Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A Concept For Future Aircraft

Shabtai Hirshberg is an innovator who has done a great work in making up a design and subsequently writing a thesis over future commercial aircraft. He has intelligently considered the design, comfort, fuel saving and greener environment for the future aircraft concept.

According to current predictions we will be having a 100% increase in flights by the end of 2030. Airlines are also well aware of the rising prices of fuel, and according to an estimate most of them will cut back the luxuries and increase passenger capacities since the business is becoming less profitable.

The new designed Shabtai Hirshberg commercial plane fits perfect in these circumstances since it reduces the fuel cost by 30%. This newly designed aircraft can also be landed on water as well as land. The streamlined shaped body and great efficiency of features makes it a brilliant choice for future. The designer has ambitiously worked with aeronautical engineers to come up with optimized use of technology, material, propulsion and other features

Take a look at the design of this concept below.

Chinese Build 99% Identical Lamborghini Replica

Ladies and gentlemen its time to fulfill your dream of having a Lamborghini, Thanks to Chinese manufactures who build a replica of Lamborghini Murcielago LP64. The most surprising note is that the replica is about 99% as original as the Lamborghini Murcielago LP64 version. If you want to buy the original version you would have to pay a total sum of $400,000 but if you want to fulfil your dream in a short budget then these Chinese manufacturers are giving you the replica for $65,000 only.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/06/chinese-build-99-identical-lamborghini-replica/#ixzz22DX1d72v

We have come to know that the exterior of the car is about 99% same as the original but the interior is 70% copy. Even then its a big deal and one could show off this beauty on road as an original Lamborghini. The new replica is being named as Shanzai Lamborghini in China. The car makers have their own workshop and are dedicated to build such cars and provide them in all over Asia. The reservation period of this replica is 5 months with an initial deposit of 210,000 yuan. The other detailed specs are narrated below.

“2.2 liter Toyota 5s and 2.0 t 3S engine, 100 kilo-meters in 9 seconds, top speed 200, 175 horse powers, sound decibel frequency can be more than 90% identical. Body is 1:1 ratio. Interior is Lamborghini style, dash board is not Lamborghini.

Cannot get license plate, reservation period is 5 month, order deposit is 50% of the total cost, 210,000 yuan.

Power window, power wings, GPS navigation, backup camera, real leather seats and leather interior.

Interior can be done upon customers’ request, it is impossible to be 100% (identical as the real)

Interior and exterior color can be determined by customer.

Engine cover is not transparent, rims are custom made, original rims cost 50,000 extra

Car’s front bumper is 2007 style

Original car key cost 9,000 extra

We did not make modification on the original beam, so car safety index is same as the original Toyota.

However we added stainless steel, steel pipe and steel plate in the driver and passenger side doors.

We also added 4 point racing seat belts.

This car cannot get license plate, but satisfies all driving capabilities. However our factor sells the car only for display.

Car symbol, glass, grille, tail lights and exterior accessions are all original factory parts. New style of LED tail lights cost 10,000 extra.

Steering wheel is racing car steering wheel with original Lamborghini symbol.

All buttons in interior are all original Lamborghini parts.”

Watch What Happens To Your Mail When You Hit SEND Button!

Watch Google going green with their energy-efficient working. Google pays us homage to show what actually happens when you hit the SEND button on your e-mails. Your mail is sent through your DSL connection to Google servers and there they scan it for viruses, make backups and then direct it to the location you are sending. Moreover, Google being the leading trendsetter, spends billions of dollars on making things greener. Thirty percent of Google’s operations are powered by renewable energy sources, and this is a respectable effort in saving the planet. They share their work proudly with the people and make us realize how nature-friendly Google really is.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/07/watch-what-happens-to-your-mail-when-you-hit-send-button/#ixzz22DVcaWpn

Monday, July 30, 2012

iPhone Caught Fire in Guy’s Pocket Caught on Camer Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/07/iphone-caught-fire-in-guys-pocket-caught-on-camera

As shocking as the title sounds, this would be the worst day of Henri Helminen’s life. A 17 year old teenager was on his way to work on a fine day, when suddenly iPhone resting in his pocket started smoking. The device started burning apparently, so he took it out and threw it on the ground before it could cause him any injury.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/07/iphone-caught-fire-in-guys-pocket-caught-on-camera/#ixzz227Ord3Ic

According to Henri the device was just 3 months old and it was functioning perfectly. There was no issue with the device before this incident. The incident might be caused by the phone’s battery, causing other parts to heat up and burn. Apple has not issued any official statement on the incident.

