Moscow/Kiev  - Russian export monopoly Gazprom on Wednesday accused its Ukrainian counterpart of negotiating in bad faith as talks on preventing a gas embargo failed, setting the stage for a new energy crisis in Europe.

Ukrainian and Russian government representatives quit negotiations in Moscow some two hours ahead of a promised New Year's cut-off of gas deliveries by Russian energy giant Gazprom to Ukraine, as punishment for a 2-billion-dollar Ukrainian debt.

After the India's tourism industry being hit by terrorism government has now invited some of the best writers on travel from the US and Europe to help recover the industry.

They shall visit India from January onwards and shall visit exotic destinations and the cities affected by terrorism and to write about how safe is the travel in the country.

An official from tourism said, "Some of the writers will be taken to those cities where terror attacks have taken place so they can write about the security steps taken by the authorities."

On Friday, the country's leading passenger car maker, Maruti Suzuki announced that it had started to export its newly launched small car A-star to Europe.

M.M. Singh, the company's managing executive officer (production) informed, “This dispatch of first consignment of A-star from Gurgaon railway station is a quantum leap for Maruti Suzuki towards the company's future as a small car manufacturing hub for Suzuki, Japan.”

The first batch of A-star exports has left in an especially designed wagon from the Gurgaon railway station for Mundra port in Gujarat.  

Moscow  - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom said Friday that its dispute with Ukraine over payments could cause disruptions in deliveries to Western Europe, a news agency reported.

Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said that Gazprom head Alexei Miller had notified Europe's largest clients that it could not rule out the possibility of a cut off, according to Itar-Tass.

At issue is the lack of progress in reaching agreement with Ukraine's Naftogaz over 2 billion dollars in non-payments for imports by Kiev, with a New Year's deadline looming with threatened cut-offs by Gazprom.

Gazprom supplies about one-quarter of the European Union's gas needs, 80 per cent of which is shipped through Ukraine.

Luxembourg - Ryanair won a court case against the European Commission on Wednesday, meaning the low-cost airline will not have to pay back millions of euros in subsidies that it received from the Belgian state for establishing a base at Charleroi Airport.

Ryanair obtained favourable terms from the Wallonia Region when negotiating its first continental base at Charleroi, in 2000.

These included a 50 per cent discount on landing charges and compensation for any loss of profit arising from subsequent hikes in such charges.

Vienna/Berlin  - The euro is set to mark the 10th anniversary of its launch in January with Europe's common currency enjoying a new-found appeal as a result of the financial firestorm that swept through world markets this year.

From solid Sweden to ailing ex-communist Hungary, the euro is suddenly seen as potential protection in a time of crisis.

Despite its success in helping to forge European integration, the 15-member common currency has until recently never enjoyed the same kind of affection among Europeans as the national currencies it replaced in 1999, first as a currency for the financial system. Euro coins and banknotes were issued on January 1, 2002.