RIM's trade show presence 'underwhelming': analyst

Research In Motion Ltd.'s RIM-T presence at the wireless industry's main annual gathering in Barcelona is “underwhelming” and highlights the smartphone giant's waning position in the market place, according to one financial analyst.

Mobile World Congress (MWC) draws thousands of industry professionals -- from wireless industry executives to bloggers and financial analysts -- to Spain every year. It is increasingly an important venue for companies to showcase their top products, as representatives for the world's wireless carriers peruse the newest smartphones, gadgets, network technology and smaller companies demonstrating advancements in areas such as billing and wireless data efficiency.

Microsoft takes Google+ antitrust complaint to EU: report

Microsoft and several other firms have complained to EU antitrust regulators about Google’s social networking tool, two people familiar with the matter said, in a move that may prompt the EU to broaden its ongoing investigation into Google.

Microsoft’s complaint underlines the mounting rivalry between the two companies.

Microsoft and the others expressed their concerns informally, the people said, declining to provide details about the nature of the complaint about Google+ because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The European Commission declined to comment and Microsoft said it would not make any statement about “rumours or speculation.”

Source: The Globe and Mail

Kosovo moves towards SAA

Analysts and the international community praised the EC's decision to launch a feasibility study on an SAA for Kosovo.

By Muhamet Brajshori for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 27/02/12

Kosovo will follow the same European course as other countries in the Western Balkans, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said. [Reuters]

EU foreign ministers meeting on Wednesday (February 28th) to decide on Belgrade's EU path will have a new deal to take into account.

The agreement, reached on Friday between Pristina and Belgrade, focuses on Kosovo's regional representation.

The agreement paves the way for the country to follow the same European course as all others in the Western Balkans, in line with its European perspective, EU Enlargement Commissioner

Liverpool beats Cardiff on penalties in League Cup final

Liverpool's six-year trophy drought ended Sunday after beating Cardiff 3-2 in a penalty shootout when Reds captain Steven Gerrard's cousin, Anthony Gerrard, missed the final spot kick.

The match finished at 1-1 after 90 minutes and 2-2 after extra time, with Cardiff's Ben Turner scrambling the ball over the line in the 118th to send the match into a shootout.

Cardiff led through Joe Mason's 19th-minute goal, before Martin Skrtel levelled for Liverpool on the hour to force the game into extra time.

Dirk Kuyt put Liverpool in front in the 108th minute, smashing in the rebound after his initial

Italy's Berlusconi corruption trial ends with no verdict

Italian judges on Saturday ended former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s trial on charges of bribing British lawyer David Mills, saying the statute of limitations meant that too much time had passed for a verdict to be reached.

The case surrounding Mr. Mills, the estranged husband of a former British cabinet minister, was one of the most prominent of the scandals involving Mr. Berlusconi, Italy’s richest media entrepreneur as well as its dominant political figure of the past two decades.

Mr. Mills was convicted in 2009 of taking a $600,000 bribe from Mr. Berlusconi in return for agreeing to withhold incriminating

In Michigan, Obama Team Builds On 2008 Foundation

Democrats are using next week's GOP presidential primary in Michigan as an opportunity to energize President Obama's core base of support there. The campaign and a superPAC have ads on the air in the state. And the campaign is organizing activities for the president's supporters.

Source: NPR : National Public Radio

Are University Labs Criminally Dangerous?

Image: Martin Shields/Photo Researchers, Inc.

On a late afternoon in Dec­em­ber 2008, the experiment She­harbano “Sheri” Sangji was work­ing on went up in flames. The 23-­year-old laboratory assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles, suffered second and third degree burns over 43 percent of her body and died almost three weeks later in a hospital burn unit.

Now the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has brought felony charges against U.C.L.A. chemistry professor Patrick Harran, the head of Sangji’s lab, and the Regents of the University of California for violations of safety regulations resulting in her death. If

Balkan countries dream of oil riches

Possible deposits off the coast of Albania and in Serbia have two nations hoping for an economic windfall.

By Erl Murati for Southeast European Times in Tirana -- 22/02/12

Exploration off the coast of Durres yielded the discovery. [Reuters]

Balkan nations have high hopes for an oil boom, which they say could provide a much-needed cash infusion and reduce the region's reliance on imports.

Albania is reveling in the recent discovery of massive deposits in its territorial waters in the Adriatic Sea -- a find that could net 1 billion barrels of oil. Serbia, meanwhile, is making plans to extract as much as 400m tonnes of oil shale from its territory, which could result in 600,000 tonnes of oil.

