UK provides migrants with insufficient rights
The UK is one of the most hospitable countries in Europe for immigrants, but it provides them with insufficient political rights. This is stated in a European study on immigrant integration conducted under the auspices of the British Council.
The study provides data on the situation of immigrants in 25 EU member states, as well as in Norway, Switzerland, and Canada. It showed that the UK ranks fifth in Europe in terms of how willing authorities are to grant newcomers residence permits and citizenship. The report positively noted the United Kingdom's policies in combating discrimination. At the same time, researchers point to the extreme contradictions of British migration legislation. Despite the fact that immigrants have all political and civil freedoms and are taxpayers, they are limited in their right to vote in local or national elections.
Among other countries described in the study, Sweden turned out to be the friendliest to migrants. Immigrants live best in this country. Next come Portugal and Belgium. Latvia came last in the ranking.
British Council Director Martin Davidson said that the goal of the study is to draw public attention to the fate of migrants around the world. "The problem of migration is one of the main ones facing Europe today. Migration is linked to the emergence of topics such as identity, the possibility of religious expression in a predominantly secular society, and fear due to threats of terrorism and wars," said Davidson. //RIA Novosti
Most Europeans are not averse to changing professions
According to a survey, three-quarters of residents of European countries consider a career change quite possible. Only 8% of Europeans are satisfied with their current job.
In a sociological survey involving more than 10,000 Europeans, it turned out that the majority does not rule out the possibility of changing their current profession. 74% of respondents consider a career change in the future quite realistic. More than half of those surveyed either have specific plans for retraining or are already attending relevant courses. Another 15% intend to start learning a new profession in the coming years.
According to the survey conducted by the online portal Monster.com, only 5% of respondents consider changing professions too drastic a turn in life, also associated with loss of time and material costs.
The study also revealed differences in attitudes toward current jobs among residents of different European countries. The most dissatisfied with their professional status quo were the Spanish: 82% of surveyed citizens of this country are either mastering a new type of work or have already planned a career change. In second place in the ranking of those disappointed with their careers are Finns and French. And the most satisfied with their chosen profession are residents of Hungary - only 14% of employed Hungarians are looking for a new profession. //Deutsche Welle
US bans construction of first prison for illegal immigrants
A special commission in Virginia rejected the project to create the first prison in the United States for illegal immigrants, where they would be held pending trial or deportation. According to The New York Times, instead, the commission proposed increasing state funding for the construction of ordinary prisons, where illegal immigrants could also be held. In addition, local authorities were advised not to release illegal immigrants on bail or on parole.
Critics, however, claim that any tightening of immigration law negatively affects illegal immigrants who are witnesses or victims of crimes. According to statistics, illegal immigrant women report violence against them half as often as US citizens for fear of deportation.
In recent years, Virginia has become a kind of "testing ground" for the strictest anti-illegal immigration measures in the country. In particular, in 2003, Virginia passed a law punishing the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. This year, a proposal has been submitted to state legislators for a $10,000 fine and revocation of licenses for companies hiring illegal immigrants. According to official data, about 300,000 illegal immigrants live in the state. //Lenta.ru
Real estate price growth halts in Europe
According to Global Property Guide, real estate price growth in most Western European countries has virtually stopped. This is largely due to the increase in the European Central Bank's discount rate in connection with the crisis in the US mortgage market.
In Ireland, prices increased by only 0.89% for the current year, and in September, average figures were lower than in March. In Spain, the lowest price increase in nine years is observed (in 2007, they rose only 5.8%). In the Baltic countries, on the contrary, a construction boom continues, and prices are rising at significant rates. However, in Latvia and Estonia, they increased less this year than in 2006.
While in the US and Canada, housing prices in 2007 decreased relative to the previous year, in Asian countries, Australia, and New Zealand, the market is growing. Singapore sets the pace, and Japan is experiencing the highest growth after almost 15 years of decline. //Expert
Most bombs go unnoticed at US airports
Staff at US airports who screen passengers detect less than half of bombs. This is reported in a classified document that came into the possession of USA Today.
According to the publication, during 2007, agents of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), disguised as ordinary passengers, attempted to carry fake bombs hidden in their clothing onto airliners. Such tests were conducted about 70 times at Los Angeles airport, 75 times at Chicago airport, and 145 times at San Francisco airport.
