Sports Portal

4 May 2012 Last updated at 14:52 GMT Sweden's position as one of the world's most highly developed post-industrial societies looks fundamentally secure.

Unemployment is low and the economy strong. Public-private partnership is at the core of "the Swedish model", which was developed by the Social Democrats, who governed for most of the last 70 years until 2006.

This mixed economy traditionally featured centralised wage negotiations and a heavily tax-subsidised social security network. The Swedes still enjoy an advanced welfare system, and their standard of living and life expectancy are almost second to none.

Continue reading the main story Politics: Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt from the centre-right Alliance for Sweden heads a coalition governmentEconomy: Engineering is a key sector in the export-based economy. Voters have rejected eurozone membershipInternational: Sweden joined the EU in 1995. Though a famously neutral country, a security doctrine has allowed for the deployment of Swedish forces overseas

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

The country is also a common destination for refugees and asylum seekers - immigrants make up more than 10% of its population.

Swedes voted in a referendum in 1980 to phase out nuclear power, and the country began to decommission reactors in 1999. However, fears over climate change and energy security persuaded the government to reverse the decision in 2009, and plans are on the table to replace the country's 10 remaining reactors.

Sweden is known throughout the world for its neutrality. This policy has led to a number of Swedish politicians taking on international roles, often mediating between conflicting groups or ideologies. With the ending of the Cold War, Sweden felt able to join the European Union in 1995 although it still declines to become a Nato member.

Sweden was one of three EU countries not to join the single European currency. In the first referendum on membership after the euro's introduction in 12 of 15 EU countries, Swedish voters rejected it by a clear majority in September 2003.

Sweden is seen as one of the world's most highly developed post-industrial societies

View the original article here

4 November 2012 Last updated at 13:12 GMT A landlocked, mountainous country, Switzerland's geographical position in central Europe and studious neutrality have given it the access and political stability to become one of the world's wealthiest countries, largely through its banking industry.

Formally neutral since just after the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century and informally for about 300 years before that, Switzerland joined the United Nations only in September 2002. Surrounded by the European Union, it is gradually engaging more closely with its powerful neighbour and other international organisations.

Although it lies close to the geographical centre of Europe, and most of its trade is with its European neighbours, it is not an EU member. A referendum in 2001 went against opening talks on joining.

Membership of the European Economic Area was also rejected by referendum in 1992 and Swiss-EU relations are now based on an extensive range of bilateral agreements.

Much of Switzerland's wealth is based on it's banking sector Continue reading the main story Politics: Switzerland has a collective head of state, the Federal Council. Each year, a council member is chosen to fill the post of Federal President. Referendums are central to the political system of direct democracyEconomy: Switzerland is a centre of global wealth. Investors use its banks as a safe haven from world financial turmoil. Banking secrecy is a cornerstone of the industry, but has come under fire outside SwitzerlandInternational: Formally-neutral Switzerland joined the UN in 2002. It remains outside the EU, but is in the passport-free Schengen zone. Immigration is becoming an area of dispute with the EU

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Ties became closer in 2005 when a referendum backed membership of the EU Schengen and Dublin agreements, bringing Switzerland into Europe's passport-free zone and increasing cooperation on crime and asylum issues. A further referendum the same year opened the job market to workers from the 10 newest EU member countries.

At the same time Switzerland has been gradually acceding to international pressure to allow greater scrutiny of its famously secretive banking sector, amid growing concerns about money-laundering and the financing of terrorist groups.

The country forms a European cultural and linguistic crossroads, with about two-thirds of the population speaking German, around one-fifth French and about 7% Italian. Romansch, the fourth national language, is spoken by less than 1% of the population.

The people are given a direct say in their own affairs under Switzerland's system of direct democracy, which has no parallel in any other country.

They are invited to the polls several times a year to vote in national or regional referendums and people's initiatives. Constitutional proposals and major international treaties must be put to the vote, and parliamentary decisions can be subjected to a vote by collecting 50,000 signatures.

The question of immigration has risen sharply in public life in the early 21st century, as foreign nationals - overwhelmingly from the rest of Europe, including Turkey - rose to number 20% of the population. The anti-immigration Swiss People's Party became the largest party in parliament in 2009, and minarets on mosques were banned in a referendum in 2009. The government has taken steps to cut immigration from eastern Europe.

The tradition of a citizen army, seen as an essential part of Swiss neutrality, runs deep. During the Cold War the Swiss maintained one of Europe's largest land-based armies. The extremely costly militia system, under which every adult male was conscripted and remained in the reserves until middle age, has been slowly streamlined.

The government expressed its regrets over the country's behaviour in World War II following a report by an independent panel of historians on Swiss relations with the Nazis. The report found that the authorities had known what lay in store for the Jewish refugees to whom they closed their borders in 1942, and had assisted the economy of Nazi Germany, although not to a degree that prolonged the war.