The announcements have some dreaming of new fortunes for the Balkan states, which have traditionally struggled with high unemployment and limited economic

Critics taking aim at Serbia's overlapping agencies

The work of questionable state agencies and institutes costs taxpayers over 800m euros a year, money that critics argue could be spent elsewhere.

By Biljana Pekusic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade -- 21/02/12

Minister of State Administration and Local Government Milan Markovic tells SETimes there should be no more than five government agencies. [Biljana Pekusic/SETimes]

In terms of sheer numbers, Serbia has more administrative services, such as agencies, directorates, councils and funds, than any other country in Europe. There are about 170 in all, with often ill-defined duties that set up the frequent potential for overlap, redundancy and duplication.

"It is absurd that Germany, Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, Slovakia,

Charity drive spurs on beauty pageant contestant

A WOLVERHAMPTON Student is hoping to do her bit for charity - by winning the Miss London beauty pageant.

Farishta Farhang, from Solihull, will go up against a host of other beauties vying for the crown in the grand final next month.

Once crowned Miss London, the winner will go on to compete in Miss England and then on to Miss World.

But for Farishta, a pharmacy student at the University of Wolverhampton, participating in the pageant isn’t about beauty and looks; it’s about raising money for charity and helping others.

Having never entered a beauty pageant before, Farishta reveals she was drawn to Miss London after researching ways to raise money for charity.

“From a young age I

Santorum Shows He'll Fire Back In Michigan Ad Wars

Enlarge Paul Sancya/AP

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney took the stage in a January presidential debate in Florida. They'll meet again Wednesday night in Arizona, which holds its primary on Feb. 28, the same day as the crucial Michigan contest.

Paul Sancya/AP

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney took the stage in a January presidential debate in Florida. They'll meet again Wednesday night in Arizona, which holds its primary on Feb. 28, the same day as the crucial Michigan contest.

The rise of Rick Santorum in the race for the Republican presidential nomination hasn't exactly gone unnoticed by rival Mitt Romney or his friends. Turn on a TV in Michigan this weekend, and chances are you won't have to wait long to see an ad attacking the former Pennsylvania senator.

"America is drowning in national debt," a narrator intones in one ad, a product of Romney's campaign. "Yet Rick Santorum supported billions in earmarks."

Meanwhile, the superPAC that backs Romney, called Restore Our Future, is behind an ad that focuses on who has "the right experience."

"Romney rescued the Olympics," the ad says. "Santorum was in Washington, voting to raise the debt limit five times."

But unlike the other GOP candidates who at one time or another emerged to take on Romney, Santorum and the superPAC supporting him seem to have the resources to fight back. The battle is taking place on the airwaves in Michigan, which along with Arizona holds its presidential primary Feb. 28.

Economic Attacks

It's no coincidence that both the Romney and the Restore our Future ads go after Santorum for his fiscal views. Unlike former House Speaker

Carbon tax fees hit Qantas rewards

Qantas Frequent Flyer points will soon be devalued. Picture: File Source: AFP

QANTAS Frequent Flyer points will soon be devalued, with the airline citing pressures from the Federal Government's carbon tax.

It is a triple whammy for the 8 million members of the customer loyalty program, with Qantas and Jetstar passengers already hit last week by further price hikes because of increased fuel costs and the carbon pricing scheme.

In an email to customers last week, Qantas announced there would be increases to the points required when paying for surcharges, fees and taxes on domestic and regional flights.

"Earlier this month Qantas announced that future ticket prices for Qantas and Jetstar passengers will be impacted

U.N. General Assembly Backs Arab League's Syria Plan

The U.N. General Assembly has approved a resolution backing an Arab League plan that calls for Syria's president to step down and strongly condemns human rights violations by his regime.

The vote in the 193-member world body was 137-12 with 17 abstentions.

Russia and China, who vetoed a similar resolution in the Security Council, voted against the resolution.

There are no vetoes in the General Assembly and while its resolutions are not legally binding, they do reflect world opinion on major issues.

Supporters were hoping for a high "yes" vote to

Jolie attends Sarajevo movie premiere

Angelina Jolie said her directorial debut, set during the 1990s conflict in BiH, is intended to draw attention to global atrocities.

By Bedrana Kaletović for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo -- 15/02/12

US actress Angelina Jolie speaks with reporters in Sarajevo at the premiere of her film "In the Land of Blood and Honey". [Haris Memija/SETimes]

US actress and director Angelina Jolie arrived with her partner Brad Pitt to the cheers of 5,000 fans attending the premiere of he directorial debut "In the Land of Blood and Honey" on Tuesday night (February 14th).

