LABOUR-ICELAND: Centre Gives Leg Up to Listless Youth

For young Icelanders at a loose end the Fjolsmidjan (multi-workshop) can prove to be a turning point.

BALKANS: Seized Cars, Property Say Crime Does Not Pay

A rare fleet of 20 luxury cars and snazzy jeeps has remained parked in front of the heavily guarded special court in the capital for days now.

EUROPE: Shadow Falls Over New Leaders

Allegations of racism and financial impropriety have spiced up an otherwise lacklustre two-week ritual in which nominees to the European Union's executive arm are quizzed by the EU's only directly elected institution.

RIGHTS: Italy Shows its Ugly Side

If the first step towards solving a problem is recognising you have one, the Italian authorities look to be some way from tackling the growing racism and xenophobia affecting sections of its society.

ECONOMY: Neoliberalism Ailing but Alive

The global financial crisis led many European economists and civil society activists to believe that the neo-liberal paradigm in social and economic policies across the industrialised world and many developing countries had passed away, victim of its own flaws.

UKRAINE: Facing Hard Choices Again

Neither the voters nor the West hold great illusions about genuine change in crisis-ridden Ukraine through the elections this weekend.

DEVELOPMENT: EU Aid to be Used for Fingerprinting

Aid traditionally reserved for keeping victims of war and disasters alive may now be used for security-related projects such as the fingerprinting of refugees, European Union officials have decided.

BALKANS: ‘Econoslavia’ Makes Sense If Yugoslavia Does Not

Politicians from the former Yugoslavia often speak about integration with the European Union (EU) as their major goal in this decade and possible salvation from the economic hardships the region faces.

Q&A: ”Copenhagen Was Great for Citizen Mobilisation”

"It is important that we all come together, the Green Party, NGOs and citizens, on major issues such as pollution in big cities or deforestation," says Remus Cernea, the new executive president of the Romanian Green Party. "And we have to use all means, from public protests and working with the media to judicial action and party politics, in order to achieve our goals."

SWITZERLAND: Police Smash School for Undocumented Migrants

The Zurich police have raided and demolished an autonomously run school where undocumented migrants held language classes. The raid came as the Swiss government admitted that its harsh treatment of undocumented asylum- seekers has partly failed, and following an announcement that it is again planning a revision of federal asylum law.

BALKANS: Serbs Bank on EU Laws to Regain Seized Property

Prominent theatre actor Tanasije Uzunovic loves to take long walks in the large Kalemegdan Fortress Park but generally avoids the Dedinje neighbourhood, a more popular green zone in the Serbian capital.

ENERGY-ICELAND: Osmotic, Tidal Power Show Promise

Iceland already gets over 72 percent of its energy from renewable, hydroelectric and geothermal sources, but Icelanders are ambitious when it comes to energy and scientists are now looking at osmotic and tidal power to meet future energy needs.

RIGHTS-FRANCE: Homeless Prefer Streets to Gov’t Shelter

They huddle in the doorways of buildings with their few belongings, trying to keep warm. Or they sleep in covered shopping centres, accompanied by their pets - usually dogs. Some, reluctantly, make their way to government-run shelters.

HEALTH-EUROPE: ‘Czech Attitudes to HIV/AIDS Risky’

Complacency and ignorance over the risks posed by HIV and AIDS are threatening to send infection rates soaring in the Czech Republic, health authorities.

RIGHTS: Gays Take Heart From Austrian Ruling

Landmark legislation on same-sex registered partnerships in Catholic Austria is an example that politicians in Eastern Europe's Catholic countries should now follow, gay rights groups in the region say.

POLITICS: Europe Sends New Year Cheer for Serbs

Serbs can look forward to better prospects in the New Year, having scored two major diplomatic victories in recent weeks that may help integrate their country with Europe.

RIGHTS: Europe Plans Spies in the Skies

Warplanes similar to those used to bomb civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan will be flying in Europe's skies within the next few years, under a scheme being prepared by Brussels officials.

ENVIRONMENT-ICELAND: Do-it-Yourself Renewable Energy Catches On

When Innovation Centre Iceland (ICI) managers began courses in farming renewable energy in October they were unprepared for the enthusiastic response from citizens.

CLIMATE CHANGE: East Europe, Developed or Developing?

The European Union is presenting itself as a united front during negotiations in the Copenhagen climate change conference. But East European countries insist that they are developing nations and prefer to limit their aid and emissions commitments.

ECONOMY: Meltdown Brings Poverty Back to East Europe

As former communist states in Eastern Europe transformed their economies from command to capitalist, over the last 20 years, economists praised the adoption of western-style economic models that created middle classes able to enjoy new levels of wealth and comfort.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Negawatts and Smart Grids

Electricity is indispensable to modern life, but its generation is responsible for 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming and climate change.