Swiss scenery includes fertile meadows, spectacular Alpine peaks as well as mountain lakes

View the original article here

BBC News - Ten moments that defined Pope Benedict XVI Accessibility links Skip to content Skip to local navigation Accessibility Help bbc.co.uk navigation News Sport Weather Travel Future Autos TV Radio More… Search term: World Home UK Africa Asia Europe Latin America Mid-East US & Canada Business Health Sci/Environment Tech Entertainment Video 12 February 2013Last updated at 11:16 GMT Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Ten moments that defined Pope Benedict XVI Latest World's Catholics Legacy Pope election Next Pope's inbox Key moments #newsspec_4933 .panel h2 {font-size: 30px;line-height: 32px;}#newsspec_4933 .panel h2, #newsspec_4933 .panel p { width: 232px; float: left;padding: 0 16px;}#newsspec_4933 .ns_emp {top: -32px;position: relative;}#newsspec_4933 .panel_playlist {position: relative;}#newsspec_4933 ul#carousel1 li div.panel div.ns_emp a.panel_playlist div.ply_btn {top: 0;position: absolute;}.story-body h1.story-header {width: 976px;}.ns-wide-include {margin-bottom: 16px;height: 511px;}#soundslide_newsspec_4933 {height: 460px;padding-top: 50px;background: #000;}#ss-intro {height: 700px;}#newsspec_4933 #clickable,#ss-intro.ns-intro-noshow {display: none;}/**/#newsspec_4933 .panel p {font-size: 13px;}#newsspec_4933 .panel img.no_video {margin-top: 18px;}#newsspec_4933 div#mapping.static-t li.active a.hotspot {border: 3px solid #D2700F;}.gelui-carousel .gelui-carousel-button-prev,.gelui-carousel .gelui-carousel-button-prev:hover,.gelui-carousel .gelui-carousel-navigation.gelui-carousel-navigation-left {margin-right: 1px;border-right: 1px solid #FFF;}.ns-wide-include {overflow: hidden;position: relative;}#st-intro{position: relative;}.st-intro-cta {position: absolute;bottom: 0;left: 0;width: 560px;}.st-intro-cta p {background: transparent url(/news/special/panels/13/feb/skeleton_interactive/img/launcher_cta24x33.png) no-repeat right 0;}.ie #st-intro:hover .overlay, .ie7 #st-intro:hover .overlay, .ie8 #st-intro:hover .overlay{background:#000000;}.st-overlay{position: absolute;display: block;padding: 8px 16px 12px;background: #000000;background: rgba(0,0,0,0.6);font-size: 16px;font-weight: normal;color: #FFFFFF;}.ie .st-overlay, .ie7 .st-overlay, .ie8 .st-overlay {background:transparent; filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(startColorstr=#aa000000,endColorstr=#aa000000); zoom: 1;}#ss-intro a:hover,#ss-intro a:active,#ss-intro a:hover p,#ss-intro a:active p {text-decoration: none;}#ss-intro a:hover h2,#ss-intro a:active h2 {text-decoration: underline;}#ss-intro a:hover .st-overlay,#ss-intro a:active .st-overlay{background: #000000;}div#st-intro a.skipping div.st-intro-cta h2{color: #FFFFFF;font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Helmet,Freesans,sans-serif; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 34px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;font-size: 2.461em;margin: 12px 0 12px 0;}.st-overlay h2 {font-size: 26px;line-height: 39px;padding-right: 23px;color: #FFFFFF;width: 474px;}.st-overlay p{line-height: 24px;padding-right: 45px; width: 518px;font-size: 17px;font-weight: normal;margin-bottom: 6px;color: #FFFFFF;}#soundslide_newsspec_4933 #audio_slideshow {height: 401px !important;border-bottom: 1px solid #FFF;}#newsspec_4933 #panel6 .panel-container img:first-child {border-right: 1px solid #FFF;margin: 0;}div#mapping.static-t a.hotspot:focus,div#mapping.static-t a.hotspot:hover{border: 3px solid #D2700F;}div#mapping.static-t a.hotspot{z-index: 10;/*temp*/border: 3px solid transparent;-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;-moz-box-sizing: border-box;box-sizing: border-box;}Ten moments which defined a Pope

With the shock resignation of Benedict XVI after nearly eight years as Pope, we look back at his time at the head of the Catholic church and identify some key events which helped define his papacy.

CLICKABLELabelsOffOn

New Pope

Across the divide

Celibacy issue

Holocaust prayers

Abuse apology

Pope attacked

Irish apology

UK visit

The social Pope

Resignation shock

New Pope

Benedict XVI was the oldest man to become Pope for 275 years when he succeeded John Paul II at the age of 78 in April 2005.

Before his papacy, Joseph Ratzinger spent 24 years as a senior cardinal in the Vatican, where he rose to preside over the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - once notoriously known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

His papacy would bring a restating of traditionalist, conservative views, and resistance to calls for change against a backdrop of growing outrage over child abuse within the Catholic Church.

Across the divide

In an effort to improve inter-religious relations, in late 2006 Benedict XVI visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, where he joined Muslim clerics in silent prayer.

The visit was only the second papal visit to an Islamic holy site in history, and drew protests from some Islamic groups.

Celibacy restated

Benedict XVI's papacy has reflected his belief that the Catholic Church should retain its core traditional, conservative values in an era of rapid change.

In March 2007 he rejected tentative calls for a debate over the issue of clerical celibacy by stating that abstinence "remains obligatory" for Roman Catholic priests.

He went on to reaffirm the ban on Communion for divorced Catholics who remarry, on abortion, euthanasia, and gay partnerships, which he said were "not negotiable".

Holocaust remembered

On a visit to Austria in September 2007, Pope Benedict paid tribute to the victims of the Nazi Holocaust at a memorial in Vienna.

The pontiff, who grew up in the neighbouring German province of Bavaria, expressed his "sadness, repentance and friendship" towards the Jewish people.

A few months later the Pope - who spent time in the Nazi Hitler Youth during his childhood - spoke about growing up under the "monster" of Nazism.

Abuse apology

In July 2008 the Pope apologised for the sexual abuse of children by some Catholic priests.

In a speech to a gathering of bishops in Sydney, assembled for the Catholic World Youth Day, the Pope described "the shame we have all felt", and called for abusers to face justice.

Pope attacked

A shocking incident on Christmas Eve 2009 saw the Pope knocked to the ground by a woman shortly before celebrating Mass in St Peter's Basilica.