Jolie, wearing a long black gown, walked arm-in-arm with Pitt on the red carpet,

Bollywood Award for Southall singer

A SINGER from Southall has scooped a major Bollywood award.

Singer, songwriter Ash King was in Mumbai to collect his Best New Male Singing Sensation award at the prestigious Stardust Awards.

The singer is becoming a regular on the Bollywood music scene having sung for a number of Bollywood blockbusters.

The evening saw him rubbing shoulders with some of the world's biggest Indian film stars including the legendary Rekha, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, and Bipasha Basu. 

Ash beat off tough competition from the likes of Ali Zafar, Kamal Khan and Shahid Mallya, all of whom featured in the same category. 

Accepting the Award he said:

Love letters of poets Browning, Barrett go online

It’s a timely reality check that expressing love doesn’t always come smoothly, even for great poets immersed in a great passion.

The pre-marriage love letters of 19th-century poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett have long been admired for their literary quality and how they reveal the slow build of the relationship. But while their contents have been published repeatedly, the actual letters have been largely inaccessible.

Until now. In time for Valentine’s Day, a pair of universities in the U.S. moved to make available online digitized versions of the originals – complete with creases, envelopes (bearing a one-penny stamp) and

Qantas A380 flight aborts take-off ... twice

Qantas aborts take-off twice before being cleared to leave at London's Heathrow Airport. Picture: Getty Images / file Source: Getty Images

Qantas pilots notice steering problem before take-off Take-off abandoned a second time; checked Four hours later, the flight is cleared and leaves safely

STEERING problems have forced a Qantas A380 superjumbo with close to 400 passengers to twice abandon take-off from London's Heathrow airport.

Flight QF10 from London to Singapore was scheduled to depart at 9.30pm London time (8.30am yesterday AEDT), but a steering issue forced the jet to return to bay for maintenance checks.

The flight eventually left at 2am London time.

A Qantas representative said the pilots abandoned the take-off while the

The Contraception Compromise Plays Out Politically

This past week, the White House changed its requirements that faith-based employers include contraceptives in their health insurance plans, after Republicans and some Democrats opposed the policy on religious grounds. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mara Liasson and Barbara Bradley Hagerty.

Source: NPR : National Public Radio

Snow, ice cuts BiH's electricity

Many municipalities and villages have been without electricity for days, but authorities say they are doing everything they can.

By Drazen Remikovic for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo -- 11/02/12

Frozen lakes -- like Jablanicko Lake near Konjic -- are stymieing BiH's hydroelectric power plants. [Reuters]

The extreme winter weather that has blasted into the region in the past few weeks is now threatening to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) without power. Hydroelectric power plants have been slowed by almost empty lakes and ice, while the supply of coal for thermal power plants has also been compromised.

At the weekend, temperatures were expected to drop around -19 degrees Celcus, and more

Chilean community in Falklands march in support of the air link with Santiago

Chileans sang their national anthem and together with Islanders displayed the three flags

The flight operates every Saturday out of Santiago and once a month stops in Rio Gallegos in Argentina which allows Argentine passport holders to visit the Falklands.

The group met, appropriately on Victory Green in Stanley, on a windy evening and many more Islanders gathered along the main street, Ross Road, to show their support to the Chileans who have integrated into the community

Dev Patel on Red Carpet for Premiere of new Film

SLUMDOG Millionaire star Dev Patel was back on the red carpet for the UK premiere of his latest film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

The film stars a host of acting royalty including Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy, as well as newcomer Tena Desae.

Stars of the film walked the red carpet for the film’s premiere at the Curzon Cinema in Mayfair, Central London.

The film tells the story of a group of British pensioners who abandon their homeland enticed by advertisements of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, a seemingly luxurious sanctuary for “the elderly and beautiful” in Jaipur, India.  On arrival, they discover that the hotel falls somewhat short of the romantic idyll but are gradually won over by

EU threatens new sanctions on Syria

The European Union will impose harsher sanctions on Syria, a senior EU official said Wednesday, as Russia tried to broker talks between the vice president and the opposition to calm violence. Activists reported at least 50 killed in the regime’s siege of the restive city of Homs.

Russia, a close ally of Syria, and the West are pushing down starkly different paths in trying to deal with Syria’s nearly 11 months of bloodshed. After blocking a Western and Arab attempt to bring UN pressure on President Bashar Assad to step down, Russia has launched a bid to show it can resolve the turmoil.

Moscow is calling for a combination of reforms by the regime and negotiations, without calling for Assad to go. Its provisions are so far finding no traction with the opposition, which dismisses promises of reform as empty gestures, refuses any negotiations while violence continues and says Mr. Assad’s removal is the only option in the crisis.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said outside forces should let Syrians settle their conflict “independently.”