A nearby CCTV camera caught the whole incident.

How to Lucid Dream

Everyone has those dreams when they just don’t want the dream to end or maybe even alter it to their own liking or perhaps intensify the emotions and feelings of it. But alas, dreams end and leaving you wishing it were real. Although this can’t be changed, but taking control of your dreams is possible and by that I mean total control over the content, the emotions, the duration and everything in between. Some people do it without knowing, yeah, control their dreams, but such people are rare. Otherwise, everyone can control their dreams and the phenomenon is called Lucid Dreaming. A lucid dream is a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming and can actively participate in the dream. Today, we take a comprehensive look at the phenomenon and tell you everything about it that you need to master your dreams.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2011/07/how-to-lucid-dream/#ixzz227Luh2Co

Background

The term lucid dreaming was coined by Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his 1913 article “A Study of Dreams”. The term lucid was used by van Eeden in its sense of “having insight” and the paper was highly anecdotal and not embraced by the scientific community.

First properly recognized in Celia Green’s 1968 study “Lucid Dreams”, lucid dreams aren’t something new. Mentions of the phenomenon can be traced back to 415 AD in a letter written by St. Augustine of Hippo and Tibetan Buddhists and Bonpo have been known to practicing a form of Dream Yoga since the 8th century to maintain awareness during dreams, but lucid dreams came to the public scene just a few decades ago.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2011/07/how-to-lucid-dream/#ixzz227ML9eRe

Why dream lucid/What can you do with lucid dreaming

Well, for starters, lucid dreams are fun. You can do things which are physically impossible or in other words you can bend the laws of nature in your dreams; you can fly, you can experience superhuman strength, you can travel the universe, you can build your own little planet if you like, you can do things which you are afraid of doing in the real world and you can even meet the girl/guy of your ‘dreams’. Each one of us has experienced those dreams which border on reality in terms of emotions and experience and lucidity gives you the power to prolong those moments and even create them as you will.

Lucid dreams are not merely entertainment though; they can help you overcome your fears, phobias and difficulties in the real world. For example, you can practice public speaking in your dreams and researchers have often found that when we face our fears in our minds first, we increase the likelihood of overcoming them in real life. The process of rehearsing mentally through lucid dreams allows the power of our unconscious mind to find solutions for dealing with the limitations and fears that hold us back in real life. Lucid dreams give you the ability to face your fears head on without any consequences, if there are any in real life that is, and let you overcome those

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2011/07/how-to-lucid-dream/#ixzz227MqbhWy

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2011/07/how-to-lucid-dream/#ixzz227MRutrO

The 21st Century Car: How Has it Changed?

As the 21st century continues to distinguish itself from the previous century, some changes are affecting how people use cars. While the 20th emphasized cheap, reliable designs, the 21st century is focusing on safety. The 20th century ideals sought increased mileage, while the 21st century is focused on decreasing negative environmental impact.

Here are some of the ways in which cars are adapting to prepare for the demands of the 21st century:

* Green ideals

The predominant idea in the 20th century was that cars’ mileages should be incrementally increased. In the 21st century, this ideas have been put into overdrive; instead of focusing on incremental mileage improvements, automakers and governments are focusing on radical changes that lead to substantial leaps.

Hybrid engines, for example, enable automobiles to harness much of the energy formerly wasted as heat energy. Further, plug-in engines and cars that run solely on electricity are becoming more popular. Increased attention on climate change and fairly high increases in gas prices are fueling this change.