The woman - later named as Susanna Maiolo and described as "mentally unstable" - was detained by security officials, who said they had recognised her from an attempt to grab the Pope a year earlier.

The shaken Pope recovered to celebrate Mass, but the incident prompted an urgent review of Vatican security.

Irish apology

Amid continuing revelations of institutionalised paedophilia within the Catholic Church, in March 2010 Pope Benedict took the unprecedented step of writing a pastoral letter to Irish Catholics in which he acknowledged and apologised to those who had "suffered grievously".

The letter went on to "openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel", and said that those guilty of abuse must "answer before God".

The apology fell short of demands from some victim groups, who had urged for an admission that abuse was systematically covered up by the church.

UK visit

Almost 30 years after the last papal visit, in September 2010 Pope Benedict visited the UK, drawing crowds of thousands of people.

In Scotland, about 125,000 lined the streets of Edinburgh to witness a parade celebrating Scotland's Christian history. A mass in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park attracted some 65,000 - a turn-out some way short of the reported 250,000 who assembled to see John Paul II in 1982.

The visit concluded with visits to London and Birmingham, where Pope Benedict beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman in the city's Cofton Park.

The social Pope

Defying his conservative image, December 2012 saw Pope Benedict extend his remit to social media with the launch of the account @pontifex.

Media adviser Greg Burke said the Pope wanted to "reach out to everyone" with the Twitter account, which would be available in eight different languages.

Resignation shock

On Monday 11 February, Pope Benedict stunned the world by announcing that he would step down as pontiff within two weeks, the first papal resignation in almost 600 years.

In his resignation statement the 85-year-old Pope said that having "repeatedly examined my conscience... I have come to the certainty that my strengths are no longer suited to the adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry".

More on This Story Pope resigns Background and analysisWorld's Catholics

Infographics showing the distribution of the Roman Catholic population in the world, where it has risen and fallen in recent years, and how the number of voting cardinals breaks down.

Runners and riders The Pope's inboxLegacy of retirementElecting a popeA reluctant leader?Full resignation textViewpoint: Disappointing leaderModern Pope?How does pope resign?Reaction in quotesIn his own wordsRecap: The day the Pope resigned ProfilesPope profileVatican profileAn eventful life Watch In picturesLife in picturesPope Benedict's travels Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print More World stories RSSPope Benedict holds last public Mass

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates his last scheduled public Mass, for Ash Wednesday, two days after shocking Catholics by saying he would resign.

EU and US launch free-trade talksPlane crash-lands in eastern Ukraine Services  Mobile  Connected TV  News feeds  Alerts  E-mail news About BBC News Editors' blog BBC College of Journalism News sources Media Action BBC links Mobile siteTerms of UseAbout the BBC Advertise With UsPrivacyBBC Help Ad ChoicesCookiesAccessibility Help Parental GuidanceContact Us BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

12 February 2013 Last updated at 00:25 GMT By Sylvia Smith Business reporter, BBC News, Tuscany Italian fashion capital being led by Chinese

The transformation of a town in Tuscany from a traditional stronghold of the Italian textile industry into a capital of cheap clothing is causing widespread discontent among locals who complain they are losing out to the Chinese on their own turf.

But the Chinese view the rapidly expanding fast-fashion market in Prato, a satellite town of fashionable Florence, as an opportunity for Italian companies to exploit the desirability of the "Made in Italy" brand in new ways.

According to Marco Landi, president of the Tuscany branch of trade body CNA, which represents small and medium-sized firms, the remaining 3,000 small-scale Italian enterprises in Prato's industrial district face unprecedented upheaval.

Continue reading the main story

Italian companies can't compete on price, their strength lies in the area of aesthetics”

End Quote Xu Lin Chinese entrepreneur in Italy "As a result of backdoor globalisation, Italian businesses are being forced to restructure," he says.

"At the moment there are approximately 4,000 Chinese-run clothing factories in Prato. These new production dynamics are compelling the remaining Italian businesses based there to rethink their markets."

'Can't compete'

The long thread of history connecting Prato with textiles stretches back to the 12th Century, when garment manufacturing was regulated by the wool merchants' guild.

Before the arrival of the Chinese, thousands of small Italian textile units were a source of cheap "Italian made" clothes, producing them on the side from Italian-made fabric - often with the help of hired Chinese workers.

Italy-based Chinese model Lu Chen says China wishes to learn Italian fashion skills

But the Chinese have beaten the Italians at their own game by setting up their own businesses and driving down prices by importing far cheaper fabrics from China.

The Prato industrial zone now accounts for more than 30% of Italy's textile imports from China.

"More than half of Italian-owned businesses in the industrial zone have gone to the wall over the past decade," Mr Landi continues. "There are now more Chinese garment manufacturers than there are Italian textile producers."

The Chinese newcomers have opened up the market in mainland China in a way Italians never could. They are exporting millions of low-cost garments bearing the Made in Italy tag in a seemingly unregulated export drive. They have also notched up increased demand in Europe through cost-cutting.

But Xu Lin, a Chinese entrepreneur who set up Giupel, a clothing business, in Prato more than 10 years ago, believes that economic currents are set to favour Italian companies if they innovate and wake up to new opportunities.

"Italian companies can't compete on price, their strength lies in the area of aesthetics," he says.

"Italian textile companies have long outsourced the early stages of tissue production. But they have the traditional skills needed for the unique finishes and state-of-the art features that come at the end of the fabric production chain. The same is true of clothes."

'World leaders'

Prato still remains the world's fabric development leader - a sort of laboratory where future fabric trends are tested out.

