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Croatia settles EU companies' damage claims

Croatia raises guarantees for savings to 75,800 dollars Zagreb - Croatia's government has agreed to pay 78 million euros (101 million dollars) in damages to firms from Italy and Austria for claims arising from a cancelled highway project and a bank privatization, a local media report said Thursday.

The Croatian news portal business. hr, quoting a government source, said the settlements involve 44.3 million euros for Rome-based builder Astaldi SpA and 34.5 million euros for Austrian-based Hypo Alpe Adria Bank AG.

European Parliament concerned about virtual strip search

Airport Body ScansStrasbourg - The European Parliament on Thursday criticized the

Bangladesh's ex-premiers to get tight security coverage for polls

Dhaka, BangladeshDhaka- Bangladesh's military-backed interim government said Thursday that it would provide the highest security to two former prime ministers and leaders of the country's two biggest political parties during the December general election.

"We have decided in principle to provide them with the highest security coverage as they deserve it," an adviser to the government, Hossain Zillur Rahman, told reporters after electoral talks with the opposition Awami League party.

US courier UPS profits deflated

UPSNew York  - The world's largest package delivery company UPS has adjusted expectations of annual earnings

Insider-trading probe launched against Norway's largest bank

oslo, norwayOslo - Two employees of Norway's largest banking group as well as the DnB NOR group itself were Thursday suspected of insider- trading, the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority said.

The Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime raided the bank Thursday over suspicions that the bank had sold government bonds just a few days before the Finance Ministry and central bank October 12 presented a rescue package for the banking sector.

DnB NOR reportedly sold bonds worth 2.3 billion kroner (328 million dollars) on October 9 and 10.

South Africans split their sides over politician's tumble

Johannesburg - South AfricaJohannesburg  - South Africans are splitting their sides over a video showing a po-faced politician disappearing into thin air with a loud crack when his chair broke during a TV interview.

The chairman of parliament's portfolio committee on finance, Nhlanhla Nene, was giving an interview to SABC public television on the morning of Finance Minister Trevor Manuel's budget policy statement Tuesday when the mishap occurred.

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