* Safety becomes more important

Safety improvements for cars peaked in the 1980s. With airbags, anti-lock brakes and other technology becoming nearly universal, the vehicles of the 1990s were substantially safer than those of previous decades, and consumers focused less on safety throughout the end of the century.

The 21st century, however, has changed this, and automakers are focusing on safety improvements again. Auto insurers are jumping on the bandwagon as well, and many offer coverage for preventative services such as windshield replacements from companies like All Star Glass. Computerized safety features are leading the change with features such as electronic stability control.

* Integration with other devices

The popularity of digital media players has increased tremendously since the beginning of the 21st century. CDs have largely been replaced by online music stores, and consumers have the option of upgrading older stereo systems to one that is capable of supporting these digital devices.

An even larger revolution has occurred with iPhones and Android devices; GPS functionality, for example, is now nearly ubiquitous for those with smart phones. Buying a car conversion kit or another tool for integrating cars with smart phones can allow consumers to use these devices as GPS navigators, media players, speedometers or anything else that is supported by an app.

Gas prices are unlikely to drop, and consumers can expect to see an increased emphasis on fuel-efficient vehicles. Likewise, safety is largely being improved through software and other relatively inexpensive techniques. The core identity of 21st century car demands should continue to solidify in the coming years.

Top 10 Ultra Luxurious Vehicles, Gadgets and Vacations Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/05/top-10-ultra-luxurious-vehicles-gadgets-and-vacations/#ixzz225ULDMlp

Getting rich is hard, very hard, but when you do collect enough money, there are plenty of things to do in life, like for example buying a trip to space with the Russians. Here are ten insanely expensive things that cost a fortune.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/05/top-10-ultra-luxurious-vehicles-gadgets-and-vacations/#ixzz225UQpR8M

No 10. Deepest Underground Hotel – $580

For $580 a night you can stay alone in this suite located in the old, 15th century Sala Silvermine in Sweden at 509 ft. deep under the earth’s surface. The attendants stay on the ground level. Be warned though, phones don’t work here and toilets don’t exist here either. You’ll have to go 165 ft up to access the nearest restroom.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/05/top-10-ultra-luxurious-vehicles-gadgets-and-vacations/#ixzz225UlssTt

No 9. iTree – $15,000

The iTree by KMKG Studio is made and delivered on order only. You get to select the type of wood, you can even specify an individual tree if you take a trip to the forest with the carpenters. High-quality speakers are then installed in the tree that make the wood rock. The iTree can even be made to work with your iPad.

No 8. The Ferrari Bike – $17,000

Ferrari’s newest limited edition bike, the CF8 is the synergy of a high-end sports car aesthetic and two wheels churning out style with performance. Made in partnership with high-end bike manufacturer Colnago, the CF8 sports a lightweight carbon fiber frame, Selle Italia’s SLR Monolink saddle and the super-precise Dura-Ace 7970 Di2 electronic gear shift system.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/05/top-10-ultra-luxurious-vehicles-gadgets-and-vacations/#ixzz225VGQaQH

No 7. AE+Y Phone – $60,000

Produced by the Danish luxury retailer Aesir, this is an astonishing 18-carat solid gold handset with an LCD screen that measures a modest 2″ and a battery that lasts a measly 5 hours of talk time. Well, who is looking for functionality when you’ve got that much money just to look cool, right?

Now Play The Pong With Your Eyes

We have seen how pong is played by cars, well now you can play pong with your eyes! Dr. Aldo Faisal from the Department of Computing at Imperial College, U.K along with his team made glasses which can track eye movement in 3D instead of 2D. The basic aim to build such glasses is to allow handicapped to use and learn computer controls easily and this can all be done with eyes only. The movement of eye ball is just like a cursor on your screen; your eyeball movement moves the cursor. Astonishingly these glasses are much more cheaper than the other eye tracking glasses.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/07/now-play-the-pong-with-your-eyes/#ixzz225TBgo2l

To validate this system, the team build a pong game which can be controlled with eyes. Understandably, since the pong game requires easiest movement of eyes so they used this game. The experiment went perfect and they concluded that with in 10 minutes of use of these glasses, a normal person is able to fully master fine cursor control.