Xu Lin says that while Italian companies cannot compete on price, they have other advantages

Italian companies invest heavily in technological research producing innovative textiles for the couture end of the market.

Mr Xu believes that there is a burgeoning market back home not only for cheap apparel, but for the most expensive and refined Italian garments and fabrics.

"Hand-made in Tuscany is the best you can find," confirms Ermanno Scervino, one of Italy's top couture designers. "Its artisans are the most creative in the world and that is why my business is here in Florence and not in Milan or Paris."

Mr Scervino uses Tuscan specialist knowledge to produce original technological fabrics for each of his collections. He is planning to open shops in Shanghai and Beijing within the coming year.

Chinese signs can be seen in Prato

The long hours put in by the Chinese in Prato are helping fill High Street chains such as Primark, H&M and Topshop in Europe with trendy, disposable fashion. But the Chinese have already raised their sights to the top end of the fashion market.

Lu Chen, a 24 year-old Chinese model living in Italy, says that young Chinese are studying at fashion schools in Italy in order to pick up the Italian design skills - the benchmark for international couture fashion .

"The Chinese really connect with the best quality Italian fashion and want to learn how to replicate that," she says.

Mr Xu says that he is already employing Italians as designers and in key factory positions.

"If the Chinese weren't in Prato and the clothes were made in mainland China instead, the Italians would be suffering far more," he says. "We have helped the Italians by ensuring the Made in Italy brand is ever more popular in China."

As Mr Scervino fits an exquisite leather and silk skirt in his Florentine studio on the tall and elegant Ms Lu, he expresses doubts that flair and chic can be taught in schools.

"You need to live in a country where beauty, art and craftsmanship have been treasured since the Renaissance," he says.

"It isn't something you can copy. I have Chinese customers in my shops around the world who want to buy Italian flair and handwork. It's unique and that is what wealthy people seek."

View the original article here

12 February 2013 Last updated at 02:18 GMT By Pascale Harter BBC News, Barcelona Anti-austerity demonstrations have been widespread in Spain There is fury in Spain after accusations that politicians have been lining their pockets while ordinary people are making painful sacrifices in the name of austerity.

There is a phrase in Spain I used to find admirable for its infinite pragmatism - "es lo que hay" - which means, "that's what there is".

It is said with a shrug of the shoulders and it works on nearly any occasion.

For example: "I ordered my squid without batter."

Waiter: "Well, that's what there is."

Or: "The politician you voted for has embezzled millions in public money and your town hall is bankrupt."

Response: "Ah well, that's what there is."

But such an epidemic of corruption is now coming to light in Spain that it seems to me the national shrug of apathy is finally falling out of fashion.

Taking its place is a look of abject disgust and the spat-out words "que verguenza". This means, "the shame of it".

Continue reading the main story Insight and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the worldBroadcast on Radio 4 and BBC World ServiceFor the last few months the corruption scandals have been so numerous that the television news began lumping them together in a swift round-up, rather than reporting on each one. They had to leave room for other news items - like the effects of austerity cuts and rocketing unemployment.

There is now a regular spot on Spaniards who used to have a job and a home, but do not have either any more. One featured a man who now lives in his car outside his former home.

Austerity came up at a dinner party I was at, as it does in most conversations here these days. Spain's anti-austerity protesters call themselves "los indignados" (the indignant).

"Why aren't you more indignant about corruption though?" I asked. A shrug. Someone poured more wine. Someone else said, "corruption? that's just what there is".

"We can't be indignant if the politicians steal," he explained, "because we're all at it. Take the man who came from the gas company to fix my boiler and offered to do it for me for half the price if I paid him personally in cash. Of course I said 'yes'."

It is hard to get a receipt in Spain - from the taxi drivers who tell you the ink has run out of the printer they are legally required to have, to the eminently respectable estate agent, who had a framed photo of the king in his office.

From behind his spectacles he told me if I wanted a receipt for his fee, he would have to charge me 250 euros (£215) in tax. So, in Spain you have to pay if you want to be indignant - and righteous.

'Slow' justice

Economists say that without the black economy there would be rioting on the streets. People are getting by. They are just not telling the taxman.

But suddenly the corruption scandals have become too big, and the justice system is seen as too slow when it comes to punishing those with power.

Former treasurer Luis Barcenas was questioned by prosecutors in Madrid

People are not saying, "ah, that's what there is" now.

"The shame of it", they are shrieking at, for example, the news that a mother who used a cash card she found on the street is going to prison for a year and a half. She used it to buy food and nappies.

People are angry that the king's son-in-law will only have some assets frozen if he does not pay his bail. His charitable organisation is accused of embezzling millions in public money that was supposed to be used to stage sporting events. He denies any wrongdoing.

There are also the rumbling cases of the flamenco star who refutes charges that she money-laundered for her husband while he was mayor of Marbella, and another ex-mayor who says no he did not take cash off the Russian mafia.

And then there is the big one. The recent revelations that the former treasurer of the governing Popular Party (PP) has been operating a 20 million euro (£17.25m) Swiss bank account. The PP has strenuously denied that this money, from no-one knows who, was handed over in cash-stuffed envelopes to the party's top brass, in exchange for who knows what?

And this time the politicians are being pressed to answer the questions. And they are not used to it. They stand before cameras blinking uncomfortably, like moles newly emerged into sunlight.

Thousands demonstrated outside the ruling party headquarters calling for the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, to resign. They are not satisfied with the party announcement that it is going to investigate the allegations while simultaneously dismissing them as certainly untrue.

Mr Rajoy says the reputations of the majority of politicians, honest men and women dedicating their life to public work, are being unfairly tarnished by the alleged dishonesty of a few.

