Charles Bridge to close for several days
A wave of criticism and discontent was caused by the planned closure by Prague authorities for several days of the symbol of the Czech capital - Charles Bridge - due to an event by one of the world-famous companies producing bags and accessories. According to Radio Prague, the company rented Charles Bridge from September 6 to 10. During these days, an international parade of vintage cars will take place, traveling from Budapest through Austria to Prague. A documentary film will be shot on Charles Bridge during the car parade.
Poland begins issuing biometric passports
Poland has started issuing new biometric passports, the press service of the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. Currently, only the citizen's photograph is encoded in the passport's microchip, but in two years, information about the owner's fingerprints and iris will be added.
At a ceremony opening a biometric passport issuance point in Warsaw, Polish Interior Minister Ludwik Dorn assured citizens that the use of the new technology will significantly improve the issuance of biometric passports. At the same time, according to the minister, queues should be considerably reduced.
Currently, about 100 passport issuance points with special microprocessors have been opened in Poland. According to RIA Novosti, a biometric passport costs about 140 zlotys ($1 = 3 zlotys). Ludwik Dorn also explained that citizens who previously received ordinary passports do not need to replace them; the documents will remain valid until the date indicated in the passport.
Only seven EU states ready to introduce new passports
In the European Union, only seven of the 25 member states are fully ready to switch to biometric passports. According to the European Commission's press service, the list includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden.
All other members of the organization, according to the European Commission's order, must prepare to switch citizens to new-style identity documents by the end of September. Otherwise, the EU's highest executive body threatened state leaders with legal proceedings.
According to RIA Novosti, the transition of EU states to biometric passports was initiated by the United States, which, starting October 26, 2006, in the fight against terrorism, will ban visa-free entry into the country for Europeans without biometric passports.
New screening system operates at Sheremetyevo-1
A new system for detecting objects hidden on a person's body has been installed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo-1 airport. The microwave scanner can identify particles of metal, ceramics, plastic, wood, or any other material hidden on a person's body within seconds.
This is achieved through radiation that penetrates the body to a depth of up to 2 mm, which is about 10,000 times weaker than the radiation power of a cell phone. The detector is absolutely safe for health because scanning is performed with radio waves similar to human biological waves. The system is harmless for people using pacemakers.
The new equipment uses a special program for automatic recognition of weapons, mobile phones, and other items particularly relevant for screening by aviation security services, according to an airport release.
As Turist.ru notes, the system is similar to the one tested last year in London and used in some other countries. The passenger enters the chamber and raises their hands for three to four seconds. Typically, not all passengers undergo this screening, only those who have aroused some suspicion from security services.
Businessmen who brought Russian and Ukrainian women arrested in Japan
Four entrepreneurs who brought girls from Russia and Ukraine to work in bars have been arrested in the Japanese city of Osaka.
According to a police spokesman, 58-year-old Takashi Mori, 48-year-old Koji Akagawa, and two of their assistants sent forged documents to the Japanese consulate in Khabarovsk requesting visas for a "group of specialists for an internship at the Osaka Water Supply School." The entry documents were obtained on April 7, and the group crossed the border at Niigata airport in western Japan.
Investigation revealed that this and other groups of girls (about 40 in total) were sent to work as so-called "hostesses" in clubs and night restaurants. According to police, the arrested Mori had already spent four years behind bars: in 1999, he was prosecuted for receiving a large insurance payout for a fabricated death during a tourist trip to the Philippines.
Tourists in Turkey will have to register their mobile phones
Mobile phones of foreigners arriving in Turkey will now be registered with customs authorities.
To use their phone in the country, foreign citizens will have to pay a customs tax and register the IMEI number of their device. An invoice and a copy of the phone's passport (for phones brought as gifts) must be submitted to the relevant GSM operator.
The reason for the new rule is the high tax on mobile phones in Turkey and the relatively high cost of devices. Thus, authorities are trying to preserve the local phone import market and prevent the import of cheap devices from abroad.
London transport rated best in the world by tourists
London's urban transport has been rated the best in the world in a survey of two thousand travelers on TripAdvisor, a website specializing in tourist recommendations. Interestingly, they also rated it as the most overpriced transport. London taxis were also placed first.
Next in the ranking of the best transportation systems are New York, Paris, Washington, and Hong Kong. The worst is the urban transport of Los Angeles. Washington's transport is recognized as the safest and cleanest, and the worst taxis are New York's. 58% of respondents indicated that at least once taxi drivers tried to cheat them by taking a roundabout route to the destination.
71% of respondents said they use public transport when in other cities, and the same number consider the quality of public transport an essential factor when choosing a city to visit. For 40%, the most important thing is that transport is available in all parts of the city they plan to visit, while 30% primarily pay attention to its safety. Thus, improving transport in a city helps attract tourists, the authors of the study conclude.