Croatia fights for clean beaches
The Croatian government has signed a decree according to which it is forbidden to be on public beaches in overly revealing swimwear, to consume food and any drinks, to provoke quarrels and fights, and also to bathe naked or under the influence of alcohol. In addition, reports Turist.ru, it is strictly forbidden to defecate in the sea, although even members of the Croatian government do not yet know who and how will control this. The law, dubbed by the Croatian media as the 'Nazi tourism law,' came into force this week.
Estonian visas will become free for Ukrainians
In accordance with a decision of the Estonian government, from June 1 of this year, consulates of this republic will issue transit and single-entry visas to citizens of Ukraine without payment of the consular fee.
As IA Rosbalt notes, this is Estonia's reciprocal step after Ukraine introduced a visa-free entry regime for citizens of the EU and the Swiss Confederation.
Spain will sign the 'Schengen-III' agreement
In the German city of Prüm, Spain will sign the 'Schengen-III' agreement aimed at strengthening joint European Union measures against terrorism and illegal immigration, reports RIA Novosti.
The agreement has 12 points, including the exchange of operational information between law enforcement agencies of the participating countries about persons representing a 'potential danger.' The document also provides for joint patrolling of border zones. In addition, it is planned that law enforcement officers of the participating countries will accompany, although so far selectively, passenger aircraft to prevent them from being seized by terrorists.
The 'Schengen-III' agreement was developed back in February 2003 by Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg, which share borders. Austria and the Netherlands later joined. In April of this year, Spain and France announced their readiness to sign the agreement.
New restrictions for foreigners are being introduced in the US
The flow of tourists arriving in the US this summer will exceed the level before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Americans also intend to travel more than last year. The US Department of Customs and Border Protection has already begun preparing for this mass migration, reminding tourists of its requirements.
Only citizens of 27 countries, mostly European, can enter the country without a visa, and only if they have a passport with a special computer code. Citizens of the CIS countries, when entering the US, still have to provide fingerprints. "This helps us establish that the holder of the passport and visa is indeed the person to whom the visa was issued," said Robert Bonner, commissioner of the Department of Border and Customs Control. He urged tourists not to be angry with customs and passport control officers while going through all procedures, even after a tiring multi-hour flight and a long wait in line: "We must not forget that our main mission is to prevent terrorists from traveling to the US and the transport of illegal weapons."
Not only weapons are prohibited from being brought into the United States. In addition to obviously contraband goods - drugs and jewelry - plants, fruits, vegetables, and meat will not be allowed into America. Among the goods seized by customs from tourists are not only exotic fruits and seeds, but also Ukrainian salo and ordinary brooms. In addition, the US intends to intensify the fight against counterfeits. A counterfeit handbag will be confiscated from you, even if it is personal property and not intended for sale.
US asked Britain to stop the 'electronic passports war'
The United States wants the same microchip to be used in British identification cards as in American documents. As The Independent reports, this will ensure compatibility of American and British personal identification systems.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff has already raised the passport issue during his talks with UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke and Alistair Darling, who holds the post of UK Transport Secretary. However, the results of these meetings are not reported.
According to Chertoff, it is vitally important to achieve compatibility of identification systems. Otherwise, the world will witness another 'war of standards,' comparable in scale to the confrontation between VHS and Betamax video formats. Chertoff is confident that American technology is in no way inferior to British technology. "There will hardly be much use in countries investing significant funds in biometric systems that will not interact with each other. I hope we are not going to make VHS and Betamax out of our chips," said Chertoff. "I was one of those who bought Betamax, and now the device has taken its place in the garbage bin."
Britain is among the 27 countries whose citizens do not need visas to cross the US border for trips lasting up to 90 days. The American government requires that by October 26 all 27 countries issue their citizens new passports containing a computer chip and a digital photograph. Americans are confident that in this way they will be able to protect the country from penetration by terrorists and criminal elements.
Iran wants to issue visas to tourists upon arrival
At a working meeting of the Iranian government held in Tehran, a new procedure for issuing tourist visas at the country's airports was discussed. During the meeting, the cabinet of ministers instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with relevant agencies, to take measures to issue tourist visas at the country's international airports.
As Travel.ru reports, the Iranian government has obliged the Foreign Ministry to send its representatives to six airports to issue seven-day tourist visas to arriving foreign citizens. Seven-day tourist visas will be issued at Tehran's Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad international airports, as well as at the airports of Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz.
In recent months, the number of foreign tourists in Iran has increased significantly, including from Germany, Spain, France and Japan. This year, the number of guests is expected to double, as the new procedure for issuing transit visas at airports creates favorable conditions for travel. However, the date of introduction of the new visa rules is not yet known. The Iranian consulate does not confirm this information, and domestic tourists should still obtain entry documents in advance.
Public transport in Prague to become 70% more expensive
In the Czech capital, public transport fares will increase by 70% from July 1 of this year. As RIA Novosti reports, the cheapest single-ride ticket (20 minutes of travel) will cost 14 Czech crowns (previously 8), and the price of a transfer ticket (75 minutes of travel) will rise from 12 to 20 crowns.
This decision was made by the Prague city authorities, Czech capital's Deputy Mayor Jan Bürgermeister told journalists. However, travel passes will increase slightly. For example, the cost of a monthly pass will rise from 420 to 460 crowns ($1 equals 24 crowns).
Czech analysts note that the price of public transport in Prague is one of the lowest in the European Union. It has not been increased for seven years. About 80% of public transport costs were covered by the city budget and only 20% by passengers.
Phone numbers change at the Canadian embassy in Kyiv
The Canadian Embassy in Ukraine announces a change of phone numbers as of May 26. * (044) 270-71-44 (reception) * (044) 270-71-30 (immigration department) * (044) 270-71-33 (trade department) * (044) 270-71-31 (political department) * (044) 270-62-42 (technical cooperation department) * (044) 270-65-98 (administrative department) * (044) 270-71-31/33 (military relations department).