But then documents were published in the left-leaning El Pais newspaper which alleged that the prime minister was among the party members who had received one such bulging envelope from the Swiss bank account. It is a charge Mr Rajoy strenuously rejects.

And Mr Rajoy is right, Spaniards are cynical about all their politicians in all the parties. Although wrongdoing has not been proved Spaniards are angry, they are not shrugging anymore.

The other day a TV news crew was on the street asking people what should be done.

One middle-aged, mild-looking woman, replied "you know the French Revolution, where they cut off their heads? Well something like that might do the trick".

How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent:

BBC Radio 4: Saturdays at 11:30 and some Thursdays at 11:00.

Listen online or download the podcast.

BBC World Service: Short editions Monday-Friday - see World Service programme schedule.

You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook

View the original article here

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

31 May 2012 Last updated at 14:35 GMT The separatist region of Trans-Dniester - a narrow strip of land between the Dniester river and the Ukrainian border - proclaimed independence from Moldova in 1990, and is considered one of the post-Soviet space's "frozen conflicts".

The international community does not recognise its self-declared statehood, and the territory, which remains in a tense stand-off with Moldova, is often portrayed as a hotbed of crime.

In a September 2006 referendum, unrecognised by Moldova and the international community, the region reasserted its demand for independence and also backed a plan eventually to join Russia.

A billboard in Tiraspol reads: Union with Russia! We are not Moldova!

In the post World War II carve-up of the region, Moscow created Moldova's forerunner, the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, from two disparate elements: the mainly Russian-speaking Dniester region, formerly an autonomous part of Ukraine, and the neighbouring region of Bessarabia, which had been part of Romania from 1918-1940.

But in the Soviet Union's dying days, alarm grew in the Dniester region over growing Moldovan nationalism and the possible reunification of Moldova with Romania. A 1989 law which made Moldovan an official language added to the tension, and Trans-Dniester proclaimed its secession in September 1990.

The breakaway territory's paramilitary forces took over Moldovan public institutions in the area in 1991. Fighting intensified, culminating in a battle on the right bank of the Dniester in June 1992. Up to 700 people were killed in the conflict.

A ceasefire was signed in July 1992, and a 10-km demilitarised security zone was established. The settlement was enforced by the Russian 14th Army forces already stationed in Trans-Dniester.

Russian presence

The ongoing presence of Russian troops has been a stumbling block in peace talks and the West is concerned about the Soviet-era arsenal in the territory. A pull-out began in 2001 but was halted when Trans-Dniester blocked the dispatch of weapons. Subsequent agreements to resume failed to reach fruition.

Long-running talks supervised by the OSCE, Russia and Ukraine have yet to yield a political solution. Attempts by Moldova to exert economic pressure on the Dniester authorities have failed to produce the desired result.

In 2004 a Russian-brokered plan, which would have made the presence of Russian troops permanent, sparked mass protests in Moldova and was shelved.

Conflict resolution talks involving Moldova, Trans-Dniester, Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE resumed under Russian mediation in 2008, after being suspended in 2006.

There are disputes over language issues. Though dominated by Russian-speakers, around 40% of the population in Trans-Dniester have Moldovan - which is virtually identical to Romanian - as a first language.

Trans-Dniester contains most of Moldova's industrial infrastructure, but its economic potential is limited by its international isolation. It has its own currency, constitution, parliament, flag and anthem. One of the last bastions of Soviet-style rhetoric, the territory has nonethless privatised some of its industrial enterprises.

Russia shores up the region with financial assistance and funds a monthly payment to the region's pensioners.

The region is plagued by corruption, organised crime and smuggling. It has been accused of conducting illegal arms sales and of money laundering. Poverty is widespread.

Trans-Dniester has plenty of Soviet symbols, including this soaring statue of Lenin in Tiraspol

View the original article here

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

23 September 2012 Last updated at 15:28 GMT The present borders of Belarus were established during the turmoil of World War II.

The former Soviet republic was occupied by the Nazis between 1941 and 1944, when it lost 2.2 million people, including almost all of its large Jewish population.

The largest remaining minority is a Polish population of about 400,000 in the west, which is also the stronghold of the beleagured Belarussian language.

Belarus has been ruled with an increasingly iron fist since 1994 by President Alexander Lukashenko. Opposition figures are subjected to harsh penalties for organising protests.

In early 2005, Belarus was listed by the US as Europe's only remaining "outpost of tyranny". In late 2008, there were some signs of a slight easing of tensions with the West, though this proved to be only a temporary thaw.

The country became independent in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Belarus was one of the more prosperous parts of the old Soviet Union but its fortunes have since declined

Two decades later, the sense of national identity is weak, international isolation continues and the nature of political links with Russia remains a key issue.

In the Soviet post-war years, Belarus became one of the most prosperous parts of the USSR, but with independence came economic decline. President Lukashenko has steadfastly opposed the privatisation of state enterprises. Private business is virtually non-existent. Foreign investors stay away.

The economic situation deteriorated drastically in the summer of 2011 when a balance of payments crisis drained the country's hard-currency reserves. The government's efforts to re-peg the official exchange rate and freeze the price of staple foodstuffs failed to impress either Russia or the International Monetary Fund, to both of which Belarus appealed for assistance.

Continue reading the main story Politics: President Lukashenko is often dubbed "Europe's last dictator". He's been in power since 1994Economy: Soviet-style economy is subsidised by cheap Russian gasInternational: A key oil and gas pipeline from Russia to Europe runs through Belarus; the US and European Union cold-shoulder the Lukashenko government

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

For much of his career, Mr Lukashenko has sought to develop closer ties with Russia. On the political front, there was talk of union but little tangible evidence of progress, and certainly not toward the union of equals envisaged by President Lukashenko.

