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29. 11. 12. - 14:00

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29. 11. 12. - 14:00

Bright Idea

Kathryn Quinn

Bus bosses in Sweden have had a bright idea to cheer up gloomy passengers suffering because of the country's long winter nights.

Experts have installed daylight bulbs in a series of shelters to help them passengers get sunshine therapy while they queue for a bus.

Many Swedes suffer from a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder - or SAD - caused by not getting enough sunlight at this time of year.

Now transport bosses in Umea - which gets 20 hours of night in winter - has installed lights which mimic the effect of daylight at 30 of the city's bus stops.

Energy company Umea Energi's CEO Goran Ernstson - which supplied the lights - explained: "People get depressed if they don't see the light."

Light therapy is understood to help re-set SAD suffers' body clocks, which are disrupted by lengthy stretches of darkness.

"We wanted to show that we care about the people living at this dark time of the year. We all need to be re-energised when it gets like this," added Ernstson.

Tragic Ski Girl Dies
A 10-year-old British schoolgirl has died after skiing into a tree at high speed during a family holiday tragedy in the Austrian Alps.

Peak Performance
Police chiefs in Hamburg, Germany, are celebrating after new crime figures showed there wasn't a single bank robbery in the city last year.

Chinese Fakeaway
Chinese property developers who've been thwarted in a bid to buy up an entire Austrian village have settled on the next best thing - an entire life-sized replica.

Austrian children help Romanian kids
A charity project run by the middle school in Hippach has been recognised with an award for its social work by officials in Tyrol.

Mother kills disabled daughter because she couldnt take care of her any longer
A Romanian woman killed her 8 year-old disabled daughter on Wednesday (yesterday)because she couldn't pay for her care, Libertatea newspaper reports.

Policeman accused of sex with the son of his girlfriend
A Policeman from Vulcan, Western Romania is currently being investigated for having sex with a minor, the son of his girlfriend, Cancan newspaper informs today (Thurs).

Serial killer survivor walks away alive after fall
An 85 year-old woman who survived the most cruel and notorious serial killer in Romania some 40 years ago, recently fell from the first floor of her apartment building and she walked away safe and sound, Cancan newspaper reports today (Thurs).

The son of Qatar Airlines BA beaten up in Romania
The son of the Board of Administration of Qatar Airlines Akbar Al Baker, was beaten up over the weekend at the launching party of a posh club in Mamaia, at the Romanian Black Sea shore, Cancan newspaper reports.

Majority starts president’s suspension procedures
A day after the Social Liberal Union (USL) legislators dismissed with a large majority of votes the two Speakers of the Parliament, the Union started today the procedures for the suspension and possible impeachment of President Traian Basescu. This is the second time when the Parliament asks for Basescu’s suspension.

Some 177 Roma repatriated by French authorities to Romania
Some 177 Romanian citizens of Roma origin were repatriated on Tuesday night from Lille, France, Romania TV news channel informs today (Weds).