Science and Technology: Pristina receives high-tech forensics lab

12/05/2008

A US-sponsored forensics lab opened in Pristina. Also in the news: the Montenegrin seashore faces serious pollution, and Romania's hi-tech market is expected to reach 7 billion euros this year.

The lab will analyse drug chemistry and examine DNA. [Getty Images]

A high-tech forensics lab opened on Wednesday (May 7th) in Pristina. The US government financed the staff's equipment and training, worth 6.5m euros. The lab, the most up-to-date in the region, will conduct drug chemistry analysis, ballistics examinations, fingerprinting, document analysis and DNA and blood tests.

***

Sea pollution caused by spilled ballast water from foreign ships, a lack of research, noncompliance with maritime territorial limits and excess urbanisation are the biggest problems facing the Montenegrin seashore, experts have warned. According to the Vijesti newspaper, these problems may doom animal species and plant varieties in the region.

***

The hi-tech market in Romania is expected to reach 7 billion euros this year, up from 2 billion euros in 2007, Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Karoly Borbely announced on Wednesday (May 7th) at the opening of the biggest IT&C exhibition in the country. It is taking place in the Romexpo exhibition centre in Bucharest.

***

The Turkish communications satellite Turskat 3A will go into orbit on May 24th. More than 20 Turkish engineers recently wrapped up testing. The new satellite will serve TV broadcasting and communication systems in the region. Its scope of activity will cover all of Europe and most of Asia.

***

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies' Committee for Industries and Services and the Romanian National Committee of the World Energy Council launched on Thursday (May 8th) a pilot project dubbed "Palace of Parliament, Zero-Energy Building", aiming to make the massive building green and self-sufficient in energy. Project engineers will install energy-generating solar cell panels, heat pumps, time switches and energy-efficient equipment.

***

A new transplant centre opened on May 6th in the Institute for Abdominal Surgery within the Vojvodina Clinical Centre Serbia. The centre can handle 15 patients at a time and will specialise in kidney transplants.

***

Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) State Prosecutor is investigating a group of young hackers for alleged website hacking and blackmail, Nezavisne Novine reported on May 6th. The hackers allegedly blocked several websites in BiH and Croatia and demanded money from their owners. Police confirmed they have forwarded the case to the state prosecutor, who would soon press charges.

(Various sources – 05/05/08 - 12/05/08)