EU to create special 'single visa centers'
Schengen visas will soon be issued not by the consulates of European Union states, but by so-called 'single visa centers', Deutsche Welle reports citing European Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini. At a meeting of EU justice and interior ministers that concluded last week in Luxembourg, Franco Frattini noted that these centers should take over the functions of collecting data, verifying it, and issuing permits for entry into the EU.
The idea of creating 'single visa centers' arose in connection with the introduction of new visas for those wishing to travel to EU countries. The new permits to enter the European Union will contain biometric data, in particular fingerprints. 'This is the next step after the EU leadership's decision to create a unified visa information system with biometric data. Moreover, we will be able to optimize resources,' the European Commission vice-president said.
According to him, EU countries will be able to save money that would have been needed to install the necessary equipment for collecting biometric data at each diplomatic mission. In 'single visa centers', several states will be able to use the relevant equipment simultaneously. Franco Frattini will announce the list of countries where such centers are to appear in the near future at the EU summit in July. //Interfax-Ukraine
Roaming in Europe to become cheaper
Some of the largest mobile operators in Europe, including British company Orange and German T-Mobile, have agreed to lower prices for roaming services. Prices are also being reduced by Wind and Telecom Italia from Italy, Telenor SA from Norway, and TeliaSonera from Sweden.
The companies decided to take this step after the European Commission warned that consumers are having to pay unreasonably high prices for calls made from abroad or received abroad. This concerns 200 million mobile phone owners in the European Union countries. The European Commission threatened the companies that it would propose a special law requiring roaming calls to be charged the same as domestic calls.
Mobile operators say that from October they will set a limit of 45 euro cents per minute for a 'foreign' customer using their network. From October 2007, the companies plan to lower the upper limit to 36 euro cents, thus the current price will be cut almost in half.
According to analysts, roaming fees provide up to 15% of mobile operators' annual revenue, and the margin here is often higher than on domestic tariffs. After the European Commission's first critical statement, the industry association of GSM providers tried to justify itself by noting that last year roaming prices in Europe fell by 8%. Operators consider it normal that one has to pay more for incoming and outgoing calls abroad, since telecom providers incur additional costs.
It is expected that other companies will join the agreement in the coming years. However, the European Commission believes that the issue is not yet settled. //Deutsche Welle
Golden Sands - a resort for the rich
The Bulgarian press notes that vacations on the country's Black Sea coast have become significantly more expensive. The famous Golden Sands are now affordable only for wealthy tourists.
Fruit prices are particularly striking - 'sky-high' for Bulgaria. For example, a kilogram of cherries costs €5-7, 5 times more than in Sofia. Apples sell for €4 per kilogram, and for €1 you can only buy a small cup of strawberries.
Prices at Sunny Beach are significantly lower. This may be the result of competition, since in recent years the resort has turned from a quiet corner into a large city. The number of hotels has increased significantly, and as a result, accommodation prices have fallen - in some hotels to €5-7 per night.
Croatia hotels lack space
For the period from late May to early July, many hotels in Istria, Split, and Dubrovnik have announced stop-sale. Representatives of the tourism business note that this has not been seen for almost three years. Demand for Croatia has increased among Europeans, especially the British.
According to experts, the most difficult situation will be in Dubrovnik, as there are few hotels and no opportunities to expand the base. According to forecasts, overloading in Croatian hotels will continue in July and August.
Back in February, it was expected that the influx of tourists to Croatia this year would increase by 2% compared to last year, and revenue would grow by 5%. In 2005, the largest number of tourists came to Croatia from Italy, Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic, and France. There was also an increase in the number of tourists from countries that previously visited Croatia much less frequently, such as the UK (33% growth in overnight stays compared to 2004), Denmark (45%), Sweden (49%), Japan (16%), and the USA (13%). //RATA-News
Criminals turned Moldovans into Jews for $20,000
In Moldova, a criminal group was exposed that offered anyone wishing to immigrate to Germany disguised as Jews. The cost of the service ranged from $20,000 to $50,000.
According to Moldova's Minister of Internal Affairs Gheorghe Papuc, the criminals made fake identity cards and other documents using the names of Jews who died during World War II. These names were taken from gravestones in cemeteries in Chisinau and other Moldovan cities.
To date, three members of the criminal group have been detained, including its leader, who turned out to be a German citizen of Ukrainian origin, Gennady Kharitonov. During searches, official forms and fake seals of various state institutions and private companies of Moldova, Ukraine, Germany, Russia, Turkey, and other countries were found. The investigation suggests that high-ranking Moldovan officials may have helped the fraudsters. //
Spanish prime minister tackles compatriots' language skills
The Spanish government, irked by the reputation of its country as a place where nobody knows foreign languages, has decided to incentivize compatriots who have decided to become polyglots. The country's prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, speaking in the national parliament, said that every young person aged 18 to 30 who takes up learning a foreign language can count on financial support from the government. As the prime minister said, each of these students will receive up to one thousand euros.
Under Spanish law, studying English is compulsory in local schools. However, according to a study carried out by the European Commission, only 20% of Spaniards can converse more or less fluently in a foreign language. That is the worst indicator in the European Union, apart from English-speaking countries—the United Kingdom and Ireland—where the percentage of residents who know foreign languages is even lower. //Reuters
English schoolchildren to be tested for drugs
Secondary school students in England will be subject to random drug tests, including for marijuana, cocaine and heroin, writes The Times. Already from September, such tests will begin in 103 schools in the county of Kent.
The experiment began in one of the county's schools in 2005. Children were not forced to give a mouth swab for analysis, but if a child refused, their parents were invited for a conversation. Of the 960 pupils at that school, almost 86% of parents gave consent to the test.
It turned out that only one of the tested pupils aged 11 to 18 was caught smoking marijuana. However, the main result of the experiment was something else—pupils began to behave better, skipped fewer classes, and showed better results in exams. In addition, children more often expressed the opinion that they would be able to resist if a friend offered them to try drugs, because of fears that tests would reveal their misdeed.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, one in 50 schoolchildren admitted to using cocaine, and 12% said they smoked marijuana. Overall, 19% reported taking some kind of drugs. In 1998, the publication reminds, there were only 11%. //Lenta.ru
Luxury tent hotel opens in Thailand
The Four Seasons hotel chain has an unusual addition: an exclusive hotel, the Golden Triangle, located right in the jungle near the borders of Laos and Burma. The nearest settlement, Chiang Rai, is 85 kilometers away. Guests are delivered to the hotel, which consists of 15 tent rooms, either by boats, jeeps, or elephants—wading through the river.
The rooms can be called 'tents' only very conditionally: they are spacious tents located at a considerable distance from each other, with large verandas, furnished with handmade furniture, with feather pillows, safes, air conditioners, minibars, bathrobes, slippers, as well as binoculars for observing the surrounding nature. Guests are offered numerous excursions—to nearby villages, along the Mekong River, to local attractions and museums, including the Opium Museum. In addition, tourists have the opportunity to learn Thai cuisine at cooking classes or traditional crafts at pottery classes, go fishing, or attend lectures on Thai culture and history.
The room rate (from $555 to $1,030 per night for a single tent depending on the season) includes full board, spa services, an excursion program, and airport transfer from Chiang Rai. //Travel.ru