In Europe, new technical passports are being issued
Since October, the issuance of new-style documents for motor vehicles has begun in all European Union countries. These technical passports and registration certificates have protection that rules out counterfeiting. The validity of old-style documents is not limited.
The new technical passport will list not all previous owners of the vehicle, but only the current and the previous one. The German Automobile Club ADAC has repeatedly criticized this, saying that this innovation runs counter to consumer protection policy.
In Ukraine, the procedure for importing and exporting currency valuables has been liberalized
The National Bank has liberalized and unified the procedure for importing and exporting currency valuables, Interfax-Ukraine reports. According to a resolution of the country's central bank, the NBU has increased the maximum amount of currency valuables that individuals can import and export with an individual license and a special NBU permit from $50,000 to $100,000, or the equivalent in other foreign currencies.
At the same time, the maximum amount of currency that an individual can take abroad without such documents is the equivalent of 10,000 hryvnia, including in the form of commemorative and collectible coins made of non-precious and precious metals in the amount of 3,000 hryvnia.
Individuals have the right to take out of Ukraine metals weighing up to 200 grams in the form of bullion and in foreign coins made of precious metals, provided that they declare them in writing to customs authorities.
Citizens may bring into Ukraine foreign currency and/or checks in an amount not exceeding $15,000, of which, with oral declaration, up to $3,000.
An individual has the right to import into Ukraine bank metals weighing up to 500 grams in the form of bullion and in foreign coins made of precious metals, subject to written declaration to customs authorities.
Foreign currency and checks imported by individuals, both residents and non-residents, in an amount exceeding the norm, are accepted by the customs authority for safekeeping with subsequent transfer to a foreign currency current account opened in the name of the individual.
Import by citizens of bank metals in the form of bullion weighing more than 500 grams must be carried out under a special permit from the National Bank.
An immigrant becomes Canada's new governor general
Michaëlle Jean, a black woman who immigrated from Haiti, has been officially sworn in as Canada's 27th governor general. As the Associated Press notes, the 48-year-old radio journalist became the first black woman in Canada's history to hold the highest public office in the country as the official representative of the Canadian head of state, which by tradition remains the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
Since under the constitution the governor general is also considered commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces, Jean had to renounce French citizenship, which she acquired by marrying Jean-Daniel Lafond, a film director born in France.
Jean's family fled to Canada to escape the Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti when Michelle was just 11 years old. According to RIA Novosti, Jean will replace another member of the 'fair sex' - Adrienne Clarkson, a woman of Chinese origin, as governor general of Canada.
783 people receive Estonian citizenship at once
The Estonian government has decided to grant Estonian citizenship to 783 applicants. As the government press service noted, such a large number of people granted Estonian citizenship last week demonstrates the authorities' desire to resolve the problem of stateless persons as soon as possible.
Today, 153,500 residents of Estonia do not have Estonian citizenship - less than 11% of the total population. In the first years after the restoration of independence, this figure was about 30%, RIA Novosti reports.
Fewer and fewer Germans are moving from eastern to western Germany
The migration of Germans from the eastern federal states to the western ones continues to slow down. This was reported by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany.
According to its data, just over 50,000 people left the eastern states last year. In 2003, there were almost 7,000 more. Every other person who left East Germany is a young person aged 18 to 30. Overall, since 1991, 900,000 people have moved from the former GDR to the former West Germany.
Air France announces fare increase
Air France has announced another fare increase due to rising fuel prices, RIA Novosti reports. According to a company statement, the new fares will take effect on October 4 and will apply to both directions when purchasing round-trip tickets.
On long-haul flights, the increase will be €6, on medium-haul routes - €4, on domestic routes - €1. The company promised to revise fares downward if the price of oil stays below $55 per barrel for 30 consecutive days.
The fuel surcharge on ticket prices was introduced by Air France in May 2004, and since then the company has already raised fares four times.