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19. 03. 10. - 13:00

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19. 03. 10. - 13:00

Chilli grenade

Kathryn Quinn

It's the hottest new bit of hardware in the arms race - a non-lethal hand grenade loaded with the world's most powerful chillies.

Military experts in India have developed a new crowd control grenade packed with ground seeds from the Bhut Jolokia, officially recognised as the hottest chilli on the planet by Guinness World Records.

When deployed the grenade showers the targets with a dust so spicy that in trials subjects were blinded for hours and left with breathing problems.

Military leaders say it will be a major breakthrough in riot control or smoking out criminals and terrorists from their hiding places.

"The chilli grenade is a non-toxic weapon and when used would force a terrorist to come out of his hideout.

"The effect is so pungent that it would literally choke them," said lead scientist R.B. Srivastava at India's Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Woman's torso found in basement
The torso of a woman was found at the basement of a block of flats in Botosani, northern Romania.

Football champions stranded in snow
Nine players from Romania's football champions team - who met Manchester United in the Champions League playoffs - have been stranded for over 20 hours on a train, after they had left Galati for Bucharest on Monday, it emerged today (Tues).

New Prime Minister forms his team
The new prime minister (PM) will present his team tonight (Tues), after consultations with the political parties.

Former deputy sentenced to 5 years in jail
Former Romanian Chamber of Deputies member Emilian Cutean, from the Social Democrat Party (PSD) was sentenced definitively to five years in jail by the Court of Appeal in Bucharest today (Tues).

Seven buses caught up in snow
Seven buses with 450 passengers were stuck in the snow for more than seven hours in southeastern Romania, last night (Mon/Tues).

Central bank hikes inflation prognosis
Romania's Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu said today (Tues) the central bank had hiked the inflation prognosis from 3 per cent to 3.2 per cent in 2012.

Millions of Euro losses per day due to snowy roads
Losses of as much as 100 million Euros per day are estimated by the Associtation of Importers and Exporters in Romania (ANEIR), due to the weather conditions, as tens of national roads are blocked by snow and blizzards.

AA introduces new flights from Bucharest to Vienna
Austrian Airlines (AA) announced today (Tues) that it would increase the number of flights from Romania in the summer season.

Anti-corruption chief prosecutor's mandate extended
The chief of the National Anti-corruption Department (DNA), Daniel Morar, has his mandate prolonged for another six months the General Prosecutor Codruta Kovesi, said today (Tues).

Romanians warned about Syria violence
Romanians are warned against travelling to Syria, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) said today (Mon).