Samoa - moves its time zone closer to the Far East to make doing business with China, Australia and New Zealand easier.

Published on Dec 29, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ Samoa will skip December 30, jumping ahead to December 31, as it moves its time zone closer to the Far East.

The small South Pacific nation is changing to make doing business with China, Australia and New Zealand easier.

This year there will be two New Year's Eves in the region - one in Samoa and another in American Samoa an hour's flight away.

Turkey - car market is set to end 2011 as the fifth biggest in Europe and talking about creating an all Turkish car.

Published on Dec 29, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ The Turkish car market is set to end 2011 as the fifth biggest in Europe, overtaking Spain, with sales of 900,000 vehicles.

A total of 1.2 million cars were assembled in Turkey this year using mostly imported parts with Ford and Fiat the biggest names.

Now Turkey is talking about creating an all Turkish car. The government is encouraging companies to study what is needed to built Turkey's first national car.

Hungary - New law fines people who spend the night sleeping rough in public places

Published on Dec 29, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ Julianna Szvett is one homeless person who will not fall foul of Hungary's new law fining people who spend the night sleeping rough in public places. She has managed to make a shelter in a cave, meaning she will not be hit with a fine, or sent to jail for not paying it.

Perhaps understandably, Szvett disagrees with the initiative: "Putting people in prison because of where they sleep is incredible. Where should those poor people sleep if they don't have a better place? How are they supposed to pay the fines for sleeping outside or in the streets?" she said.

Russian - Supporters of Russia's Sergei Udaltsov gathering in Moscow in protest over the jailing

Published on Dec 29, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ Supporters of Russia's opposition have been gathering in Moscow in protest over the jailing of one of their leaders.

Their anger follows the latest sentence handed down to Sergei Udaltsov, who was jailed for an extra 10 days on 25 December. Over the past year he has spent more than three months behind bars, sometimes going on hunger strike.

More than 2,000 people signed up for the rally via Facebook, and hundreds are reported to have turned up.