This is a great step forward and in future, combination of this type of technology with Google glasses would really spin-off some thing big!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

http://www.wlwritersagency.com/?gclid=CO6bxLXtv7ECFQpj3wodJwoA3w

DARPA Produced Sonic Waves To Extinguish Fire

US Department of Defence’s famous agency “DARPA” (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has produced a sonic fire extinguisher. It is used to extinguish light fires, for example flames in contained areas such cockpits. The whole concept around which this device revolves is sound. Shown below is an experiment conducted by the DARPA team in which they installed two speakers on either side of the liquid fuel flame. This successfully demonstrated the controlling of fire by amping up the acoustic field. The sound increased the air velocity, which in turn thinned the area of flame. In other words, “boundary of flame”; the particular area available for fire for combustion, shrank. From here on, the thinned flame was relatively easier to extinguish.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/07/darpa-produced-sonic-waves-to-extinguish-fire/#ixzz223AYFmOP

The Hardcore Gamer

This guy is truly a legendary gamer! One should pay regard to the efforts he put in making such a tremendous gaming fever show. The guy so far known as the 16bitghost, from his Youtube channel, posted a video showing his room in which he had 24 different gaming consoles since the beginning of time! He has a specially-made rack to put all of his consoles in where they can be easily attached to his wall mounted Sony LCD. Along with all these consoles, he has racks of all-time famous games from every platform. I personally have never seen any person having such a huge amount of money to spend on gaming. I wonder what he does for a living. He might as well be the role model for all hardcore gamers out there. Take a look at the video and pictures below.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2012/07/the-hardcore-gamer/#ixzz2239srNRX

Bujar Nishani Sworn in as Albania’s President

In a speech in parliament after he had taken his oath, by placing his right hand on the constitution, Albania's new President said his priority would be reform of the justice system.

“According to his constitutional duties, the President has an important role to play in the reform of the justice system,” Nisahni said, underlining the current lack of trust between judges and citizens.

Although Albania is a parliamentary democracy, the President plays a key role in the justice system by securing constitutional check and balances.

The President heads the High Council of Justice, the country’s highest judicial body, nominates the General Prosecutor and high court judges.

After the speech in parliament the inauguration ceremony was held at the presidential palace, where he met briefly with his predecessor, Bamir Topi.

Nishani was elected president with only the votes of the Albania's ruling parties on June 11, after talks with opposition Socialists on reaching a consensus over a candidate collapsed.

Nishani, 46, has served twice in the cabinet of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, as Interior and Justice Minister.

Born in the city of Durres, he graduated from Tirana’s Military Academy in 1988. Before becoming Interior Minister in 2007 he held various positions in the Defence Ministry.

Nishani is the fifth president to be elected after the collapse of the Stalinist regime of former dictator Enver Hoxha in 1991.