At Los Angeles airport, nearly 75% of the devices were let through, at Chicago's O'Hare airport – 60%, and at San Francisco airport – almost 20%. It is noted that private company employees work in San Francisco, while TSA employees work in Chicago and Los Angeles.
The test results worried experts. According to them, airport workers need to be sent for additional safety courses, and the airports themselves need to be equipped with more powerful scanners. They also note that employees of private agencies working at San Francisco airport are subjected to constant checks, and therefore they are "more suspicious." //Lenta.ru
Calls from airplanes will become reality
Mobile operators and airlines in Europe plan to equip airplanes with special technology that will allow making calls from a mobile phone without threatening the operation of navigation equipment, reports the BBC.
A small, low-power base station will be installed on the plane, which will serve passengers' phones and redirect the received information to a satellite, which will then deliver the calls to ground-based mobile communication stations.
Specialists also report that an important element of this technology is a signal blocker for ground-based base stations. It will prevent the possibility of a mobile phone connecting to any other cellular network except the one installed on board the plane.
Calls on a mobile phone aboard the plane will be more expensive than on the ground. And representatives of the British market regulator Ofcom noted that they intend to closely monitor and take necessary measures in case of abuse and unjustified price increases by mobile operators and airlines. At the moment, the technology is only available for GSM networks, but if successful, the list of available communication protocols may be expanded.
As of today, the use of mobile phones on airplanes is prohibited, as calls alter the readings of navigation equipment by almost five degrees, and can also cause frequency conflicts with communication equipment. In the near future, a study of this technology for conflicts with aviation equipment will begin (probably to be completed in 2008). //Lenta.ru
Britons prefer to live 'without a stamp in their passport'
In the UK, over the past ten years, the number of couples who have not officially registered their relationship has grown by 65%, according to a report by the UK Office for National Statistics.
According to the Bureau, in 1996 there were 1.4 million civil partnerships in the country, and in 2006 there were already 2.3 million. Officially registered marriages decreased by 4%. In addition to the growing number of couples in the UK who do not wish to register their relationship, the number of young women living with a partner without a stamp in their passport has sharply increased. Today, almost a quarter of all British women under 25 are in a civil partnership. Such cases did not exceed 1% 30 years ago.
Moreover, last year the average age of marriage in the UK was 32 for men and 29 for women, compared with 25 and 23 in 1971.
Experts have long been concerned about how Britons view the institution of marriage. In one study also conducted by the UK Office for National Statistics, it was noted that more and more Britons live in single-parent families, prefer to stay with their parents longer, and marry as late as possible. Researchers consider this trend in societal development clearly negative and are convinced that politicians should more actively fight to restore the position of marriage in the modern world.
Leader of the UK Conservative Party David Cameron recently stated that one in two couples who have not registered their relationship separate before their common child reaches the age of five. Meanwhile, among officially married people, the situation unfolds similarly in only one out of 12 families. "It's time to recognize that the collapse of the family is the main cause of the collapse of society that we are now seeing in our country," Cameron said.
As the Daily Telegraph notes, the British government, on the contrary, seeks to strengthen civil marriage rather than officially registered marriage. The country's authorities are developing a new bill in which civil marriages are essentially equated with official ones. In particular, after separation, civil spouses can claim alimony and part of the jointly acquired property. //RIA Novosti
Australian beach to become cultural heritage
Bondi Beach near Sydney is planned to be included in the list of Australia's national cultural heritage, reports the British newspaper The Independent. Within the next year, the initiative must receive public approval.
The area of the beach, which opened in 1855, occupies a total of 65 hectares of water and sand, as well as parks, walking paths, and two surf lifesaving clubs. One of them, the Bondi Surf Bathers Club, was founded in 1906 and is considered the oldest in Australia and one of the oldest in the world.
The beach, about a kilometer long, is surrounded by numerous residential areas. In addition, the adjacent areas contain popular shops, restaurants, and hotels, including Hotel Bondi and Swiss Grande Hotel Bondi Beach. The local cultural center has a theater, an art gallery, and art studios.
If Bondi Beach is included in the Australian National Heritage list, it will join the country's famous landmarks: the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. //Lenta.ru