Belarus remains heavily dependent on Russia to meet its own energy needs, and a considerable proportion of Russian oil and gas exports to Europe pass through it.

Russia's role as a major energy supplier to the rest of Europe and Belarus's position as a key transit country have come under the spotlight several times since 2006, when tensions first arose between Moscow and Minsk over the price of Russian gas and Belarus's privileged access to duty-free oil.

Relations with Russia deteriorated sharply in the summer of 2010, with disputes over energy pricing, customs union terms and the presence in Belarus of ousted Kyrgyz president Bakiyev, prompting brief speculation that Moscow might switch support from Lukashenko to another leadership candidate.

Belarus became independent in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union

View the original article here

26 September 2012 Last updated at 09:36 GMT Ireland emerged from the conflict that marked its birth as an independent state to become one of Europe's economic success stories in the final decade of the twentieth century.

Long under English or British rule, Ireland lost half its population in the decades following the Great Famine of the 1840s to death and emigration.

After World War I, independence from the United Kingdom was only achieved at the price of civil war and partition. Northern Ireland remains part of Britain.

After the country joined the European Community in 1973, it was transformed from a largely agricultural society into a modern, high-technology economy.

For centuries British dominion in Ireland gave rise to unrest which finally erupted into violence with the Easter Rising of 1916, when independence was proclaimed. The rising was crushed and many of its leaders executed, but the campaign for independence carried on through a bloody Anglo-Irish War of 1919-1921.

A booming economy transformed Dublin in the 1990s Continue reading the main story Politics: Prime Minister Enda Kenny from Fine Gael leads a coalition that ousted Fianna Fail, traditionally the main force in parliament, in 2011Economy: Ireland sought a rescue package from the EU and IMF in 2010 after debt and deficit problems left the economy close to collapseInternational: Ireland is active in international peacekeeping. It pursues military neutrality and is not a member of Nato. Ireland is an EU member and eurozone country

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

It was in 1922 that 26 counties of Ireland gained independence from London following negotiations which led to the other six counties, part of the province of Ulster, remaining in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Partition was followed by a year of civil war.

Relations between Dublin and London remained strained for many years afterwards. Northern Ireland saw decades of violent conflict between those campaigning for a united Ireland and those wishing to stay in the United Kingdom.

In an unprecedented and concerted effort to resolve the situation, the Irish and UK governments worked closely together in negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement on the future of Northern Ireland in 1998.

Boom to bust

Ireland's economy began to grow rapidly in the 1990s, fuelled by foreign investment. This attracted a wave of incomers to a country where, traditionally, mass emigration had been the norm.

The boom that earned Ireland the nickname of "Celtic Tiger" faltered when the country fell into recession in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008.

The property boom had been fuelled by massive lending from the banks, and when this collapsed - and lenders were unable to repay - the Irish banking system was plunged into crisis.

The Irish economy underwent one of the deepest recessions in the eurozone, with its economy shrinking by 10% in 2009.

In November 2010, Ireland and the EU agreed a financial rescue package worth 85bn euros, ending weeks of speculation about a bail-out.

The swing bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin was inaugurated in 2009

View the original article here

13 February 2013 Last updated at 17:47 GMT The Pope has said he is resigning for the "good of the Church" Pope Benedict XVI is celebrating his last scheduled public Mass following his resignation.

The service is for Ash Wednesday and is being held in St Peter's Basilica.

Looking tired, the 85-year-old pontiff anointed the foreheads of the faithful with ashes in a service attended by cardinals, bishops, monks, friars and pilgrims.

Wearing purple vestments, he referred to his resignation in his homily, asking for the prayers of the faithful.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the most solemn season in the Church calendar that ends with Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

Continue reading the main story 17-23 February - Lenten retreat, most normal Vatican functions suspended24 February - Pope recites Angelus for the last time27 February - Last weekly audience, in St Peter's SquareEvening of 28 February - Pope leaves officeFrom 15 March - Conclave to elect new PopeThe pontiff had originally been scheduled to celebrate Ash Wednesday at the small Sant' Anselmo church, then lead a procession to Santa Sabina Basilica on Rome's Aventine Hill.

But the Mass was relocated to St Peter's to accommodate the crowds, the Vatican said. The change also saved the Pope the effort of the procession.

Earlier, the Pope was cheered by crowds as he entered and began speaking at his weekly general audience at its traditional venue, the audience hall in the Vatican.

Thousands of people gathered in the hall to greet him, giving him a standing ovation as he arrived, and cheering as he began and finished speaking.

Looking tired and drawn, Pope Benedict thanked the crowd for their warm greeting and their sympathy.

"Thank you for the love and prayer with which you have accompanied me... Keep praying for me, for the Church and for the future pope," he said.

He said he was aware of the gravity of his decision to resign but also of his declining strength, adding that he was certain the Church would sustain him with prayer.

"I did this in full liberty for the good of the Church," he added.

Battle for succession

The pontiff will continue with his usual agenda until the day he officially retires at the end of February, Vatican officials say.

By the end of Lent, in six weeks' time, there is expected to be a new pope.

Continue reading the main story At 78, one of the oldest new popes in history when elected in 2005Born in Germany in 1927, joined Hitler Youth during WWII and was conscripted as an anti-aircraft gunner - but desertedAs Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, spent 24 years in charge of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - overseeing Catholic doctrineA theological conservative with uncompromising views on homosexuality and women priestsReached out to other faiths, visiting sites holy to Muslims and JewsThe BBC's David Willey, in Rome, says Pope Benedict is anxious to ensure a smooth transition of power to his successor, and does not want to go down in history as a pope who abandoned his ministry without sufficient cause.