Analysis – ‘Shame’ is the word after the Tirana bloodshed

“Shame” is the right word to express the feelings of members of Albania’s Facebook community over what happened on Friday in Tirana, when a protest called by the opposition ended in violence in which three people died and dozens of others were wounded.
Facebook surfers recalled poetry about madness. Alongside them were accusations from various politically affiliated participants aimed at the parties’ respective leaders.
Politically affiliated Facebook activists were in a minority and their posts did not attract as many comments as the rest, or perhaps this is what I liked to see.
Some journalists had abandoned their role as neutral reporters in calling for a boycott of those aggressive politicians who were continuing to urge people to protest. It was amusing to see the group of friends of the Mjaft Movement (the so-called young hope), now distributed among different political parties, blaming each other as killers of the three victims and using much the same aggressive language as their beloved leaders.
Some called for the resignation of both Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition leader Edi Rama, saying both were equally responsible for the turmoil, and surely they were right. It was hard to avoid the conclusion that both government and the opposition had sought clashes.
Although the feeling of shame was strong, even stronger was the tone of debate about who bore most responsibility for what had happened. The mainstream media articulated two different views of the event. One group pointed to the fact that the police put there to take on the protesters were just low-paid Albanians who had not chosen to be there and did not deserve to be attacked.
These commentators neglected to mention the fact that three people had died and that it was surely possible to avoid deaths in a protest, which, though violent, was unarmed and did not seriously threaten the police. By contrast, when Berisha’s own supporters had attacked the same government building in 1998, they were well armed but “only” two people died.
Another group expressed horror at the fact that three people had been killed who had posed no real risk to the police.
In the meantime, the wave of information and misinformation about who killed whom remains ongoing.
The speculation started when a medic in the Military Hospital offered an unusually richly detailed report on the deaths only minutes after the event. According to him, two of the victims “were shot by small-calibre guns and at close range”. Prime Minister Berisha had claimed immediately after the protest that a conspiracy had been organized by the opposition, who killed their own protesters to score political points.
Journalists who felt that this version of events insulted their intelligence offered a barrage of filmed footage showing that at least one of the victims was fired on from within Government House and that some of the soldiers had opened fire not just in the air, but also horizontally.
Berisha did not repeat his scenario the next day. But police officials declared that they had arrested one protester who had been holding a pistol. Prosecutors, meanwhile, issued orders to arrest six National Guard officials, suggesting they had authority to open fire only toward people within the perimetre of the building while at least two of the victims were shot well outside the fences of Government House.
On Saturday evening, police ignored the orders issued by the prosecutors to arrest the National Guard officers, further undermining the legitimacy of the government. The police and the National Guard have the same boss, the Minister of Interior.
This was the first violent protest that Tirana had seen in 12 years, if we do not count a short, failed attempt by supporters of the Democratic Party (now in power) in February 2004. This was also the first time in more than a decade that the police had used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. The government had brought anti-riot equipment back in May 2008. Berisha, it seems, doesn’t feel secure without strong police forces and abundant equipment.
Berisha has a long record of using violence against protesters and often doesn’t discriminate between violent or peaceful ones. The opposition, for its part, is well known for the revolutionary and militant spirit it inherited from their founding fathers in the Second World War.
No one can believe that the protesters in Friday’s clashes were people genuinely offended by the glimpse of corrupt government provided by a recently aired video, which showed former prime minister Ilir Meta discussing two manipulated tenders and three public posts given to his supporters, one of whom had no university degree. They were simply angry that they did not have the same chance to get their hands on corruption as the government.
Both Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the head of Opposition Edi Rama are beloved figures in Kosovo – but Albanians from Kosovo have shown their support for Berisha. My hunch is that the feeling of shame among them over what happened in Tirana is related to the way they have always seen Tirana as a big brother with muscles who can protect his smaller sibling. They don’t like to see weakness in Albania.
It is strange that Albania has no experience of violence from soccer hooligans, or from anarchists and extremists attacking the police. There are rumours of extreme Islamists, but nothing serious has happened yet among them. Albania’s only extremism is in its conventional politics, in politics that doesn’t differ much in terms of a political agenda, or in terms of love of bribes, but which still has the ability to mobilize big crowds to fight.
The current government is largely supported by those who were second-class citizens in the 1980s, some of whom were ousted in power struggles within the Communist government of the time. Others were condemned to remain outside the ruling circle simply because they happened to live outside Tirana and were forbidden to come in under the system of internal passports. Moving from one town to another required special permission. For these people, their fall from power in the 1980s was the equivalent of going from paradise to hell. Their seizure of power meant the end of provincial life and poverty.
The government seems occasionally also to enjoy the passive support of that bulk of Albanians who really suffered under Communism and were officially termed the “overrun classes”. These were the families of old businessmen, landowners or officials from the pre-Communist era. This last group doesn’t benefit so much Albania’s recent power shifts, but they strongly dislike everything linked to the current opposition.
The opposition, for its part, has the support of the old ruling class of the Communist regime. Their bad dream continues to be the period when they first fell from power in 1992. Scores of them suddenly became jobless, and that was a very bad period to be jobless. I would speculate that for all three groups, the nightmare is much the same: poverty related to loss of power.
Naturally, most Albanians don’t belong to any of these categories.
This triangle of “overrun” Communists from the 1980s, ex-provincials and former Communist officials creates the bulk of today’s political class. For all of them, power means money and honour, and opposition means economic stress and humiliation. Together they create the political groups who put their faith in the possibility of getting corrupted, and who have an easygoing attitude towards violence, as we have seen. More often than fighting each other, these groups join forces to create the conditions that forbid the majority of Albanians, who don’t belong to either group, from having any real share in affairs.
From a practical point of view, recent events in Tirana will have an effect that lasts years, in terms of the country’s record of stability. Some, who have opted to build a life in Albania, accepting a bad, corrupt government in the context of a stable and politically nonviolent environment, may now be rethinking.
Albania remains the poorest country in the region with a GDP per capita of just $4,000 a year. It doesn’t offer many people very good life for the moment, but if it remains peaceful, it still offers opportunities and some may hope that things will get better. After Friday’s violence, such hopes have been diminished.

