Europe's population supported by immigrants
Without a constant influx of immigrants, Europe's population would have shrunk by four percent in the second half of the 1990s. Immigrants accounted for 89% of population growth there at the end of the last century. According to Deutsche Welle, this conclusion is contained in the latest UN report on world population migration presented in New York.
According to the report's authors, currently about 200 million people on our planet permanently live outside their home country. In Europe, there are more than 56 million such migrants. In Germany, according to the latest estimates, 7.3 million immigrants live.
Transaero simplifies passenger transfers
The airline Transaero continues to develop its passenger check-in system SDCS (SITA Departure Control Services). It was launched this summer at Moscow's Domodedovo airport. Now this system also services Transaero flights at Berlin's Schoenefeld airport.
Passengers traveling from Berlin on Transaero connecting flights via Moscow to other cities receive two boarding passes at check-in. One for the Berlin-Moscow flight, the other for the flight from Moscow to their destination. Thus, upon arrival at Domodedovo, they do not need to check in for a new flight and can proceed directly to boarding.
Work is currently underway to implement the SDCS system at airports in Kiev, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Tashkent, Tel Aviv, Alma-Ata, Astana, and other cities. This will allow Transaero to provide its passengers with quick transfers.
Estonia does not recognize diplomas of the builders of socialism
Estonia has refused to recognize diplomas from Soviet-era higher party schools (HPS) as documents of higher education. As ITAR-TASS reports, the republic's government adopted a decree according to which education received at an HPS is equated to education received in the system of so-called free education (at people's universities and other similar institutions). Consequently, a specialist with an HPS diploma is not considered a specialist with full-fledged additional higher education.
As explained by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of Estonia, this government decree applies to those who received education in the field of party and Soviet construction within the walls of "communist universities." This restriction does not apply to all other specialties.
It is worth recalling that in June of this year, the Estonian government decided to equate diplomas of highly qualified specialists issued in the USSR education system before August 20, 1991 (the date of Estonia's withdrawal from the USSR) to a master's degree. The republic's authorities also decided to equate Soviet candidate and doctor of sciences degrees to doctoral degrees in Estonia.
Trips to Russia are too expensive for Western tourists
The flow of tourists from Western Europe to Russia is declining primarily due to the high cost of tours. As Gzt.ru reports, this was stated by Vice President of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (RST) Vladimir Kantorovich.
In particular, according to Kantorovich, a classic Moscow-Saint Petersburg tour for seven nights and eight days has increased in price by 2-2.5 times over the past four years, and now will cost a European €1,300-1,400. Meanwhile, a similar trip to the Czech Republic or Hungary costs from €500 to €700 per person.
At the same time, the price of a tour package to Russia is increasing due to all components. In particular, over four years the cost of a Moscow-Saint Petersburg train ticket has risen from $30-40 to $80, the cost of tickets to major museums has increased three to four times, and the annual increase in the cost of food and hotels is 20-25%. Also, according to the vice president of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry, the high cost of entry visas for foreigners and the length of time it takes to process them play a significant role in the unwillingness to travel to Russia.
In Latvia, drunk drivers will have their cars confiscated
In Latvia, drunk drivers will begin to have their cars confiscated. Vehicles will be confiscated if a driver is caught again within a year while intoxicated or causes an accident with serious consequences while drunk.
As Gzt.ru reports, such draconian measures are provided for by amendments to the country's Criminal Code adopted the day before by parliament. Confiscation also threatens those who teach driving while intoxicated, or for a repeated refusal within a year to undergo a blood alcohol or drug test. In addition, drunk drivers can now be punished with imprisonment for up to two years.
The decision to confiscate a car will be made only by a court. At the same time, as legislators noted, factors such as who is the actual owner of the car, and whether the car was purchased on credit or leased, must be taken into account. Such tightening of laws is due to the fact that in recent years the number of deaths in drunk-driving accidents has sharply increased in the country.
French to earn money for every third child
The French government has presented a list of financial incentives for parents who want to have a third child. The authorities hope this will raise the birth rate in France and help citizens balance family life with work, reports the Associated Press. Currently, the republic's authorities are concerned about the reluctance of educated and affluent women to have and raise children.
Under the new rules, parents who take a one-year unpaid leave from work after the birth of a third child will receive €750 monthly. This was announced by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin at a national conference on family issues. The decree will come into force in July 2006.
According to de Villepin, this measure will affect a large number of parents, since it will allow “better coordinating the rhythm of family life with work.” “We must do as much as possible so that French families can afford to have as many children as they want,” de Villepin said. Dominique de Villepin himself is the father of three children.
The fertility rate in France currently averages 1.9 children per woman. By this indicator, the country ranks second, with Ireland in first place. Nevertheless, these figures are lower than the required 2.07 children per woman. It is precisely this rate that prevents a decline in population growth. On average across the European Union, this rate is 1.5. In a number of countries, particularly Greece, Spain and Italy, it is even lower than 1.3.