last October - four years after the airline abandoned the route as unprofitable.

Qantas sparked an outcry among the Gold Coast business community when it ditched the route in 2008, leaving subsidiary Jetstar to share the spoils with Virgin Blue and later Tiger.

To promote the resurrected route, Qantas will offer $89 flights from today until Monday,

Lack of electricity encourages windmill projects in the region

The region is on the path to progress in wind-derived clean energy production.

By Misko Taleski for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 06/02/13

A new investment in Macedonia's Bogdanci municipality will yield 44 new windmills. [AFP]

Balkan countries are working on using wind as an alternative source of generating electricity and to satisfy EU accession requirements, experts said.

"The region has a great potential in developing this popularly dubbed 'green energy.' While it cannot satisfy the total demand, it is a significant alternative to reducing the expensive imports and is environmentally clean," Zdravko Stefanovski, energy expert at the Macedonian economy ministry, told SETimes.

EU-member candidate countries Serbia and Macedonia are required to have 27 and 21 percent of their total energy

Bulgartabac to take over BiH tobacco giant

The buyout of the Tobacco Factory in Banja Luka will preserve production and much-needed jobs.

By Ana Lovakovic for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo -- 05/02/13

The Tobacco Factory buyout will save hundreds of jobs. [Mladen Dragojlovic/SETimes]

The Bulgartabac Holding Group's takeover of the Tobacco Factory in Banja Luka is expected to be completed this month when the final agreement is signed, saving hundreds of jobs.

"Clearly, this means a lot for Bosnia's vulnerable economy, which lost 90,000 jobs last year. In the end, it all depends on what Bulgartabac will offer in the final contract; whether it will

Council of Europe, Kosovo strengthen ties

The council will establish direct contact with authorities in Pristina.

By Linda Karadaku for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 04/02/13

The Council of Europe has paved the way to expand its dialogue with Kosovo authorities. [AFP]

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will establish direct working contact with Kosovo authorities, a step that is expected to facilitate necessary judicial reforms as Pristina continues to pursue European integration.

At the end of 2012, CoE Secretary-General Thorbjørn Jagland initiated a policy of working contacts with Kosovo, intended to allow CoE officials to interact with Pristina "without violating the principle of status neutrality imposed by

PlanetSide 2 to become eSports title

Free-to-play MMO-FPS PlanetSide 2 was launched in November 2012.

Online massively multiplayer first person shooter PlanetSide 2 is set to become a regular fixture at Major League Gaming's eSports tournaments thanks to a partnership between the orgnaisation and Sony Online Entertainment.

The game will not be a tournament title in its current form but instead, the PlanetSide 2 team will work with MLG to develop and refine more suitable competitive gameplay features and scenarios to make it a better fit in the eSports scene.

A broadcast schedule of a series of original programming that

GCG launches cookery apprenticeships

The Garden Centre Group has teamed up with Westminster Kingsway College to develop a new apprenticeship programme focussing on professional cookery in garden centre restarants.

Apprentices will learn on the job in GCG restaurants across the country, as well as taking masterclasses at the college. Successful completion of the course will earn them a City & Guilds work-based Diploma in Professional Cookery Level 2.

Successful candidates will also have the chance to progress onto higher level apprenticeships, linked to the management development strategy for the GCG. The programme promises the chance for hard-working apprentices to become managers or

Scythe unveils Ashura cooler with 140 Hayabusa fan

The Scythe Ashura includes a new bridge-type retention mechanism along with a redesigned fan dubbed the 140 Hayabusa.

Scythe has unveiled its latest CPU cooler, the Ashura, and it comes equipped with a new fan design it calls a 140 Hayabusa, with claims of cool running and near-silent operation.

The heatsink itself is a relatively unsurprising design: based on a tower stack of thin aluminium fins connected to six 6mm heatpipes leading to a sizeable coldplate with a mirror-like finish. That plate is clamped to the processor through a newly-designed bridge-type retention bracket, which uses