Plastic Surgery Perspective in Tourism

There is a lot of talk concerning medical tourism, but not many know that going abroad for medical care is a fast-rising source of tourism dollars for many countries in several continents . Medical tourism not only refers to traveling to another country to obtain medical care. It can also mean doctors traveling to other countries. In this case the doctors would go to third world countries with few resources to give health care where needed. Medical tourism is becoming very popular with people going for cosmetic surgery. As we all know, plastic procedure is very expensive in most large cities, especially throughout the United States, and going abroad has become one of the best ways to cut back on surgical fees.

Years ago medical tourism usually meant patients traveling to the United States or Europe from other countries to get the best care. Now this trend is changing. The standards of health care in smaller countries have increased and are now comparable to those in Europe and the United States. In fact there are new techniques that have been done successfully in these other countries that are just now being implemented in the United States. This has happened in many fields like hip and also plastic surgery. Central and South America’s surgeons and procedures are sought throughout the international community.

Like in any country, it is best to discuss all of the possible things that can happen before having any procedure done. It is wise to make arrangements beforehand. Take into consideration that you will need after care once the procedure is done. Rushing back to your country is not a great idea, since some time to heal is necessary before traveling.

In this fragile economy jobs are sometimes difficult to get. As the employment competition heats up, job seekers want to look their best. Even though it is not fair, sometimes an older worker might not be considered because he may have a tired appearance. Never mind that the older worker is full of energy and usually works harder than most younger ones. Unfortunately, plastic surgery still remains very expensive, even for the most common procedures. Medical tourism gives persons a chance to get plastic surgery. Fortunately with the medical advancements it is not necessary to get inferior service. On the contrary, internationally sought after doctors and hospitals are readily available.

Weekly news report 26-30 September 2011- AlbanianEconomy.com

Weekly news report 26-30 September 2011- AlbanianEconomy.com

- Real Estate: Rental prices in shopping centers show big fall says Colliers

- PM CNN interview stirs unusual debate on EU integration

- President Topi new political party is likely

- Suspected Drugdealer killed in mafia style action

- Albania accepts Hong Kong as “Chinese territory”

- Albania performance estimated as average from the EBRD transition index

—————–

- Real Estate: Rental prices in shopping centers show big fall says Colliers

The rental prices in Tirana’s shopping centers saw 30-50 per cent drop this year due to increased economic difficulties and growing competition, the real estate agent Colliers announced in its report.

“The retail market in Tirana continues its dynamic activity – an additional 41,200 m2 is expected by end of 2011 – with the opening of Tirana East Gate, the city’s newest and largest shopping centre. The retail market experienced an increase in vacancy rates reaching 10.8% and a significant decrease in rental prices in some shopping centers in the range of 30-50%, in H1 2011. High street and secondary retail streets continue to report a drop of 20-30% in retail sales and a high turnover of shops,” Colliers underlined in the report.

Although a poor country with just 2700 euro GDP per capita, Albania is currently full with seven shopping centers while another one is expected to open soon.

