Telekom Austria AG (NYSE: TKA; Vienna: TKA), Telefónica O2 Czech Republic , Nokia Networks and, erm, Justin Bieber (the things we do for Web presence) rub shoulders in today's roundup of headlines from the EMEA region.

The Serbian government has asked Telekom Austria to up its bid for a majority stake in state-owned Telekom Srbija a.d. , reports Reuters. The carrier offered €950 million (US$1.26 billion), but has been told to come up with an improved offer within 15 days. (See Telekom Austria Analyzes Serbian M&A and Telekom Austria Bids for Telekom Srbija Stake .)

Question: What does sweepy-haired barely-teen pop sensation Justin Bieber have in common with Nordic über-vendor Network Siemens Networks? Answer: Absolutely nothing! Apart from their Twitter hashtags, that is... (See NSN's Hashtag Hell.)

The Czech unit of Telefónica O2, which is the largest operator in the Czech Republic, is being investigated by the country's anti-monopoly office for alleged abuse of its dominant position, reports Reuters. The case relates specifically to the high-speed broadband market. (See Pyramid: Mobile Data Drives Czech Revival.)

Fresh from having abandoned its bid to buy rival Zain Group , UAE-based operator Etisalat has now called off plans to buy Syria's third mobile license, according to Arabian Business. The operator was apparently miffed by Syria's demand for 25 percent of all revenues. (See Euronews: March 21and Etisalat Extends Zain Talks.)

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading