UK to buy off illegal immigrants
In Britain, they have come up with a new way to combat uninvited guests. The government will offer illegal immigrants $5.000 each to voluntarily leave the foggy Albion. The journey home is not included in this amount – the authorities will pay for it separately. Citizens who leave the country within six months will receive the money.
This idea could cost the government very dear, since there are more than 500,000 illegals in the country. However, not all of them will agree to leave even for such a tempting payment. According to experts, at most 3,000 visitors will accept the authorities' offer.
New rules for obtaining Schengen visas announced
The European Union will introduce new rules for obtaining Schengen visas in the coming years. This was announced by Austria's ambassador to Moscow, Martin Vukovich.
"In 2007-2008, everyone who wants to get a Schengen visa will have to apply in person to the visa department; this will not be possible through intermediaries or by post," the ambassador said at a press conference in Moscow. He noted that this is due to the introduction of biometric data, which will need to be verified on the spot. According to Vukovich, there is also an idea to create unified Schengen offices where one could obtain a visa for any of the European Union countries. In the ambassador's view, this will make it easier for residents of the regions to obtain visas. // RIA Novosti
Vatican to join Schengen Agreements
In connection with the growing terrorist threat, the Vatican intends to join the Schengen Agreements, said the head of the investigative bodies of the Holy See, Professor Nicola Picardi.
The Schengen Agreements provide not only for the abolition of checks on the common borders between the European countries that signed them, but also for access to a special common information system for law enforcement agencies, Picardi said, opening the traditional legal year of the city-state the other day.
According to him, closer cooperation in the field of law and order with the countries party to the Schengen Agreements is of particular interest to the Vatican. Picardi emphasized that for the Vatican, which is an enclave on Italian territory, it will take minimal effort to bring its legal rules into line with the standards of the Schengen area.
The Schengen Agreements were signed in the second half of the 1980s between the member states of the European Communities in Schengen (Luxembourg). Since May 1, 1999, they have been officially incorporated into the legal system of the European Union. //RIA Novosti
Influx of German resettlers to Germany declining
The influx of German resettlers to Germany from the republics of the former Soviet Union continues to decline. Last year, 35,500 ethnic Germans and their family members came to Germany for permanent residence.
This is 40% less than the same indicator in 2004. For comparison: in the early 1990s, about 200,000 German resettlers came to Germany per year.
Hans-Peter Kemper, the federal government's commissioner for German resettlers, believes that the influx of ethnic Germans to Germany will continue to decline. In his opinion, on the one hand, this is due to improving living conditions in the countries from which the resettlers come. And on the other hand, the gradual completion of the family reunification process. Kemper considers the integration of resettlers in their historical homeland to be one of the most important tasks of the federal government. In his view, sufficient knowledge of the German language among resettlers is a necessary condition for this.
According to experts, about 1.3 million people with German roots still live in the territory of the former USSR. //Deutsche Welle
London passengers to be searched with scanners
In London, trials have begun of scanners - reading devices that recognize weapons and explosives hidden on a person's body. The scanners will be installed at Paddington station to check passengers traveling to Heathrow airport on the express train. The check will be carried out selectively, but a passenger has the right to refuse it.
The government intends to find out how effective the scanners are in the fight against terrorism. However, plans to introduce a full-scale security system similar to that in airports have so far been abandoned. The reason is that a huge flow of people passes through railway stations.
If successful, the scanners will also be installed at other stations. In addition to scanners, the stations will test improved video surveillance cameras that raise an alarm when a passenger behaves suspiciously.
The decision to test scanners was made by the Ministry of Transport in the autumn of 2004 after a series of terrorist attacks in London on July 7. In several explosions carried out by suicide bombers, 56 people died, including the terrorists, and about 700 were injured. //Lenta.ru
Recommendations issued for those leaving Russia
Citizens leaving Moscow for territories affected by bird flu receive special memos, the territorial department of Rospotrebnadzor for Moscow reported the other day. "Memo for citizens traveling to countries affected by bird flu" has been prepared to ensure measures to prevent the dangerous disease, an agency spokesman said.
The memo, in particular, recommends refraining from visiting private farms, poultry farms, pet shops and other places where contact with domestic or wild birds is possible.
"It is not recommended to purchase and consume meat products of unguaranteed quality, especially from private individuals. If signs of an acute respiratory disease occur during a trip or after returning from countries affected by avian influenza, it is necessary to immediately seek medical help at a medical facility and inform the doctor about being abroad," the document says.
According to the latest data, four people have died from bird flu in Turkey, and the disease has been detected in 27 provinces of the country.
Bird flu is an acute viral infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, since January 2004, cases of human infection with the virus have been registered in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, and Turkey.
The main carriers of the disease are wild bird species. The virus is transmitted through contact with a sick bird and through consumption of meat. //RIA Novosti
Aeroflot removed alcohol from in-flight meals
Aeroflot passengers lost their traditional free portion of alcohol before meals in flight. As told in the company's public relations department, now "wine, beer, cognac, and champagne will be provided to economy class passengers only for an additional fee."
The decision to change the in-flight meal service system was made based on research conducted by independent experts. This measure is caused by "budget constraints due to the sharp rise in the cost of aviation fuel." "This policy has been adopted by many European and American carriers, including SAS, Austrian Airlines, SwissAir, Delta and others," said an official representative of the airline. //ITAR-TASS
Los Angeles named "capital of the homeless and beggars"
The mayor of Los Angeles called his city the "capital of the homeless and beggars" after the release of research results showing that 48,000 people in the second largest city in the United States live on the streets. In total, 82,000 homeless people live in Los Angeles County, which includes 88 cities.
The first thorough study conducted by the agency also revealed that city shelters can provide places for only 12% of the homeless for one night. The research involved a thousand volunteers who visited shelters, hospitals, and places where homeless people gather in Los Angeles. They also called a thousand households to find out whether homeless people live on their property.
In total, 10 million people live in Los Angeles County, of which four million live in the city of the same name. It is the second most urbanized area in the United States after New York.
According to estimates by the organization "U.S. Conference of Mayors," more than 3.5 million people without shelter currently live in the United States. This is 1.25% of the total U.S. population. //Lenta.ru
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