The shopping center mania started back in 2005, when the first department store QTU opened 6 km outside Tirana. Several other projects followed soon. One of the shopping centers was taken over by the banks due to unpaid loans this year while others show difficulties to attract customers.

Furthermore, the retail sales this year showed an unusual decline of 6 per cent due to growing economic difficulties among Albanians.

Colliers report can be read in full here: http://dsg.colliers.com/document.aspx?report=1818.pdf

- PM CNN interview open unusual debate on EU integration

The Prime Minister Sali Berisha was asked by a CNN journalist during an interview this week what he except to earn from EU integration of Albania, a question that stirred an unusual debate among Albanians on possible benefits and costs from the integration process. Berisha replied to CNN that for him, EU integration is a dream, without getting into details on cost/benefits.

Albania has no known euro-skeptics among politicians or among opinion makers and intellectuals. Some newspapers attempted unsuccessfully to debate on EU integration but dropped the topic almost immediately. Albania is currently under the Stabilization and Association Agreement with EU, which comes due in 2013. According to the MSA, in 2013 EU will decide whether to accept Albania’s membership or to postpone the MSA for another 5 years.

Panorama, Shqip

- President Topi new political party is likely

The President Bamir Topi announced on Thursday in an interview for Top Channel that he plans to stay in politics after his mandate comes due early next year and that he may create a new right wing party. Mr. Topi, 54, was elected president from the ruling Democratic Party of the Prime Minister Sali Berisha. Over the last few years, Berisha had often attacked Topi publicly and effectively closed the door for his return in the DP. Berisha had accused Topi as the man behind the nationalistic campaign “the Movement Black and Red” as a political party against the government. Black and Red are the national colors of Albania.

Top Channel, Shqip.

- Suspected Drugdealer killed in mafia style action

Armando Andoni, a known drugdealer and US Marshals fugitive was killed on Monday 25 Sept. in a mafia style action that left no traces behind. Andoni, also known as Arjan Selimi, escaped from US in 1998 while on bail for the transportation of 1000 kg of cannabis. He was arrested in 2004 in Albania after a multinational law enforcement operation to cut drug smuggling in Latin America, Europe and US.

There had been quite few mafia style killings in Albania this year, including Skerdelajd Konomi, a judge in Vlora, who was killed with a bomb in his car.

Leaked US cables, Shqip, Gazeta Shqiptare

- Albania accepts Hong Kong as “Chinese territory”

Albania removed visa requirements with Hong Kong this week and referred to the “special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China”. Albania had adhered to the one China policy and strictly follows it. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edmond Haxhinasto used the sentence “the Chinese territory of Taiwan” while speaking in a television talk show.

Official law publication

- Albania performance estimated as average from the EBRD transition index

Albania’s road toward open market economy was evaluated as poor or average in a list of 14 indicators compiled by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in the Transition Index, a tool created by EBRD to follow the transition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

As for 2010, Albania performed well in Small scale privatization, where it scored 4 out of 4.6 points, in price liberalization and trade liberalization. Albania underperformed in enterprise restructuring, scoring just 2.33 points, in competition policy, just 2 and in Securities markets & non-bank financial institutions.

“More private capital is needed to help finance infrastructure investment, especially in transport and electric power. The priority is to accelerate the preparation of investment projects while ensuring that tenders are carried out in an open and transparent manner.

The system of tariff-setting at the municipal level is often non-transparent and politicized and hinders restructuring and investment in this sector. Reforms in this area should be pushed forward as soon as possible. The level of development in the non-banking financial sector is still quite low by regional standards. A key priority in this regard is to come to a resolution on the sale of INSIG, which is scheduled for this year,” the report noted.

EBRD report can be found here:http://www.ebrd.com/downloads/research/transition/tr10assess.pdf

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Weekly news report is a service of Albanianeconomy.com to offer a short review of the major events occurred during the week. It is published on Monday and includes the events occurred in the previous seven days. The main source of information is the local newspapers and televisions and AlbanianEconomy.com doesn’t verify the accuracy of the reports, so doesn’t bear responsibility on the veracity of the information reported.

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