The pontiff's daily diary until his departure from the Vatican at the end of the month is already full.

The Vatican holds a Lenten retreat from 17 to 23 February. The Pope will hold one more Wednesday audience on 27 February, again in St Peter's Square.

On 28 February he will fly off to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, where he will stay while Church leaders go through the complicated ritual of choosing a successor.

The secret process of selecting a new pope is known as a Conclave, governed by rules which have evolved over centuries.

Our correspondent says says the behind-the-scenes battle for the succession has already begun.

At 78, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest popes in history at his election.

He took the helm as one of the fiercest storms the Catholic Church has faced in decades - the scandal of child sex abuse by priests - was breaking.

The pontiff said in his resignation statement on Monday: "After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry."

View the original article here

29 January 2013 Last updated at 12:46 GMT A sparsely-populated North Atlantic island, Iceland is famous for its hot springs, geysers and active volcanoes. Lava fields cover much of the land and hot water is pumped from under the ground to supply much of the country's heating.

Iceland became an independent republic in 1944 and went on to become one of the world's most prosperous economies. However, the collapse of the banking system in 2008 exposed that prosperity as having been built on a dangerously vulnerable economic model.

In recent years Iceland enjoyed a standard of living that was among the highest in the world. Its prosperity initially rested on the fishing industry, but with the gradual contraction of this sector the Icelandic economy developed into new areas.

Iceland is prone to impressive volcano activity Continue reading the main story Politics: Social Democrat Johanna Sigurdardottir leads a centre-left coalitionEconomy: Iceland is emerging steadily from a recession caused by the 2008 collapse of its economy and banking systemInternational: Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009. Membership talks are under way

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

By the beginning of the 21st century, Iceland had come to epitomise the global credit boom. Its banks expanded dramatically overseas and foreign money poured into the country, fuelling exceptional growth.

Before the global credit crunch took hold, Icelandic banks had foreign assets worth about 10 times the country's GDP, with debts to match, and Icelandic businesses also made major investments abroad.

The global financial crisis of 2008 exposed the Icelandic economy's dependence on the banking sector, leaving it particularly vulnerable to collapse.

In October 2008, the government took over control of all three of the country's major banks in an effort to stabilise the financial system. Shortly after this, Iceland became the first western country to apply to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency financial aid since 1976.

The economy shrank by 6.8% in 2009, although since the end of 2010 it has recovered steadily, with growth averaging 2.5% per annum and unemployment falling to just below 5%.

Environmental issues

In the long term, Iceland's well educated workforce and its extensive and as yet largely untapped natural resources are likely to provide the key to its recovery from the economic crisis, though concerns have been raised over the potential environmental impact of developing the latter.

Environmentalists have protested that a major aluminium smelter project and associated geothermal and hydroelectric schemes were being pushed through at the expense of fragile wildlife habitats.

The country has extended its territorial waters several times since the end of the 1950s to protect its fishermen and their main catch of Atlantic cod from foreign fleets.

Traditionally a whaling nation, Iceland abandoned the practice in 1989 in line with an international moratorium. It later resumed scientific whaling, intended to investigate the impact of whales on fish stocks, and in 2006 it announced a return to commercial hunts. The move was condemned by environmental groups.

Iceland is one of only a few countries which still kill whales

Although it has no armed forces, Iceland is a member of Nato, and US troops were stationed in the country from World War II until 2006. In 1985 Iceland declared itself a nuclear-free zone.

Relations with Europe

Icelanders have for a long time been resistant to the idea of joining the European Union, though the country is a member of the Schengen border-free travel zone and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Attitudes towards the EU slowly softened, and in July 2009 the country formally applied for EU accession.

The government hopes that the path to EU membership will be completed by 2012, but there are a number of obstacles that could disrupt this timetable.

A debt dispute with Britain and the Netherlands arising from the 2008 collapse of the Icelandic banking sector looked close to resolution in early 2013, when a European court cleared the government of failing to guarantee minimum levels of compensation for British and Dutch savers in the Icesave bank.

The debt issue led many Icelanders to question whether EU membership was such a good idea after all, and an opinion poll conducted shortly before formal accession talks began in July 2010 showed that a majority was in favour of withdrawing the country's application.

Other areas that have the capacity to derail the negotiations are Iceland's whale hunting industry and its insistence on maintaining its fishing limits - an issue that precipitated the "Cod Wars" of the 1950s and 1970s.

Iceland's announcement that it was unilaterally increasing its mackerel fishing quota for 2011 by nearly 17,000 tonnes looked set to increase tensions with the EU and Norway.

Reykjavik, named by Vikings who settled there, is the northernmost capital of a sovereign state

View the original article here

13 February 2013 Last updated at 12:24 GMT Take the art works of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Tintoretto and Caravaggio, the operas of Verdi and Puccini, the cinema of Federico Fellini, add the architecture of Venice, Florence and Rome and you have just a fraction of Italy's treasures from over the centuries.

While the country is renowned for these and other delights, it is also notorious for its precarious political life and has had several dozen governments since the end of World War II.

The Italian political landscape underwent a seismic shift in the early 1990s when the "mani pulite" ("clean hands") operation exposed corruption at the highest levels of politics and big business. Several former prime ministers were implicated and thousands of businessmen and politicians were investigated.

Millions of tourists visit Italy to see its antiquities, such as Michelangelo's David

There were high hopes at the time that the "mani pulite" scandal would give rise to a radical reform of Italian political culture, but these hopes were dashed when the old structures were replaced by a new political landscape dominated by the multi-millionaire businessman Silvio Berlusconi, who himself increasingly became mired in scandals and corruption affairs.

