(March 2011) Great Britain is only beginning to recover from the world-wide financial crisis. Not only can it infamously claim to have the highest deficit of the G7-countries and must cut spending by 81 billion Pound Sterling by 2015 – reason behind the hike in VAT to 20% as of Jan 1st this year. After months of minimal growth QIV 2010 showed negative growth by 3.3% in the building sector and of 0.5% of gross domestic product. The „Guardian“ interprets these figures as a loss of momentum of the upward trend.

Italy: Producers of stone-manufacturing and processing machinery gaze into the crystal ball according to a press release (Italian): The trade organization Confindustria Marmomacchine has held seminars on technology on Iran, Thailand, Chile, Ecuador and Zimbabwe recently. With respect to machinery exports, Italy recorded a turn-around: the first 8 months of 2010 saw growth of +31.2% compared to the same period one year prior (or 552 million € absolute). The entire year 2009 saw a deficit of 32%. Facts and figures regarding exports of raw material and processed stone are published by IMM Carrara (Italian). Thereafter the first 8 months of 2010 saw growth by 10.2% by value and 16.6% by tonnage or 1.319 billion € and 3.533 billion t respectively, including granulate etc.

The Taj Mahal now has a look-alike in Bangladesh (Video) constructed by a film producer. Already there has been sharp criticism and treats to sue. A European movement against copyright infringement is Plagiarius.

„Millstone“ is the name of a research project in Norway hoping to revive a long forgotten economic branch. Formerly the massive millstones were an export hit.

Video of the month: A 3-D-animation leads through the famous caves in Sherwood sandstone under Nottingham castle and city in England.