Unprecedented popularity of holidays in Tallinn
In 2004, the number of foreign tourists visiting Tallinn reached a record figure. Hotels and boarding houses received 31% more tourists than in 2003, reports Travel.ru. “The result is all the more remarkable because across Europe the number of foreign tourists increased by 4%, and worldwide by 10%,” explained Evelyn Tsirk, head of the tourism department at the Tallinn Enterprise Department.
Most tourists who visited Tallinn in 2004 had not come for the first time. Foreign guests began to stay overnight more often in hotels rather than on ships, and to show greater interest in cultural and historical attractions. There were also more excursions outside Tallinn.
Phuket's resorts fully restored
In Japan, it was officially announced that the resorts on the Thai island of Phuket have been fully restored after last year's tsunami in the Indian Ocean and are again able to provide full service to tourists. The Ministry of Land and Transport published a report on this matter and promised travel agencies support in attracting citizens to the island.
According to ITAR-TASS, the report was prepared based on the work of a government commission that visited Phuket for inspections in early March. Following a six-day check, it was concluded that the airport, roads and water supply of the island have been fully restored. The inspectors also noted the normal condition of hotels and the absence of serious problems in terms of safety and sanitary standards. In addition, it is noted that a tsunami early warning system has been created on the island, and warning means have been improved, including sirens, light signals, radio and mobile phones.
Tsunami again threatens Southeast Asian countries
A group of British seismologists warns of the danger of another strong earthquake in the Indian Ocean and the occurrence of a tsunami. The tension of the earth's crust in the area of the Indonesian island of Sumatra has reached such a degree that a new powerful tremor is possible, write scientists from the University of Ulster in the journal Nature.
As Interfax reports, it was precisely there that the epicenter of the underwater earthquake that occurred on December 26 last year was located, as a result of which about 300,000 people died or went missing in a number of Asian countries. British seismologists name two areas near Sumatra where such an earthquake could occur. In their estimation, it could be slightly weaker than the December tremor. However, it could also lead to the formation of a tsunami. The article does not specify the time frame in which a repeat earthquake is expected. They usually occur several years or even months after the first tremor.
Near Prague stations – only honest taxi drivers
Dishonest taxi drivers are a problem for any foreign tourist anywhere in the world. In the Czech Republic, they have been trying to combat this vicious practice for years. So, according to Travel.ru, from now on, at the taxi ranks located at eight Prague stations, only taxis from several specific companies are allowed to park.
According to the Czech police, these companies have an impeccable reputation and have not been seen in fraudulent actions. In turn, drivers who have been granted the right to work at the most profitable locations are obliged not only to be honest, but also to monitor the quality of service and cleanliness at the taxi stand.
The most “proper” taxi services will be available at Prague's Main Railway Station (Wilsonova Street), Masaryk Station (Hybernská Street), the Florenc bus station (Na Florenci Street), as well as at the Braník, Smíchov, Libeň, Vršovice and Holešovice bus stations - the taxi ranks there are located at the metro entrances. In case of breaking the law, companies will lose not only the right to work on the streets near the stations, but also their licenses. The new rules will come into force at the end of April.
Paris's historic center to be closed to motor vehicles
A ban on motor traffic in the historic center of Paris could be introduced within the next seven years. The city authorities recently came up with such an initiative, supporting the recent proposal of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë. According to Guardian Unlimited, the introduction of the ban is planned to be divided into three stages.
The first stage, which could be implemented in the coming months, involves reducing the maximum permitted speed in the city center to 30 km/h, as well as narrowing key traffic arteries in these areas. Such measures are likely to force motorists to reduce trips to the center. The second stage envisages declaring certain sections of central Paris a pedestrian zone, banning motor traffic there on Sundays. The third stage implies a complete ban on the use of motor vehicles in the city center, with the exception of residents who live there, as well as special vehicles and vehicles for delivering goods and food. The third stage also plans to impose restrictions on cyclists and roller skaters.