Continue reading the main story Politics: Economist Mario Monti leads a government of unelected technocrats, appointed amid a mounting economic crisisEconomy: Italy has the eurozone's third largest economy and a huge public debt - second only to Greece'sInternational: Italian forces have been active in peacekeeping in the Balkans, Africa and Middle East, and are present in Afghanistan

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Italy was one of the six countries that signed the 1951 Paris Treaty setting Europe off on the path to integration. It has been staunchly at the heart of Europe ever since, although the government led by Mr Berlusconi in the early 2000s adopted a more Eurosceptic stance.

Mr Berlusconi sought to align Italy more closely to the US, breaking ranks with the country's traditional allies, France and Germany, in his support for the US-led campaign in Iraq.

Italy is the fourth largest European economy and for long enjoyed one of the highest per capita incomes in Europe, despite the decline in traditional industries such as textiles and car manufacturing as a result of globalisation.

But it became one of the first eurozone victims of the global financial crisis of 2008. By mid-2012, Italy had the second-highest level of public debt - a towering 123% of GDP (annual economic output) - in the eurozone.

There is concern over Italy's birth rate - the lowest in Europe - and the economic implications of an ageing population.

Italy is renowned for its treasures, such as Venice, a city surrounded by water

View the original article here

29 February 2012 Last updated at 12:39 GMT For such a small country, Belgium has been a major European battleground over the centuries.

Occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II, it has experienced an economic boom in the last 50 years to become a model Western European liberal democracy.

However, there has also been a growing divide between the mainly Dutch-speaking north and the mainly French-speaking south, with some even speculating that the country could break up.

Brussels is the headquarters of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). Thus, it is the polyglot home of an army of international diplomats and civil servants.

A street sign in French and Flemish symbolises Belgium's multilingual society Continue reading the main story Politics: Socialist PM Elio di Rupo, a French speaker, was appointed in late 2011 to lead a six-party coalition after 18 months of negotiationsEconomy: Belgium is seen as a bellwether for the wider EU economy. Industries include chemicals, pharmaceuticals and car-making. The IMF says Belgium is vulnerable to eurozone turmoil, partly because of its high public debtInternational: Brussels is the home of the EU and Nato

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

The country stretches from the dunes of the northern coastline through the Flemish lowlands and on to the forests of the rolling Ardennes hills in the south.

Diverse identities

Belgium reconciles regional and cultural identities in a single federal structure.

The structure includes three communities - Flemish, French and German-speaking - and three regions: Flanders in the north where the official language is Dutch; Wallonia in the south where French is the official tongue and Brussels, the capital, where French and Dutch share official language status. Wallonia has a 70,000-strong German-speaking minority.

Tensions between the two main language communities sometimes run high, and the issue has brought down several governments, creating frequent political instability.

Opinion polls suggest most Belgians want to maintain the federation, but separatist parties often score well in Flanders.

Belgium also has a small colonial legacy in Africa: in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo - once Zaire.

A huge "flower carpet" is set up in Brussels Grand Place every two years

It attracted international attention following the US-led war on Iraq in 2003 because of a controversial law allowing Belgian courts to try foreigners for war and human rights crimes, regardless of where the crimes were committed. The law led to suits against numerous high-profile international figures before undergoing radical revision.

Belgium is noted for its strong culinary traditions and is particularly famous for its fine chocolate and array of beers.

View the original article here

20 March 2012 Last updated at 10:43 GMT Oil-rich Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 amid political turmoil and against a backdrop of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It has been famed for its oil springs and natural gas sources since ancient times, when Zoroastrians, for whom fire is an important symbol, erected temples around burning gas vents in the ground.

In the 19th century this part of the Russian empire experienced an unprecedented oil boom which attracted international investment. By the beginning of the 20th century Azerbaijan was supplying almost half of the world's oil.

In 1994 Azerbaijan signed an oil contract worth $7.4bn with a Western consortium. Since then Western companies have invested millions in the development of the country's oil and gas reserves. However, the economy as a whole has not benefited as much as it might have done.

Continue reading the main story Politics: President Ilham Aliyev came to power in 2003, succeeding his father Heydar, and was re-elected in 2008. A two-term presidential limit was abolished in 2009. Critics accuse Mr Aliyev of heading an authoritarian regime which suppresses oppositionEconomy: Huge oil export revenues have funded infrastructure projects and boosted living standardsInternational: Azerbaijan and Armenia fought in the 1990s over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh; a fragile ceasefire is in place. Azerbaijan is a key transit route to Afghanistan. Relations with Iran are fractious

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Caspian oil is now flowing through a pipeline running from Baku through Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, providing western countries with ready access to a vast new source of supply. Environmental groups have protested that the cost of this benefit is unacceptable.

Azerbaijan has large gas reserves too.

Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe in 2001. Often accused of rampant corruption and election-rigging, ruling circles walk a tightrope between Russian and Western regional geo-strategic interests.

As the Soviet Union collapsed, the predominantly Armenian population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region stated their intention to secede from Azerbaijan. War broke out. Backed by troops and resources from Armenia proper, the Armenians of Karabakh took control of the region and surrounding territory.

In 1994 a ceasefire was signed. About one-seventh of Azerbaijan's territory remains occupied, while 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons are scattered around the country.

Azerbaijan was in the media spotlight in June 2007 when Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the US the use of the Gabala radar station for missile defence as an alternative to using bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.

At one time Azerbaijan supplied almost half of the world's oil, pumped up by oil derricks such as these in Baku on the Caspian Sea

View the original article here