“We should not act like a bull in a china shop,” Mr. Putin said, according to the

Van Gaal appointment blocked

Ajax's bid to appoint Louis van Gaal as their new chief executive was today blocked by an appeal court in Amsterdam.

The lawsuit was brought by Johan Cruyff against four fellow members of the club's supervisory board in a bid to prevent Van Gaal from taking up such an influential position.

Former Ajax and Holland playmaker Cruyff argued the appointments of Van Gaal and director Martin Sturkenboom were made without his knowledge, were also opposed by 10 youth coaches at the club and went against plans to reshape Ajax's youth policy.

The court ruled the other members of the supervisory

Inside Story: What Happens When Brain Hits Skull

Image: Ryan Reid

Concussion, the most common among traumatic brain injuries, which occurs 1.7 million times a year in the U.S., represents a major public-health problem. It occurs when there is a sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head, a process depicted here in this animation.

A blow can produce a brief loss of consciousness, headaches and impaired cognition, among other symptoms. Symptoms can last for days or sometimes longer. And a person who experience one risks another and may find recovery takes longer.

Scientists continue to learn more about the nefarious consequences of repeated concussions. In the February

Cold War 2.0: East and West divide on digital rights

With worries growing over computer hacking, data theft and the risk of digital attacks destroying essential systems, western states and their allies are co-operating closer than ever on cyber security.

But as they do so, the gulf between them and China and Russia – blamed for many recent hacks and with a very different and much more authoritarian view over the future of the Internet – grows ever wider.

Last week, Chinese officials turned down invitations to a privately-run conference of military and civilian experts on cyber security in London, telling organizers Defence IQ they would not attend due to a “low tide” in relations with the U.S., particularly its military. A senior Russian official also pulled out at the last moment, citing a failure to obtain a U.K. visa in time – although other attendees

Greece's tax evaders: a crushing culture

Police try to crackdown on a crime that is "ingrained" in Greek culture.

By Andy Dabilis for Southeast European Times in Athens -- 04/02/12

The EU is one of the lenders that wants the country to crack down on tax evaders.[Reuters]

As part of a crackdown on tax evaders, Greek police arrested a 42-year-old man identified only as a chief executive officer of an unnamed company, on Wednesday (February 1st) and charged him with failing to pay 62.3m euros in back payments.

The scenario is not an uncommon sight in recent weeks, after repeated demands from international lenders putting up bailout money to save Greece from default a list of more than 4,100 names

‘Out of hand’ Mandela grandson fuels speculation

Nelson Mandela’s growing clan of grandchildren and great-grandchildren looked happy and relaxed as they gathered in a suburb of Johannesburg this week to celebrate his longtime personal chef, who was launching a cookbook of his favourite recipes.

But while many family members joined the gathering, one grandson was conspicuous by his absence: Mr. Mandela’s chosen heir, Mandla Mandela, who is embroiled in scandal and controversy over his multiple marriages and his alleged land grabs in the village where Nelson Mandela was born.

The political furor over his grandson has contributed to a difficult few months for the Mandela family. His last surviving sibling, Nokuthamba, died last week at the age of 81.

Mr. Mandela himself, 93, is in frail

Serbia: 11,000 In Remote Villages Trapped By Snow

At least 11,000 villagers have been trapped by heavy snow and blizzards in Serbia's mountains, authorities announced Thursday, as the death toll from Eastern Europe's weeklong deep freeze rose to 114.

Those stranded live in some 6,500 homes in remote areas that cannot be reach due to icy, snow-clogged roads, emergency police official Predrag Maric said. Emergency crews were pressing hard to try to clear the snow and deliver badly needed supplies.

"We are trying everything to unblock the roads, since more snow and blizzards are expected in the coming days," Maric said.

Twenty more deaths from the cold were reported in Ukraine on Thursday, with nine more in Poland and one more each in Serbia and the Czech Republic. Officials said most of victims were homeless.

Temperatures across the region sank to minus 26.5 F in some areas. Parts of the Black Sea froze near the Romanian coastline and the rare snow fell on Croatian islands in the Adriatic Sea. In Bulgaria, 16 towns recorded their lowest temperatures since records started 100 years ago.

Polish government spokeswoman Malgorzata

Reports: Pakistan Supports Taliban In Afghanistan

Media reports say Afghans are braced for a return of the Taliban once NATO forces leave the country. A classified NATO report was leaked to the BBC and The Times of London which further documents what has been said for a long time: Pakistan is actively supporting the Taliban insurgency.

Source: NPR : National Public Radio