An information and analytics digest for everyone going abroad or staying home

№ 13 (425)

Auto tour

New rules for motorists in France

Starting July 1, new rules concerning mandatory car equipment are in effect in France. Now every car – whether personal or rented – must have a warning triangle and a reflective safety vest…

109
Real estate

Real estate agencies closing in Spain

In Spain, 60% of agencies operating in the real estate market have closed. Until now, the country had between 80,000 and 90,000 agencies, so it is not hard to calculate that currently their number…

127
Airbus

Ryanair accused of discrimination

The strange practice of Ryanair, which prohibits passengers who are not citizens of the European Union from using online check-in, has finally attracted the attention of the authorities. The Latvian…

122
Education

US State Department Simplifies Exchange for Foreign Students

Starting July 21, new immigration rules will take effect, allowing foreign students to come to the US on exchange programs for up to 12 months.

132
Work

Germany will not let workers from Eastern Europe

The German government has confirmed its decision to postpone until 2011 the opening of borders for labor migrants from Eastern Europe, despite a labor shortage in the country. At the same time…

113
Education

Sweden plans to introduce tuition fees

The Swedish government has submitted a proposal to the national parliament to introduce tuition fees for higher education for students who are not EU citizens.

152
Work

Germany simplifies admission of foreign specialists

The German Federal Government at a meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, July 16, supported a program to simplify the rules for inviting foreign specialists to work in Germany. Thus, the cabinet responded…

111
Airbus

Airlines Reduce Number of Flights

Two major European airlines – British Airways and Ryanair – have announced that they will reduce the number of flights in the very near future. This measure is intended to reduce costs, which are…

142
Tourism

Umbrellas and tripods banned at Beijing Olympics

Spectators at the Summer Olympics in Beijing will not be allowed to open umbrellas or bring camera tripods into stadium stands. This was announced on Monday, July 14, by Zhang Zhenliang, a spokesman…

135
Airbus

Air France and KLM increase fuel surcharge

Airlines Air France and KLM have increased the fuel surcharge on all their flights as of July 10. Both companies raised the surcharge by €4 per flight segment on European routes, by €10 on long-haul…

127
Everyday life

Warsaw tightens smoking law

Starting September 1, Warsaw bans smoking at bus and tram stops. The new law also applies to the city's playgrounds. Violators will have to pay a fine of 500 zlotys (?152).

137
Real estate

Finnish real estate popular among foreigners

More than half of real estate transactions in Finland in 2008 were made by foreigners. This is reported by the newspaper Helsinkitimes citing data from the Institute for Real Estate Economics (IREE).

113
Airbus

Airlines bankrupted by fuel prices

In the first six months of this year, 25 airlines worldwide were forced to suspend operations or declared bankrupt due to a sharp rise in fuel prices.

100
No More Smoking in the Netherlands Curiosities

No More Smoking in the Netherlands

A legislative ban on smoking in restaurants, cafes, and bars came into force in the Netherlands recently. However, as RIA Novosti reports, the famous Dutch coffee shops are still allowed to smoke…

87
A Look at the Religious Landscape of the US Everyday life

A Look at the Religious Landscape of the US

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life released the results of a survey of 35,000 American adults about their attitudes toward religion. According to Voice of America, the survey…

117
The Happiest Country in the World - Denmark Curiosities

The Happiest Country in the World - Denmark

According to the latest sociological study by the US government-funded World Values Survey (WVS), Denmark has been recognized as the happiest country in the world. Following Denmark in descending…

97
Everyday life

Pubs for Scottish teenagers

The Scottish Parliament plans to raise the age threshold at which young people are allowed to buy alcoholic beverages in supermarkets from 18 to 21.

78
Netherlands - Gateway to Europe Education

Netherlands - Gateway to Europe

America is too far, the UK is too expensive, Germany is boring. As Ucheba.Ru notes, some EU countries have excellent education but few programs in English. Is it possible to find a country without…

99
Wedding in a Burqa and Golden Mountains Tourism

Wedding in a Burqa and Golden Mountains

Did you promise each other mountains of gold? To fulfill the promise, head to the United Arab Emirates. As the columnist for the magazine «Voyage and Leisure» promises, you will have the opportunity…

110
Get Married, Have a Church Wedding, Relax Tourism

Get Married, Have a Church Wedding, Relax

According to online surveys, Greece is the most popular destination for weddings and honeymoons. There you can register a marriage, have a church wedding, and later baptize your children. Moreover…

117
How Not to Lose Your Suitcase Airbus

How Not to Lose Your Suitcase

According to a recent Skytrax poll, 67% of passengers worry about the safety and timely receipt of their luggage. And not without reason – as Turist.ru notes, airlines quite often lose their…

147
Breath of the Beijing Olympics Airbus

Breath of the Beijing Olympics

The capital of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games has thoroughly prepared for the planet's most important sporting event. For China, by the way, the Games coming in August are the first in the country's…

120
Either coffee or cigarettes Health

Either coffee or cigarettes

The Netherlands became the next European country to ban smoking tobacco in public places. As Gzt.ru notes, a day earlier, experts from the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World…

140
Real estate

The Modern Robinsonade of Millionaires

Daniel Defoe landed Robinson on a deserted island, which the book's main character perceived as a punishment from above. Today, for many, solitude seems not a punishment, but a reward for the daily…

107