Meanwhile, the reaction of Parisians to such initiatives by the authorities is still mixed. Some believe that these measures will indeed relieve the city center and reduce its pollution, while owners of small restaurants and shops believe that such measures could seriously damage their business.
It is also worth noting that the pollution of central Paris affects not only the health of citizens, but also the condition of old buildings. In particular, the asbestos content in the walls of some of them is already many times higher than permissible levels, and 'cleaning' the buildings will cost the city treasury millions of euros.
The American air transportation system is still vulnerable
The US air transportation system remains highly vulnerable to terrorists. As Travel.ru reports, this is stated in a special report commissioned by the US government from experts of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to experts, both commercial and cargo flights are vulnerable to the terrorist threat. The experts also note that intelligence data indicates attempts by al-Qaeda terrorists to find weaknesses in the aircraft security system.
Earlier, a representative of the Department of Homeland Security, Brian Roehrkasse, stated that the US authorities are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of air transportation at all stages. Thus, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the US authorities spent more than $12 billion on the development and installation of air travel security equipment.
More counterfeit money in Tallinn
Recently, fake Estonian kroons have been handed over in bundles to Tallinn police stations, reports Travel.ru. Among the dozens of counterfeits received, 50-kroon notes predominate, and the counterfeiters do not particularly bother with imagination: all the notes have the same serial number AF974846 and are probably simply copied on a photocopier.
In addition to 50-kroon bills, counterfeits of other denominations have also been found in circulation, ranging from 10 to 500 kroons. According to the chief commissioner of the economic police, Rocco Ots, most of the counterfeit notes have been found in places where cash payments are accepted: kiosks, taxis, markets, and many shops. The chance of receiving a counterfeit note when paying in cash is especially high at night.
To investigate the origin of the counterfeit kroons, the police have opened a criminal case and urge people to be more careful with the money in circulation.
Airlines unhappy with new EU rules
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has accused the European Union of inept regulation of the aviation industry. According to the carriers' calculations, the new EU rules will cost the industry 5.9 billion euros per year. 600 million of that will be the cost of complying with the law requiring payment of compensation to passengers for flight delays, cancellations, and denial of boarding.
As Travel.ru reports, enhanced security measures and war-risk insurance will cost 1.9 billion. Finally, another 3.4 billion will be spent by airlines due to inefficient regulation of the industry.
According to IATA, the EU should focus on creating a unified navigation system that would allow carriers to reduce costs, as well as bring airport tariffs and charges under control. Airlines are also unhappy about the continued state support for railways at a time when subsidies to airlines have been abolished. According to IATA calculations, air traffic volume has grown by 8.8% since 2000, while industry revenues have fallen by 10%.
11 million Hispanic illegal immigrants in the US
By March 2005, the number of illegal Hispanic immigrants living in the United States without documents had reached 11 million people. These data are contained in a study by the Pew Hispanic Center, published on Monday. In March 2004, there were more than 10 million such people.
According to the center, created in 2001 to study the Hispanic community in the United States, more than six million of that number are Mexicans, whose numbers are constantly growing. The study notes that 80-85% of Mexicans arrive in the US without documents, and they are not registered in the databases of official US agencies.
According to the center's data, since the mid-1990s the number of migrants living in the US without documents has increased in states such as Arizona and North Carolina, where the number of migrants had previously been small, reports RIA Novosti.
The fight against illegal immigration from neighboring Mexico is a problem for the US authorities, who cannot cope with the large number of illegal immigrants, mostly from poor families. Last year, a scandal occurred in the US related to the release by one of Mexico's government agencies of a comic book guide that described how to best cross the US-Mexican border.
The issue of securing the border with Mexico to stop illegal migration into the United States is one of the most discussed topics among a wide range of American political groups, from liberal to far-right. "We must control our borders, or we will cease to exist. And our country will turn into something like today's Iraq," David Duke, leader of the American right, said earlier in an interview with RIA Novosti.